Igor I
Prince of Rus'
Igor of Kiev, first from right. Illumination from the Radziwiłł Chronicle
Reign	914–945
Coronation	914
Predecessor	Oleg
Successor	Sviatoslav the Brave
Issue
Sviatoslav the Brave
Full name
Igor Riurikovich
Father	Rurik
Died	945 Iskorosten
Burial	?
Religion	Paganism

Igor I (Old East Slavic/Russian: Игорь; Old Norse: Ingvar; Ukrainian: Ігор, Ihor) was a Varangian ruler of Kievan Rus' from 912 to 945.

Prince Igor Exacting Tribute from the Drevlyans, by Klavdiy Lebedev (1852-1916).

Biography[link]

Information about him comes mostly from the Primary Chronicle. According to the document, Igor was son of Rurik, the first king of Kievan Rus':^[1]

6378–6387 (870–879). On his deathbed, Rurik bequeathed his realm to Oleg, who belonged to his kin, and entrusted to Oleg’s hands his son Igor', for he was very young.
6388–6390 (880–882). Oleg set forth, taking with him many warriors from among the Varangians, the Chuds, the Slavs, the Merians and all the Krivichians. He thus arrived with his Krivichians before Smolensk, captured the city, and set up a garrison there. Thence he went on and captured Lyubech, where he also set up a garrison. He then came to the hills of Kyiv, and saw how Askold and Dir reigned there. He hid his warriors in the boats, left some others behind,and went forward himself bearing the child Igor'. He thus came to the foot of the Hungarian hill, and after concealing his troops, he sent messengers to Askold and Dir, representing himself as a stranger on his way to Greece on an errand for Oleg and for Igor', the prince’s son, and requesting that they should come forth to greet them as members of their race. Askold and Dir straightway came forth. Then all the soldiery jumped out of the boats, and Oleg said to Askold and Dir, “You are not princes nor even of princely stock, but I am of princely birth.” Igor' was then brought forward, and Oleg announced that he was the son of Rurik. They killed Askold and Dir, and after carrying them to the hill, they buried them there, on the hill now known as Hungarian, where the castle of Ol'ma now stands.

He twice besieged Constantinople, in 941 and 944, and in spite of part of his fleet being destroyed by Greek fire, concluded with the Emperor a favourable treaty whose text is preserved in the chronicle. In 913 and 944, the Rus' plundered the Arabs in the Caspian Sea during the Caspian expeditions of the Rus', but it's not clear whether Igor had anything to do with these campaigns.

Igor was killed while collecting tribute from the Drevlians in 945 (Leo the Deacon describes how Igor met his death: "They had bent down two birch trees to the prince’s feet and tied them to his legs; then they let the trees straighten again, thus tearing the prince’s body apart."^[2]) and avenged by his wife, Olga of Kiev. The Primary Chronicle blames his death on his own excessive greed, indicating that he was attempting to collect tribute a second time in a month. As a result, Olga changed the system of tribute gathering (poliudie) in what may be regarded as the first legal reform recorded in Eastern Europe.

Controversy[link]

Drastically revising the chronology of the Primary Chronicle, Constantine Zuckerman argues that Igor actually reigned for three years, between summer 941 and his death in early 945. He explains the epic 33-year span of his reign in the chronicle by its author's faulty interpretation of Byzantine sources.^[3] Indeed, none of Igor's activity are recorded in the chronicle prior to 941.

See also[link]

• List of Ukrainian rulers
• List of Russian rulers

References[link]

1. ^ "The Russian Primary Chronicle". http://www.utoronto.ca/elul/English/218/PVL-selections.pdf. ; see also [1]
2. ^ Korosten (Iskorosten) - A small town with a great history, Leonid Tarasenko (November 07, 2008)
3. ^ Zuckerman, Constantine. On the Date of the Khazars' Conversion to Judaism and the Chronology of the Kings of the Rus' Oleg and Igor. A Study of the Anonymous Khazar Letter from the Genizah of Cairo. // Revue des études byzantines. 1995. 53. Pp. 237–270.

