Mike D
Background information
Birth name	Michael Diamond
Also known as	Mike D, Country Mike, The King of Lunch, Meshach
Born	(1965-11-20) November 20, 1965 (age 46)
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Hip hop, rap rock, hardcore punk, alternative hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, musician, songwriter, drummer
Instruments	Rapping, vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards
Years active	1979–present
Labels	Def Jam Records Grand Royal Records Capitol Records
Associated acts	Beastie Boys The Latch Brothers
Website	www.beastieboys.com

Michael Diamond, better known as Mike D (born November 20, 1965^[1]), is a founding member of New York City hip hop group the Beastie Boys. Mike D raps, sings, and plays drums alongside fellow members MCA, Ad-Rock and Mix Master Mike.^[2]

Early life[link]

Mike D was born in New York City. Mike was raised in an upper-middle-class Jewish household.^[2] He attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York for six months.^[3]

Career[link]

In 1979, Diamond co-founded the band The Young Aborigines. In 1981, Adam Yauch, aka MCA, a friend and follower of the band became their bass player, and from the suggestion of their then-guitar player, John Berry, the band changed their name to the Beastie Boys.^[4] By 1983, Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) joined to form the lasting Beastie Boys trio, and their sound began to shift away from punk to hip-hop.^[5] In 1992, Mike D founded the Beastie Boys' now-defunct record label Grand Royal Records.

Personal life[link]

In 1993, Mike married film, television and music video director Tamra Davis. They have two boys, Skyler and Davis.^[6] He has two brothers, Stephen and David.

References[link]

Bun B
Performing live in August 2007.
Background information
Birth name	Bernard Freeman
Born	(1973-03-19) March 19, 1973 (age 39)
Origin	Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
Genres	Hip Hop, Southern Rap, Trill
Occupations	Rapper, Songwriter, Producer, CEO
Years active	1987–Present
Labels	Rap-a-Lot
Associated acts	UGK, Slim Thug, Outkast, Scarface, Sean Kingston, Z-Ro, Beyoncé Knowles, Trey Songz, Kirko Bangz, Chamillionaire, Juvenile, Rick Ross, Drake, Usher, Wu-Tang Clan, T.I., Lil Wayne

Bernard Freeman (born March 19, 1973^[1][2]) better known by his stage name Bun B, is an American rapper and was one half of the southern hip hop duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz). He is also a guest lecturer at Rice University located in Houston, Texas.^[3] He recently released his third official solo album Trill OG on August 3, 2010, which received a 5 Mic "Classic" rating in The Source Magazine - the first album in over five years to receive the honor.^[4] Bun B is married with two stepchildren.^[5]

Music career[link]

UGK[link]

In the late 1980s, Pimp C started the rap duo UGK. They then got signed to Jive Records where they released their major label debut album, Too Hard to Swallow, and their sophomore album, Super Tight.... Their third album, Ridin' Dirty reached the R&B Charts in 1996 peaking at number 2 and the Billboard 200 chart peaking at number 15. After releasing their fourth studio album, Dirty Money, Pimp C got sentenced to jail.^[6]

[edit] Trill and beginning of solo career

When Bun B's UGK partner, the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler entered a jail sentence on an aggravated gun assault charge in 2002, Bun B made guest appearances on numerous albums by other rappers and released a 2005 mixtape titled Legends.^[6] Singles featuring a Bun B guest appearance included "They Don't Know" by Paul Wall, "Gimme That" by Webbie and "I'm A G" by Yung Joc. Bun B also appeared in a documentary titled Screwed In Houston produced by VBS/Vice Magazine that details the history of the Houston rap scene.

In October 2005, Bun B's debut solo album Trill was released.^[7] Singles included "Draped Up",^[7] "Git It", and "Get Throwed".^[8] The album peaked at the sixth spot on the American Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.^[9]

[edit] II Trill

After Pimp C died in 2007, Bun B returned to a solo career. In 2008, he released his second album, II Trill^[6] The first single was "That's Gangsta" featuring Jamaican American artist Sean Kingston. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200, selling 98,000 copies.^[10] Other singles were "Damn I'm Cold" featuring Lil Wayne and "You're Everything" featuring Rick Ross, David Banner, DJ Corbett and 8Ball & MJG, the latter of which was dedicated to the late Pimp C.

[edit] Trill OG

Bun B's third album is Trill OG. In an interview with MTV Live, Bun B stated that 2Pac is set to feature on the album, claiming "It's a brand new verse."^[11] The album was released under Universal Music Group^[12] on August 3, 2010.^[13]

4th studio album[link]

On October 28 2011, a song titled "The Life" and produced by 14KT was leaked.

