Swv

Friday, 21 December 2012

Alicia Keys Feat. SWV & En Vogue & TLC (live) HQ

SWV - Right Here (Original Version) (HQ)

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Atlanta
Atlanta ( /ətˈlæntə/, stressed /ætˈlæntə/, locally /ætˈlænə/) is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia with a 2010 population of 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest in the U.S. It is a major component of a growing southeastern megalopolis known as the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.
Atlanta began as a settlement located at the terminus of a railroad line, and it was incorporated in 1845. Today, the city is a major business city and the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States (via highway, railroad, and air), with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated Atlanta as an "alpha(-) world city." With a gross domestic product of US$270 billion, Atlanta's economy ranks 15th among world cities and sixth in the nation. The city is a center for services, finance, information technology, government, and higher education. Metro Atlanta contains the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies, and is the world headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, AT&T Mobility, UPS, and Delta Air Lines. As of 2010, Atlanta is the seventh most visited city in the United States, with over 35 million visitors per year.

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Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.
Belmont Mansion was the home of Adelicia Hayes Acklen Cheatham, a wealthy Nashville socialite, businesswoman and slave owner. Built starting in 1849, it was one of the most elaborate antebellum homes in the South, with 36 rooms and 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m²) in size. The estate contained an art gallery, conservatories, bowling alley, lavish gardens, aviary, lake and a zoo (which was then subsequently opened to the public). In 1887 Acklen Cheatham sold the estate to a group which intended to develop it into a subdivision, but in 1889 the mansion and 13 acres of its grounds became the home to a women's school run by a Miss Hereon and Miss Hood. This school merged with Ward Seminary in 1913 and was known as Ward-Belmont College, which included both a junior college and college-prep (or high) school for women. Today it is owned by Belmont University but maintained by the Belmont Mansion Association, a non-profit group. The mansion is open for tours and features Victorian art and furnishings. The gardens, with surviving gazebos and outdoor statuary from the Acklen era, are part of the college campus.

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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km² (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.

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Japan
Japan ⁱ/dʒəˈpæn/ (Japanese: 日本 Nihon or Nippon; formally 日本国 Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, literally the State of Japan) is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan's name mean "sun-origin", which is why Japan is sometimes referred to as the "Land of the Rising Sun".
Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands. The four largest islands are Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū and Shikoku, together accounting for ninety-seven percent of Japan's land area. Japan has the world's tenth-largest population, with over 127 million people. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the de facto capital city of Tokyo and several surrounding prefectures, is the largest metropolitan area in the world, with over 30 million residents.
Archaeological research indicates that people lived in Japan as early as the Upper Paleolithic period. The first written mention of Japan is in Chinese history texts from the 1st century AD. Influence from other nations followed by long periods of isolation has characterized Japan's history. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War and World War I allowed Japan to expand its empire during a period of increasing militarism. The Second Sino-Japanese War of 1937 expanded into part of World War II in 1941, which came to an end in 1945 following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since adopting its revised constitution in 1947, Japan has maintained a unitary constitutional monarchy with an emperor and an elected parliament called the Diet.

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Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home to a large number of colleges and universities. It is most notably known as a center of the music industry, earning it the nickname "Music City".
Nashville has a consolidated city–county government which includes seven smaller municipalities in a two-tier system. As of the 2010 census the population of the city of Nashville, not including the semi-independent municipalities, stood at 601,222. The population of Davidson County as a whole, including all municipalities, was 626,681. Nashville is the second largest city in Tennessee, after Memphis, and the fourth largest city in the Southeastern United States. The 2010 population of the entire 13-county Nashville metropolitan area was 1,589,934, making it the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the state. The 2010 population of the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Columbia combined statistical area, a larger trade area, was 1,670,890.

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New York
New York (/njuː ˈjɔrk/; locally IPA: [nɪu ˈjɔək] or [nuː ˈjɔɹk] ( listen)) is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. New York is the 27th most extensive, the 3rd most populous, and the 7th most densely populated of the 50 United States. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the west and north, and Quebec to the north. The state of New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.
New York City, with a population of over 8.1 million, is the most populous city in the United States. Alone, it makes up over 40 percent of the population of New York state. It is known for its status as a center for finance and culture and for its status as the largest gateway for immigration to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, New York City is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors. Both the state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland.

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New Zealand
New Zealand (Māori: Aotearoa) is an island country located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses ‒ that of the North and South Islands ‒ as well as numerous smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 1,500 kilometres (900 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
During its long isolation, New Zealand developed a distinctive biodiversity of both animal and plant life. Most notable are the large number of unique bird species, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans and introduced mammals. With a mild maritime climate, the land was mostly covered in forest. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions caused by the Pacific and Indo-Australian Plates clashing beneath the earth's surface.

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South Africa
Coordinates: 30°S 25°E / 30°S 25°E / -30; 25
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of Africa. It is divided into nine provinces and has 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline. To the north of the country lie the neighbouring territories of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe; to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland; while Lesotho is an enclave surrounded by South African territory.
South Africa is multi-ethnic and has diverse cultures and languages. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution. Two of these languages are of European origin: South African English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. All ethnic and language groups have political representation in the country's constitutional democracy comprising a parliamentary republic; unlike most parliamentary republics, the positions of head of state and head of government are merged in a parliament-dependent President.

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United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK, or Britain) is a sovereign state located off the north-western coast of continental Europe. The country includes the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea.
The United Kingdom is a unitary state governed under a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary system, with its seat of government in the capital city of London. It is a country in its own right and consists of four countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are three devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Associated with the UK, but not constitutionally part of it, are three Crown Dependencies. The United Kingdom has fourteen overseas territories. These are remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in 1922, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface and was the largest empire in history. British influence can still be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former territories.

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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.

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USA
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.

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Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Although Fairfax County is the most populous jurisdiction in the state of Virginia, Virginia Beach is the most populous city in the state, as well as the 39th largest city in the United States, with a population of 437,994 according to the 2010 Census.
Virginia Beach is the easternmost city of the Hampton Roads (or "Tidewater") area that makes up the core of the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA. This area, known as "America's First Region", also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties and towns of Hampton Roads.
Virginia Beach is a resort city with miles of beaches and hundreds of hotels, motels, and restaurants along its oceanfront. Every year the city hosts the East Coast Surfing Championships as well as the North American Sand Soccer Championship, a beach soccer tournament. It is also home to several state parks, several long-protected beach areas, three military bases, a number of large corporations, two universities, Edgar Cayce's Association for Research and Enlightenment, and numerous historic sites. Near the point where the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean meet, Cape Henry was the site of the first landing of the English colonists, who eventually settled in Jamestown, on April 26, 1607.

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Alicia Keys
Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Keys was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records.
Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide. She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001. The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'". Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies. The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005. Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States. She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.

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Bobby Brown
Robert Barisford "Bobby" Brown (born February 5, 1969) is an American R&B singer-songwriter, occasional rapper, and dancer.
Brown started his career as one of the frontmen of the pop group New Edition, from its inception as The Bricks in 1978 until his forced exit from the group in 1986 following a period of misbehavior on his part. Starting a solo career, he became a hit success with his second album, Don't Be Cruel, which spawned a number of hit singles including the co-self penned "My Prerogative", which became his signature hit. Brown had a string of top ten hits on various Billboard charts between 1986 and 1992, and is a recipient of a Grammy Award. Brown is noted as a pioneer of New Jack Swing music, a fusion of hip-hop and R&B.
Brown was most noted in recent years as the ex-husband of pop singer Whitney Houston. Brown and Houston later gained notoriety co-starring in the reality show, Being Bobby Brown.
Brown was born in Boston as one of eight children to Herbert "Pops" and Carole Brown. Herbert was a construction worker and Carole was a schoolteacher. Brown and his family grew up in Roxbury's Orchard Park Projects. As a child, Brown got involved in petty theft including robbery later saying "I didn't wanna ask my mother or my father because they didn't have a lot of money", stating that whenever he saw something he wanted, "I'd just go to the store and take it." Brown also grew up around gangs. At ten, he was shot in the knee during a fight with a rival gang while attending a block party. Brown said his life reached a turning point at eleven after seeing one of his friends dead from multiple stab wounds at another party. Brown's brother Tommy would later say after that moment, Brown took "his career, schooling, his whole life more seriously." Brown's first taste of being onstage occurred at the age of three when one of his childhood idols, James Brown, performed in Boston.

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Coko
Cheryl Elizabeth "Coko" Clemons (born June 13, 1970) is an American gospel and R&B singer, and lead singer of R&B group Sisters With Voices (SWV).
Clemons began her recording career as a choir member in Hezekiah Walker's Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir.
From 1990 to 1998, Coko sang with the platinum recording group, Sisters With Voices (SWV). Altogether the group issued 6 albums. After their 1998 Christmas album SWV disbanded. Two compilation albums were released after the disbanding; Greatest Hits (1999) and the Best of SWV (2001). Though many stories circulated as to why SWV disbanded, it was Coko herself who made the final decision. In an interview, she said it was not a mutual decision and that many people tried to convince her to stay. She states that her reason for leaving was that the group was not communicating well and that she felt she would do better with a solo career.
After SWV disbanded, Coko went on to release her first solo album under RCA, titled Hot Coko, released August 1999. The first single, "Sunshine," which was dedicated to her son Jazz, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, both the album and singles did not gather the same mainstream success as Coko once did with SWV. Meanwhile, Coko was working on a second solo album titled Music Doll in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. Since then, she has concentrated more on her family, and eventually married gospel producer and drummer for Israel and New Breed, Mike "Big Mike" Clemmons, the father of her second son, Jaylon. She currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.^{[citation needed]}

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E-40
Earl Stevens (born November 15, 1967) better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is a member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released over ten albums, appeared on numerous movie soundtracks, and has also done guest appearances on a host of other rap albums. Initially an underground artist, his 1995 solo album In a Major Way opened him up to a wider audience. Beginning in 1998, he began collaborating with more mainstream rappers outside of the Bay Area. He rose to even higher mainstream popularity in 2006 with his single Tell Me When to Go which was produced by Lil Jon.
E-40 made his rap debut in 1990, with the EP Let's Side as a member of The Click. The EP was co-produced by Mike Mosley and Al Eaton and was released on Sick Wid It Records, an independent label founded by E-40. In 1992 they released second album, Down and Dirty, and in 1993 E-40 made his solo album debut. Federal, a nine-track LP/14-track CD produced by Studio Ton and released by Sick Wid' It Records in association with SMG (Solar Music Group), a regional distributor. After a talent show at Grambling State University, the emcee and his cousin B-Legit decided to attempt a career in rap. Together, and with his sister Suga-T, they released their 1993 mainstream radio hit Captain Save a Hoe. They moved back to Vallejo and teamed up with D-Shot, E-40's brother, to form the group MVP or Most Valuable Players. E-40's gospel singing uncle (Saint Charles) helped them put out the record. Suga-T was then added to the group to form The Click.

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Eddie George
Edward Nathan George, Jr. (born September 24, 1973) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for Ohio State University and won the Heisman Trophy in 1995. He was drafted in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Tennessee Titans (both in Tennessee and in Houston when the franchise was known as the Houston Oilers). George was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
George was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Abington Senior High School until the tenth grade, and then transferred to Fork Union Military Academy. George made the decision to stay at Fork Union Military Academy for a fifth prep school year. Such choices are commonly made by high school football players hoping to improve their recruitment status with colleges, but for George it meant another year of the vigorous military lifestyle. George went on to rush for 1,372 yards in his fifth season at FUMA, attracting the attention of several major colleges.

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Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, (born 30 March 1945) is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and fourth in Gibson's Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.
In the mid 1960s, Clapton departed from the Yardbirds to play blues with John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers. In his one-year stay with Mayall, Clapton gained the nickname "Slowhand". Immediately after leaving Mayall, Clapton formed Cream, a power trio with drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce in which Clapton played sustained blues improvisations and "arty, blues-based psychedelic pop." For most of the 1970s, Clapton's output bore the influence of the mellow style of J.J. Cale and the reggae of Bob Marley. His version of Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff" helped reggae reach a mass market. Two of his most popular recordings were "Layla", recorded by Derek and the Dominos, another band he formed and Robert Johnson's "Crossroads", recorded by Cream. A recipient of seventeen Grammy Awards, in 2004 Clapton was awarded a CBE for services to music. In 1998, Clapton, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict, founded the Crossroads Centre on Antigua, a medical facility for recovering substance abusers.

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Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born in Florida and raised in New Jersey, Evans relocated to Los Angeles during 1993 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B. Sure and Christopher Williams, she became the first female artist to be contracted with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs' Bad Boy Entertainment recording company during 1994, for which she released three platinum-certified studio albums between the years 1995 and 2001. During 2003, she ended her relationship with the company to contract with Capitol Records.
Other than her recording career, Evans is known as the widow of New York rapper Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, whom she married on August 4, 1994, a few weeks after meeting at a Bad Boy photoshoot. The turbulent marriage resulted in Evans' involvement in the East Coast-West Coast hip hop feud, dominating the rap music news at the time, and ended with Wallace's murder in a yet-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997. A 1997 tribute single featuring Puff Daddy and the band 112, named "I'll Be Missing You", became Evans' best-selling song to date and won her a Grammy Award during 1998.

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Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino (born June 30, 1984), commonly known simply as Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series American Idol in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, "I Believe", which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Subsequently, she released her debut album, Free Yourself, which went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA and garnered Barrino three Grammy nominations in 2006.
In 2006, she released her second album, Fantasia, which featured the single "When I See U" which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight weeks. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA and received three Grammy nominations in 2008. She then played the part of Celie in the Broadway musical The Color Purple, for which she won a 2007 Theatre World Award. Her third studio album, Back to Me, was released worldwide on August 24, 2010 and features the single "Bittersweet," which peaked in the top ten on the R&B chart. The single won her a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. As of February 2012, Barrino has sold 2,842,000 albums and 1,425,000 tracks in the United States.

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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.

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Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III (December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician, composer, and electric bass player.
His playing style was noteworthy for containing intricate solos in the higher register and for the "singing" quality he achieved on the fretless bass. His innovations also included the use of harmonics. Pastorius suffered from mental illness including a substance-related disorder, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. He died in 1987 at age 35 following a violent altercation at a Fort Lauderdale bar.
Pastorius was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, one of only six bassists to be so honored (and the only electric bass guitarist). He is one of the most influential electric bass players of all time.
John Francis Pastorius III was born December 1, 1951 in Norristown, Pennsylvania to Jack Pastorius (big band singer and drummer) and Stephanie Katherine Haapala Pastorius, the first of their three children, Jaco Pastorius was of Finnish, German, Swedish and Irish ancestry.

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Jamie Foxx
Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, rapper, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host who began playing the piano when he was five years old. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a musical/comedy. He is also a Grammy Award winning musician, producing three albums which have charted highly on the Billboard 200: Unpredictable, which topped the chart, Best Night of My Life and Intuition.
Born in Terrell, Texas, Foxx was raised by his mother's adoptive parents. He performed in high school and was awarded with a scholarship to United States International University. In his twenties, Foxx began performing stand-up at comedy clubs, and eventually joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991; this exposure helped him land film roles and star in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. He released his debut album, Peep This, in 1994, but he did not gain significant musical success until 2004 when he was featured in Twista's song "Slow Jamz". Also in 2004, Foxx played critically acclaimed roles in the films Collateral and Ray. He released his second album, Unpredictable, in 2005, which was helped by his collaboration on Kanye West's number-one single "Gold Digger". His third album Intuition was released in 2008 and was anchored by the single "Blame It". Foxx released his fourth studio album, Best Night of My Life, in 2010.

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Jennifer Holliday
Jennifer-Yvette Holliday (born October 19, 1960, Riverside, Texas) is an American singer and Tony Award-winning actress. She started her career on Broadway in musicals such as Dreamgirls, and later became a successful recording artist. She is best known for her debut single, the Dreamgirls showstopper and Grammy Award-winning R&B/Pop hit, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going." She is also known as the Queen Of Broadway Gospel.
Jennifer landed her first big role on Broadway in 1979. At age 19, she landed a part the same day she auditioned for the Broadway production of Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. Her performance in that musical earned her a 1981 Drama Desk nomination. Her next role, which she began to act at 21, was the role for which she became best known: the role of Effie Melody White in the Broadway musical Dreamgirls. Jennifer originated the role of Effie and remained with the show for nearly four years after its December 20, 1981 opening. Her performance in the role was widely acclaimed, particularly in her iconic performance of the musical number that ends Act I, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."

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Les McCann
Les McCann (born September 23, 1935, Lexington, Kentucky) is an American soul jazz piano player and vocalist whose biggest successes came as a crossover artist into R&B and soul.
Les McCann's main career began in the early 1960s when he recorded with his trio for Pacific Jazz Records.
In 1969, Atlantic Records released Swiss Movement, a recording of McCann with regular collaborator and saxophonist Eddie Harris and guest trumpeter Benny Bailey at that year's Montreux Jazz Festival. The album contained the song "Compared To What," and both the album and the single were huge Billboard pop chart successes. "Compared To What" featured political criticism of the Vietnam War. The song was not actually written by McCann; fellow Atlantic composer/artist Eugene McDaniels (A Hundred Pounds of Clay) wrote it years earlier. "Compared To What" was initially recorded and released by soul vocalist Roberta Flack. Her version appeared as the opening track on her debut recording, First Take (1969).
After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann — primarily a piano player — began to emphasize his rough-hewn vocals more. He became an innovator in the soul jazz style, merging jazz with funk, soul and world rhythms; much of his early 1970s music prefigures the great Stevie Wonder albums of the decade. He was among the first jazz musicians to include electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer in his music.

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Lil Mo
Cynthia Loving (born November 19, 1975), also known by her stage name Lil' Mo, is an American R&B singer, Washington, D.C. radio personality, songwriter & record producer. She is best known for collaborating with artists such as Ja Rule, Tamar Braxton, Angie Martinez, Sacario, Missy Elliott, Ol' Dirty Bastard and Fabolous, and for her hit single "Superwoman Pt. II".
Born into a military family, Loving was raised primarily on Long Island, but moved about regularly as her family followed her father's military assignments. Along with her parents, Bishop Jacob and First-Lady Cynthia Loving Sr., she lived in Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, and Fayetteville, North Carolina before settling in Baltimore, Maryland. Dreams of becoming a famous singer began early and she always remained focused on this goal, performing in talent competitions wherever her family would settle.
Signed with Elektra Records Loving entered the music industry as a protégé of then-labelmate Missy Elliott. Her debut single was entitled "5 Minutes" from the Why Do Fools Fall In Love soundtrack, co-written by Kelly Price. She appeared on tracks for Elliott's Da Real World in 1999. "Hot Boyz" became Loving's breakout appearance. She was featured in the music video for the song's remix alongside guest rappers Nas and Eve, and Elliott subsequently became a trusted adviser and friend. She was featured on rapper Jay-Z's song "Parking Lot Pimpin'" from the 2000 The Dynasty: Roc La Familia album. Not very well known, she was the female voice on the 2000 hit "Wifey" by Next. She has performed with and written songs for many artists including Blackstreet, Next, Bow Wow, Keith Sweat, Changing Faces, Canela Cox, 3LW, Nicole Wray, Mocha and ODB.

wn.com/Lil_Mo
Lil' Cease
James Lloyd (born August 10, 1977), better known by his stage name Lil' Cease, is an American rapper and member of hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A.. Cease released his first album, Conspiracy, with Junior M.A.F.I.A. in 1995, and gained mainstream attention with a memorable verse on "Player's Anthem", the album's highest charting single. Frequent name dropping from mentor The Notorious B.I.G. throughout Cease's career helped keep the young rapper in the spotlight. Cease also featured on the Def Jam-released soundtrack for the 1997 comedy film How to Be a Player alongside LeVert, Cam'ron and fellow Harlem rapper Mase.
After making guest appearances on other artists' albums, Cease released his debut and only studio album The Wonderful World of Cease A Leo. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and features Bristal, Jay-Z and Lil' Kim. In 2005, Lil' Cease, Banger and MC Klepto reunited Junior M.A.F.I.A. and released the group's second album, Riot Musik. In January 2009, Lil' Cease released "Letter to B.I.G.", which sampled "Letter to B.I.G." by Jadakiss from the soundtrack to the film Notorious.

wn.com/Lil'_Cease
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A..
Jones was born and raised in Brooklyn, living much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. As a teenager, Kim would rap for fun, being heavily influenced by other female MCs like MC Lyte and Lady of Rage. When word got to The Notorious B.I.G. that she could rhyme, he made Jones perform a freestyle for him on the spot. Impressed with her, he took her in and she began her music career in 1995 with the group Junior M.A.F.I.A., whose debut album Conspiracy generated three hit singles. In late 1996, her solo debut album Hard Core was released. Hard Core was certified double platinum and spawned three consecutive #1 rap hits that included: "No Time" "Not Tonight (Ladies Night remix)" and "Crush on You", a record for a female rapper. Her following albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003), both were certified platinum by the RIAA, making Kim the only female rapper besides Missy Elliott to have at least 3 platinum albums so far. Kim solidified her star power in 2001, when "Lady Marmalade", a song Kim was featured on, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. That made her the second female rapper to earn a #1 on that chart.

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Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop and rock artists.

wn.com/Michael_Jackson
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
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
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He was originally known as Puff Daddy and then as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy have been used as nicknames, but never as recording names). In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy", but continues to use the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He formed and recorded with the group Diddy – Dirty Money.
Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. His business interests—under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide—include Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and "Sean by Sean Combs", a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011, Forbes estimated his net worth at $500 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.

wn.com/Sean_Combs
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American comedienne, actress, and television personality. She is one of five co-hosts on the ABC daytime talkshow, The View, as well as being the current host of the Newlywed Game and having a recurring role as Angie Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock. As an actress, she has starred in the sitcom Less than Perfect and her own sitcom Sherri on Lifetime.
Shepherd was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Lawrence A. Shepherd (b. 1943) and LaVerne Shepherd (1941–1991), as the eldest of three sisters. When she was 11, her family moved to Hoffman Estates, a Chicago northwest suburb. She attended Winston Churchill Elementary School and Eisenhower Junior High School of Community Consolidated School District 54 and Hoffman Estates High School of District 211.
Shepherd worked a day job as a legal secretary while doing stand-up comedy at night. Her first TV role was on the show, Cleghorne!, starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Ellen Cleghorne. Three years later, Shepherd pursued acting and stand-up comedy full-time, working again as a legal secretary for a day job. She had guest and recurring roles on Everybody Loves Raymond and Living Single as well as regular roles on Suddenly Susan and The Jamie Foxx Show. Perhaps her most successful role prior to The View was playing the main character of Ramona Platt (2002–2006) on the comedy Less than Perfect. She is currently starring in Lifetime Television's Sherri, a sitcom about Shepherd's life.

wn.com/Sherri_Shepherd
Star Jones
Star Jones (previously Star Jones Reynolds; born March 24, 1962) is an American lawyer, journalist, writer, and television personality. She is known for her role as a co-host of the ABC weekday morning talk show The View. She was one of the contestants of the fourth installment of Celebrity Apprentice, coming in 5th place.
Born Starlet Marie Jones in Badin, North Carolina, Star moved to Trenton, New Jersey as a child where she graduated from Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. She earned a B.A. degree in The Administration of Justice at American University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston Law Center. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She was initiated in the Lambda Zeta Chapter at American University.^{[citation needed]}
Jones was recruited by Court TV in 1991 as a commentator for the William Kennedy Smith rape trial, and spent several years as a legal correspondent for NBC's Today and NBC Nightly News.
She left NBC in 1994 to host her own court show Jones & Jury. Although the show was canceled after one year, Jones quickly was signed up as chief legal analyst on Inside Edition, where she was assigned to lead the coverage of the O. J. Simpson murder case and was the only reporter to interview Simpson during his civil trial, which she covered for American Journal.

wn.com/Star_Jones
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s. The Neptunes' sound is a distinctive brand of off-kilter, stripped-down electronic funk with sounds from Middle Eastern and Asian music including percussion and woodwind. Pharrell sings and (later) raps on records and appears in videos, unlike his production partner Chad, and sometimes vocal partner Shay Haley, who tends to stay behind the scenes.
The Neptunes are estimated to have a net worth of $155 million and are considered one of the most successful producers in music history, noted by twenty-four Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits during the late 1990's and 2000's. In 2009 Billboard ranked The Neptunes No. 1 on their list of Top 10 producers of the decade. Readers of Vibe Magazine named The Neptunes as the 3rd greatest hip-hop producers of all time behind Dr. Dre and DJ Premier.
Pharrell and Chad met at a summer camp from the school of The Gifted and Talented in Virginia Beach, where Williams was a drummer and Hugo played tenor saxophone. They were also both members of a marching band; Pharrell played kettle drum and Chad was a student conductor. In 1990 Chad and Pharrell formed a 4-piece "R&B type" group along with friends Shay and Mike Etheridge, which they named The Neptunes. Upon entering a local talent contest, they were discovered by Teddy Riley, whose studio was close to Pharrell's school. After graduating from high school, they signed with Riley as a group.

