Look up rule or ruling in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Rule and ruling usually refers to standards for activities. They may refer to:

Human activity[link]

• Business rule, a rule pertaining to the structure or behavior internal to a business
• School rule, rules part of school discipline
• Sport rule, rule that defines how a sport is played
• Game rule, rule that defines how a game is played
• Moral, a rule or element of a moral code for guiding choices in human behavior
• Norm (philosophy), a kind of sentence or a reason to act, feel or believe
• Rule of thumb, a principle with broad application that is not intended to be strictly accurate or reliable for every situation
• Unspoken rule, an assumed rule of human behavior that is not voiced or written down

Science[link]

• Norm (sociology), a term in sociology describing explicit or implicit rules used within society or by a group (i.e. social norms)
• Rule of inference or transformation rule, a term in logic for a function which takes premises and returns a conclusion
• "Rule X" elementary cellular automaton, where X is a number between 0-255 characterizing a specific model (e.g. Rule 110)
• Ruler, or "rule"; a distance measuring device

Law and government[link]

• Law, which may informally be called a "rule"
• Government
• Rule of law, government that consists of rule not by one person but by laws, as in a democratic republic; no one person can rule and even top government officials are under and ruled by the law. In addition to this, in such a government, laws cannot be enacted which would undermine the rule of law via the setup of separate frameworks of rules for separate subsets of the population.
• Ruler, a monarch, the person who rules a country
• Procedural law, a ruleset governing the application of laws to cases
• Court order, a decision by a court
• Military rule, governance by a military body
• Monastic rule, a collection of precepts that guides the life of monks or nuns in a religious order
• In rulemaking by the federal government of the United States, a regulation mandated by congress, but written or expanded upon by the executive branch

Books[link]

• The Rules, a bestselling self-help book

Entertainment[link]

• Ja Rule, a hip hop artist
  • R.U.L.E., a 2005 greatest hits album by Ja Rule
• Rule (song), a song by rapper Nas
• "Rule/Sparkle", a song by Ayumi Hamasaki
• Rules (album), an album by the band The Whitest Boy Alive
• "Rules" (song), a KMFDM song
• "Rules", a Shakira song included on her album Laundry Service
• Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula, a 2003 Bollywood film
• The Rule, an American pop/R&B band
  • The Rule (album), self-titled album by The Rule

Surname[link]

• Albert Leroy Rule, World War I documentary film producer & director
• Ann Rule (b.1935), American true crime writer.
• Bert L. Rule (1891–1878), Tin Pan Alley composer & arranger
• Bob Rule (b.1944), American basketball player
• Christopher Rule (1895-1983), American comic book artist
• Elton Rule (1916—1990), American television executive
• Gilbert Rule (c.1629-1701), Principal of Edinburgh University
• Glenn Rule (b.1989, Birkenhead ), English soccer player
• Ja Rule (b.1976), American rapper, singer and actor
• Jack Rule, Jr. (b.1938), American professional golfer
• Jane Rule (1931–2007), Canadian writer
• Janice Rule (1931–2003), American actress
• Margaret Rule (b.1928), English underwater archaeologist
• Stan Rule (b.1924), Australian rules footballer
• Stephen Rule (b.1952), English Rugby Union and Rugby League player and coach
• Wendy Rule, Australian musical artist
• William Rule (American editor) (1839–1928), American newspaper editor and politician

Other uses[link]

• Rule (horse), American racehorse
• Rule, Texas, a town in Texas, United States
• Rules (restaurant), London's oldest restaurant

See also[link]

• All Wikipedia pages beginning with Rule of
• All Wikipedia pages beginning with Rules of
• All Wikipedia pages beginning with Rules for

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Ja Rule
Ja Rule with Jaid Barrymore in February 2005
Background information
Birth name	Jeffery Atkins
Born	(1976-02-29) February 29, 1976 (age 36) Queens, New York, U.S.
Origin	Jamaica, Queens, New York, USA
Genres	Hip hop, east coast hip hop, R&B
Occupations	Rapper, Actor, Songwriter
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Def Jam, The Inc., Mpire Music Group, Fontana Distribution
Associated acts	Irv Gotti, Ashanti, Jay-Z, DMX, Fat Joe, Mpire Music Group, Vita, Lloyd, Hussein Fatal, Caddillac Tah, Mary J Blige, Charli Baltimore, Black Child, Memphis Bleek, Jadakiss, R. Kelly, 7 Aurelius
Website	ruleyork.com

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976),^[1] better known by his stage name Ja Rule or Mockaveli, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City.

Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. Ja Rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the fastest selling rapper in 2001^{[citation needed]}. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem).

Early life[link]

Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City.^[1] He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins,^[2] and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".^[3]

Music career[link]

Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name "Ja Rule" came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him "Ja".^[4] In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998, he was a featured guest on Jay-Z's hit single "Can I Get A..." along with Amil which Ja Rule wrote the hook, and was going to be a Ja Rule solo song, until Jay heard the track.

[edit] Venni Vetti Vecci (1999)

His debut album Venni Vetti Vecci was released in 1999. Singles included "Holla Holla", "It's Murda" with Jay-Z & DMX, and "Daddy's Little Baby" with Ronald Isley. "Holla Holla" reached #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.^[5] Venni Vetti Vecci was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 12, 1999.^[6]

[edit] Rule 3:36 (2000)

Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single "Between Me and You", which featured Christina Milian. "Between Me and You" reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Put It On Me" reached #8 on the Hot 100.^[5] Ja's second album, Rule 3:36, was released on October 10, 2000. Rule 3:36 debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified triple platinum.^[6]

[edit] Pain Is Love (2001)

During the late summer of 2001, Ja Rule released his third studio album, Pain Is Love. "Living It Up", featuring Case, reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Always on Time", which featured Ashanti, reached #1 on the Hot 100.^[5] Like its predecessor, Pain Is Love topped the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum.^[6] By 2007, 3.6 million copies of Pain Is Love had been sold.^[7] Ja Rule could also be heard on Artists against AIDS Worldwide's single "What's Going On."

[edit] The Last Temptation (2002)

The Last Temptation, Ja Rule's fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured the two Billboard Top 10 singles "Thug Lovin'" (#8) and "Mesmerize" (#2), another duet with Ashanti.^[5] The Last Temptation debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200.^[8] The Last Temptation was certified platinum in December 2002.^[6]

[edit] Blood in My Eye (2003)

Blood in My Eye although intended to be a mixtape, was his fifth album and the last released under the "Murder Inc." label, which renamed itself "The Inc." several days after the album release. It spawned the one and only hit "Clap Back" which reached #5 on the Top 100 and won him the Source Awards'"Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S.^[8] In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.^[9]

[edit] R.U.L.E. (2004)

Ja Rule's sixth studio album R.U.L.E. was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti which peaked on the Billboard Top 100 Singles at #5. The single was followed by the street anthem "New York" featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at #27. The third single was the love song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd and Ashanti which charted at #15. The track "The Manual" was also a single in the UK where it peaked at #9. The RIAA certified R.U.L.E. Gold on January 14, 2005,^[6] and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[7]

Hiatus, departure from Def Jam and leaving The Inc. Records (2005–2009)[link]

Ja Rule performing in Fort Hood, Texas, May 13, 2005

On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released Exodus, a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song "Me" and intro and outro tracks. Exodus was the last album on Ja Rule's contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.^[1]

In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti.^[10] This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.'s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (ironically part of the same company as Def Jam).

In 2009, Ja Rule recorded a new song with Brazilian singer Wanessa, "Fly", sung entirely in English despite the singer's nationality. The song also received a version named "Meu Momento", also featuring Ja Rule, in which Wanessa sings in Portuguese.^[11] "Fly" was released as a single in Brazil in April. The song was ranked number #1 on Crowley/Brazil,^[12] and it was nominated in the "Hit do Ano" ("Hit Song of the Year") category at the 2009 MTV Video Music Brasil awards show, where Ja Rule and Wanessa performed together for the first time.^[13]

Ja Rule also ended his long running feud with his former Def Jam labelmate DMX at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors in September.^[14] Ja Rule announced that he was no longer signed to The Inc. Records, the label he has been with since its beginnings in 1997.^[15]

[edit] The Mirror and Mpire Music Group (2009)

After leaving The Inc. Records in 2009 Ja Rule set up Mpire Music Group and recruited new artists while still maintaining friendship with Irv Gotti. The Mirror was to be Ja Rule's seventh album and set for a 2007 release date, however, due to poor reception to singles partly believed to be due to his beef with 50 Cent it was pushed back. Eventually tracks from the album leaked online leading Ja Rule to re-record the album only afterwards deciding to release it as a free download in 2009.

