• 2 Chainz
• 3rd Bass
• 42nd Grammy Awards
• ?uestlove
• Ace Hood
• Alternative hip hop
• Alternative music
• Alternative rock
• Alyson Williams
• Amel Larrieux
• Ameriie
• Andy Bey
• Andy Richter
• Asher Roth
• B.G. Knocc Out
• Bamboozled
• Barack Obama
• Bass (guitar)
• Bass guitar
• Beanie Sigel
• Beastie Boys
• Beatboxing
• Ben Kenney
• Betty Wright
• Beyoncé Knowles
• Big Boi
• Big Daddy Kane
• Big K.R.I.T.
• Big Sean
• Bill Wendell
• Billboard 200
• Billboard Hot 100
• Black Thought
• Blu (rapper)
• Bobby V
• Bono
• Boss (rapper)
• Brutha
• Cam'ron
• Capone-N-Noreaga
• Captain Kirk Douglas
• Case (singer)
• CBS Orchestra
• Chasing Liberty
• Chingy
• Chinua Achebe
• Chrisette Michele
• Cody ChesnuTT
• Collateral (film)
• Common (entertainer)
• Common (rapper)
• Conan O'Brien
• Cormega
• Corrine Bailey Rae
• Cru (group)
• D'Angelo
• Dave Chappelle
• Dave Matthews Band
• David Letterman
• Davy DMX
• Def Jam
• Def Jam Recordings
• Def Squad
• DGC Records
• Dice Raw
• DJ Clue?
• DJ Jazzy Jeff
• DJ Richie Rich
• DMX (rapper)
• Domino (rapper)
• Don Cheadle
• Dresta
• Dru Hill
• Drum kit
• Duke Ellington
• East Troy
• Electric guitar
• Electrik Red
• Electronic keyboard
• EPMD
• Erykah Badu
• Eve (rapper)
• F. Knuckles
• Fabolous
• Fall Out Boy
• Fam-Lay
• Fast Life Yungstaz
• Fishbone
• Flatlinerz
• Flesh-n-Bone
• Foxy Brown (rapper)
• Funk
• Funkmaster Flex
• Game Theory (album)
• George W. Bush
• Ghostface Killah
• Gold record
• Grammy
• Hancock (film)
• Hip hop music
• House band
• Hub (bassist)
• I-20 (rapper)
• Illadelph Halflife
• Incubus (band)
• ITunes
• J Dilla
• Ja Rule
• Jadakiss
• Jaguar Wright
• James Poyser
• Jay-Z
• Jay-Z Unplugged
• Jayo Felony
• Jazz
• Jazz-rap
• Jennifer Hudson
• Jennifer Lopez
• Jeremih
• Jeremy Piven
• Jill Scott
• Jimmy Fallon
• Joe Budden
• Joel Godard
• John Legend
• Jonell
• Joseph Simmons
• Juelz Santana
• Kamal Gray
• Kanye West
• Karina Pasian
• Kelly Price
• Lady Gaga
• Lady Luck (rapper)
• Late Night (NBC)
• Lil Ru
• Lil Scrappy
• LL Cool J
• Lloyd (singer)
• Lollapalooza
• LovHer
• Ludacris
• Malik B.
• Mama's Gun
• Mandy Moore
• Marc Levin
• Mark Kelley
• Martin Luther McCoy
• Matisyahu
• MCA Records
• Megan Rochell
• Men in Black (film)
• Metacritic
• Method Man
• Method Man & Redman
• Michele Bachmann
• MoKenStef
• Montell Jordan
• Mos Def
• MTV
• Music download
• Music genre
• Musiq Soulchild
• N-Dubz
• N.O.R.E.
• NAACP
• Nas
• Native Tongues
• Ne-Yo
• Neo soul
• Nice & Smooth
• Nicole Wray
• Nikki D
• Novel
• Okayplayer
• Ontario
• Onyx (group)
• Oran "Juice" Jones
• Organix
• Organix!
• Pale Force
• Patrick Stump
• Patti LaBelle
• Paul Shaffer
• Peedi Crakk
• Peedi Peedi
• Pennsylvania
• Pete Nice
• Philadelphia
• Phonte
• Phrenology
• Phrenology (album)
• Pino Palladino
• Playa (band)
• Prince (musician)
• Pseudoscience
• Pusha T
• Q-Tip (rapper)
• Queen Latifah
• Questlove
• Rahzel
• Rapper
• Rapping
• Rebecca Black
• Record label
• Red Hot + Indigo
• Red Hot + Rhapsody
• Red Hot Organization
• Redman (rapper)
• Rell
• Rhythm and blues
• Richie Rich (rapper)
• Rick Ross
• Rick Rubin
• Rihanna
• Rising Down
• Roc-A-Fella
• Rocko (rapper)
• Rolling Stone
• Ron Isley
• Ruff Ryders
• Russell Simmons
• Saigon (rapper)
• Scarface (rapper)
• Scott Storch
• Scratch (musician)
• Selan Lerner
• Shareefa
• Shawnna
• Sheek Louch
• Shyne
• Sisqó
• Slayer
• Slick Rick
• Snoop Dogg
• Soul music
• Soulquarians
• Sousaphone
• South Central Cartel
• Spike Lee
• Star Spangled Banner
• Stephen Colbert
• Steve Higgins
• Stupid Pet Tricks
• Styles P
• Sufjan Stevens
• Sunday Bloody Sunday
• Superbad (film)
• Synthesizer
• Talib Kweli
• Taylor Hicks
• TBC Brass Band
• Template The Roots
• Terminator X
• Terri Walker
• The Colbert Report
• The Diplomats
• The Dove Shack
• The Guess Who
• The Legendary
• The Next Movement
• The Roots
• The Roots Come Alive
• The Seed (2.0)
• The Tonight Show
• The Ummah
• The-Dream
• Things Fall Apart
• Time (magazine)
• Tom Cruise
• Top 40
• Toronto
• Tracy Does Conan
• Triple C's
• U2
• Undun
• United States
• Unladylike
• Vegetarian
• Wale
• Wale (rapper)
• Warren G
• WC (rapper)
• Who Made Huckabee?
• Wisconsin
• Without a Trace
• Woodstock '99
• Y?N-Vee
• YG (rapper)
• Yo Gabba Gabba
• You Got Me (song)
• Young Jeezy
• YouTube
• Zap Mama
• 
  

• 
  Ontario
  Ontario /ɒnˈtɛərioʊ/ is one of the provinces of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province or territory and fourth largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.
  Ontario is bordered by the province of Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay to the north, Quebec to the east, and to the south by the U.S. states of Minnesota, Michigan (portions to the west), New York (portions to the east), Ohio and Pennsylvania. All but a small part of Ontario's 2,700 km (1,677 mi) border with the United States follow inland waterways: from the west at Lake of the Woods, eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River drainage system. These are the Rainy River, the Pigeon River, Lake Superior, the St. Mary's River, Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall, Ontario.
  
  wn.com/Ontario
• 
  Pennsylvania
  Pennsylvania (ⁱ/ˌpɛnsɨlˈveɪnjə/), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a US state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, and the Great Lakes Region. The state borders Delaware to the southeast, Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, Ontario, Canada to the northwest, New York to the north, and New Jersey to the east.
  Pennsylvania is the 33rd most extensive, the 6th most populous, and the 9th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state's four most populous cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Erie. The state capital is Harrisburg. Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of shoreline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.
  Pennsylvania is 170 miles (274 km) north to south and 283 miles (455 km) east to west. Of a total 46,055 square miles (119,282 km²), 44,817 square miles (116,075 km²) are land, 490 square miles (1,269 km²) are inland waters, and 749 square miles (1,940 km²) are waters in Lake Erie. It is the 33rd largest state in the United States. Pennsylvania has 51 miles (82 km) of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles (92 km) of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary.
  
  wn.com/Pennsylvania
• 
  Philadelphia
  Philadelphia ( /ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə/) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States, with a population of 1,526,006 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Philadelphia is also the commercial, cultural, and educational center of the Delaware Valley, home to 6 million people and the country's fifth-largest metropolitan area. The Philadelphia metropolitan division consists of five counties in Pennsylvania and has a population of 4,008,994. Popular nicknames for Philadelphia are Philly and The City of Brotherly Love, the latter of which comes from the literal meaning of the city's name in Greek (Greek: Φιλαδέλφεια ([pʰilaˈdelpʰeːa], Modern Greek: [filaˈðelfia]) "brotherly love", compounded from philos (φίλος) "loving", and adelphos (ἀδελφός) "brother").
  
  wn.com/Philadelphia
• 
  Toronto
  Toronto (/təˈrɒntoʊ/, colloquially /ˈtrɒnoʊ/) is the largest city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from the Mississaugas of the New Credit. The settlement was later established as the Town of York and proclaimed as the new capital of Upper Canada by its lieutenant-governor, John Graves Simcoe. In 1834, York was incorporated as a city and renamed to its present name. The city was ransacked in the Battle of York during the War of 1812 and damaged in two great fires in 1849 and in 1904. Since its incorporation, Toronto has repeatedly expanded its borders through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities, most recently in 1998.
  With over 2.6 million residents, it is the fifth most populous city in North America. Its metropolitan area has over 5.5 million residents. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which has a population of nearly 9 million people as of 2011. The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 5,583,064, and the Greater Toronto Area had a population of 6,054,191 in the 2011 Census. Its cosmopolitan and international population reflects its role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, with about 49% of the population born outside Canada. Toronto is also consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey.
  
  wn.com/Toronto
• 
  United States
  The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
  At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.
  
  wn.com/United_States
• 
  Wisconsin
  Wisconsin (ⁱ/wɨsˈkɒnsɨn/) is a US state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 23rd most extensive and the 20th most populous of the 50 United States. Wisconsin's capital is Madison, and its largest city is Milwaukee. The state is divided into 72 counties.
  The word Wisconsin originates from the name given to the Wisconsin River by one of the Algonquian speaking American Indian groups living in the region at the time of European contact. French explorer Jacques Marquette was the first European to reach the Wisconsin River and record its name, arriving in 1673 and calling the river Meskousing in his journal. This spelling was later corrupted to Ouisconsin by other French explorers, and over time this version became the French name for both the Wisconsin River and the surrounding lands. English speakers anglicized the spelling to its modern form when they began to arrive in greater numbers during the early 19th century. The current spelling was made official by the legislature of Wisconsin Territory in 1845.
  
  wn.com/Wisconsin

• 
  ?uestlove
  Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born on January 20, 1971) known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove (also known as BROther ?uestion, Questo, Brother Question or Qlove), is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, which is now the in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
  He has produced for artists such as Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa and more recently, Al Green, Amy Winehouse and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, The Randy Watson Experience, and The Grand Wizzards.
  Thompson was born in Philadelphia on January 20, 1971. His father was Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts, one of the great 50s doo-wop groups.^{[citation needed]} His parents did not want to leave him with babysitters, so they took him on tour with them. He grew up in backstages of doo-wop shows. By the age of seven, Thompson began drumming on stage at shows, and by 13, had become a musical director.
  
  wn.com/?uestlove
• Ace Hood
  Antoine McColister, (born May 11, 1988), better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. Originating from Broward County, Florida, he is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Cash Money Records. he is formerly signed to Def Jam Recordings. His song "Top of the World", from his debut studio album Gutta, was also featured in the basketball simulation game, NBA 2K10.
  In 2007, he met DJ Khaled outside the offices of WEDR 99 Jamz, a South Florida radio station that mainly plays hip hop and contemporary R&B music. After Ace gave him an autobiography and demo tape, Khaled asked Ace to rap over the instrumental of "I'm So Hood" and later signed Hood to his label, We the Best. Ace was named with several others to the Freshmen of 09 by XXL magazine.
  His first album, Gutta, was released in 2008. Singles included "Cash Flow" featuring T-Pain and Rick Ross, and "Ride" featuring Trey Songz. Hood also released mixtapes called Ace Won't Fold and All Bets On Ace. He made a guest performance among several rappers on DJ Khaled's single "Out Here Grindin'", also featuring Akon, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Trick Daddy and Plies, which peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ace Hood's biggest hit. It is from Khaled's third studio album We Global, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. Ace Hood appeared on Wildstyle Radio with Rome and Hoss on WUAG 103.1FM in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 7, 2008, to promote his album, Gutta, along with DJ Khaled. The album debuted at #36 on the Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies its first week.
  
  wn.com/Ace_Hood
• Alyson Williams
  Alyson Williams (born May 11, 1962 in New York City, NY) is an R&B singer.
  The daughter of bandleader / trumpeter Bobby Booker, she began her career by singing background vocals for various artists including, Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore ("Love's Coming At Ya"), B. B. & Q. Band, Cashflow, Unlimited Touch, Bobby Brown and Barbara Mitchell before joining the group High Fashion, which also featured Meli'sa Morgan. After they disbanded, Alyson sang with the group The Affair before moving onto a solo career.
  Her first single, "Yes We Can Can", was first released on Profile Records in 1986; a release on the Def Jam label followed in 1987. At the label, she established herself as an in demand vocalist, duetting with many of her label mates including Chuck Stanley ("Make You Mine Tonight") and Oran "Juice" Jones ("How To Love Again").
  Her first album release and the first R&B female singer signed to Def Jam, she released the album Raw in 1989. The album produced the singles "My Love is So Raw", featuring female rapper Nikki D,and "Sleep Talk". In addition, the single "Just Call My Name" was a hit on the Billboard R&B charts reaching number #4. The song, picked up by many "Quiet storm" formats, is now considered a cult classic and is still played. The album included a duet with the Blue Magic vocalist Ted Mills on "We're Gonna Make It". Her single "I Need Your Lovin'" was also a #8 success in the UK, as well as another R&B hit for her.
  
  wn.com/Alyson_Williams
• 
  Amel Larrieux
  Amel Larrieux (born March 8, 1973) is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter and keyboardist. Larrieux rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a founding member of the duo Groove Theory along with Bryce Wilson. After leaving the group in 1999, she released her debut solo album Infinite Possibilities the following year on Epic Records. In late 2003, Larrieux founded her own independent label, Blisslife Records, on which she has released three albums so far. Larrieux cites Ella Fitzgerald, Prince, Rickie Lee Jones, Stevie Wonder, Shawn Colvin, Chaka Khan, John Lennon, Patrice Rushen, Jimi Hendrix, and Joni Mitchell as her musical influences.
  Larrieux was born and raised an only child in the Manhattan neighborhood of Greenwich Village, New York City, New York. Her African American - Sub-Saharan mother, Brenda Dixon Gottschild, is a dance critic, author, and college instructor. Her father is of French, English, and Scottish descent. Larrieux was raised in a very artistic environment and was surrounded by talented and inspirational artists. Larrieux attended Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Some of her classmates include: members of Boyz II Men, jazz bassist Christian McBride, jazz guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, and The Roots member Questlove. Larrieux attended the senior prom with Questlove. Many of her influences are drawn from R&B, soul, jazz, folk, hip hop, and gospel with flashes of Middle Eastern, West African, and Indian ethnic styles. She has often been documented for describing her music as "Amel's music". Larrieux currently resides in New York City with her husband, Laru, and their two daughters, Sanji Rei and Sky. Her forename Amel means "hope" in Arabic.
  
  wn.com/Amel_Larrieux
• 
  Ameriie
  Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Amerie or Ameriie, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She debuted in 2002 with the album All I Have, primarily co-written and produced by Rich Harrison, and was well received in the urban market. In 2005, Ameriie released her biggest hit to date, "1 Thing", the lead single from her second album, Touch, which garnered her crossover recognition and earned two Grammy Award nominations. Her third album, Because I Love It, achieved moderate international success in 2007, although it was not released in North America, and she subsequently left her label Columbia Records. Amerie released her fourth studio album, In Love & War, in 2009, her first album under Island Def Jam.
  Ameriie was born to Korean mother, artist Mi Suk, and African American father, Charles. A few months after she was born, the Rogers family moved to her mother's native Korea, where Ameriie lived for three years. Her father, Charles, was a chief warrant officer, so Ameriie traveled to and lived in many different places, including South Korea, Alaska, Texas, Virginia, and Germany. He now works for the U.S. Intelligence Division United States military. She has a younger sister, Angela, who is now her lawyer. Amerie describes her parents as conservative, protective, traditional Christians. Growing up, she and her sister were forbidden to leave the house or use the phone on school days. The singer enrolled at Georgetown University to study literature, and was in Navy ROTC: "I was in the Navy ROTC. My dad didn’t force me into it or anything. I joined so I could afford an education." She quit ROTC after her sophomore year, and graduated with a BA degree in English and Fine Arts minor in design. Amerie's first language is Korean.
  
  wn.com/Ameriie
• Andy Bey
  Andrew W. Bey (born October 28, 1939 in Newark, New Jersey) is a jazz singer and pianist.
  Bey has a wide vocal range, with his four octave baritone voice.
  He worked on a television show, Startime, with Connie Francis and sang for Louis Jordan. He was 17 when he formed a trio with his siblings Salome Bey and Geraldine Bey (de Haas), called Andy and the Bey Sisters. The group did a 16-month tour of Europe. The Chet Baker documentary Let’s Get Lost shows footage of Andy Bey and his sisters delighting a crowd of Parisian partygoers. The trio recorded three albums (one for RCA Victor in 1961, two for Prestige in 1964 and 1965) before breaking up in 1967.
  He also did notable work with Horace Silver and Gary Bartz.
  In 1974, Bey and Dee Dee Bridgewater were the featured vocalists on Stanley Clarke's album Children of Forever. Later, Bey recorded the album Experience And Judgment, which had Indian influences. After that period he returned to hard bop and also recorded covers of music by non-jazz musicians such as Nick Drake.
  
  wn.com/Andy_Bey
• 
  Andy Richter
  Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS. He is also known for his voice work in the Madagascar films and for starring in the sitcoms Quintuplets, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, and Andy Barker, P.I..
  Richter, the third of four children, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His mother, Glenda Swanson (née Palmer), was a kitchen cabinet designer, and his father, Laurence R. Richter, taught Russian at Indiana University for more than 32 years. Richter was raised in Yorkville, Illinois. He is of Swedish and German descent. In high school, he was elected Prom King.
  In the late 1980s, Richter attended Columbia College Chicago as a film major. While at Columbia he learned the basics of comedic acting and writing by starring in numerous student films and videos. After leaving Columbia in 1988 Richter worked as a production assistant on commercial shoots in Chicago. In 1989, he began taking classes at Chicago's Improv Olympic. His quick wit and acting skills catapulted him from student to "House Performer" within a year. Richter branched out working with "The Comedy Underground" and the Annoyance Theater.
  