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The Notorious B.I.G
Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again).
Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream. The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.
On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification). Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow", dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time. He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.

wn.com/The_Notorious_B.I.G
Tramaine Hawkins
Tramaine Hawkins (born Tramaine Davis) is an American Grammy-,Dove and Stellar Award winning gospel singer.
Tramaine Hawkins was born October 11, 1951 in San Francisco, California. She grew up in the Ephesian Church of God in Christ located in Berkeley, California, pastored by her Grandfather the late, Bishop E.E. Cleveland. While still in high school, Tramaine and her friends Mary McCreary, Elva Mouton and Vet Stone had a gospel group called The Heavenly Tones and performed at various venues around the Oakland and San Francisco areas. In 1966 they recorded the album "I love The Lord" for the Gospel label, part of Savoy Records, and a 45 for the Music City label called "He's Alright". When Vet Stone's older brother Sylvester, better known as Sly Stone, formed Sly & the Family Stone with their brother Freddie, and friends Larry Graham, Cynthia Robinson, Jerry Martini, and Greg Errico, The Heavenly Tones were recruited directly out of high school to become Little Sister (band), Sly & the Family Stone's background vocalists for their recording. Tramaine left the group and started a very successful solo career. She first started singing on The Edwin Hawkins Singers Choir's single "Oh Happy Day." With her distinctive soprano and extensive vocal range, she became better known as a featured soloist with then-husband Walter Hawkins' Love Center Choir.

wn.com/Tramaine_Hawkins
Tyrone Davis
Tyrone Davis (May 4, 1938 – February 9, 2005), born Tyrone Fettson, was a leading American soul singer with a distinctive style, recording a long list of hit records over a period of more than 20 years. He had three no. 1 hits on the Billboard R&B chart: "Can I Change My Mind" (1968), ""Turn Back The Hands Of Time"" (1970), and "Turning Point" (1975).
Tyrone Fettson was born in a rural community twenty miles outside of Greenville, Mississippi to Willie Branch and Ora Lee Jones. He moved with his father to Saginaw, Michigan, before relocating to Chicago in 1959.
Working as a valet/chauffeur for blues singer Freddie King, he started singing in local clubs where he was discovered by record executive/musician Harold Burrage. His early records for small record labels in the city, billed as "Tyrone the Wonder Boy", failed to register. Successful Chicago record producer Carl Davis signed him in 1968 to a new label, Dakar Records that he was starting as part of a distribution deal with Atlantic, and suggested that he use the stage name Tyrone Davis. His first release, "A Woman Needs To Be Loved" was flipped when the b-side started to get radio attention. The song, "Can I Change My Mind" featured a change of vocal style for Davis with a softer, more pleading approach and tone. The record now shot up the listings and spent three weeks on the top of the Billboard R&B chart while climbing to #5 in the Hot 100. It sold over one million and received gold disc recognition. His biggest hit came in early 1970 when "Turn Back The Hands Of Time" also reached #1 in the R&B chart and went up to #3 in the Hot 100 pop chart. Written by Jack Daniels and Bonnie Thompson, this disc also sold over one million copies, and received a gold disc awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America in May 1970.

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Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model and actress. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal arose when Penthouse magazine bought and published nude photographs of her. She relinquished her title early and was succeeded by the first runner-up, Suzette Charles of New Jersey – who was also African-American. Williams rebounded by launching a career as an entertainer, earning multiple Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award nominations.
Williams released her debut album The Right Stuff in 1988, which spawned the hits "The Right Stuff", a #1 on Hot Dance Songs, and "Dreamin'" a #1 on R&B and #8 on Billboard Hot 100. Her second studio album The Comfort Zone in 1991 topped the Billboard R&B Album Chart, which spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit "Save the Best for Last". In 1994 she debuted on Broadway in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. In 1995 she recorded "Colors of the Wind", the Oscar-winner for Best Original Song from the Disney animated feature film Pocahontas, which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

wn.com/Vanessa_L._Williams
Xscape (group)
Xscape was a female American R&B group that originally started out as a quintet and then became a quartet. The group had a string of hit songs during the 1990s. The original lineup of the group consisted of sisters LaTocha Scott and Tamika Scott, Kandi Burruss, Tameka "Tiny" Cottle, and Tamera Coggins, though Coggins departed the group before their debut album was released.
LaTocha and Tamika Scott's father, Rev. Randolf Scott, was part of the 1971 R&B group Scott Three during the early '70s. The sisters were trained to sing by their father at an early age. They sang in church and competed in talent shows around the area while growing up. In the early '90s, they met Xscape's other three members, Kandi Burruss, Tamera Coggins, and Tameka "Tiny" Cottle-Harris at the magnet performing arts high school, Tri-Cities, in East Point, Georgia, a city outside of Atlanta. Cottle's father, Charles Pope, and her uncle, Joseph Pope (1933–1996), were members of the R&B group, The Tams.
After Coggins left the group in 1993, Xscape became a quartet. They were later discovered by Jermaine Dupri while singing at an annual Martin Luther King, Jr. festival in Atlanta. Dupri immediately signed the group to his up and coming So So Def label. He debuted the quartet at his birthday party in 1991. The group released their debut album, Hummin' Comin' at 'Cha, on October 12, 1993. The album peaked at number seventeen the U.S. Billboard 200 and number three on the Top R&B Albums chart. It was a critical and commercial success, certified platinum within a year, and launched two top 10 singles. The debut single, "Just Kickin' It", and second single, "Understanding", both entered the top 10 of the official Hot 100 and became platinum and gold certified number-one hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The follow-up singles, "Love on My Mind" and "Tonight", did not achieve the same success.

wn.com/Xscape_(group)

SWV-Right Here (Human Nature Mix)

Human Nature Mix (Michael Jackson) 1992 BMG...

published: 07 Feb 2007

author: sadatp83

swv-weak

sweet...

published: 12 Nov 2006

author: christheboy1234

SWV - I'm So Into You

...

published: 04 Apr 2010

author: 5miles2empty

SWV "Cosign" Official Video

The new video for SWV's hit song "Co-Sign" from the album I Miss Us Get Cosigned on iTunes...

published: 21 Feb 2012

author: KOCHRECORDS

Alicia Keys Feat. SWV & En Vogue & TLC (live) HQ

AWARDS '08 Alicia Keys Feat. SWV & En Vogue & TLC (live) Song: "Teenage Love Affair" - "We...

published: 16 Jul 2009

author: snoopygiorgio

SWV Ft Missy-Can We

love it and this group...

published: 31 May 2008

author: blackkendoll82

SWV - Rain

published: 23 Mar 2011

author: SWVVEVO

SWV - You're Always On My Mind

SWV's 6th single from their debut album It's About Time, "You're Always On My Mind." Coko ...

published: 12 Jun 2007

author: MsHoneychile

SWV - You're The One

SWV - You're The One...

published: 28 Jul 2007

author: spanishjoint

SWV - Right Here (Original Version) (HQ)

published: 26 Jan 2011

author: HQmvideo

SWV - You're The One

SWV You're The One New Beginning (1996) RCA Records...

published: 18 Jun 2008

author: jpadilla92260

SWV - Anything

SWV Anything Music Video Above The Rim Tupac Shakur...

published: 20 Oct 2006

author: wescoastg

SWV-I'M SO INTO YOU

One of my favorites from this awesome group!!...

published: 17 Aug 2008

author: chica0616

SWV - I'm So Into You (HQ)

published: 26 Jan 2011

author: HQmvideo

SWV

published: 21 May 2010

author: Bond

SWV- Weak

This is the part of the concert where my camera battery decided it was exhausted....

published: 16 May 2010

author: Rujay

Weak-SWV

published: 27 Sep 2009

author: Andre Martin

Compilado SWV

Actividades que llevamos realizadas desde 2006....

published: 11 May 2009

author: Jorge Aranda

(QUALITY) new! "SWV" sings LIVE on Wendy 2012

www.remedysung.com...

published: 17 Apr 2012

author: ReMEDYmusicTV

Swv live Oct 2012

Swv performing in philly at power house 30 throwback show! Welcome back to one of my favor...

published: 28 Oct 2012

author: Fast10Eddie

SWV Live - Rain Snippet

Monique said it best "everyone thought they were Sisters With Voices" & judging by this vi...

published: 15 Jun 2011

author: Zeebo89

Alicia Keys Feat. SWV & En Vogue & TLC (live) HQ

AWARDS '08 Alicia Keys Feat. SWV & En Vogue & TLC (live) Song: "Teenage Love Affair" - "We...

published: 16 Jul 2009

author: snoopygiorgio

SWV sings "Weak" to Chris Webber - Live (1993)

SWV sings to NBA rookie Chris Webber in 1993....

published: 17 Jun 2012

author: KlassicThrowbackTV

SWV Medley Live 1996

Taj Lelee & Coko Sisters With Voices in their prime...

published: 01 Nov 2011

author: Zeebo89

SWV performing at the Steve Harvey Morning Show Live Broadc

Live at the Walt Disney World Resort with the Steve Harvey Morning Show ... Special perfor...

published: 25 May 2012

author: officialsteveharvey

SWV All About You Live 2012

...

published: 01 Aug 2012

author: Stoney B

Faith Evans and SWV Live In London Part 1 - Opening Acts

Take a look at my front row view of the Faith Evans and SWV show live at The Indigo2, O2, ...

published: 09 Dec 2010

author: Kai KaiMusic

SWV - Right Here LIVE!

Soulfood Festival Oklahoma City June 2009.They sampled the masters music on this song.RIP ...

published: 01 Jul 2009

author: Prtybrwnize

SWV - "So Into You" Live (1993)

...

published: 04 Apr 2012

author: KlassicThrowbackTV

JoJo - Weak [By SWV] (Live at Paltalk)

JoJo - Weak [By SWV] (Live at Paltalk)...

published: 30 Dec 2009

author: xLoveJNLx

SWV in Greensboro, NC.mov

ATWS SWV Live "If Only You Knew"...

published: 30 May 2012

author: 1173diva

SWV - "Weak" Live (1993)

Performed on The Uptown Comedy Club (1993)...

published: 29 Oct 2012

author: KlassicThrowbackTV

SWV

published: 21 May 2010

author: Bond

SWV- Weak

This is the part of the concert where my camera battery decided it was exhausted....

published: 16 May 2010

author: Rujay

Weak-SWV

published: 27 Sep 2009

author: Andre Martin

Compilado SWV

Actividades que llevamos realizadas desde 2006....

published: 11 May 2009

author: Jorge Aranda

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photo: AP / Carolyn Kaster

FILE - In this June 26, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Atlanta. The presidential race enters the sultry summer _ a final lull before a sprint to Election Day _ with President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney neck and neck and no sign that either can break away. Both sides have money concerns _ for all the flood of cash _ as well as political worries.

Obama promises gun control early next year

Sowetan Live

20 Dec 2012

Obama held a White House news conference on Wednesday to announce that Vice President Joe Biden will lead an interagency effort to craft new gun policies. The group is expected to offer its proposals in January. “We know this is a complex issue that stirs deeply held passions and political divides,” Obama said. “But the fact that this problem is complex can no longer be an excuse for doing nothing.” ... WAKE-UP CALL ... ....(size: 6.1Kb)

photo: AP / Charles Krupa

Police officers cross the road after searching a strip mall near an elementary school, which was in a lockdown, in Ridgefield, Conn., Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, after a suspicious person was seen near a train station close by.

Gunspicuous Consumption and Bio-Cultures of Violence

WorldNews.com

18 Dec 2012

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. "Most people reason dramatically, not quantitatively." -Oliver Wendell Holmes. On the same day that a 20-year-old, described as brilliant but remote, walked into an elementary school in Connecticut and massacred 26 children and adults, the school where I teach went on "lock-down." Four students with a handgun were arrested ... That morning before school, he had posted on Twitter and Facebook....(size: 14.0Kb)

photo: AP / Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Barack Obama gestures while speaking during the his visit to the Disaster Operation Center of the Red Cross National Headquarter to discuss superstorm Sandy

Obama backs bill to ban assault weapons

The Star

19 Dec 2012

WASHINGTON. US President Barack Obama backs a new bill to revive an assault weapons ban and other new gun laws, the White House said Tuesday, fleshing out his nascent response to a shocking school massacre. Obama also called an ardently pro-gun senator who has shifted his position on firearms laws since Friday's carnage in Connecticut and has begun meeting top cabinet officials to consider his options, his spokesman Jay Carney said ... ....(size: 4.9Kb)

photo: Creative Commons / Joachim Huber

Etosha's elephants belong to the group of elephants in northwestern Nambia and southern Angola.

Stupider and Still Developing an Extermination Gene

WorldNews.com

18 Dec 2012

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. When a Stanford geneticist, Gerald Crabtree, published a provocative and controversial new view on evolutionary change, namely that humans are actually getting dumber, he should have also added that humans are still developing an extermination gene ... Paleontologist Tim Flannery would more than likely agree with Crabtree ... Strange strings of gravel also overlaid some bones ... (1) Kane, Alex ... 195....(size: 9.4Kb)

photo: AP / Narciso Contreras

In this Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 photo, a man runs between debris after a mortar shell hit a street killing several people in the Bustan Al-Qasr district of Aleppo, Syria.

U.N. seeks $1.5 billion to address Syria crisis

The Star

19 Dec 2012

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations appealed on Wednesday for $1.5 billion (920.1 million pounds) to provide life-saving aid to Syrians suffering from a "dramatically deteriorating" humanitarian situation ... "The magnitude of this humanitarian crisis is indisputable," said Radhouane Nouicer, U.N ... Inside Syria, U.N ... ....(size: 1.5Kb)

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Georgia Music Partners Congratulates 2013 Georgia GRAMMY® Nominees

Business Wire

19 Dec 2012

Ken Oriole – 1 Nomination Ne-Yo – 1 Nomination Usher – 1 Nomination Patrick “jQue” Smith – 1 Nomination Ludacris – 1 Nomination SWV (Leanne "Lelee" Lyons) – 1 Nomination Sam Joseph Dew – 1 Nomination Little Big Town– 1 Nomination Zac Brown Band– 1 Nomination Casting Crowns – 2 Nominations Mark Hall (of Casting Crowns) – 1 Nomination Chris Tomlin – ......(size: 9.1Kb)

Best albums of 2012, No 3: Jessie Ware – Devotion

The Guardian

12 Dec 2012

Look left, look right … Jessie Ware does a fine impersonation of a zebra crossing ... Trace the seams of Devotion and you'll find the drum pads of early Manchester electronica, the electric piano of mid-tempo Whitney Houston, the echo-chamber kick of the Jesus and Mary Chain, brassy vocal overlays from 90s girl groups such as SWV and whirring hi-hats and drop-pitch samples from the bleeding edge of underground music in 2012 ... ....(size: 5.0Kb)

Top 10 Rules for Streamlining Windows 7/8 Migrations

Business Wire

10 Dec 2012

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Anita Baker And SWV’s R&B; Covers Earn Grammy Nominations

Yahoo Music

06 Dec 2012

SWV (photo. Leon Bennett, Getty Images)Anita Baker and SWV made comebacks in 2012 and both are being recognized by the Grammys ... SWV's "If Only You Knew" was originally recorded ... Coko Clemons, lead singer for SWV, Tweeted about the honor....(size: 1.2Kb)

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STL Today

06 Dec 2012

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2013 Grammy nominations list released, legends snubbed

The Examiner

06 Dec 2012

The nominations for the 2013 Grammy Awards were released Wednesday, featuring some suprise omissions of the industry's most legendary stars. Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan both had their new albums snubbed by the voting pool. Younger pop stars were shut out as well, with both Justin Bieber and One Direction failing to garner nominations ... Album of the Year. » The Black Keys - El Camino. » Fun. - Some Nights ... feat ... » SWV - "If Only You Knew"....(size: 6.5Kb)

>2013 Grammy Nominations Include Smash, The Voice Coaches and Michelle Obama

Seattle Post

06 Dec 2012

The nominations for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards were announced Wednesday. Television held a strong presence among the honorees with two of The Voice coaches, NBC's freshmen hit Smash, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Maddow, Kathy Griffin, Jimmy Fallon and American Idol's Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood all scoring nominations. Has your favorite show been canceled? Check out our fall TV scorecard to find out ... fun ... SWV - "If Only You Knew"....(size: 8.1Kb)

Grammy Awards 2013: The major nominees

Digital Spy

06 Dec 2012

Digital Spy presents a list of selected categories and nominees for the 55th Grammy Awards, to be held at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on February 10, 2013. General Field. Album Of The Year. The Black Keys - El Camino. fun. - Some Nights. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange. Mumford & Sons - Babel. Jack White - Blunderbuss. Record Of The Year. The Black Keys - 'Lonely Boy' ... fun. featuring Janelle Monáe - 'We Are Young' ... SWV - 'If Only You Knew' ... 1 ... ....(size: 16.3Kb)

Grammys 2013: Full nominations list of the 55th Annual Grammy Awards

New York Daily News

06 Dec 2012

 . For recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012 Note. More or less than 5 nominations in a category is the result of ties ... Featuring Janelle Monáe Jeff Bhasker, producer; Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dawson & Stuart White, engineers/mixers; Chris Gehringer, mastering engineer Track from ... + [Elektra; Publisher ... Vocal or Instrumental ... Be Good [Motema Music] • If Only You Knew SWV Track from....(size: 72.5Kb)

Chart Watch Extra: “Thriller” Turns 30

Yahoo Music

30 Nov 2012

It's hard to believe, but Friday marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Michael Jackson's Thriller, an album that appealed to all audiences—all ages, races and nationalities—like few other recordings in music history. Jackson and producer Quincy Jones recorded and mixed the album between April and November 1982. Jones was 49 at the time ... SWV (Sisters With Voices)'s "Right Now/Human Nature" reached #2 in 1993....(size: 9.2Kb)

Qatar Says Solar Program Held Back by Issues of Scale, Dust

Bloomberg

26 Nov 2012

Qatar’s effort to expand its solar industry is being held up by issues including the scale of the projects planned and dust that blows in from desert areas, one of the nation’s most senior leaders said ... 17 ... QSTec is a venture between state-controlled Qatar Foundation, Germany’s SolarWorld AG (SWV) and the Qatar Development Bank ... ....(size: 2.1Kb)

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timeline:
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001

For other uses, see SWV (disambiguation).

SWV
Also known as	Sisters with Voices
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	R&B
Years active	1990–98, 2005—
Labels	RCA, Mass Appeal Entertainment/E1 Music
Associated acts	Teddy Riley, Brian Alexander Morgan, Allstar
Website	http://www.therealswv.com
Members
Cheryl "Coko" Clemons Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George Leanne "Lelee" Lyons

Sisters with Voices, better known as SWV, is an American female R&B trio from New York City. Formed in 1990 as a gospel group,^[1] SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including "Weak", "Right Here/Human Nature", "I'm So Into You", and "You're the One". The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects, and reunited in 2005. SWV is ranked #100 on the Top 500 Pop Artists (1980 to 2004) at the website Rock on the Net^[2], as well as selling more than 15 million albums worldwide, making them the 10th most successful girl group of all time.

1 Biography
2 Personnel
3 Discography
4 Tours
- 4.1 Opening acts
5 Awards and nominations
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Biography [link]

Early life and career beginnings [link]

SWV (an abbreviation for Sisters With Voices) was formed by three friends: Cheryl Gamble, Tamara Johnson and Leanne Lyons (the group's founder).^[3] SWV got its start after the three friends sent a five song demo to record labels in the United States. Soon after, they were signed to a record deal with RCA Records in 1992 after producer Teddy Riley, a former member of Guy, heard the demo.

[edit] 1992–95: It's About Time and The Remixes

It's About Time is the debut studio album by American female R&B trio SWV, released by RCA Records on October 27, 1992 (see 1992 in music). It was certified triple platinum by the RIAA for more than three million copies shipped to store.^[4] SWV's first single, "Right Here", was released in the fall of 1992, reaching #16 on the R&B charts. Their second single, "I'm So Into You," peaked at #2 on R&B and reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "Weak", reached #1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts. "Right Here/Human Nature," the fourth single and a remix of their first single, "Right Here", featured samples of Michael Jackson's hit "Human Nature." "Right Here/Human Nature" peaked at #1 on R&B and #2 on the Hot 100. It was followed up with the additional Top10 R&B hits, "Downtown" (#2), and "Always On My Mind" (#8).^[4]^[5] The album peak at 8 on the US Billboard 200.

Following the success of their first album, SWV appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 film Above the Rim. The single, "Anything", became a Top Ten R&B hit and reached #18 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 1994. That same year, SWV released The Remixes, which went gold by the end of the year. In the summer of 1995, the trio lent vocal harmonies to Blackstreet's Top 40 R&B hit "Tonight's the Night."

[edit] 1996–97: New Beginning, Release Some Tension and A Special Christmas

New Beginning is the second album from R&B group SWV. The first single, "You're the One", became one of their signature songs peaking at number five on Billboard's Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B Singles. The second single, "Use Your Heart", saw the debut of the super producers The Neptunes. This song peaked at twenty-two on the Hot 100 and number six on the R&B chart. The last single, "It's All About U", found Taj taking most of the lead as opposed to Coko. The album was certified platinum for shipping 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone.^[6] Also, in 1995 SWV appeared on the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album, recording the track, "All Night Long".

Release Some Tension is SWV's third album. Guest appearances are made by E-40, P. Diddy, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Redman. The album features hits like "Rain" (which samples Jaco Pastorius's classic "Portrait of Tracy"), "Someone", "Can We" (which was originally included on the soundtrack for the Jamie Foxx film Booty Call), and canceled single "Lose My Cool". "Someone", although featuring one of the biggest producers/artists of the year, Puff Daddy, only reached #19 on the Billboard charts which sampled The Notorious B.I.G's "Ten Crack Commandment's & Les McCann's "Valantra" also the flowing "When U Cry" sampling Tyrone Davis "In The Mood". The album was certified gold for shipping 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone. RIAA Database A few months later A Special Christmas was released in the United States on November 18, 1997 by RCA Records. It is a holiday album featuring both cover versions and original material. A Special Christmas would be the penultimate album the trio recorded together before they disbanded in 1998. Coko, the group's lead singer, released her first solo album in 1999.

1998–2007: Hiatus and reuniting of SWV [link]

The group split in 1998. The members began leading their own careers. After SWV disbanded, Coko went on to release her first solo album under RCA, titled Hot Coko, released August 1999. The first single, "Sunshine," which was dedicated to her son Jazz, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, both the album and singles did not gather the same mainstream success as Coko once did with SWV. Meanwhile, Coko was working on a second solo album titled Music Doll in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. Since then, she has concentrated more on her family, and eventually married gospel producer and drummer for Israel and New Breed, Mike "Big Mike" Clemmons, the father of her second son, Jaylon. She currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia.^{[citation needed]} In 2001, Coko and her Mother Lady "Clyde" Tibba Gamble did a remake of the song "Tears in Heaven" (originally recorded by Eric Clapton) on the album Rhythm and Spirit: "Love Can Build a Bridge". The album featured other artists such as Jennifer Holliday, Patti Labelle, and Tramaine Hawkins. Clemons sang on the Brent Jones & TP Mobb single "Midnite" in 2002. She also appeared on Youthful Praise's 2003 gospel album Thank You for the Change singing lead on "Up There".

Coko's full gospel solo debut, Grateful, was released in the United States on October 31, 2006^[7] and debuted at #5 on Billboard's Top Independent albums chart.^[8] Grateful includes an all-star cover of The Clark Sisters' "Endow Me" which features R&B singers Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino and Lil Mo.^[9] An alternate version, minus Faith Evans was performed on BET's Celebration of Gospel '07. A special edition of Grateful only available through Wal-Mart includes two bonus tracks "I Wish" and Brent Jones' "Midnite" featuring Coko on lead vocals.

Coko was reported to have joined an all-black touring cast performing the critically acclaimed play The Vagina Monologues, along with Sherri Shepherd, Star Jones, Vanessa L. Williams, and others.^[10] In June 2008, Coko performed in Japan for the Billboard Live Tour. She sang some of her solo hits "Sunshine", "Clap Your Hands", and the SWV song "Right Here/Human Nature".

After SWV officially disbanded in 1997, Johnson-George was signed to a two-year contract with the Ford Modeling Agency. Shortly after this contract ended, Johnson-George began dating Tennessee Titan Eddie George, whom she'd met at a shopping mall in 1994.^[11] Johnson-George contributed to the anthology Souls of My Sisters: Black Women Break Their Silence, Tell Their Stories and Heal Their Spirits, which was published in 2000. In 2002, Johnson-George enrolled in Belmont University in Nashville, earning a Bachelor's of Business Administration in May 2004.^[12] The following month, Johnson-George married Eddie George in Rockleigh, New Jersey. Their son, Eriq Michael, was born in 2005^[13] after a difficult pregnancy that left Johnson-George bedridden for the first five months of her pregnancy.^[14] Johnson-George is also the stepmother of Eddie's first son, Jaire David, whom she refers to as her oldest son,^[15] and the godmother of Coko's oldest son, Jazz.^[16] Along with her friend Katrina Chambers, Johnson-George wrote the book Player hateHER: How to Avoid the Beat Down and Live in a Drama-Free World in 2007. That same year, Johnson-George and husband Eddie George starred in the reality TV show I Married a Baller, which depicted five weeks in the George household over a course of nine shows. The show focused on Johnson-George and her marriage to Eddie George, her struggle to lose her "baby weight,"^[17] and performing with SWV, who came together to perform the theme song of the show. Baller also highlighted Visions with Infinite Possibilities, the Georges' not-for-profit charity for survivors of domestic violence and their children.