[edit] Pain Is Love 2, Prison and Renaissance Project (2012-Present)

In February 2011, It was announced that Ja Rule is working on another album called Pain Is Love 2, naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (Pain Is Love). It will feature production from the producers on the original Pain Is Love album in order to "recreate magic". He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the "level and quality of the records" and to avoid "doing an injustice to his fans."^[16][17][18]
Pain Is Love 2 was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but had been pushed back yet again, this time to February 28, 2012.^[19] To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called "Falling to Pieces" which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script's "Breakeven".^[20][21] On October 2, 2011, another track released called "Spun a Web" which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay's "Trouble". The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.^[22] Pain Is Love 2 was finally released on February 28, 2012, while Ja Rule was serving a two-year sentence in jail for gun possession. Renaissance Project is the upcoming eighth studio album by Rule. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at Mpire Studios in NYC Studio during 2008 to 2011. Production was handled by Rule and several others, including Benzino, 7 Aurelius and Buck 3000. Most of the tracks that were meant for the Renaissance were transferred over to Pain Is Love 2. Rule is set to be released from prison in December 2012, he is then set to go out on his tour, "40 days, 40 nights tour

Acting career[link]

During his break from rapping, Ja Rule had an appearance as a street racer in The Fast and the Furious. In 2004, he appeared in several movies including Back in The Day with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and Half Past Dead as Steven Seagal's co-star. He also starred in the movie The Cookout with Queen Latifah.

See Filmography

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Murray on a C.^{[23][24][25][26]}

Legal issues[link]

In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.^[27]

In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.^[28][29]

On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.^[30]

In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest.^[31][32][33] New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence.^[34][35] On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule's surrender date for his two year prison sentence was set for June 8.^[36] His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself in to authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.^[37]

In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 2004–2006.^[38]

Feuds[link]

50 Cent/G-Unit Records[link]

Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry.^{[citation needed]} However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule "getting so much love" from the neighborhood.^[39] A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches. .^[3]

In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.

Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in, "There's a Snitch in the Club", and "You the Wanksta". In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent^[3] The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing Blood in My Eye, which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to squash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before Blood in My Eye was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent's labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes also became involved and released tracks which insulted Ja Rule.^[3]

Ja Rule later released R.U.L.E. with the successful single, "New York", featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on "Piggy Bank" for details).

Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled "21 Gunz".^[40] In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track "Return of Ja Fool" on Lloyd Banks' mixtape Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now.^[40] 50 Cent claimed in 2010 that Ja Rule's beef with him and Shady/Aftermath has ruined Ja's career saying "We just ripped the nigga apart and he hasn't & can't come back from it".

In an interview with MTV He stated that his new album, The Mirror, will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said:

There was a lot of things I wanted to say, and I didn't want there to be any bitter records on the album. Because I'm not bitter about anything that happened [in the past few years].^[41]

Eminem[link]

The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked.^[42] On November 19, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti were special guests on Star and Bucwild's morning show on Hot 97 NYC. Irv Gotti had some legal documents stating the order of protection 50 has on him.^[43]

Ja Rule threatened that, if 50 Cent released any songs with defamatory or insulting lyrics directed at him, he would take legal action towards both of them.^[42][43] However, Dr. Dre was the one who produced 50 Cent's track "Back Down" in 2003 from the album Get Rich Or Die Tryin', which made derogatory comments toward Murder Inc., and Ja Rule's immediate family members. "^{[44][dead link]}

Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track "Hail Mary 2003", with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur's song "Hail Mary", was done partially as a response to Ja Rule's remake of another Tupac song, "Pain" (retitled "So Much Pain"). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so made the track, mocking him for trying to "imitate" the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the "new" Tupac songs he produced, including those on Loyal to the Game.^[43]

The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released, "Loose Change" (actually released before "Hail Mary"), in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name "Feminem", falsely announced Dr. Dre as "bisexual", and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre "bringing transvestites home".^[44] The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem's mother, Debbie, his then ex-wife, Kim, and even referenced his then 8-year-old daughter, Hailie. "^[42]

These lyrics offended Eminem deeply, causing him to immediately get his rap group D12 involved, as well as the major part of his label, including Obie Trice, his close friend.^[44] Eminem then made the track "Bully", and together, he and Trice responded with a song titled "Doe Rae Me" (aka "Hailie's Revenge"). Eminem also made a reference to Ja Rule's insult toward Hailie in "Like Toy Soldiers", by saying:

"I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em, if some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em. That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it. There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it. I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it."

Since then the feud has cooled down.^[42]

DMX[link]

Ja Rule started off as friends with DMX, as well as Jay-Z. DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule were part of a group at the time named Murder Inc. (The name was later used by Ja's producer Irv Gotti for his record label.) They recorded songs under the name together. DMX and Jay-Z also guest starred on Ja Rule's first album on the track "It's Murda". He released a track on Cradle 2 The Grave Soundtrack called Go to Sleep with Eminem, Obie Trice were they all took shoots at Ja Rule. Eventually Ja Rule's feuds with Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem went away.

The two rappers waged a war of words for years after DMX accused Ja Rule of copying his hardcore style on records.^[45] DMX admitted that he initially wanted to end with his rap rival when he was released from jail in 2005 before making peace: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him", said DMX, "I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it. But I need five minutes in a room with your man. I got to put my hands on him.'"^[45]

DMX and Ja Rule finally ended their feud at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors.^[46]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 1999: Venni Vetti Vecci
• 2000: Rule 3:36
• 2001: Pain Is Love
• 2002: The Last Temptation
• 2003: Blood in My Eye
• 2004: R.U.L.E.
• 2012: Pain Is Love 2^[47]
• 2012: Renaissance Project^[47]

Other albums

• 2005: Exodus
• 2008: The Mirror
• 2012: Icon

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ja Rule

• Official website
• The Inc. artist website (archived)
• Ja Rule on Myspace
• Ja Rule at MTV
• Ja Rule at the Internet Movie Database

Jennifer Lopez
Lopez arriving at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards in August 2004
Born	Jennifer Lynn Lopez (1969-07-24) July 24, 1969 (age 42) The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, businesswoman, dancer, recording artist
Years active	1986–present
Spouse	Ojani Noa (1997–98) Cris Judd (2001–03) Marc Anthony (2004–present, divorce filed)
Partner	David Cruz (1984–94)
Children	2
Relatives	Lynda Lopez (sister)
Signature
Website
www.jenniferlopez.com www.jenniferlopezonline.com

Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. Often referred to as J.Lo, she is reportedly the highest earning actress of Latin descent.^[1][2] Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she enrolled in singing and dancing classes as a child and grew up in a musically influenced household. She started her career as a fly girl on the television comedy program In Living Color and a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez gained recognition in the action-thriller Money Train (1995). Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), which was her breakthrough role, earning her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress and Golden Globe nomination. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in Out of Sight (1998), which made her the highest-paid Latin actress. She has since appeared in various films including The Cell (2000), The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), The Back-up Plan (2010) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012).

In 1998, Lopez began recording her debut album and released On the 6 (1999), which spawned the hit singles "If You Had My Love" and "Waiting for Tonight". Her second album J.Lo (2001) reached number one on the Billboard 200 the same week her film The Wedding Planner led the box office, becoming the first person to achieve a number one film and album in the same week. It spawned the number-one single "I'm Real" which spent five weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and "Love Don't Cost a Thing". She released J to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002), which became the first number-one remix album in the United States. Her third and fourth studio albums, This Is Me... Then (2002) and Rebirth (2005) reached number two. In 2007 she released her first full Spanish album Como ama una Mujer. Returning to music in 2011, she released her seventh album Love?, which spawned her most successful single "On the Floor", one of the best-selling singles of all time.

By 2010, Lopez had amassed estimated sales of over 55 million records worldwide,^[3] Billboard ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade.^[4] In 2010, Lopez became a member of the judging panel for the American reality television competition American Idol.^[5] She was selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.^[6] She led People en Español's list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007.^[7] That year, Lopez made the Forbes magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth.^[8] In 2012, Forbes placed her number one on their list of "100 Most Powerful and Influential Celebrities in the World".^[9] She has appeared multiple times on The Hollywood Reporter's Annual Actress Salary List, and is the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood.^[10]

Lopez also has a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement.^[11] She has worked with L'Oreal since 1999.^[12] A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic red carpet dress of all time.^[13][14] Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by People magazine in its annual issue.^[15] As of 2012, her net worth is estimated to be $250 million—she has been named one of the wealthiest and most influential Hispanics in the United States.^[16] Lopez's personal life has also garnered media attention, particularly her high profiled relationships.

Life and career[link]

1969–94: Childhood and early work[link]

Castle Hill, The Bronx: the neighborhood in which Lopez was born and raised.

Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969^[17] in the Castle Hill neighborhood of The Bronx, New York. The middle child of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe Rodriguez and David Lopez,^[18] she has an elder sister, Leslie, and a younger sister, Lynda (born June 14, 1971). David worked the night shift at the Guardian Insurance Company, before becoming a computer technician at the firm, while Guadalupe was a homemaker. When Jennifer was born, the Lopez family was living in a small apartment. A few years later, her parents had saved up enough money to be able to purchase a two-story house, which was considered a big deal for the relatively poor family.

By the age of five, Lopez began taking singing and dancing lessons. She toured New York with her school when she was seven years old.^[19] Her parents stressed the importance of work ethic and being able to speak English. They encouraged their three daughters to put on performances at home, singing and dancing in front of each other and their friends so that they would stay "out of trouble".^[19] Raised as a Roman Catholic;^[20][21][22] Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School.^[23] In school, Lopez did gymnastics, ran track on a national level and was a member of the school's softball team.^[24] She excelled athletically rather than academically, competing in national track championships.^[19] In 1984, at age fifteen she began dating David Cruz, her first boyfriend.