  wn.com/Andy_Richter
• 
  Asher Roth
  Asher Paul Roth (born August 11, 1985) is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Roth is signed to Schoolboy Records, SRC, and Def Jam.
  Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth (née McConnell), is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm. His mother has Scottish ancestry and his paternal grandfather was Jewish. Roth does not consider himself Jewish, although his name often leads people to believe he is. He attended Pennsbury High School. Growing up, Roth was exposed to little hip hop in his family, with his parents preferring "The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire ... Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits." According to Roth:
  The first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band's Crash ...That is how suburban I am...I finally got into hip hop in '98 when I heard the Annie sample with Jay-Z....When I wrote my 'A Milli' freestyle, that was me listening to 10 years of hip hop and not relating to it at all. Like, Damn I don’t sell coke. Damn, I don’t have cars or 25-inch rims. I don't have guns. I finally got to a point where I had the confidence to do this thing myself, and I was making music for me. And it turns out, a lot of people feel the same way I do.
  
  wn.com/Asher_Roth
• B.G. Knocc Out
  Al Hasan Naqiyy (born Arlandis Hinton; January 23, 1975), better known by his stage name B.G. Knocc Out, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the younger brother of rapper Dresta, who also collaborated in the song.
  Arlandis Hinton was born and raised in Compton, California. He and his brother Andre Wicker became Crips gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set.
  Eazy-E, rapper from Compton eventually discovered the brothers, met up and recorded songs with them. B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) and Dresta (Wicker) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy-E's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (Dr. Dre) 187^um Killa on the single "Real Muthaphukkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic.
  In 1995, B.G. Knocc Out and Dresta released their debut album Real Brothas, which remains their only album to date. At end of the same year, they made three guest appearances in Eazy-E's posthumous album Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton. The following year in 1996 he appeared on DJ Yella of N.W.A's debut solo album One Mo Nigga Ta Go.
  
  wn.com/B.G._Knocc_Out
• 
  Barack Obama
  
  
  Barack Hussein Obama II (ⁱ/bəˈrɑːk huːˈseɪn oʊˈbɑːmə/; born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. In January 2005, Obama was sworn in as a U.S. Senator in the state of Illinois. He would hold this office until November 2008, when he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.
  Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. He served three terms representing the 13th District in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.
  Following an unsuccessful bid against the Democratic incumbent for a seat in the United States House of Representatives in 2000, Obama ran for the United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Illinois Democratic primary for the Senate election and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in Illinois in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 presidential election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain, and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Nine months later, Obama was named the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In April 2011, he announced that he would be running for re-election in 2012.
  
  wn.com/Barack_Obama
• 
  Beanie Sigel
  Dwight Grant, (born March 6, 1974), also known as Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds where he worked alongside Senior Durham in the projects. He has sold more than two million albums worldwide. He decided to end his career in middle 2010 when he made his last song, "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed Grant to his G-Unit Records label in 2009. In early 2011 Grant appeared in Travis Barker's album Give the Drummer Some, saying that it was the end of his career. In May 31, 2011 Grant apologized to his former boss Jay-Z. But in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music.
  In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled State Property. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz Chris,Neef, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's The Chain Gang Vol. 2, featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.
  
  wn.com/Beanie_Sigel
• Ben Kenney
  Benjamin Lee Kenney, Sr. (born on March 12, 1977), is a musician from Brielle, New Jersey, and the bassist for the band Incubus.
  Ben Kenney played guitar for the hip-hop group The Roots before he joined Incubus in 2003 after the departure of bassist and founding member Alex Katunich aka Dirk Lance. He had previously played with Incubus members Mike Einziger and Jose Pasillas in Time Lapse Consortium.
  Ben is known to play at least six different instruments and sometimes plays drum duets with Incubus' drummer Jose Pasillas live on-stage.
  He has also done studio work for artists including: Justin Timberlake, Faith Evans, Erykah Badu, Blackalicious, and producers Timbaland and DJ Jazzy Jeff.
  26, Maduro, Distance & Comfort & "Burn the Tapes" were all released by Ben's own record company, Ghetto Crush Industries. Ghetto Crush has also released music for The Division Group, Aleda, and Root Valdez. Ben has also helped The Smyrk produce their latest EP, New Fiction.
  Ben Kenney started off in a New Jersey band called Racecar in 1994 with band members Jimmie Mueller and Sam Hoffman. After this, he and his friend Chuck Treece started a musical duo christened Supergrub in 1996, with three CD's released: Norma & Thurselle, Communicator, and finally Challenger.
  
  wn.com/Ben_Kenney
• Betty Wright
  Bessie Regina Norris, better known by her stage name, Betty Wright (born December 21, 1953), is a Miami-based soul and R&B singer-songwriter, who won fame in the 1970s with hits such as "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is the Night". A pioneering singer-songwriter and entrepreneur, she remains one of the few black female musicians to have a gold record on her own vanity label. She possesses a four-octave vocal range and is adept at using the whistle register.
  Born Bessie Regina Norris on December 21, 1953, Wright was the youngest of seven children to Rosa Akins Braddy-Wright and her second husband, McArthur Norris. Wright began her professional career at the age of two when her siblings formed the gospel group, the Echoes of Joy. Wright contributed to vocals on the group's first album, released in 1956. Wright and her siblings performed together until the mid-1960s.
  In 1965, following the group's break-up, 11-year-old Wright, who was already using the name Betty Wright, decided to switch musical styles from gospel to rhythm and blues, singing in local talent shows until being spotted by a local Miami record label owner, who signed her to her first label in 1966 at twelve. She released the singles, "Thank You Baby" and "Paralyzed", which found Wright local fame in Miami.
  
  wn.com/Betty_Wright
• 
  Beyoncé Knowles
  Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (née Beyoncé Giselle Knowles; September 4, 1981), known mononymously as Beyoncé ( /biˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.
  During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, which spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"—and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006, which spawned the top 10 singles "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), spawned the hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". The album helped Knowles earn six Grammys in 2010, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. Knowles' fourth solo album, 4 (2011), became her fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard 200 as a solo artist. This made her the third artist in history to have her first four studio albums debut atop the chart.
  
  wn.com/Beyoncé_Knowles
• 
  Big Boi
  Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André 3000 each announced plans to release a solo album. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim.
  Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Renne. Eventually he decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.
  He had a strong interest in hip-hop music, and met André "3000" Benjamin while attending Tri Cities High School in the early-1990s. The two eventually joined forces as OutKast and signed with LaFace Records.
  
  wn.com/Big_Boi
• 
  Big Daddy Kane
  Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968) better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs in Hip Hop. Regarding the name Big Daddy Kane, he said: "The Big Daddy part and the Kane part came from two different things. The Kane part came from my fascination with the martial arts flicks when I was young. The Big Daddy came from something that happened on a ski trip one time involving a young lady."
  In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would co-write some of Biz's best-known lyrics. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl. Kane signed with Marl's Cold Chillin' Records label in 1987 and debuted the following year with the 12" single "Raw," an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats, and despite his asthmatic condition he is acknowledged as one of the pioneering masters of fast-rap. His sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends (high-top fades, velour suits, and four-finger rings). The backronym "King Asiatic Nobody's Equal" is often applied to his moniker.
  
  wn.com/Big_Daddy_Kane
• Bill Wendell
  Bill Wendell (birth name: William Joseph Wenzel, Jr.) (March 22, 1924 – April 14, 1999) was an NBC television staff announcer for almost his entire professional career.
  Born in New York City, Wendell served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and graduated from Fordham University with a degree in speech. He worked briefly with the DuMont Television Network before beginning his long association with NBC. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Wendell formed part of a fraternity of network staff announcers who held lifetime contracts; his colleagues were Don Pardo, Wayne Howell, Fred Facey, Bill McCord, Roger Tuttle and Howard Reig.
  Wendell was a radio announcer on programs towards the end of the old-time radio era, but the majority of his announcing work was on television. He was a regular on the 1955-1956 version of The Ernie Kovacs Show, serving as the show's announcer, as well as a participant in sketches such as "Mr. Question Man" (a parody of The Answer Man). He also worked with Jack Benny, Bob Hope and other NBC personalities.
  
  wn.com/Bill_Wendell
• 
  Black Thought
  Tariq Trotter (born on October 3, 1971), better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots, as well as an occasional actor. Black Thought, who co-founded The Roots with drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Thompson), is widely lauded for his live performance skills and his complex and politically aware lyrical content.
  Black Thought was born Tariq Trotter and attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts and Millersville University. In 1987, Trotter became friends with drummer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and formed a drummer/MC duo performing on the streets of Philadelphia and at talent shows. Trotter would subsequently spend some time as one of two MCs in the group The Square Roots: the other one was Malik B., who Tariq met in college. In high-school, Black Thought converted to the Islamic sect of The Nation of Gods and Earths.
  The Square Roots renamed themselves the Roots and released its debut album Organix in 1993, to prepare for a concert in Germany. The Roots signed to DGC and followed up with Do You Want More?!!!??! in 1995. Recorded without any sampling, the album was more popular among alternative music fans than those of hip hop. Around the release of the album, the Roots performed at the Lollapalooza alternative music festival and Montreux Jazz Festival. Illadelph Halflife, the band's 1996 album, became its first album to chart within the top 40 spots on the Billboard 200 because of the successful single "What They Do".Things Fall Apart followed in 1999, the year the band played at the Woodstock 99 concert.
  
  wn.com/Black_Thought
• Blu (rapper)
  Johnson Barnes (born April 15, 1983), better known by his stage name Blu, is an American West Coast rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California. Following the major success of his 2007 debut album, Below the Heavens, Blu was named HipHop DX's "Rookie of the Year". Since then, Blu has become one of the most prolific underground artists in the Los Angeles area, releasing "six full-length albums, and countless other projects and mixtapes" since his emergence on the rap scene. Blu has also become as proficient a producer as he has a rapper. In September 2011, Blu released his commercial album Open, his 4th solo project which features tracks all produced by the West Coast emcee.
  Johnson Barnes was born on April 15, 1983 in San Pedro, California. Raised by his mother and stepfather who was a pastor, Barnes was highly influenced by gospel and Christian rap when he was growing up. However, Barnes' was also influenced by gangsta rap that he received from his father, contributing to his delivery of conscious yet raw lyrics. In his early days in the music business, Johnson worked as a hype man for underground rap and soul artists such as Slum Village, Steve Spacek, Platinum Pied Pipers, and Emanon. However, taking influence from Common, Barnes began turning from freestyle rhyming to crafting songs. In an interview with HipHopDx, Barnes talks about what it was like to listen to Common's 1994 song I Used to Love H.E.R.:
  
  wn.com/Blu_(rapper)
• 
  Bobby V
  Bobby Wilson (born on February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (previously known as Bobby Valentino), is an American recording artist (his nickname being "Valentino" because he was due to be born on Valentine's Day). He is now known as Bobby V due to a lawsuit involving an English singer, song writer and musician who has been recording and performing under the name Bobby Valentino for over 35 years.
  Bobby V was born Robert Wilson on February 27, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended North Atlanta High School. Growing up V listened to Michael Jackson, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Marvin Gaye, Jodeci, and The Isley Brothers. Those were the artists that inspired him to become a R&B singer. He later returned to his old high school appearing on the debut episode of MTV's Once Upon A Prom, which aired on May 19, 2007. V entered the music scene in 1996 as a member of the R&B youth quartet Mista, at this time using his real name, Bobby Wilson. Under the production of Organized Noize (TLC’s "Waterfalls"), the group released their self-titled debut album, which produced the chart topping single, "Blackberry Molasses". Unfortunately, the album did not follow in the same success and despite a second album being produced by Tim & Bob, it was never released. Due to management issues the group split in 1997. Bobby later enrolled at Clark Atlanta University majoring in Mass Communications.While in school, Bobby V continued to record in his free time in hopes of one day returning to the stage. In the spring of 2002 he auditioned for season one of American Idol, but did not make the cut.
  
  wn.com/Bobby_V
• 
  Bono
  Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), most commonly known by his stage name Bono (/ˈbɒnoʊ/ BON-oh), is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Alison Stewart, and the future members of U2. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, often using political, social, and religious themes. During their early years, Bono's lyrics contributed to U2's rebellious and spiritual tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences shared with members of U2.
  Outside the band, he has collaborated and recorded with numerous artists, is managing director and a managing partner of Elevation Partners, and has refurbished and owns The Clarence Hotel in Dublin with The Edge. Bono is also widely known for his activism concerning Africa, for which he co-founded DATA, EDUN, the ONE Campaign and Product Red. He has organised and played in several benefit concerts and has met with influential politicians. Bono has been praised and criticised for his activism and involvement with U2. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and was named as a Person of the Year by Time, among other awards and nominations.
  
  wn.com/Bono
• Cam'ron
  Cameron Giles (born February 4, 1976), better known by his stage name Cam'ron or "Killa Cam", is a Grammy-nominated American rapper. He is the founder of the hip-hop group The Diplomats (also known as Dipset), and also of The U.N. (Us Now) group.
  Cameron Giles was born and raised in Harlem, New York. He went to school at Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, where he would meet his long time friends Mase and Jim Jones. He was a promising basketball player alongside Mase, however, he was unable to take advantage of various scholarship offers due to a poor academic record. He instead enrolled in a college in Texas, even without graduating from high school, but soon dropped out and returned to Harlem where he began selling drugs before starting his rap career. He began his musical career in the mid 1990s, rapping alongside Big L, Mase and his cousin Bloodshed in a group called Children Of The Corn. However, after Bloodshed's death in a car accident in 1997, the group disbanded and the remaining members continued solo careers.
  
  wn.com/Cam'ron
• Capone-N-Noreaga
  Capone-N-Noreaga was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Capone and Noreaga.
  In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it also appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column. In 1996, before the group’s debut album was completed, Capone was imprisoned for a parole violation, and Noreaga finished the debut album, The War Report, with the help of various other QB/NY hip-hop acts. The album was met with critical and commercial acclaim; it saw the group partake in the conflict between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment, making it a more widespread East Coast/West Coast rivalry, responding to Tha Dogg Pound's single " New York, New York" with its own "L.A L.A"
  In 2000, the group released its sophomore effort, The Reunion, on Tommy Boy Records. Similarly star-studded, the album went platinum, but suffered from mixed reviews. Additionally, Capone was once again sent to prison before its release for violating a probation sentence on gun possession, which undermined promotion of the album. Soon after, in 2001, Capone-n-Noreaga jumped ship to prominent label Def Jam. As Tommy Boy retained the rights to the names Capone-n-Noreaga and Noreaga because the company claimed that the duo owed it more recordings, the group shortened its name to CNN, and Noreaga billed himself as N.O.R.E. (or NORE) for his solo work. The duo recorded a new album in 2003 called What up 2 Da Hood, with a lead single, "Yes, Sir," which was issued on mixtapes and promoted by a video. The single failed to make an impact, and the album was shelved. It was released later in 2004 as a mixtape (What Up 2 Da Hood Thugged Out).
  
  wn.com/Capone-N-Noreaga
• Captain Kirk Douglas
  "Captain" Kirk Douglas (Born September 30, 1972) is an American guitarist who plays with the hip hop band The Roots.
  On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Kirk mainly uses a Gibson CS-356, a black custom Gibson Les Paul or a custom Gibson SG. He owns over fifteen electric guitars, including a Gibson Goldtop (given to him by Vernon Reid), a Gibson Dusk Tiger and his favourite; a 61 Epiphone Crestwood. He also owns an acoustic Gibson J-200 and a Gibson Hummingbird. In honor of what would have been Roy Orbison's 75th birthday, Kirk played Orbison's signature Gibson ES-335 on Late Night, April 25, 2011.
  When playing with The Roots, Kirk mostly uses various Mesa Boogie amps. Such as the Mesa Boogie Stiletto Ace, with an EL34 tube and the Mesa Boogie Lone Star Special with EL84 tubes.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Captain_Kirk_Douglas
• Case (singer)
  Case Woodard, stage name Case, is an American R&B singer who was born in New York City.
  After stints with R&B group 'Future' and a duo called 'Black', Case got work co-writing and singing background for artists including Usher, Christopher Williams and Al B. Sure. Case finally felt close to achieving his dream of becoming a solo artist, and he was. Armed with a song written by Faith Evans, Case was discovered by Russell Simmons who signed him to Def Jam Records. “Everything changed with this deal,” says Case, “I was in heaven, on cloud nine.”
  Case’s solo career took off in 1996 with the release of "Touch Me, Tease Me" (with rapper Foxy Brown and R&B singer Mary J. Blige) from The Nutty Professor soundtrack, going gold and reaching #4 on the R&B charts and #14 on the Hot 100. His self-titled debut Case soon followed along with the minor R&B hit singles "More to Love" and "I Gotcha."
  Case followed the success of his first album with the release of Personal Conversation in 1999. The album featured the hits "Happily Ever After" (which reached #3 on the R&B charts and #15 on the Hot 100) and "Faded Pictures," (released April 20, 1999), which featured R&B singer Joe and reached #3 on the R&B charts and #10 on the Hot 100. "Happily Ever After" featured Beyoncé in the video as Case's love interest. The album's third single, "Think Of You" failed to do well, managing to only reach #50 on the R&B charts. Personal Conversation achieved platinum status.
  
  wn.com/Case_(singer)
• 
  Chinua Achebe
  Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe (born 16 November 1930) popularly known as Chinua Achebe ( /ˈtʃɪnwɑː əˈtʃɛbeɪ/) is a Nigeriannovelist, poet, professor, and critic. He is best known for his first novel and magnum opus,Things Fall Apart (1958), which is the most widely read book in modern African literature.
  Raised by parents in the Igbo town of Ogidi in southeastern Nigeria, Achebe excelled at school and won a scholarship for undergraduate studies. He became fascinated with world religions and traditional African cultures, and began writing stories as a university student. After graduation, he worked for the Nigerian Broadcasting Service and soon moved to the metropolis of Lagos. He gained worldwide attention for Things Fall Apart in the late 1950s; his later novels include No Longer at Ease (1960), Arrow of God (1964), A Man of the People (1966), and Anthills of the Savannah (1987). Achebe writes his novels in English and has defended the use of English, a "language of colonisers", in African literature. In 1975, his lecture An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" became the focus of controversy, for its criticism of Joseph Conrad as "a bloody racist" and was later published. In 2011, The Guardian of London named An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" one of the 100 greatest non-fiction books ever written.
  