External links[link]

• Icon of Prince Igor of Kiev, Holy Orthodox Church in North America

Ihor Vovchanchyn Ігор Вовчанчин
Born	(1973-08-06) August 6, 1973 (age 38) Zolochiv, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Other names	Ice Cold, The Ukraine freight train
Nationality	Ukrainian
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg; 16 st 11 lb)
Division	Light Heavyweight Heavyweight
Reach	68 in (173 cm)
Style	Kickboxing
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Kharkiv, Ukraine
Team	Team Vovchanchyn[1]
Years active	1995-2005 (MMA)
Kickboxing record
Total	63
Wins	61
Losses	2
Mixed martial arts record
Total	66
Wins	55
By knockout	29
By submission	17
By decision	8
Unknown	1
Losses	10
By knockout	1
By submission	6
By decision	3
No contests	1
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
last updated on: February 10, 2011

Ihor Yaroslavovych "Ice Cold" Vovchanchyn (Ukrainian: Ігор Ярославович Вовчанчин; born August 6, 1973) is a retired Ukrainian mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He won seven mixed martial arts tournaments, as well as acquiring a 37 fight unbeaten streak, and reaching the final of the Pride Grand Prix 2000.

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Early career[link]

Vovchanchyn transitioned from a successful kickboxing career to MMA in 1995, and competed primarily in tournament-style events held across Ukraine, often fighting three or four times in one day. He became famed for being one of the few strictly stand-up fighters to successfully overcome grappling-based opponents, exemplified in his victory in the Mr. Powerman Sekai tournament in Minsk, Belarus on January 23, 1996. He repeated the success in the inaugural International Absolute Fighting Council event, defeating Adilson Lima, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu black belt who trained with Ryan Gracie. Vovchanchyn won by knockout via soccer kick 56 seconds into the fight, however Lima's cornerman (Renzo Gracie) argued to the tournament organisers, complaining that kicks to a downed opponent were unfair and demanded an instant rematch. Unusually, an immediate rematch was granted, and the fight began again, only to be stopped a second time after Lima's nose was broken by a punch, giving Vovchanchyn the win by TKO.

Vovchanchyn won seven MMA tournaments during this stage of his career, and was considered arguably the best heavyweight in the world for several years to come. From January 1996, Vovchanchyn did not lose a fight until the final match of the Pride Grand Prix 2000 tournament, when he was beaten by Mark Coleman

Early Pride FC career[link]

In his Pride debut, Vovchanchyn fought Canadian kickboxer and arm-wrestling champion Gary Goodridge. Vovchanchyn showed an evident lack of experience in grappling and takedown defense and was twice taken down by Goodridge, who was not known for his wrestling prowess. Vovchanchyn, however, obviously behind on points, dominated Goodridge during the stand-up exchanges and knocked him out with two left hooks, 10:14 into the first round.

Vovchanchyn then fought Japanese fighter Akira Shoji. The fight stayed in the standing position for most of the two ten-minute rounds, and Vovchanchyn won the judges decision by badly damaging Shoji with strikes. He then fought Carlos "Carlão" Barreto, a Carlson Gracie team member and Vale Tudo champion. Vovchanchyn shut down the takedown attempts of Barreto and won the decision by out-striking him.

Unofficial #1 Heavyweight Superfight[link]

Vovchanchyn was next matched up with American wrestler Mark Kerr for the unofficial title of #1 heavyweight in the world. Nearly all outlets who covered mixed martial arts held either Vovchanchyn or the unbeaten two-time UFC champion and ADCC champion Mark Kerr as the best heavyweight and pound for pound fighter in the world. Early in the fight, Kerr cut Vovchanchyn with a knee strike to the right eye, and secured several takedowns, but was unable to pass Vovchanchyn's guard or do any more significant damage. In the last round, Vovchanchyn pounced on the now-exhausted Kerr and dominated him with strikes, eventually knocking him out with a series of knees. Vovchanchyn was declared the winner on the night, but the result was later overturned, and the result declared a no contest. Knees to the head of a grounded opponent in the four points position had been banned just prior to the event.

In his next fight, Vovchanchyn fought Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master Francisco Bueno. Igor knocked Bueno out with a vicious combination, Bueno literally falling face first as he was being punched in the face. This knockout is still to this day considered one of the most brutal knockouts in the history of MMA. After this string of victories, Vovchanchyn became a huge favorite going in to the Pride Grand Prix 2000.

Pride Grand Prix 2000[link]

Vovchanchyn had been considered the top fighter in the sport for some years, and as commentators Stephen Quadros and Bas Rutten stated, he was likely favorite to win the tournament. In the opening round he defeated Japanese pro wrestler Alexander Otsuka by decision and, in a rematch with Gary Goodridge, decisively won by knockout.