While attending her final year of high school, Lopez learned about a film casting that was seeking several teenage girls for small roles. She auditioned and was cast in My Little Girl (1986), an low-budget film co-written and directed by Connie Kaiserman.^[25] Lopez acted as Myra, a young woman at a center for troubled girls. After she finished filming her role in the film, Lopez knew that she wanted to become a famous movie star. To please her parents, though, she enrolled in Baruch College, only to drop out after one semester. She told her parents her dream of becoming a movie star, but they ensisted that it was a "really stupid" idea and that "no Latinos did that". The differences in opinions led Lopez to move out of their family home and into an apartment in Manhattan. During this period, Lopez performed in regional productions of the musicals: Jesus Christ, Superstar! and Oklahoma. From there, she was hired for the chorus in a Golden Musicals of Broadway, which toured Europe for a period of five months. She was unhappy with the role, as she was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo. She later got a job on the show Synchronicity in Japan, where she acted as a dancer, singer and a choreographer.^[26]

Lopez gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color in 1991. She applied for the job after one of the cast members was unavailable to continue with the show. Out of two thousand applicants, Lopez made it to the finals. She became the runner-up, but eventually received the role when the winner was unable to accept the job. She moved with Cruz to Los Angeles to film the series and remained a regular cast member until 1993 when she decided to pursue an acting career. After her departure from the show, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson; also making an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".^[27][28][29] Lopez received her first professional acting gig in the direct-to-video drama film Lost in the Wild (1993), co-starring alongside Lindsay Wagner and Robert Loggia.^[30] In 1993 and 1994 Lopez starred as Melinda Lopez in the CBS television series Second Chances and its spin-off Hotel Malibu. Both shows ran for only a brief period, receiving negative reviews.^{[31][32][33][34]}

[edit] 1995–98: Selena and first marriage

Lopez's received her first high-budget film role in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama My Family, playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s.^[35] After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in My Family, which earned her a Independent Spirit Award nomination, Lopez starred in the action film Money Train, opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson.^[36][37][38] In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy Jack starring Robin Williams.^[39] She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller Blood and Wine (1996).^[23]

Lopez's first big break came in 1996, when she was chosen to play the title role in Selena, a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena.^[23] Despite having previously worked with the film's director on My Family, Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before she was cast in the film.^[41] Lopez played Selena in her twenties, while Rebecca Lee Maza played Selena in her younger years.^[42] During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision.^[43] Lopez earned widespread outstanding reviews and praise from critics for her portrayal of Selena. Kenneth Turan from Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan while giving the film a mixed review, he wrote that Selena was not just a celebration of Selena's life, but the actress who played her.^[44] Joe Baltake said that Lopez was "is sensational in the title role" and complimented her for pulling off lip-syncing to Selena's original tracks as her own, as she was not a trained singer at the time.^[45] She garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy".^{[citation needed]}

On February 22, 1997, Lopez married Cuban-born Ojani Noa, who she met while he worked as a waiter in a Miami restaurant; they were divorced by January 1998.^[46] Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film Anaconda alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River.^[47] Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned.^[48] Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film U Turn, which is based on the book Stray Dogs, starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton.^[23] In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in Out of Sight, Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel.^[23][49] Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role.^[50][51] That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film Antz.^[52][53] Around this time, Lopez started dating rap mogul Sean Combs. Combs allegedly showered Lopez with diamonds and jewelry, the inspiration for her 2000 hit, "Love Don't Cost a Thing".^[54]

[edit] 1999–2001: On the 6, J.Lo, The Wedding Planner and second marriage

	"If You Had My Love" noicon a 22-second sample of Lopez's debut single—"If You Had My Love"—which shot to number one in the United States, commencing Lopez's musical career
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

By May 1999, publicity for Lopez's debut album had begun and the news spread fast.^[55] Lopez's debut album On the 6, a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill,^[23] was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the Billboard 200. Her debut single, "If You Had My Love" was released on May 21, 1999, and reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of June 12, 1999.^[56][57] The song stayed on the chart for a total of 25 weeks.^[57] It was proceeded by the release of "Waiting for Tonight", which peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was a dance club hit.^[58] Prior to the release of "Waiting For Tonight" as a single, a Spanish language Latin-flavored ballad with Marc Anthony "No Me Ames" was released and failed to chart on major charts.^[55][56] On the 6 featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100, however failed to reach the top 50. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category of the 2001 Grammy Awards.^[59] "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year.^[60] "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video". In addition, Lopez was nominated for more awards then any other at the 1999 The Billboard Music Video Awards, scoring seven nominations in total, leading the likes of Christina Aguilera.^[61]

On February 23, 2000, Lopez showed up to the 42nd Grammy Awards with Combs wearing a plunging exotic green Versace silk chiffon dress, which became known as the "Green Versace Jungle Dress" by Lopez. The dress, known for its low cut neck that extended before her navel and its open back, caused much controversy and garnered media attention. Images of Lopez in the green dress were downloaded from the Grammy website 642,917 times in just 24 hours after the event.^[62] Lopez was surprised by the enormous media coverage, declaring in an interview: "It was a nice dress. I had no idea it was going to become such a big deal."^[63] Versace later revealed that the dress was the turning point of her career, saying that the media now had confidence in her own work, after the death of Gianni Versace.^[63] With the release and promotion of On The 6 over, Lopez had successfully converted herself from film star to pop star within 12 months.^[64] Around this time, Lopez's fans started to dub her as "J.Lo". Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film The Cell, released on August 18, 2000.^[65] She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box-office success, opening at number one.^[49][66]

By August 2000, Lopez had begun work on her sophomore album.^[67][68] J.Lo was released on January 23, 2001, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, exceeding sales of 270,000 copies in its first week.^[69][70] In addition, the album dethroned The Beatles from the top spot.^[70] At the same time, her romantic comedy film, The Wedding Planner, which she starred in alongside Matthew McConaughey led box office receipts,^[71][72] making Lopez the first female to have a film and an album at number one in the same week.^[23][69][71] J.Lo was more urban oriented than On the 6. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.^[73] She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK.^[74] The album's third single "I'm Real" reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as spending over a year on the chart, with a total of 62 weeks.^[74] "I'm Real" was controversial for using a sample of the song "Firecraker"; which singer Mariah Carey had wanted to sample first. It was later shockingly announced that Carey's ex husband, Tommy Mottola had instructed record executive Irv Gotti to give Lopez the sample before Carey, and Lopez was unaware of this.^[75] "Ain't It Funny" was released; however it did not receive proper commercial promotion in the United States therefore ineligible for charting on the Hot 100. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs ("I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny), which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). "Ain't It Funny (murder remix)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks, and led Radio Airplay and Pop Songs charts.^[74] On July 24, 2001, She re-released J. Lo on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert. J.Lo has sold 4 million copies in the United States alone. On September 27, 2004, a box set was released by Epic Records featuring On The 6 and J.Lo combined.^[76]

Lopez next role was in a supernatural romance film, Angel Eyes which disappointed at the box office and garnered mixed reviews.^[77] Lopez's boyfriend, former back-up dancer Cris Judd—who she met on the set of the video for "Love Don't Cost a Thing"—proposed to her at a barbecue^[78] and they were married on September 29, 2001.^[79] They traveled to Italy for their honeymoon, and later stayed at the home of designer and a longtime friend of Lopez's, Donatella Versace.^[78]

[edit] 2002–03: J to tha L-O! The Remixes, This Is Me... Then and Bennifer

Following the success of the re-release of J.Lo, Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remix effort, releasing J to tha L–O! The Remixes, on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week.^[80][81] Featured artists on J to tha L–O! The Remixes include P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the third all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, The Beatles' Love and Madonna's You Can Dance, having sold a total of 1.5 million copies as of October 2010.^[82] In addition, it dethroned Alan Jackson's Drive from 3 consecutive weeks at the number-one spot on the chart.^[83][84] J to tha L-O: The Remixes sold 624,000 copies within its first month, and stayed in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for a month, too.^[85] It remained the only album to debut at number one in the United States for nearly 10 years, until Justin Bieber's remix effort in 2011 debuted at the top spot with similar opening sales.^[86] "I'm Gonna Be Alright" which was previously on her J.Lo album was released as a single; impacting the charts by July 2002 and reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.^[74][87] "I'm Gonna Be Alright" spent 23 weeks on the chart.^[74] The track "Alive" written by Jennifer and Cris Judd was released as a single from the remix album.^[88]

In May 2002, she starred in the thriller film Enough as Slim, a woman abused by her husband and on the run from him. The film garnered negative reviews;^[89] however the fight scene at the finale of the movie was praised.^[90] In addition, the film was considered a "kick-butt, female empowerment" movie.^[91]

In June 2002, Lopez filed for divorce from her husband Cris Judd when she began publicly dating actor Ben Affleck.^[92] Judd's father, Larry Judd blamed Affleck for the break up of his son's marriage. He told New York Daily News that Judd was the "best thing that happened to [Lopez]" and thought that "Mr. Affleck would honor a married women. [They'd] be happier if they just told the truth."^[93] Lopez and Affleck announced their relationship at her thirty-second birthday.^[94] They were engaged months later.^[95][96] The media dubbed them "Bennifer" during their relationship, and became a prominent supercouple in the media.