In 2005, SWV reunited and announced plans to record a new album the following year^[4] (the album has not materialized). In 2007, the group performed dates with After 7, Bobby Brown, New Edition, and Blackstreet.^[18] In 2007, Johnson-George appeared in the TV One reality series I Married a Baller which documented her life with husband Eddie George, former NFL player and present Nashville entrepreneur.^[19] SWV members Coko and Lelee (who sing the theme song along with Taj) appear in a couple of the show's episodes. On June 24, 2008, SWV made a special appearance at the BET Awards of 2008, performing "Weak" with Alicia Keys. Coko currently resides in Virginia Beach, Lelee in Atlanta and Taj in Nashville.^{[citation needed]}. Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George was a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins, in which she came in fourth place. She was blindsided by her former alliance of James "J.T." Thomas, Jr. and Stephen Fishbach. She became the sixth Jury Member.^[20] She participated in a 2009 national tour of the Vagina Monologues with an all-black cast, most of whom are also former reality show contestants.^[21] SWV appeared on The Mo'Nique Show on February 2, 2010, performing Patti LaBelle's "If Only You Knew". Lelee and Coko provided the lead vocals.

[edit] 2011-present: I Missed Us

As of 2011 SWV has recently signed a record deal with Mass Appeal Entertainment and E1 Entertainment. On June 10, 2011, SWV was featured on the official remix of Chris Brown's remake of their Right Here/Human Nature song, "She Ain't You". SWV released their first single "Co-Sign" ^[22] on December 15, 2011 via iTunes^[23] I Missed Us off their fourth studio album is now set to be released on April 17, 2012 via eOne Music and Mass Appeal Entertainment ^[24]

According to VH-1's 100 Greatest: Women in Music, SWV was ranked #88. Billboard named SWV the #7 R&B Act and the #2 Top Selling/Airplay R&B Female Group of the 1990s.

The track listing for SWV's I Missed Us was released on Amazon.com.^[25]

SWV appeared on the television talk show The Wendy Williams Show on April 17, 2012 to promote the release of I Missed Us and to perform the hit song "Co-Sign". As of April 17, 2012, SWV has the #1 R&B album on iTunes. Their next single to be released from I Missed Us is "All About You".

Personnel [link]

Cheryl "Coko" Clemons - (born June 13, 1970), New York, New York
Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George - (born April 29, 1971), Brooklyn, New York
Leanne "Lelee" Lyons - (born July 17, 1973), New York, New York

Discography [link]

Further information: SWV discography

Studio albums [link]

Extended plays [link]

1994 The Remixes

Compilation albums [link]

Tours [link]

Weak (1993, UK)
SWV World Tour (1996, USA, Europe, South Africa, Asia, New Zealand)
Sistaz Only (1997)
Release The Tension (1997, USA)
New Jack Swing Tour (2005, USA, Canada)
Billboard Live Tour (June 16–21, 2008 Japan)
Billboard Live Tour (January 12–13, 2009 Japan)
SWV and Faith Evans (December 5–10, 2010 United Kingdom)

Opening acts [link]

SWV featured a number of successful female groups as opening acts throughout their various touring engagements. Those groups included such contemporaries as Xscape, Jade, Total, 702, and Destiny's Child.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and nominations [link]

Year	Result	Award	Category
1993	Nominated	American Music Award	Favorite New Artist - Pop/Rock
1993	Nominated		Favorite Band, Duo or Group - Soul/Rhythm & Blues
1993	Nominated		Favorite Album - Soul/Rhythm & Blues for It's About Time
1993	Nominated		Favorite New Artist - Soul / Rhythm & Blues
1993	Win	Kids Choice Awards	Female Group Of The Decade
1993	Win	Billboard Music Award	Top Hot 100 Singles Artists - Duos/Group
1993	Win		Top R&B Artists - Duos/Group
1993	Win		Top R&B Singles Artists - Duos/Group
1993	Win		Top Pop Artists - Duo/Group
1993	Win		Top New Pop Artist
1993	Win		Top Hot 100 Singles Artist
1993	Win		Top Hot 100 Airplay Track for "Weak"
1993	Win		Top R&B Artist
1993	Nominated		Top New R&B Artist
1993	Nominated		Top R&B Album Artists - Duos/Group
1993	Nominated		Top R&B Singles Artist
1994	Nominated		Top R&B Singles Artists - Duos/Group
1994	Nominated		Top R&B Artists - Duos/Group
1997	Nominated	Soul Train Lady of Soul Award	Best R&B Soul single by a Group, Band, or Duo
1997	Nominated	Soul Train Lady of Soul Award	Best Soul/R&B album by a Group, Band or Duo
1998	Nominated	Soul Train Lady of Soul Award	Best Soul/R&B album by a Group, Band or Duo
1998	Nominated	Soul Train Lady of Soul Award	Best Soul/R&B single by a Group, Band or Duo
1994	Nominated	Grammy Award	Best New Artist

References [link]

^ SWV Online
^ "Top Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years: 51–100". Rockonthenet.com. http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/2004/toppop.htm.
^ "All about Leanne "Lelee" Lyons". http://www.swvonline.com/lelee.htm. "With her love for singing, and sparse support from her family as motivation, Lelee's desires to put together a group were fueled. Lelee was initially responsible for putting SWV together, but success did not come easily."
^ ^a ^b ^c "SWV Biography". mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/swv/artist.jhtml. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
^ "SWV: Billboard chart history". billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?JSESSIONID=9nR7LDJQmWTwwQKk8ZphSlVPbGGVp9mhBGNDT9xmh7yMdL9g1qDm!1389172043&model.vnuArtistId=22544&model.vnuAlbumId=375556.
^ "Recording Industry Association of America". RIAA. http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS. Retrieved 2012-04-24.
^ "Interview with Coko: A New Beginning". GospelFlava.com. http://www.gospelflava.com/articles/cokointerview2006.html.
^ "Coko Debuts At #5 On Billboard Chart". GospelCity.com. 2006-11-08. http://www.gospelcity.com/dynamic/industry-articles/industry_news/345.
^ Bonner, Gerald. "Grateful Album Review". GospelFlava.com. http://www.gospelflava.com/reviews/coko.html.
^ "Star Jones, Sherri Shepherd in 'Monologues': New black version of 'Vagina Monologues' to begin tour next month.". EURweb. 2008-01-09. http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur39840.cfm.
^ "Eddie & Taj George". TCA INTV. 2007. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/eddie-and-taj-george-tca-intv/342879776/?icid=VIDLRV04.
^ "SWV's Tamara "Taj" Johnson". HHNLive.com. http://www.hhnlive.com/features/more/430.
^ "Taj Gives Birth!". SWV Online. http://www.swvonline.com/news.htm#news15.
^ "The Longest Yard". The Nashville News. March 17, 2005. http://www.nashvillescene.com/2005-03-17/news/the-longest-yard/5.
^ episode #3 ("Road Trippin'"). I Married a Baller. "I got my sons with me...my youngest is hyped. He's ready and excited, and my oldest is just excited to be on a bus."
^ "Coko Talks About SWV Breakup". Yahoo! Music. July 21, 1999. http://new.music.yahoo.com/various-artists/news/coko-talks-about-swv-breakup--12058363.
^ episode #7 ("California Dreamin'"). I Married a Baller. "I'm still trying to get my little 17-month-old son's weight off!"
^ Murray, Jawn (2 April 2007). "Candidly Coko". blackvoices.com. http://www.blackvoices.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/april-2-2007/20070402143709990001. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
^ Original Shows - I Married a Baller, TV One
^ "Brazilian Wacks". TV Guide. 2009-01-13. pp. 40–41.
^ "Reality Stars Will Perform in the Vagina Monologues". Reality Blurred. February 5, 2009. http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/related_news/2009_Feb_05_vagina_monologues.
^ ""Co-SIGN" is officially live NOW on iTunes". http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=213731605373542&id=368183310894.
^ ""I Missed Us" on iTunes". http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/co-sign-single/id489925812?ls=1.
^ "SWV to Release I Missed Us". Amazon.com. February 21, 2012. http://www.amazon.com/I-Missed-Us-Swv/dp/B007ADKQ8G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329813739&sr=8-1/. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
^ "I Missed Us: Swv: Music". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ADKQ8G/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details. Retrieved 2012-04-24.

External links [link]

SWV at the Internet Movie Database
SWV at Allmusic
SWV Online Fansite
The Real SWV Official Website

v t e SWV

Cheryl "Coko" Clemons Tamara "Taj" Johnson-George Leanne "Lelee" Lyons

Studio albums	It's About Time New Beginning Release Some Tension A Special Christmas I Missed Us

Other releases	The Remixes

Compilations	Greatest Hits (RCA) Greatest Hits (Simitar) Best of SWV Platinum & Gold Collection The Encore Collection

Singles	"Right Here" "I'm So into You" "Weak" "Right Here/Human Nature" "Downtown" "You're Always on My Mind" "Anything" "You're the One" "Use Your Heart" "It's All About U" "Can We" "Someone" "Rain" "Co-Sign"

Tours	Weak SWV World Tour Sistaz Only Release the Tension New Jack Swing Tour Billboard Live Tour

Related articles	SWV discography

Book:SWV

http://wn.com/SWV

http://fr.wn.com/SWV (groupe)

http://pt.wn.com/SWV

http://de.wn.com/SWV (Band)

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWV

This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, which means that you can copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license.

Alicia Keys
Keys in South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup kick-off concert.
Background information
Birth name	Alicia Augello Cook
Also known as	Lellow
Born	(1981-01-25) January 25, 1981 (age 31)
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Soul, R&B, blues, hip hop, jazz, neo soul, electronic
Occupations	singer-songwriter, record producer, actress
Instruments	Vocals, piano, keyboards, cello, synthesizer, vocoder, guitar, bass guitar
Years active	1997–present
Labels	RCA, J, Arista, Columbia
Website	aliciakeys.com

Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Keys was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York City. At age seven, Keys began playing the piano. She attended Professional Performing Arts School and graduated at 16 as valedictorian. Keys released her debut album with J Records, having had previous record deals first with Columbia and then Arista Records.

Keys' debut album, Songs in A Minor, was a commercial success, selling over 12 million copies worldwide.^[1] She became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.^[2] The album earned Keys five Grammy Awards in 2002, including Best New Artist and Song of the Year for "Fallin'".^[3] Her second studio album, The Diary of Alicia Keys, was released in 2003 and was also another success worldwide, selling eight million copies.^[4] The album garnered her an additional four Grammy Awards in 2005.^[5] Later that year, she released her first live album, Unplugged, which debuted at number one in the United States.^[6] She became the first female to have an MTV Unplugged album to debut at number one and the highest since Nirvana in 1994.^[2]

Keys made guest appearances on several television series in the following years, beginning with Charmed. She made her film debut in Smokin' Aces and went on to appear in The Nanny Diaries in 2007. Her third studio album, As I Am, was released in the same year and sold six million copies worldwide, earning Keys an additional three Grammy Awards. The following year, she appeared in The Secret Life of Bees, which earned her a nomination at the NAACP Image Awards. She released her fourth album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009, which became Keys' first chart-topping album in the United Kingdom. Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and 25 million singles, which makes her one of the best selling artists of all time. Billboard magazine named her the top R&B artist of the 2000–2009 decade, establishing herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time. In 2010, VH1 included Keys on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[7] Billboard magazine placed her number ten on their list of Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years.^[8] As of January 2012, Keys has sold 60 million records worldwide.

1 Life and career
2 Artistry
- 2.1 Musical style
- 2.2 Songwriting, voice and achievements
3 Philanthropy
4 Discography
5 Tours
6 Filmography
7 See also
8 References
9 Further reading
10 External links

Life and career [link]

1981–2001: Early life and Career Beginnings [link]

Keys was born Alicia Augello Cook on January 25, 1981, in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan, in New York City.^[9]^[10]^[11] She is the only child of Teresa Augello, a paralegal and part-time actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant.^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15] Keys' mother is of Italian, Scottish, and Irish descent, and her father is African American;^[16] Keys has expressed that she was comfortable with her biracial heritage because she felt she was able to "relate to different cultures".^[10]^[17] Her parents separated when she was two and she was subsequently raised by her mother during her formative years in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan.^[18] In 1985, Keys made an appearance on The Cosby Show at the age of four, where she and a group of girls played the parts of Rudy Huxtable's sleepover guests in the episode "Slumber Party".^[19]^[20] Throughout her childhood, Keys was sent to music and dance classes by her mother.^[21] She began playing the piano when she was seven and learned classical music by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin.^[12] Keys enrolled in the Professional Performing Arts School at the age of 12, where she majored in choir and began writing songs at the age of 14.^[13]^[22] She graduated in four years as valedictorian at the age of 16.^[23]

In 1994 Keys met long-term manager Jeff Robinson after she enrolled in his brother's after-school program.^[24] The following year Robinson introduced Keys to her future A&R at Arista Records, Peter Edge, who later described his first impressions to HitQuarters: "I had never met a young R&B artist with that level of musicianship. So many people were just singing on top of loops and tracks, but she had the ability, not only to be part of hip-hop, but also to go way beyond that."^[25] Edge helped Robinson create a showcase for Keys and also got involved in developing her demo material. He was keen to sign Keys himself but was unable to do so at that time due to being on the verge of leaving his present record company. Keys signed to Columbia Records soon after.^[25] At the same time as signing a recording contract with Columbia Records, Keys was accepted into Columbia University. At first, Keys attempted to manage both but after four weeks dropped out of college to pursue her musical career fulltime.^[23]^[26]

Keys signed a demo deal with Jermaine Dupri and So So Def Recordings, where she appeared on the label's Christmas album performing "The Little Drummer Girl". She also co-wrote and recorded a song entitled "Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black.^[26] The song was Keys' first professional recording; however, it was never released as a single and her record contract with Columbia ended after a dispute with the label. Keys was unhappy with the label because her career had stalled during her two years under contract at Columbia due to executive indecision over her direction and major changes within the company.^[25] Keys called Clive Davis, who sensed a "special, unique" artist from her performance and signed her to Arista Records, which later disbanded.^[9]^[10] Keys almost chose Wilde as her stage name until her manager suggested the name Keys after a dream he had. Keys felt that name represented her both as a performer and person.^[27] Following Davis to his newly formed J Records label, she worked with Kerry "Krucial" Brothers and recorded the songs "Rock wit U" and "Rear View Mirror", which were featured on the soundtracks to the films Shaft (2000) and Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), respectively.^[28]^[29]

[edit] 2001–2002: Songs in A Minor

	"Fallin" (2001) noicon "Fallin'" is a gospel-influenced piano ballad.^[30] Often considered her signature song, it describes the "ins and outs" of being in a relationship.^[31]
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Keys released her first studio album, Songs in A Minor, in June 2001. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 236,000 copies in its first week.^[32] The album sold over 6.2 million copies in the United States,^[33] where it was certified six times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^[34] It went on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide,^[35] establishing Keys' popularity both inside and outside the United States, where she became the best-selling new artist and best-selling R&B artist of 2001.^[2] The album's lead single, "Fallin'", spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.^[36] The album's second single, "A Woman's Worth", was released in February 2002 and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, as her second Top 10 single in both charts.^[37] The album's third single, "How Come You Don't Call Me", was released in June 2002 and peaked at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 30 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fourth single, "Girlfriend", was released in November 2002 in UK and peaked at number 82 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The following year, the album was reissued as Remixed & Unplugged in A Minor, which included eight remixes and seven unplugged versions of the songs from the original.

Keys performing in Frankfurt, Germany, 2002

Songs in A Minor led Keys to win five awards at the 2002 Grammy Awards: Song of the Year, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song for "Fallin'", Best New Artist, and Best R&B Album; "Fallin'" was also nominated for Record of the Year. Keys became the second female solo artist to win five Grammy Awards in a single night, following Lauryn Hill at the 41st Grammy Awards.^[38] That same year, she collaborated with Christina Aguilera for the latter's upcoming album Stripped on a song entitled "Impossible", which Keys wrote, co-produced, and provided with background vocals.^[39] During the early 2000s, Keys also made small cameos in television series Charmed and American Dreams.^[12]

[edit] 2003–2005: The Diary of Alicia Keys and Unplugged

Keys followed up her debut with The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was released in December 2003. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling over 618,000 copies its first week of release, becoming the largest first-week sales for a female artist in 2003.^[40] It sold 4.4 million copies in the United States and was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.^[34]^[41] It sold eight million copies worldwide,^[42] becoming the sixth biggest-selling album by a female artist and the second biggest-selling album by a female R&B artist.^[43] The album's lead single, "You Don't Know My Name", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for eight consecutive weeks, her first Top 10 single in both charts since 2002's "A Woman's Worth ". The album's second single, "If I Ain't Got You", was released in February 2004 and peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for six weeks. The album's third single, "Diary", peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, being their third consecutive Top 10 single in both charts. The album's fourth and final single, "Karma", which peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, first release to fail to achieve top ten status on both charts. "If I Ain't Got You" became the first single by a female artist to remain on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for over a year.^[44]^[45]^[46]^[47]^[48] Keys also collaborated with recording artist Usher on the song "My Boo" from his 2004 album, Confessions (Special Edition). The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for three weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2001's "Fallin'".

Keys won Best R&B Video for "If I Ain't Got You" at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards; she performed the song and "Higher Ground" with Lenny Kravitz and Stevie Wonder.^[49]^[50] Later that year, Keys released her novel Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems and Lyrics, a collection of unreleased poems from her journals and lyrics. The title derived from one of her poems, "Love and Chains" from the line: "I don't mind drinking my tears for water."^[51] She said the title is the foundation of her writing because "everything I have ever written has stemmed from my tears of joy, of pain, of sorrow, of depression, even of question".^[52] The book sold over US$500,000 and Keys made The New York Times bestseller list in 2005.^[53]^[54] The following year, she won a second consecutive award for Best R&B Video at the MTV Video Music Awards for the video "Karma".^[55] Keys performed "If I Ain't Got You" and then joined Jamie Foxx and Quincy Jones in a rendition of "Georgia on My Mind", the Hoagy Carmichael song made famous by Ray Charles in 1960 at the 2005 Grammy Awards.^[56] That evening, she won four Grammy Awards: Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "If I Ain't Got You", Best R&B Song for "You Don't Know My Name", Best R&B Album for The Diary of Alicia Keys, and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for "My Boo" with Usher.^[57]

Keys performed and taped her installment of the MTV Unplugged series in July 2005 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.^[58] During this session, Keys added new arrangements to her original songs and performed a few choice covers.^[59] The session was released on CD and DVD in October 2005. Simply titled Unplugged, the album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart with 196,000 units sold in its first week of release.^[60] The album sold one million copies in the United States, where it was certified Platinum by the RIAA, and two million copies worldwide.^[12]^[34]^[61] The debut of Keys' Unplugged was the highest for an MTV Unplugged album since Nirvana's 1994 MTV Unplugged in New York and the first Unplugged by a female artist to debut at number one.^[2] The album's first single, "Unbreakable", peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[62] It remained at number one on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay for 11 weeks.^[63] The album's second and final single, "Every Little Bit Hurts", was released in January 2006, it failed to enter the U.S. charts.

Keys opened a recording studio in Long Island, New York, called The Oven Studios, which she co-owns with her production and songwriting partner Kerry "Krucial" Brothers.^[64] The studio was designed by renowned studio architect John Storyk of WSDG, designer of Jimi Hendrix' Electric Lady Studios. Keys and Brothers are the co-founders of KrucialKeys Enterprises, a production and songwriting team who assisted Keys in creating her albums as well as create music for other artists.^[65]

[edit] 2006–2008: Film debut and As I Am

In 2006, Keys won three NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Song for "Unbreakable".^[66] She also received the Starlight Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[67] In October 2006, she played the voice of Mommy Martian in the "Mission to Mars" episode of the children's television series The Backyardigans, in which she sang an original song, "Almost Everything Is Boinga Here".^[68] That same year, Keys nearly suffered a mental breakdown. Her grandmother had died and her family was heavily dependent on her. She felt she needed to "escape" and went to Egypt for three weeks. She explained: "That trip was definitely the most crucial thing I've ever done for myself in my life to date. It was a very difficult time that I was dealing with, and it just came to the point where I really needed to—basically, I just needed to run away, honestly. And I needed to get as far away as possible."^[69]^[70]

Keys made her film debut in early 2007 in the crime film Smokin' Aces, co-starring as an assassin named Georgia Sykes opposite Ben Affleck and Andy García. Keys received much praise from her co-stars in the film; Reynolds said that Keys was "so natural" and that she would "blow everybody away". Smokin' Aces had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $57,103,895 worldwide during its theatrical run.^[71]^[72] In the same year, Keys earned further praise for her second film, The Nanny Diaries, based on the 2002 novel of the same name, where she co-starred alongside Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. The Nanny Diaries had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $44,638,886 worldwide during its theatrical run.^[73] She also guest starred as herself in the "One Man Is an Island" episode of the drama series Cane.^[74]

Keys performing live, March 20, 2008

Keys released her third studio album, As I Am, in November 2007; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 742,000 copies in its first week. It gained Keys her largest first week sales of her career and became her fourth consecutive number one album, tying her with Britney Spears for the most consecutive number-one debuts on the Billboard 200 by a female artist.^[75]^[76] The week became the second largest sales week of 2007 and the largest sales week for a female solo artist since singer Norah Jones' album Feels like Home in 2004.^[77] The album has sold nearly four million copies in the United States and has been certified three times Platinum by the RIAA.^[78]^[79] It has sold nearly six million copies worldwide.^[80] Keys received five nominations for As I Am at the 2008 American Music Award and ultimately won two.^[81] The album's lead single, "No One", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for ten consecutive weeks, became her first number-one single in Hot 100 since 2004's "My Boo" and becoming Keys' third and fifth number-one single on each chart, respectively.^[82] The album's second single, "Like You'll Never See Me Again", was released in late 2007 and peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for seven consecutive weeks. From October 27, 2007, when "No One" reached No. 1, through February 16, 2008, the last week "Like You'll Never See Me Again" was at No. 1, the Keys was on top of the chart for 17 weeks, more consecutive weeks than any other artist in Hot R&B/Hip/Hop Songs chart.^[83] The album's third single, "Teenage Love Affair", which peaked at number 54 on the 'Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[83] The album's fourth and final single, "Superwoman", which peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 12 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[83]^[84]

Keys performing at the 2008 Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan

"No One" earned Keys the awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song at the 2008 Grammy Awards.^[85] Keys opened the ceremony singing Frank Sinatra's 1950s song "Learnin' the Blues" as a "duet" with archival footage of Sinatra in video and "No One" with John Mayer later in the show.^[86] Keys also won Best Female R&B Artist during the show.^[87] She starred in "Fresh Takes", a commercial micro-series created by Dove Go Fresh, which premiered during The Hills on MTV from March to April 2008. The premiere celebrated the launch of new Dove Go Fresh.^[88] She also signed a deal as spokesperson with Glacéau's VitaminWater to endorse the product,^[89] and was in an American Express commercial for the "Are you a Cardmember?" campaign.^[90] Keys, along with The White Stripes' guitarist and lead vocalist Jack White, recorded the theme song to Quantum of Solace, the first duet in Bond soundtrack history.^[91] In 2008, Keys was ranked in at number 80 the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists.^[92] She also starred in The Secret Life of Bees, a film adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's acclaimed 2003 bestseller novel of the same name alongside Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, Paul Bettany and Queen Latifah, released in October 2008 via Fox Searchlight. The Secret Life of Bees had a hit moderate performance at the box office, earning only $39,947,322 worldwide during its theatrical run.^[93] Her role earned her a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards.^[94] She also received three nominations at the 2009 Grammy Awards and won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "Superwoman".^[95]

In an interview with Blender magazine, Keys allegedly said "'Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other, 'gangsta rap' didn't exist" and went on to say that it was created by "the government". The magazine also claimed she said that Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. were "essentially assassinated, their beefs stoked by the government and the media, to stop another great black leader from existing".^[22] Keys later wrote a statement clarifying the issues and saying her words were misinterpreted.^[96] Later that year, Keys was criticized by anti-smoking campaigners after billboard posters for her forthcoming concerts in Indonesia featured a logo for the A Mild cigarette brand sponsored by tobacco firm Philip Morris. She apologized after discovering that the concert was sponsored by the firm and asked for "corrective actions". In response, the company withdrew its sponsorship.^[97]

[edit] 2009–2010 : The Element of Freedom, marriage and motherhood

Keys on the red carpet at the 2009 American Music Awards.

