Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society. This is most often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace about a given problem and appealing to people's sense of justice.

Two examples of strong and bitter social commentary are the writings of Jonathan Swift and Martin Luther. Swift exposed and decried the appalling poverty in Ireland at the time, which was viewed as the fault of the British government. Luther initiated the Protestant Reformation against practices of the Catholic Church.

Writers who engage in social criticism have been well-educated members of the upper classes. Notable ones from the lower social strata are Charles Dickens and Will Rogers. Social commentary is not limited to printed forms, as it is commonly practiced through all forms of communication, from conversations to computerised communication.

Forms of social commentary

This list is far from exhaustive. Examples of social commentary may be found in any form of communication. Artistic works of all mediums are often defined by what they say about society. Despite being wordless, the memorable image of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 may be considered one of the most profound commentaries of the power of the individual.

Direct publication

Public speaking

Most public speaking constitutes social commentary of some form. Many sermons will describe the ills of society and offer religious solutions. Many politicians may speak in a similar fashion - in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar one can see Mark Antony's funeral speech as a commentary. The larger audience offered by radio and television has diminished the significance of public speaking as a means of social commentary.

Fiction

Allegorical fictional works such as ''Animal Farm'' clearly contain a social commentary and one can find some degree of social commentary in almost any novel. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' can be interpreted as a commentary on racial issues, especially given the date of its publication (1960). Another example of social commentary is Thomas More's ''Utopia'' in which he uses the Utopia to satirize the values of 16th century Britain. Social commentaries have been searched for even in fantasy novels such as ''The Lord of the Rings'', though such connections often require much conjecture.

Non-Fiction

Directly speaking to a topic in the social discourse in writing by defining the audience, the bounds of the topic, and the presenting facts and opinions based on the primarily author and possibly on another's perspective.

Radio, television and film

Fictional works in these mediums have a similar scope to that of their literary counterparts and documentaries to the non-fiction works described above. Television and films often use powerful images to enhance their message, for example, Michael Moore's films utilise this to great effect in promoting his political beliefs. Some examples of films include ''Food, Inc.'', ''The Story of Stuff'' featuring Annie Leonard, and Morgan Spurlock's ''Super Size Me''. And to a lesser degree, the prominent Italian exploitation film ''Cannibal Holocaust'' uses graphic violence, shocking imagery, and underlying topics in anthropology to express Ruggero Deodato's distaste for modern society - more importantly - what it has become. West Indian calypsonians participate annually in songwriting competitions with the common use of double entendre, humour and metaphor as well as monikers to avoid legal complications (see Calypso Music).

Monologists

An early radio monologist was Will Rogers, with sharp (yet good humored) observations upon society (1922–1935). Current monologists include:

Jay Leno

Garrison Keillor

Jon Stewart

Dick Gregory

George Carlin

Stephen Colbert

Craig Ferguson

David Letterman

Conan O'Brien

Bill Maher

Discussion shows

There are a number of discussion shows that do not have a call in segments, but which sometimes have discussions (beyond mere interviews) with personages of current interest. Some such shows include:

Jay Leno

David Letterman

Oprah Winfrey

Talk shows (call in)

In the late 20th century through the present, radio and television phone-in shows allow limited discussion and sometimes debate on such issues, although if involving politics or issues exploited for political purposes the discussion is often directed by the "moderator" toward a specific point of view, typically by terminating non-conforming phone calls.

In more balanced forums it is common that a panel of well-known social commentators or experts on aspectc of a topic will respond to comments from listeners after an introductory interactice discussion directed by the moderator, with only the obstreperous or extreme caller sumarrily terminated.

Newspapers and comic books

What is probably the most common social commentary is that of the editorial section of newspapers, where columnists give their opinion on current affairs. The letters section of papers allows a similar platform for members of the public. Editorial cartoons, such as those in ''The New Yorker'', perform a social commentary, often with a humorous slant.

The conventional comic section is more limited, but sometimes with social commentary, often subtle and oblique, or more bold, abrasive, and consistently pointed as in, Li'l Abner, Pogo, Doonesbury, Bloom County, and Boondocks or in pulp comics such as Howard the Duck. Many other even more explicitly provocative comics (usually with a far left of center point of view) appear in various free weekly newspapers such as the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the East Bay Express (in the San Francisco Bay Area) and the Village Voice (in New York City), and similarly in many other locals, often those with a strong university or college presence.