Lopez released her third studio album, This Is Me... Then, on November 26, 2002. Unlike previous albums, it was more R&B oriented and much of its lyrical structure were about her relationship with her fiancé, Affleck.^[97] The songs from the album, in particular the fifth track, "Dear Ben" detailed her romantic relationship with Affleck.^[97] The album sold over 310,000 copies in its first week, Lopez's highest first-week sales to date, and reached two on the charts in the United States, and was on the charts for a total of forty weeks.^[98] Prior to its release, the album's lead single "Jenny from the Block" was released. It reached 3 on the Hot 100, and was known for its controversial music video featuring Affleck. The song is about Lopez remaining modest and intoning her childhood roots vowing she wishes to remain simple despite her diamonds.^[97] "All I Have", a duet with LL Cool J served as the third single from This Is Me... Then. It became Lopez's fifth song to top the Hot 100 charts.^[74] "I'm Glad" and "Baby I Love U!" were released as the final singles from This Is Me... Then, both commercial disappointing, failing to match the success of her previous singles; however the music video for "I'm Glad" received four nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards the following year. The video recreated scenes from the 1983 film Flashdance, leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed.^[99][100] This Is Me... Then has sold over 2.5 million copies to date in the United States, her last album to reach over a million copies in sales in that country.^[82]

After the release of This Is Me... Then, Lopez took time away from music to focus on films. After two consecutive critical and commercial failures in the films Enough and Angel Eyes, Lopez bounced back with the box office hit Maid in Manhattan, released on December 13, 2002. Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician, who she falls in love with.^[101] Maid in Manhattan was a box-office hit, opening at number one. The New York Times compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, 'Jenny From the Block', Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots."^[102]

Lopez and Ben Affleck eventually succumbed to overexposure from the media, however, which caused public interest in their romance to result in less admiration and negatively affected their careers.^[103][104] Gigli, a film which Lopez starred as a lesbian opposite Affleck, was released on August 1, 2003. The film was considered a box office failure, and is often considered one of the worst films ever made.^[105][106] Once again she starred in another movie with Affleck, Jersey Girl, but only grossed $36 million at the box office and received poor reviews.

Lopez and Affleck canceled their wedding, which had been scheduled for September 14, 2003 on the Californian Coast, citing the media's interference with the event as the reason.^{[107][108][109]} Months later their wedding was canceled once again, four days before the event. Lopez was seen without her ring,^[110] and it was later confirmed that the 18-month romance ended on January 20, 2004, just three days after Affleck returned to Los Angeles from the Sundance Film Festival.^[111]

[edit] 2004–05: Shall We Dance?, third marriage and Rebirth

In August 2003, (after the international flub of "Gigli") it was announced that Lopez was star in Shall We Dance?.^[112] The move was released in 2004, in which Lopez starred as Paulina alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; it reached the third spot at the Box Office. Shall We Dance?, grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, Shall We Dance? grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide.^[113] By this time, Lopez was well established as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on The Hollywood Reporter's list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.^[10]

Lopez and Marc Anthony at the Time 100 gala event on May 8, 2006

Two months after her break up with Affleck, Lopez was publicly seen dating Marc Anthony, they were married secretly on June 5, 2004 at her Beverly Hills Mansion and maintained a quiet relationship away from the media unlike her previous.^[114][115] Two men attempted to ransom a private wedding video which was stolen from the couple for $1 million dollars, and they were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges of conspiracy, attempted grand larceny and possession of stolen property.^[116]

Lopez released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, on March 1, 2005.^[117] The lead single was "Get Right",^[117] reaching 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was a dance club hit.^[118] The song reached number one in the United Kingdom. The video for "Get Right" has Lopez portraying many different characters in a nightclub and sporting several different looks and occupations.^[119] Following the release of "Get Right", the album debuted (and peaked) at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 261,000 copies in its opening week.^[120] It quickly fell off the charts, and produced one more single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the Hot 100 while it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia.^[74] The song "Cherry Pie" was intended to be released as a single, however due to low sales (despite a high start) of Rebirth these plants were scrapped. Rebirth was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA; selling over 700,000 copies so far in the United States,^[82] and has enjoyed international success. In May 2005, the film Monster-in-Law was released. It was Jane Fonda's first movie in several years.^[121] It featured Lopez as Charlie, an artist who is pitted against her fiance's conniving mother when she does not accept her as her son's girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife).^{[121][122][123]} However, the $43-million film became a box-office smash debuting at number one, earning $83 million ($154.7 worldwide)^[124] during its theatrical run in summer 2005. Lopez received $15 million for her role in Monster-in-Law, remaining one of her highest paychecks for a movie yet.^[125] Later, she starred in a film entitled An Unfinished Life, which did not do well; only reaching 11 at the Box office.

[edit] 2006–08: Como Ama una Mujer, Brave and motherhood

In 2006, Lopez was featured in LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, Lopez's first collaborative Top 10 Hit in the U.S. since 2003. Also that year, she was in the movie Bodertown; The movie is based on a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a maquiladora border city across the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas. Estimates of the murders conflict, yet, conservatively speaking over four hundred women, maybe many more, have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered since 1993 in and around Ciudad Juárez.^[126] Lopez garnered a few awards and recognition for this part. The film was not a large success, though. Jennifer was one of the recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award, after her appearance in Bordertown.^[127]

It was reported that Lopez was to release a full Spanish language album.^[128] Contactmusic.com said that Lopez would "prove critics wrong" and prove that she actually has a voice, through this new project.^[128] Upon the eve of the album's release, Lopez explained that she had previously aimed to sing in Spanish, however her career took a different path.^[129] Her first full Spanish album, Como Ama una Mujer was released on March 23, 2007. It debuted at 10 on the Billboard 200, making her one of few to reach the top ten with a Spanish album.^[130] The album was a natural and large success within the Latin community, reaching number one on Billboard Top Latin Albums, where it remained for seven weeks.^[130] Worldwide, it was a moderate success, reaching the top ten in several countries such as Italy and Germany.

Lopez with husband Marc Anthony (right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens.

Como Ama una Mujer marks the highest debut sales in the United States for a Spanish album and the highest digital sales for a Spanish album.^[131] The York Press, on the album, stated that "Lopez stunned many with her Spanish-language Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force."^[132] For promotion of Como Ama Una Mujer, Lopez traveled back to the Bronx, to meet fans and sign copies of her album in her old neighborhood.^[133] Over 500 people attended.^[133] In an interview, Lopez stated "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighborhood, back to my home."^[134] Como ama una Mujer produced a single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do") which peaked at 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play.^[74] She performed the song on American Idol, in the same week she was a mentor; she is the first person to perform a Latin song on the hit show.^[131] On July 24, 2007 (Lopez's birthday) Billboard magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29.^[135] The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. On the finale date of their tour, Lopez and Anthony announced that they were expecting a child, her first and his fourth.^[136][137] Later that same month, it was reported that Lopez was having difficulties with her pregnancy. These reports were deemed false by per rep, stating that "she is very healthy and continuing with her schedule as planned."^[138] In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, El Cantante, with Anthony. Lopez, who also co-produced the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor's wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance.^[139] The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics.

In August 2007 Lopez began work on a new English studio album, titled Brave^[140][141] For Brave, she collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart.^[142] Released on October 9, 2007, it debuted at 12 on the Billboard 200; commercially, it is her least successful album to date.^[143] It spawned two singles "Do It Well" and "Hold It, Don't Drop It", which both reached number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart, but failed to make further impact.^[74] It was her first album to fail to produce a top twenty song. Brave earned mostly mixed to negative reviews, Rashod D. Ollison from The Sun said that "Brave – was not to daring".^[144] However, there were a few positive reviews. The York Press compared Brave to Britney Spears' album due for release around the same time.^[132] Praising Lopez for not needing digital enhancement of her voice in "Brave" compared to Spears, they turned their favor to Brave instead of Blackout despite praising Spears' for delivering a "decent album".^[132] Brave has sold over 160,000 copies (which sales are comparable to that of Lopez' previous first week sales of her first four albums).^[82]

On February 5, 2008, Lopez confirmed that she was having twins.^[145] On February 22, Lopez gave birth to a son Maximilian David Muñiz and a daughter Emme Maribel in Long Island, New York.^[146][147] The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of People magazine, for which the magazine paid a reported $6 million for—the photographs of the twins became the most expensive celebrity picture ever taken.^[148] Following the birth of her twins, Lopez took a break from her career in 2008.

Lopez and Anthony performing in concert, January 20, 2009.

[edit] 2009–11: American Idol and Love?