Keys and manager Jeff Robinson signed a film production deal to develop live-action and animated projects with Disney. Their first film will be a remake of the 1958 comedy Bell, Book and Candle and will star Keys as a witch who casts a love spell to lure a rival's fiancé.^[98] Keys and Robinson also formed a television production company called Big Pita.^[99] Keys and Robinson will develop live-action and animated projects from their company, Big Pita and Little Pita, with Keys as producer, thespian, banner spearheading soundtrack and music supervision.^[100]

Keys collaborated with the record producer Swizz Beatz to write and produce "Million Dollar Bill" for Whitney Houston's seventh studio album, I Look to You. Keys had approached Clive Davis for permission to submit a song for the album.^[101] Keys also collaborated with the recording artist Jay-Z on the song "Empire State of Mind" from his 2009 album, The Blueprint 3. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and became her fourth number-one single on that chart.^[102] At the 53rd Grammy Awards ceremony, "Empire State of Mind" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song. It had also been one of the five nominees for Record of the Year.^[103]

Keys during the As I Am Tour in Lisbon.

The following month, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers honored Keys with the Golden Note Award, an award given to artists "who have achieved extraordinary career milestones".^[104] She collaborated with Spanish recording artist Alejandro Sanz for "Looking for Paradise", which topped the Hot Latin Songs chart, this was Keys' first number one on all three charts, which also made her the first African-American of non-Hispanic origin to reach #1 on the Hot Latin Tracks.^[105] Keys released her fourth studio album, The Element of Freedom, in December 2009.^[106] It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 417,000 copies in its first week.^[107] As part of the promotional drive for the album, she performed at the Cayman Island Jazz Festival on December 5, the final night of the three day festival which will be broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET).^[108] The album's lead single, "Doesn't Mean Anything", has peaked at number 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 14 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.^[106] Keys was ranked as the top R&B recording artist of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine and ranked at number five as artist of the decade, while her song, "No One", was ranked at number six on the magazine's songs of the decade.^[109]^[110]^[111] In the United Kingdom, The Element of Freedom became Keys' first album to top the UK Albums Chart.^[112] The album's second single, "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart", was released in November 2009 and peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's third single, "Put It in a Love Song", featuring Grammy-winner Beyoncé, peaked at number 60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The music video for the single, which was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been postponed several times, and later it was confirmed that Alicia Keys' team made a decision not to release the video. The album's fourth single, "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down", was released in February 2010 and peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 76 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fifth single, "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)", was released in May 2010 and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, for twelve consecutive weeks and became the album's most successful single, becoming Keys' eighth number-one single on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album's sixth and final single, "Wait Til You See My Smile", was released in December 2010 in the U.K only.

Keys at the Walmart Shareholders Meeting 2011.

In May 2009, Swizz Beatz announced that he and Keys were romantically involved, while he was still married to his first wife^[113] and in May 2010, a representative for Keys and Swizz Beatz confirmed that they were engaged and expecting a child together.^[114] During the time of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the couple took part of a union and had the unborn child blessed in a Zulu ceremony, which took place in the Illovo suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa.^[115] Keys and Beatz were married on the French island of Corsica on July 31, 2010.^[116]^[117] On October 14, 2010, Keys gave birth to a son, Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, in New York City.^[118]

2011–present: Other ventures and upcoming album [link]

In June 2011, Songs in A Minor was re-released as deluxe and collector's editions in commemoration of its 10th anniversary.^[119] To support the release, Keys embarked on a four-city promotional tour, entitled Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys, featuring only her piano. Keys is also set to co-produce the Broadway premiere of Stick Fly, which will open in December 2011.^[120] On September 26, 2011, was the premiere of Project 5 known as Five, short film that marks the debut of Alicia Keys as a director. It is a documentary of five episodes that tell stories of five women who were victims of breast cancer and how it affected their lives. The production also has co-direction of the actresses Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and film director Patty Jenkins.^[121]

on September 23, she performed at iHeart Music Festival and sang her new song "A Place Of My Own", which is present in her fifth studio album.^[122]^[123] On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding J Records along with Arista Records and Jive Records. With the shutdown, Keys (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on RCA Records.^[124]^[125] On Saturday February 18, 2012, Alicia performed "Send Me an Angel" at Whitney Houston's memorial at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.^[126]

Artistry [link]

Musical style [link]

	"If I Ain't Got You" (2003) noicon Keys often incorporates piano into her songs
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An accomplished pianist, Keys incorporates piano into a majority of her songs and often writes about love, heartbreak and female empowerment.^[10]^[53] She has cited several musicians as her inspirations, including Prince, Nina Simone, Barbra Streisand, Marvin Gaye, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder.^[127]^[128]^[129] Keys' style is rooted in gospel and vintage soul music, supplemented by bass and programmed drumbeats.^[130] She heavily incorporates classical piano with R&B, soul and jazz into her music.^[131]^[132] She began experimenting with other genres, including pop and rock, in her third studio album, As I Am,^[130]^[133]^[134] transitioning from neo soul to a 1980s and 1990s R&B sound with her fourth album, The Element of Freedom.^[135]^[136] Patrick Huguenin of the New York Daily News stated that her incorporation of classical piano riffs contributed to her breakout success.^[44] Jet magazine states she "thrives" by touching her fans with "piano mastery, words and melodious voice".^[137] The Independent described her style as consisting of "crawling blues coupled with a hip-hop backbeat", noting that her lyrics "rarely stray from matters of the heart".^[138] Blender magazine referred to her as "the first new pop artist of the millennium who was capable of changing music."^[139]

Songwriting, voice and achievements [link]

Keys playing the piano while performing, surrounded by three backing vocalists

Keys has a vocal range of a contralto, which spans three octaves.^[44]^[140] She can sing from B flat over an octave below middle C (B♭₂) to B below soprano C (B₅). Often referred to as the "Princess of Soul",^[30]^[138] Keys has been commended as having a strong, raw and impassioned voice;^[141]^[142] others feel that her voice is "emotionally manufactured" at times and that she pushes her voice out of its natural range.^[141]^[142] Keys' songwriting is often criticized for lack of depth, which has led to her writing abilities being called limited.^[141] Her lyrics have been called generic, clichéd and that her songs revolve around generalities.^[130]^[141] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune feels that she "[pokes] around for multi-format hits rather than trying to project any sort of artistic vision".^[142] Diversely, Jon Pareles of Blender magazine stated that the musical composition of her songs makes up for their lyrical weakness,^[133] while Gregory Stephen Tate of The Village Voice compared Keys' writing and production to 1970s music.^[143]

Throughout her career, Keys has won numerous awards and is listed on the Recording Industry Association of America's best-selling artists in the United States, with 15 million certified albums.^[144] She has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and has established herself as one of the best-selling artists of her time.^[19]^[143]^[145]

Philanthropy [link]

Keys performing at the Live Earth concert

Keys is the co-founder and Global Ambassador of Keep a Child Alive, a non-profit organization that provides medicine to families with HIV and AIDS in Africa.^[146] Keys and U2 lead singer Bono recorded a cover version of Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush's "Don't Give Up", in recognition of World AIDS Day 2005. Keys and Bono's version of the song was retitled "Don't Give Up (Africa)" to reflect the nature of the charity it was benefiting.^[147]^[148] She visited African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and South Africa to promote care for children affected by AIDS.^[149]^[150]^[151] Her work in Africa was documented in the documentary Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland and was available in April 2008.^[152]

Keys has also donated to Frum tha Ground Up, a non-profit organization that aids children and teenagers with scholarships.^[153]^[154] She performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the worldwide Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of the poverty in Africa and to pressure the G8 leaders to take action.^[155] In 2005, Keys performed on ReAct Now: Music & Relief and Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, two benefit programs that raised money for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.^[156]^[157] In July 2007, Keys and Keith Urban performed The Rolling Stones' 1969 song "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey at the American leg of the Live Earth concerts.^[158]^[159]

Keys performed Donny Hathaway's 1973 song "Someday We'll All Be Free" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes televised benefit concert following the September 11 attacks.^[160] She participated in the Nobel Peace Prize Concert which took place at the Oslo Spektrum in Oslo, Norway, on December 11, 2007, along with other various artists.^[161] She recorded a theme song for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. She joined Joss Stone and Jay-Z on the effort, which served as a theme song for Obama's campaign.^[162] For her work, Keys was honored at the 2009 BET Awards with the Humanitarian Award.^[163] Keys performed the song "Prelude to a Kiss", retitled "Send Me an Angel", from her 2007 album As I Am for the "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake.^[164]

Discography [link]

Main article: Alicia Keys discography

Songs in A Minor (2001)
The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003)
As I Am (2007)
The Element of Freedom (2009)
TBA (2013)

Live albums

Unplugged (2005)

Tours [link]

Main article: List of Alicia Keys tours

An African-American female singing into a microphone on a stand. She is wearing large hoop earrings and a silver sleeveless shirt.

Keys at Tokyo Summer Sonic 2008.

Year	Title	Number of performances
2001/2002	Songs in A Minor Tour	58
2004	Verizon Ladies First Tour	25
2005	The Diary Tour	36
2008	As I Am Tour	94
2010	The Freedom Tour	50
2011	Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys	5

Filmography [link]

List of television and films credits
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	The Cosby Show	Maria	"Slumber Party" (Season 1, Episode 22)
2001	Charmed	P3 VIP Patron (uncredited)	"Size Matters" (Season 4, Episode 5)
2001—2010	Saturday Night Live	Herself / Musical Guest	"Reese Witherspoon/Alicia Keys" (Season 27, Episode 1) "Charles Barkley/Alicia Keys" (Season 35, Episode 11)
2003	American Dreams	Fontella Bass	"Rescue Me" (Season 2, Episode 6)
2003	The Proud Family	Herself (voice)	"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Season 3, Episode 46)
2005	Sesame Street	Herself	Episode #36.26 (Season 36, Episode 26)
2006	The Backyardigans	Mommy Martian (voice)	"Mission to Mars" (Season 2, Episode 1)
2007	Cane	Herself	"One Man Is an Island" (Season 1, Episode 7)
2007	Elmo's Christmas Countdown	Herself	Christmas television special
2007	Smokin' Aces	Georgia Sykes	Debut film
2007	The Nanny Diaries	Lynette
2008	Dove: Fresh Takes	Alex	Lead role
2008	The Secret Life of Bees	June Boatwright	Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2011	Five	Director	Nominated - Directors Guild of America Award
2012	Firelight	Executive Producer

References [link]

^ "Alicia adds tour dates". Metro. Associated Newspapers. 2008-03-07. http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/article.html?in_article_id=112579&in_page_id=7. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Anitai, Tamar (2007-11-12). "MTV Artist of the Week: Alicia Keys". MTV News. http://buzzworthy.mtv.com/2007/11/12/mtv-artist-of-the-week-alicia-keys/. Retrieved 2008-07-05.
^ "Yes, America, Amy Winehouse Is a Star". BBC America. 2008-02-11. http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/23/anglophenia.jsp?bc_id=899. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
^ Batey, Angus (2007-11-10). "The ascent of Alicia Keys". The Times (London: News Corporation). http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2819353.ece. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
^ "2005 Grammy Award Winners". CBS News. 2005-02-13. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/14/in_depth_showbiz/main673822.shtml. Retrieved 2009-07-05.
^ Whitmire, Margo (2005-10-19). "Keys 'Unplugs' For 3rd Straight No. 1 Disc". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. http://www.billboard.com/#/news/keys-unplugs-for-3rd-straight-no-1-disc-1001347290.story. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
^ Who Will Come Out On Top Of VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time?
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^ "Alicia Keys Debuts “A Place Of My Own” At iHeartRadio Music Festival | Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on". Idolator.com. 2011-09-24. http://idolator.com/6024002/alicia-keys-debuts-a-place-of-my-own. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
^ "Google News". News.google.com.br. http://news.google.com.br/news/more?hl=en&q=A+Place+Of+My+Own&gs_upl=47961l47961l1l48421l1l1l0l0l0l0l0l0ll0l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=677&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ncl=dsx42p3KjIV_WRMlyfw-MO6MimWTM&ei=MCd-TqDDO-m80AGf5b2VDQ&sa=X&oi=news_result&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CCgQqgIwAA. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
^ "RCA's New Executive Team Named Under CEO Peter Edge Amid Layoffs (Update)". Billboard.biz. 2011-08-23. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/rca-s-new-executive-team-named-under-ceo-1005324782.story. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
^ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=2268707. Retrieved 2011-11-24.
^ Kleinman, Jacob. "Whitney Houston Funeral: Alicia Keys Performs "Prelude To A Kiss"". International Business Times. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/300933/20120218/whintey-houston-funeral-alicia-keys-angel-video.htm. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
^ "Keys to Success". People. Time. August 27, 2001. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20135193,00.html. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
^ Fiore, Raymond (April 21, 2006). "Opening Doors". Entertainment Weekly (Time). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1186026,00.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
^ Horan, Tom (November 29, 2003). "CD of the week: The Diary of Alicia Keys by Alicia Keys". The Daily Telegraph (London: News Limited). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/3607474/CD-of-the-week-The-Diary-of-Alicia-Keys-by-Alicia-Keys.html. Retrieved July 2, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c Pareles, Jon (September 9, 2007). "A Neo-Soul Star as She Is: Nurturing Her Inner Rebel". The New York Times (The New York Times Company): pp. 1–2. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/arts/music/09pare.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
^ MacDonald, Patrick (September 19, 2008). "Six years after 'Minor' success, Alicia Keys is a major star". The Seattle Times (The Seattle Times Company). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/musicnightlife/2008188607_keys19.html. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
^ Neal, Mark Anthony. "Song in A Minor: A Major Debut". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/k/keysalicia-songs.shtml. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Pareles, Jon (November 13, 2007). "Alicia Keys – As I Am on Blender". Blender. Alpha Media Group. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/54849/as-i-am.html. Retrieved February 4, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
^ Brown, Marisa. "As I Am – Overview". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1213242. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
^ Ratliff, Ben (December 13, 2009). "News CDs from Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Jimmy Buffett – Review". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/arts/music/14choi.html. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
^ "Alicia Keys and the Freedom of love". Houston Chronicle. Hearst Corporation. December 14, 2009. http://blogs.chron.com/peep/2009/12/alicia_keys_and_the_freedom_of_1.html. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
^ "Alicia Keys Wraps Up Busy Year With Awards, Hit CD, Tour And Poetry Book?". Jet (Johnson Publishing Company) 106 (24): 61. 2004. http://books.google.com/?id=F78DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58&dq=alicia+keys+voice#PPA61,M1. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
^ ^a ^b "Alicia Keys: Soul princess". The Independent (London: Independent News & Media). November 18, 2005. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/alicia-keys-soul-princess-515710.html. Retrieved December 25, 2008.
^ "Alicia Keys: Album review". Blender. Blender. February 12, 2003. http://www.blender.com/guide/new/51866/diary-alicia-keys.html. Retrieved May 18, 2009. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Alicia Keys: She sings, she acts, she smoulders". Canwest News Service. Canwest Mediaworks Publications. October 15, 2008. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=f04af0a4-3aa8-477c-b783-903549139ac3. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Freedom du Lac, J. (November 13, 2007). "Alicia Keys, Still Warming Up". The Washington Post (The Washington Post Company). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/12/AR2007111201967.html. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Kot, Greg (November 11, 2007). "Drab production keeps Alicia Keys' promise unfulfilled". Chicago Tribune (Tribune Company). http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2007/11/drab-production.html. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
^ ^a ^b Tate, Gregory Stephen (November 20, 2007). "Extensions of a Woman". The Village Voice. New Times Media. pp. 1–2. http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-11-20/music/extensions-of-a-woman/. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
^ "RIAA – Gold & Platinum – Top Selling Artists". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=2&table=tblTopArt&action=. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
^ Orf, Chris Hansen (July 22, 2008). "R&B queen Alicia Keys to play Dodge Theatre". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20081014112443/http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/121327. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
^ "Green Family Foundation Sponsors Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive College Student...". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). November 20, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS145550+20-Nov-2008+PRN20081120. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
^ "Alicia Keys And Bono Team Up For Charity Track". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. December 1, 2005. http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2005/12/alicia_keys_bono_dont_give_up_africa/. Retrieved December 16, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Bono and Keys duet on Africa song". BBC. December 4, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4497232.stm. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ "For The Record: Quick News On Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Obie Trice, Notorious B.I.G., Jessica Simpson & More". MTV News. April 10, 2006. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1528266/20060410/coldplay.jhtml. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ "Alicia Keys and 'Keep a Child Alive' Visit AHF's Ithembalabantu Clinic, Free AIDS Clinic in Durban, South Africa Run by AIDS Healthcare Foundation". PR Newswire. April 16, 2006. http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=168584. Retrieved December 4, 2006.
^ "Alicia Keys in Kenya for HIV Project". USA Today (Gannett Company). April 6, 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-04-06-alicia-keys_x.htm. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
^ "Alicia Keys' Documentary "Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland" Available...". Reuters (Thomson Reuters). April 7, 2008. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS189864+07-Apr-2008+BW20080407. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
^ "Keys lends support to mentoring group". USA Today (Gannett Company). June 24, 2005. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2005-06-24-alicia-keys_x.htm. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ "Frum Tha Ground Up Story Page". USA Today (Gannett Company). January 22, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-01-21-alicia-keys_x.htm. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ Wolinsky, David (June 27, 2005). "Keys, Peas Join Live 8". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7425214/keys_peas_join_live_8. Retrieved December 16, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
^ Moss, Corey (September 2, 2005). "Kelly, Stones, Kanye Added To Massive Disaster-Relief Special". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508922/20050902/clarkson_kelly.jhtml. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ "Celebrity-Studded Benefit Raises Funds for Hurricane Katrina Survivors; Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast". FindArticles (CBS Corporation). December 6, 2005. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2005_Dec_6/ai_n15896288/. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
^ Dolan, Jon; Lynskey, Dorian (July 7, 2007). "Live Earth". Blender. Alpha Media Group. http://www.blender.com/guide/live/54717/hot-in-herre-giants-stadium-east-rutherford-nj.html. Retrieved December 16, 2008. ^{[dead link]}
^ "Live Earth New York Rocks Giants Stadium". Spin. Spin Media. July 9, 2007. http://www.spin.com/articles/live-earth-new-york-rocks-giants-stadium. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ Samuels, Allison (December 31, 2001). "Alicia Keys". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/2001/12/30/alicia-keys.html. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
^ "Nobel Peace Prize Concert". Nobel Peace Prize. http://nobelpeaceprize.org/concert/history/index.php. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
^ Watson, Roland; Costello, Miles; Fleming, Sam (August 12, 2008). "Joss Stone to record song for Barack Obama". The Times (London: News Corporation). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4511270.ece. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
^ Ditzian, Eric (June 29, 2009). "BET Awards Salute Michael Jackson With Heartfelt Tributes". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1614877/20090629/story.jhtml. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
^ Reid, Shaheem (January 22, 2010). "Alicia Keys Performs 'Prelude to a Kiss' During 'Hope for Haiti Now'". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1630327/20100122/keys_alicia.jhtml. Retrieved February 10, 2010.

External links [link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alicia Keys

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Alicia Keys

Official website
Alicia Keys at the Internet Movie Database
Alicia Keys at Billboard.com
Alicia Keys at Discogs
Alicia Keys at Metacritic

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Macy Gray	MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist 2001	Succeeded by Avril Lavigne
Preceded by Nelly	BET Award for Best New Artist 2002	Succeeded by 50 Cent
Preceded by Carl Thomas	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist 2002	Succeeded by Ashanti

v t e Alicia Keys

Discography Awards and nominations Tours Films

Studio albums	Songs in A Minor (2001) The Diary of Alicia Keys (2003) As I Am (2007) The Element of Freedom (2009)

Compilation albums	The Platinum Collection (2010)

Live albums	Unplugged (2005)

Remix albums	Remixed & Unplugged in A minor (2002) Remixed (2008)

Tours	Songs in A Minor Tour Verizon Ladies First Tour Diary Tour As I Am Tour Freedom Tour Piano & I

Filmography	Smokin' Aces The Nanny Diaries The Secret Life of Bees

Book Category

v t e Alicia Keys singles

Songs in A Minor	"Fallin'" "A Woman's Worth" "How Come You Don't Call Me" "Girlfriend"

The Diary of Alicia Keys	"You Don't Know My Name" "If I Ain't Got You" "Diary" "Karma"

Unplugged	"Unbreakable" "Every Little Bit Hurts"

As I Am	"No One" "Like You'll Never See Me Again" "Teenage Love Affair" "Superwoman"

The Element of Freedom	"Doesn't Mean Anything" "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down" "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" "Put It in a Love Song" "Wait Til You See My Smile"

Other singles	"Gangsta Lovin'" "My Boo" "Ghetto Story Chapter 2" "Another Way to Die" "Empire State of Mind" "Looking for Paradise" "Fireworks" "All of the Lights" "Speechless" "International Party"

Book Category

v t e Grammy Award for Best New Artist

1950s	Bobby Darin (1959)

1960s	No award given (1960) Bob Newhart (1961) Peter Nero (1962) Robert Goulet (1963) The Swingle Singers (1964) The Beatles (1965) Tom Jones (1966) No award given (1967) Bobbie Gentry (1968) José Feliciano (1969)

1970s	Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970) The Carpenters (1971) Carly Simon (1972) America (1973) Bette Midler (1974) Marvin Hamlisch (1975) Natalie Cole (1976) Starland Vocal Band (1977) Debby Boone (1978) A Taste of Honey (1979)

1980s	Rickie Lee Jones (1980) Christopher Cross (1981) Sheena Easton (1982) Men at Work (1983) Culture Club (1984) Cyndi Lauper (1985) Sade (1986) Bruce Hornsby and the Range (1987) Jody Watley (1988) Tracy Chapman (1989)

1990s	Milli Vanilli (1990) Mariah Carey (1991) Marc Cohn (1992) Arrested Development (1993) Toni Braxton (1994) Sheryl Crow (1995) Hootie & the Blowfish (1996) LeAnn Rimes (1997) Paula Cole (1998) Lauryn Hill (1999)

2000s	Christina Aguilera (2000) Shelby Lynne (2001) Alicia Keys (2002) Norah Jones (2003) Evanescence (2004) Maroon 5 (2005) John Legend (2006) Carrie Underwood (2007) Amy Winehouse (2008) Adele (2009)

2010s	Zac Brown Band (2010) Esperanza Spalding (2011) Bon Iver (2012)

Grammy Award Record of the Year Song of the Year Album of the Year Best New Artist National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

v t e Grammy Award for Song of the Year (2000s)

2000 Itaal Shur & Rob Thomas - "Smooth" 2001 Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Jr. & Paul Hewson - "Beautiful Day" 2002 Alicia Keys - "Fallin'" 2003 Jesse Harris - "Don't Know Why" 2004 Richard Marx & Luther Vandross - "Dance with My Father" 2005 John Mayer - "Daughters" 2006 Adam Clayton, David Evans, Larry Mullen, Jr. & Paul Hewson - "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" 2007 Emily Burns Irwin, Martha Maguire, Natalie Maines Pasdar & Dan Wilson - "Not Ready to Make Nice" 2008 Amy Winehouse - "Rehab" 2009 Guy Berryman, Jonathan Buckland, William Champion & Christopher Martin - "Viva la Vida"

Complete list (1960s) (1970s) (1980s) (1990s) (2000s) (2010s)

v t e Billboard Year-End number one albums (1990–2009)

1990: Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 – Janet Jackson 1991: Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey 1992: Ropin' the Wind – Garth Brooks 1993: The Bodyguard – Soundtrack 1994: The Sign – Ace of Base 1995: Cracked Rear View – Hootie & the Blowfish 1996: Jagged Little Pill – Alanis Morissette 1997: Spice – Spice Girls 1998: Titanic: Music from the Motion Picture – James Horner 1999: Millennium – Backstreet Boys 2000: No Strings Attached – 'N Sync 2001: 1 – The Beatles 2002: The Eminem Show – Eminem 2003: Get Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent 2004: Confessions – Usher 2005: The Massacre – 50 Cent 2006: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood 2007: Daughtry – Daughtry 2008: As I Am – Alicia Keys 2009: Fearless – Taylor Swift

Complete list (1956–1969) (1970–1989) (1990–2009) (2010–2029)

v t e James Bond music

Themes	"James Bond Theme" (Monty Norman) "James Bond Is Back/From Russia with Love" (John Barry) "007 Theme" (John Barry) "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (John Barry) "Bond 77" (Marvin Hamlisch)

Soundtracks	Dr. No From Russia with Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice On Her Majesty's Secret Service Diamonds Are Forever Live and Let Die The Man with the Golden Gun The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker For Your Eyes Only Octopussy A View to a Kill The Living Daylights Licence to Kill GoldenEye Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day Casino Royale Quantum of Solace

Eon films themes	"Kingston Calypso" "From Russia with Love" "Goldfinger" "Thunderball" "You Only Live Twice" "We Have All the Time in the World" "Diamonds Are Forever" "Live and Let Die" "The Man with the Golden Gun" "Nobody Does It Better" "Moonraker" "For Your Eyes Only" "All Time High" "A View to a Kill" "The Living Daylights" "Where Has Everybody Gone?" "Licence To Kill" "If You Asked Me To" "GoldenEye" "Tomorrow Never Dies" "The World Is Not Enough" "Die Another Day" "You Know My Name" "Another Way to Die"

Non-Eon films themes	"Casino Royale" "The Look of Love" "Never Say Never Again"

Compilations	Shaken and Stirred The Incredible World of James Bond The Best of Bond...James Bond

Related articles	Official secondary songs "If You Asked Me To" "Where Has Everybody Gone?"