On March 3 2012, Bun B leaked a song featuring Royce Da 5'9 and Redman titled "Stop Playin'" after he reached 400,000 followers on Twitter. He has not announced the song's appearance on his upcoming album ^[14]

Other Ventures[link]

Acting[link]

Bun B recently acted in the Straight-to-DVD movie "Ghetto Stories: The Movie". It is unknown at this time though if he is still pursuing an acting career.

Teaching[link]

At the start of the Spring 2011 semester, Bun B joined the faculty of Rice University as a Distinguished Lecturer. He taught a course in the School of the Humanities on Hip-Hop and Religion.^[15]

Personal life[link]

Family[link]

Bun B is married to Angela Walls with two children.^[5] One of his sons is American rapper Young B, who is currently a member of the rap group Youngest N Charge. Youngest N Charge is currently Bun B's opening act.^[16]

Discography[link]

• 2005: Trill
• 2008: II Trill
• 2010: Trill OG
• 2012: Trill 4 Life

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

• Ghetto Stories (2010)

References[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Bun B

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bun B

• Bun B on Myspace
• Bun B at the Internet Movie Database
• Rap-A-Lot Records
• Discography at discogs.com
• Bun B RBMA lecture

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2008)

Marcus Lakee Edwards (born March 29, 1976),^[1] better known by his stage name Lil' Keke, is a rapper from Houston, Texas and an original member of the Screwed Up Click.^[2]

Biography[link]

Music career[link]

Lil Keke gained national underground love with his track "Southside" from his 1998 release "Don't Mess Wit Texas". In 2005, Lil' Keke signed to Swishahouse Records. In an interview with HitQuarters at the time, label president and A&R T. Farris said, "He is a legend here in Houston. He plays a big role in the whole style of rap that we make down here."^[3] Lil' Keke started out working alongside DJ Screw doing mixtapes.

Discography[link]

• 1997: Don't Mess wit Texas
• 1998: The Commission
• 2001: Platinum In Da Ghetto
• 2008: Loved by Few, Hated by Many
• 2011: Only In America

Mixtapes[link]

• 2006: Minor Setback for a Major Comeback (Hosted by DJ Drama)
• 2006: The Album B4 the Album
• 2007: Greatest Verses (Hosted by DJ LL)
• 2007: Drank Epidemic 10 & 10.2 (Hosted by DJ Storm)
• 2007: The Cost Of Living (with Yung Redd)
• 2008: Only The Strong Survive (Hosted by DJ Bigga Rankin)
• 2008: Seven-1-3 Hustlaz, Vol. 1: The Movement
• 2008: South Side Still Holding (Hosted by DJ Mac Boo)
• 2009: Seven-1-3 Vol.2 Small Thangs 2 A Giant
• 2009: Universal Ghetto Pass (The Mixtape)
• 2010: Addicted 2 Fame
• 2010: Seven-1-3 Vol.4
• 2010: The Trilogy
• 2011: Peepin In My Window 2K11
• 2011: C.O.D. (Cash On Delivery) Seven-1-3 Vol. 5
• 2011: Fish Grease
• 2012: Album Before The Album 2

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lil' Keke on Myspace

Thurston Moore
Moore at the 2008 Brooklyn Book Festival.
Background information
Birth name	Thurston Joseph Moore
Also known as	Mirror, Fred Cracklin
Born	(1958-07-25) July 25, 1958 (age 53) Coral Gables, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock, noise rock, experimental rock, no wave
Occupations	Singer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Consultant, Record producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica, synthesizer, piano, saxophone
Years active	1978–present
Labels	Geffen SST Ecstatic Peace! Father Yod Lo Recordings Destructive Industries Arts & Crafts México
Associated acts	Sonic Youth Ciccone Youth The Coachmen Mirror/Dash Even Worse Dream/Aktion Unit Bark Haze Dim Stars Northampton Wools
Notable instruments
Fender Jazzmaster

Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958)^[1] is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."^[2]

Early years[link]

Moore was born in Coral Gables, Florida, but was raised in Bethel, Connecticut.^[3] Although he enrolled at Western Connecticut State University, he instead moved to New York City to join the burgeoning post-punk/no wave music scenes.^[4] At the beginning of his time in New York, he lived in an apartment below artist Dan Graham, eventually befriending him, sometimes using records from Graham's collection for mix tapes.