While pregnant with twins Max and Emme, Lopez had been writing material for her seventh studio album Love?, with a planned release for the summer of 2010.^[149] On what to expect of the album, she said "Once you get past the party on the album, and you listen to some of the words, you will see that I really talk about the power of love but also the devastation of it and everything in between."^[150] A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single.^[151] It topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the Billboard Hot 100. On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of How I Met Your Mother as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial.^[152] In February 2010 Lopez and her record label of ten years, Epic Records, parted ways.^[153][154] Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, confirmed the news, saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist... She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together."^[155] Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?'.^[156] Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid,^[157] it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and was working on new material for Love? with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart).^[158][159] In April 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy The Back-up Plan.^[160] The film debuted at the top spot at the Box Office.^[161][162] While the film didn't meet positive reviews, Lopez's performance as "Zoe" was praised and called a "winning performance".^[163][164]

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from American Idol, it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel.^{[165][166][167]} However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands",^[168][169] something which returning Idol producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other Idol producers.^[170] Both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considered for a role on The X Factor for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets.^[171] Lopez's involvement in The X Factor was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of Idol, despite being offered roles on both shows.^[172] The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while Idol producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures.^[173] The public agreed that Lopez was a more suitable judge replacement for Ellen, as she had experience within the music industry, which DeGeneres lacked.^[174]

In January 2011, Lopez's new single "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull (their second collaboration) surfaced online^[175] and it was later announced as the lead single from Love?, produced by RedOne, who predicted that it was going to be a "big hit".^[176] "On The Floor" was a commercial success, debuting at nine on the Hot 100 and peaking at three, her highest-charting song in eight years.^[177] It's accompanying music video premiered on an episode of American Idol on March 3, and has since become the highest viewed video by a female artist on YouTube, with over 510 million views.^[178] The song sold 8.4 million copies, becoming the fourth best-selling digital single of the year.^[179] Love? produced two more singles, the Taio Cruz produced "I'm Into You" featuring Lil Wayne, and "Papi", which became her 10th and 11th chart-toppers on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.^[180] Love? was finally released on May 3, 2011 and reached the fifth position on the Billboard 200.^[181][182] It was a moderate success, and viewed as a humble comeback from Lopez, as many had considered her recording career over.^[143]

On July 15, days before Lopez's forty-second birthday, following seven years of marriage to Marc Anthony, the couple's representative announced that they were separating^[183][184] and Anthony later filed for divorce on April 9, 2012, citing irreconcilable differences.^[185] In November, she was named "Women of the year" by Glamour Magazine.^[186] Lopez was featured on will.i.am's single "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)". On December 13, 2011, Los Angeles Times named her the "World's greatest musical comeback act", a ranking from an accuracast, a digital search that analyzed over a billion Google searches since 2004.^[187] Lopez ranked ahead of comebacks from artists such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin.^[187] She was also named "Best Comeback" act by Billboard.com Reader's Poll, leading with 47% of votes for the title, beating out Kelly Clarkson (17%) and Evanescence (12%).^[188]

[edit] 2012: ¡Q'Viva! The Chosen and Dance Again World Tour

Lopez returned as judge on the eleventh season of American Idol, reportedly earning $US20 million, compared to the $US12 million she earned last year.^[189] Lopez worked with ex-husband Marc Anthony and director-choeographer Jamie King on the talent series ¡Q'Viva! The Chosen, created by Simon Fuller. It follows Lopez, Anthony and King as they travel across 21 countries in Latin America to find new talent.^[190] It premiered on January 28, 2012 on Univision and was a ratings hit for the channel.^[191][192]

Lopez will embark on a co-headlining tour with Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias (pictured) in the midst of her debut headlining tour Dance Again World Tour.

In late 2011, it was confirmed that Lopez would be releasing a greatest hits album in 2012, with her vocal producer Kuk Harrell and The-Dream confirming their involvement in the project.^{[193][194][195]} L.A. Reid, chairman and CEO for Epic Records, confirmed on his Twitter account that a greatest hits album is in production.^[196] Later confirming an upcoming release herself, Lopez said the basis for her album was again "Love".^[197] Island Def Jam Records' Senior Vice President of A&R, Chris Anokute stated in an interview that he is working with Lopez on a dance album.^[198] In April 2012 Lopez released the lead single from her greatest hits album, "Dance Again" featuring American rapper Pitbull. It charted at 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also became her twelfth number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs.^[199] Later that month, Lopez was featured on Wisin & Yandel's song "Follow the Leader" from their upcoming album.^[200] Lopez is also working on two possible new songs, entitled "Clothes Off" and "Goin' In".^[201][202] Three new songs will appear on Lopez's upcoming greatest hits album.^[203] Lopez recorded "Goin' In" with Flo Rida for the film Step Up Revolution (2012). She debuted it at the finale American Idol with a performance medley that included "Follow the Leader", and the song made its premiere on Ryan Seacrest's radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest on May 24, 2012 and will be released as a single on June 19, 2012.^[204]

During an interview with Extra TV Lopez confirmed that she had been working on a possible tour;^[205] she had previously talked about the possibility of a tour after the release of Love? around June 2011, which never materialized, as it could have jeapordised her position as a judge on American Idol.^[206] On June 23 and 27 Lopez will perform for her first headlining concert in Brazil for the Pop Music Festival in Sao Paulo.^[207] Furthermore, reports have said that Lopez is set to tour Latin America, with plans of visiting Panama, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Chile.^[208] Since this, sources have reported that Lopez is planning her first ever global world tour, which will have legs in United States, South America, Europe and Asia; and over 60 dates.^[209][210] It was announced on April 30, 2012 that Lopez would be going on a co-headlining world tour with Enrique Iglesias.^[211] The tour will earn Lopez an estimated $US13 million.^[189] Before this begins, Lopez will begin her Dance Again World Tour which will carry out throughout her tour with Iglesias.

Lopez is involved in multiple films, the first time she has been in years. She starred as Holly — a woman who adopts a baby from abroad with her husband after difficulty conceiving — in What to Expect When You're Expecting.^[212] The film was released to theaters on May 18, 2012.^[213] Lopez voices Shira in the upcoming animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift which is the fourth movie in the Ice Age series.^[214] Another film which Lopez has shot her parts for, Parker will be released in 2013.^[215][216] Director Taylor Hackford has stated that the movie development has gone well, praising Lopez in a comment stating "I'm not kidding, this woman can really act. The last several years she's been doing romantic comedies – that's a talent, but as a dramatic actress she's got fantastic chops."^[217] On May 16, 2012, Forbes placed Lopez first on their "Celebrity 100 List", in turn naming her the most powerful celebrity in the world for their 2012 edition. She beat out Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga for the title, having earned $US52 million from May 2011–May 2012.^[218] Dorothy Pomerantz from Forbes staff said that it was due to her role as judge on American Idol, endorsement deals, fragrances and her much publicized personal life in the past year.^[219] This was a considerable jump on the list, considering the previous year she was number 50.^[189]

Products and endorsements[link]

In 2003, Lopez was in a pepsi commercial featuring Beyoncé Knowles and David Beckham entitled "Samurai".^[220] She endorses several L'Oréal products, and was named "L'Oréal Paris Global Brand Ambassador" In December 2010.^{[221][222][223]} She has shot several adds for the endorsement deal.^[223] Lopez's recent L'Oreal EverSleek campaign made its debut during the Golden Globes ad break, kicking it off in a big way.^[224] Products that Lopez has endorsed for L'Oreal recently include El Vive Triple Resist, True Match, Color Riche, GlamShine, and Voluminous Lashes commercials, the EverSleek commercial and print ads, and the Infallible Lip Color and ElVive Triple Resist print ads. In 2011, Lopez endorsed and promoted a variety of products. In addition to L'Oréal, lopez endorses Gillette women's products, such as the "Get Your Goddess Showing" project.^[225] She was named the first ever "Gillette-Venus Global Ambassador" In 2011, too.^[226][227] She recorded a cover of "Venus" by Shocking Blue for her Gillette-Venus advertisement.^[228] Lopez is a spokesperson for Harmon Kardon home surround sound system.^[229][230] Lopez is the face of TOUS Jewelry.^[231][232] Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials. As of late 2011, she promotes FIAT cats in the United States.^[233] Her advertisements for the brand have garnered negative reviews, and in January 2012 a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) group told Lopez to end her endorsement for problems with the FIAT brand which "freely does business with a regime that is developing an illegal nuclear weapons program."^[234]

Fashion lines[link]

Lopez launched a lifestyle brand in 2001. Called J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line,^[235] and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves.^[236] Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In February 2005, Lopez unveiled her fashion line entitled "Sweetface" at New York Fashion Week.^[237] She worked on the line with Andy Hilfiger.^[238] The launch at New York Fashion Week received mixed reviews, mainly positive, Metanoya Webb, from InStyle Magazine reviewed: "It's a step up from her teen-age, pop line. It's definitely more mature, and it's more of a replica of what Jennifer does. It was a reflection of her, and I liked that."^[237] Some also noted that the launch of "Sweetface" focused more on the show and arrangement rather than the clothes, themselves.^[239] Lopez has a lingerie line with Victoria Beckham.^[240]

Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights.^[241] At the Los Angeles premiere of Monster-in-Law, more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.^[242] Director of marketing, Charlie Ross said "Jennifer Lopez is a great lover of fur. She is always photographed wearing fur and it was a material she loves and wanted to use. Sweetface is a luxury label and Jennifer wanted her furs. She told me her favourite piece in the collection is a fabulous bleached silver fox coat with strips of the fox stitched onto a chiffon back."^[243]