Vovchanchyn then faced Japanese hero and (then) number 1 pound for pound fighter in the world, Kazushi Sakuraba, who had recently beaten UFC champion Royce Gracie in a 90 minute fight, the longest in recent competitive fighting history. Vovchanchyn scored well in the first round and won the fight after Sakuraba could not continue into round two.

Vovchanchyn then faced another powerhouse American wrestler in Mark Coleman. Coleman had the advantage, coming into the final match, as he bypassed the semi finals after his opponent, Kazuyuki Fujita, retired due to injury. Coleman kept the visibly tired Igor on the ground, and during the second 20 minute round, finished the fight by mounting Vovchanchyn's back and repeatedly kneeing him in the head, forcing Vovchanchyn to submit.

After three more victories against Pride's journeyman fighters, Vovchanchyn received a rematch with Mark Kerr. Vovchanchyn's advantage in the stand up fighting was countered by Kerr's superior grappling and takedowns, and the fight was ruled a draw after two rounds. After an extra, third round, Vovchanchyn was awarded the victory via unanimous decision.

Pride decline[link]

Vovchanchyn continued to fight in Pride over the next year, with a mixed record. After submitting Valentijn Overeem with a heel hook, Vovchanchyn lost to Heath Herring by decision and Quinton Jackson by submission due to injury.

After beating Dutch boxer Bob Schrijber by submission, Vovchanchyn was knocked out by Mirko "Cro-Cop" Filipovic via left roundhouse kick. This fight is considered a 'passing of the torch', as Igor couldn't compete at the top level at heavyweight any longer, and it elevated the newer striking sensation Filipovic into an interim heavyweight championship fight with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

Drop to Middleweight (93 kg)[link]

Breaking his losing streak, Vovchanchyn then strung together a series of wins over Dan Bobish, Katsuhisa Fuji and Yoshiki Takahashi. In the following year, Vovchanchyn moved down a weight division and entered Pride's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix. Vovchanchyn was matched against Yuki Kondo in Pride Total Elimination 2005, a man with wins over the likes of Guy Mezger, Frank Shamrock and four-time K1 World Grand Prix champion and King of Pancrase Semmy Schilt. Vovchanchyn controlled the fight, winning a unanimous decision. He then fought Alistair Overeem in the quarter finals and lost via submission. Vovchanchyn received a second chance to progress when offered a fight against Kazuhiro Nakamura in Pride Final Conflict 2005, with the winner earning the right to be an alternate in the finals of the tournament. After 15 minutes, Vovchanchyn lost a unanimous judges' decision in what would be his last competitive MMA fight.

Vovchanchyn retired at age 32, citing multiple injuries, including a right hand that remained seriously affected as of 2008.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Vovchanchyn is married and has one daughter.^[3]

In a 2008 interview, Vovchanchyn stated that he retired from martial arts competition and has students and a restaurant business.^[4]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

Mixed martial arts[link]

Absolute Fighting Championship

• Absolute Fighting Championship 3 winner (1997)

International Fighting Championship

• International Fighting Championship 1 winner

PRIDE Fighting Championship

• 2000 Pride Openweight Grand Prix runner-up

World Vale Tudo Championship

• WVC Super Fight Champion (1 Time)^[5]
• World Vale Tudo Championship 5 winner

Mr. Powerman SEKAI 1996 (Mr. Strong Guy 1996) winner

Ukrainian Octagon winner (1996)

AROC 3 winner (1997)

Kickboxing[link]

Russian Kick Boxing Champion: 63 Fights, 61 Wins, 2 Losses

Won World Kick Boxing/Martial Arts Championship in Moscow, 1995.

Igor and Vitaly Vladymyrovych Klychko (Виталий Владимирович Кличко) was training together at same Kick Boxing GYM.

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Kickboxing record[link]

Igor Vovchanchyn kickboxing record
61 wins, 2 losses Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record 1999-07-18 Loss Ernesto Hoost K-1 Dream '99 Nagoya, Japan TKO (3 knockdowns due to low kicks) 3 0:51 Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

References[link]

External links[link]

• Professional MMA record for Igor Vovchanchyn from Sherdog
• Igor Vovchanchyn profile at Pride FC official website
• Igor Vovchanchyn on Myspace
• Igor Vovchanchyn official website at the Wayback Machine

