Caddy David Brooker walks with golfers Yani Tseng and Suzann Pettersen at the 2009 Women's British Open

In golf, a caddy (or caddie) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives insightful advice and moral support. A good caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the best strategy in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin placements and club selection. A caddy is not usually an employee of a private club or resort. He is classified as an "independent contractor," meaning that he is basically self employed and does not receive any benefits from his association with the club. Some clubs and resorts do have caddy programs, although benefits are rarely offered. Particularly in Europe, the vast majority of clubs do not offer caddies, and amateur players will commonly carry their own bags.

Etymology[link]

The word caddie comes from the gascon Occitan capdèth or capdet, meaning chief then younger boy (become cadet in French and refers to the Cadets de Gascogne, the captains serving in the French army in the 15th century were the youngest sons of the aristocratic families of Gascony). The term caddie or cadie first appeared in the English language in the year 1634.^[1]

Types of caddying[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Traditional caddying involves both the golfer and the caddie walking the course. The caddy is in charge of carrying the player’s bag, with the caddie out in front of the player. This is the most common method used in golf clubs and is the only method allowed in the PGA (Professional Golf Association) and LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association).

Fore-Caddying entails the caddie walking while the players ride in carts. The fore-caddy will give a hole description and then walk ahead to spot the players tee shots. The caddie then gets the players yardage (either with a laser, course knowledge, or sprinkler heads) while the players drive their carts from the tee to their shots. The caddy walks ahead again to spot the golfers next shots. This process is continued until the players reach the green. Once on the green the caddie will read greens (if asked per proper golf etiquette), clean golf balls (if asked), fix ball marks, and attend the flag if asked. The caddie is also responsible for raking traps on the course. Caddies will help with club selection, reading greens, weather variables, and marking balls on the green but should only do so if asked to by the player. More than anything else, the caddy is there to make the player's round enjoyable by taking care of menial tasks, speeding up play, and providing mental support if asked.

Caddy ranks[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Many clubs use a ranking system. Caddies will start as a trainee, and be promoted through the ranks of Intermediate, Captain, Honor, and finally Championship. Many courses start their caddies off at the B level, and after a year move them to A, and on their fourth year (if they have earned it), they will receive the title of Honor caddy. The intermediate and captain ranks can usually be obtained within the first year of caddying, and the honor rank is usually obtained in the second or third year of caddying. Championship takes at least 6 years and often as many as 10 years to obtain. An alternative ranking system often used in the American Mid-West proceeds as B level, A level, AA level, Honor level, and Evans Scholar. Caddies often obtain a promotion in rank once a year, while often Honor takes two years to achieve and Evans Scholars are only produced by winning the venerable Evans Scholarship for university.

Weekly schedule[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Caddies are most frequently employed at clubs on weekends, when the majority of country club golf takes place. Some (but usually not as many) opportunities to caddy exist during the week, as well. Additionally, caddies are often allowed to play the course at which they caddy for free, usually on a Monday (the day that most private clubs choose to close their course for maintenance). On pro golf tours, professional caddies accompany their player to all events, which usually take place from Thursday through Sunday. Additionally, the player may hire their caddy to carry their bag for them during training sessions and practice rounds.

Pay scale[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

At most clubs, caddies are paid at the end of the round by cash, or receive a payment ticket for which they can redeem their wages in the clubhouse. Generally, the player will tip the caddy based on their performance during the round, with extra money given for exemplary work. Most American club caddies earn between $35 and $100 per bag, though newer caddies will often earn less than more experienced caddies or caddies working during a tournament, high-stakes match, or 4-Day member-guest will often earn significantly more, upwards of $100 per round, per bag, at times. It is considered acceptable to ask a professional at the course what the average pay for a caddie is, as courses differ.

In a professional golf tour setting, a player often pays their caddy a percentage of their winnings, which can be as high as 10%. A common pay scale is 5% for making the cut, 7% for a top 10, and 10% for a win. The caddy also usually receives a salary, as the player is not guaranteed to win money at every tournament.

Typical attire and equipment[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

• Collared shirt
• Khaki shorts or pants
• Gym shoes or golf shoes
• Smock
• Towel, partly wet to clean the clubs and the ball
• Hat
• Ballmark repair tool
• pencil, scorecard, and pin sheet
• Yardage book
• Yardage laser

Notes and references[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: caddies

Look up caddy or caddie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Caddies making a comeback (Seattle Times)
• "Notes from the Caddieshack" - a McSweeney's Internet Tendency column about being a caddie in the Chicago suburbs.

Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi performing in Denver, Colorado in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
Born	(1984-01-30) January 30, 1984 (age 28) Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Genres	Alternative hip hop, neo-psychedelia, pop rock
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums
Years active	2003–present
Labels	GOOD, Universal Republic,[1] Wicked Awesome
Associated acts	WZRD, Dot da Genius, Kanye West, Chip tha Ripper, Ratatat
Website	www.KidCudi.com

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi^[2] (born January 30, 1984),^[3] better known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( /ˈkɪd ˈkʌdi/ KID KUD-ee), sometimes stylized KiD CuDi, is an American alternative hip hop recording artist, singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. "Day 'n' Nite" was included on Cudi's debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, which was later certified Gold. In 2010 he released his second studio album Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, preceded by the release of two singles "Erase Me" and "Mr. Rager". In October 2010, Cudi announced that he would be forming a rock band with Dot da Genius called 'Wizard', later renamed WZRD. Their self-titled debut album was released on February 28, 2012.^[4] Kid Cudi has sold over 4.6 million digital singles and has worked with Kanye West, Common, David Guetta and other artists signed to the GOOD Music label.^[5]

In 2009 Cudi, along with record producers Patrick "Plain Pat" Reynolds and Emile Haynie launched their record label, Dream On, in partnership with Kanye West's GOOD Music and Universal Motown. On February 26, 2011 Cudi took to his Twitter account to announce that the label had been dissolved due to differences. In April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom Kid Cudi announced he was launching his own label: "Wicked Awesome Records".

Biography[link]

1984-2008: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Shaker Heights and Solon. He is the youngest of four children, with two brothers, Domingo and Dean, and a sister, Maisha.^[6] His father, a house painter, substitute teacher and World War II Air Force veteran was Mexican-Native American, while his mother, a middle-school choir teacher at Roxboro Middle School, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, is African-American.^[7][8] When he was eleven years old, Mescudi's father died of cancer; his passing would have a significant effect on Mescudi's personality and subsequently his music.^[8] Mescudi attended Shaker Heights High School for two years, then transferred to Solon High School, and later earned his GED. Eventually, Mescudi studied film at the University of Toledo then dropped out after a year.^[6]

It was towards the end of high school that Mescudi first began rapping, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest.^[8] He moved to Brooklyn in New York City to pursue a music career.^[2] In July 2008, Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, in collaboration with New York street-wear brand 10.Deep as a free download.^[9] The mixtape quickly caught the attention of Kanye West, which in turn spawned his signing to GOOD Music later that year.

Kid Cudi was featured on Kanye West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, singing with West on the track "Welcome to Heartbreak", and helping with songwriting on "Heartless" and "Paranoid". "Welcome to Heartbreak" peaked at #87 on the Pop 100,^[10] and music videos for both songs have been released. Cudi was then tipped as an artist to watch for in media such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source, XXL and BBC News's Sound of 2009 poll of up-and-coming acts.^[11] MTV News also reported on Cudi on a series of reports MCs To Watch In 2009.^[12]

Kid Cudi performing at Central Park Summerstage in New York City, in 2008.

His first television appearance was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, alongside Travis Barker and DJ AM. On February 17, 2009, he appeared on Snoop Dogg's MTV talk show Dogg After Dark performing "Day 'n' Nite" at the end of the show. Two days later on February 19, 2009, Cudi appeared on BET's 106 & Park with Kanye West to debut the video of "Day 'n' Nite". On March 16, 2009 Kid Cudi performed on mtvU's Spring Break special, and the next day he performed three songs on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly. He has also appeared as a musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Kid Cudi also made a cameo appearance next to Solange in the video for the song "T.O.N.Y." in February 2009, and later in The Black Eyed Peas' video for "I Gotta Feeling", with David Guetta. He has also been on two magazine covers, Complex (August/September 2009) and URB (August 2009). Bape awarded Cudi his own t-shirt in September 2009, in reward for his music and past employment there when living in New York City.

[edit] 2009–2010: Man on the Moon series

Kid Cudi performing on August 6, 2009.