In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet.^[244] In June 2009, it was announced that "Sweetface" was put on hiatus,^[245] and later announced that it was closed down.^[246] In 2011, Lopez and her ex-husband, Marc Anthony launched a joint fashion line at Kohls; Anthony would work on the menswear and Lopez on the female clothing line. The lines were described as "high-quality contemporary."^[238] Lopez labelled her personal line as "affordable and completely her style." The line was released in October 2011.^[247][248] Anthony's line, too was released around the same time.^[249] They both worked with Tommy Hilfiger for the fashion lines.^[238] Anthony, at the grand opening of the line at a Jersey department store, said that they collaborated on the work, and noted how hard Lopez had worked on her line, he said he was "very proud of her."^[250]

Fragrances[link]

Lopez is credited for bringing back celebrity perfume endorsements, which was "dead" since the late 1980s.^[197] She ventured in the perfume industry with her debut Glow by J.Lo, which can be purchased anywhere including every-day shopping outlets like Macy's and pharmacy chains.^[251] Lopez said that she wanted Glow to be "Sexy and sensual."^[252] Glow by J.Lo has a scent of orange, grapefruit, jasmine, orris, Irises, vanilla and musk.^[253] Still by Jennifer Lopez was released as the third major fragrance in October 2003;^[254] it is described as "the scent of a woman," and "A scent that captures the way a woman feels when she has discovered herself. Real and true. Serene and sensual."^[255] Glow by J.Lo and Still were very successful in the fragrance market.^[256]

In 2005, Lopez launched three new fragrances: Miami Glow, Love at First Glow and Live.^[257] In 2006 she released Glow After Dark. In 2008, she released Deseo, Deseo Forever, Deseo for Men (her first male fragrance) and Live Platinum.^[257] Sunkissed Glow and My Glow were released in 2009, My Glow was inspired by the birth of her children.^[257] TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc, had signed Lopez to an unscripted reality series about the launching of her new fragrance,^[258] but the series never materialized. Her next fragrance was Blue Glow.^[257] Her 15th fragrance Love & Glamour was released in October 2010.^[259] Her 16th fragrance is L.A. Glow, inspired by L.A. Nightlife.^[260] She launched her 17th fragrance Love & Light on HSN In July 2011, where it sold 51,000 bottles in six hours, her most successful fragrance launch to date.^[261][262] Her 18th fragrance, Glowing has been announced.^[197][263] Apart from Fragrances, Lopez has endorsed several other products.

Philanthropy[link]

Jennifer Lopez holding the Puerto Rico flag, in September 2009

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008.

On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of Bordertown, a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez. Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough.^[264] Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.^[265]

Lopez has been featured in two charity singles. In 2001, along with several other popular artists, Lopez was featured on an album featuring verses of the song "What's Going On" under the name "Artists Against AIDS Worldwide", to benefit AIDS foundations in Africa.^[266][267] Other notable artists featured are Britney Spears, Ja Rule, Nas, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, Destiny's Child, Wyclef Jean, Backstreet Boys among numerous others. Produced before the September 11 attacks, after the attacks the proceeds were given to American Red Cross, too.^[266][267] The same month, Lopez was featured on the song "El Ultimo Adios (The Last Goodbye)" along with 60 other Latin artists, in memory of the September 11 attacks to help raise money for families and charities involved or affected.^[268]

Lopez owns a foundation with her sister, Lynda Lopez, entitled The Maribel Foundation.^[269] The foundation was publicly launched In June 2010.^[269] The foundation's purpose is to bring wellbeing to mothers and children from under-privileged communities, in particular people who cannot afford medical services; and give people information about critical child and health care topics.^[270] The Maribel Foundation worked with Telemedicine clinics abroad and near to increase healthcare for serious cases.^[271] "Telemedicine" is a delivery system that uses technology (telecommunications) to conduct medical diagnoses, consultations, treatments, transfers of data, education of physicians, and dissemination of public health alerts and/or emergency updates.^[271]

Lopez had previously announced the foundation in 2008 at the Woman's Conference.^[272] The foundation's slogan is "Where children are concerned, there is no time to lose."^[273] Lopez has stated that inspiration came to her to build The Maribel Foundation after she discovered a bump on her daughter's head days after her birth; Emme turned out to be fine however Lopez felt that there are mothers out there and children, who don't have adequate access to medical information and she felt that she had to help in some way.^[274] For her foundation, Lopez recording a song, "One Step At a Time", dedicated to her twins. It was included on an album for the foundation, Every Mother Counts a CD which was released exclusively to Starbucks.^[275][276] The album was devoted fully to mothers. Lopez was one of the recipients of Love Our Children USA's "Mothers Who Make A Difference" awards in 2009.^[277] On October 25, 2011, The Maribel Foundation received a $500,000 dollar donation pledge from Samsung and Best Buy.^[278][279] An advertisement featuring Lopez promoting Samsung products for The Maribel Foundation has aired.^[280]

Artistry[link]

Musical style and themes[link]

	"Baby I Love U!" (2003) noicon A twenty-seven second sample of "Baby I Love U!" in which Lopez sings about being a hopeless romantic. Ben Affleck was considered as the inspiration for the song.[281]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Lopez grew up with a heavy influence and love of music from her mother, who played records and sang constantly.^[24] During her early days in the music industry, she was viewed as a teen pop culture icon; despite being in her late-twenties, it was for the reasoning of her brand and music appealing to a younger generation.^[282] Lopez's music and the genre which it has been perceived as, has ranged from pop and Latin pop,^[283] to Dance, Funk and R&B.^[284] She has stated that the basis for her music is always the subject of Love, "I've been singing about Love since my first album. Its a really complex topic, and now that im at a really good place in my life, in a really good relationship [...] i can look at it in a different way."^[285] In her debut single, "If You Had My Love" Lopez confronts her lover with questions and ground rules before they can begin commit to a relationship.^[281] The lead single from her sophomore album J.Lo (2001) "Love Don't Cost a Thing" is the tale of a materialistic relationship—critics have questioned the song, believing that it's inspiration came from her high-profiled relationship with rapper Sean Combs. Lopez's third studio album, is more adult-oriented R&B and was much of its lyrical themes speak of her love for her then-fiance Ben Affleck. During the production of the album, Lopez stated "I wrote a lot of songs inspired, in a way, by what I was going through at the time that this album was being made, and he [Affleck] was definitely a big part of that."^[286] Songs from the album such as "Baby I Love U! and "Dear Ben" gush about her being a hopeless romantic.^[281] "I, Love" from Rebirth (2005) is a mid-tempo song, in which Lopez wants to convince her lover that she truly cares for him, suggesting that their romance is real despite his ignorant behavior. The title track from her full-Spanish language album Como Ama una Mujer (2007) lyrically speaks about listening to the heart's desire and first instinct regardless of the relationship's outcome.^[281] In her seventh studio album, entitled Love?, Lopez covers topics such as her past loves in her songs, "One Love" and "(What Is) Love?" which she goes into details through lyrics about her remaining an optimistic about love.^[287] In "(What Is) Love?" Lopez sings about struggling in the search for true love, talking about how she's had blind dates, dated church boys and musicians but is tired of it all.^[281]

Lopez has a classic soubrette vocal type; her voice has been called limited.^[288][289] Many critics have said that Lopez has never had a strong voice, but observe that she is the complete package performer with a thin voice.^[290] Lopez has always had an insecurity about the strength of her voice from the start, “The voice was always there, I was just so insecure about it in the beginning," she said in an interview.^[291] She has also said that "I’m very proud of who I am as a vocalist from where I started."^[291] Tom Sinclair from Entertainment Weekly noted that she has always had her "way" with hooks, and works with a variety of producers.^[292] Lopez has received critiscm for her voice not being strong enough over the course of her music career. Adam Markovitz from Entertainment Weekly has said that "despite the star power she emits on screen, her vocals have always been less than stellar" and that she "often sounds limited and nasal, with a flatness that can feel downright Rebecca Black-esque at its worst."^[293] Wheresoever, others have said differently; fellow American Idol judge Randy Jackson said that "She doesn't have the biggest voice in the world, but she can sing. It's the (complete) package [...]"^[294] Jackson also said "While we're sitting there judging she's always singing these songs and I go, 'You really do sing!'"^[295] Daniel Chang from The Spectator said "Lopez will achieve more success as an actress than she will as a singer. Which is to say, Lopez can sing, but there are better introductions to Latin and R&B music out there."^[296]

In late 2007, The York Press wrote "So far into her career, Lopez is at last making great records. Her voice now has greater depth and is infused with Latin passion, which frankly was missing on her earlier records. Her material is also far stronger," around the releases of Como Ama Una Mujer and Brave.^[132] The York Press also complimented Lopez for not needing as much "digital enhancement" on her voice compared to Britney Spears.^[132] They also said that "Lopez stunned many with [...] Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force."^[132] A writer from The Sun said "'On the 6' makes it clear she can sing. [Jennifer] Lopez has no trouble handling the material presented to her [...] No doubt about it, as a singer, Lopez has a lot of talent and stylistic range. Instead, she ends up doing impressions, singing as other, more distinctive, performers might have. So when producer Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs fabricates a lush, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-type groove, she responds by offering her best Janet Jackson imitation." He went on to say: "It isn't as if Lopez is merely a chameleon, without a sound to call her own. Her breathily romantic duet with Marc Anthony, the Spanish-language love song "No Me Ames," reveals depths and resonance unheard in other tracks. Likewise, there's a sassy confidence beneath the romantic dismissal of "It's Not That Serious" that suggests Lopez may yet attain the awesome power of diva-hood."^[297] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly commented on Lopez's vocals saying, "There's no way to know if Jennifer Lopez's voice is mechanically altered or not, but on the recorded evidence of her sophomore album, J.Lo, her singing seems to be in key".^[298] In a review of her seventh studio album, Love?, Alex Macpherson from BBC Music complimented Lopez, "(She) possesses both a lightness of touch and the effortless confidence of one of nature's own divas, which means that whenever she hits the floor to essay up-tempo swagger tracks she convinces without being as overbearing. Love? seeks to showcase her vulnerability and depth of feeling."^[299]

Influences[link]

Barbra Streisand (left), Madonna (middle) and Janet Jackson (right) are three of Lopez's biggest influences

From a musical perspective, Lopez has viewed Madonna as a big influence.^[300] In an interview with NY Rock, when asked who was her first biggest musical influence, Lopez stated "I think Madonna. For my era growing up, [she] was the quintessential performer, and a push-the-envelope type of person. I don't think that I'm a push-the-envelope type of person. But I think Madonna was so visionary. And in her shows, she was so expressive. So that was very inspiring for me as a young girl. I remember seeing a lot of her shows."^[301] According to Fouz-Hernández, female pop performers like Lopez were like "Madonna's daughters in the very direct sense that they grew up listening to and admiring Madonna, and decided they wanted to be like her."^[302] Other musical influences for Lopez include Selena,^[303] Janet Jackson,^[304] Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Toni Braxton, Gloria Estefan, Deborah Gibson, Paula Abdul, Spice Girls and Salt-N-Pepa.^[305] Lopez has credited Barbra Streisand as her idol, saying that she felt that she "graduated" from music when she sang Streisand's music.^[306] Pop music critic Gene Stout commented that Janet Jackson in particular has influenced a younger generation of performers including Lopez.^[307] Lopez has also stated that newer artists have also more "inspired" her rather than influenced her as an artist, such as Lady GaGa. Lopez told MTV News that "I'm always motivated by other artists and inspired by them. They inspire me because when i see other people doing great things, it makes me want to do great things too. I never am one to look at other people and try to do what they do. I always feel like a true artist does what they do and it is very very individual to who they are. I love her [Gaga] sense of lyric and melody, I feel like she’s very interesting. It’s just not something you’re gonna hear everyday. I really love the records she worked on and was glad to be able to take those and make them my own and actually have that collaboration with her. I feel very lucky to have done that."^[308] After motherhood, Lopez also credited her twins as a huge influence in the direction of her music, "You can't help but put not only your kids into it, but to put anything you are going through in your music. That's the only thing you can really sing or write is stuff that you know. The more music you make and the more that you get into it and the more you write, the more you realize that's all you can write."^[287] Lopez has credited former husband Marc Anthony for giving her confidence to sing, stating in a 2012 interview with Vogue Magazine "He always told me what a beautiful voice I have [sic] He was like, ‘It’s in there; you just gotta let it out. It’s a confidence thing with you.’ Then all of a sudden one day I was like, ‘I’m good at this!’"^[309]

Music videos and choreography[link]

Lopez is well known for her upbeat pop songs and Latin-pop influenced dancing abilities. She is professionally trained dancer^[310]—initially beginning her career as a dancer ("fly girl") on In Living Color from 1991 to 1993, before venturing into acting and later a recording career.^[311] She began to learn and master different dance techniques from self-paid dance classes, and became a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson.^[311] When she was a child, she specialized in ballet, jazz and flamenco dancing.^[312] She has worked with well known choreographers Dave Scott, Cris Judd (her former husband), Brian Friedman, Wade Robson, Tyce Diorio, Travis Payne, Jeri Slaughter, Laurie Ann Gibson, Mia Michaels and Tina Landon.^[313] Top 10.com ranked Lopez 5th on their "Top 10 All Time Best Dancers in the World" list, placing her ahead of Gene Kelly, Janet Jackson and M.C. Hammer, describing her as both a glamour queen and a terrific dancer.^[314] In her 2004 film Shall We Dance in which she starred opposite Richard Gere, Lopez and Gere danced many genres, including Salsa dance and Ballroom dance.^[312][315] In the film, her dance technique received praise.^[316]

Lopez's music videos are well known for having dance breaks, including her music videos for "If You Had My Love" (1999) and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" (2000)—she brought back dance breaks in her later music videos for "I'm Into You" and "Papi" (2011).^[317] Her debut music video, for "If You Had My Love" directed by Paul Hunter, is notable for its theme of voyeurism; Lopez sings and dances while others watch her from various other locations through different types of screens. The video also includes her "signature" dance break.^[318] Her third single Waiting For Tonight's music video is set at a party counting down to The New Year (in this case, being 1999, a "millennium party"), the song's success on the charts was due to the video's anticipated theme towards the year 2000.^[319] Lopez's music video for "I'm Glad" (from her third studio album This Is Me...Then) was described as one of he more "complicated" videos which recreated scenes from a 1983 film Flashdance.^[320] In the music video for "Get Right" (2005) directed by Francis Lawrence, Lopez sports several different characters including a bartender, stripper, nerdy girl and a superstar among several others all at a nightclub.^[321] The video for her comeback single, "On the Floor" (2011) was praised for its sex appeal which was compared to her music video for "I'm Gonna Be Alright" (2002).^[322] Matthew Perpetua from Rolling Stone said it was "classic Lopez tweaked for 2011" with upgraded dance-pop style, and a high fashion wardrobe as eccentric as that of Rihanna and Lady Gaga.^[323] The music video for "On The Floor" allowed Lopez to enter social media charts^[324] and Entertainment Weekly's Tanner Stransky said that the clip brought back the old Lopez that everyone knew and loved, and also added that it was "Sexy and sultry".^[325] Her follow up video, "I'm Into You" was praised, Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly applauded her natural beauty and said "that time-out at the three-quarters mark is as sharp as any diva dance break you’ll see."^[326] In her music video for "Papi", Lopez consumes a chocolate chip cookie which will allow her "love" to come back, given to her by her apartment mail attendant; she takes too large a bite, resulting in the magic of the cookie to become effective—groups of men chase her around town until her true love finds her.^[327] The video received positive feedback, a writer from Huffington Post wrote "Ms. Lopez has still got it —'Jenny from the Block' breaks into a signature group dance number and kills it!"^[328] After the release of the video for her single "Dance Again" which featured Lopez's real-life boyfriend, Casper Smart, John Mitchell from MTV News looked back on Lopez's previous videos, saying that she had a "history" of flaunting her men in videos.^[329]

Lopez has been nominated for a total of 18 MTV Video Music Awards, winning two throughout her career. She was ranked at number twenty-one on VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" list.^[330] Throughout her music videos, she has worked with several directors and choreographers, including working with Paul Hunter, Francis Lawrence and Dave Meyers several times.^{[331][321][332]} She is considered a sex symbol through her music videos.^[333] Jennifer Lopez considers Janet Jackson a big influence on her dancing and music videos. She has lauded Jackson's videography, stating her music videos "had such an impact on me as a fan but also as an artist."^[334] Lopez has named Jackson's music video for "The Pleasure Principle" as her favorite dancing music video of all time.^[335]

Legacy[link]

Lopez has been described has having "epitomized the definition of America's sweetheart," having crept into millions of homes with her music, movies, accessories and clothing lines.^[312] Her manager, Benny Medina, who Lopez said is her "creative soulmate"^[336] has described Lopez as "the best all-rounded entertainer of our generation."^[337] Patricia J. Duncan wrote of Lopez in her 1999 Unauthorized biography, calling her a "force to be reckoned with." Ray Martin from 60 Minutes said "She's a rarity," calling one of the "few Hollywood stars you can actually admire [...] when you meet her she's just as gorgeous, just as likeable, as she is on screen." Martin also said that Lopez is "up there with Madonna," having starred in movies alongside leading men like George Clooney, Robert Redford and Jack Nicholson adding that she is a merchandising marvel, too.^[338]

A wax sculpture of Lopez by Madame Tussaud

Lopez is well-known for being the first Latina actress or singer to be so commercially successful in the limelight; growing up she looked up to puerto-rican born Rita Moreno, as she stated that there were "Zero Latinos on TV, so Rita Moreno was the only one I identified to."^[24] Nobel prize recipient, Jose Ramos Horta called Lopez a remarkable women and true inspiration after seing her work on the film, Bordertown.^[339] Cindy Pearlman from The Record said that Lopez is responsible for welcoming a "Latina presence to a film industry" as for most of its history it had been a whites-only preserve.^[340] In his book, Icons of American Popular Culture, Robert C. Cotrell described Jennifer Lopez as being a Latina Oprah Winfrey, writing that Lopez was the embodiment of the American dream, by "Boasting far more authentic rags-to-riches tale". Cotrell also called her a "multidimensional artist who had turned into a financial powerhouse." He continued on to say the impact she had on both Hollywood and the Spanish world, "In a largely singular fashion, Lopez had demonstrated that a Latina could remain on the Hollywood "A" list, to be a top recording artist, and operate as a major player in the corporate world, with her prefumes alone pulling over $500 million annually."^[339] The head of Interscope Records who appears on American Idol, Jimmy Iovine said Lopez has "got that power. She is a force. She brings the whole package—there is very little missing in Jennifer Lopez."^[336]

Lopez has had much praise over the course of her career, with several citing her as an inspiration for their own careers. Fellow Latin music artist Kat DeLuna, who is relatively new, said "Jennifer helped pave the way for Latinas like myself. I love her."^[341] Actress Kerry Washington also cites Lopez as the actual reason for her career, during an interview with Essence in 2012, she said "I grew up blocks away from Jennifer Lopez. She and I went to the same Boys & Girls Club. She was like the dancer who made it big and moved to Hollywood. I don't know if I would've taken a risk in my career if it weren't for you (Jennifer)."^[342] Popstar Britney Spears says Lopez has become a major "beauty" icon and Idol for herself; Spears said "Jennifer Lopez is my idol – she's so beautiful and even though she's gotten older, she hasn't aged at all. She looks more amazing than ever and I really admire and respect that."^[343] Kelly Osbourne said that she admires Lopez, stating that "Jennifer Lopez was voted The Most Beautiful Woman in the World by People magazine. I couldn't agree more. I've met her and she's stunning."^[344][345]

Co-star and singer Cheryl Cole has stated that she wants to have a body like Jennifer Lopez.^[346] In fact, Lopez's body has had such an impact on the world (in particularly women) that in a 2011 survey by "Nutrisystem Diet Index", it was proved that most American women would have Lopez's "lean legs and bubble butt".^[347][348] Reality Television star Kim Kardashian has named Lopez a style icon,^[349] Kardashian branded Lopez's personal fashion sense/style as "fun and flirty and sexy, just feminine. I love her!", and said she is a major style inspiration for her.^[349] Raquel Castro, her co-star from Jersey Girl (Now 17 years old and was a contestant on American singing show The Voice), had stated she had a strong bond with her on-screen mother from the film, and that Lopez had been her main role model for her career from the start;^[350] "Jennifer Lopez has been my role model from the start. I wore out my VCR tape of the movie Selena, probably watching it a million times; when I found out I had been chosen to play her daughter in a feature-film, OMG I was screaming like crazy."^[350] Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy has said stated that she is a big fan of Lopez.^[351] Singer-songwriter Michael Doughty said that Lopez was a key inspiration for reviving his music career as a solo artist after leaving his band, Soul Coughing "One of the key moments was seeing a Jennifer Lopez video (around 1999) [...] She's a year older than me and she's in this video and she's in the Bronx and going out clubbing and going to the beauty salon. I'd thought, well I'm 29, my life's over, I'm elderly. And I looked at her and thought, she's 30, how is she walking? [...] the revelation came watching a Jennifer Lopez video."^[352] Nicki Minaj has stated "I love J-Lo. I love what she's done for pop culture I have nothing but respect for her."^[353] Actress Anna Kendrick who was her co-star in the film What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), has described her as "the most beautiful creature on the planet" and said that "The way she looks in person is mind-blowing."^[354]

Lopez also is well known for her fashion sense and style. Us Weekly named Lopez as Style Icon of the 2000–2010 decade.^[355] Lopez's most memorable Fashion moment in her career was the Green Versace "Jungle Dress" that she wore at the 42nd Grammy Awards In 2000.^[356] A poll by Debenhams, published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the fifth most iconic dress of all time.^[14] It has been cited along with the Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress as being the top dresses that made Versace a household name and the turning point in designer Donatella Versace's career after the death of her brother Gianni Versace. The dress is currently on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. For her Fashion sense, Lopez has earned several awards including a VH1 Award and Vogue Fashion Award in 1999 for "Most Fashionable Female Artist", achieving multiple other awards since for outstanding achievements and recognition. Lopez was complimented in an article for Elle, in which the author wrote – "She wears little visible makeup, and with her hair in a bun, huge hoop earrings, and a long halterdress on, she's squarely in casual-mother mode, a style Diane von Furstenberg describes as "exotic and earthy."^[357] Lopez cites Urban, Edgy Bronx style as a contribution to her continuing fashion style.^[358] Lopez says she is a fan of "Glamour" and "Old Hollywood Movie Stars" as a fashion sense.^[359] Aside from her fashion sense in clothes, Lopez has changed her personal appearance multiple times, scoring several different hairstyles over the years.^[360] Lopez's two-piece (eventually stripped down to a body-suit) "train dress highlighting her curves and flawless skin"^[361] at the 2011 American Music Awards was both welcomed and praised but was received mixed and negatively, too.^[362][363] Despite popularity and favoritism with her outfits, Lopez has also received negativity; the dress she wore in 2011 to the BAFTA Gala gave her the title of "Worst Dressed" of the evening along with others, most likely due to her open-abs section.^[364] Apart from her image as a public fashion icon, Lopez has constantly displayed disappointment in a continuing rumor that states she is a demanding "diva",^{[365][366][367]} however at the same time is considered a talented "diva" too.^[368] Several others such as her 'American Idol co-worker Nigel Lythgoe has stated these rumors are wrong. The popularity of her personal life in the media has been a focus too, Jacqueline Springer reported in 2001, "'bling bling' to the fullest, she is high fashion's sole voluptuous mannequin and to the tabloids, well, she's more return value that an annual Travelcard."^[369]

Lopez is the wealthiest Hispanic in Hollywood, and is described as the most influential Hispanic performer in the United States.^[339] As of 2010, Lopez has sold an estimated 55 million records worldwide, making her one of the best selling musical artists of all time.^[370] In addition to this, Billboard ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000–2010 decade.^[4] VH1 ranked her 16 on their list of "100 Greatest Women In Music" In 2012.^[371] In November 1998, Lopez was named "Sexiest Woman of the Year" by Details magazine.^[372] Lopez appeared on FHM's 100 sexiest women list multiple times, notably being listed as No. 1 in 2000 and 2001, No. 4 in 2002, No. 6 in 2003, No. 7 in 2004. She is the first woman to top the list for two consecutive years.^[373] In People en Español's list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" addition in February 2007, Lopez was listed first; the Top 100 also included the likes of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias.^[7] On The Hollywood Reporter's Annual Actress Salary List, Lopez has appeared in 2004, 2003 and 2002.^[10] She is the only Latina actress to accomplish this, or even appear within the top ten of this list.^[10] Her role in the 1998 film Out of Sight earned her a paycheck of over $1 million, making her the world's highest-paid Latin actress.^[50] In 2001, Lopez became the first female to have a film and album both be number one at the same time in the United States.^[23][69][71] In 2011, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People's Choice magazine.^[374]

Lopez comeback to music in 2011 with her single "On the Floor" in addition to her multiple endorsement deals, clothing line and appointment as judge on American Idol is considered the best comeback of the year,^[375][376] and is regarded as one of the best comebacks of all time.^[187] Her music video for "On The Floor" was viewed 454 million times in the space of 2011, to become the most-viewed video of the year,^[377] the most-watched video by a female artist, and the second most viewed video of all time, behind teen-idol Justin Bieber's "Baby".^[378][379] In 2012, Forbes placed her number on on the most powerful celebrity list with earnings of $US52 million in the past year.^[336]

Filmography[link]

Leading roles

• 1997: Selena, Selena Quintanilla-Perez
• 1997: Anaconda, Terri Flores
• 2000: The Cell, Catherine Deane
• 2001: The Wedding Planner, Mary Fiore
• 2001: Angel Eyes, Sharon Pogue
• 2002: Enough, Slim Hiller
• 2002: Maid in Manhattan, Marisa Ventura
• 2005: Monster-in-Law, Charlie
• 2006: Bordertown, Lauren Adrian
• 2010: The Back-up Plan, Zoe
• 2012: What to Expect When You're Expecting, Holly

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 1999: On the 6
• 2001: J.Lo
• 2002: This Is Me... Then
• 2005: Rebirth
• 2007: Como ama una Mujer
• 2007: Brave
• 2011: Love?

Compilation albums

• 2002: J to tha L–O! The Remixes

Tours[link]

Concert tours

• Juntos en Concierto (2007)
• Dance Again World Tour (2012)
• Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez in Concert (2012)

Concerts

• Let's Get Loud (2001)
• Live in Portugal (2007)
• Live in Athens (2008)
• Live at the Mohegan Sun (2011)
• Q'Viva! The Chosen Live (2012)

See also[link]

	New York City portal
	Biography portal
	Puerto Rico portal

• Personal life of Jennifer Lopez
• List of Puerto Ricans
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
• List of best-selling music artists
• List of best selling music artists in U.S.

Notes[link]