Nicki Minaj
Minaj at 2010 MTV Music Awards
Background information
Birth name	Onika Tanya Maraj
Born	(1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 29)[1] Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago
Origin	South Jamaica, Queens, New York, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop, R&B, pop
Occupations	Rapper, singer-songwriter
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Cash Money Records, Young Money Entertainment, Universal Republic Records, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Young Money
Website	mypinkfriday.com

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

After releasing three mixtapes between 2007 and 2009 and being signed to Young Money Entertainment in August 2009, Minaj released her debut album, Pink Friday, in November 2010. It quickly became a commercial success, peaking at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) a month after its release.^[2][3] She became the first female solo artist to have seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time.^[4] Her second single, "Your Love", reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, making Minaj the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[5] She also became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List.^[6] Minaj was named the 2011 Rising Star by Billboard.^[7] Her second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded was released on April 3, 2012.

Early life[link]

Maraj was born in 1982^{[1][note 1]} in Saint James, a suburb of Trinidad and Tobago's capital city Port of Spain.^[8][9][10] Her parents are of mixed Indian and Afro-Trinidadian ancestry^[11][12] and she lived in Saint James with her grandmother until age five, because her parents were looking for a place to live in the Queens borough of New York City at the time. Her mother would occasionally visit, and one day, when Minaj was five, her mother picked her up to move to Queens.^[13] According to Minaj, her father drank heavily, took drugs, and once tried to kill her mother by setting the house on fire.^[14]

She attended Elizabeth Blackwell Middle School 210, where she played the clarinet.^[13] She graduated from LaGuardia High School.^[15][16] At LaGuardia, a school specializing in music and the visual and performing arts, Minaj participated in the drama program.^[15] She had initially planned to sing at LaGuardia but lost her voice on the day of the audition.^[15]

Career[link]

2007–09: Mixtapes and Young Money[link]

Minaj released her first mixtape in 2007 after releasing Playtime Is Over with Dirty Money Records. She released another mixtape on July 7, 2008, titled Sucka Free, under the label Be. On April 18, 2009, Minaj released a third mixtape and appeared in XXL magazine.^[17] She won the Female Artist of the Year award at the 2008 Underground Music Awards.^[18] Minaj released Beam Me Up Scotty, another mixtape, in April 2009 under the label of Trapaholics Records; it received positive coverage on both BET and MTV.^[19][20]

In August 2009, Minaj signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, with distribution from Universal Motown Records, after fellow American rapper Lil Wayne discovered her and secured the record deal.^[17][21] She then had a solo rap verse in their single "BedRock," which became a commercial success, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Minaj also appeared on "Roger That", which charted at number 56. The song, and in particular Minaj, received positive reviews from critics.^[22] Both songs were included in Young Money Entertainment's debut collaborative studio album We Are Young Money, which was released in December 2009. The album charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200, reaching number 9 and later receiving a Gold Certification by the RIAA. She was then chosen by Mariah Carey to be featured on her single and music video for "Up Out My Face". Critics praised her collaboration for helping to maintain Carey's feminine image and providing a polite track for the female R&B singer.^[23]

[edit] 2010–11: Pink Friday

Britney Spears and Minaj performing the Femme Fatale Remix of "Till the World Ends" in the Femme Fatale Tour.

After a major record label bidding war, Young Money Entertainment announced on August 31, 2009 that Minaj had been released from a 360 deal with the label in which she retains and owns all of her 360 rights – including merchandising, sponsorships, endorsements, touring and publishing.^[24] In an interview with 95.8 Capital FM, Rihanna stated that after the two collaborated on "Raining Men" from her album Loud that the duo would be teaming up together for a possible second collaboration on Minaj's Pink Friday.^[25] Hip-hop rap artist and producer Kanye West was also confirmed for the album.^[26] On August 3, 2010 Minaj revealed on a Ustream.tv channel that the album's name would be Pink Friday, in reference to Black Friday.^[27]

Pink Friday was released on November 19, 2010 in both standard and deluxe versions.^[28][29] A buzz single, "Massive Attack", was released in April.^[30] In August, Minaj released "Your Love" as the first official single from her debut album. The single peaked at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, 7 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and topped the Rap Songs chart. Minaj became the first female artist to be included on MTV's Annual Hottest MC List^[6] and the first female artist to top the chart unaccompanied since 2002.^[31] In October 2010, Minaj became the first artist to have seven songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously.^[4] Minaj released a joint single with The Black Eyed Peas front man, will.i.am titled, "Check It Out", which is Minaj's most successful single to date in Europe. "Right thru Me" was released September 24, 2010; the music video was released in late October. "Moment 4 Life" was released as the fourth single. The track featured Canadian rapper Drake and was released on December 7, 2010, becoming a success on the Billboard Hot 100. The single peaked at number 5 on the Hot Rap Songs.^[32] The album gained a Platinum certification in the United States a month after the release.^[3]