Cudi's debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day was released on Universal Motown Records on September 15, 2009^[13] and sold 104,419 copies in the first week and charted at #4.^[14] The album's lead single "Day 'n' Nite", Kid Cudi's greatest commercial success thus far, charted well both in the U.S. and in Europe. The second single was "Make Her Say" (originally titled "I Poke Her Face"), which features a sample from Lady Gaga's hit single "Poker Face" and performances by Kanye West and Common.^[15][16]

On February 25, 2009, Cudi self-leaked a "teaser trailer" ^[17] for the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen film using his song "Sky Might Fall" in the background, later he posted that he made the trailer himself and was in talks to possibly make it official.^[18]

With Emile Haynie, Cudi produced an exclusive single called "Switchin Lanes" for the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles, part of its "South Central Premium Upgrade" downloadable content (DLC) which came out March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and March 27, 2009 for the Xbox 360.^[19]

He revealed information about his future plans via his blog, saying that a possible collaboration with Chip tha Ripper could be followed with a collaboration project with electrorock duo Ratatat.^[20] During the summer of 2009, Cudi joined rapper Asher Roth for the Great Hangover concert tour.^[21] Kid Cudi was featured on the highly anticipated Jay-Z album The Blueprint 3 (2009), on the song "Already Home".^[22] In a late 2009 interview, Cudi announced that the follow-up to his debut album will be a collaboration album called Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution. He stated he has already recorded songs with Snoop Dogg, Travis Barker, Clipse, Cage and Pharrell and would also like to work with Drake, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Robin Thicke, The Killers and The Postal Service on the album. Also it was rumored that Man on the Moon: The End of Day will be followed up by a sequel titled Man on the Moon: The Ghost in the Machine and that the Man on the Moon will be a trilogy, but was not been confirmed.^[23] Kid Cudi was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards for his singles, "Day 'n' Nite" and "Make Her Say".^[24] Kid Cudi was featured on Snoop Dogg's re-release of Malice n Wonderland, More Malice (2010), on the song "That Tree",^[25] as well as teaming up with Johnny Polygon to remix Polygon's "The Riot Song" which appears on his mixtape, Rebel Without Applause(2010)^[26] On April 20, 2010, Kid Cudi announced that the name of his second album has been changed from Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution to Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager.^[27][28] On June 11, 2010, Kid Cudi was arrested in the Chelsea neighborhood of the Manhattan borough New York City and charged with felony criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance.^[29] Despite his arrest, he was released and made it to Manchester, Tennessee in time to play at Bonnaroo.

The lead single for Cudi's second studio album titled "Erase Me" featuring Kanye West and produced by Jim Jonsin, debuted on a Cleveland radio station June 30, 2010 and was officially released to Rhythm/Crossover radio on August 17, 2010.^{[30][31][32][33]} The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 169,000 copies.^[34] In its second week it crossed the 200,000 sales mark.^[35] 2010 also featured Kid Cudi on a number of songs for Kanye West's weekly free music giveaway G.O.O.D. Fridays appearing on "Good Friday", "Christian Dior Denim Flow" and "The Joy", which later became a bonus track on Jay-Z and Kanye West collaborative effort Watch the Throne (2011).

2011-present: New direction and WZRD[link]

In October 2010, Cudi announced that he would be forming a rock band with Dot da Genius tentatively called 'Wizard'.^[36] However, in early 2011, he announced that he would be releasing a mixtape prior to the rock album.^[37] On February 26, 2011 Cudi took to his Twitter account to announce that Dream On, the record label he launched back in 2009 with partners Patrick “Plain Pat” Reynolds and producer Emile Haynie, has been dissolved.^[38] However in an interview with Complex Magazine he explained they were still on good terms: "I wanted to try something new, and I wanted to take control of things myself. Those are still my guys, Pat and Emile, and I'm still going to work with them in the future. When we start working on Man on the Moon III I’ll be calling them up to see if they want to be a part of it. I know Emile is definitely down. We had an issue, but we’re men and we were able to figure it out and move forward. There’s no hard feelings."^[39]

In March 2011, Cudi announced that a music video for "Marijuana" will be released in the spring,^[40] followed by a music video for "Mr. Rager" in the summer of 2011.^[40] As well as a short film inspired by his song "Maniac" with Cage, directed by Shia LaBeouf^[41] will be released in October 2011.^{[dated info][40]}