The Internet

The web performs a similar function to the letters section described above. It is ripe with social commentary because it allows the dissemination of ideas by anyone with a computer to a potentially enormous audience, as well as instant comment and discussion. Its international scope is particularly attractive, with language the only major barrier to communication. Most blogs are social commentaries of a fashion. Discussion and debate occurs in many forums and chat rooms.

The internet is viewed as one of the greatest modern-time advances in terms of freedom of speech and thought; however censorship is not impossible, for example that performed by the authorities in China . W.H. Auden's poetry also served as a medium of social commentary.

Famous social commentators

Adam Smith

Bill Hicks

Mike Davis

Bob Dylan

Brian Merriman

Cervantes

Charlie Chaplin

Confucius

Charles Dickens

Frank Zappa

Geoffrey Chaucer

George Carlin

George Orwell

Jean Luc Godard

John Lennon

John Locke

Karl Marx

Lenny Bruce

Mark Twain

Martin Luther

Martin Luther King Jr.

Michael Moore

Oscar Wilde

Plato

Roger Waters

Rush Limbaugh

Thomas More

Socrates

Virginia Woolf

Voltaire

Will Rogers

See also

Satire

Category:Society

it:Critica sociale (sociologia)

Name	Immortal Technique
Background	solo_singer
Birth date	February 19, 1978
Birth place	Lima, Lima Province, Peru
Birth name	Felipe Andres Coronel
Origin	Harlem, New York, United States
Genre	East Coast hip hop, alternative hip hop, political hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	2000–present
Label	Viper Records
Associated acts	Akir, Diabolic, Lowkey, Chino XL, DJ Green Lantern, La Coka Nostra, Jean Grae, Rockin' Squat, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Ras Kass, Krs-One, Pumpkinhead, Reppin MG
Website	myspace.com/immortaltechnique }}

Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as class struggle, poverty, religion, government and institutional racism.

Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to retain control over his production, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to 200,000 copies of his three official releases.

Biography

Early life

Coronel is African-Peruvian and was born in 1978 in a military hospital in Lima. His family emigrated in 1980 to Harlem. During his teenage years he was arrested multiple times due in part to what he has said was "selfish and childish" behavior. He attended Hunter College High School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Shortly after enrolling in Pennsylvania State University, he was arrested and charged with assault-related offenses due to his involvement in an altercation between fellow students, the charges stemming from this incident led to him being incarcerated for a year. After being paroled, he took political science classes at Baruch College in New York City for two semesters at the behest of his father, who allowed Coronel to live with him on the condition that he go to school. Honing his rapping skills in jail, and unable to find decent wage-paying employment after his release, Coronel began selling his music on the streets of New York while battling with MCs whenever the opportunity arose. This, coupled with his victories in numerous freestyle rap competitions of the New York underground hip hop scene such as Rocksteady Anniversary, Braggin Rites and others, led to his reputation as a ferocious Battle MC.

Revolutionary Vol.1 and Vol.2

In 2001, Immortal Technique released his first album ''Revolutionary Vol. 1'' without the help of a record label or distribution, instead using money earned from his rap battle triumphs. He also battled but lost to Posta Boy in 106 & Park's Freestyle Friday. ''Revolutionary Vol. 1'' also contained the underground classic ''Dance With The Devil''. In November 2002, he was listed by ''The Source'' in its "Unsigned Hype" column, highlighting artists that are not signed to a record label. The following year, in September 2003, he received the coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" in ''The Source'' for a song entitled "Industrial Revolution" from his second album. Immortal Technique is the only rapper in history to have a "Hip Hop Quotable" while being unsigned. He released his second album ''Revolutionary Vol. 2'' in 2003. In 2004, Viper Records and, in 2005, Babygrande Records re-released Immortal Technique's debut, ''Revolutionary Vol. 1'', to make it available to a wider audience. "Point of No Return" from ''Revolutionary Vol 2'' was used as the entrance theme for Rashad Evans during the UFC 88 Main Event between Chuck Liddell and Rashad Evans.