Once in the city, Moore was briefly a member of the hardcore punk band Even Worse, featuring future The Big Takeover editor (and future Springhouse drummer) Jack Rabid. After exiting the band, Moore and Lee Ranaldo learned experimental guitar techniques in Glenn Branca's "guitar orchestras."^[4]

Sonic Youth[link]

Moore and Ranaldo soon formed Sonic Youth, serving as the band's guitarists, with Moore on lead vocals on a good portion of the material. The band signed to Neutral Records, then to Homestead Records, and then to SST Records.

Live in the Netherlands (with Sonic Youth), 1991

Moore and Ranaldo make extensive use of unusual guitar tunings, often heavily modifying their instruments to provide unusual timbres and drones. They are known for bringing upwards of fifty guitars to every gig, using some guitars for one song only.^[4] In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Moore and Ranaldo the 33rd and 34th Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

In 2011, Moore and his wife, Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon, announced they had separated; shortly afterward, Ranaldo announced the indefinite hiatus of Sonic Youth.^[5]

Work outside of Sonic Youth[link]

In addition to his work with Sonic Youth, Moore has also released albums as a solo artist. He and Gordon released a few songs as Mirror/Dash, a reference to their respective nicknames. ("Mirror" being an alliterative pun on "Moore"^{[citation needed]}, and "Dash" being a pun on Flash Gordon.^{[citation needed]}) The two also established Protest records together but the project has since lapsed.

Moore has collaborated with scores of musicians, including Maryanne Amacher, Lydia Lunch, DJ Spooky, William Hooker, Daniel Carter, Christian Marclay, Mike Watt, Loren Mazzacane Connors, Tom Surgal, William Winant, Nels Cline, Cock E.S.P., WRONG, Daniel Castro, Glenn Branca, Yamantaka Eye, Chris Corsano and My Cat is an Alien. Most of his solo/duo collaborations have been instrumental, and are generally improvised and/or noise based.

In the early 1990s, Moore formed the side band Dim Stars, with Richard Hell, Don Fleming, Steve Shelley and Robert Quine. Moore performed solo on the side stage of the 1993 Lollapalooza tour. Additionally, Moore also contributed guitar work and backing vocals on "Crush with Eyeliner", which appeared on R.E.M.'s Monster.

Since 2004, Moore has recorded and performed with the noise collective To Live and Shave in L.A., the lineup of which also features Andrew W.K.. He recorded with the band at Sonic Youth's former studio in Manhattan, and later performed with them at the George W. Bush "anti-inaugural" Noise Against Fascism concert in Washington, D.C., named in reference to Sonic Youth's 1992 song "Youth Against Fascism." Moore curated the "Nightmare Before Christmas" weekend of the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in December 2006.

Moore directed the music video for Pavement's song "Here," from Slanted and Enchanted. Foot is a collaboration between Don Fleming, Jim Dunbar and Thurston Moore.

On June 21, 2007, Moore revealed to Spin Magazine that he would be releasing a solo album titled Trees Outside The Academy. The album was recorded at J Mascis' studio in Amherst, Massachusetts. The album is made up of mostly acoustic material and features Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and violinist Samara Lubelski. The album also features collaborations between Mascis and Charalambides' Christina Carter, who performs a duet with Moore on the track, "Honest James." The album was released on September 18, 2007, on Moore's label Ecstatic Peace.

On September 24, 2008, Pitchfork Media reported that Thurston was working on a song with former Be Your Own Pet vocalist Jemina Pearl, a cover of the Ramones song "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker." The song was recorded for the teenage drama Gossip Girl and was featured in the episode "There Might Be Blood".

Since 2008, Moore has provided narration for a variety of documentaries on the National Geographic Channel. His work includes Inside: Straight Edge and the Hard Time series about life in prison.

Work on film soundtracks[link]

Thurston Moore performing with Sonic Youth at the 2005 Roskilde Festival.

In 1994, Moore teamed up with Greg Dulli of The Afghan Whigs, Don Fleming of Gumball, Mike Mills of R.E.M., and Dave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters, to form the Backbeat Band, which recorded the soundtrack album to the movie Backbeat.

In 1998 Moore played on the soundtrack of the film Velvet Goldmine as a member of Wylde Ratttz, along with The Stooges' Ron Asheton, his Sonic Youth bandmate Steve Shelley, Minutemen's Mike Watt, Gumball's Don Fleming, Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Jim Dunbar.