In April 2011, while performing at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom Kid Cudi announced name of the record label he is launching. The new label, which he will be releasing his third studio album on is called “Wicked Awesome Records”. He also renamed his band on the same occasion to '2 Be Continuum' renaming it from the original 'Wizard'. Kid Cudi explained his reasoning saying: "I needed something more original, something different, but it’s still wizardry at its finest."^[42] On August 12, 2011, Kid Cudi released the music video for "No One Believes Me", directed by Fright Night director Craig Gillespie. Although the song was recorded as a collaborative song with Dot da Genius, the single was released under Kid Cudi's name.^[43] On August 21, Cudi announced that he is no longer releasing the mixtape A Man Named Scott so that he can focus on his rock project and his third solo album Man on the Moon III.^[44] Kid Cudi released a video for Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager's title track "Mr. Rager" on September 8, 2011. The video has received all-positive reviews from critics and fans alike.^[45]

Despite saying he will not do many more features for other artists in Complex magazine's October/November 2011 cover story,^[46] he appeared on Bryan Greenberg's second studio album We Don't Have Forever (2011), Travis Barker's Give the Drummer Some (2011), The Knux's Eraser (2011), and Wale's Ambition (2011) respectively.

On October 30, Cudi released the Maniac, a short horror film co-starring Cage and directed by Shia LaBeouf, through his blog.^[47]

On November 13, 2011, a previously unreleased mixtape of material Cudi had recorded from 2002-2003 titled Rap Hard was released. On November 18, 2011 renamed his band, for the second time to 'WZRD'.^[48] He also announced that the upcoming rock project will be released on his 28th birthday, January 30, 2012.

In late 2011, Cudi was mentioned in a viral video by Ben Breedlove about his near death experiences.^[49] After Breedlove's death on December 26, 2011, Cudi commented on his thoughts about inspiring the young kid. "I am so sad about Ben Breedlove," Kid Cudi wrote on his Tumblr blog. "I watched the video he left for the world to see, and him seeing me in detail, in his vision really warmed my heart. I broke down, I am to tears because I hate how life is so unfair. This has really touched my heart in a way I cant describe, this is why I do what I do. Why I write my life, and why I love you all so much. Life is really f---- up sometimes, but I know Ben is at Peace, and I hope he gets a chance to sit and talk with my Dad. We love you Ben. Forever. Thank you for loving me. To Ben’s family, you raised a real hero, he’s definitely mine. You have my love."

In January 2012 Cudi appeared on two songs off Chip tha Ripper's mixtape Tell Ya Friends, "Ride 4 You" which also featured Far East Movement and "GloryUs" which credited the duo as they are collectively known, The Almighty GloryUs, which led to speculation that a project from the two was underway. On January 31, Cudi announced through his Twitter feed that he had completed Man on the Moon III and that his next album was the collaborative effort with Chip tha Ripper.^[50] In 2012 Cudi was featured on the soundtrack to the film The Hunger Games, crafting an original song for the film titled "The Ruler and the Killer". Cudi wrote on Twitter, "I could not have done it with out my producing partners on the project for the film, The legendary and Godly T Bone Burnett and Greg Wells!", referring to "The Ruler and the Killer"^[51]

While working on WZRD, Cudi claims he had writer's block for almost 5 months because of his new sobriety. Something that never has happened to him for such an extended period of time. According to Kid Cudi, bands that inspired the album include Electric Light Orchestra, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and Pink Floyd. The album includes a song titled "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?", a cover of the same titled song by Nirvana who in turn was inspired by blues guitar legend Lead Belly's rendition of the traditional folk song.^[52]

Acting career[link]

Kid Cudi starred in the new HBO comedy series How to Make It in America until its cancellation after 2 seasons. He is credited under his real name.^[53]

Personal life[link]

On March 26, 2010, his daughter, Vada Wamwene Mescudi, was born.^[54][55]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009)
• Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager (2010)
• Man on the Moon III (2012)^[56]

Collaborative albums

• WZRD (2012) (with Dot da Genius as WZRD)^[37]
• Cruel Summer (2012) (with GOOD Music)^[57]
• The Almighty GloryUS (TBA) (with Chip tha Ripper)

Mixtapes

• A Kid Named Cudi (2008)

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kid Cudi

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• Official website
• Kid Cudi on Myspace
• Kid Cudi on Twitter
• Kid Cudi at the Internet Movie Database

Slim Thug
Slim Thug at the KDHT studio in 2005.
Background information
Birth name	Stayve Jerome Thomas
Born	(1980-09-08) September 8, 1980 (age 31) Houston, Texas
Genres	Hip hop Gangsta rap
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Swishahouse, Boss Hogg Outlawz, Interscope, E1
Associated acts	Boss Hogg Outlawz, Bun B, Chalie Boy, Chamillionaire, Z-Ro, Mike Jones, T.I.
Website	www.bosshoggoutlawz.com

Stayve Jerome Thomas (born September 8, 1980),^[1] better known as Slim Thug, Boss Hogg or Thug Boss, is an American rapper. He gained mainstream attention for his contribution to the popular single from rapper Mike Jones, "Still Tippin'".