Persondata
Name	Keys, Alicia
Alternative names	Augello Cook, Alicia
Short description	American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress
Date of birth	January 25, 1981
Place of birth	New York City, New York, United States
Date of death
Place of death

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This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_Keys

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This article is about the American quartet. For a definition of the word "en vogue", see the Wiktionary entry en vogue.

For other uses of "vogue", see Vogue.

En Vogue

Background information
Origin	Oakland, California, United States
Genres	R&B, Soul, Funk
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Atlantic, EastWest, Discretion Ent., 33rd Street, Rufftown Entertainment Group, Inc.
Members
Terry Ellis Cindy Herron Maxine Jones
Past members
Amanda Cole Rhona Bennett Dawn Robinson

En Vogue is an American female R&B^[1] vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.^[2]

The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music Awards, and seven Grammy nominations. According to Billboard Magazine they were the 18th most successful act of the 1990s, and one of the most popular and successful female groups of all time.^[3] En Vogue have accumulated over 2,800 weeks on various Billboard charts.^[4]

1 Group history
2 Members
3 Television and film
4 Discography
5 Awards
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Group history [link]

Beginnings [link]

Assembled in Oakland, California in July 1989, En Vogue launched with original members Cindy Herron, Maxine Jones, Dawn Robinson and Terry Ellis. The inspiration for the group came when production duo of Foster and Mc Elroy envisioned a modern-day girl group in the tradition of the 1950s/1960s female trios. The blueprint was based on the plan of recruiting singers who possessed strong voices, noticeably good looks, and intelligence. Auditions were held in 1988, with Herron, Jones and Robinson making the final cut.^[5] Like previous girl groups, En Vogue was originally conceived as a trio, but after hearing Ellis audition, Foster and McElroy decided to create a quartet. At first, they selected the name "For You." They shifted to "Vogue", but ultimately settled on En Vogue, upon learning that another group had already claimed the Vogue moniker.

[edit] 1989–91: Born to Sing

After forming, the group began working with their producers on their debut album. Recording began in August 1989 and wrapped up in December of the same year.^[6] Born to Sing was released on April 3, 1990. The album charted at number twenty-one on the Billboard 200 and number three on Billboard's R&B Albums Chart. The first single, "Hold On," was released to radio in late February 1990 and became a crossover pop hit, reaching number two on Billboard's Hot 100 singles charts, and number one on both the R&B singles and Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts. It later went to #5 in the UK, and became a hit in Europe. The next two singles, "Lies" and "You Don't Have to Worry," each went to number one on the Billboard R&B charts, while the fourth and final single, "Don't Go," charted at number three on the Billboard R&B. The album was later certified platinum by the RIAA.

"Hold On" was awarded a Billboard Music Award for "R&B Single of the Year," a Soul Train Award for "R&B/Urban Contemporary Single of the Year, Group, Band or Duo" and have been nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group". In 1990, En Vogue signed an endorsement deal to appear in a Diet Coke commercial directed by Spike Lee.

[edit] 1992–94: Funky Divas and Runaway Love

En Vogue's second album, Funky Divas, was released in the spring of 1992. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard R&B and ultimately doubled the take of its predecessor, going multi-platinum. The album's first two singles: "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" and "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" both went top ten pop, and peaked at number one on the R&B charts. The next single, "Free Your Mind" also went top ten. The final two singles "Give It Up Turn It Loose" and "Love Don't Love You" both were top forty hits. The album went on to sell more than three million copies, won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album," and was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The music video for "Free Your Mind" earned the group three MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Choreography," "Best Dance Video," and "Best R&B Video." They were also honored with Soul Train's prestigious "Entertainer of the Year Award." In addition to this, the group were featured in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and Essence among other major publications. Riding high on the success of Funky Divas, a six-song EP entitled Runaway Love was released in the fall of 1993, spawning the hit "Runaway Love."

The group was signed to an endorsement deal with Converse, and were featured as an opening act on Luther Vandross' 1993 tour. Among the numerous countries toured were England, Germany, the Netherlands and France which confirmed the group's live vocal and performing prowess. However, according to an article in Vibe magazine, Vandross (by his own admission in interviews) and his entourage clashed with the members of En Vogue during the tour and he vowed never to work with them again afterwards. En Vogue also made numerous television appearances on such series as In Living Color, A Different World, Roc and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper (the latter two of which they also sang the show's theme songs.) In 1993, En Vogue were featured vocalists on Salt-N-Pepa's top ten hit "Whatta Man", from Salt-N-Pepa's Very Necessary album. The track also appeared (slightly edited) on En Vogue's Runaway Love EP.

[edit] 1994–98: The departure of Robinson and EV3

In 1995, En Vogue were amongst numerous female vocalists featured on the song "Freedom" for the soundtrack to Panther. Also in 1995, group member Terry Ellis recorded a solo album entitled Southern Gal, which spun off the top ten R&B single "Where Ever You Are."

En Vogue reunited in 1996 to record "Don't Let Go (Love)" for the soundtrack to the motion picture Set It Off. Released in the autumn, it became the group's biggest hit to date; the single peaked at number two on the Hot 100, number one on the R&B singles chart, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. It, inadvertently, would also be the final En Vogue single to feature Robinson. One of Robinson's final performances with her bandmates came in October of that year, when the group sang the final National Anthem rendition in the history of Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, which came in game five of the 1996 World Series. In response to the large commercial success of "Don't Let Go (Love)", the group steadfastly went to work on its third album. As the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group in April 1997 after difficult contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. Despite Robinson's abrupt departure, En Vogue resolved to continue on as a trio (forcing the group to re-record some of the tracks on their forthcoming album that had originally featured her on lead vocals).

EV3, the group's third album, was released in the spring and debuted at number eight on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard R&B charts. The first single, the Babyface-penned and produced "Whatever" went on to become a top-20 pop hit, a top ten R&B hit, while also peaking at number five on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. On August 26, 1997, the single was certified gold by the RIAA. The followup single "Too Gone, Too Long" (which was produced by David Foster and written by Diane Warren) performed more modestly, managing to only peak in the top forty. Despite its being certified platinum, and the album being nominated for Grammy Award and a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award, sales of EV3 failed to live up to full commercial expectation. A world tour had been planned, but was canceled due to poor ticket sales. In 1998, En Vogue recorded "No Fool No More" for the soundtrack to the motion picture, Why Do Fools Fall In Love as well as a version of I Want A Monster to Be My Friend for the Elmopalooza special on ABC. The following year, a greatest hits compilation, The Best of En Vogue, was released.

[edit] 2000–03: Masterpiece Theatre and new member

Masterpiece Theatre, the group's fourth studio album, was released in May 2000. The album debuted at number sixty-seven and thirty-three on the Billboard 200 and R&B Albums Charts respectively. The first (and only) single, "Riddle," peaked at number ninety-two and ninety-five on the Hot 100 and R&B charts. As a result of poor sales, En Vogue was dropped from the Elektra Record label.

In 2001, original member Maxine Jones left the group to focus on her family. As a result, Amanda Cole joined the group. Ellis, Herron and Cole released a holiday album, The Gift of Christmas. Soon after the holiday album, Cole too left the group and was replaced with Rhona Bennett. Meanwhile, Robinson's first solo CD Dawn was released in early 2002. During the latter part of 2003, En Vogue toured Europe with Maxine Jones rejoining the group to fill the place of Cindy Herron, who was on maternity leave.

[edit] 2004–07: Soul Flower and impromptu reunion

In 2004, En Vogue (now composed of Ellis, Herron and Bennett) released Soul Flower on independent label 33rd Street Records. While the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, it managed to peak at number forty-seven on the R&B charts. The albums two singles: "Losin' My Mind" and "Ooh Boy", however, failed to chart. Soon after promotion had finished on this album, Maxine Jones returned to En Vogue, turning the group back into a quartet for the first time since 1996. The group teamed with Boyz II Men for select concert dates during the summer of 2004. That same year En Vogue graced the cover of R&B Showcase magazine.^[7]

In 2005, after an eight-year absence, Robinson rejoined En Vogue. The original four went on to sign with one of the industry's largest management firms, The Firm Management Group. That September, they joined Salt N Pepa for the girl groups' first-ever joint public performance of their 1994 hit, "Whatta Man" at VH-1's Hip Hop Honors, and briefly toured. They also earned another Grammy nomination for the single "So What the Fuss", which featured Stevie Wonder and Prince. The group also appeared in the single's music video. After failing to agree on business terms, Robinson once again chose to defect from En Vogue and Bennett returned. As a result, En Vogue was let go from The Firm. En Vogue continued to perform spot dates in North America with Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones, Cindy Herron and Rhona Bennett. This line-up also saw the group return to Europe and Japan for select concert dates. During this time, En Vogue teamed up with Belgian singer Natalia for a song called "Glamorous" where Rhona Bennett's vocals are featured. The single reached No.2 in the Belgian charts and was followed by a DVD release of the concert, which went double platinum.

2008–11: Robinson returns again [link]

On June 24, 2008, the original lineup of En Vogue appeared on the BET Awards, performing with Alicia Keys, SWV and TLC as a tribute to girl groups of the 1990s. With speculation abuzz, En Vogue received the twenty-eighth highest number of hits on the Rock on the Net website for the month of June 2008. The following month, the group ascended to the twelfth position. As of June 30, Robinson stated via an En Vogue Yahoo! fan site that she had indeed returned to En Vogue. On August 6, the original members appeared on Los Angeles' KTLA television station and announced that they have reunited and would do spot dates around the country during the latter part of 2008. The foursome kicked off the Americana at Brand Concert Series in Glendale, California that same evening.^[8] Furthermore, En Vogue performed at the 2009 Essence Music Festival, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. They continue to tour throughout the United States. In October 2010, the band performed their first UK show in 18 years in London.

On September 26, 2011, a new single called "I´ll Cry Later" was sent to select urban adult contemporary radio stations.^[9]

Robinson left En Vogue again in December 2011.^[10]

2012: No new album [link]

In March 2012, a lawsuit was filed by Wells Fargo Bank against Rufftown, Inc. for breach of contract.^{[citation needed]} On May 8, Cindy Herron announced on their official En Vogue Facebook page, that no new album is coming out.^{[citation needed]} En Vogue is touring in 2012.

Members [link]

Member		89	90	91	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12
	Terry Ellis (1989–present)
	Cindy Herron (1989–present)
	Maxine Jones (1989–2001, 2003–present)
	Dawn Robinson (1989–1997, 2005, 2008–2011)
	Rhona Bennett (2003–2005, 2006–2008)
	Amanda Cole (2002–2003)

Note: those in bold are current members.

Television and film [link]

En Vogue has appeared in Sesame Street specials including Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration and Elmopalooza in 1998. In Sesame Street's 25th Birthday: A Musical Celebration, the four original members sang "Adventure" about their adventures with some of the Sesame Street characters. The second song was "I Want a Monster"; a song about having a monster as a playmate. It appeared on Elmopalooza and was recorded after Robinson's departure- featuring Terry Ellis, Maxine Jones and Cindy Herron.

In 1993, the group appeared in a "Wanda" sketch with Jamie Foxx on In Living Color.

In the 1995 film Batman Forever, they appeared in a cameo appearance as a group of prostitutes who want to seduce Batman, but are disappointed when it is Robin who shows up instead; Robinson also appeared as a holographic prostitute demonstrating how to assemble an appropriate outfit in the film Tank Girl.

En Vogue has also appeared in A Different World as a group of country bumpkin sisters who want to sing.

The group also appeared on more than one episode of the highly acclaimed Charles S. Dutton Fox 90's television show Roc, with one of the ladies playing a love interest of Rocky Carrol's character Joey who has to choose between staying with Joey or touring with the rest of the En Vogue ladies. En Vogue recorded a brand new theme song, entitled "Live Your Life Today" for Roc's later season's.

They also recorded the theme song for Season 1 of Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, along with Dawnn Lewis and Holly Robinson-Peete.

On May 11, 2009 the group appeared on ABC's The View to perform & announce their future reunion tour. On June 7, 2009 the group appeared on A&E Network's Private Sessions, performing select hits and discussing the group's past, present and future.

Discography [link]

Main article: En Vogue discography

Studio albums

1990: Born to Sing
1992: Funky Divas
1997: EV3
2000: Masterpiece Theatre
2002: The Gift of Christmas
2004: Soul Flower

EPs

1991: Remix to Sing
1993: Runaway Love

Awards [link]

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by En Vogue

References [link]

^ Billboard.com - Biography - En Vogue
^ En Vogue | Music Artist | Videos, News, Photos & Ringtones | MTV
^ [1]^{[dead link]}
^ [2]^{[dead link]}
^ Real.com - Article - En Vogue
^ "Don't think I can make it. By Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Will Townsend, Pharoah Davis, Warren Robinson & Andre Zachary part 2 - song, music - Copyright Info". Faqs.org. http://www.faqs.org/copyright/dont-think-i-can-make-it-by-denzil-foster-thomas-mcelroy-2/. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
^ - Reference - En Vogue in R&B Showcase Magazine
^ "En Vogue My Lovin' You're Never Gonna Get It on KTLA". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1OUGJazwzA. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
^ "New Music: En Vogue – “I’ll Cry Later” (Radio Rip) « Pop Addicts". Popaddicts.com. http://popaddicts.com/new-music-en-vogue-ill-cry-later-radio-rip/. Retrieved 2012-05-11.
^ http://twitter.com/#!/dawnrobinson_/status/156806731542962176

External links [link]

	Book: En Vogue
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

En Vogue at Rock on the Net.
En Vogue at Allmusic
En Vogue On AOL
En Vogue Videos

v t e En Vogue

Terry Ellis Cindy Herron Maxine Jones Amanda Cole Rhona Bennett Dawn Robinson

Albums	Born to Sing (1990) Funky Divas (1992) EV3 (1997) Masterpiece Theatre (2000) The Gift of Christmas (2002) Soul Flower (2004)

Other releases	Remix to Sing (1991) Runaway Love (1993)

Compilations	Best of En Vogue (1999) Very Best of En Vogue (2001) Hold On and Other Hits (2005) The Essentials (2005) The Platinum Collection (2007) Don't Let Go: The Very Best of En Vogue (2010)

Singles	"Hold On" " Lies" " You Don't Have to Worry" " Don't Go" " Strange" "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" "Yesterday" "Free Your Mind" "Give It Up, Turn It Loose" "Love Don't Love You" "Runaway Love" "What Is Love" "Whatta Man" "Don't Let Go (Love)" " Whatever" "Too Gone, Too Long" "No Fool No More" "Hold On" (Remix) "Riddle" "Losin' My Mind" "Ooh Boy"

Featured singles	"Freedom (Theme from Panther)" (w/ Various Artists) "Free Your Mind" (w/ Sub7even) "So What the Fuss" (w/ Stevie Wonder & Prince) " Glamorous" (w/ Natalia)

Related topics	Discography Awards and nominations Foster & McElroy

Book:En Vogue

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This article is about the musical group. For other uses, see Wu-Tang (disambiguation).

Wu-Tang Clan
Members of the Wu-Tang Clan and their affiliates performing at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore.
Background information
Origin	Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1992–Present
Labels	Loud SRC/Universal Republic Records
Associated acts	see below, Mobb Deep, AZ, Nas, Busta Rhymes, The LOX, Redman, Erick Sermon
Website	www.wutang-corp.com
Members
RZA GZA Method Man Raekwon Ghostface Killah Inspectah Deck U-God Masta Killa
Past members
Ol' Dirty Bastard

The Wu-Tang Clan /ˈwuːtæŋ/ is an American rap group from Staten Island, New York that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi-member of the group. They were formed in (and are associated with) the New York City borough of Staten Island (U-God, Method Man, RZA, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon) (referred to by members as "Shaolin"), though some of their members are from Brooklyn (Ol Dirty Bastard, GZA and Masta Killa) and one is from The Bronx (Inspectah Deck).

They have introduced and launched the careers of affiliated artists and groups, often collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Bees,^[1] and in 2008, About.com ranked them the No. 1 greatest hip hop group of all time, and stated "No weapon in hip-hop history can rival the chaotic cohesion of the Wu-Tang Clan. The Clan had so many characters, each with his own eccentricities. They were fearless in their approach. There's a good reason no group has been able to successfully recreate their sound. The crew spawned countless loosely associated acts. Their classic albums spawned classic albums."^[2] Kris Ex of Rolling Stone called Wu-Tang Clan "the best rap group ever."^[3] In 2004, NME hailed them as one of the most influential groups of the last ten years.^[4]

1 History
2 Influence
- 2.1 Production
- 2.2 Lyrics
3 Syndication
4 Controversy
5 Wu-Tang affiliates and associates
6 Members
7 Discography
8 References
9 External links

History [link]

Foundation and name [link]

All In Together Now was never signed to a record label. See, me, GZA and ODB had a crew called FOI: Force Of The Imperial Master, nah mean? We made a song, called "All in Together Now", which became famous on tapes throughout Brooklyn, Downtown Staten Island, New York, all the way down to Miami. I remember Biz Markie, when he was famous and I wasn't famous, and he was like: "Yo! I heard that shit! Your song with Ason Unique and the Specialist". I was the Scientist. So we never got signed as a group back then. We never had a serious record deal under that title.^[5]

—RZA

The Wu-Tang Clan was assembled in the early 90's with RZA as the de facto leader and the group's producer.^[1] RZA and Ol' Dirty Bastard adopted the name for the group after the film Shaolin and Wu Tang.^[6] The group's debut album loosely adopted a Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang theme, dividing the album into Shaolin and Wu-Tang sections.^[7]

The group developed backronyms for the name (as hip hop pioneers such as KRS-One and Big Daddy Kane did with their names), including "We Usually Take All Niggas' Garments", "Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game", and "Wisdom of the Universe, and the Truth of Allah for the Nation of the Gods".^[6]

[edit] 1992-96: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and solo albums

The Wu-Tang Clan first became known in 1993 following the release of the independent single "Protect Ya Neck", which immediately gave the group a sizable underground following, especially after their tour with Kat Nu and Cypress Hill. Though there was some difficulty in finding a record label that would sign the Wu-Tang Clan while still allowing each member to record solo albums with other labels, Loud/RCA finally agreed, releasing their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), in November 1993. This album turned out to be critically acclaimed, and to date is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.^[8]^[9]^[10] The success of Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers established the group as a creative and influential force in mid 1990s hip hop, allowing Ol' Dirty Bastard, GZA, RZA, Raekwon, U-God, Method Man, and Ghostface Killah to negotiate solo contracts. RZA spoke on the Wu-Tang Clan's unorthodox business model:

We reinvented the way hip hop was structured, and what I mean is, you have a group signed to a label, yet the infrastructure of our deal was like anyone else's [...] We still could negotiate with any label we wanted, like Meth went with Def Jam, Rae stayed with Loud, Ghost went with Sony, GZA went with Geffen Records, feel me? [...] And all these labels still put "Razor Sharp Records" on the credits [...] Wu Tang was a financial movement. So what do you wanna diversify...? [...] Your assets?^[11]

—RZA

1994-96: First round of solo albums [link]

RZA was the first to follow up on the success of Enter the Wu-Tang with a side project, founding the Gravediggaz with Prince Paul and Frukwan (both of Stetsasonic) and Poetic. The Gravediggaz released 6 Feet Deep in August 1994, which became one of the best known works to emerge from hip hop's small sub-genre of horrorcore.^[1]

It had always been planned for Method Man to be the first breakout star from the group's lineup, with the b-side of the first single being his now-classic eponymous solo track. In November 1994 his solo album Tical was released. It was entirely produced by RZA, who for the most part continued with the grimy, raw textures he explored on 36 Chambers. RZA's hands-on approach to Tical extended beyond his merely creating the beats to devising song concepts and structures.^[1] The track "All I Need" from Tical was the winner of the "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" at the 1995 Grammy Awards.^[12]

After the release of Method Man's Tical, Ol' Dirty Bastard was the next member to launch a solo career. His debut album Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version was released in March 1995, and is considered a hip hop classic.^[10]

Late summer, and early fall of 1995 saw the release of Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., and GZA's Liquid Swords, which would turn out to be the group's two most significant and well-received solo projects. Cuban Linx was a diverse, theatrical criminological epic that saw RZA move away from the raw, stripped-down beats of the early albums and towards a richer, cinematic sound more reliant on strings and classic soul samples. The album is highly notable in that it revived, and expanded the Mafioso rap sub-genre, which started to decline several years beforehand. Lavish living and the crime underworld are referenced throughout using quotes from the John Woo movie The Killer, with the mystique of the Wu-Tang Clan deepened by the adoption of crime boss aliases and the crew name Wu-Gambinos. The album introduced a flurry of slang words to the rap lexicon, and many artists have gone on to imitate its materialism. Cuban Linx featured all but one Wu member, and featured the debut from close Wu-Tang affiliate Cappadonna. The album also featured rapper Nas, who was the first non-Wu-Tang-affiliated MC to appear on a Wu-Tang Clan album. GZA's Liquid Swords had a similar focus on inner-city criminology akin to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, but it was far darker, both in GZA's grim lyrics and in the ominous, foreboding production that saw RZA experimenting more with keyboards than ever before. Liquid Swords features guest appearances from every Wu-Tang Clan member, and is linked together by excerpts from the movie Shogun Assassin. 1995 also saw the release of the Wu Wear clothing line, which would turn out to be massively successful, and influential on hip hop culture. It initially started as a mere way to make money from the demand for bootleg Wu-Tang Clan shirts, and evolved into an extensive collection of designer garments. Soon, other hip hop artists were making similar ventures and by the mid 2000s, a clothing line was almost a prerequisite for hip hop superstardom, with clothing lines launched by Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Ludacris, 50 Cent, and more.

Almost a year after the release of Liquid Swords, Ghostface Killah released his first solo album, Ironman in late October 1996. The album struck a balance between the sinister keyboard-laden textures of Liquid Swords and the sentimental soul samples of Cuban Linx, while Ghostface himself explored new territory as a lyricist. Ironman was critically acclaimed and is still widely considered to be one of the best of Wu-Tang solo albums.^[13] Although the 1994–1996 albums were released as solo, RZA's presence behind the production, and the large number of guest appearances from other Wu-Tang Clan members has rendered them to be mostly all-round group efforts.

In 1996, the group appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America Is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Coolio, 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.

[edit] 1997-2000: Wu-Tang Forever and diversification

With their solo careers firmly established, the Wu-Tang Clan reassembled to release the highly anticipated Grammy-nominated multiplatinum double album Wu-Tang Forever in June 1997, debuting at number one on the Billboard Charts. This event was featured in a CNN roundup for the extraordinary sales the group achieved without a mainstream sound or commercial appeal. The album's first single, "Triumph", was over five minutes long, featured nine verses (one from each member plus Cappadonna and excluding ODB who appeared on the intro and bridge), and no hook or a repeated phrase. The sound of the album built significantly on the previous three solo albums, with RZA using more keyboards and string samples, as well as, for the first time, assigning some of the album's production to his protégés True Master and 4th Disciple. The group's lyrics differed significantly from those of 36 Chambers, with many verses written in a dense stream of consciousness form heavily influenced by the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 8.3 million copies to date worldwide.

Wu-Tang Forever also marked the end of RZA's "five year plan". After ...Forever's success, RZA ceased to oversee all aspects of Wu-Tang product as he had done previously, delegating much of his existing role to associates such as Oliver "Power" Grant and his brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs. This move was designed to expand Wu-Tang's reach in the industry and take advantage of financial opportunities for the group. In keeping with this move, an array of Wu-Tang products (both musical and otherwise) were to be released over the next two years.

Following Wu-Tang Forever, the focus of the Wu-Tang empire largely shifted to the promoting of emerging affiliated artists. The group's close associate Cappadonna followed the group project with March 1998's The Pillage. Soon after, Killah Priest, another close associate of the Clan, released Heavy Mental to great critical acclaim. Affiliated groups Sunz of Man and Killarmy also released well-received albums, followed by Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm—a compilation album showcasing these and more Wu-affiliated artists, and including new solo tracks from the group members themselves. The Swarm sold well and was certified gold.^[14]

There was also a long line of releases from secondary affiliates such as Popa Wu, Shyheim, GP Wu, and Wu-Syndicate. Second albums from Gravediggaz and Killarmy, as well as a greatest hits album and a b-sides compilation also eventually saw release.