  wn.com/Chinua_Achebe
• 
  Chrisette Michele
  Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She is signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group and won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".
  Michele was born in Central Islip, New York, and grew up in Patchogue. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
  Michele has been featured on several hip hop albums. She is on The Game's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z's Kingdom Come she was featured on the second single "Lost One", while on Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You", the Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track "Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab.
  
  wn.com/Chrisette_Michele
• 
  Cody ChesnuTT
  Cody Chesnutt (stylized as Cody ChesnuTT, born 1968) is an American R&B and neo soul musician from Atlanta, Georgia.
  Chesnutt's music blends elements of rock, funk, soul, hip hop, and blues. After relocating to Los Angelos, Chesnutt found work with Death Row records, writing and producing five songs for the male R&B group Six Feet Deep. Chesnutt and his former band, The Crosswalk, had a brief stint with Hollywood Records in which they were later booted from the label. The band subsequently broke up and Chesnutt released a double LP in 2002 entitled The Headphone Masterpiece, which was recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder in his bedroom recording studio, which he calls "The Sonic Promiseland".
  His closest brush with mainstream success came in 2002, when the hip hop group The Roots remade a song from his album, "The Seed", for their album Phrenology, as "The Seed (2.0)". Chesnutt plays guitar and sings vocals on the track, and appears in its music video, which received heavy airplay on MTV and BET. At the height of his popularity, Chesnutt's backing band consisted of drummer Craig Waters, now with the band The Bellrays, and bassist Aaron Ebensperger. In October 2003, Cody Chesnutt was nominated for the prestigious Shortlist Music Prize, and performed in the ceremony for the prize at the Wiltern Theatre in California.
  
  wn.com/Cody_ChesnuTT
• 
  Common (entertainer)
  Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American hip-hop artist and actor.
  Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success His first Grammy award was in 2003 for Best R&B Song for "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" with Erykah Badu. Its popularity was matched by May 2005's Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released on November 27, 2007.
  Common has also initiated a burgeoning acting career, starring significant roles in such films as Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, and New Year's Eve. He also narrated the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. Common currently appears in Hell on Wheels, a dramatic television series on AMC that debuted in November 2011.
  
  wn.com/Common_(entertainer)
• 
  Common (rapper)
  Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is an American hip-hop artist and actor.
  Common debuted in 1992 with the album Can I Borrow a Dollar? and maintained a significant underground following into the late 1990s, after which he gained notable mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album, Like Water for Chocolate, received widespread critical acclaim and tremendous commercial success His first Grammy award was in 2003 for Best R&B Song for "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" with Erykah Badu. Its popularity was matched by May 2005's Be, which was nominated in the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album. Common was awarded his second Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his July 2007 album Finding Forever. His best-of album, Thisisme Then: The Best of Common, was released on November 27, 2007.
  Common has also initiated a burgeoning acting career, starring significant roles in such films as Smokin' Aces, Street Kings, American Gangster, Wanted, Terminator Salvation, Date Night, Just Wright, Happy Feet Two, and New Year's Eve. He also narrated the award-winning documentary Bouncing Cats, about one man's efforts to improve the lives of children in Uganda through hip-hop/b-boy culture. Common currently appears in Hell on Wheels, a dramatic television series on AMC that debuted in November 2011.
  
  wn.com/Common_(rapper)
• 
  Conan O'Brien
  Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS.
  O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, and raised in an Irish Catholic family. He served as president of the Harvard Lampoon while attending Harvard University, and was a writer for the sketch comedy series Not Necessarily the News. After writing for several comedy shows in Los Angeles, he joined the writing staff of Saturday Night Live, and later of The Simpsons. He hosted Late Night with Conan O'Brien from 1993 to 2009, followed by seven months hosting The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, the only person to serve as the permanent host for both NBC programs.
  O'Brien was born in Brookline, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston) to Thomas O'Brien, a physician, epidemiologist, and professor of medicine at Harvard, and Ruth O'Brien (née Reardon), an attorney and partner at the Boston firm Ropes & Gray. He is the third of six children. O'Brien's family is Irish Catholic and descends from pre-Civil War era immigrants. In a Late Night episode, O'Brien paid a visit to County Kerry, Ireland, where his ancestors originated.
  
  wn.com/Conan_O'Brien
• 
  Cormega
  Corey McKay (born April 26, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an African-American rapper best known for his narratives about inner-city life, having been born in Queensbridge, Queens. McKay is notable for consistently producing as an independent artist, refusing to go mainstream.
  Cormega was raised in Long Island City, Queens, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas, AZ, Nature and Capone-N-Noreaga. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas and moved back to New York City.
  Cormega is known and praised for his intricate, complex, multi-syllabic lyricism and raw, straight delivery. Despite being an underground artist he has gained considerable acknowledgement in the rap community and is regarded as one of the best lyricists to grace the mic. McKay often reflects about the hardships of inner-city life and succeeding in a world where we are very much on our own.
  
  wn.com/Cormega
• 
  Corrine Bailey Rae
  Corinne Bailey Rae (born Corinne Jacqueline Bailey on 26 February 1979) is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, West Yorkshire. Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2006. She released her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006, and became the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one. In 2007, Bailey Rae was nominated for three Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards, and won two MOBO Awards. In 2008, she won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year (for her work as a featured artist in Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters).
  Bailey Rae released her second album, The Sea, on 26 January 2010, after a hiatus of almost three years. It was produced by Steve Brown and Steve Chrisanthou (who produced her debut album in 2006). She was nominated for the 2010 Mercury Prize for Album of the Year. In 2012, she won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance (for "Is This Love)". Bailey Rae was married to fellow musician Jason Rae from 2001 until his death in 2008, and as part of the grieving process, she channeled her emotions into her music. Her two albums have together sold over five million copies worldwide.
  
  wn.com/Corrine_Bailey_Rae
• 
  Dave Chappelle
  David Khari Webber "Dave" Chappelle (/ʃəˈpɛl/; born August 24, 1973) is an American comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist. Chappelle began his film career in the film Robin Hood: Men in Tights in 1993 and continued to star in minor roles in the films The Nutty Professor, Con Air, and Blue Streak. His first lead role in a film was in Half Baked in 1998. In 2003, he became widely known for his popular sketch comedy television series, Chappelle's Show, which ran until his abrupt retirement from the show in 2005. Chappelle is ranked forty-third in Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time.
  Chappelle was born David Khari Webber Chappelle in Washington, D.C. on August 24, 1973. His father, William David Chappelle III, was a professor at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His mother, Yvonne (née Reed), was a professor at Howard University, Prince George's Community College, and the University of Maryland and is also a Unitarian Universalist minister. Chappelle grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland and attended Woodlin Elementary School. During young Chappelle's formative years, his comic inspiration came from various comedians, particularly Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor.
  
  wn.com/Dave_Chappelle
• 
  David Letterman
  David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States of America.
  Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was Everybody Loves Raymond, currently in syndication.
  In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
  Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.
  
  wn.com/David_Letterman
• Davy DMX
  Davy DMX is the stage name of David Reeves, a figure in hip-hop music. His career began in his hometown of Queens, New York as a DJ in the late 1970s. He is mostly known for his popular single "One for the Treble" released in 1984. This song was also included on the rap station in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
  Davy DMX was a member of Orange Krush along with Larry Smith. They are credited with a few singles in their own right such as "Action" (1981), but their chief credit was providing all the music for Run DMC's first two albums. Orange Krush are also credited on Lovebug Starski's "You Gotta Believe" and Sweet G's "Games People Play", both on Fever 1983.
  Davy DMX went on to replace DJ Run as Kurtis Blow's DJ (including a Madison Square Garden performance opening for The Commodores). He was also writing songs and playing guitar for some of Blow's tracks.
  As contemporaries, Run DMC, Davy DMX, and Kurtis Blow were all involved in the early development of sampling in hip hop^{[citation needed]} during the early 1980s.
  
  wn.com/Davy_DMX
• Dice Raw
  Karl Jenkins, better known as Dice Raw, is an American hip hop artist, from Philadelphia. He is associated with The Roots, and one of the founding members of the now defunct musical group Nouveau Riche.
  He hooked up with the band while still in high school after Kelo, a member of the group's production team, spotted him in a local talent show. The group quickly took the young rapper under their collective wings and decided to bring his talent along slowly. He made his debut in "The Lesson, Pt. 1." Soon after, he made a name for himself with cameos on "Episodes" and "Adrenaline", where his hard-hitting style complemented the heady rhymes of Roots leader Black Thought. Dice Raw has made several guest appearances on several mixtapes. He made an appearance in fellow band member and beatboxer Scratch's first solo album Embodiment of Instrumentation.
  In 2000, Dice Raw released his solo debut album, Reclaiming the Dead on MCA Records.
  Jenkins recorded vocals for the entrance theme of WWE superstar Kung Fu Naki. The track is titled "Kung Fu San", and samples Carl Douglas's "Kung Fu Fighting", and is available on Voices: WWE The Music, Vol. 9.
  
  wn.com/Dice_Raw
• DJ Clue?
  Ernesto Shaw (born January 8, 1975) better known as DJ Clue?, is a mixtape DJ.
  Shaw began his interest in music as an aspiring rapper by the name of MC Drama. During one recording session in 1989, an anxious Shaw decided to pass time by using a DJ's turntable set. After that session, he developed a greater interest in DJing.
  Now known as DJ Clue, he broke ground by releasing his first tape in 1990, "Clue #24", which was given that name in order for him to appear more experienced than he actually had been at the time. Through the years, Clue built a following in the mixtape game (which at the time was dominated by the likes of DJ Kid Capri and others). As the mid-1990s approached, Clue became known for not only the quality of his tapes, but for having exclusive songs not found on tapes by other DJ's. One mixtape in the summer of 1994, featured two unreleased songs by The Notorious B.I.G. from his forthcoming album, Ready To Die, which drew the ire of not only B.I.G., but CEO of Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean "Puffy" Combs. This move, however, turned out to prove beneficial to Clue's rise. Upon meeting Combs, Clue began establishing a relationship with Bad Boy Records, resulting in what would be his most popular mixtape to date (at the time), "Bad Boy Mixtape Vol. 1", hosted by Combs.
  
  wn.com/DJ_Clue?
• 
  DJ Jazzy Jeff
  Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. DJ Jazzy Jeff attended John Bartram High School in Philadelphia, where he is enshrined in the school's "Wall of Fame."^{[citation needed]}
  Once he grew up, he developed a reputation and a following as a school and block party DJ. Jazzy Jeff was the feature of the duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. He also won the world DJ championship in the 1986 New Music Seminar DJ Battle.
  When Smith branched out into television with the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named Jazz, Smith's best friend on the show. In the early season the two characters always greeted each other with their signature handshake (swinging mid-five, point-back/snap with both characters saying "Pssh!"). His trademarks included being physically ejected from the house by Uncle Phil (James Avery).
  
  wn.com/DJ_Jazzy_Jeff
• DJ Richie Rich
  DJ Richie Rich (born Richard Lawson in Jamaica), is a former record producer and turntablist who was best known as a member of the New York-based rap trio 3rd Bass. He was also known as Daddy Rich. He was part of The "Supermen" DJ crew which also included other top DJs such as Scratch, Clark Kent, Miz, Supreme, and Alladin. Rich also appeared in the movie "Juice" in the DJ battle scene, and recorded the scratches for the soundtrack. While working with Third Bass, he was one of the first DJs ever to do a DJ trick routine on TV when they appeared on the Arsenio Hall show.
  Lawson did it with MC Serch and Pete Nice in 1987 to form the rap group 3 the Hard Way, which later became 3rd Bass. After releasing two albums in 1989 and 1991, the group split in 1992. Rich and Pete Nice collaborated on their only release together, the 1993 album Dust to Dust, which peaked at #171 on the Billboard 200, #50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #3 on the Top Heatseekers.
  Rich produced the track "I'm Kurious" for Kurious Jorge's 1994 debut, A Constipated Monkey, before leaving the music business. He resurfaced briefly in 1999 on The Madd Rapper's album Tell 'Em Why U Madd, providing scratches for the single "Dot Vs. TMR."
  
  wn.com/DJ_Richie_Rich
• Domino (rapper)
  Shawn Antione Ivy, known as Domino, is an American rapper born in 1972 in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Long Beach, California. Being a Crip himself, he auditioned for the Bloods & Crips project in the early 1990s. He is the first rapper, in order of appearance, in the title track Bangin' on Wax on the album of the same name. His debut album, Domino, spawned two major hits in the United States, including the Top 10 hit "Getto Jam", which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Several further albums were released, and Domino continued to score hits on the R&B charts into the 2000s (decade).
  In 1996, Domino appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by the Source magazine.
  While his self-titled debut album was critically and commercially well-received, many were quick to point out that his style was similar to that of fellow Long Beach resident and up-and-coming Dr. Dre protege, Snoop Doggy Dogg. He is the first hip-hop artist to perform a No. 1 rap single which contained melodic hip-hop throughout the entire song. Three years later, Domino released his second album, Physical Funk, which failed to become as successful as its predecessor due to corporate moves. The video "Physical Funk" was a No. 1 video on MTV and the album was defected^{[clarification needed]} before its release due to Def Jam (Russell Simmons record label) dropping Outburst Records (the record label Domino was released on) before the album was released.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Domino_(rapper)
• Dresta
  Andre DeSean Wicker (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Dresta, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out, who also collaborated in the song.
  Andre DeSean Wicker was born and raised in Compton, California. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton became Crips gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set. He was convicted of assaulting another gang member in Compton in 1985 or 1986, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority in Camarillo.
  While Wicker was serving his ten-year sentence, he started writing lyrics and rapping. After Wicker's release, Eazy-E eventually discovered Wicker and Hinton, met up and recorded songs with them. Dresta (Wicker) and B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (Dr. Dre) 187^um Killa on single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic.
  
  wn.com/Dresta
• 
  Duke Ellington
  Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American composer, pianist, and big-band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions. In the opinion of Bob Blumenthal of The Boston Globe "In the century since his birth, there has been no greater composer, American or otherwise, than Edward Kennedy Ellington." A major figure in the history of jazz, Ellington's music stretched into various other genres, including blues, gospel, film scores, popular, and classical. His career spanned more than 50 years and included leading his orchestra, composing an inexhaustible songbook, scoring for movies, composing stage musicals, and world tours. Several of his instrumental works were adapted into songs that became standards. Due to his inventive use of the orchestra, or big band, and thanks to his eloquence and extraordinary charisma, he is generally considered to have elevated the perception of jazz to an art form on a par with other traditional genres of music. His reputation increased after his death and the Pulitzer Prize Board bestowed on him a special posthumous honor in 1999.
  
  wn.com/Duke_Ellington
• 
  Eve (rapper)
  Eve Jihan Jeffers (born November 10, 1978) is an American rapper-songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have sold over 8 million copies worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion with her clothing line, Fetish. She is the inaugural winner of the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in 2002 for the song "Let Me Blow Ya Mind", with Gwen Stefani. Eve was number 48 on VH1's "50 Greatest Women Of The Video Era" list.
  As an actress, Eve is best known for her roles as Terri Jones in the films Barbershop and Barbershop 2: Back in Business, and as Shelley Williams on the UPN television sitcom Eve.
  Eve was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Julia Wilch-Jeffers, a publishing company supervisor, and Jerry Jeffers, a chemical plant supervisor. She adopted the name Gangsta in high school as part of an all-female group called EDGP (pronounced "Egypt").
  During her early years in Philadelphia, she was educated at Martin Luther King High School. Eve's first musical interest was singing. She sang in many choirs and even formed an all-female singing group (Dope Girl Posse or D.G.P.) with a manager. This group covered songs from En Vogue and Color Me Badd. The group's manager suggested that the group should rap after seeing ABC, and Eve stuck with it. She then went on to form a rapping group. After the group split, Eve began working on a solo career under the name "Eve of Destruction." Eve recently moved from LA to New York City.
  
  wn.com/Eve_(rapper)
• 
  F. Knuckles
  The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are known for a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which includes live instrumentals.Malik B., Leonard "Hub" Hubbard, and Josh Abrams were added to the band, originally called The Square Roots.
  Since their first independent album release, the band has released 10 studio albums, two EPs, two collaboration albums and have collaborated with a wide range of artists from different genres. On March 2, 2009, The Roots became the house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The Roots' work is repeatedly met with critical acclaim.
  Organix was the band's first album, released and sold independently. It was released in 1993. It generated enough industry buzz for offers from music labels, and the band signed to DGC.
  The Roots' first album for DGC, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was released in 1995. It was a moderate hit among alternative music fans due in part to the group's appearance at Lollapalooza. The band performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival that year. Touring guests, beatboxer Rahzel and producer Scott Storch, joined The Roots.
  
  wn.com/F._Knuckles
• 
  Fabolous
  John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. His first music appearance was with his 2001 release Ghetto Fabolous. He is also known for his hit singles "Can't Deny It", "Young'n (Holla Back)", "Breathe", "Make Me Better" and "Throw It in the Bag". Fabolous is also signed to Diddy's Ciroc Management company.
  Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977 of Dominican and African American descent. He grew up in Brevoort Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
  While in high school in twelfth grade, Fabolous began to pursue a rap career. He was invited to rap live on DJ Clue's radio show and on WQHT Hot 97, where he was signed to Desert Storm Records. He was featured on several DJ Clue mixtapes and mixtapes with Roc-A-Fella artists.^{[citation needed]} This earned Fabolous and Desert Storm a distribution deal with Elektra Records.
  Fabolous released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, on September 11, 2001. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling over 143,000 copies in its first week. The album's first single, "Can't Deny It", was produced by Rick Rock and features a chorus by Nate Dogg interpolating Tupac Shakur's song "Ambitionz Az a Ridah". It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, along with two of the subsequent singles. The other charting singles were "Young'n (Holla Back)", which is produced by The Neptunes and "Trade It All", which features vocals from Jagged Edge and is produced by DJ Clue and Duro.
  