Early life[link]

Slim Thug grew up in Houston's Northside neighborhood of Homestead/Scenic Woods. Slim says that his rap name come from the fact that as a teenager, he was very tall and skinny before he filled out.^{[citation needed]} He stands 6'6" tall. The Thug part comes from people's assumptions of him due to his fresh braids and sunglasses.^{[citation needed]} At age 17, he performed freestyle raps at local high school parties. He began his rap career with Swishahouse in the late 1990s. After realizing how much money he could make distributing his own mixtapes, he parted ways with Swishahouse on good terms and formed his own independent label, Boss Hogg Outlawz.^[2] Thomas bought two record stores and worked in real estate.^[1]

Music career[link]

Already Platinum (2005–2008)[link]

Slim Thug's debut album with Star Trak Entertainment & Interscope Records, Already Platinum, was released in July 2005 after many delays.^[1] It premiered on #2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and sold 130,000 copies in its first week.^[3] Singles included "3 Kings" (featuring T.I. and Bun B), and "I Ain't Heard of That" (featuring Pharrell and Bun B). Slim Thug appeared on Still Tippin' with Mike Jones and Paul Wall, Beyoncé Knowles's #1 single "Check on It" and Gwen Stefani's "Luxurious". With the Boss Hogg Outlawz, Slim Thug released three albums, Boyz N Blue (2004), Serve & Collect (2007) and Back by Blockular Demand: Serve & Collect II (2008). He left Star Trak & Interscope Records in 2008.^[4]

Boss of All Bosses (2009)[link]

Slim Thug's second solo album Boss of All Bosses was released in 2009. Although not as successful as his debut album Boss of All Bosses debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200 with 32,000 copies sold in the first week released. It included the single "I Run".

Tha Thug Show (2010–present)[link]

Slim Thug's third studio album Tha Thug Show. His first single was "Gangsta" which featured Z-Ro. His second single featured rapper/singer B.o.B entitled "So High". It was released November 30, 2010.

Other Ventures[link]

Acting career[link]

In October 2009 he appeared on The Daily Show, in a parody discussing the effects of the recession upon wealthy rappers such as himself.^[5] The skit was filmed in part at The Lion's Den Recordings in Houston, Texas.

Personal life[link]

Slim Thug dated singer LeToya Luckett until 2006.^[6][7] He claimed the two broke up as a result of his cheating and having a child with another woman.^[8]

According to MTV News, Lupe Fiasco's video for "Hip Hop Saved My Life" was based on Slim Thug's life story. "It is based on Slim Thug," Fiasco revealed.^[9] On June 7, 2010, Vibe released controversial statements Slim Thug had made regarding treatment of black men by black and white women saying "it’s hard to find [a successful black man] so Black women have to bow down and let it be known that they gotta start working hard; they gotta start cooking and being down for they man more. ...White women treat they man like a king."^[10]

The article stirred many varied reactions from bloggers and online commentators.^[7][11][12] Cultural critic and Columbia University professor Marc Lamont Hill,^[13] singers Aubrey O'Day, D. Woods,^[14] and Talib Kweli^[15] have all responded publicly to his comments.

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• 2005: Already Platinum
• 2009: Boss of All Bosses
• 2010: Tha Thug Show
• 2012: Hogg Life

Awards and Nominations[link]

MTV Video Music Awards

References[link]

External links[link]

• Slim Thug on Myspace
• Slim Thug at the Internet Movie Database
• Slim Thug on Twitter

Devin Copeland (born June 4, 1970), better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79".

Early life[link]

Devin Lynn Northcutt was born in St. Petersburg, Florida on June 4, 1970 and moved to Tennessee while in the fourth grade.^[1] He spent his childhood moving back and forth from New Boston and Houston, finally settling in Houston after graduating from high school. He smoked marijuana for the first time at a skating rink in seventh grade, which would later become a major influence on his music.^[2] As a teenager, Copeland became interested in breakdancing, joining several dance crews until he began rapping, which soon became his main interest.^[2] After graduating from high school, he met Rob Quest, a blind rapper and record producer, and the duo formed the group the Odd Squad.^[1]

Musical career[link]

Devin Copeland started out as a member of the Odd Squad (later known as the Coughee Brothaz), a group of rappers signed to Rap-A-Lot Records. The label is notable for being the home of hip-hop artists such as Geto Boys, Scarface, and Too Much Trouble. Copeland moved on to become part of Scarface's Facemob before going solo in 1998.^[3] Copeland has released seven solo albums: The Dude (1998), Just Tryin' ta Live (2002), To tha X-Treme (2004), Waitin' to Inhale (2007), Landing Gear (2008), Suite 420 (2010), and Gotta Be Me (2010). He also made a number of guest appearances, including on Dr. Dre's "Fuck You" in 1999, De La Soul's "Baby Phat" in 2001, Tech N9ne's "After Party" 2010 off of The Gates Mixed Plate.,^[3] and Young Jeezy's "Higher Learning" off of the late 2011 album Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition.

In 2008, he ended his 15 year relationship with Houston based Rap-A-Lot Records after he decided not to renew his contract.^[4] Later that year, he signed with indie label Razor & Tie.^[5] Devin is currently being distributed by E1 Entertainment, formerly Koch.

Reception[link]

Despite being a critical success, Devin the Dude has not achieved success in the mainstream but continues to be a well-known underground hip-hop artist. The New York Times has called him "A brilliant oddball with a spaced-out flow."^[6] In addition, he has been called "Rap's best-kept secret" and "Your favorite rapper's favorite rapper."^[7] In 2007, he appeared in a documentary titled Screwed In Houston produced by VBS/Vice Magazine that details the history of the Houston rap scene.

Discography[link]

Solo[link]

Coughee Brothaz[link]

EPs[link]

Compilations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• MP3 audio interview with Devin the Dude on the radio program The Sound of Young America
• Devin the Dude on Myspace
• Devin the Dude Interview
• The DJBooth: Interview with Devin The Dude (Apr '07)

Kenny Loggins
Loggins performing at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, August 5, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Kenneth Clark Loggins
Born	(1948-01-07) January 7, 1948 (age 64) Everett, Washington, United States
Genres	Rock, soft rock
Years active	1966–present
Labels	Columbia, Mercury
Associated acts	Loggins and Messina, USA for Africa, Michael McDonald, Blue Sky Riders
Website	Kenny Loggins.com

Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for soft rock music beginning during the 1970s, and later for writing and performing for movie soundtracks in the 1980s. Originally a part of the duo Loggins and Messina, he became a solo artist and has written songs for other artists.

Early life[link]

Loggins (born in Everett, Washington) is the youngest of three brothers. His mother was Lina (Massie), a stay-at-home mom, and his father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman. They lived in Detroit and Seattle before settling in Alhambra, California. Loggins attended San Gabriel Mission High School^{[citation needed]}, graduating in 1966. He formed a band called the Second Helping, that released three singles during 1968 and 1969 on Viva Records. Greg Shaw described the efforts as "excellent punky folk-pop records" that were written by Loggins who was likely to be the bandleader and singer as well; Shaw included "Let Me In" on both Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2 and the Pebbles, Volume 9 CD.^[1] Loggins had a short gig playing guitar for the "The New Improved" Electric Prunes in 1969 before writing four songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which were included in their Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy album.^[2] During his early twenties, he was part of the band Gator Creek with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina) was included in a record on Mercury Records.

Loggins and Messina[link]

Jim Messina, formerly of Poco and Buffalo Springfield, was working as an independent record producer for Columbia Records in 1970 when he was introduced to Kenny Loggins, then a little-known singer/songwriter who was signed to ABC-Dunhill.

The two recorded a number of Loggins' compositions in Messina's home living room. When Columbia signed Loggins to a six-album contract (with the assistance of Messina), recording began in earnest for Loggins' debut album, with Messina as producer. Messina originally intended to lend his name to the Loggins project only to help introduce the unknown Loggins to Messina's well-established Buffalo Springfield and Poco audiences. But by the time the album was completed, Messina had contributed so much to the album - in terms of songwriting, arrangement, instrumentation, and vocals - that an "accidental" duo was born. Thus, the full name of their first album was Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin' In.

Although the album went unnoticed by radio upon release, it eventually found success by autumn 1972, particularly on college campuses where the pair toured heavily. Loggins' and Messina's harmonies meshed so well that what was begun as a one-off album became an entity unto itself. Audiences regarded the pair as a genuine duo rather than as a solo act with a well-known producer. Instead of continuing to produce Loggins as a sole performer, they decided to record as a duo – Loggins & Messina.

"When our first album, 'Sittin' In', came out, we started receiving a lot of excitement about the music and good sales," Messina recalled in 2005. "We had a choice. It was either I now go on and continue to produce him and we do the solo career or we stay together and let this work. For me, I did not desire to go back out on the road. I had had enough of that, and I wanted to produce records. But Clive Davis (then president of the record company) intervened and said, 'You know, I think you'd be making a mistake if you guys didn't take this opportunity. Things like this only happen once in a lifetime. It may merit you sleeping on it overnight and making a decision that will be in your best interest.' He was absolutely correct. Kenny made the decision as well. It delayed his solo career, but it gave him an opportunity, I think, to have one."^[3]

Over the next four years they produced five more albums of original material in the studio, plus one album of covers of other artists' material, and two live albums. They sold 16 million records and were the most successful duo of the early 1970s, surpassed later in the decade only by Hall & Oates.^[3] Their work was covered by other artists, such as Lynn Anderson, who recorded "Listen to a Country Song," which was released in 1972 and reaching No. 3 on the charts, and, perhaps most notably, Anne Murray, who reached the U.S. top ten with "Danny's Song" in early 1973 and again with "A Love Song" the following year. A greatest-hits album, The Best of Friends, would be released a year after the duo had separated. The later studio albums often found both Loggins and Messina more as two solo artists sharing the same record rather than as a genuine partnership. As both Loggins and Messina noted in 2005, their collaboration eventually became more a competition - a frequent, almost-inevitable dynamic of show business duos.

The pair had by early 1976 quietly but amicably parted to pursue solo careers, following the release of Native Sons.

Solo career[link]

During 1977, Loggins produced his first solo album, Celebrate Me Home, which included the successful song "I Believe In Love", sung originally by Barbra Streisand in A Star Is Born. Nightwatch, a popular album released during 1978, included the hit song, "Whenever I Call You Friend", a duet with Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, though co-written with Melissa Manchester. He followed it in 1979 with Keep the Fire.

With Michael McDonald[link]

Loggins also wrote the song "What a Fool Believes" with Michael McDonald. Each man recorded his own version of the song, with McDonald's recording his version as a member of The Doobie Brothers. Loggins' version was released first, but the Doobie Brothers' version achieved greater success, scoring No. 1 on the popular music charts. During 1980, Loggins and McDonald received a Grammy for Song of the Year for "What a Fool Believes".

During 1979, Loggins and McDonald wrote "This Is It" for Loggins' ailing father, who had to choose between life and death. The song earned Loggins the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. NBC used the song as theme music for its coverage of the NCAA men's basketball tournament in 1980 and 1981.

Soundtracks[link]

	This Is It noicon "This Is It", written and sung together with Michael McDonald.
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During the next decade, Loggins recorded so many successful songs for film soundtracks that he was referred to as, "King of the Movie Soundtrack".^[4][5] He began with "I'm Alright" (#7 in the U.S.), "Mr. Night", and "Lead the Way" from Caddyshack. Hits followed with "Footloose" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)" from Footloose; "Meet Me Halfway" from Over the Top; and "Danger Zone" and "Playing With the Boys" from Top Gun. Loggins also performed "Nobody's Fool" from the film Caddyshack II. He also performed as a member of USA for Africa on the famine-relief fundraising single "We Are the World".

During the 1990s, Loggins continued his album career, including the popular 1994 children's album Return to Pooh Corner, which included the title single, a reworking of "House at Pooh Corner", written for his newborn son Luke.

During 1991, Loggins recorded and produced Leap of Faith, which included the single "Conviction of the Heart". Former vice president Al Gore billed this song as "the unofficial anthem of the environmental movement". On Earth Day 1995, Loggins performed at The National Mall in Washington, D.C. before a live audience of 500,000.

During 1997, Loggins released the album "The Unimaginable Life" based on his book which was co-written by his wife Julia. Tracks include "Now That I Know Love", "The Art of Letting Go", and "One Chance at a Time". The album was produced by Loggins and Randy Jackson with background vocals by Skyler Jett, Lamont VanHook, and Howard Smith.

During 1998, Loggins recorded a version of the popular Sesame Street song "One Small Voice" for the ABC Television special, Elmopalooza, which was included as a track on the Grammy Award winning soundtrack album.