On January 29, 2011, Minaj appeared on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest, performing "Right Thru Me" and "Moment 4 Life". On February 9, 2011, it was announced that Pink Friday had reached number one on the Billboard 200 in its eleventh week on the chart.^[33] It was hinted by Simon Cowell that Minaj would join the judging panel of the American version of the The X Factor.^[34] Starting in June 2011, Minaj will be supporting Pink Friday by serving as an opening act along with Jessie and the Toy Boys and Nervo on Britney Spears' sixth concert tour, the Femme Fatale Tour, in support of her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale.^[35] She also was featured on the official remix of Spears' track "Till the World Ends" along with Spears and singer Kesha, which charted at number 3 in the US in April 2011.^[36] "Super Bass" was released from Pink Friday in May 2011, the single charted within the top 10 in many countries including; United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and more.^[37] The song gained positive reviews from critics.^[38][39] Minaj will voice a character in the 3D animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, as an unknown character.^[40][41] Minaj is also featured on French DJ David Guetta's 2011 album, Nothing but the Beat on "Where Them Girls At" and "Turn Me On".

[edit] 2011–present: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded

Minaj's second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, was first announced through Twitter in November 2011 and was released on April 2, 2012 in the United Kingdom and April 3, 2012 in the United States. The album features collaborations with producers Hit-Boy, Dr. Luke, Rico Beats, Kenoe, RedOne and Oak. Cash Money A&R Joshua Berkman told HitQuarters that Minaj was extremely particular about the beats and music she used saying: "She wouldn't just rap or sing on anything – I could give her a thousand tracks and she may only like one or two."^[42] Preceding the album's release, three promotional singles were released: Roman in Moscow (which didn't make the final cut of the album), "Stupid Hoe," and "Roman Reloaded." The album's first single, "Starships", was released on February 14.^[43] "Starships" became Minaj's best-peaking single in the United Kingdom, when it reached a peak of 2. It has also peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100, making it her second top 10 arrival following, "Super Bass" in 2011. The music video was released on April 26th, 2012.^[44]

On February 12, 2012, Minaj debuted her song "Roman Holiday" at the 54th Grammy Awards. It was the first song ever performed on the Grammy stage by a solo female rapper.^[45] The exorcism-themed performance drew a mixed response online.^[46][47]

She was featured on Madonna's twelfth studio album, titled MDNA, alongside M.I.A. on its lead single "Give Me All Your Luvin'", for which a music video has been directed by Megaforce.^[48] The trio performed the song for the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show.^[49] She was also featured on a song called "I Don't Give A", another track from the album.

She released her second single, "Right by My Side", which features Chris Brown, on March 27, 2012, after premiering on Minaj's website on March 20, 2012.^[50] Following the album's release, it peaked at number 24 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. It also peaked in the lower regions of the UK singles chart, at position #101. The third single, "Beez in the Trap", which features 2 Chainz was released to U.S. Urban radio on April 24, 2012. It was premiered on DJ Flex's radio show at Hot 97 on March 20, 2012. It has peaked at number 24 on the US Billboard Rap Songs Chart.^[51] The video was premiered on April 6, 2012 on Minaj's official VEVO account.^[52]

Artistry[link]

Minaj in 2011 during Femme Fatale Tour

Image[link]

Minaj has been noted by the media for her curvaceous figure.^{[53][54][55][56]} In an interview with Vibe Minaj discussed her sexual image stating, "[w]hen I grew up I saw females doing certain things, and I thought I had to do that exactly. The female rappers of my day spoke about sex a lot... and I thought that to have the success they got, I would have to represent the same thing. When in fact I didn’t have to represent the same thing."^[57] In an interview with Interview, Minaj commented on her sexual image again stating, "I made a conscious decision to try to tone down the sexiness, I want people—especially young girls—to know that in life, nothing is going to be based on sex appeal. You’ve got to have something else to go with that.”^[58] Minaj has a tattoo in Chinese characters that reads "上帝與你常在" (shàngdì yǔ nǐ cháng zài)^[59] on her left arm, meaning, "God is always with you."^[60]