  wn.com/Fabolous
• Fam-Lay
  Nathaniel Johnson, also known as Fam-Lay (born May 28, 1974)^{[citation needed]} is an American rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Signed to The Neptunes' Star Trak imprint, he first gained notoriety through several guest appearances he made on various Neptunes-related projects, including the Clipse's debut album Lord Willin' in 2002. He also later appeared on The Neptunes' compilation The Neptunes Present... Clones in 2003, which featured his song "Rock 'N Roll". Then in 2004 he had the single and video "Rock N Roll (Remix)" featuring Lil Flip. It gained heavy rotation on MTV Jams.
  He planned to release his debut album, titled Traintogo, in March 2004, through a joint venture between Star Trak and Def Jam Recordings. Unlike most Neptunes-helmed projects, where Pharrell and Chad Hugo handle almost all of the production duties, Traintogo was unique in that it was to feature production from outside producers, including Lil' Jon and David Banner. After suffering several delays, Traintogo failed to meet its scheduled release date. To further complicate matters, Fam-Lay's deal with Def Jam fell through, and he was dropped from the label in July 2004. Traintogo still has yet to be released.
  
  wn.com/Fam-Lay
• Flatlinerz
  Flatlinerz was a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. The group was one of the early acts involved in the horrorcore genre of Hip-Hop, along with The Gravediggaz.
  The group was led by Jamal "Redrum" Simmons (nephew of Russell Simmons) and two other emcees named Gravedigger and Tempest. The strategy thought up by Def Jam and Flatlinerz was that the group was to create a style of hip hop music that moved away from the popular gangsta style at the time and deal with darker subjects such as Satanism, horror movies, and gruesome murder. The group was heavily promoted as the next big thing by Def Jam after it signed with Def Jam by Jam Master Jay (contrary to belief, Russell Simmons apparently didn't sign the group because he couldn't take the concept seriously) and released its only album, U.S.A (which stood for Under Satan's Authority) and was produced by Tempest, Rockwilder, Russell Simmons and DR Period. However, the album was not released by Jay's JMJ imprint.
  The album didn't sell well, and there was a lot of controversy surrounding the videos for "Live Evil" and "Satanic Verses" (it featured things like frontman Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose and Gravedigger rhyming from a crucifix), and the group was later dropped, since no one seemed to understand the concept of horrorcore at the time, and the group was seen by many as a facsimile of The Gravediggaz, who explored many of the same concepts, albeit in a more tongue-in-cheek (And arguably skillful) manner. The failure of the group derailed several side projects, such as a Comic book, and two of Flatlinerz's associates (namely the Headless Horsemen and Omen, who were featured on the debut album) who had been promised releases were also dropped.
  
  wn.com/Flatlinerz
• Flesh-n-Bone
  Stanley Howse, better known as Flesh-n-Bone, (born June 10, 1973) is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio and is known as a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He is the older brother of Layzie Bone and cousin of Wish Bone.
  Flesh n Bone is best known as one of the five members of top-selling rap group, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. He was the first member of the group to release a solo album entitled T.H.U.G.S. (Trues Humbly United Gatherin' Souls) on November 19, 1996, on Mo Thugs Records and Def Jam Recordings. In 1999, he released an underground album called From Cleveland 2 Cali to display the artists signed to his label Flesh Bone Incorporated. In 2000 he released From Cleveland 2 Cali: Day 2. On October 10, 2000 he released his second solo album, 5th Dog Let Loose, on Koch Records. Flesh-N-Bone released his first solo single in 10 years since his incarceration in 2000 with "Heartaches", released on iTunes November 30, 2010. His third solo album "Blaze Of Glory" was released September 13, 2011. In addition, Flesh is presently working on his mixtape; Hip Hop Royalty, clothing designs, real estate ventures, and a record company; FBG.
  
  wn.com/Flesh-n-Bone
• 
  Foxy Brown (rapper)
  Inga DeCarlo Fung Marchand (born September 6, 1978), better known as Foxy Brown, is an American rapper known for her solo work as well as numerous collaborations with other artists and her brief stint as part of hip hop music group The Firm. Raised in Brooklyn, New York, her father Keith Stahler abandoned the family at a young age to pursue his career at ERAC records. Her albums include Ill Na Na in 1996, followed by Chyna Doll in 1999, and Broken Silence in 2001. She also performed on the 1997 self-titled album by the Firm, the only album to be released by that group to date. Throughout her career, Brown has held an extensive arrest record and served some time in jail.
  After 2002, she continued recording verses for herself and other artists but did not release any albums; she left the Def Jam label in 2003, thus canceling the release of her Ill Na Na 2 album. However, she returned to the label in January 2005 after Jay-Z signed her back to begin work on her new album Black Roses. In December 2005, she began suffering from hearing loss, which put her career on hiatus until the next summer, a few months after surgery. A fourth studio album, which originally was a mixtape, was released in May 2008 following many delays spawned by a jail sentence that Brown served for assault.
  
  wn.com/Foxy_Brown_(rapper)
• Funkmaster Flex
  Aston George Taylor, Jr. (born August 5, 1968) better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle.
  Funkmaster Flex (Aston George Taylor Jr.) was born in the Bronx borough of New York City with music flowing through his veins thanks to his father Aston George Taylor Sr., a sound system DJ for local clubs throughout the city. By 16, Flex began DJing at local nightclubs a perfecting his mixing and turntable talents. At 19, he got his first job as a record boy for fellow Bronx native, Chuck Chillout for WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York. One evening, Chillout was late for his show and Funkmaster Flex got his big break and was allowed to stand in, thus beginning his career in radio.
  He later left KISS for a brief stay at 107.5 WBLS-FM, meanwhile Flex kept up his club appearances at many of Vito Bruno's operated nightclubs including The Tunnel, Home Bass and Mecca. Bruno helped convince Joel Salkowitz, a regional vice president of Hot 97, to begin airing live broadcasts from clubs where Flex was performing like The Tunnel. He called the hours of Saturday evening programming the "Saturday Night House Party". When they realized the resurgence of Hip Hop was coming fast from its fallout in the eighties they increase the hours and days of these style of shows.
  
  wn.com/Funkmaster_Flex
• 
  George W. Bush
  George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. The eldest son of Barbara Bush and George H. W. Bush, he was born in New Haven, Connecticut. After graduating from Yale University in 1968 and Harvard Business School in 1975, Bush worked in oil businesses. He married Laura Welch in 1977 and ran unsuccessfully for the House of Representatives shortly thereafter. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before defeating Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election. In a close and controversial election, Bush was elected President in 2000 as the Republican candidate, defeating Vice President Al Gore in the Electoral College. Bush is the second American president to have been the son of a former president. He is also the brother of Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida.
  Terrorist attacks occurred eight months into Bush's first term as president on September 11, 2001. In response, Bush announced the War on Terror, an international military campaign which included the war in Afghanistan launched in 2001 and the war in Iraq launched in 2003. In addition to national security issues, Bush promoted policies on the economy, health care, education, and social security reform. He signed into law broad tax cuts, the PATRIOT Act, the No Child Left Behind Act, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, and Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors. His tenure saw national debates on immigration, Social Security, electronic surveillance, and enhanced interrogation techniques. His administration also withdrew the U.S. from a some international treaty processes, including the Kyoto Protocol on global warming.
  
  wn.com/George_W._Bush
• J Dilla
  James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla, J Mukandila and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan. According to his obituary at NPR.org, he "was one of the music industry's most influential hip-hop artists, working for big-name acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and Common."
  Renowned producer Pete Rock placed J Dilla on his list of the top five producers of all time, while the editors of About.com ranked him #15 on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers. Andy Kellman of Allmusic stated that—by 2004, after being active for well over a decade as a producer—J Dilla had accomplished enough to be considered "an all-time great." J Dilla made the "Elite 8" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe. Also, The Source placed him on its list of the 20 greatest producers in the magazine's twenty-year history.
  Yancey's career began slowly. He has now become highly regarded, most notably for the production of critically acclaimed albums by Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Common, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, and Erykah Badu. He was a member of Slum Village and produced their acclaimed debut album Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1) and their follow-up Fantastic, Vol. 2.
  
  wn.com/J_Dilla
• 
  Ja Rule
  Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976), 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).
  Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, 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".
  
  wn.com/Ja_Rule
• 
  Jadakiss
  Jason Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. (a member of the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders) Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.
  By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle rapper. He and some of his friends were given the opportunity to compete in the "Jack the Rapper Competition" in Florida, where Jadakiss had been noticed for his battle rap ability. He met Dee and Wah of the Ruff Ryders (then a management company), and began hanging out and battling outside of the Ruff Ryders' studio where artists such as DMX made their first hits.
  Jason Phillps founded the rap group The Warlocks in 1994 with friends, Chris "Lil Mac" Pelkey, and Styles P. They later signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, where it was suggested that they change their name simply to "The LOX", which came to stand for Living Off eXperience. They made their first appearance on The Main Source's 1994 LP Fuck What You Think on the track "Set it Off".
  
  wn.com/Jadakiss
• 
  Jaguar Wright
  Jaguar Wright (born May 17, 1977) is a soul/R&B vocalist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is part of the Okayplayer collective. She has performed along rap acts such as The Roots, Jay-Z, and Blackalicious.
  She was brought to the attention of hip-hop group The Roots in 2001, which eventually led to her going to tour with them. She later appeared as a back up singer for Jay-Z in 2001, and appeared in a Coca-Cola advert as part of the brand's 'Nu Soul' campaign.
  She has released two solo albums to date - 'Denials, Delusions & Decisions' in 2002, and 'Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul' in 2005. Wright also recorded an album titled '...And Your Point Is?' which was due for release in 2003 on MCA Records (who also distributed her debut), before the label folded. However, many of the tracks recorded for that album later appeared on 'Divorcing Neo 2 Marry Soul.'
  In 2007, two new songs appeared on her MySpace profile. One was a live version of new song 'Sometimes', the other a cover of 'Let's Do It Again'. A further two new songs surfaced in 2009; "Beautiful" and "Surely Shawty", although neither saw an official release.
  
  wn.com/Jaguar_Wright
• James Poyser
  James Poyser (born January 31,) in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.
  Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo, The Roots, and Keyshia Cole.
  During his career, Poyser has toured, and played live with such distinctive artists as Jay-Z, The Roots, Erykah Badu, and Aretha Franklin. An active session musician, he has contributed to the works of Adele, Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, Joss Stone, Ziggy Marley, Macy Gray and Femi Kuti.
  Poyser received a Grammy for Best R&B Song in 2003 for co-writing Erykah Badu and Common's hit "Love Of My Life." James was also the executive producer on Badu's highly celebrated albums, Mama's Gun and Worldwide Underground.
  A longtime collaborator and member of The Roots, James has joined them on stage, performing live as the houseband for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
  
  wn.com/James_Poyser
• Jayo Felony
  James Savage, better known by his stage name, Jayo Felony is a rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He is known for being the first San Diego rapper to be signed to a major label.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony was a member of the Neighborhood Rollin 40's, a Crip gang stretching from the Chollas View to the Mount Hope neighborhoods of Southeast San Diego.
  In 1994 Jayo Felony was signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay called Jam Master Jay Records. That year Jayo released his debut album, Take a Ride. In 1998, Jayo released his follow-up album, Whatcha Gonna Do? on Def Jam. It featured rappers like Method Man, DMX, Mack 10, WC, Redman, Kokane, Ice Cube, E-40 and 8 Ball & MJG.
  In 1999, he released Underground. He was due to release his fourth album, Hotter Than Fish Grease, in 2000, but for legal reasons the album was never released.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony also is now working on his next album called "Don't Get MeatBalled" under his new label Loco Records.
  Jayo is looking to sign with Priority Records / Doggystyle Records.
  
  wn.com/Jayo_Felony
• 
  Jennifer Hudson
  Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981) is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol, coming in seventh place. She made her film debut in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, an NAACP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
  She won a Grammy Award for her eponymous debut album, Jennifer Hudson, which was released in 2008 on Arista Records and was certified gold by the RIAA for selling over 800,000 copies in the US; sales exceeded 1 million copies worldwide. Additionally, it spawned the hit single Spotlight. Her second album, I Remember Me, was released in March 2011, and reached number two on the Billboard 200, selling 165,000 copies in its first week of release. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, for shipping over 500,000 copies in the US.
  In late 2008, after Hudson's mother, brother and nephew were killed in a shooting, Hudson stepped out of the limelight for three months. Hudson resumed her public appearances in 2009, and has since performed at the Super Bowl XLIII, the Grammy Awards, American Idol, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Hudson has been described as a friend of President Barack Obama, who invited her to appear with him at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills in May 2009. She also performed at the White House at the "Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement" event. Her vocal range is mezzo-soprano. Hudson has sold 1,280,000 albums and 2,237,000 tracks in the United States as of February 2012.
  
  wn.com/Jennifer_Hudson
• 
  Jennifer Lopez
  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. 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).
  
  wn.com/Jennifer_Lopez
• 
  Jeremih
  Jeremy Felton (born July 17, 1987), who performs under the mononym Jeremih ( /ˈdʒɛrɨmaɪ/), is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" (which was also recorded in French), peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. His first and self-titled album, Jeremih, debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. On September 9, 2010, he released his second album, All About You.
  Born into a musical family, he began playing instruments at the age of three and taught himself how to play several, including drums, piano and the saxophone. Jeremih attended Morgan Park High School, where he was part of the marching band as well as a Latin jazz band, where he learned to play percussion instruments like congas and timbales. He graduated at the age of 16 and enrolled into the University of Illinois to pursue a career in engineering. Having graduated from high school at an early age, he said in an interview that he found himself "getting in a lot of trouble" while attending the university and plans on returning to earn his degree. After performing a tribute for Ray Charles at one of the campus's talent shows, he received positive feedback and realized his vocal ability, saying that the "music was just taking over". In 2007, he enrolled in Columbia College Chicago to pursue a degree in music business.
  
  wn.com/Jeremih
• 
  Jeremy Piven
  Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won a Golden Globe Award and three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
  Piven was born in Manhattan, New York, and grew up in Evanston, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. He was raised in a Jewish household. He graduated from Evanston Township High School,^{[dead link]} and attended Harand Theater Camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, as a teenager. He played the part of "Bernardo" in West Side Story there. In Illinois, he trained at Piven Theatre Workshop, founded by his parents, Byrne Piven and Joyce Piven, both of whom were actors and drama teachers. He also attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and is a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He spent a semester at the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. He has appeared in a number of films with John Cusack, who is also from Evanston and is a fellow alumnus of the Piven Theatre Workshop (as are Cusack's sisters Joan and Ann). Piven and Cusack once shared an apartment and have been friends since high school.
  
  wn.com/Jeremy_Piven
• Jill Scott
  Dependency or dependent may refer to:
  without one, in the case of independent forms
  Among monastic orders, the term denotes the relation of a monastic community with a newer community which it has established elsewhere. The relationship can be that of an abbey with a priory composed of the monks who originated from the first house. In that situation, the abbot remains the ultimate authority for the affairs of the dependent priory, which is considered an extension of the founding house. This relationship will end at such time as the daughter community might become fully autonomous and an abbey in its own right.
  Smaller monasteries of nuns within a monastic congregation can make a bond with a monastery of monks within the same division of the Order, whereby the two are affiliated, and the monks guarantee pastoral care of the nuns. In this sense, the women's house is considered a dependency on that of the men.
  
  wn.com/Jill_Scott
• 
  Joe Budden
  Joe Budden (born August 31, 1980) is an American rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey.
  In the year 2003, Budden released his debut solo studio album, Joe Budden. It included Budden's 2003 Grammy-nominated summer hit "Pump It Up", and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious and the video games Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight for NY, and Madden NFL 2004. The song "Focus" was also featured in the game and Joe Budden was also a character. Its second single was "Fire" featuring Busta Rhymes, which was in the movie Mean Girls. The song "Drop Drop" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Cradle 2 the Grave. Joe has hinted in many songs that he was a recovering drug addict and has reaffirmed his position several times through multiple outlets.
  After his debut album, Budden's sophomore release titled ‘The Growth’ was hampered due to the label's problems with Joe and his Def Jam seniors not happy with the direction of his music. The production of the album appeared to end up in a development hell and was ultimately not released. Continued disagreements between Budden and Def Jam forced the two sides to part ways. However, Budden managed to release the first and second installments of his Mood Muzik mixtape series while on Def Jam, and the series has been met with critical acclaim.
  
  wn.com/Joe_Budden
• Joel Godard
  Joel Clinton Godard, Jr. (born March 31, 1938 in Milledgeville, Georgia) is an American television presenter, best known as the announcer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien during its entire 16-year run from 1993 to 2009.
  Godard attended Emory University, and earned his A.B. in 1960 with a double major in chemistry and pre-med. He was accepted into the school's medical program, but instead chose to try a career in the entertainment industry. Around 1968, Godard worked three jobs at the same time while living in Macon, Georgia: analyzing electroplating solutions at Maxson Electronics; acting as a news anchor and "stand-up weatherman" for WMAZ-TV; and as a licensed pilot for Lowe Aviation. He served as a production assistant at WMAZ radio in 1970.
  During the early 1980s, Godard had roles in the made-for-TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and the TBS soap opera The Caitlins. In the 1980s and 1990s, Godard made voiceover appearances on Saturday Night Live, NBC Nightly News, and Issues and Answers. Around 1986, he became an NBC staff announcer. Godard has been the voice of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2000.
  
  wn.com/Joel_Godard
• 
  John Legend
  John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer-songwriter and actor. He has won nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
  Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists. Stephens added his voice to those of other artists, assisting in them reaching chart-topper hits. He lent his voice to Kanye West's All of the Lights, on Slum Village's "Selfish" and Dilated Peoples' "This Way". Other artists included Jay-Z's "Encore", and he sang backing vocals on Alicia Keys' 2003 song "You Don't Know My Name" and Fort Minor's "High Road." Stephens played piano on Lauryn Hill's "Everything Is Everything."
  Stephens was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. He is the son of Phyllis, a seamstress, and John Mills, a factory worker and former National Guardsman. Throughout his childhood, Stephens was homeschooled on and off by his mother. At the age of four, he began playing the piano and at the age of seven, he performed with his church choir. When he was ten, his parents divorced, causing his mother to suffer a breakdown. At the age of 12, Stephens attended North High School, from which he graduated four years later. He graduated salutatorian.
  
  wn.com/John_Legend
• Jonell
  Jonell is an American R&B singer, born Shannon Jonell Showes in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
  In 2003, Jonell introduced with her first hit Round and Round on producer Hi-Tek's album Hi-Teknology. Later that year Jonell intended to release her debut album on the Def Soul label. Her first single "So Whassup" featured a guest appearance by Redman. However, the album was never released. In 2005 her webpage on the Def Soul website was no longer accessible.
  The remix of Round and Round featuring Method Man on the How High soundtrack was also a commercial hit.
  Jonell is currently working on music, as evident on her Myspace page.
  
  wn.com/Jonell
• 
  Joseph Simmons
  Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. He is also a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr. and Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records.
  He found new popularity in 2005 with his family's MTV reality show Run's House.
  Before Run–D.M.C., Simmons was the lead vocalist in the hip-hop group called "The Force." He founded Run-D.M.C. as a lead vocalist along with friend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and the late DJ Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell.
  Run began using the stage name of "Rev. Run" after he was ordained as a Pentecostal minister by E. Bernard Jordan, Simmons spiritual mentor. Jordan also named him "Protege of the Year Award" in 2004. The same day, symbolic of his "Prosperity Ministry", there was a "Rolls Royce parade outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City, " featuring Jordan's Phantom Rolls Royce. The new $325,000 Phantom had been a gift from Reverend Run as a "thank you" for Jordan's mentoring support.
  
  wn.com/Joseph_Simmons
• 
  Juelz Santana
  LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1983), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, actor and member of group Dipset. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma". In 2003, his debut album From Me to U was released by Def Jam Recordings; his next album What the Game's Been Missing! contained the top-ten single "There It Go (The Whistle Song)". He is currently working on his long awaited third studio album Born to Lose, Built to Win set to be released in the 4th quarter of 2012.
  LaRon James was born in New York City and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. He is of African American and Dominican descent. He began rapping at the age of five and at age twelve started duo Draft Pick, which was signed to Priority Records. In 2000, at the age of 17, he made a guest performance on a track on Cam'ron's album S.D.E. and eventually joined The Diplomats.
  After the signing of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset, to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2002, there was an influence of mixtapes, features on other artists' records, television and radio interviews, in which Juelz achieved mainstream recognition not previously gained through the various Diplomat mixtapes, and his solo mixtape Final Destination, that was sold in late 2002. After being featured on fellow Diplomat member Cam'ron's two singles, "Hey Ma" and "Oh Boy". Juelz started working on his debut album. In the summer of 2003, Santana released his debut album, From Me To U, which peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200. "Dipset (Santana's Town)" peaked #70 in the U.S. Billboard.
  
  wn.com/Juelz_Santana
• Kamal Gray
  James "Kamal" Gray is the keyboardist with American hip hop group The Roots. He is from Philadelphia and has relatives in North Carolina. He joined the band as Scott Storch's replacement in 1995, while he was still in high school. He wrote the popular Roots' tracks "The Next Movement", "Sacrifice", and "Section". His stage name "Kamal" comes from the saying "Come one, come all."
  
  
  
  wn.com/Kamal_Gray
• 
  Kanye West
  Kanye Omari West ( /ˈkɑːnjeɪ/; born June 8, 1977) is an American musician, film director and fashion designer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synthpop, and classical music.
  West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. West released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in 2011, which is the duo's first collaborative album. His five solo albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. As of 2012, West has won a total of eighteen Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time. All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No. 1 album in the U.S. upon release. West has had 5 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of July 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000, "E.T." selling over 4,000,000 and "Love Lockdown" selling over 3,000,000 placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade. He has sold over 30 million digital songs in the United States making him one of the best-selling digital artists of all-time.
  
  wn.com/Kanye_West
• 
  Karina Pasian
  Karina Pasian (born July 18, 1991) is a Grammy Award nominated recording artist and pianist.
  Karina Pasian was born in New York City, of Dominican and Armenian descent. Her first language was Russian, and she can sing in six other languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Turkish, and French. She first began taking piano lessons at the age of three from her babysitter, and began classical piano training while in kindergarten. She began working with a vocal coach at the age of eight, and attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City alongside Taylor Momsen and Mark Indelicato.
  In 2003, Pasian met Quincy Jones, who invited her and her family to his home in Bel Air, California. Soon after this, Pasian performed and won on Star Search. She also performed at Quincy Jones' We Are The Future concert in Rome. On June 22, 2007, Pasian performed at the White House for President George W. Bush, in celebration of Black Music Month, making her the first person of Dominican descent to perform there.
  
  wn.com/Karina_Pasian
• Kelly Price
  Kelly Price (born April 3, 1973) is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.
  Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She began singing in church as a toddler. Her first professional engagement was with George Michael at Madison Square Garden in January 1992. As destiny would have it Price was over heard singing by Mariah Carey who after arriving to her own rehearsal late for the Grammys walked into a room where Price was singing in the rehearsal hall while everyone else was on a meal break. Carey subsequently introduced Price to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola. She made a name for herself as a backing and guest vocalist, appearing on a number of hit singles such as Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money Mo Problems", and Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel". She has also sung background vocals for Faith Evans, Aretha Franklin, Brian McKnight, SWV and R. Kelly.
  Prior to becoming a recording artist Price's career as a writer flourished. She collaborated and performed with and for well-known artists such as Brian McKnight, Faith Evans, The Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Mase, Faith Evans, Mic Geronimo, Da Brat, Jermaine Dupree, SWV, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Wynona Judd, Mariah Carey, Ronald Isley, The Isley Brothers, Angela Winbush, Karen Clark Sheard, Yolanda Adams, Whitney Houston, Dallas Austin, MC Lyte, The Lox, ScarFace, Will Downing, Mary J. Blige, Gerald Levert, JOE, Angelique Kidjo, Coco Lee, KeKe Wyatt, Tamia, R. Kelly and Elton John.
  
  wn.com/Kelly_Price
• 
  Lady Gaga
  Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəniː dʒʌrməˈnɑːtə/ STE-fə-nee jurr-mə-NAH-tə; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution.
  Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with The Fame Monster (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro". The album's success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album Born This Way (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory". Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism.
  
  wn.com/Lady_Gaga
• Lady Luck (rapper)
  Lady Luck (born 1982) is the stage name of rapper Shanel Jones.
  Luck signed a five-album record deal with Def Jam worth between half a million and a million dollars at the age of 17 on the strength of several freestyles that she did for New York radio station WQHT-FM. Luck was the subject of a feature in The New Yorker and a series of articles in The Source, which ran monthly installments on her career.
  Lady Luck was featured in the 2000 documentary film of Jay-Z's 1999 tour, Backstage.
  
  wn.com/Lady_Luck_(rapper)
• Lil Ru
  Sylvester Samuels better known by his stage name Lil Ru, is an American rapper from Columbia, South Carolina currently signed to Def Jam Recordings. His debut album, 21 & Up was released on August 25, 2009. The Ridgeway native was 16 when he made his professional foray into the music business. Inspired by New Orleans’ innovative Cash Money Crew, Ru began making a name for himself on his local music scene, doing live shows and pressing up his own CDs. His hard-hitting lyrics and entrepreneurial spirit caught the attention of fellow South Carolinian Angie Stone. Shortly after the neo-soul songstress helped him secure a deal with Elektra Records, Ru found himself unsigned again, among the artists lost in the shuffle after the label merged with Atlantic Records. Music fans first got a taste of Ru’s wrath on his 2001 debut single “Will Destroy.” The buzz on the promising new lyricist continued with the release of his 2002 follow up, “Shawty What You Doin’.” Both songs reached the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts and helped land him at his next label home, Capitol Records.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Ru
• 
  Lil Scrappy
  Darryl Kevin Richardson II (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.
  Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Along with labelmates Trillville, Lil Scrappy was one of the first signings to Lil Jon's BME Recordings.
  Lil Scrappy built a strong reputation and eager following throughout the Southeastern United States through mixtapes and his 2003 song "Head Bussa", which was used as the theme for the 2004 Atlanta Braves.
  Lil Scrappy released his debut album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live on December 5, 2006 on BME Recordings/Reprise Records/G-Unit Records and G-Unit South now Cashville Records. The album features appearances by Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon, Young Buck, 50 Cent, Olivia, Young Dro, and Bohagon. It was produced by Lil Jon and 50 Cent. The first single Money in the Bank features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. Money in the Bank peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart trajectory, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S. as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called Gangsta Gangsta and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ He also has one son named Rashaud Archie.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Scrappy
• 
  Mandy Moore
  Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of Wild Hope. Her most recent album, Amanda Leigh, was released on May 26, 2009. Moore has sold more than 10 million records worldwide. Moore subsequently branched out into film, starring in 2002's A Walk to Remember and later in other movies, such as Chasing Liberty, Saved! and License to Wed. Most recently Moore provided the voice of Rapunzel in Tangled. In April 2011, she ranked 5th in People's annual Most Beautiful issue.
  Moore was born in Nashua, New Hampshire. Her mother, Stacy (née Friedman), is a former news reporter who once worked for the Orlando Sentinel, and her father, Donald "Don" Moore, is a pilot for American Airlines. Moore's father is of Irish and Cherokee descent, and her mother is of half-English and half-Jewish ancestry. Moore, who has an older brother Scott and a younger brother Kyle, grew up in Longwood, Florida, outside of Orlando, where the family moved shortly after her birth because of her father's job as an airline pilot. She was raised Catholic (though she is no longer practicing), and attended Bishop Moore High School, in Orlando, as well as Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs.
  
  wn.com/Mandy_Moore
• 
  Marc Levin
  Marc Levin is an independent film producer and director. He is best known for his Brick City TV series, which won the 2010 Peabody award and was nominated for an Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Nonfiction Filmmaking and his dramatic feature film, SLAM, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Camera D'Or at Cannes in 1998.
  Marc Levin was born in New York City and raised in Elizabeth and Maplewood, New Jersey.
  In 1982, Levin and his father, Al, teamed up on Portrait of an American Zealot which was made part of the Museum of Modern Art's permanent film collection. In 1984, he made Inside Story: Fall River Spectacle for PBS which won the Cine Golden Eagle Award. In 1985, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary for the WCBS TV Special The Wall Street Connection. In 1989, Levin was awarded a writing Emmy for the WCBS TV Special New York Non-Stop as well as a nomination for Outstanding Magazine Show (Non-News).
  Blowback was released in 1991. In this demented black comedy, an insane scientist, Dr. Krack, creates an orgasm-inducing O-bomb and threatens to detonate it. The only ones who can stop him are a drug-dealing ex-CIA agent and the woman he meets in a rehab center.
  
  wn.com/Marc_Levin
• Mark Kelley
  Mark Kelley is a Canadian journalist. Formerly a correspondent and substitute anchor for The National and a host of CBC News: Morning, he is currently the host of Connect with Mark Kelley on CBC News Network. A graduate of Concordia University in Montreal, the fluently bilingual Kelley began reporting from within Quebec in the 1980s before joining CBC in 1990. From 2002-2004, he was co-host of the investigative journalism show called CBC News: Disclosure with Diana Swain.
  Recently, Kelley has moved away from being a regular reporter to focusing on documentaries and investigative journalism, making a series of ongoing stories on The National. His focus is often on issues of prejudice or controversy. Among his recent projects of this type were reports on the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami and a series of reports from the Netherlands where he tried to get an insight into the growing anti-Muslim feelings there. He also made a series of reports where he sought to break down Canadian national stereotypes by accompanying Canadians with prejudices about certain people or provinces to visit them. In November 2006, he began a series called "7" where he would spend 7 days in someone else's shoes, such as a teacher at British Columbia's most troubled high school.
  
  wn.com/Mark_Kelley
• 
  Martin Luther McCoy
  Martin Luther McCoy is an American musician and actor. The San Francisco native collaborated extensively with musicians like The Roots and Cody ChesnuTT and appears as one of the six lead characters in the 2007 Beatles musical Across the Universe in the role of "Jo-Jo", who reflects Jimi Hendrix^{[citation needed]}. In the film, McCoy performs the song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and provides guitar on others.
  McCoy goes by the stage name of "Martin Luther" in his music career. For his acting work he is credited under his full name.
  Martin Luther developed his mix of musical genres as a child where he was raised on choir hymns through his religious parents. At the same time, he learned how to play piano and was exposed to the sounds of Parliament Funkadelic.These eclectic tastes redirected Martin Luther's interests as he experimented with the sounds of funk. He taught himself how to play the drums and the piano, incorporating the wider range of instruments into his music.
  Martin Luther blends gospel with rock and R&B in his music with the release of his first solo album The Calling in 1999, and followed it with an independent release of his second album Rebel Soul Music in 2004 on his own label Rebel Soul Records; his next release "Love is the Hero" is slated for a 2010 release.
  
  wn.com/Martin_Luther_McCoy
• 
  Matisyahu
  Matthew Paul Miller (born June 30, 1979), better known by his Hebrew name and stage name Matisyahu, is an American reggae and alternative rock musician.
  Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae, rock and hip hop beatboxing sounds, Matisyahu's single "King Without a Crown" was a Top 40 hit in the United States. Since 2004, he has released three studio albums as well as two live albums, two remix CDs and two DVDs featuring live concerts. Through his career, Matisyahu has worked with Bill Laswell and reggae producers Sly & Robbie.
  Matisyahu was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. His family eventually settled in White Plains in Westchester County, New York. He was brought up a Reconstructionist Jew, and attended Hebrew school at Bet Am Shalom, a synagogue in White Plains. He spent much of his childhood learning the various tenets of Judaism, but by the time he was a teenager, Matisyahu began to rebel against his upbringing. He started taking drugs and dropped out of White Plains High School. He became a self-professed "Phish-head," taking hallucinogens and following the rock band Phish on tour. He finished high school at a wilderness program in Bend, Oregon.
  
  wn.com/Matisyahu
• Megan Rochell
  Megan Rochell (born August 19, 1985) is an American contemporary R&B singer, who was formerly signed to Def Jam Records.
  At the age of 11, Megan was a 5-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo. Several years later, she met Philadelphia International's Leon Huff and started working on her recording career. One day outside of Philadelphia International, Megan met Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris and sang for him which prompted Morris to sign her to his management company. Then Megan secured herself a deal with Def Jam Records.
  Megan's debut album, "You, Me and the Radio" featured collaborations from Rodney Jerkins, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, the Underdogs, and Stargate. The album was scheduled for release in 2006, but was never released.
  
  wn.com/Megan_Rochell
• 
  Method Man
  Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige. In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).
  Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom Method & Red, and he had a recurring role on HBO's Oz as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the acclaimed HBO drama series The Wire.
  Born in Staten Island, New York, on April 1 , 1971, Clifford Smith divided his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's home in the Park Hill section of Staten Island aka Killa Hill. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.
  
  wn.com/Method_Man
• Montell Jordan
  Montell Jordan (born December 3, 1968) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. During his live performances he generally gave more of a rock-oriented performance, with Jordan even going as far as to wear sunglasses while on stage. As of 2010, Jordan has left the music business to become the worship leader at Victory World Church in Atlanta.
  Jordan attended Pepperdine University in California, where he received a bachelor's degree in communications and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Jordan graduated summa cum laude and was a state finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
  Jordan's first single was the 1995 #1 hit "This Is How We Do It," which sampled Slick Rick's earlier Def Jam hit "Children's Story". This success would not happen for a male act again until Chris Brown's debut single "Run It!" topped the chart in 2005. Jordan followed up his success with "Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz", which peaked at #21. Later hits would include "Let's Ride" with Master P and "Talk Show" with Shae Jones in 1998 and "Get It on Tonite" in 1999.
  
  wn.com/Montell_Jordan
• 
  Mos Def
  Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973) is an American actor and MC, known by the stage names Mos Def ( /ˌmoʊsˈdɛf/) and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in late 1990s underground hip hop while with Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006, and The Ecstatic in 2009.
  Although he was initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who has garnered critical acclaim for his acting work. He is well known for his portrayal of Brother Sam in the American drama series Dexter. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political causes.
  He was born Dante Terrell Smith in Brooklyn, New York City, the son of Sheron Smith and Abdul Rahman. He was raised by his mother in Brooklyn; his father lived in New Jersey. While his father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam and later an active member in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Islam from the Nation, Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. At 19, he took his shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith. He is friends with Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.
  
  wn.com/Mos_Def
• 
  Musiq Soulchild
  Musiq Soulchild or Musiq ( /ˈmjuːsɪk/; born Taalib Johnson on September 16, 1977) is a American R&B/soul singer-songwriter whose style blends contemporary R&B, soul, funk, alternative, blues, jazz, some gospel influences and hip hop.
  Musiq was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of nine children. At an early age, Musiq decided he would drop out of high school, and left home at 17. It was during that time Musiq started to sell dope in the hood and build a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC's, free styling on the open mic circuit, scatting at a jazz club, or just performing a cappella in the streets of Philadelphia, which is where he got the name "Musiq" and later added "Soulchild", which is intended to respect and represent the legacy and traditions of past soul artists. We all know how hard it can be for an African American to get by and Muisq protected his dream with a compact 9mm. He cites as his inspiration such icons as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, Sly & the Family Stone and Ray Charles.
  
  wn.com/Musiq_Soulchild
• 
  N.O.R.E.
  Victor Santiago, Jr., best known by his stage name N.O.R.E. or Noreaga (born September 6, 1976), is an American rapper. He is one half of the group Capone-N-Noreaga.
  Santiago's career gained fame in 1996 when he used the stage name Noreaga (after Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega) as part of the duo Capone-N-Noreaga with rapper Capone (whom he met while serving time in prison). They signed to Penalty Recordings in 1996 and released their debut album as a group, The War Report, in 1997. The War Report was a commercial and critical success which made the group well known among rap audiences. The album received praise for using the traditional grimey boom-bap sound of classic New York City hip hop, which at that time was falling out of favor to a more futuristic sound. The album peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the singles "Illegal Life", "Closer", and "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)" all charted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart.
  
  wn.com/N.O.R.E.
• 
  NAACP
  The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination". Its name, retained in accordance with tradition, uses the once common term colored people.
  The NAACP bestows the annual Image Awards for achievement in the arts and entertainment, and the annual Spingarn Medals for outstanding positive achievement of any kind, on deserving African Americans. It has its headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland.
  The NAACP's headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional regional offices in California, New York, Michigan, Colorado, Georgia, Texas and Maryland. Each regional office is responsible for coordinating the efforts of state conferences in the states included in that region. Local, youth, and college chapters organize activities for individual members.
  
  wn.com/NAACP
• 
  Nas
  Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones ( /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0.
  His rise to fame began in 1991 with his feature on hip hop group Main Source's debut album on the track "Live at the Barbeque". In the years that followed, Nas garnered attention from music industry A & R's and record labels with more impressive features and a solo single "Halftime". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community and would go on to be widely hailed as a musical landmark and a classic in the genre and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest LP's of all time. His follow up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks and went platinum twice in only two months, propelling Nas to worldwide notoriety.
  
  wn.com/Nas
• 
  Ne-Yo
  Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. (born October 18, 1979), better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario. The single's successful release in the United States prompted an informal meeting between Ne-Yo and Def Jam's label head, and signing a recording contract.
  In 2006, he released his debut album, In My Own Words, which contained the US number one hit "So Sick", as well as the top 10 hit "Sexy Love". Then in 2007, he released his second album, Because of You, which contained the US top 3 hit, "Because of You". In 2008, he released his third album, Year of the Gentleman, which contained the top 10 hits "Closer","Mad" and "Miss Independent". His fourth studio album, Libra Scale, was released on November 22, 2010.
  In 2009, Billboard ranked him as the 57th Artist of the 2000s decade. In addition to a successful recording career, Ne-Yo has amassed a catalog of chart-topping songs that he has written for other artists.
  
  wn.com/Ne-Yo
• Nicole Wray
  Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1981), also known as simply Nicole, is an American R&B and hip hop singer. Her 1998 debut single "Make It Hot" was certified gold.
  Wray was born in Salinas, California on May 2, 1981, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. After being introduced to Missy Elliott, Wray was featured on Missy's platinum certified debut Supa Dupa Fly. When Elliott started her own label, The Goldmind, the then 17-year-old Wray was the first artist signed.
  In 1998, her debut album Make It Hot was released. Heavily criticized for Elliott's heavy-handed involvement (she produced, wrote, and performed on much of the album) the first single, "Make It Hot", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold. Her second single, "I Can't See", reached #36 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.Make It Hot peaked at number nineteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (number 42 on The Billboard 200) and dropped off by the end of the year. The third single, "Eyes Better Not Wander", peaked at #71 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later that year, Wray would sing the hook to "All n My Grill" on Missy Elliott's platinum certified second album, Da Real World.
  
  wn.com/Nicole_Wray
• Nikki D
  Nichelle "Nikki D" Strong is an American female rapper. Nikki D was the first female rapper signed by Def Jam Recordings.
  She signed with Def Jam in 1989, and released her debut single "Lettin' Off Steam" the same year. It was produced by Sam Sever. The single's video featured Flavor Flav. Later Nikki D released the more commercially acceptable song, "Daddy's Little Girl" some two years later, which reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
  Prior to releasing "Daddy's Little Girl", Nikki D was on tour in Europe for a year with fellow R&B artist Alyson Williams. Nikki D has recorded songs with Moby, Queen Latifah on the Set It Off soundtrack, with Redman for his Muddy Waters album, EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Flavor Unit and Suzanne Vega.
  In 1998, Nikki D became the vice president of A&R at Flavor Unit Records, a position she held for two years. Today she is the marketing manager at "Phat Fashions", the apparel company that houses Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and Atman.
  
  wn.com/Nikki_D
• Oran "Juice" Jones
  Oran "Juice" Jones (born 1959), often incorrectly cited as Orange "Juice" Jones^{[by whom?]}, is a retired American soul and R&B singer.
  Jones was born in Houston, Texas and was raised in Harlem, New York City, New York. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1981.^{[citation needed]} He was the second African-American Brigade Commander in Naval Academy history.^{[citation needed]}
  He served his commitment as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps until 1986.^{[citation needed]}
  He was the first musician signed to OBR Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam.^{[citation needed]} He was also the first R&B artist on the hip hop record label. His song "The Rain" became a hit in 1986, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The track reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in December that year. He followed it with "How to Love Again", a duet with labelmate Alyson Williams.
  After Jones failed to have significant follow-up success, he left the music industry to tend to his terminally ill mother and raise his family. He helps his son Oran II, better known as Mookie, and his daughter, Perri Jones, with their music careers. In addition to producing and scoring music for commercials and independent movies, Jones also contributes to a number of hip hop blogs, including Houston's jusflippin.com and Global Grind.
  
  wn.com/Oran_"Juice"_Jones
• 
  Patrick Stump
  Patrick Vaughn Stump (born Patrick Martin Stumph on April 27, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, record producer, and music critic. He was the composer, lead singer, and multi-instrumentalist of Fall Out Boy, an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, and is now a solo artist. Stump has been credited for being a soulful vocalist suitable for R&B, as well as one of the best voices in pop punk, according to Billboard. With Fall Out Boy he placed singles in the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100 and their 2007 album Infinity on High reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, with two more albums peaking in the top 10. The band toured extensively since their early days and have performed over 1300 shows since their inception in 2001. He has collaborated with an extensive lists of artists and has produced albums for other artists including Cobra Starship and Gym Class Heroes.
  Since Fall Out Boy's late 2009 hiatus he embarked on a solo project and released his debut solo album, Soul Punk, on October 18, 2011; on which he wrote all the songs, played all the instruments, as well as handling production and self-funding it. It served as an outlet for the music that he could not make with Fall Out Boy; he intends for the band to make more music in the future, but without set parameters. A remix of "This City" was released as the first single to iTunes and a music video has been created. Soul Punk garnered a generally positive critical reception, with critics praising Stump's musical direction, musicianship and creativity.
  
  wn.com/Patrick_Stump
• 
  Patti LaBelle
  Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards (born May 24, 1944), better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry. LaBelle spent 16 years as lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle in the early 1970s and released the iconic disco song, "Lady Marmalade".
  LaBelle started her solo career shortly after the group disbanded in 1977 and crossed over to pop music with "On My Own", "If Only You Knew", "If You Asked Me To", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude". She has also recorded R&B ballads such as "You Are My Friend" and "Love, Need and Want You".
  LaBelle possesses the vocal range of a soprano.
  Patricia Louise Holte was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 1944 . Her father, Henry Holte (alternatively, Holt), was a railroad worker and lounge singer. Her mother, Bertha Holte, was a domestic and housewife. Holte was one of four daughters (Vivian, Barbara, Patricia and Jacqueline). Holte recalls having a happy childhood but said being sexually molested at the age of seven led her to be shy and withdrawn. Holte's parents had an unhappy marriage. When Holte was twelve, her parents split up and Bertha Holte raised her daughters as a single mother. Holte's mother later adopted Claudette Grant, who would become one of Holte's closest friends.
  
  wn.com/Patti_LaBelle
• 
  Paul Shaffer
  Paul Allen Wood Shaffer, CM (/ˈʃeɪfər/, born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian-American musician, actor, voice actor, author, comedian, and composer who has been David Letterman's sidekick since 1982.
  Shaffer was born and raised in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, Canada, the son of Shirley and Bernard Shaffer, a lawyer. Shaffer was raised in a Jewish family. As a child, Shaffer had lessons on the piano, and moved on to playing the organ by his teenage years, in a band (Fabulous Fugitives) with his schoolmates in Thunder Bay. Later he performed with the "Flash Landing Band" at different venues around Edmonton and the Interior of B.C. Educated at the University of Toronto, he began playing with jazz guitarist Tisziji Muñoz, performing in bands around the bars there, where he found an interest in musicals, and completed his studies, with a B.A. degree in Sociology in 1971.
  Shaffer began his music career in 1972 as the musical director for the Toronto production of Godspell, starring Victor Garber, Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Dave Thomas and Andrea Martin. He went on to play piano for a Broadway show called The Magic Show in 1974, then became a member of the house band on NBC's popular Saturday Night Live (SNL) television program from 1975 to 1980 (except for a brief departure in 1977). Though Shaffer was at the piano and appeared to be directing the band's actions, Howard Shore was credited as SNL's musical director, eventually turning the actual conducting of the band to sax player Howard Johnson. Shaffer also regularly appeared in the show's sketches, notably as the pianist for Bill Murray's Nick the Lounge Singer character, and as Don Kirshner.
  
  wn.com/Paul_Shaffer
• Pete Nice
  Prime Minister Pete Nice (born Peter J. Nash in Floral Park, Long Island, New York) is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.
  After graduating from Bishop Ford High School in 1985, Nash majored in English at Columbia University, where he hosted a hip hop radio show. This led to the creation of the hip hop group 3 the Hard Way, which later changed its name to 3rd Bass, where he adopted the stage name Prime Minister Pete Nice. The group released two gold-selling albums before disbanding in 1992. Nice teamed up with group DJ Richie Rich, and the pair released their only collaboration, Dust to Dust, in 1993.
  Pete Nice and author-radio jock Bobbito started their own label, Hoppoh Records, under the aegis of Columbia Records. The first release was Kurious Jorge's 1994 album A Constipated Monkey; Nice co-produced the album and the single "I'm Kurious." Nashville artist Count Bass D's debut Pre-Life Crisis followed in 1995, distributed by Columbia sister label Chaos Recordings, but those would be the only records released before the label folded because of creative differences with Columbia.
  
  wn.com/Pete_Nice
• 
  Phonte
  Phonte Coleman, better known as Phonte, is a Grammy nominated American rapper, formerly of the now defunct North Carolina trio Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. He has also recorded R&B-flavored output as a singer (often under the pseudonym Percy Miracles). His rhymes tend to be no-frills perspectives on working-class life.
  Phonte first met the other members of Little Brother, Rapper Big Pooh and 9th Wonder, in 1998 while attending North Carolina Central University, as an English major. The three shared common musical interests and decided to form a group. "Speed", the group's first song recorded together, led to them signing a deal with the independent ABB Records, and recording their debut album, The Listening. The album's success led to the group signing a non-exclusive deal with major label Atlantic Records.
  The group's 2005 album, The Minstrel Show, was a concept album dealing with the current state of hip hop music. The album received a positive critical reaction but very little commercial success. During the recording of their third album, the group announced the departure of producer 9th Wonder on amicable terms, as well as a parting of ways with their label. Through a contractual clause they landed back on ABB Records and released Getback in late 2007.
  
  wn.com/Phonte
• 
  Pino Palladino
  Pino Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a Welsh bass guitarist who gained fame playing primarily rock and roll, blues rock, and rhythm and blues music, although he has been lauded for his ability to play most genres of popular music, including jazz, neo soul, and funk. His career has spanned several ensembles, including the John Mayer Trio and The RH Factor, a band mixing elements of soul, jazz and R&B, which he formed with jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove. He was also Pete Townshend's and Roger Daltrey's first choice to fill the position left by John Entwistle as the bassist for The Who. Adding to an eclectic grasp and melodic approach on his instrument, he has become one of the most sought-after session players on the bass and has played on a large number of recordings by some of the world's most successful entertainers, in part, by mastering a variety of techniques on both his late 1970s fretless Music Man StingRay bass guitar and, later in his career, adding fretted Fender Precision and Jaguar basses. His playing has earned him custom instruments bearing his name.
  
  wn.com/Pino_Palladino
• 
  Prince (musician)
  Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson; June 7, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of the instruments on his recordings. In addition, Prince has been a "talent promoter" for the careers of Sheila E., Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6, and his songs have been recorded by these artists and others (including Chaka Khan, The Bangles, Sinéad O'Connor, and even Kim Basinger). He also has several hundred unreleased songs in his "vault".
  Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Prince developed an interest in music at an early age, writing his first song at age seven. After recording songs with his cousin's band 94 East, seventeen-year-old Prince recorded several unsuccessful demo tapes before releasing his debut album, For You, in 1978. His 1979 album, Prince, went platinum due to the success of the singles "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" and "I Wanna Be Your Lover". His next three records, Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982) continued his success, showcasing Prince's trademark of prominently sexual lyrics and incorporation of elements of funk, dance and rock music. In 1984, he began referring to his backup band as The Revolution and released the album Purple Rain, which served as the soundtrack to his film debut of the same name.
  
  wn.com/Prince_(musician)
• Pusha T
  Terrence Thornton (born May 14, 1977) better known by his stage name Pusha T is an American recording artist, occasional actor and one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse. Along with No Malice, his brother and fellow member of Clipse, he released the album Hell Hath No Fury, which was praised by critics, many of whom consider it to be a cornerstone in Hip-Hop and one of the best rap albums ever made. He is also the co-founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Re-Up Records along with his aforementioned brother. In September 2010 he announced his signing to Kanye West's GOOD Music label and on March 21, 2011, released his first solo project, a mixtape titled Fear of God.
  Pusha T was born Terrence Thornton on May 13, 1977, in The Bronx borough of New York City. Thornton and his family soon relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he and his brother, Gene 'No Malice' Thornton, grew up. In 1992 Terrence and his brother Gene formed the duo now internationally known as Clipse. With help from Pharell Williams the group eventually signed to Elektra Records in 1997 and released Exclusive Audio Footage, their only album under that label. Of the two brothers, Terrence was more open to features, appearing on Kelis' 1999 single "Good Stuff" and Nivea's 2001 single "Run Away (I Wanna Be with U)", respectively. In 2004, he and his brother launched their record label, Re-Up Records and formed hip hop group Re-Up Gang along with rappers Ab-Liva and Sandman. After four albums as the Clipse, under various record labels both Malice and Pusha T announced that they were taking time off from the duo to focus on their own respective solo projects.
  
  wn.com/Pusha_T
• 
  Q-Tip (rapper)
  Kamaal Ibn John Fareed (born Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American entertainer from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest. John Bush of Allmusic called him "the best rapper/producer in hip-hop history," while editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers, as well as placing him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), making him the only rapper/producer on the list.
  Born Jonathan Davis on April 10, 1970 in Harlem, he converted to Islam in the mid-1990s, and changed his name to Kamaal Ibn John Fareed. He moved to St. Albans, Queens as a child. As referenced in the song "Check the Rhime", he mostly resided at Linden Boulevard. His father was from Montserrat, a British territory in the eastern Caribbean. His mother is an African-American from Alabama. His sister, Gwen, is eight years older than he is. He attended Murry Bergtraum High School in Manhattan, New York. According to Fareed, he was given his stage name by Afrika Baby Bam of Jungle Brothers, which he used as a replacement for his prior name, MC Love Child. He has also said that the Q in Q-Tip stands for Queens and he is often referred to as Tip, which later caused problems when a Southern rapper, now known as T.I., signed to Arista Records and attempted to use the stage name Tip, which was later shortened to T.I. to avoid confusion with his then-labelmate Q-Tip. Throughout his career, he also called himself "The Abstract". He said that one of the main people in his life that inspired him was his childhood friend, Mohammed Sead.
  
  wn.com/Q-Tip_(rapper)
• 
  Queen Latifah
  Dana Elaine Owens (born March 18, 1970), better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination.
  Latifah was born, and primarily raised, in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita (née Bray), a teacher at Irvington High School (her daughter's alma mater), and Lancelot Owens, Sr., a police officer, her parents divorced when Latifah was ten. Latifah was raised in the Baptist church and attended Catholic school in Newark, New Jersey. Her stage name, Latifah (لطيفة laţīfa), meaning "delicate" and "very kind" in Arabic, she found in an Islamic book of names when she was eight. Always a tall girl, the 5'10" Latifah was a power forward on her high school basketball team. She performed the number "Home" from the musical The Wiz in a high school play. She is of African American and Native American ancestry.
  
  wn.com/Queen_Latifah
• 
  Questlove
  Ahmir Khalib Thompson (born on January 20, 1971) known professionally as ?uestlove or Questlove (also known as BROther ?uestion, Questo, Brother Question or Qlove), is an American drummer, DJ, music journalist and record producer. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, which is now the in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
  He has produced for artists such as Common, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Jay-Z, Nikka Costa and more recently, Al Green, Amy Winehouse and John Legend. He is a member of the production teams the Soulquarians, The Randy Watson Experience, and The Grand Wizzards.
  Thompson was born in Philadelphia on January 20, 1971. His father was Lee Andrews of Lee Andrews & the Hearts, one of the great 50s doo-wop groups.^{[citation needed]} His parents did not want to leave him with babysitters, so they took him on tour with them. He grew up in backstages of doo-wop shows. By the age of seven, Thompson began drumming on stage at shows, and by 13, had become a musical director.
  
  wn.com/Questlove
• 
  Rahzel
  Rahzel M. Brown, also known as simply Rahzel, is an American musician and beatboxer, formerly a member of The Roots.
  Nicknamed the "Godfather of Noyze," Rahzel is known for an ability to sing or rap while simultaneously beatboxing, as evidenced in his performances of "Iron Man" and his signature song "If Your Mother Only Knew", a hidden track on Make the Music 2000. His talents are showcased in various solo projects as well as on Ben Harper's 2000 single, "Steal My Kisses." He also provided his own voice on video games SSX and SSX Tricky.
  
  wn.com/Rahzel
• 
  Rebecca Black
  Rebecca Renee Black (born June 21, 1997) is an American pop singer and dancer who gained extensive media attention with the 2011 single "Friday". Her mother paid $4,000 to have the single and an accompanying music video put out as a vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The song was co-written and produced by Clarence Jey and Patrice Wilson of Ark Music Factory. After the video went viral on YouTube and other social media sites, "Friday" was derided by many music critics and viewers, who dubbed it "the worst song ever." The music video received around 167 million views, causing Black to gain international attention as a "viral star", before being removed from the site on June 16. Black re-uploaded it in her own channel three months later.
  Rebecca Black was born on June 21, 1997, in Irvine, California. She is the daughter of John Jeffery Black and Georgina Marquez Kelly, both veterinarians. She is of Mexican, Spanish, Italian, English, and Polish descent. An honor student, Black studied dance, auditioned for school shows, attended music summer camps, and began singing publicly in 2008 after joining the patriotic group Celebration USA.^{[citation needed]} In 2011 Black left public school in favor of homeschooling, both in response to constant verbal bullying at school and in order to focus more of her time on her career. Black later said that her main reason for the move to homeschooling was more for career reasons rather than the bullying.
  
  wn.com/Rebecca_Black
• Rell
  Gerrell Gaddis (born October 18, 1974), known by his stage name Rell, is an American R&B singer. He was the first male R&B singer signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, where he recorded with artists such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, Consequence, and Young Gunz.
  Rell grew up in Bowman, South Carolina, and is a former South Carolina State pre-med student. He signed to Roc-A-Fella Records in 1997, and began work on his debut album which was tentatively titled, Medicine. Rell got his break in 1998, appearing in Jay-Z's rap cult flick Streets Is Watching and contributing the club banger "Love for Free" to the movie's soundtrack and would later be featured on his debut album. Within the latter part of 1998, Rell renamed his debut, The Remedy, and re-released, "Love for Free" as the lead single. In 1999, two other singles ("When Will U See" and "Darlin'") were released as radio buzz singles for the album, however, within the first quarter of that year, Remedy was shelved due to the failed charting of his album's singles. Still signed to the Roc, Rell went on to sing hooks for nearly every Roc-a-Fella MC since, including Jay-Z's "It's Obvious" and Freeway's "Victim of the Ghetto", and appearing on "The Message" featuring Mary J. Blige, from Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001.
  
  wn.com/Rell
• 
  Richie Rich (rapper)
  Richard Serrell, better known by his stage name Richie Rich, is a rapper from Oakland, California.He is currently signed to Mack 10's Hoo-Bangin' Records.
  His rapping style had an influence on Snoop Dogg. In Snoop's own words
  
  Richie Rich first entered music in the late 1980s with the group 415. With D-Loc, DJ Daryl, and JED, Rich crafted a Bay Area album in 1989 called 41Fivin, which sold well around the Bay Area and spawned a Richie Rich solo album in 1990, titled Don't Do It.
  As the group was ready to sign a major-label contract with Priority Records in 1990, however, Richie Rich was arrested for possession of cocaine. 415 released its next album and faded from the scene soon after, while Rich sat in jail; he was released a year later, and began appearing on tracks by 2Pac and the Luniz. Richie Rich soon found himself being in the middle of a bidding war between Def Jam Records and Relativity Records. He choose to go on Russell Simmons' label Def Jam. Before forming his own label Oakland Hills 41510 he released his second solo album in 1996, Half Thang, which peaked on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums at number 57.
  
  wn.com/Richie_Rich_(rapper)
• 
  Rick Rubin
  Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin is the founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings. With the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Run–D.M.C., Rubin helped popularize hip hop music.
  Rubin has worked with artists as varied as Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slipknot, Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta, Danzig, Dixie Chicks, Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Weezer, Linkin Park, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Audioslave, The Avett Brothers, Adele and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In the 1990s and 2000s, he produced the "American Recordings" albums with Johnny Cash. MTV called him "the most important producer of the last 20 years." In 2007, Rubin was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.
  Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York and grew up in Lido Beach, New York, in a Jewish family. His father was a shoe wholesaler and his mother a housewife. While a student at Long Beach High School he befriended the school's AV Director Steve Freeman who gave him a few lessons in guitar playing and songwriting and helped him create a punk band called "The Pricks". Their biggest claim to fame was being thrown off the stage at CBGB after two songs for brawling with the heckling audience. These hecklers were friends of the band instructed to instigate a confrontation so as to get the show shut down and create a buzz. Although he had no authority in New York City, Rubin's father traveled all the way from Nassau county to Manhattan wearing his Lido Beach auxiliary police uniform as he attempted to "shut down" the show.
  
  wn.com/Rick_Rubin
• Rocko (rapper)
  Rodney Hill, better known by his stage name Rocko, is an American rapper.
  Rocko released his first studio album, Self Made, on March 18, 2008. The album peaked at number twenty-one on Billboard 200, number six on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums und number four on Top Rap Albums. It spawned the single "Umma Do Me", which peaked at number sixty-six on Billboard Hot 100.
  Rocko started his career as a ghostwriter and producer somewhen around 1999. In 2002, he established his own label Rocky Road Records and began working with artists like Young Dro and Dem Franchize Boyz. He released several mixtapes before being signed by Def Jam Records in October 2006.
  He released his first studio album, Self Made on March 18, 2008. It featured production from Drumma Boy, Cool & Dre, The Runners and J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League and contributions came from guest artists Lloyd, Dre, Kevin Cossom as well as Monica. The album spawned the single "Umma Do Me, his first song that had managed to get on the Billboard Hot 100.
  His second studio album One of One was originally supposed to be released on Def Jam but never did after parting ways wit Def Jam Looking for better label situations & forming his newly founded label A-1 Recordings. His recent mixtapes are Rocko Dinero, Swagga Session, Gift of Gab & Wild Life. His upcoming mixtape to be hosted by DJ Drama is entitled Seeing is Believing.
  
  wn.com/Rocko_(rapper)
• Ron Isley
  Ronald Isley ( /ˈaɪzliː/; born May 21, 1941) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, and occasional actor. Isley is better known as the lead singer and founding member of the family music group The Isley Brothers.
  Ronald Isley was born the third of six brothers (O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Rudolph Isley, Ronald, Vernon Isley, Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley) to Sallye Bernice (Bell) and O'Kelly Isley, Sr. Ronald, like many of his siblings, began his career in the church. He began singing at the age of three, winning a $25 war bond for singing at a spiritual contest at the Union Baptist Church. By the age of seven, Ronald was singing onstage at venues such as the Regal Theater in Chicago, alongside Dinah Washington and a few other notables.
  By his early teens, he was singing regularly with his brothers in church tours. In 1957, sixteen-year-old Ronald and his two elder brothers Kelly, 19 and Rudy, 18, moved to New York, recording doo-wop for local labels before landing a major deal with RCA Records in 1959, where the trio wrote and released their anthemic "Shout." By the summer of 1959, the Isley family had moved from Cincinnati to a home in Englewood, New Jersey.
  
  wn.com/Ron_Isley
• 
  Saigon (rapper)
  Brian Daniel Carenard (born June 1, 1977) better known by his stage name Saigon, is an American rapper and occasional actor.
  Saigon is currently signed to Suburban Noize Records and Just Blaze's Fort Knocks Entertainment record label. After years of delay due to former record label interference, his album The Greatest Story Never Told is available now on Suburban Noize Records. He is also known for his appearances in the HBO television series Entourage.
  In the late 1990s, Brian "Saigon" Carenard was sentenced to jail time at Napanoch’s Eastern Correctional Facility, serving a sentence for first-degree assault after shooting at someone in a bar. One day while in the recreation yard, Brian met a fellow inmate named Hakim, who rapped and had a reputation for incorporating positive messages, and heavy use of prestigious vocabulary in his rhymes. Carenard would later state that battle rapping with Hakim would help instigate his personal rehabilitation, as he set a course for redemption through hip hop music. While serving time, Brian named himself "Saigon" after reading Wallace Terry’s book about the Vietnam War. This book helped realign the content and diction in Saigon's raps, as well as the advice of a prison lifer: "There’s no right way to do wrong." Saigon was eventually released from prison in 2000, and immediately recorded mixtapes, with the goal of obtaining a record contract as a means to release a debut album, which he wanted to be titled "The Greatest Story Never Told".
  
  wn.com/Saigon_(rapper)
• Scott Storch
  Scott Storch (born December 16, 1973) is an American record producer. He produces a variety of music, particularly hip hop, reggaeton, and R&B. His label, Storch Music Company (formerly Storchaveli Recordings) responsible for signing Brooke Hogan and Nox. He also has his own music production company called Tuff Jew Productions LLC which is published by Reservoir Media Management.
  Scott Spencer Storch was born in Long Island, New York. His mother, Joyce Yolanda Storch, was a singer signed to Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway Records under the stage name Joyce Carol, and is of Lithuanian Jewish heritage. His father, Phil Storch, was a court reporter. His uncle, Jeremy Storch, was a founder of soul-rock band The Vagrants and wrote songs recorded by Dave Mason and Eddie Money Storch's parents divorced in 1983.
  Storch attended elementary school in Sunrise and middle school in Davie, Florida. In the middle of his freshman year, he left South Florida to join his father in the Philadelphia area, and attended high school in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. After dropping out of high school in the ninth grade, Storch was expelled from home at the age of 16. By age 18 he was living with his father in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where his cousin lived nearby. It was here his musical abilities flourished. Scott had a son in 1991, Steve Storch Bellido.
  
  wn.com/Scott_Storch
• Scratch (musician)
  Kyle Jones (born in Camden, New Jersey), better known as Scratch, is an American hip hop artist. He is a MC who specializes in beatboxing or vocal percussion. He is probably best known as a member of Grammy Award-winning band The Roots.
  Originally a member of Philadelphia based rap group, Schoolz Of Thought, he joined The Roots in 1998.
  Scratch released his album The Embodiment of Instrumentation in 2002 on the Rope A Dope record label, which featured The Roots, Dice Raw, E.S.T of Three Times Dope, Cyph Born of Aphillyation, Bilal, Jill Scott, Malik B and M.A.R.S. Co-Op.
  After the release of his solo LP he abruptly left The Roots in 2003. He now continues to tour the world. His new upcoming album entitled Loss 4 Wordz features artists Kanye West, Musiq, Gorillaz, and Peedi-Peedi. He also appears on British rapper GoldieLocks's EP, titled Goldie's Oldies. Scratch has now released four songs on his myspace but the album, which was promised to be released in August hasn't been released yet.
  In 2004, Scratch contributed to Zap Mama's Ancestry in Progress on the track "Wadidyusay?"
  
  wn.com/Scratch_(musician)
• 
  Selan Lerner
  For the fictional character from the Al-Qadim campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons, see Selan (Dungeons & Dragons).
  Selan (born Selan Lerner in Queens, New York, United States) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, composer, arranger, musical director and producer who is known for combining electronic, pop, and soul music. He possesses perfect pitch and musical total recall, also known as eidetic memory. He is of Trinidadian and Jewish heritage.
  Selan has collaborated extensively with "Little" Louie Vega and Kenny "Dope" Gonzales of the house music production team Masters at Work. Notably he plays the extended keyboard improvisation on the Masters at Work remix of Nina Simone's "See-Line Woman" which appears on the highly successful 2002 Verve Remixed collection. He also plays the extended keyboard solos on the DJ Spinna remix of Betty Carter's "Naima's Love Song" which appears on the 2003 follow-up Verve Remixed 2 collection. Selan co-wrote the music for most of DJ Spinna's Intergalactic Soul album, which was released in 2006 on Shanachie Records. He also co-produced, co-wrote and was a featured artist on "Back 2 U", a standout track on that same album.
  
  wn.com/Selan_Lerner
• Shareefa
  Shareefa Faradah Cooper (born March 12, 1984), professionally known as Shareefa, is an R&B singer. Shareefa has also lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. She signed with Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam Recordings in 2005. Her debut single, "Need a Boss", featuring rapper and labelmate Ludacris, was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album Point of No Return was released in October 2006 and charted at #25 on the Billboard 200.
  
  wn.com/Shareefa
• Shawnna
  Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chicago rap duo Infamous Syndicate and she is also the daughter of the blues musician Buddy Guy.
  She is known for her rapid fire delivery and her sexually explicit image and lyrics. She is one of only four female rappers (others being Lauryn Hill, Lil' Kim and Remy Ma) to ever have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2003's "Stand Up" with Ludacris.
  An MC from the south side of Chicago and the daughter of blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Shawnna began writing rhymes while in high school. She caught her first break in 1996, when her duo Infamous Syndicate opened for Junior M.A.F.I.A. in Chicago. Infamous Syndicate signed to Relativity a year later and released "Changing the Game" in 1999. The album did not live up to its title, despite production help from No I.D. and Kanye West, the duo was dropped and eventually split. She then went on to team with Ludacris where she was featured on his song "What's Your Fantasy". Before she recorded her first album, Shawnna was featured on the remix to the song "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey for the album and movie Glitter. She was featured in the video along with Ludacris, Da Brat, and Twenty II.
  
  wn.com/Shawnna
• Sheek Louch
  Sean Divine Jacobs, November 9, 1976. better known as Sheek Louch (also known as Donnie Def Jam and "Donnie G"), is an African American rapper and member of The LOX (aka D-Block), along with Styles P and Jadakiss.
  At around the age of 12, he was inspired to rhyme by his friend Jason Phillips (Jadakiss). He and Jason would later form The LOX with Styles P. Mary J. Blige "discovered" the trio, and they would soon be signed to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. Their first album, Money, Power & Respect, was released on January 13, 1998.
  Sheek and his fellow LOX members later parted ways with Bad Boy Records, and joined the Ruff Ryders group, which included DMX. Their second album, We Are the Streets, was released on January 25, 2000. Meanwhile, Sheek, an aspiring entrepreneur, began working on their D-Block brand, building a studio, and looking for new talent to join their roster. He also opened a D-Block car wash and D-Block "fitteds" around the same time.
  Sheek released his solo debut Walk Witt Me on Universal Records through D-Block Records. Early promotional material, such as within the liner notes of Styles P's album A Gangster and a Gentleman, indicate that the album's original title was Walk With Me.
  
  wn.com/Sheek_Louch
• 
  Shyne
  Moshe Levi Ben-David (born Jamal Michael Barrow; November 8, 1978), better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean rapper.
  Shyne was born in Belize City, Belize, the son of Dean Barrow, the current Prime Minister of Belize. Shyne's once estranged father was first to welcome him back to their home country upon his return in 2009. His mother is the sister of Michael Finnegan, one of Barrow's long-time political colleagues. Shyne remained behind with his uncle in Belize City when his mother moved to the US. It was not until the age of 13 when she was able to bring him with her to Brooklyn's Vanderveer Estates in East Flatbush (now known as 'Flatbush Gardens').
  In 1998 hip hop producer Clark Kent discovered Shyne, noticing something unique in his voice. He sounded to him very similar to the late Notorious B.I.G.. At the time, Clark Kent was working on B.I.G.'s posthumous "Born Again" album.
  Not long after, Shyne started making appearances on recordings made by Bad Boy Records artists. He notably featured on a remix of Total's "Sittin At Home" track and on Mase's second album Double Up, on the track entitled "From Scratch". In the same year he featured on Bad Boy Records' chief executive Sean Combs' Forever, as well as on a remix of P.E. 2000.
  
  wn.com/Shyne
• Sisqó
  Mark Althavean Andrews (born November 9, 1978), known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actor. He is lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and has also released solo material, including his successful first solo album Unleash the Dragon which included the single "Thong Song". Sisqó also calls himself "The Dragon".
  Andrews attended Mervo, graduating 1994. He has a daughter, Shaione, who was born in 1995.
  After Woody Rock left Dru Hill in 1999 to pursue a solo career, it was decided that the other three members would do the same. Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, was released on Def Soul Records in November 1999. Unleash the Dragon sold moderately at first, until the February 2000 release of its second single, the novelty "Thong Song". A runaway hit, "Thong Song" and its follow-up, "Incomplete", were major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Thong Song" making it to number three, and "Incomplete" going to #1. The success later got Sisqó a doll made of himself by Play Along Toys in 2001.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Sisqó
• 
  Snoop Dogg
  Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, The Chronic and on the titular theme song to the film Deep Cover.
  Snoop's debut album Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records making a debut at No.1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle quickly became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. In early 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His second album, late 1996's Tha Doggfather, also debuted at No.1 on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album sold only half as well, being certified double platinum in 1997.
  
  wn.com/Snoop_Dogg
• South Central Cartel
  South Central Cartel is a Los Angeles-based gangsta rap group. Some of their popular songs include "U Gotta Deal Wit Dis", "Pops Was a Rolla", "Ya Getz Clowned", "Gang Stories", "Servin 'Em Heat", "Knocc on Wood" (Remix), and "All Day Everyday" & "Eastside-Westside" & "It's an S.C.C Thang" .
  As one of the original early-'90s West Coast gangsta collectives to follow N.W.A.'s lead, South Central Cartel first appeared with their debut album South Central Madness in 1991, before releasing a succession of albums throughout the remainder of the decade. After their follow-up, 1994s 'N Gatz We Truss, generated a sizable amount of attention in the gangsta rap underground. Def Jam Recordings signed the group, eventually resulting in their most commercially successful album, 1997s All Day Everyday.
  During this same era, group leaders Havoc & Prodeje together released a string of albums on Pump Records as well, helping garner a small yet healthy cult audience. Despite their lack of mainstream success, the group does stand alongside fellow early-'90s West Coast colleagues such as N.W.A., Compton's Most Wanted, and Above the Law as gangsta rap pioneers.
  
  wn.com/South_Central_Cartel
• 
  Spike Lee
  Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.
  Lee's movies have examined race relations, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.
  Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Jacqueline Carroll (née Shelton), a teacher of arts and black literature, and William James Edward Lee III, a jazz musician and composer. Lee moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was a small child. (The Fort Greene neighborhood is home to Lee's production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, and other Lee-owned or related businesses.) As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Spike." In Brooklyn, he attended John Dewey High School. Lee enrolled in Morehouse College where he made his first student film, Last Hustle in Brooklyn. He took film courses at Clark Atlanta University and graduated with a B.A. in Mass Communication from Morehouse College. He then enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television.
  
  wn.com/Spike_Lee
• 
  Stephen Colbert
  Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( /koʊlˈbɛər/ or /ˈkoʊlbərt/; born May 13, 1964) is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.
  Colbert originally studied to be an actor, but became interested in improvisational theatre when he met famed Second City director Del Close while attending Northwestern University. He first performed professionally as an understudy for Steve Carell at Second City Chicago; among his troupe mates were comedians Paul Dinello and Amy Sedaris, with whom he developed the critically acclaimed sketch comedy series Exit 57.
  Colbert also wrote and performed on the short-lived Dana Carvey Show before collaborating with Sedaris and Dinello again on the cult television series Strangers with Candy. He gained considerable attention for his role on the latter as closeted gay history teacher Chuck Noblet. It was his work as a correspondent on Comedy Central's news-parody series The Daily Show, however, that first introduced him to a wide audience.
  
  wn.com/Stephen_Colbert
• 
  Sufjan Stevens
  Sufjan Stevens ( /ˈsuːfjɑːn/ SOOF-yahn; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came. He is best known for his 2005 album, Illinois, which hit number one in the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, and for the song "Chicago".
  Stevens has released albums of varying styles, from the electronica of Enjoy Your Rabbit and the lo-fi folk of Seven Swans to the symphonic instrumentation of Illinois and Christmas-themed Songs for Christmas. Stevens makes use of a variety of instruments, often playing many of them himself on the same recording, and writes music in various time signatures. Though he has repeatedly stated an intent to separate his beliefs from his music, Stevens also freely draws from the Bible and other spiritual traditions, incorporating mystical elements into his music often.
  Stevens was born in Detroit and lived there until the age of nine, when his family moved to Petoskey, Michigan. In Petoskey he attended the Petoskey High School, the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated from Harbor Light Christian School. He went on to attend Hope College in Holland, Michigan and earned a Master of Fine Arts from The New School in New York City.
  
  wn.com/Sufjan_Stevens
• 
  Taylor Hicks
  Taylor Reuben Hicks (born October 7, 1976) is an American singer who achieved fame in 2006, when he won the fifth season of American Idol. Hicks got his start as a professional musician in his late teens and performed around the Southeastern United States for well over the span of a decade, during which he also released two independent albums. Upon winning Idol, he was signed to Arista Records, under which his self-titled major label debut was released on December 12, 2006. His energetic stage performances and influences derived from classic rock, blues, and R&B music had earned him a following of devout fans, who have been dubbed the "Soul Patrol." He performed on Broadway in 2008 and on national tour in 2009 in Grease playing Teen Angel, the role originated by Alan Paul. The new CD, The Distance, was released March 10, 2009, with the first single, "What's Right Is Right", going to AC adds January 27, 2009. The second single was confirmed to be "Seven Mile Breakdown" via his Myspace page. In May 2011, Taylor Hicks opened ORE Drink and Dine restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama’s Crestline Park. Birmingham Magazine readers voted ORE as Birmingham’s “Best New Restaurant” in the fall of 2011. On June 14, 2011, Taylor Hicks performed at Bama Rising: A Benefit Concert For Alabama Tornado Recovery at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center. According to Billboard, the Bama Rising benefit concert raised an estimated $2.2 million for Alabama tornado relief efforts.
  
  wn.com/Taylor_Hicks
• Terri Walker
  Terri Walker (born Chanelle Gstettenbauer, 14 April 1979) is an English R&B and soul singer–songwriter. Walker has released three albums in the United Kingdom, Untitled, L.O.V.E, and I Am. She also provided the majority of the vocals for Shanks & Bigfoot's debut album Swings & Roundabouts. Walker's fourth studio album Walk with Me is due for release in 2011.
  Walker, born in the Wimbledon district of London, England, to Jamaican parents, moved to Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany, when she was four. She speaks fluent German. In a 2007 interview with Soul Culture, Walker stated that "I love Deutschland, it’s moulded me into what I am. I love here [London] too and I came back to go to boarding-school in London when I was 11. The thing is I still lived in Germany and didn’t actually come back proper till I was 17″. At the age of seventeen, Walker moved back to the UK permanently to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, which is a performing arts centre of excellence. Here, she she began to study and sing opera. Walker stated that "I started to study opera when I was about 15 and I started to sing it professionally from about 18. It was always a life-long ambition of mine. I think classical training is the best kinda training you can get."
  
  wn.com/Terri_Walker
• The Dove Shack
  The Dove Shack was a G-funk group from Long Beach. Consisting of C-Knight, Bo-Roc and 2Scoops, the group made their debut with the song "This Is the Shack" on Warren G's album Regulate...G Funk Era. Under the same name they released their first album back in 1995 with the substantial hit single "Summertime in the LBC" featuring Arnita Porter. They later contributed to a few compilations, and released Reality's Got Me Tied Up in 2006.
  
  
  
  wn.com/The_Dove_Shack
• The Ummah
  The Ummah was a music production collective, composed of members Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, and the late Jay Dee (now known as J Dilla) of the Detroit-based group Slum Village. Occasional members included Raphael Saadiq, and D'Angelo. In addition to producing nearly the entirety of A Tribe Called Quest's fourth and fifth album, the Ummah provided backing tracks for a notable array of hip hop and contemporary R&B artists, including Busta Rhymes, Whitney Houston, Keith Murray, the Brand New Heavies, Janet Jackson, and Jon B. The group was so named because two of its members (Tip and Ali) are devout Muslims. The word "ummah" is Arabic for "community", "nation", or "brotherhood".
  The collective took shape around 1995, when veteran keyboardist Amp Fiddler introduced Jay Dee (who at the time was shopping for a deal for his group) to Q-Tip. Tip was impressed enough by Jay Dee's soulful productions to invite him as an addition to Tribe's music-production team, which until then consisted of Tip and Ali Shaheed.
  
  wn.com/The_Ummah
• 
  The-Dream
  Terius Youngdell Nash (Born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing chart topping hits such as "Baby" for Justin Bieber, "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs. Money, and Love King.
  Terius Nash was born in Rockingham, North Carolina and moved with his mother, Reva Nash, to Atlanta at the age of 3. He played trumpet, drums, and guitar as a child. His mother died in 1992 when Nash was fifteen years old, an event which would inspire him to write songs. He states that the death of his mother gave him a "soft spot" for women, which he credits to his desire to write songs about female empowerment such as Rihanna's "Umbrella". He moved in with his grandfather, a concrete mason who instilled a strong work ethic in young Nash. Of his grandfather, Nash recalls "He came out of a bad time for blacks in the South, but even though we lived in the hood, we had a boat, some cars and a house that was paid for. So I’ve always had a different outlook on life. There’s nothing I can’t do."
  
  wn.com/The-Dream
• 
  Tom Cruise
  Thomas Cruise Mapother IV ( /ˈtɒməs ˈkruːz ˈmeɪpɒθər/; born July 3, 1962), widely known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won three Golden Globe Awards for the same movies: Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Jerry Maguire (1996), Magnolia (1999). He started his career with the movie Endless Love. Cruise's first appearance in a major film was in 1981's Taps. His first leading role was in the film Risky Business, released in August 1983. Cruise played the role of a heroic naval pilot in the popular and successful 1986 film Top Gun, and also secret agent Ethan Hunt in the series of Mission: Impossible action films.
  He has starred in a variety of other successful films, including: Rain Man (1988), Days of Thunder (1990), A Few Good Men (1992), Vanilla Sky (2001), Minority Report (2002), The Last Samurai (2003), Collateral (2004), and War of the Worlds (2005).
  Since 2005, Cruise and Paula Wagner have been in charge of the United Artists film studio, with Cruise as producer and star and Wagner as the chief executive. Cruise is also known for his support of and adherence to the Church of Scientology.
  
  wn.com/Tom_Cruise
• 
  Wale (rapper)
  Wale Victor Folarin (born Olubowale Victor Akintimehin in September 21, 1984), better known by his stage name Wale (/ˈwɑːlei/ WAH-lay), is an American rapper from Washington, D.C. Wale was born to Nigerian parents. He rose to prominence in 2006, when his song "Dig Dug (Shake It)" became popular in his hometown. Wale became locally recognized and continued recording music for the regional audience. Producer Mark Ronson discovered Wale in 2006 and signed him to Allido Records in 2007. While signed to that label, Wale released several mixtapes and appeared in national media including MTV and various urban magazines.
  In 2008, Wale signed to Interscope Records for $1.3 million, and his debut album Attention Deficit was released in 2009 with the singles "Chillin", "Pretty Girls", and "World Tour". The album, although under-shipped, received positive reviews from critics. In early 2011 Wale signed on with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group, where members of the label released a compilation album, Self Made Vol. 1 on May 23, 2011. His second studio album, Ambition was released November 1, 2011.
  
  wn.com/Wale_(rapper)
• 
  Young Jeezy
  Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former member of BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz 'N Da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 was released. Its single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US.
  The Inspiration followed in 2006, and The Recession followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.
  Jay Wayne Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a toddler. Because his parents were separated, custody of him transferred between family members frequently. In an interview with XXL magazine, he described his childhood as "empty". In 1994, he spent nine months in YCA (Youth Challenge Academy), a boot camp in Fort Stewart, Georgia, for narcotics possession.
  
  wn.com/Young_Jeezy

• Dun
• Sleep
• Make My
• One Time
• Kool On
• The OtherSide
• Stomp
• Lighthouse
• I Remember
• Tip the Scale
• Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)
• Possibility (2nd Movement)
• Will to Power (3rd Movement)
• Finality (4th Movement)

• A Peace of Light (feat. Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle)
• Walk Alone (feat. Truck North, P.O.R.N. & Dice Raw)
• Dear God 2.0 (feat. Monsters of Folk)
• Radio Daze (feat. Blu, P.O.R.N. & Dice Raw)
• Now or Never (feat. Phonte & Dice Raw)
• How I Got Over (feat. Dice Raw)
• Dillatude: The Flight of Titus
• The Day (feat. Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash)
• Right On (feat. Joanna Newsom & STS)
• Doin' It Again
• The Fire (feat. John Legend)
• Tunnel Vision
• Web 20/20 (feat. Peedi Peedi & Truck North)
• Hustla (feat. STS)

• Donuts (outro)
• Hot Shit (I'm Back!)
• World Full of Sadness
• Upper Egypt
• Stereolab
• The Stars
• Antiquity (feat. The Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Dillchestra)
• She Said
• Hall & Oates
• Eve
• Look Into Her Eyes
• Make Em NV
• Oh! O!
• Wicked Ways

• The Pow Wow
• Rising Down (feat. Mos Def & Styles P)
• Get Busy (feat. Dice Raw & Peedi Peedi)
• @ 15
• 75 Bars (Black's Reconstruction)
• Becoming Unwritten
• Criminal (feat. Truck North & Saigon)
• I Will Not Apologize (feat. Porn & Dice Raw)
• I Can't Help It (feat. Malik B., Porn, Mercedes Martinez & Dice Raw)
• Singing Man (feat. Porn, Truck North & Dice Raw)
• Unwritten (feat. Mercedes Martinez)
• Lost Desire (feat. Malik B. & Talib Kweli)
• The Show (feat. Common & Dice Raw)
• Rising Up (feat. Wale & Chrisette Michele)
• The Pow Wow 2

• Dilltastic Vol Won(derful)
• False Media
• Game Theory
• Don't Feel Right
• In the Music
• Take It There
• Baby
• Here I Come
• Long Time
• Livin' in a New World
• Clock With No Hands
• Atonement
• Can't Stop This
• Bread and Butter

• Rock Star (intro)
• Malcolm X / Roots of a Tree (interlude)
• Pity the Child / Come Together (feat. Zion I)
• The Next Movement
• Thought Is Like Freestyle
• Clones
• Subliminal Minded Freestyle
• Push Up Ya Lighter
• Push Up Ya Lighter (feat. Kardinall Offishall)
• Concerto of a Desperado
• Concerto of a Desperado (feat. Rakim) (J.Period remix)
• Rakim (interlude)
• Been Thru the Storm (feat. Stevie Wonder)
• Superlyricism / R.I.P. Big Pun (interlude)
• Superlyrical (feat. Big Pun)
• Suppossed to Represent (interlude)
• In the Music
• Don't Feel Right
• Members of the Band (Proceed interlude)
• Essaywhuman?!!!??!
• Live From the PJ's (feat. Ghostface & Trife)
• PJ's (feat. Big L) (J.Period remix)
• Influences / Native Tongue (interlude)
• Pussy Galore
• Stay Cool
• Stay Cool (feat. Q-Tip) (J.Period remix)
• De La Soul (interlude)
• What They Do
• You Got Me (Me Tienes remix)
• Me Tienes (feat. Nas) (J.Period remix)
• Don't Say Nuthin (J.Period Knight remix)
• Don't Say (J.Period Stick Up remix)
• Nuthin (J.Period Shot Ya remix)
• Adrenaline (feat. Malik B)
• Adrenaline (feat. Busta Rhymes) (J.Period remix)
• Yes Y'All (feat. will.i.am) (J.Period Goodness remix)
• Beat Street / B-Boy Interlude
• Thought @ Work (J.Period Apache remix)
• Crazy Legs / Rock Steady Crew Interlude
• Boom! / Wrath of Kane (J.Period Blend)
• Din Da Da (J.Period Volume remix)
• Rahzel Interlude
• Act Too... Love of My Life
• Love of My Life (remix) (feat. Mayda Del Valle)
• Streets of Philly
• What You Want
• Like Water (feat. Lauryn Hill)
• You Got Me (feat. Jill Scott, Erykah Badu & Eve) (J.Period remix)
• Jill Scott Interlude
• Break You Off (feat. D'Angelo)
• Murder in the First (feat. Jay-Z)

• Sacrifice (live on BBC Radio One's Worldwide Show With Giles Peterson)
• No Alibi
• Essaywhuman?!!!!! (Organix version)
• Break You Off (dub/sound check at Bogart's Cincinnati, Ohio, 2003)
• Quicksand Millennium
• Pass the Popcorn (Revisited)
• Don't Say Nuthin' (remix)
• Adrenaline (feat. Dice Raw & Beanie Sigel)
• The Lesson, Part 3 (feat. Dice Raw & Jaguar Wright)
• Y'all Know Who
• Thought@work
• Boom!
• The Seed / Melting Pot / Web (live on BBC Radio One's Worldwide Show With Giles Peterson)
• Din Da Da

• No Hometro / Proceed 2
• Distortion to Static (Black Thought mix)
• What They Do
• The Next Movement
• Good Music
• The Lesson
• Star
• The Hypnotic
• Silent Treatment
• You Got Me
• Clones
• What You Want
• Act Too (Love of My Life)
• Do You Want More?!!!??!
• It's Comin' (live at the Trocadero, Illadelph December 1993)
• Double Trouble

• The Roots Is Comin'
• Pass the Popcorn
• The Anti-Circle
• Writer's Block
• Good Music (Prelude)
• Good Music
• Grits
• Leonard I-V
• I'm Out Deah
• Essawhamah? (Live at Soulshack)
• There's a RIOT Goin' On
• Popcorn Revisited
• Peace
• Common Dust
• The Session (Longest Posse Cut in History 12:43)
• Syreeta's Having My Baby
• Carryin' On

• Start
• Hardware
• t@w
• Boom Shake the Room
• She Wanna No
• Baseline Pumpin
• Head So Bald I Can Read Your Mind
• Rock the Mike
• Ugly and Bloody
• Pan Ick
• H20
• Don't Say a Mofon Thang or I Will Kill Your Ass
• See in George Bush 4life
• Smokin Pot

• Star/Pointro
• I Don't Care
• Don't Say Nuthin'
• Guns Are Drawn
• Stay Cool
• Web
• Boom!
• Somebody's Gotta Do It
• Duck Down!
• Why (What's Goin On?) / In Love With the Mic / Din Da Da

• Proceed II (feat. Roy Ayers)
• Worldwide (London Groove)
• Silent Treatment (Black Thought's 87 You & Yours mix)
• You Got Me (Me Tienes remix)
• It's All About You (Not About Me)
• Distortion to Static (At Ease mix)
• Take It There (remix)
• Rafiki (album mix)
• Silent Treatment (Da Beatminerz mix)
• Listen to This
• What You Want (feat. Jaguar)
• Proceed III (feat. Bahamadia)
• The Good, The Bad & The Desolate
• Distortion to Static (Freestyle mix)
• Break You Off (original version) (feat. D'Angelo)

• Act Won (Things Fall Apart)
• Table of Contents, Parts 1 & 2
• The Next Movement
• Step Into the Realm
• The Spark
• Dynamite!
• Without a Doubt
• Ain't Sayin' Nothin' New
• Double Trouble
• Act Too (The Love of My Life)
• 100% Dundee
• Diedre vs. Dice
• Adrenaline!
• 3rd Acts: ? vs. Scratch 2... Electric Boogaloo
• You Got Me
• Don't See Us
• The Return to Innocence Lost
• Act Fore... The End?

• Distortion to Static
• What They Do
• Proceed II
• Concerto of the Desperado
• Adrenaline
• Clones
• Da Lesson, Part I
• Section
• Da Lesson, Part III
• U.N.I.Verse at War
• Respond-React
• Sweetback (Au natural)
• Represent
• Proceed Without a Pause
• Distortion to Static (At Ease remix)

• Live at the T-Connection
• The Next Movement
• Step Into the Realm
• Proceed
• Mellow My Man (Jusufckwithis)
• Love of My Life (feat. Common)
• The Ultimate
• Don't See Us
• 100% Dundee
• Adrenaline!
• Essaywhuman
• Silent Treatment
• The Notic
• You Got Me (feat. Jill Scott)
• What You Want (feat. Jaguar)
• We Got You (feat. Jaguar)
• The Lesson, Part III (It's Over Now) (feat. Jaguar)

• Intro
• Respond/React
• Section
• Panic!!!!!!!
• It Just Don't Stop
• Episodes
• Push Up Ya Lighter
• What They Do
• ? vs. Scratch (The Token DJ cut)
• Concerto of the Desperado
• Clones
• UNIverse at War
• No Alibi
• Dave vs. US
• No Great Pretender
• The Hypnotic
• Ital (The Universal Side)
• One Shine
• The Adventures in Wonderland
• Outro

• Intro / There's Something Goin' On
• Proceed
• Distortion to Static
• Mellow My Man
• I Remain Calm
• Datskat
• Lazy Afternoon
• ? vs. Rahzel
• Do You Want More?!!!??!
• What Goes On, Part 7
• Essaywhuman?!!!??!
• Swept Away
• You Ain't Fly
• Silent Treatment
• The Lesson, Part 1
• The Unlocking

• The Roots Is Comin'
• Shining Star (feat. D'Angelo & Erykah Badu)
• Good Music
• The Next Movement (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Jaz)
• Mellow My Man
• Dynamite!
• Proceed
• Silent Treatment
• Act Too (The Love of My Life) (feat. Common)
• Complexity (feat. Jill Scott)
• Pass the Popcorn
• You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu & Eve)
• Swept Away
• What They Do (feat. Raphael Saadiq)
• Break You Off (feat. Musiq)
• What You Want (feat. Jaguar Wright)
• We Got You (feat. Jaguar Wright)
• Essaywhuman?!!!??!

• Distortion to Static (At Ease mix)
• Distortion to Static (At Ease Microphone Check mix)
• Distortion to Static (At Ease mix instrumental)
• Distortion to Static (Black Thought mix)
• Distortion to Static (Ques Jim mix)
• Distortion to Static (Freestyle mix)

• Phrentrow
• Rock You
• !!!!!!!!
• Sacrifice
• Rolling With Heat
• WAOK (Ay) Rollcall
• Thought @ Work
• The Seed (2.0)
• Break You Off
• Water
• Quills
• Pussy Galore
• Complexity
• Something in the Way of Things (In Town)
• Rhymes And Ammo
• Thirsty
• The Ultimate