Recent years[link]

Loggins with Boston Pops Orchestra and conductor Keith Lockhart, June 22, 2011

During recent years Loggins has continued to record and produce Adult Contemporary music and scored a No. 1 single on the Billboard AC chart during 1997 with "For The First Time" (his Oscar-nominated song from One Fine Day). His last film song was The Tigger Movie song "Your Heart Will Lead You Home", which he co-wrote with Richard and Robert Sherman. In 1999 he appeared as himself on Dharma & Greg in the episode "Tye-Dying the Knot", performing at Abby and Larry's wedding.

During 2005, JD Ryznar started web series Yacht Rock, in which Loggins appears played by Hunter Stair and shows Loggins' rise to fame. The show helped with the revival of Loggins' music.^{[citation needed]}

During 2005, Loggins and Messina performed a successful nationwide tour that resulted in the CD and DVD Loggins and Messina Sittin' In Again. Their first tour since 1976, it was 2 hours in length and included an acoustic set in the middle of the show. Complete with a set change that turned the stage into an old gas station setting, the show had a large IMAG video screen that showed old footage of the band, as well as tribute footage of recently deceased former L&M bandmate John Clark.

During 2007 Loggins joined the new recording company 180 Music for the release of his How About Now album. That year he was also inducted into Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard RockWalk.^[6]

On July 31, 2008, Loggins appeared on the TV program Don't Forget the Lyrics! and performed "I'm Alright" and "Footloose".

In 2009 Loggins issued a new children's album entitled All Join In but it was not released due to complications with his record company.

In 2009 Loggins and Messina successfully toured the USA and Canada, reviving their "Sittin' In Again tour".

In 2011 Loggins did a short tour in South East Asia including Manila, Philippines and Singapore. Loggins performed Friday, June 3, 2011 at the Arcada Theater in St Charles, IL. He stopped by the Eddie and Jobo Show in Chicago to talk about his music, his personal life and what kind of show you can expect from him.^[7]

Blue Sky Riders[link]

Loggins is currently working on songs with Blue Sky Riders, a country trio also featuring Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman.

Personal life[link]

Loggins was married to Eva Ein from 1978 to 1990; they had three children together: Crosby, Cody, and Isabella. The oldest, Crosby Loggins, produced his first CD in 2007 entitled We All Go Home. During 2008, Crosby Loggins was voted the winner of the MTV reality show Rock the Cradle. Cody was born in 1983 and Isabella in 1988.^[8] As of 2009, daughter Bella was a music major in college.^[9]

When Loggins experienced health problems in 1982, he was referred to Julia Cooper, a colon therapist. They felt an immediate connection and both were unhappy in their relationships, but each was married to someone else; Loggins then had one child and his wife was pregnant with their second. Their relationship was limited to a close friendship for many years. Near the end of the 1980s, Loggins separated from his wife, Eva, at nearly the same time Julia left her husband, and they began a deeper relationship.^[10]

Loggins' divorce was made final in 1990; he and Cooper married in July, 1992.^[11][12] In 1994, they became involved with Equinox International, a multi-level marketing organization, and created a promotional video for the company, as did Ted Danson and Dave Parker.^[13] The couple had two children: Lukas, born in 1994, and Hana, born in 1998.^[12] After several years of their marriage, they assembled material from the journals that each kept, which included poems, songs and letters. They authored a 1997 book entitled, The Unimaginable Life about their relationship. Its purpose was to offer an alternative to typical relationships where spouses feel that they cannot be completely honest.^[10] Later on, they faced possible bankruptcy.^[12]

The couple divorced in 2004. Loggins commented in 2009, “I got pretty blindsided by Julia’s decision to leave. She’s a very impulsive woman, and she found herself going through a midlife crisis. And she didn’t know what to make of it, and it changed her life.”^[9]

Kenny Loggins is a cousin to singer-songwriter, Dave Loggins.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

Of the seven albums released by Loggins & Messina from 1971–1976, two were platinum and five were gold.^[2]

Since going solo, Loggins has released 13 albums, three of which were certified gold (500,000 shipped), and four became platinum (1 million shipped).^[14]

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Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kenny Loggins

• Kenny Loggins.com
• Blue Sky Riders official website
• Audio interview with Kenny Loggins, Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman (Blue Sky Riders) on the Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast
• 2011 radio interview with Kenny Loggins