Alter egos[link]

While growing up, Minaj's home life was often chaotic, with her parents constantly fighting.^[61] As a means of escape, she would create characters and live her life through them.^[61] In an interview with New York she stated, "To get away from all their fighting, I would imagine being a new person. 'Cookie' was my first identity – that stayed with me for a while. I went on to 'Harajuku Barbie,' then 'Nicki Minaj'. Fantasy was my reality."^[61]

On November 18, 2010, Minaj assumed a different alter-ego named "Nicki Teresa".^[62] Wearing a colorful scarf around her head, she went around as the "healer to her fans" as she visited them at The Garden of Dreams Foundation at Fuse studios in New York City.^[62] Minaj made an appearance on Lopez Tonight on December 6, 2010 and presented a different alter-ego for the Spanish-inspired occasion, named "Rosa" (pronounced Rrrrrosa).^[63]

In April 2012, Minaj was asked if Roman, Martha and Rosa come out in the bedroom saying “No, they don’t come out in the bedroom, but other people come out in the bedroom,” she told Big Boy during his “Backstage Breakfast,” adding, “And there’s only one person that would know who that personality is". Minaj did not name her alter-ego.^[64]

For her debut album, Minaj created another alter-ego named "Roman Zolanski".^[65] She stated that in songs like "Bottoms Up" with Trey Songz it is not Minaj rapping, but instead Roman Zolanski, and claims that Roman is her "twin brother". She claims that he was born inside her, out of rage, and becomes him when she is angry. She has also said 'He is a demon inside her'. Roman has been compared to Eminem's alter ego Slim Shady, and on the song "Roman's Revenge" from Pink Friday, Minaj and Eminem collaborate, using these alter egos.^[66] On the collaboration, she said "The new album is going to have a lot of Roman on it ... And if you're not familiar with Roman, then you will be familiar with him very soon. He’s the boy that lives inside of me. He's a lunatic and he's gay and he'll be on there a lot."^[67] Roman also has a "mother" called "Martha Zolanski",^[68] who also appeared on the song "Roman's Revenge", with a British accent,^[69] and on "Roman Holiday", singing for the first time.^[70][71] Martha appears in the video for "Moment 4 Life" where she appears to be Minaj's magical Godmother. In songs such as "All I Do Is Win (Remix)" it is Minaj rapping.^[65] Minaj stated that on her debut album, fans will get to "meet" Nicki, Roman and Onika.^[65]

Influences[link]

Minaj has stated that artists who have influenced her musical style include Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Lil Wayne, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Natasha Bedingfield, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott.^[72][73] She was also inspired by Janet Jackson,^[74] Madonna, Britney Spears, Marilyn Monroe, Grace Jones,^[75] M.I.A. and Cyndi Lauper.^[76][77][78]

Product and endorsements[link]

During her career, Minaj has signed contracts with a variety of corporate interests. Companies she contracted with include soft drink manufacturer Pepsi;^[79] Mattel, which produced a custom a Nicki Minaj-themed Barbie;^[80] and MAC Cosmetics, as part of an AIDS-awareness campaign in Latin America.^[81]

Personal life[link]

Minaj is a Christian, and on Christmas Day in 2011, she indicated her faith in Jesus by tweeting John 3:16.^[82][83] In addition, she states that after her father went to rehab and started attending church, "he got saved and started changing his life."^[84] Minaj states that her heroes are "God. And my mother."^[85][86]

While some songs and interviews have implied that Minaj is bisexual,^[87][88] she has said that she does not date nor have sex with women,^[15] but added in an interview with Out magazine, "I don’t date men either."^[89] In an interview with Vibe she commented, "I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. And I say girls are beautiful and girls are sexy and they need to be told that, and if they don’t have anyone to tell them that and mean it, I’m gonna tell them that. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined."^[90] She reiterated her dislike of being labeled in an interview with Out, saying: "The point is, everyone is not black and white. There are so many shades in the middle, and you’ve got to let people feel comfortable with saying what they want to say when they want to say it."^[89]

During an interview in the May 2010 issue of Details, Minaj was asked if she felt hip-hop was becoming more gay-friendly. She responded, "I think the world is getting more gay-friendly, so hip-hop is too. But it's harder to imagine an openly gay male rapper being embraced, people view gay men as having no street credibility. But I think we'll see one in my lifetime."^[88]

In July 2011, Minaj's cousin Nicholas Telemaque was murdered near his home in Brooklyn, New York City.^[91] Telemaque was referenced in Minaj's song "Champion" in her second studio album.^[92]

Discography[link]

• Pink Friday (2010)
• Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)

Touring[link]

• Pink Friday Tour (2012)

See also[link]

Nicki Minaj portal

• List of awards and nominations received by Nicki Minaj

References[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

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

• Official website
• Nicki Minaj at the Internet Movie Database
• Media related to Nicki Minaj at Wikimedia Commons

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Walter Afanasieff (born February 10, 1958)^[1] is a multiple Grammy-award-winning record producer and songwriter. He is best known for his long association with Mariah Carey, for whom he was producer and co-writer for several years, beginning in 1990. He won the 1999 Grammy Award in the Record of the Year category for producing “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion, and the 2000 Grammy Award for Non-Classical Producer of the Year.^[2]

Afanasieff has written and produced music for many other artists, including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Destiny's Child, Kenny G, Michael Bolton, Darren Hayes (Savage Garden), Andrea Bocelli, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Loggins, Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Mika, Babyface, Josh Groban, Jordin Sparks, Tina Arena, Lara Fabian, and Leona Lewis.

Life and work[link]

Afanasieff was born Vladimir Nikitich Afanasieff ^[3] (Russian: Владимир Никитич Афанасьев) in São Paulo, SP, Brazil to Russian parents Nikita and Tatiana.^[1] His father is from Leningrad in the Soviet Union and his mother is from Harbin, China. His parents met in Brazil in the early 1950s.^[4]

Starting out as a working jazz musician in 1980, Afanasieff initially played keyboards with the jazz/fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. Later, he formed The Warriors^[5] with another former Ponty sideman, guitarist Joaquin Lievano, and with leading 1980s music producer/songwriter and drummer Narada Michael Walden, and these experiences gave him the background and confidence to take an active role as a producer.^[6]

Walden hired Afanasieff as a staff producer/arranger and began using him as a keyboardist on a large number of recording projects, including Whitney Houston's self-titled debut album released in 1985, which went on to become the artist’s best-selling studio album to date. It was also during this time that Afanasieff and Walden began writing pop songs together. Together with his mentor Narada, Afanasieff’s first major production was the title track of the James Bond movie Licence to Kill, sung by Gladys Knight and co-written by Afanasieff and Walden.^[7]

One of Afanasieff’s biggest hits as a producer was the smash hit "My Heart Will Go On", the theme tune to the 1997 film Titanic, sung by Celine Dion.^[2] The song became the world’s best-selling single of 1998.^[8] Afanasieff produced and arranged other successful motion picture soundtracks, including Disney's Beauty and the Beast (the Celine Dion/Peabo Bryson title-track duet), Aladdin (“A Whole New World”) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (“Some Day”).^[2] Afanasieff was also the producer and arranger for “Go the Distance”, the Oscar-nominated Michael Bolton song from the animated film Hercules.

Afanasieff performs on most of his recordings (mainly keyboards, synthesizers and drum programming).

Afanasieff spent a significant part of his career creating music with Mariah Carey, and had a role in many of Carey’s most successful songs, including “Hero”, which he produced, co-wrote, and on which he played all of the music tracks. “Hero” was released as the second single from Carey’s album Music Box, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 25, 1993. It remained at the top of the chart for four weeks. "Hero" has become one of Carey’s signature songs, and Carey closes many of her concerts with it.^[9] Carey and Afanasieff also wrote "One Sweet Day", a duet between Carey and Boyz II Men, which holds the record for the longest run at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (16 weeks total). The song was nominated for the 1996 Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, and received the ASCAP Song of the Year Award for 1996.

Awards[link]

• 1999 Grammy Award in the Record of the Year category for producing "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
• 2000 Grammy Award in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category

Other Information[link]

Beneath the senior portrait in his high school yearbook, Afanasieff wrote that his goal was to "write and play better than Keith Emerson" of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. 

Discography[link]

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b} Walter Afanasieff biography at AOL Music
2. ^ ^{a b c} Featured writers: Walter Afanasieff at Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
3. ^ Walter Afanasieff biography at Musicianguide.com
4. ^ Focus Taiwan article on Afanasieff and Lin yu-Chun partnership.
5. ^ Joaquin Lievano personal Web site.
6. ^ Mixonline.com interview with Afanasieff.
7. ^ Licence to Kill at Discogs.com
8. ^ Songs from the year 1998 at Tsort.info. Archived 18 January 2010 at WebCite
9. ^ Classic Songwriter Story: How Walter Afanasieff Wrote The Classic Hit, "Hero," With Mariah Carey.

External links[link]

• Mixonline.com interview with Walter Afanasieff
• SongwriterUniverse interview with Walter Afanasieff on how he wrote "Hero" with Mariah Carey
• Walter Afanasieff biography at Musicianguide.com
• Biography of Walter Afanasieff at AOL Music

Paul Walden (born 6 June 1964), commonly known as Guru Josh, is an English musician currently performing under his own stage name as Guru Josh. Guru Josh was an original music icon of the British post-acid house music scene in 1990, most recognised for his debut single "Infinity," initially released in 1989 on Walden's record label, Infinity Records. The song was later re-released in 1990 by BMG Records, and remixed for re-release in 2008 by the German artist DJ Klaas.^[1]

Guru Josh is a Songwriter/Musician/Producer who creates his own music yet also performs live on Stage using a Roland G6 Keyboard accompanied by a saxophonist whilst playing a medley of his hits, he also is active in creating new tracks on a regular basis and on occasion also DJs when required.

Early life[link]

Walden is the son of a Jersey dentist, Harold Walden.^[2] After studying dentistry in 1981, he began his career as an entertainer and keyboard player at the Sands nightclub in Jersey, performing under the name of Syndrone and Animal and his Crazy Organs.^[3] Soon after, he joined forces with the likes of Seal and Adamski.

"Infinity"[link]

In 1989, Guru Josh released "Infinity," also known as "Infinity (1990s... Time for the Guru)," from the album of the same name. The song achieved widespread success in Europe, especially in Germany, the UK, Portugal and Austria. The song was later re-mixed and re-released on multiple occasions (the most popular remix by Klaas), still receiving particular success in 2011.^[4]

Other work[link]

Guru Josh released several other singles in 1990 including "Freaky Dreamer," "Holographic Dreams," and "Whose Law (Is It Anyway?)," which reached #26 and #12 in the United Kingdom and Germany, respectively.^[5] "Hallelujah" was released in 1991. Shortly after this, Guru Josh diversified into also doing multimedia production creating the Dance in Cyberspace series of music videos under the name of Dr. Devious and also VR, in collaboration with Darrel Jameson, Guy Labbé, Dave 'Flipping Mental' Evans, Marcus Pennell and others.^{[citation needed]}

Guru Josh has been performing worldwide since 1989 at venues including Manumission, Es Paradis, Eden, Guaraná, and Atlántico. His music has also been featured on many of the leading music compilations released between 1990 and the present day.^[5]

In 2010 he released as Guru Josh a new single entitled 'Frozen Teardrops' featuring a new female vocalist by the name of "Lauren Hall", despite strong showings in digital download sales the single failed to find a place in the charts.

During March 2011 he has released another track called "Love of Life" which went on sale at the end of March 2011, this time dropping the trademark saxophone sounds for a more modern and punchy house style he has found remixers such as Sgt Slick from Australia, Digital Freq from Mexico and The Fusion & DJ Dima June from Russia all willing to put their stamp onto his song. Currently four versions have been released:- The Sgt Slick version being a club orientated version, Digital freq having offered an Electro House version and The Fusion & DJ Dima June having offered a softer more melodic tune and finally the radio edit which is loosely based on Digital Freq's base loops but with a much stronger reworking of the melody and chorus.

On top of continued success in his music career, Guru Josh has also recently created 3D glass art under the name of "Louie Fabrix", sold in small exhibitions in New York, Madrid, Paris and Berlin, receiving critical acclaim and huge appreciation from his fanbase.^[6]

Guru Josh Project[link]

In 2007, Guru Josh Project was formed by Darren Bailie and signed by Big City Beats. The group consisted of Paul Walden, Anders Nyman, and Darren Bailie. In 2008, "Infinity" was re-released as "Infinity 2008", which was remixed by the German DJ Klaas. It experienced widespread success, peaking at No. 1 on the Belgian, Dutch and French and Danish singles charts, the Czech airplay chart and the Eurochart Hot 100.^[4]

Towards the end of 2008 / beginning of 2009 the members of The Guru Josh Project disbanded to pursue other individual interests.

Discography[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Guru Josh Official website
• Guru Josh at Discogs
• The Guru Josh Project at Discogs
• TranceSound interview, May 2010