Moore also composed original music for the films:

• Heavy (1995)
• Bully (2001)
• Manic (2001)
• Extra Action and Extra Hardcore (2008)

In 2007, Moore also appeared with noise/improv group "Original Silence" featuring Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love (The thing, Atomic, Scorch Trio), guitarist Terrie Ex (The Ex), Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth, Wilco, Illusion of Safety), saxophonist Mats Gustafsson and bassist Massimo Pupillo (Zu). The group released the live album "The First Original Silence" in 2007, on Oslo (Norway) label SmallTown Superjazz, and a second album "The Second Original Silence" in 2008.

Record label and writings[link]

Moore and other Sonic Youth members published the irreverent music zine Sonic Life. Moore runs the record label Ecstatic Peace!. Beginning in 1993, this label jointly released records with rock critic Byron Coley's label, Father Yod, as Ecstatic Yod Records.

Moore reviews new music in Arthur Magazine in a column written jointly with Byron Coley. He manages the website Protest Records, named for its protest against United States' invasions in the Middle East. Moore was the editor/overseer of the 2005 book Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture. He published a highly influential list of collectible free jazz records in Grand Royal magazine.^[6]

Personal life[link]

In 1984, Moore married Sonic Youth bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon. The pair have a daughter, Coco Hayley Gordon Moore (born 1 July 1994). They currently reside in Northampton, Massachusetts. However, as of October 14, 2011, the couple announced that they are separating.^[7]

Equipment[link]

Moore is known for using a large selection of Fender guitars during Sonic Youth gigs. Most of the time he plays a Jazzmaster through many different types of amps among which Vox AC30, Peaveys and Fenders are present. He also plays a Jaguar and (less often) a heavily modified Fender Duo-Sonic with three single-coil pickups.

Since Ranaldo and Moore, together with Elvis Costello, J. Mascis, and Kevin Shields, are known for being key figures in the popularization and resurrection of the Fender Jazzmaster, in 2009 Fender introduced a Lee Ranaldo signature edition of a Sapphire Blue Transparent version featuring two Fender Wide Range humbucking pickups and a Forest Green transparent finish for Moore, equipped with a pair of Seymour Duncan Antiquity II Jazzmaster single-coil pickups).^[8]

Solo discography and collaborations[link]

This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (February 2010)

Solo albums

• Psychic Hearts (1995, Geffen Records)
• Trees Outside the Academy (2007, Ecstatic Peace)
• Demolished Thoughts (2011, Matador Records) (UK chart peak: #119)^[9]

Other

• Root - Remix Project (1998, Lo Recordings)
• Solo Acoustic Volume Five - Part of the VDSQ (Vin Du Select Qualitite) acoustic guitar series (2011)

Limited Edition Noise, experimental, drone projects

• 2006 - Flipped Out Bride 12'' (2006, Blossoming Noise), Limited Edition of 500 blue marbled vinyl
• 2006 - Free / Love EP (2006, Blossoming Noise), Limited Edition of 90 Cassettes only
• 2007 - Black Weeds - White Death (2007, Meudiademorte), Limited Edition of 200 Cassettes only
• 2008 - Sensitive / Lethal
• 2008 - Blindfold (Destructive Industries), Limited Edition of 200 Cassettes only
• 2008 - Built For Lovin (Lost Treasures of the Underworld), Limited Edition of 500 vinyl only
• 2010 - Suicide Notes For Acoustic Guitar EP
• 2010 - Schwarze Polizei (with Kommissar Hjuler, Goaty Tapes), Limited Edition of 50 Cassettes only

Collaborations

• 1988 - Barefoot In The Head [with Jim Sauter & Don Dietrich]
• 1993 - Shamballa [With William Hooker & Elliott Sharp]
• 1995 - Klangfarbenmelodie & the Colorist Strikes Primitive [with Tom Surgal]
• 1996 - Pillow Wand (with Nels Cline)
• 1996 - Piece For Yvonne Rainer [with Yoshimi & Mark Ibold]
• 1997 - MMMR [with Loren Mazzacane Connors, Jean-Marc Montera & Lee Ranaldo (Numero Zero Audio)
• 1998 - Foot (with Don Fleming & Jim Dunbar)
• 1999 - The Promise [With Evan Parker & Walter Prati]
• 2000 - New York - Ystad [Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Mats Gustafsson]
• 2000 - TM/MF [Thurston Moore, Marco Fusinato]
• 2001 - Three Incredible Ideas [Thurston Moore / Walter Prati / Giancarlo Schiaffini]

Free Improvisation Albums

• 2007 - The Roadhouse Session Vol.1 [Thurston Moore / Chris Corsano / Paul Flaherty / Wally Shoup 4tet]
• 2008 - Untitled [Paul Flaherty / Thurston Moore / Bill Nace]