1998-2000: Second round of solo albums [link]

While this round was commercially successful, it was not as critically acclaimed as its predecessor. The second round of solo albums from Wu-Tang saw second efforts from the five members who had already released albums, as well as debuts from all the remaining members, with the exception of Masta Killa. In the space of two years, RZA's Bobby Digital In Stereo, Method Man Tical 2000: Judgement Day and Blackout! (with Redman), GZA's Beneath the Surface, Ol' Dirty Bastard's Nigga Please, U-God's Golden Arms Redemption, Raekwon's Immobilarity, Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele and Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance were all released (seven of them being released in the space of seven months between June 1999 and January 2000). RZA also composed the score for the film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, directed by Jim Jarmusch, while he and other Wu-Tang members contributed music to a companion "music inspired by the film" album. Wu-Tang branded clothing and video games were marketed as well. The Wu Wear clothing line (previously mentioned) in particular was massively influential, and successful.

The avalanche of Wu-Tang product between 1997 and 2000 was considered by some critics to have resulted in an oversaturation that was responsible for Wu-Tang's decline in popularity, or at least in critical regard during that time period.^[15] Reviews such as Melody Maker's writeup on Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele in January 2000 which began "Another month, another Wu-Tang side project" revealed critics' exhaustion at the Clan's prodigious output. The overall reception for the second round of Clan member solo albums was decidedly mixed if largely positive, and they did not live up to their pre-...Forever forebears critically.

Occasional albums would still receive critical acclaim (Ghostface Killah's Supreme Clientele being one of them, is regarded as one of the best solo efforts from the Clan) while Method Man and ODB remained popular in their own right as solo artists, and Wu-Tang remained as a well known force, but they had seemingly lost the ability to excite the music world in the way they had throughout the earlier, and mid-1990s.

Many fans and critics also bemoaned the lack of RZA's input on the post-...Forever solo albums, which were mostly produced by the Wu-Element producers, other lower-ranking affiliates, or by outside producers such as the Trackmasters or the Neptunes.

[edit] 2000-01: The W, Iron Flag and New Millennium

The group reconvened once again to make The W, though without Ol' Dirty Bastard, who was at the time incarcerated in California for violating the terms of his probation. Though incarcerated, ODB managed to make it onto the track "Conditioner" which featured Snoop Dogg. ODB's vocals were recorded via the telephones used for inmates to talk with visitors, while in prison. The W was mostly well received by critics,^[16] particularly for The RZA's production, and also gave the group a hit single with the uptempo "Gravel Pit", part of a trilogy of videos where the group would visit different eras with a time traveling elevator, which also included "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" and "Careful (Click, Click)", which were then followed by "I Can't Go to Sleep" featuring Isaac Hayes. The album would go on to reach double platinum status.

Shortly before the release of The W, ODB escaped custody while being transported from a rehab center to a Los Angeles court and was considered a fugitive. At a record release party for The W, ODB appeared with his face hidden by an orange parka, and was not recognized until introduced to the crowd. With police officers present outside, ODB performed briefly and then fled, fearing capture. Six days later ODB caused a commotion, signing autographs in a McDonald's at Broad & Girard Street in North Philadelphia. Unaware of who was causing the commotion, the manager called the police. When the law arrived, ODB mistook them for fans until they drew their guns. ODB fled the facility, but was stopped while trying to start his vehicle. After presenting a fake ID, he admitted his real identity, and was arrested.^[17]

[edit] Iron Flag

In 2001, the Wu-Tang Clan released Iron Flag, an album which made extensive use of outside producers and guests. Its crossover vibe and features, including Ron Isley, Flavor Flav, and prominent producers Trackmasters, marked it as a lighter fare; while critically praised, it gained a less than stellar reputation with fans. Group member Ghostface Killah would later denounce the record.

While originally featured on the cover of Iron Flag, Cappadonna was airbrushed out of the artwork and absent from the album entirely. This may be related to tension that arose within the group when it was revealed that Cappadonna's manager was, or had been, a police informant, a revelation that also brought on the manager's subsequent firing.^[18] Cappadonna would however, continue collaborating and touring with the group in the upcoming years.

Around this time Method Man began his acting career, along with close collaborator; Redman by starring in the stoner comedy film How High.

2004: Legal issues, death of Ol' Dirty Bastard and resurgence [link]

U-God dispute [link]

In early 2004, U-God apparently left the group in disgust. A DVD titled Rise of a Fallen Soldier was released detailing his problems, which were mostly with his treatment by RZA, who he claimed had hindered his success as a solo artist. He also formed a new group of young protegés called the Hillside Scramblers, with whom he released the album U-Godzilla Presents the Hillside Scramblers in March 2004. The dispute culminated in a heated phone conversation between RZA and U-God on live radio, which ultimately saw the two reconcile. He has since returned to the group and is heavily featured on solo albums, Wu albums, and projects.

Live and Best-Of albums [link]

2004 saw the unexpected return of the Clan to the live stage. They embarked on a short European tour before coming together as a complete group for the first time in several years to headline the Rock the Bells festival in California. The concert was released on CD shortly afterwards under the name Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1. At this time they also released a music-video greatest hits album named Legend of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Death of Ol' Dirty Bastard [link]

Ol' Dirty Bastard's career in Wu-Tang was marked by wild and criminal behavior. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, he protested the Clan's loss (in Best Rap Album) by interrupting Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech for her Song of the Year award. ODB was also arrested several times for a variety of offenses, including assault, shoplifting, wearing body armor after being convicted of a felony, and possession of cocaine.^[19] He was also in trouble for missing multiple court dates. In late 2000, Ol' Dirty Bastard unexpectedly escaped near the end of his rehab sentence, spending one month on the run as a fugitive before showing up on stage at the record release party for The W in New York City. Ol' Dirty Bastard managed to escape the club but was later captured by police in a McDonald's parking lot in Philadelphia and sent to New York to face charges of cocaine possession. In April 2001, he was sentenced to two to four years in prison.^[20] Once released from prison, he signed a one million dollar contract with Roc-a-Fella Records.

On November 13, 2004 – A date he was scheduled to perform with the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan at a reunion concert at Continental Airlines Arena, ODB collapsed at Wu-Tang's recording studio, 36 Chambers on West 34th Street in New York City.^[21] He was pronounced dead later that night, just two days shy of his 36th birthday. His funeral service was held at Brooklyn's Christian Cultural Center.

Wu-Tang has paid him homage on more than one occasion. In August 2006, one of his sons came out at a Wu-Tang concert at Webster Hall and rapped "Brooklyn Zoo", along with his mother. Also during a concert at the Hammerstein Ballroom the Clan brought his mother out on stage while the entire occupancy sang along to "Shimmy Shimmy Ya".

A posthumous official mixtape titled Osirus featuring many new songs was released in March 2005, while ODB's Roc-A-Fella album A Son Unique was originally scheduled for release in 2005, but encountered numerous delays. It was then scheduled for a release on November 7, 2006 to commemorate the second anniversary of his death, however this did not happen. It was released on November 7, 2009,^{[citation needed]} to commemorate the 5th anniversary of ODB's death. It was distributed by the Dame Dash Music Group.

VH1 Hip Hop honors [link]

Moments before the Wu-Tang Clan was set to perform at the 2006 Hip Hop Honors, things turned violent with an altercation involving Oli "Power" Grant and a former associate who was suing the group.

While initial reports stated that Nick Brown was along for the ride and got arrested for possession of cocaine, the group had issues with VH1's security staff, an actual confrontation took place between True Master and Power in a VIP area of the venue, said Power. "I ain't even gonna glorify that to no type of degree, but the bottom line was, yeah, you know there was a minor little altercation over there", Power said. "I see him and he's in the VIP on the strength of Wu-Tang so I kind of reacted, be it right or wrong... fuck!" The brief altercation between the two men resulted in a tense situation and ended with Power leaving the Hammerstein Ballroom. "I ain't even have to leave. I just stood there and talked for, like five or ten minutes. I made sure the rest of my people was able to stay because I told them, 'look if it was anything then let it be my problem. Let them go ahead and finish doing what they do.' I walked out the front, girls started taking some snapshots."^[22] No charges have been pressed against Oli "Power" Grant or anyone else affiliated with the Clan in relation to this incident.

[edit] 2006-10: Fourth round of solo albums and 8 Diagrams

2005 saw the release of RZA's first book, The Wu-Tang Manual, the release of U-God's second album, Mr. Xcitement and the long-awaited collaboration between GZA and producer DJ Muggs, entitled GrandMasters. The collaborative record received good reviews and played fairly well with fans, who by and large had been waiting to see the Wu step up the quality of their releases.

On March 28, 2006, Ghostface Killah released the street rap-oriented Fishscale, to much critical acclaim and some commercial success.^[23] The entire Clan, including Cappadonna and the deceased ODB, appeared on the track "9 Milli Bros". The album also offered an expansion of Ghostface's traditional sound—precipitated by the moderately successful club song "Be Easy" and battle rhymes in the Just Blaze-produced "The Champ". After its reception from fans, label Def Jam asked Ghost to release another album that year; the result, More Fish, excited fans and critics somewhat less.

On June 25, 2006, Inspectah Deck released a street album entitled The Resident Patient, a prelude to his upcoming album, titled The Rebellion, which is said to be his final solo album.^[24] Late summer of 2006 saw the release of Masta Killa's second studio album, Made in Brooklyn, to lukewarm reviews, as well as Method Man's 4:21... the Day After, on which the rapper endeavored to make up for the poor response to Tical 0: The Prequel. Around this time, he was heavily featured in the media due to his displeasure with Def Jam's handling of his previous project. Despite what the rapper felt to be little promotion compared to other Def Jam artists, 421... debuted in the Billboard Top Ten, and received much greater reviews than those of his previous album. Method Man also made the decision to fall back from Hollywood, and to only do acting work on films being handled by close friends.

The summer of 2007 was the original release date scheduled for Raekwon's long-anticipated sequel to his 1995 debut Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, entitled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II. The album was to be released on Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records,^[25] however, it would turn out to be released on Raekwon's Ice H2O Records, and EMI on September 8, 2009, after numerous delays.

Ghostface Killah released his seventh full length album The Big Doe Rehab in December 2007, and exactly one week later, Wu-Tang released their fifth full length group album entitled 8 Diagrams^[26] on Steve Rifkind's SRC Records,^[27] whose now-defunct Loud Records released the group's four previous albums. In an interview with MTV.com, Ghostface Killah stated that he was upset with RZA for starting the 8 Diagrams project while he was in the middle of writing and recording The Big Doe Rehab,^[28] and further upset with RZA for giving 8 Diagrams the same release date as The Big Doe Rehab, for which RZA re-scheduled a release date one week later.^[29] The final outcome of 8 Diagrams received mixed views from both fans and critics, and is regarded as being RZA's most experimental work to date.^[30] Both Raekwon and Ghostface Killah were unhappy with the album, and proposed recording a group album titled "Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang" without RZA production.^[31]

In the summer of 2008, RZA released Digi Snacks, which was another Bobby Digital album. He used the album primarily to put over lesser-known Wu-Tang Clan affiliates such as Freemurder, Killa Sin, Black Knights and others. The summer of 2008 also saw the release of GZA's Pro Tools album.

Almost a year later, U-God released his third solo album entitled Dopium, which features guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members, and affiliates, among others, and was met with mostly lukewarm reviews. Released one week later was Wu-Tang Chamber Music, a side project executively produced by RZA, featuring live instrumentation from a Brooklyn soul band called The Revelations. The album features appearances from five Wu-Tang members, along with New York City mainstays AZ, Kool G Rap, Cormega, Havoc, Sean Price, and M.O.P. The first single from Chamber Music was a track titled "Harbor Masters" featuring Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, and AZ.^[32] To clear up confusion, RZA spoke about the album to Billboard.com:

“	I think the Chamber Music title is very fitting. This music is totally in the chamber, or in the mind-frame of Wu-Tang like in the [Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)] days. But it's not a Wu-Tang album. The whole Clan's not on this album. But it couldn't be in any other category but Wu-Tang.	”
—RZA, Billboard.com, June 25th, 2009^[33]

September 2009 saw the release of the long anticipated album; Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II which features guest appearances from several big name artists, and Clan members, with Ghostface being the most prominent, and also production from RZA, Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, and J Dilla, among others. The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and at number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and has been praised by most music critics. Several weeks later, Ghostface released Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, which is a hip hop/R&B album.

Talk of the album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang re-surfaced in July 2009;^[34] originally planned as a full-on Wu album without RZA's input, the project evolved to include RZA from an MC standpoint, without contributing to production. Raekwon stated:

“	[It'll] be alter egos challenging each other, really allowing RZA to fall back on the production and allowing us to give him a flashback memory to the things we know we need from the abbot [RZA]. We want him to be involved [with the album as an MC], but the concept was for him not to be involved production-wise.	”
—Raekwon, MTV.com

Speaking to MTV.com, Method Man revealed his, Ghostface Killah's and Raekwon's plans to record a separate album as a trio:^[35]

“	I don't want to say it's written in stone, but it's in discussion. I want some feedback from the fans to see how they would take that. RZA produced tracks, some other outside producers, of course, and we gonna have Wu-Tang members on the album, but it'll be a Rae, Ghost and Meth album.	”
—Method Man, MTV.com

Soon after, Ghostface Killah cemented the details: the record—featuring other Wu-Tang Clan members—will consist primarily of him, Method Man, and Raekwon. The title, as announced in three separate trailers (directed by Rik Cordero) promoting the upcoming release, is Wu-Massacre. Speaking on their willingness to complete the album, Ghost said the three would begin recording within the next few months and estimated the release date to be the end of 2009 or January 2010.^[36]

More recently, it was announced that the album would be pushed back from December to March 30, 2010;^[37] the single, "Meth vs. Chef Part II," was released after the announcement. Produced by Mathematics, it is an update of the song "Meth vs. Chef" from Method Man's first solo album, Tical, featuring verses by only Method Man and Raekwon. It had been confirmed by Raekwon that Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang would in fact be his next solo album^[38] and that Wu-Massacre is a separate project, while the rapper stated that he himself had petitioned to have Wu-Massacre's release date postponed in order to yield more studio time.^[39]

On February 25, 2011,Wu Tang Live At The Palladium NYC was released through the groups official Facebook page as a collectors digital download. This included exclusive, unreleased freestyles. It was limited to 100 downloads before the page was disabled after this figure was reached.

Business deals [link]

In September 2008, RZA announced that he had inked a deal with digital music company The Orchard to release the Wu-Tang Clan's back catalogue worldwide digitally, for the first time. In addition to forthcoming material, the Wu-Tang Clan's catalogue includes 13 previous releases that have been previously unavailable digitally, including recordings by the group as a whole, U-God, Wu-Syndicate, Killarmy, Shyheim, West Coast Killa Beez, Black Knights and others, and will be available online beginning September 23. "The time is right to bring some older Wu material to the masses digitally," said RZA, de-facto leader of Wu-Tang Clan. "Our fans have been dedicated and patient and they're hungry to hear the music that has set us apart from so many others. Hip-hop is alive in Wu Music, and with The Orchard, we've got a solid partner that understands our audience and is committed to doing all they can to help us reach the fans. I'm definitely looking forward to working with them to see what else we all come up with. There's much more to come."^[40]

Documentaries [link]

Gerald K. Barclay directed the Wu-Tang documentary, entitled Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan, which premiered on BET on November 13, 2008. The documentary was released on DVD on November 18, 2008.^[41] On November 10, 2009 a documentary on Ol' Dirty Bastard was released entitled; Dirty: The Official ODB Biography. The documentary features interviews and stories from his family members, Wu-Tang members, and affiliates, as well as old interviews with Ol' Dirty, and live performances.

Wu Tang Saga, featuring footage of the Clan dating back to the early nineties through their most recent tours was released on February 25, 2010.^[42]

2011-12: Sixth studio album [link]

On June 29, 2011, Raekwon announced that the group were working on a new studio album, still in early stages.^[43] Ghostface Killah later revealed in an interview during their European Rebirth Tour that the album should hit the shelves in May 2012.^[44]

However in a recent interview with Pitchfork GZA said "we haven't been on the same page in years," adding, "It is what it is. Sometimes that match burns out... I don't feel bad about it. It's good. I'm grateful for everything we have done throughout our careers and if there's nothing else to put out, then there's nothing to put out.", hinting that a new album is unlikely.^[45]

Influence [link]

Wu-Tang has influenced many current-day hip hop acts in the areas of rapping, production technique, subject matter and image. Among these contributions have been RZA's sampling style, certain Clan members' mafioso rap personas, usage of slang terms, and the tendency of artists to run in tightly knit groups.

Production [link]

According to RZA, he tries to have no more than 20–25% sampling on any given record, something starkly different from many other major hip hop groups. He uses "the sampler more like a painter's palette than a Xerox. Then again, I might use it as a Xerox if I find rare beats that nobody had in their crates yet". He played much of the piano himself, with Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk as major influences; for instance, he created the piano part to "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" after watching the Thelonious Monk documentary, Straight, No Chaser.^[46]

RZA's production technique, specifically the manner of chopping up and/or speeding or slowing soul samples to fit his beats, has been picked up by currently popular producers, most notably Kanye West and Just Blaze, the two main producers behind Roc-A-Fella Records. West's own take on RZA's style^[47] briefly flooded the rap market with what was dubbed "chipmunk soul", the pitch bending of a vocal sample to where it sounded as though the singer had inhaled helium. Several producers at the time copied the style, creating other offshoots. West has admitted that his style was distinctly influenced by RZA's production,^[48] and RZA has acknowledged his influence in an issue of Scratch magazine, saying he wished he had produced "Jesus Walks" and "Breathe", two 2004 hits produced by Kanye West and Just Blaze, respectively. Kanye West commented:

Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.^[49]

Lyrics [link]

Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... helped (with the likes of Kool G Rap) popularize the Mafia theme in rap music that remained widespread for more than half a decade. The landmark album touted a lifestyle patterned on drug dealing, regrets of living in harsh conditions, and partying (including popularizing the Cristal brand of champagne) which Nas, Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and other popular artists all borrowed and/or expanded upon these themes at points in their respective careers.

The Wu-Tang Clan's slang has long been a staple of their music, wherein members would blend Five Percenter terms, Kung Fu/oriental words, and comic book and street terms to create their own nicknames for actions, people, places and things (such as the christening of Staten Island as "Shaolin Land" and money as "C.R.E.A.M."). RZA noted in the The Wu-Tang Manual, that Raekwon was the resident slang-master of a great deal of the slang used by the group.

Syndication [link]

Wu-Tang management [link]

Oliver "Power" Grant and RZA's brother Mitchell "Divine" Diggs are the controversial executives who have been handling the business side of the Wu Tang empire since 1997, and are responsible for large amounts of products such as the Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style video game and Wu Wear which were released in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The two stay behind the scenes for the most part but do occasionally step into the public eye. Oli "Power" Grant is a childhood friend of several clan members.

Oliver "Power" Grant has also acted in numerous films including Belly, Black and White, When Will I Be Loved and others. He also won the 24th Annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach, beating out seventeen other celebrity and professional drivers. "Power" was mentioned in Raekwon's lyrics in the street anthem "Incarcerated Scarfaces", saying "Peace to Power and the whole unit".

Mitchell "Divine" Diggs has been mentioned in several songs by Wu-Tang members, such as by RZA in his song "Brooklyn Babies" with "My big brother Divine he push the Benz well", and Raekwon in the song "The Turn" with "Divine got me, nigga, the boss, he pop me".

GZA at a show in Carborro, NC. The Fans display the Wu-Tang-Symbol.

Method Man however has voiced his displeasure with Mitchell "Divine" Diggs of the Wu-Tang management, "Number 1 on my shit list right now is Divine from Wu-Tang management. He took something major from me that he had no intention of giving back."^[50]

RZA's cousin John "Mook" Gibbons is now the head of Wu-Tang Management who manage the affairs of Cappadonna, Blue Raspberry and the Watchmen.^{[citation needed]}

Collective appearances [link]

Several members, including Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and Method Man, appeared as themselves in the movie Black and White.

Members of the group have also appeared in several Comedy Central shows, most notably two appearances on Chappelle's Show. The first was in episode 107, in a sketch titled "Wu-Tang Financial", in which RZA and GZA run an investment firm, lampooning the over-saturation of hip hop endorsed brands (which Wu-Tang were guilty of at one point). The second appearance was in episode 201, in the sketch "Racial Draft 2004", in which the group is drafted to become ethnically Asian. In another sketch there is a news report parody of the opening sketch of "Method Man", with a man describing Method Man torturing him.

Various members have also appeared in episodes of Upright Citizens Brigade and Crank Yankers. On the latter, they performed "In The Hood" in puppet form.

Several members, including Method Man, U-God, and Raekwon, appeared in Scary Movie 3 (2003) (with many other rappers) in a scene where, originally coming to save the day, they end up arguing with other rappers until guns are drawn and everyone shoots each other to death.

RZA, Cappadonna and affiliate group Killarmy made an appearance in the "Adolf Hankler" episode of the HBO sitcom The Larry Sanders Show. In the episode, the group are booked to perform on the show-within-the-show by guest host Jon Stewart, who then comes into disagreement with the show's network over whether or not the Clan are "too urban" for the show's audience. In one of their two scenes, the group is seen rehearsing the song "And Justice For All" and in the other scene, they are awkwardly conversing with the show's sidekick character Hank Kingsley, who asks where 'Dirty Old Bitch' is.

In 2003, RZA and GZA appeared in the Jim Jarmusch movie Coffee and Cigarettes, in the sketch "Delirium" with Bill Murray.

In late 2006, Wu-Tang was honored as one of the premier and influential rap groups by VH1's 2006 Hip Hop Honors with other influential performers: Afrika Bambaataa, Beastie Boys, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Lyte, Rakim and Russell Simmons.

RZA [link]

RZA in New York City to discuss The Tao of Wu.

In 1999, RZA made a brief appearance in Jim Jarmusch's Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, a film he also scored. He also starred with fellow rapper Xzibit in the movie Derailed. RZA appeared as himself in a scene in Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes with GZA and Bill Murray. He has since appeared in American Gangster, a 2007 crime drama film directed by Ridley Scott and in the 2009 film Funny People directed by Judd Apatow.

RZA scored the first film of Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill saga. He has gone on to score several more productions including Blade: Trinity, The Protector, Freedom Writers and several others, as well as producing all of the music to a Japanese style cartoon Afro Samurai, which also featured other artists such as GZA, Talib Kweli, Big Daddy Kane and Q-Tip.

RZA was featured as a guest on The Colbert Report on October 14, 2009 to promote his new book, The Tao of Wu.

RZA also acted as referee in the music video for Vampire Weekend's "Giving Up The Gun".

Method Man [link]

Method Man has had recurring roles in critically acclaimed television shows such as HBO's The Wire in which he plays the character "Cheese" Wagstaff, HBO's Oz, The Twilight Zone, Third Watch, and the recurring character of Drops on CSI. He hosted a series on MTV for a brief period called Stung and has made numerous appearances as himself on TV shows such as Mind Of Mencia, Chappelle's Show, and others.

He also co-starred with Redman in his own Fox sitcom called Method & Red in late 2004; however, after only a short time on the air, the show was put on hiatus and never returned. Method Man later complained in the press about Fox's influence on the show's style, claiming that "there's been too much compromise on our side and not enough on their side" and bemoaning the network's decision to add a laugh track. Before the show even aired, he told fans not to bother watching it.

His first prominent role came in 1998 with the film Belly along with fellow rappers Nas and DMX. He has since added many credits to his name, including roles in the films Garden State and One Eight Seven, with starring roles in the feature films such as How High, Soul Plane and others. He also played a small role in the 1997 film Cop Land.

On March 27, 2007 Redman confirmed on BET Rap City that the sequel to the movie How High is currently being written, by Dustin Lee Abraham, who also wrote the first movie.

He had a guest appearance in the music video for the 2003 "If I Ain't Got You" by Alicia Keys, where he played the role of her boyfriend. Beanie Sigel also called upon Method Man's acting skills for his 2005 video "Feel It in the Air", where Method Man played an undercover cop leading an operation against Sigel.

Method Man has fallen back from pursuing more acting roles after the situation with his sitcom on Fox left a bad taste in his mouth,^[51] and now mostly just acts if the project is being handled by a friend of his, as was the case with CSI and The Wire

He also appears in the 2008 parody film Meet the Spartans, as leader of the breakdancing Immortals.

Method Man appears in the film The Wackness as a Jamaican drug dealer and on Burn Notice as a record label CEO.

Raekwon [link]

Raekwon was the focus of a VH1 "RockDoc" about blood diamonds, where he along with Paul Wall and others visited Sierra Leone. During the shooting of the documentary, Raekwon became the first American rapper to perform in Sierra Leone. Raekwon and Damon Dash are in the process of filming a movie called C.R.E.A.M., a project directed by the Wu Tang rapper.^[52] He has his own record label, H20, with which he is acquiring new acts, along with releasing his own albums. Raekwon's son is supposedly a part of his business, overseeing production and promotion. His former extension group American Cream Team became Ice Water Inc.

Ghostface Killah [link]

Ghostface Killah released a doll in his likeness along with a series on daily habits and lifestyle for MTV called "The Pretty Toney series" into various short episodes. He appeared in a sketch on the show Human Giant and twice as himself on 30 Rock. His side group is the Theodore Unit, a member being his own son, Sun God.