Revolutionary Vol.3 and The Middle Passage

Between 2005 and 2007 Immortal Technique began working on ''The Middle Passage'' and ''The 3rd World'', the two albums that would serve a follow up to ''Revolutionary Vol. 2'' and complete the series. He was also featured on several movie soundtracks and video game soundtracks, all the while touring relentlessly and becoming heavily involved in visiting prisons to speak to youth and working with immigrant rights activists and raising tens of thousands of dollars for children’s hospitals overseas. He invested his money not in items that are usually associated with fame but rather in large pieces of farmland in Latin America. He created a writing grant program for high school students as well.

The Martyr

In October 2011 Immortal Technique released ''The Martyr'', a free compilation album of previously unreleased material and new tracks.

Collaborations

The summer of 2005 saw the release of "Bin Laden", a vinyl single 12" featuring Mos Def and DJ Green Lantern. The single also contained a remix of the song featured Chuck D of Public Enemy and KRS-One. In early 2006, the song "Impeach the President", featuring Dead Prez and Saigon turned up in the mixtape "Alive on Arrival" DJ Green Lantern. This is a simple version of The Honeydrippers, 1973, in which Immortal Technique urged fans to organize a vote of censure against George W. Bush. In April 2009, a new song leaked on the internet named "Democratie Fasciste (Article 4)" by Brazilian-French rapper Rockin' Squat which featured Immortal Technique. The official release of the song and Rockin' Squat's album ''Confessions D'un Enfant Du Siècle Volume 2'' was on May 12, 2009. The instrumental from the song was sampled from Wendy Rene's "After Laughter". The song expresses the inequalities of the Third World and revolutionary events throughout history against tyranny and oppression. The song contains lyrics in English (Immortal Technique), French (Rockin' Squat) and brief shout outs in Spanish (Immortal Technique). This song is Immortal Technique's first official international collaboration. In early 2009, it was announced that there would be a collaboration between Technique and UK underground artist Lowkey, on a single called "Voices of the Voiceless". On September 11, 2009, a "snippet" of the song was released on YouTube. The preview was released ahead of its September 21 launch on iTunes, as part of a web-campaign that included updates, promotion and links on forums, E-Magazines and several social networking sites. The song's lyrics cover a broad range of issues that are familiar to listeners of both artists – racism, world revolution, war, socialism, government control, rape, famine, colonialism, Classism, self-determination and the war in Iraq.

Charitable work

In June 2008, Immortal Technique partnered with Omeid International, a Non–Profit Human Rights Organization, to lend his support. He dubbed the work as "The Green Light Project". With the profits of ''The 3rd World'' album, Immortal Technique traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to help Omeid build an orphanage without any corporate or external funding. The orphanage, having been successfully established, currently houses over 20 orphaned children from Kabul.

Films

''The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique''

A documentary about Immortal Technique was released in September 2011 and premiered at the Harlem Film Festival.

''This Revolution''

Immortal Technique appeared as himself in a docudrama film entitled ''This Revolution'', which was recorded during the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York. The tape contains the protests surrounding the convention in the form of a documentary. It also featured Viper Records affiliates Akir and producer SouthPaw in roles.

Since then Immortal Technique has taken control of Viper Records and has signed a distribution deal with Babygrande Records / E1 Entertainment to vent to their next album. SouthPaw has managed to establish himself as A&R; of Viper Records.

Discography

Studio Albums

{|class="wikitable" !align=center rowspan=2|Year !align=center rowspan=2|Title !align=center colspan=3|Peak chart positions |- !align=center width=45|US !align=center width=45|USR&B; !align=center width=45|USRap |- |align=center|2001 | ''Revolutionary Vol. 1''

Release Date: September 14, 2001

Label: Viper

Format: Digital download

|align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |- |align=center|2003 |''Revolutionary Vol. 2''

Release Date: November 18, 2003

Label: Viper

Format: CD, digital download, LP

|align=center|— |align=center|— |align=center|— |- |align=center|2008 |''The 3rd World''

Release Date: June 24, 2008

Label: Viper

Format: CD, digital download

|align=center|99 |align=center|36 |align=center|12 |- |}

Compilation Albums

2011: ''The Martyr''

Singles

{|class="wikitable" |- !Year !Song !Album |- |align=center|2001 |align=left|"Dance With the Devil" |align=left rowspan=1|''Revolutionary Vol. 1'' |- | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|2003 |align=left|"The Cause of Death" |align=left rowspan=3|''Revolutionary Vol. 2'' |- |align=left|"Industrial Revolution" |- | style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"|2004 |align=left|"The Point of No Return" |- |align=left|"Bin Laden" |align=left|non-album single |- |align=center|2005 |align=left|"Caught in a Hustle" |align=left|''BAADASSSSS!'' soundtrack |}

References

External links

Viper Records website

Immortal Technique's Twitter

Unofficial forums

''The (R)evolution of Immortal Technique'' at IMDb

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:American music industry executives Category:American people convicted of assault Category:American socialists Category:Baruch College alumni Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers Category:Pennsylvania State University alumni Category:People from Harlem Category:People from Manhattan Category:People from Lima Category:Peruvian emigrants to the United States Category:Peruvian exiles Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Underground rappers Category:Hip hop activists

ar:إيمورتل تكنيك az:Immortal Technique da:Immortal Technique de:Immortal Technique et:Immortal Technique es:Immortal Technique fr:Immortal technique it:Immortal Technique nl:Immortal Technique no:Immortal Technique pl:Immortal Technique pt:Immortal Technique ru:Immortal Technique simple:Immortal Technique sr:Immortal Technique fi:Immortal Technique sv:Immortal Technique

Name	Nicki Minaj
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Birth date	December 08, 1982
Birth place	Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, R&B;, pop
Occupation	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Label	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
website	}}

Onika Tanya Maraj (born December 8, 1982), known by her stage name Nicki Minaj (), is a Trinidadian-born American musician. She was born in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago and when she was 5 years of age she moved to the New York City borough of Queens, where she grew up.

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, ''Pink Friday'', in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release. She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at the same time. Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List. Minaj was named the 2011 ''Rising Star'' by ''Billboard''. Her second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life

Maraj was born in 1982 in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain. Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens. According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet. She graduated from LaGuardia High School. At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program. She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.

Career

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing ''Playtime Is Over'' with ''Dirty Money Records''. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled ''Sucka Free'', under the label ''Be''. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in ''XXL'' magazine. She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards. Minaj released ''Beam Me Up Scotty'', another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of ''Trapaholics Records''; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal. She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics. Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album ''We Are Young Money'', which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the ''Billboard'' 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B; singer.

2010–11: ''Pink Friday''

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing. In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album ''Loud'' that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's ''Pink Friday''. Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album. On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be ''Pink Friday'', in reference to Black Friday.

''Pink Friday'' was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions. A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April. In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002. In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart simultaneously. Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs. The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release. It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the ''The X Factor.'' Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting ''Pink Friday'' by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, ''Femme Fatale''. She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011. "Super Bass" was released from ''Pink Friday'' in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more. The song gained positive reviews from critics. Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'', as an unknown character. Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, ''Nothing but the Beat'' on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

2011–present: ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded''

Minaj's second studio album, ''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'', was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012. It has spawned four promotional singles as of April 2012: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," "Roman Reloaded," and "Beez in the Trap." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14. The album also had another single, Right by My Side. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R; Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two."

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled ''MDNA'', alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce. The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

Musical style and image

Image

In an interview with ''Vibe'' Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing." In an interview with ''Interview'', Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.” Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "" (''shangdi yu ni chang zai'') on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."

Alter egos

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting. As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them. In an interview with ''New York'' she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa". Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City. Minaj made an appearance on ''Lopez Tonight'' on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).

In April 2012, Nicki was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Nicki did not name her alter-ego.

Roman Zolanski

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski". She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from ''Pink Friday'', Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos. On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot." Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski", who also appeared on the song Roman's Revenge, with a British accent. Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping. Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.

Influences

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott. She was also inspired by Janet Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones, M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.

Personal life

Nicki Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16. In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life." Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual, she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women, but added in an interview with ''Out'' magazine, "I don’t date men either." In an interview with ''Vibe'' she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with ''Out'', saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of ''Details'', Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City. Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.

Discography

''Pink Friday'' (2010)

''Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded'' (2012)

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References

External links

Category:Nicki Minaj Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:African American female singers Category:African American rappers Category:American musicians of Indian descent Category:Rappers from Long Island Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:Female rappers Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:Hip hop singers Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Queens Category:People from Port of Spain Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Singers from New York City Category:Trinidad and Tobago emigrants to the United States Category:Trinidad and Tobago musicians Category:Trinidad and Tobago people of Dougla descent Category:Young Money Entertainment artists

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name	Michael Franti
background	solo_singer
birth date	April 21, 1966
Birth place	Oakland, California, U.S.
origin	San Francisco, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, guitar
occupation	Composer, musician, poet rapper
genre	Hip hop, funk, reggae, jazz, reggae fusion, folk, jam band, dancehall
years active	1986–present
label	Alternative Tentacles, Island, Capitol, Boo Boo Wax, Six Degrees, ANTI-
associated acts	Radioactive, Carl Young, Spearhead, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, The Beatnigs
website
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Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues.

Early life

Michael Franti was born in Oakland, California to an Irish-German-French mother and an African-American and Native American father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish-American couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and two adopted African American sons. Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003. Michael's four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew. Michael attended Davis Senior High School and graduated from the University of San Francisco. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to tell a story on paper, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by hip hop, punk, and reggae that was being played on the campus radio station. He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship.

Career

Beatnigs (1986–1990)

Franti began his music career in 1986 as part of the industrial punk band The Beatnigs. While attending the University of San Francisco and living above KUSF he developed a fascination with music and decided to start a band. The Beatnigs included dancer and percussionist Rono Tse; the band released a self-titled LP and an EP ''Television'' on Alternative Tentacles records. The records received some critical acclaim but little fame beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.

The 1988 LP release ''The Beatnigs'' was recorded at Dancin' Dog Studio in Emeryville and distributed by Alternative Tentacles. In addition to Michael Franti and Ron Tse, the band included Henry Flood on percussion, Andre Flores on keyboards, and Kevin on vocals. All of the band members made multiple instrumental contributions, including industrial percussion.

Disposable Heroes (1991–1993)

His next project, The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, found Franti continuing his collaboration with Tse, and working with jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, and electronic musicians Mark Pistel (Consolidated) and Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto). The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy wrote politically charged lyrics that railed against the injustices of the world, set to a fusion of industrial music and hip hop. Their first album, ''Hypocrisy is the Greatest Luxury'' (on Island Records), won plaudits for its social commentary, and they were chosen by U2 to open for their Zoo TV Tour.

Franti and the Disposable Heroes put together another record of music accompanying novelist William Burroughs' readings for an album entitled ''Spare Ass Annie and Other Tales''. This album diverged greatly from the style of the band's previous work, as they were largely providing musical background and accompaniment to Burroughs' spoken readings from several of his books.

Michael Franti & Spearhead (1994–present)

In 1994, Franti formed a new band called Spearhead with a few studio musicians, including mainstay Carl Young, and announced the dissolution of Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Their first release, ''Home'', in September 1994, was a departure from the politically charged rap of the Disposable Heroes and drew more from funk and soul music. The song "Positive", also from the album ''Home'', appeared on the ''Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool'' compilation album by the Red Hot Organization. In 1998, Spearhead recorded "I Got Plenty 'o Nuthin" with Ernest Ranglin for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album ''Red Hot + Rhapsody''.

Their follow up album ''Chocolate Supa Highway'' was released in March 1997, with several changes in band members between releases. This album featured a return to hip hop elements and a pronounced reggae influence and included guest appearances by notables like Stephen Marley and Joan Osborne.

After releasing the two albums, the band split with Capitol Records (reportedly prompted by the label's repeated urging to perform with other artists like Will Smith). The band instead decided to create its own record label, Boo Boo Wax. Since Capitol Records owned the rights to the name "Spearhead", subsequent albums were all released as "Michael Franti & Spearhead."

His song "Sometimes" was included on the soundtrack to the 1999 film, ''Mystery Men'', as well as the soundtrack to the 2006 film, ''Last Holiday''. Also, under the "Spearhead" name, their cover version of The Police's 1979 No. 32 hit, "Roxanne", was featured on the soundtrack to the 1997 film ''Good Burger'', the full-length feature film starring Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell based on their characters from the popular 'Good Burger' sketch featured on the Nickelodeon series ''All That''.

Michael Franti & Spearhead released ''Stay Human'' in 2000 under their own label Boo Boo Wax in alignment with indie music label Six Degrees Records. The album's central theme was the unjust nature of the death penalty and other major themes included mass media monopolization, the prison-industrial complex and corporate globalization.

In an interview, Franti talked about the message of ''Stay Human'': "Half the record is songs about what's happening in the world right now, and the other half is about how we cope with it as people who are concerned about what's going on", he said. "This specter of war, intimidation, this nation vs. the rest of the world, it wears us out. Half the record is a healthy dose of venting anger about that, and the other half is about how do we hold on to our spirituality, our community and our connectedness to each other." Franti left Six Degrees due to the labels' inability to properly promote the project, for poor record sales and frequent disagreements with the labels' founder Pat Berry.

''Everyone Deserves Music'' was released in 2003. Franti composed many of the songs from his guitar and, like fellow 21st century cultural globalists Manu Chao and Ozomatli, continues to synthesize his eclectic influences. In a departure from the industrial sounds of the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes, and the minimalism of early Spearhead, Franti's affirming lyrics are now set to swelling rock chords, while keeping a world-wise groove nodding towards reggae, dancehall, bossa nova, Afrobeat, and funk. Anthems like the title track "Everyone Deserves Music", "Yes I Will" and "Bomb The World" are constructed with a nod to the 1980s rock of The Clash and U2, as well as to classic soul from Stax and Motown. The song "We Don't Stop" (featuring Gift of Gab from Blackalicious and Spearhead's rapper/beatbox technician Radioactive) bridges the two sounds in a "Magnificent Seven" style mash-up. And on "Love Why Did You Go Away" and "What I Be", Franti reveals an alluring, sensual singing voice. "Pray For Grace" and "Bomb The World (Armageddon Version)" pair Franti with the reggae/funk giants Sly and Robbie (Grace Jones, Rolling Stones, Black Uhuru, No Doubt).

Also in 2003, Franti released a mostly acoustic album, ''Songs from the Front Porch'' containing rearranged versions of older songs from ''Chocolate Supa Highway'', ''Stay Human'' and ''Everyone Deserves Music'' as well as a couple of new tracks. On July 25, 2006, Michael Franti & Spearhead released ''Yell Fire!'', inspired by Franti's trip to Israel, Baghdad, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. In an effort to share his experiences from his trip and to explore the human cost of war, Franti produced a movie entitled ''I Know I'm Not Alone'', using the songs from his album ''Yell Fire!'' as a soundtrack. "One Step Closer To You" from ''Yell Fire!'' features Pink on backing vocals.

Franti and Spearhead have gained a worldwide audience through touring and appearances in alternative media like ''Mother Jones'' magazine and ''Democracy Now!''. Franti continues to tour in addition to producing the annual Power to the Peaceful festival each year since 1998. The festival originated as a way of supporting Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been convicted of murdering a policeman but is considered by some on the Left to be a political prisoner. Michael Franti continues to gain influence in both popular music and social movements largely through extensive touring and word of mouth fan support. Lyrics from his song "Bomb The World", written in the dark aftermath of September 11 such as "You can bomb the world to pieces, but you can't bomb it into peace" have found their way onto protest signs and t-shirts all over the world from Los Angeles to Berlin, San Francisco to CNN, at demonstrations for peace large and small.

The song "Light Up Ya Lighter" by Michael Franti & Spearhead was included on the soundtrack to ''Body of War'', an award-winning documentary about Tomas Young, a paralyzed Iraq War veteran.

Songs from ''Yell Fire'' and ''All Rebel Rockers'' are on the soundtrack to ''The Edge of Never'', a documentary about extreme skiers mentoring 15-year-old Kye Peterson in his quest to ski the route in Chamonix, France that killed his father, Trevor Peterson, nine years earlier.

The album ''All Rebel Rockers'' was released on September 9, 2008 and was largely recorded in Jamaica at the Anchor studio in St Andrew. The band worked with ubiquitous rhythm team Sly and Robbie and featured multi-talented vocalist Cherine Anderson on the set which entered the Billboard 200 pop chart in September at number 38. The single 'Say Hey (I Love You)' also reached Number 18 on the US Hot 100, providing Franti with his first US Top 20 single. Michael Franti was featured on Aux.tv's show Volume where he spoke about U.S. politics and his efforts to make the world a better place.

Franti played three different events to commemorate President Barack Obama's inauguration: The Green Ball, The Peace Ball and the Rock the Vote Party.

Franti announced in November 2009 that he would be joining musician John Mayer on the Battle Studies Tour in spring 2010.

As part of the band's commitment to environmentalism, Michael Franti and Spearhead avoid the use of water bottles on national tours and run their tour bus on biodiesel.

Franti announced the release of ''The Sound of Sunshine'' on his official website in July 2010. It features 12 tracks including two versions of the title track, the new hit single, "Shake It", and staples of his recent live performances including "Hey Hey Hey", "Anytime You Need Me", "The Thing That Helps Me Get Through", and the anthemic arena-rock ballad "I'll Be Waiting". The album originally was originally set to be released on August 24, but was pushed back to September 21 to give the album "more runway."

Michael Franti started the recording process for ''The Sound of Sunshine'' in Jamaica but then continued to mix tracks and record in Bali before choosing to bring a portable studio on the road. He continued to record on the road and then test his ideas in front of live audiences to see if they liked it before going back and revamping it the next day. He has since been quoted as saying 90% of the album ended up being recorded on his laptop.

Politics

Franti is also an advocate for peace in the Middle East. His film ''I Know I'm Not Alone'' features footage of Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel. Franti decided to embark on this three week journey with friends to view the cost of war in the Middle East first-hand. Franti states, "This film came out of my frustration with watching the nightly news and hearing generals, politicians, and pundits explaining the political and economic cost of the war in the Middle East, without ever mentioning the human cost. I wanted to hear about the war by the people affected by it most: doctors, nurses, poets, artists, soldiers, and my personal favorite, musicians." The film aims to speak multiple generations and to give people a better understanding of the people who still live in war-torn countries. He did not embark on the trip for the film with any special government groups or organizations, but instead bought plane tickets and headed off to Iraq, the Palestinian territories, and Israel armed with nothing more than his guitar and an extreme passion for music and a love of people. He says, "When I first had the idea for this journey, I had no idea how to get to Iraq and almost no idea how to make a film. After discovering that all you need to get into Iraq is a plane ticket, I prayed that movie making would be that simple..."

In 2001 Franti was awarded the Domestic Human Rights Award by Global Exchange, and international NGO based in San Francisco, for his work to end war.

In 2006, he was invited by Australian Labour MP Jenny Macklin to show the film at Australia's Parliament House, Canberra.

Personal life

Inspired by his son, Michael became a vegan.

In 2000, Franti decided not to wear any shoes, initially for three days. Since then, Franti has chosen to go barefoot except for occasionally wearing flip-flops as required to board an airplane or to be served in a restaurant. Franti prefers to go barefoot.

Discography

Solo

2000: ''Live at the Baobab''

2003: ''Songs from the Front Porch''

Spearhead

Studio albums

1994: ''Home''

1997: ''Chocolate Supa Highway''

2001: ''Stay Human''

2003: ''Everyone Deserves Music''

2006: ''Yell Fire!'' #125 US 2008: ''All Rebel Rockers'' #39 US

2010: ''The Sound of Sunshine'' #17, Billboard 200

Singles

1994: "Of course you can" UK #74

1995: "Hole in the bucket" UK #55

1995: "People in tha middle" UK #49

1995: "Positive"

1997: "U can't sing R song"

1997: "Why Oh Why" UK #45

1997: "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" (feat. Stephen Marley) (promo-only)

1997: "Keep Me Lifted"

2001: "Rock the Nation"

2001: "Sometimes"

2002: "Soulshine" (Australia-only EP)

2003: "Bomb the World"

2003: "Everyone Deserves Music"

2006: "I Know I'm Not Alone"

2009: "Obama Song" (feat. SoliLaquists of Sound, Cherine Anderson & Anthony B) (Digital Only)

2008: "Say Hey (I Love You)" #18 US

2011: "Shake It" (feat. Lady Saw)

2011: "The Sound of Sunshine" (feat. Jovanotti, for Italy only)

2011: "Hey Hey Hey"

Live albums and compilations

1994: ''Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool''

1998: ''Red Hot + Rhapsody''

1998: ''Hempilation, Vol. 2: Free the Weed''

2005: ''Weeds (Music from the Original TV Series)''

2005: ''Live in Sydney''

2005: ''Love Kamikaze (Singles and Remixes)''

2005: ''Live: Alaska''

2005: ''Power to the Peaceful Festival 2005 (CD & DVD)''

2006: ''Snakes on a Plane: The Album''

2007: ''Yell Fire! Live''

2008: ''CLIF GreenNotes Protect the Places We Play''

2008: ''The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter -- Five Years of Music from The Wire''

Collaborations

1992: ''Infinity within (album)'' (Deee-Lite, "Fuddy Duddy Judge" feat. Michael Franti)

1995: ''Blue In The Face (Movie Soundtrack)'' ("To My Ba-Bay!" w/ Spearhead & Zap Mama)

1997: ''Seven'', "Poetry Man" (with Zap Mama and King Britt) and "Baba Hooker" (with Zap Mama)

1997: ''Black Enough?'' (Steel Pulse feat. Michael Franti of Spearhead)

1999: ''Dal Basso'' (Jovanotti feat. Michael Franti)

2001: ''Stay Human'', "Listener Supported" (with Zap Mama})

:''Steady Pull'' (Jonatha Brooke feat. Michael Franti)

2002: ''1 Giant Leap'' (Jamie Catto & Duncan Bridgeman, "Passion" feat. Michael Franti)

2003: ''The World Around'' (Buscemi feat. Michael Franti)

:''Little Drummer Boy (Blind Boys Of Alabama feat. Michael Franti)

:''There's Enough For All Of Us'' (Hardage feat. Michael Franti)

:''My Love'' (E-Life feat. Michael Franti)

2005: ''Look at All the Love We Found: A Tribute To Sublime'' ("What I Got" w/ Michael Franti & Spearhead featuring Gift of Gab)

2006: ''What's This?'' (Franti, Gabriel Ríos and Flip Kowlier)

2007: ''Supermoon'', "Hey Brotha" (with Zap Mama)

2008: ''Mani libere'' (Jovanotti feat. Michael Franti)

: ''The End'' (Sugarush Beat Company feat. Michael Franti)

2009: ''All Rebel Rockers'', "High Low" (with Zap Mama)

2010: ''El Vecindario'', "Monkey Man" (with Macaco)

2011: ''Battiti di ali di farfalla'' (with Lorenzo Jovanotti Cherubini)

2011: ''The Sound of Sunshine'' (with Lorenzo Jovanotti Cherubini)

:"P.O.W." (With Honest Bob)(From the album The Game)

:"I Love The Future + Praize Creation Dub + Dignity Of Struggle" (With The Fire This Time)(From the album Still Dancing On John Waynes Head)

The Beatnigs

1988: ''The Beatnigs (album)''

The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

1992: ''Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury''

1992: ''Spare-Ass Annie and Other Tales'' (William S. Burroughs album)

Appearances in media

Franti's music was featured twice on HBO's urban drama ''The Wire''. "Oh My God" and "Rock The Nation", both from the album ''Stay Human'', were used in two different episodes during the series' first season. Franti's song "Everybody Ona Move" was featured in the pilot episode of ''Privileged'' on the CW in 2008 and also in a 2009 PlayStation 3 commercial. "Yell Fire" was used to promote the FX channel series ''Rescue Me'' and was also used in the closing credits of the pilot episode of ''Virtuality'' on Fox. Showtime's ''Weeds'' featured Franti's song "Ganja Babe" in its first season, his interpretation of the Weeds theme song "Little Boxes" in Season 3, and "Say Hey" during a flash mob scene in the premiere episode of Season 5. Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder Shane Victorino uses the song "Light up Ya Lighter" as his batter walk-up music. "Say Hey (I Love You)" was used on the third episode of NBC's series ''Mercy'', as well as in the opening scene of the 2010 film ''Valentine's Day''. The same song was also used in 2010 in a commercial for Corona Light beer. The song is also featured on the soundtrack of the game ''2010 World Cup South Africa''.

He appeared as himself in the 2010 music documentary ''Sounds Like A Revolution''.

References

External links

Michael Franti - official website

Facebook">Facebook - official Michael Franti Facebook

MySpace">MySpace - official Michael Franti MySpace

I Know I'm Not Alone - official website

Internet Archive">Michael Franti and Spearhead @ the Internet Archive (live music archive)

Category:1966 births Category:American adoptees Category:American anti-war activists Category:American vegans Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Native American descent Category:Live Music Archive artists Category:Living people Category:People from Davis, California Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Rappers from California Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:University of San Francisco alumni Category:Capitol Records artists

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