Live Albums

• 1996 - Piece for Jetsun Dolma [a live improvisation with Tom Surgal and William Winant at Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (Les Disques VICTO)]

Albums with Sonic Youth

• See Sonic Youth discography

Albums with Diskaholics Anonymous Trio [Jim O'Rourke, Mats Gustafsson, Thurston Moore]

• 2001 - Diskaholics Anonymous Trio
• 2006 - Weapons Of Ass Destruction (Recorded in 2002)

Albums with Original Silence

• 2007 - The First Original Silence (Recorded live in concert on sept. 30 2005 at Teatro Ariosto, Reggio Emilia, Italy)
• 2008 - The Second Original Silence (Recorded Live In Concert on September 28, 2005 at Brancaleone, Rome)

Early work with Glenn Branca

• 1981 - Symphony No. 1 "Tonal Plexus" (w/Glenn Branca, Lee Ranaldo, Anne DeMarinis & others)
• 1982 - Symphony No. 2 "The Peak Of The Sacred"
• 1983 - Symphony No. 3 "Gloria" - Music for the first 127 intervals of the harmonic series

Early work with the Coachmen

• 1979 -Failure to Thrive

Singles

• "Sputnik" 7" (1997) Thurston Moore and Don Fleming on one side, Pete Kember aka Sonic Boom on the other. Gilltery vinyl.
• "Wonderful Witches" single (2007)
• 1995 - The Church Should Be For The Outcasts, Not A Church That Casts People Out (7") [As Male Slut]

Split LPs

• From The Earth To The Spheres (2004, split with My Cat Is An Alien)
• Thrash Sabbatical (2008, Deathbomb Arc, four-way split 12" + 2x7" w/ Men Who Can't Love, Barrabarracuda, Kevin Shields)
• Mature, Lonely + Out of Control/Alternative Hair Styles (2008, Nihilist Records, split LP with Graham Moore)

Album appearances

• 1992 - Do You Wanna Dance (by Dim Stars)
• 1994 - Monster (by R.E.M.)
• 1997 - Legend Of The Blood Yeti (by XIII Ghosts & Derek Bailey)
• 1998 - Velvet Goldmine - Music From The Original Motion Picture ("T.V. Eye" with the Wylde Ratttz)
• 2002 - Kapotte Muziek - #12 in Kapotte Muziek series (Korm Plastics)
• 2006 - The Voloptulist [The New Blockaders, with Thurston Moore (track 1) / Jim O'Rourke (track 2)]
• 2007 - Touch The Iceberg (by Owl Xounds Exploding Galaxy)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Sonic Youth.com - Official website
• Official Myspace page for "Kill Your Idols", a documentary about the Cinema of Transgression featuring Thurston Moore
• Ecstatic Peace! Records.
• Spike magazine interview.
• Writings by Thurston on 2003 NYC power blackout.
• Thurston Moore's "Skrewer Boy" published on the Tellus Audio Cassette Magazine @ Ubuweb
• Pichfork article Working with Jemina

Troy Lane Birklett (born February 24, 1966),^[1][2] better known by his stage name Lil' Troy is an American rapper from Houston, Texas.

Life and career[link]

Before his rapping career, Birklett was a successful drug dealer, who funded his music business with the money he earned from selling drugs.^{[citation needed]} In 1988, he founded Short Stop Records and joined the group Mass 187 in 1995. Mass 187's song "Gangsta Strut" was featured on local radio.^[3] He eventually was convicted of "using a communications device to commit a felony" and was sentenced to eighteen months in prison, although served only nine months in Beaumont, Texas, federal detention.^[4][5]

Lil' Troy, who featured in his songs many members of Houston's thriving rap scene of the late 1990s, managed to reach national audiences with his single "Wanna Be a Baller" produced by Bruce "Grim" Rhodes.^[1] The song reached #70 on the Billboard Hot 100, and propelled his debut album, Sittin' Fat Down South, to the Top 25 albums on the Billboard 200. After the success of the lead single, Lil' Troy was picked up by Universal Music Group, which re-released his debut album in 1999 with a larger national distribution. The debut album was a success, as it certified platinum by the RIAA selling 1.5 million copies.^[4][6] Lil' Troy released his follow up in 2001, titled Back to Ballin. This album did not contain a charting single and did not fare nearly as well as his debut. He released his third and to date last album, Paperwork, in 2006.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lil' Troy on Myspace
• Lil' Troy on YouTube
• Lil' Troy at the Internet Movie Database

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