Video games [link]

All nine original members of the group were featured in the game Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, released for the PlayStation on October 31, 1999, as well as a special collector's edition controller. Ghostface Killah and Yung Dirty Doucette, as well as collaborators, Redman and Keith Murray, also play themselves in all three games in the Def Jam video games Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight For NY, and Def Jam: Icon.

Method Man is a huge fan of video games himself and has publicly stated that he loves playing SOCOM online with other PlayStation 2 users, and is part of an online clan ("KMA/Kiss My Ass"). His SOCOM II name is "ICU". He has a fellow SOCOM player featured on a skit on his album 4:21.

A video game from Acclaim, 9Dragons, also sports the name Wu-Tang Clan in one of the ingame branches.

In EA's Army of Two, main character Salem talks about Wu-Tang asking his team mate Rios who the best member is. Salem says it's RZA but he says Ghostface Killah is pretty good himself. In the ending cut scene, a reference is made when Salem says "Survey says?" and Rios replies "You're dead". The exchange referenced the lyric, "And the survey says? / You're dead!" from "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' Ta F' Wit", from the album Enter the Wu-Tang Clan (36 Chambers).

Several tracks by Clan members and affiliates such as Method Man, Ghostface, Cappadonna, Trife, DJ Mathematics and others were featured in the 2006 game Saints Row.

The video game of Afro Samurai, based on the cult TV series, was released in January 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Its soundtrack, like the show, was produced by RZA.

Clothing line [link]

Oli "Power" Grant was one of the first to move from music to clothes. The executive producer of the Wu-Tang Clan, Grant started making clothes in the early 1990s, with little success. But in 1995, with the platinum success of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), suddenly the manufacturers that earlier wouldn't extend Power credit saw the potential. Power opened four Wu Wear stores, in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Norfolk, Virginia., the line is carried in Macy's, Rich's, and d.e.m.o, among others; Power says he earned $10 million in 1998.^[53]

1997 saw the release of Wu-Tang's multi-platinum double-LP Wu-Tang Forever which launched the clothing line, Wu-Wear, to all new heights.

Method Man was unhappy with the decision to bring Wu Tang into the fashion world with Wu Wear, despite the brand being a major money-maker for the group. "When Wu-Wear started making shoes and sneakers and pants, it was shoddy material. I never rocked that shit."^[50]

In 1999, Nike released a Wu-Tang Clan themed dunk hi. The shoes were produced in low quantities. Their rarity and popularity makes them very sought after, leading reseller prices to be as much as $7,500.^[54]

A partnership between Wu Tang and the Alife NYC clothing group took place in 2007 through 2008 for an exclusive series of custom sneakers, t-shirts, hoodies and other accessories for both men and women. The collection was named "A Wu-Tang Life".

Controversy [link]

G-Unit [link]

Ghostface had a non publicized feud with 50 Cent in the late 1990s and early 2000s. On 50 Cent's track "How to Rob" insults were aimed at many high-profile rappers, including Wu-Tang. In the early 2000s the argument made it on to wax with skits titled "Clyde Smith" on Supreme Clientele featuring a low-pitched recording of what most fans believe to be Raekwon's voice derisively making fun of 50 Cent's behavior and his methods of attracting attention to himself. The skit also joked at other unnamed "gangster rappers" in New York. 50 Cent took offense and came back with a short track dissing Wu-Tang Clan, and Ghostface in particular.^[55] 50 rose to fame, both he and Ghostface talked in interviews with SOHH.com and Hot 97 Radio about the supposed argument, both saying that the argument was never that serious and nothing major had happened.

A supposed diss song, "Small Change (Who The Fuck Is 50 Cent)", which circulated the web in the beginning of 2001 was rumoured to be by the Clan, but was proven to be recorded by Polite of American Cream Team (Raekwon's then side-project).

G-Unit member Tony Yayo has alleged that Ghostface had a ghostwriter for his critically acclaimed album Supreme Clientele. In an interview with spin.com, Yayo claimed that Far Rockaway native Superb, who guested on the album, wrote a majority, if not all, of the lyrics.^[56] In an interview with hiphopdx.com Raekwon, who also appears on the album, responded saying: "He [Tony Yayo] know damn well he [Superb] ain’t write that fuckin’ album. I don’t even wanna get into shit like that, because it just makes me upset that muthafuckas be running they mouth all kinda ways. But at the end of the day, I think Ghost gonna have to really say what he gotta say."^[57] However, in a November 2007 interview with Rhapsody Music, Ghost responded with "...'Perb [Superb] is Rae’s [Raekwon] man. He been in the studio a few times while we’re doing shit. He ain’t write shit. All ‘Perb contributed was a couple of lines that you could put in the air. When we write, we all do that. “Say this one right here” or “Put this one right here.” We all catch lines with each other ‘cause you in the studio. You got niggas around you that write. Even if he did write a verse, he could never make an album of mine. He couldn’t make an album, you feel me? I made Supreme Clientele what it is. Those are my stories, based around whatever they’re based upon. It’s me. I can’t see what songs ‘Perb wrote. He ain’t write “Mighty Healthy” or “One” or “Apollo Kids” or “Cherchez LaGhost” or “Saturday Nite” or “Malcolm.”^[58] U-God called Tony Yayo "a bitch" in an interview with Undergroundhiphop.com, and threatened to beat him down when he sees him, but said that no diss tracks will be recorded.^[59] Paper Plates, one of the tracks from GZA's Pro Tools album released in 2008 is known to be a 50 cent diss track. The feud between GZA and 50 started in a concert in London, where GZA was performing and during the concert he was responding to what the crowd had to say about the current state of Hip Hop particularly in the Mainstream world. Soulja Boy and 50 cent were both mentioned. GZA made some comments such as, "Fifty doesn't have any motherfuckin' lyrics. You got a lot of record sales, a lot of money nigga but no TALENT!"

50 cent responded back to GZA on his thoughts about his comments directed at Soulja Boy, whom he has a good relationship with personally. "Recently I seen a video on YouTube and the video was of the GZA, that's short for The Genius. He's a 'Genius,' I'm sure everyone else has forgotten who he is also. Kid is 16 years old and we Googled you; you were born in '66. He was born in 1966 (laughs). Listen, I have an old school Chevy Impala your age." 50 has yet to record a diss track in response to GZA's "Paper Plate."

The Notorious B.I.G.[link]

During his career, The Notorious B.I.G. had a checkered relationship with the Wu-Tang Clan. He collaborated with Raekwon on the 1994 Ron G song "Stop the Breaks," which also featured Killa Sin and KRS-One; the following year, on B.I.G.'s debut album Ready to Die, Method Man was featured on the song "The What" (and was the only featured rapper on the album.) The song, "The What," was produced by Easy Mo Bee, who had strong ties to Notorious B.I.G. as well as several Clan members, such as RZA and GZA. According to Method Man, though even at this point friction was present between Biggie and the Clan, the two rappers got along:

“	It was no secret: Rae didn’t like him, Ghost didn’t like him. They thought he was a biter. But if you look at Rae and Ghost, they don’t like nobody! The rest of my niggas had love for Big. It was just Rae and Ghost...and my niggas—-it’s like we’re a unit, we moved as a unit. So where if one of my niggas ain’t speakin’, then nobody was speakin’. And we would just roll right by [B.I.G.], walk right past. But Lil’ Cease can vouch for this, and my niggas can vouch for this—-I always stopped to give word with Big. No matter what. There was a show...and he had performed, and Wu-Tang had performed that night...outside the club Big approached me and shit. Like, “Yo, I wanna do something with you on my album.”	”
—Method Man, XXL, The Making of Ready to Die^[60]

In 1995, on the album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Raekwon and Ghostface Killah commented on Big in a skit called "Shark Niggas (Biters)." Alleging that he copied the cover from Nas' landmark release Illmatic, as well as styles from other rap artists. This generated longstanding controversy over their differences with Biggie, and in later interviews, both rappers would downplay the incident:

“	It was one of them skits where we was looking at our competition. And when Ghost is saying whatever he was saying, we kinda knew who he was talking about, but it wasn't like we was trying to start a beef. It's just sometimes, when you get in the booth and you start saying what you wanna say, it just happened.	”
—Raekwon, XXL, The Making of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...^[61]

“	God bless the dead, I love B.I.G. He's a fucking icon. Even when I seen him out in Cali, I wanted to tell son, yo, let's go ahead and make this record together because I matured through the years, and at the same time, I recognized good music. We shook hands on some peace shit, but that was all, cause they was on their way to leaving out. A day or two later, niggas [killed him].	”
—Ghostface Killah, XXL, The Making of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...^[61]

In the Wu-Tang Manual, a book by the RZA on the origins of the Wu-Tang Clan, he recalls a concert at which Biggie and Wu-Tang both performed, at which Raekwon and Ghostface were reportedly under the influence, and angry at some comments BIG made in The Source. In RZA's view, had the artists and their entourages met up that night, things could have gotten violent, but nothing of the sort ever occurred. It is worth mentioning that on B.I.G.'s final studio album Life After Death he took a shot back at Raekwon on the song "Kick in the Door" (which was a diss song to several other rappers as well) with the line; "Fuck that, why try/Throw bleach in ya eye" which was a response to lyrics from Raekwon's song "Ice Water", where Raekwon rhymed; "...To top it all off, beefin' for White/Pullin' bleach out, tryin'a throw it in my eyesight." On the posthumous 1997 song "Victory," released on Puff Daddy's album No Way Out, B.I.G. also rhymes, "Militant/Y'all faggots ain't killin' shit," in response to a Ghostface Killah line on the song "Criminology" where he raps; "RZA baked the track and it's militant/Then I react like a convict, and start killin' shit." It is also worth mentioning that B.I.G. chose RZA to produce the track "Long Kiss Goodnight", a song allegedly aimed at Biggie's longtime rival Tupac Shakur, which appeared on Life After Death. RZA went on to comment about the collaboration, saying,

“	Biggie was always pretty cool with me. He liked the Wu-Tang sound. He requested me to be on the album. I didn’t know if everybody in his camp agreed with it...but we was always cool with each other...at the end he’s talking about everybody was fucking with them at that time. He could have even been talking about me [laughs], ’cause there was some cuts at Biggie on the Cuban Linx... album.	”
—RZA, XXL, The Making of Life After Death^[62]

On the same album, B.I.G. gave thanks to Wu-Tang in the album's liner notes, and also inserted lyrics praising the Wu-Tang Clan single "C.R.E.A.M."; on the song "Notorious Thugs," he states, "I'mma tell you like a nigga told me/Cash rules everything around me." On his 2002 album God's Son, Nas references the feud on his song "Last Real Nigga Alive," implying that although he and Big had their differences, they were friendly; while he was also on good terms with Raekwon, neither Big nor Raekwon got along, and both warned Nas the other would copy his lyrics and style. In 2006, Ghostface and Raekwon did a posthumous collaboration with Biggie, on the song "Three Bricks," which was originally intended to appear on the posthumous Biggie album, Duets: The Final Chapter, but it instead became a bonus song on the Ghostface Killah album Fishscale. In 2008, Raekwon did a cover of Jadakiss' hit "Letter to B.I.G.," injecting his own thoughts on his deceased former rival.

Sean Combs [link]

In 1998, ODB rushed onstage unexpectedly during Shawn Colvin's acceptance speech for "Song of the Year" at the Grammy Awards, and began complaining that he had recently purchased expensive clothes in anticipation of winning the "Best Rap Album" award that he lost to Sean Combs. Before being escorted off-stage, he implored the audience, "I don't know how you all see it, but when it comes to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. I want you all to know that this is ODB, and I love you all. Peace!"^[63] His bizarre onstage antics were widely reported in the mainstream media.^{[citation needed]} Dirty made it known on The Howard Stern Show that he meant no disrespect to Combs, but that feelings were hurt on Combs' end. Later that night Combs' bodyguards would physically threaten ODB, but Dirty insisted to his friends and family in attendance that no violence broke out. Following the award show, Howard Stern asked Dirty about the incident with Diddy's bodyguards on his radio show, but Dirty wouldn't play up the incident as he didn't want to shine a bad light on hip hop because of one minor altercation.^[64]

Ghostface appeared on the 2002 Bad Boy Records release, We Invented the Remix, along with Combs on the remix to the song "Special Delivery." Ghostface even gives Bad Boy Records a shout out for inviting him on the track when he raps "Bad Boy, thank you for this special delivery." Combs was one of the executive producers for Method Man's 2004 album Tical 0: The Prequel, although Meth later voiced his displeasure with the final product. "On the third LP, it was suggested to bring in Harve Pierre and P Diddy. Who am I to argue? Puff knows how to sell some records. But that wasn't the direction to go in, and I know that now."^[65] In 2006, Method Man also called out Combs' decisions on the posthumous Notorious B.I.G. album Duets: The Final Chapter, saying that Biggie never would have rocked with some of the sub-par rappers featured on it.^{[citation needed]} He also brought up the fact that he was the only other rapper that Biggie chose to feature on his debut album Ready to Die.

Mase [link]

After badmouthing Wu-Tang at a concert, Bad Boy recording artist Mase had a run-in with Ghostface and his entourage at a club in New York City. There was some sort of physical altercation between Mase's and Ghostface's camps, and Mase left the incident with a broken jaw. Kanye West is among several rappers who have made reference to the incident, rapping "...if you could feel how my face felt/ You would know how Mase felt..." on his single "Through the Wire". Shyheim also referred to the incident in a freestyle, with the line "The Empire State, where Ghostface retired Mase". In the June 2007 issue of Hip Hop Connection magazine, Wu-Tang affiliate Cilvaringz stated that Ghostface had in fact done time in jail for "beating up" Mase.

Joe Budden [link]

In 2009, Joe Budden posted a video blog voicing his opinion on a "Best rapper" readers' poll posted in Vibe magazine. Throughout the video, Budden gave examples of rappers who were ranked too high, and claimed to be better than half of the rappers on the list. Some of the people he mentioned were Melle Mel, Prodigy, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Method Man. At the end of the video, he went on to say that he'd beat Method Man in a battle if they were face to face. Shortly after this, Budden called into Ed Lover's Power 105.1, and took his claim on Method Man even further by stating, "Lyrically, I will cut that man's head off his shoulders". Several weeks later, Joe Budden did a freestyle track titled "D.O.A. Freestyle", which many speculated of containing subliminal shots towards Method Man and several members of Wu-Tang. Method Man was overseas while all of this occurred, but eventually spoke out about it on several radio interviews. While Raekwon was on the Rock the Bells tour with Joe Budden and his group Slaughterhouse, the two got together to settle any bad blood.

This calmed things down for a short while, until Wu-Tang member Inspectah Deck released a Joe Budden diss track entitled "House Nigga", which was a response to Budden's remarks. A few days after releasing this track, on July 9, 2009, Deck went on stage at the Columbia, MD show of Rock the Bells, during Raekwon's set, and told the audience the reason for the diss track was because "the nigga tried to diss my brother, he tried to shit on my nigga like my nigga aint a made man ... fuck Joe Budden" (referring to what Budden said about Method Man). Joe Budden did not retaliate with a diss track, but however, posted a five-minute video blog in which he said that he wanted to slap Deck and called Deck a coward. At the San Bernardino stop of Rock the Bells, Raekwon approached Budden with his Ice Water Inc. entourage, resulting in Budden getting punched in the right eye. Shortly after this occurred, Joe Budden posted yet another online video blog of him with an ice pack over his eye, with many speculating Raekwon as the one who did the assault.

It was later revealed that the punch was thrown by a member of Raekwon's entourage named Hanz.^[66] Hanz stated that he "did not appreciate Budden speaking disrespectfully about Inspectah Deck and Method Man in interviews over the summer." He further commented "I punched him in the face because he was outta line. I look at him like, not the school yard bully, but the motherfucker that's always picking on a motherfucker that don't fuck with nobody. To say something about a nigga like Meth is crazy, Meth don't fuck with nobody. I'm not gonna sit here and say Rae made me do it, that was a spontaneous decision on my own. I'm glad I did it, 'cause he got a big mouth...It wasn't actually planned, he could have actually changed that whole situation as it unfolded, as it went on".^[66]

Although Joe Budden and Raekwon reportedly were sat down and forced to settle things on the final day of the tour, Budden released a video on his website challenging Raekwon to a one-on-one fight, and called on all his fans to help persuade Raekwon to accept, despite the fact that it wasn't Raekwon who threw the punch. Raekwon however did not accept, and explained that he is a grown man with a family, and that fighting would be childish.^[67] He also stated "This has never ever been a Wu-Tang versus Slaughterhouse thing, this is about a kid who gets off on doing blogs. My thing is this, I'm a business man, I'm here to make money, take care of my family and keep as many people safe and sound as possible. We not gonna take it there 'cause that's little shit, we are grown men. I will never jump out the window to sacrifice the situation with my family for something that ain't worth it".^[66] Since the incident, Budden has stated in interviews the feud was over,^[68] and Raekwon made a similar announcement during a show, stating that he "had love" for Joe Budden.^[67]

New York Wu-Tang Martial Arts Institute [link]

There was an small incident over the phone in 2002, involving a Martial Arts school in downtown Flushing, NY. The issue was the use of the name, "Wu-Tang", And its coincidental location, New York City. The school specializes in Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, Involving the Wu-Tang System, and connected with other Wu-Tang Schools throughout the world. The issue was resolved over the phone, and no physical contact was made. Its not clear what the intentions of the Clan was, As they initiated first, but the school has been established for over 20 years, well before the start of the Wu-Tang Clan, And with strong influence in the Chinese Martial Arts world. The schools website can be found here: http://wutangusa.com/

Wu-Tang affiliates and associates [link]

The Wu-Tang Clan's range of big-name, non-Wu-Tang artists has expanded exponentially since their early days. Close collaborators to individual members or the group as a whole include or have included mainly East Coast-based artists, including Redman, Mobb Deep, Busta Rhymes, Erick Sermon, Nas, Pete Rock, and others. The Wu-Tang clan also has many "affiliates" which receive support, financial and otherwise, from within the Clan. These are collectively known as the Wu-Tang Killa Beez.

System of a Down [link]

Before System of a Down's First album came out, they did an unrealeased song with Wu-Tang Clan called "Shame on a Nigga"^{[citation needed]}

Killa Beez [link]

Main article: List of Wu-Tang Clan affiliates

The association of these artists with Wu-Tang varies greatly. They include a plethora of solo artists and groups, both past and present. Many on this list are virtually unknown, while many are already successful musicians in their own right. Generally, the most acclaimed Wu-Tang affiliates are the ones with the closest actual ties to members of the group.

It is common knowledge that for one to be affiliated you have to be either affiliated by blood (sons of Wu-Tang such as Young Justice who is GZA's son, INTell; U-God's son, Boy Jones; Ol' Dirty Bastards son and host of others into music), signed, endorsed or initiated into the Clan through the Generals (RZA has the likes of Reverend William Burks, Killarmy, Sunz of Man, Royal Fam, Shyheim, Black Knights etc., Ghostface Killah has the likes of Theodore Unit, Trife Da God etc., Raekwon's Ice Water Inc, American cream team etc.) or through the heads of the business such as Divine, Ray Acosta, Power and so on and finally associated through business as in labels such as Wu-Tang records, Wu Music Group (likes of Deadly Venoms, Gab Gacha, Wu-Syndicate, etc.). Ones with closest ties are usually a cross between all these requirements.

Easy Mo Bee [link]

Main articles: Words from the Genius and Ooh I Love You Rakeem

In the late 1980s, future Wu-Tang Clan co-founders RZA and GZA were signed under different monikers to Cold Chillin' Records, the label home of Big Daddy Kane and Kool G. Rap, among others. During their tenure, producer Easy Mo Bee provided RZA (under the name Prince Rakeem) with his first hit single, "Ooh I Love You Rakeem", and produced much of GZA's (under the alias The Genius) true first album, Words From the Genius. Around this time, according to the Wu-Tang Manual, RZA accredits Easy Mo Bee with mentoring him and providing equipment for RZA to continue practicing beatmaking.^[69]

In 1994, after linking up with Bad Boy Entertainment, Mo Bee began producing a fair share of Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album. The only rap feature on the album was Method Man, who appeared on the Easy Mo Bee-produced "The What." 1998 saw the producer produce for RZA once again, on the Ras Kass song "The End," and Wu-Tang member Raekwon was featured on Easy's solo album, Odyssey 2000: Now or Never alongside Busta Rhymes on the song "Let's Make a Toast." Seven years later, Mo Bee would go on to co-produce alongside RZA on the group's fifth group album, 8 Diagrams. Wu-Element producer True Master has also credited Easy Mo Bee with teaching him certain production tips, such as snare, hi-hat and volume change techniques.^[70]

Nas [link]

In 1995, New York rapper Nas became the first artist with no previous ties to the Wu-Tang to be featured on any Wu-Tang album—namely, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.... Following this appearance, Nas and Raekwon began to collaborate more often, frequently being featured on the same songs. That same year, Nas and Raekwon appearaed on Mobb Deep's The Infamous, on the track "Eye For An Eye;" in 1998, they appeared on the Fat Joe single "John Blaze," alongside Big Pun and Jadakiss. During the same time period, Nas and Method Man co-starred in the film Belly, and collaborated on its soundtrack. Nas was later featured on the Wu-Tang Clan album The W, on the song "Let My Niggas Live," which also featured Raekwon, as well as Inspectah Deck. In 2009, before the release of his anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, Raekwon stated that Nas was intended to be on the song "Broken Safety" with Jadakiss,^[71] but Nas was never able to find time to record.^[72] However, Nas was able to appear on Raekwon's fifth solo album titled Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang on the song "Rich and Black" although his verse was from a old mixtape from 2001.

Mobb Deep [link]

In 1995, the same year that Raekwon's debut came out, the Wu-Tang rapper appeared on Mobb Deep's seminal The Infamous; aside from "Eye For An Eye," he and Ghostface Killah appeared on the track "Right Back At You." A year later, Method Man and Raekwon made appearances on separate tracks on the duo's followup album, Hell on Earth. In 1998, Mobb Deep member Prodigy was featured on "The Game," a song from Pete Rock's solo debut Soul Survivor, once again alongside Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. The same year, Prodigy made an appearance on Big Pun's debut album Capital Punishment, on the song "Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy)," also featuring Inspectah Deck as well as produced by RZA. Furthermore, Prodigy and Method Man collaborated on the soundtrack to Bulworth, on the DJ Muggs-produced song "Bulworth," which also featured KRS-One and Kam.

In 1998, Mobb Deep appeared on Method Man's second album, Tical 2000: Judgement Day, on the song "Play IV Keeps," which was produced by Mobb Deep producer Havoc. Havoc also appeared on Raekwon's 2003 album, The Lex Diamond Story, on the song "King of Kings," and in 2006 he produced the song "Somebody Done Fucked Up Now" for Method Man's album 4:21... The Day After. More recently Havoc collaborated with the Wu on J. Dilla's posthumous single "24K Rap" alongside Raekwon, and "Evil Deeds" from the Wu-Tang Clan compilation album Chamber Music. Raekwon also leaked a 2009 song with Mobb Deep called "Road to Riches." Havoc also made a guest appearance as a producer and rapper on the song "Your World, My World" which was a bonus iTunes track off of Raekwon's fifth studio album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang.

Redman & Erick Sermon [link]

Main article: Method Man & Redman

Both Wu-Tang rapper Method Man and Def Squad member/EPMD protege Redman were signed to Def Jam Records in 1994; their first recorded collaboration was "Double Deuces," a commercial recorded for St. Ides malt liquor. Both were also featured on "Got My Mind Made Up," a 2Pac song from his Death Row Records album All Eyez on Me. The collaboration led to a hit single, "How High," and Method Man and Redman would make guest appearances on every subsequent album either of them have put out thus far in their careers, including the Erick Sermon-produced "Whateva Man," a single from Redman's 1996 album Muddy Waters. In addition the duo has made many guest appearances together, including LL Cool J's 1997 hit "4, 3, 2, 1", produced by Erick Sermon and 1999's "Rap Phenomenon," on the posthumous Notorious B.I.G. album Born Again.

In 1998, Method Man released his second album, Tical 2000: Judgement Day, which sported two tracks produced by Sermon, on one of which Redman guested. A year later, Redman and Method Man released Blackout!, a collaboration album that featured production from Erick Sermon, RZA, and Wu-Elements producers 4th Disciple and True Master. In 2000, Redman appeared on the Wu-Tang Clan's third group album, The W, on the song "Redbull" alongside Method Man and Inspectah Deck; he also appeared on Ghostface Killah's second album, Supreme Clientele, alongside Ghostface, Method Man and Cappadonna. In the late 1990s to the early-to-mid 2000s, Redman and Method Man made several appearances in film and television together, including the comedies "How High" and "Soul Plane", and the short-lived sitcom Method & Red.

Sermon made a return to Method Man's music with 2006's 4:21... The Day After, for which the producer served as co-executive producer alongside RZA and Method Man himself, producing or co-producing four tracks. The producer also worked on rapper Busta Rhymes' Aftermath Entertainment album The Big Bang, co-producing the song "Goldmine" with Dr. Dre, a song featuring the Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon. This collaboration culminated in Sermon producing the song "Baggin' Crack" on Raekwon's 2009 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II, as well as two songs on Blackout! 2, Method Man & Redman's followup to the 1999 record.

Pete Rock [link]

Like Easy Mo Bee, New York producer Pete Rock first began his association with the Wu-Tang before it was formally founded—by playing mentor to RZA, then under the moniker Prince Rakeem. In the book "The Wu-Tang Manual," RZA admits to effectively stealing equipment from the successful producer, borrowing and never returning an MPC.^[73] Pete first produced for the Wu-Tang when its members Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, Inspectah Deck and Method Man made appearances on his 1998 album Soul Survivor. The following year, the producer provided beats for Raekwon's second album Immobilarity, Inspectah Deck's debut album Uncontrolled Substance, and Wu members RZA and GZA appeared on Pete's 2004 followup solo album Soul Survivor II. Since then the frequency of Pete Rock's collaborations with the Wu-Tang have increased, as he provided production for Ghostface Killah's two 2006 solo albums, Fishscale and More Fish; Masta Killa's 2006 second album Made in Brooklyn; the Raekwon- and Masta Killa-featuring song "PJ's" from his own third solo album, NY's Finest; the single "A Yo" from Method Man & Redman's Blackout! 2; the song "Sonny's Missing," from Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... pt. II; and the track "How You Like Me Baby?" from Ghostface Killah's latest album Apollo Kids.

The L.O.X.[link]

Jadakiss, one-third of Yonkers, New York-based group the L.O.X., first collaborated with a member of the Wu-Tang Clan in 1998 on the single "John Blaze" with Raekwon. While the collaboration led to associations with Nas and Fat Joe as well, Jada's group began to collaborate with the Wu-Tang on a more regular basis. L.O.X. member Sheek Louch collaborated with Method Man and Redman on Ryde or Die Vol. 2 in 2001, on the track "Two Tears in a Bucket." He also appeared on Raekwon's third album The Lex Diamond Story in 2003; in 2004, Jadakiss appeared on "Run," the RZA-produced hit single from Ghostface Killah's The Pretty Toney Album, which also featured the song "Metal Lungies," a collaboration with the other two L.O.X. members, Styles P and Sheek Louch. The following year Ghostface appeared on Louch's 2005 album, After Taxes; in 2006, Sheek made a return appearance on Ghostface's Fishscale, and Raekwon appeared alongside Jadakiss and others on Hi-Tek's album Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip, on the song "Where it Started At." Ghostface Killah appeared on L.O.X. member Styles P's 2007 album, Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman), and Styles was set to appear on Ghostface's Big Doe Rehab, having recorded a version of the song "Tony Sigel A.K.A. Barrel Brothers" with Styles.

In 2009, Jadakiss featured Raekwon and Ghostface Killah on his album The Last Kiss, on the single "Cartel Gathering", and Raekwon featured Jadakiss and Styles P on his album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II; Sheek Louch and new D-Block addition Bully also appeared on the Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon album, Wu-Massacre. Inspectah Deck has also stated that he intends to reach out to Jadakiss to appear on his next and final album, The Rebellion.^[74] In addition, Ghostface and Sheek Louch have announced that they are recording a collaboration album called Wu-Block.

Busta Rhymes [link]

New York rapper Busta Rhymes first collaborated with the Wu-Tang Clan on the remix to his 1996 single "Woo-Hah!! (Got You All In Check)", which featured Ol' Dirty Bastard. Also that year, Busta was featured on the soundtrack to "Space Jam", where he and Method Man appeared on the song "Hit 'Em High" alongside B-Real, Coolio, and LL Cool J. 2000 witnessed Ghostface Killah and Raekwon appear on Busta's album Anarchy, on the song "The Heist;" Busta also appeared with Raekwon on Easy Mo Bee's solo album, Odyssey 2000: Now or Never, and guested on The W on the song "The Monument." Busta would later appear on Method Man's album Tical 0: The Prequel, assisting on the hit single "What's Happenin'," while convincing Raekwon to record his sequel to the critically acclaimed 1995 album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Serving in an executive producer capacity, Busta helped Raekwon assemble Cuban Linx II and provided the rapper with a link to Aftermath producer Dr. Dre. Raekwon appeared on Busta's 2006 album The Big Bang, on the Dr. Dre/Erick Sermon-produced song "Goldmine," and Busta made a return appearance on the Dr. Dre-produced "About Me" from 2009's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II. In addition, Busta later appeared on Capone-N-Noreaga's 2010 album The War Report 2: Report the War, their first on Raekwon's vanity label IceH20 Records, on the song "The Oath," which also featured Raekwon. Busta also made an appearance on Ghostface Killah's album Apollo Kids later that year on the song "Superstar," and appeared in 2011 on Raekwon's fifth solo album Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang on the song "Crane Style".

AZ [link]

AZ began his career as an affiliate of Nas, but over time has strengthened his ties with other artists, including the Wu-Tang Clan. The Brooklyn rapper first recorded with the Wu in 1996, when Raekwon joined him for a RZA-produced remix of his first single, "Doe or Die."^[75] In '98, the rapper linked up with RZA again on the album Pieces of a Man, with the RZA-produced song "Whatever Happened (The Birth)." 2005 brought another collaboration; on his album AWOL, AZ featured Raekwon and Ghostface Killah on his single "New York." In '09, AZ was featured on the Wu-Tang compilation album Chamber Music, and is set to appear alongside Raekwon and Ghostface again in 2010 on DJ Kay Slay's album More Than Just a DJ.^[76] In 2011, AZ appeared on the title track of Wu-Tang's Legendary Weapons alongside Ghostface Killah and M.O.P.

Kool G Rap [link]

Kool G Rap began appearing with the Wu-Tang starting in 1997, on the single "Cakes," produced by and featuring RZA for the soundtrack to Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. In 2003, G Rap appeared on Inspectah Deck's album The Movement, on the song "Framed;" he went on to make appearances on the Ghostface Killah/Trife da God joint album Put it on the Line, RZA's Afro Samurai: Resurrection soundtrack, and the Wu-Tang's Chamber Music. Recently, it has been announced that Raekwon and G Rap are recording a collaboration album together.^[77]

DJ Muggs [link]

Main article: Grandmasters (album)

West coast producer and Cypress Hill co-founder DJ Muggs began collaborating with the Wu-Tang in 1995, when RZA and U-God appeared on the RZA-produced Cypress Hill song "Killa Hill Niggas," from the album III: Temples of Boom. In 1997, Muggs produced the Method Man/Prodigy collaboration, "Bulworth." In addition, RZA and GZA appeared on his album Soul Assassins I, and GZA appeared on the 2000 followup, Soul Assassins II. In return, Muggs produced a song on GZA's 2002 album Legend of the Liquid Sword. The partnership led to Muggs and GZA recording the 2005 joint album Grandmasters (billed as DJ Muggs vs. GZA, the first in a series of "DJ Muggs vs." albums), released to some critical acclaim. 2005 also saw Muggs produce the song "Black Opera" for Skillz, which featured Raekwon. Additionally, GZA appeared on the DJ Muggs-produced Planet Asia album, Pain Language in 2008. In 2009, Raekwon spoke about recording new material with DJ Muggs, presumably for his album Cuban Linx II,^[78] although no new collaborations surfaced until he appeared on the song "Chase Manhattan" from the DJ Muggs/Ill Bill album Kill Devil Hills.

MF Doom [link]

Main article: Swift & Changeable

The underground rapper/producer MF Doom's first collaboration with the Wu-Tang Clan was in 2005, when he appeared with the RZA on "Biochemical Equation" (which RZA also produced), from the compilation album Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture. When Doom anonymously submitted a beat tape for Ghostface Killah, several of his tracks made the cut for Ghostface's 2006 albums Fishscale and More Fish, including the song "9 Milli Bros.," which featured the Wu-Tang Clan in its entirety. Doom also provided production for Masta Killa's 2006 album Made in Brooklyn. An album-long collaboration with Ghostface Killah was rumored for several years, and various songs leaked that reportedly were recorded for the project, which was to be entitled either Ghostface Meets Metalface or Swift & Changeable. The project has not yet surfaced, but in July 2009 Ghostface reported having recorded his parts for the record and said he was simply waiting for Doom to finish his parts.^[79] Since More Fish, several new collaborations by the two have surfaced, including "Chinatown Wars" (from the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars), "Angeles," "The Mask," and the J. Dilla-produced "Sniper Elite" and "Murder Goons."

Kanye West [link]

Main article: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Producer/rapper Kanye West, formerly of Roc-A-Fella Records, built a production and rapping style closely based on various members of the Wu-Tang Clan. In 2000, he got some of his first major production placements on former Bad Boy producer D-Dot (née The Madd Rapper)'s debut album, Tell 'Em Why U Madd, including the song "Ghetto," which featured Raekwon. In 2001, West produced the bulk of Jay-Z's successful and highly praised album The Blueprint, implementing an augmented version of a technique pioneered by RZA; Kanye has since revealed that the beats he and fellow Roc producer Just Blaze produced were originally created for Ghostface Killah, before announcing that Ghostface inspired his sound and style.^[80] During the recording sessions for West's 2004 debut College Dropout, Wu-Tang member and then-Roc-A-Fella artist Ol' Dirty Bastard recorded a chorus and backing vocals for the song "Keep the Receipt," which was left off the album but released on a mixtape.

In 2006, Kanye was featured on the remix to Ghostface Killah's hit single, "Back Like That." In 2010, West and Raekwon collaborated again on the Kanye-produced remix to Justin Bieber's single "Runaway Love." Following up on the song, Raekwon guested on several tracks cut from West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which were released as songs in the producer's weekly G.O.O.D. Fridays series. On the album's proper release, Raekwon was featured on the track "Gorgeous" alongside West and Kid Cudi; in addition, RZA co-produced the song "Dark Fantasy" with West and producer No I.D., and appeared on the song "So Appalled" alongside Jay-Z, Pusha T and CyHi da Prince. RZA also produced the song "New Day" with West off the Kanye West & Jay-Z's collaborative effort Watch the Throne.

WuUrban [link]

WuUrban's first album will be released in 2012, RZA said he will produce it completely. Wu-Tang affiliates Killa Beez will join WuUrban in the song "1998".

Other artists [link]

Ghostface Killah's Fishscale also boasted work by underground sensation and Detroit, Michigan producer J. Dilla, who died shortly after. However, just as the producer's music has continued to surface in other artists' projects, several productions Dilla created for Raekwon made the final cut of the rapper's 2009 album. The year 2009 witnessed the release of the long-delayed, highly anticipated Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II. The album made heavy use of longtime and short-term Wu-Tang associates, featuring frequent collaborators Pete Rock, Erick Sermon and Busta Rhymes while cementing the associate status of newer associates: namely, Beanie Sigel, J. Dilla, The Alchemist and Dr. Dre, all of whom have worked—in a limited capacity—with the Wu-Tang Clan previously.

As of 2010, the number of Wu-Tang affiliates has grown further: Capone-N-Noreaga, a rap duo from Queens, New York City, signed with Raekwon's IceH20 Records on February 18, 2010 and enlisted the Wu-Tang rapper to serve as an executive producer of their latest album, The War Report 2.^[81] In addition, the compilation album Wu-Tang Chamber Music is almost completely produced by Fizzy Womack of M.O.P. alongside RZA, the band The Revelations and others, and features M.O.P.'s Billy Danze. Bun B has also appeared on several songs with Wu-Tang members in 2009–10: after being featured on Method Man & Redman's Blackout! 2, Bun made appearances on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II (Gold Edition), made up of tracks cut from the original product, and appeared on Redman's latest album Reggie alongside Redman and Method Man.

Members [link]

RZA (born Robert Diggs, 1969) – The de facto leader of the group. He produced the entirety of Enter the Wu-Tang and the majority of the tracks on subsequent Wu-Tang albums. He has also produced many of the group's solo efforts, especially early on. Considered a producing pioneer, recently his popularity has transcended hip-hop. Thanks to Jim Jarmusch giving him his break with Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, he has gone on to score several Hollywood films such as the first installment of Quentin Tarantino's critically acclaimed Kill Bill, Tony Jaa's The Protector and Ridley Scott's American Gangster. Most recently he scored the music for the anime series Afro Samurai. Before signing with SRC Records in early 2007, RZA was flooded with offers from Bad Boy Records, Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope and Def Jam among others.^[82] Rza is currently working with Shavo Odadjian of System of a Down on an album titled "Achozen" still with an impending release date. The first single "Deuces" was released on April 22, 2008. A second single, "Salute/Sacrifice", was released on November 13, 2009.

Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles, 1970) – He has a very distinctive, abstract, energetic and emotional style of rapping and is arguably the most consistent member of the group. He had a large role in Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... and later released his debut album Ironman to critical acclaim . Mainstream hip-hop press credits his second album Supreme Clientele with "saving the Wu." He has enjoyed similar success over the course of eight solo albums, more than any other member of the group.

GZA (born Gary Grice, 1966) – He is the oldest member of the group as well as the most experienced, having begun rapping in 1976, when hip hop was still a local New York phenomenon.^[83] He was also the first to release an album, Words from the Genius, which was released in 1991 on Cold Chillin'/Reprise. The interplay between and other members on the group's recordings shows him as the wisest MC of the group. He is known for his laid-back flow, deliberate style, and complex use of metaphor, containing references to Samurai films, chess and 5 Percenter teachings. Liquid Swords, his Wu-Tang debut album, is often considered among the group's best work, perhaps only challenged by Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx....

Inspectah Deck (born Jason Hunter, 1970) – He was one of the star members of the group, gaining attention by providing stand-out performances on both Wu-Tang albums and on other member's solo albums as well as being a popular guest rapper in 1997 and 1998. He is considered by many in the fanbase as the stand-out member on Wu-Tang Forever, although his later solo albums failed to live up to the high expectations. Inspectah Deck is known for his ability to use metaphors and deliver complicated rhyme-schemes. He is also a successful producer, providing beats for many artists both in and out of the Wu-Tang family such as Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Big Pun, Prodigy and others.

Masta Killa (born Elgin Turner, 1969) – He was the only member not already an experienced rapper at the time of the group's formation, and was extensively mentored by GZA during his early days with the group. He was largely absent on the group's first album due to his being incarcerated, though he did contribute the classic final verse to the track "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", He also had stand-out verses to Wu-Tang Forever and other members solo albums, delivered with an intelligent talk-rap style. Fans have praised his work on classic Wu tracks like "Duel of The Iron Mic", "Snakes" or "Winter Warz" among others. He was also the last to release a solo album, though when he finally did release No Said Date, it was generally well received and considered one of the best post-2000 Wu-Tang releases.^[84]

Method Man (born Clifford Smith, 1971) – He was the youngest member of the Wu-Tang Clan and the first to release a Wu-Tang solo album with Tical, his career went on to become the most successful in the group, while maintaining an underground rep. His career is highlighted by platinum sales and a Grammy for I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need with Mary J. Blige. He is recognized by his distinct voice and smooth, yet "grimy" flow. He has also had a significant acting career with many film and television credits to his name, most notably the popular series, The Wire, where he portrayed the character of Cheese Wagstaff, the lieutenant of drug lord Proposition Joe. He also acted in the comedy film How High and the sitcom Method & Red, both co-starring with Redman, with whom he also made an album in 1999 titled Blackout! as well as the 2009 sequel Blackout! 2. Method Man's friendship with the Notorious B.I.G. is credited for preventing more heat between Biggie, Raekwon and Ghostface.^[85]

Ol' Dirty Bastard (born Russell Jones, 1968–2004) – Arguably the most eccentric and erratic member of the group, his wild behavior drew significant media – and often police – attention. He was known for his off beat rhymes, charismatic ululations, slightly garbled style, and unpredictable vocal inflections. ODB was among the most popular members of Wu-Tang, with high sales and guest spots with industry giants like Mariah Carey. He collapsed in Wu-Tang's recording studio on November 13, 2004 and was pronounced dead less than an hour later, with a later autopsy confirming an accidental drug overdose to be the cause of his death.

Raekwon (born Corey Woods, 1970) – Nicknamed "The Chef" for having "lyrical flavor", and ability to cook cocaine into "crack rock." His lyrics contain extensive use of New York slang (and some of which he invented), which is often delivered in an aggressive, fast-paced manner. He is also known for his vivid storytelling about wealth, power, and prestige derived from the illegal drug trade. His influential solo album Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is often credited with initiating the Mafioso rap phenomenon of the mid-to-late-1990s, and is generally considered one of the best of the solo albums by both fans and critics. The sequel to the influential album was released in late 2009 titled Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II.

U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, 1970) – A founding member with his own solo career, U-God's has had a relatively low profile, in part due to his limited exposure, from being incarcerated for most of the recording of 36 Chambers, in which he only delivered short verses on "Da Mystery of Chessboxin'" and "Protect Ya Neck." He is known for delivering strong verses, his unique "bass-like" voice, and his style of blaxploitation rap.

Cappadonna (born Darryl Hill, 1969) – After growing up as friends with many of the Clan members, Cappadonna made his debut as an affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan on Raekwon's hit single "Ice Cream". He was also a guest star, along with Raekwon, on Ghostface Killah's solo debut album, Ironman. He made his first appearance on a Wu-Tang Clan album in 1997 on Wu-Tang Forever on the single "Triumph". Following his appearance on Forever, he contributed significantly to the group's third studio album, The W, at which point his appearances were no longer marked with "Feat. Cappadonna", as they had been on Forever. After a falling out with RZA the next year over royalties, he did not appear at all on the group's subsequent album Iron Flag. He eventually reunited with the group for their concert at 2004's Rock the Bells, and appeared on 2007's 8 Diagrams.
- Cappadonna's current status as an official member is unclear. While long referred to by both the group and fans as the "Unofficial Tenth Member", there is no confirmation on whether he actually became the official tenth member following the death of Ol' Dirty Bastard. While MTV.com's biographies of both him and the group claim that he is an official member,^[86] their subsequent bios on the group's official website do not list him as such.^[87]^[88] Also, while his vocals on 8 Diagrams were not marked with "Feat. Cappadonna", much like The W, he does not appear on the front cover with the original eight living members, and is not featured in the album's booklet with a picture, although he is included in the group's shout-out's sections. A 2007 interview about the Clan before the release of 8 Diagrams also claims that RZA officially added him as a member, but there are no quotations or statements to back up this claim within the article.^[89]

Discography [link]

Main articles: Wu-Tang Clan discography and List of Wu-Tang Clan affiliate albums

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
Wu-Tang Forever (1997)
The W (2000)
Iron Flag (2001)
8 Diagrams (2007)
Untitled sixth studio album (May 2012)^[90]

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External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wu Tang Clan

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Wu-Tang Clan

Official Wu-Tang Clan website

Wu-Tang Clan related articles

v t e Wu-Tang Clan

RZA GZA Method Man Ghostface Killah Raekwon Inspectah Deck Masta Killa U-God Ol' Dirty Bastard

Studio albums	Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993) Wu-Tang Forever (1997) The W (2000) Iron Flag (2001) 8 Diagrams (2007)

Singles	"Protect Ya Neck" "Method Man" "C.R.E.A.M." "Can It Be All So Simple" "Triumph" "The Worst" "Protect Ya Neck (The Jump Off)" "Gravel Pit" "Uzi (Pinky Ring)" "The Heart Gently Weeps"

Compilations	The Swarm Wu-Chronicles Wu-Chronicles, Chapter 2 The Sting Disciples of the 36 Chambers Legend of the Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture Mathematics Presents Wu-Tang Clan & Friends Unreleased Wu-Tang Chamber Music Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture, Vol. 2: Enter the Dubstep Legendary Weapons

Related	Cappadonna Discography The Wu-Tang Manual The Tao of Wu Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style Affiliates Affiliates discography Loud Records

Book Category Hip hop portal

v t e RZA

Studio albums	Bobby Digital in Stereo Digital Bullet Birth of a Prince Digi Snacks

EPs	Ooh I Love You Rakeem

Compilations	The RZA Hits The World According to RZA The RZA-Instrumental Experience

Soundtracks	Ghost Dog Kill Bill: Vol. 1 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 Soul Plane Blade: Trinity Unleashed The Protector Blood of a Champion Afro Samurai: The Album Babylon A.D. Afro Samurai Resurrection

Books	The Wu-Tang Manual The Tao of Wu

Related articles	Discography Production discography Wu-Tang Clan Gravediggaz Achozen Various Wu-Recording Labels Kill Bill Vol. 1 Original Soundtrack Kill Bill Vol. 2 Original Soundtrack Tommy Boy Records The Man with the Iron Fists

v t e Ghostface Killah

Studio albums	Ironman Supreme Clientele Bulletproof Wallets The Pretty Toney Album Fishscale More Fish The Big Doe Rehab Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City Apollo Kids

Compilations	Shaolin's Finest Hidden Darts: Special Edition The Wallabee Champ GhostDeini the Great

Collaborations	Put It on the Line 718 Swift & Changeable Wu-Massacre

Singles	"Daytona 500" "All That I Got Is You" "Apollo Kids" "Cherchez La Ghost" "Never Be the Same Again" "Ghost Showers" "Tush" "Milk Em'" "Be Easy" "Back Like That" "2getha Baby"

Featured singles	"Heaven & Hell" "Criminology" "Ice Cream" "You Know I'm No Good" "New York"

Related articles	Discography Wu-Tang Clan Theodore Unit Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II

v t e GZA

Studio albums	Words from the Genius Liquid Swords Beneath the Surface Legend of the Liquid Sword Pro Tools Liquid Swords 2: The Return of the Shadowboxer

Singles	"I Gotcha Back" "Liquid Swords" "Cold World" "Shadowboxing"

Collaboration albums	GrandMasters (with DJ Muggs)

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan Cold Chillin' Records

v t e Inspectah Deck

Studio albums	Uncontrolled Substance The Movement The Resident Patient Manifesto

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan

v t e Masta Killa

Studio albums	No Said Date Made in Brooklyn

Live albums	Masta Killa Live

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan

v t e Method Man

Studio albums	Tical Tical 2000: Judgement Day Tical 0: The Prequel 4:21... The Day After

Other albums	Blackout! Blackout! 2 Wu-Massacre

Singles	"Bring the Pain" "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" "How High" "The Riddler" "Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)" "Judgement Day" "Say" "A-Yo" "Mrs. International"

Featured artist	"Ice Cream" "4, 3, 2, 1" "The Worst" "Symphony 2000" "Left & Right" "N 2 Gether Now" "Love @ 1st Sight" "Still on It"

Related articles	Discography Wu-Tang Clan Method Man & Redman How High Method & Red Filmography Videography Cheese Wagstaff

v t e Ol' Dirty Bastard

Studio albums	Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version Nigga Please

Posthumous albums	Osirus A Son Unique

Compilation albums	The Dirty Story: The Best of Ol' Dirty Bastard The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones The Definitive Ol' Dirty Bastard Story Free to Be Dirty! Live

Singles	"Brooklyn Zoo" "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" "Got Your Money"

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan Brooklyn Zu

v t e Raekwon

Studio albums	Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Immobilarity The Lex Diamond Story Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang

Collaborations	Wu-Massacre (with Ghostface Killah and Method Man)

Singles	"Heaven & Hell" "Ice Cream" "Criminology" "Rainy Dayz"

Other songs	"Can It Be All So Simple (Remix)" "Gorgeous"

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan Ironman

v t e U-God

Studio albums	Golden Arms Redemption Mr. Xcitement Dopium

Collaboration albums	U-Godzilla Presents the Hillside Scramblers (with Hillside Scramblers)

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan

v t e Cappadonna

Studio albums	The Pillage The Yin and the Yang The Struggle The Cappatilize Project Slang Prostitution

Compilation albums	Cappadonna Hits

Related articles	Wu-Tang Clan Ironman Theodore Unit Wu-Tang Killa Beez Wu-Tang Killa Beez discography

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	Book: Alicia Keys
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Lyrics:

Make changes yourself !

Make changes yourself !

Contents

[edit] 1992–95: It's About Time and The Remixes

[edit] 1996–97: New Beginning, Release Some Tension and A Special Christmas

[edit] 2011-present: I Missed Us

Related pages:

Contents

[edit] 2001–2002: Songs in A Minor

[edit] 2003–2005: The Diary of Alicia Keys and Unplugged

[edit] 2006–2008: Film debut and As I Am

[edit] 2009–2010 : The Element of Freedom, marriage and motherhood

Related pages:

Contents

[edit] 1989–91: Born to Sing

[edit] 1992–94: Funky Divas and Runaway Love

[edit] 1994–98: The departure of Robinson and EV3

[edit] 2000–03: Masterpiece Theatre and new member

[edit] 2004–07: Soul Flower and impromptu reunion

Related pages:

Contents

[edit] 1992-96: Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and solo albums

[edit] 1997-2000: Wu-Tang Forever and diversification

[edit] 2000-01: The W, Iron Flag and New Millennium

[edit] Iron Flag

[edit] 2006-10: Fourth round of solo albums and 8 Diagrams

Related pages: