Name	Soulja Boy
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	DeAndre Cortez Way
Alias	Soulja Boy Tell 'Em
Birth date	July 28, 1990
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois
Origin	Batesville, Mississippi, United States
Occupation	Rapper
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	2005–present
Label	Stacks on Deck/Collipark Music/Interscope
Associated acts	Arab, Mr. Collipark
Website	}}

DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or simply Soulja Boy, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur.

In September 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the internet, and it later became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007. On August 17 Way was listed at #18 on the Forbes list of Hip-Hop Cash Kings of 2010 earning $7 million for that year.

Way has currently released three studio albums and one independent album: his debut studio album ''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) was certified platinum by the RIAA. However, his next two albums, ''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008) and ''The DeAndre Way'' (2010) did not match the commercial success of his debut, the latter only selling 100,000 copies, despite the success of several singles across both albums, such as "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" and "Turn My Swag On" (''iSouljaBoyTellem'') and "Pretty Boy Swag" (''The DeAndre Way'').

On October 18, 2011, Soulja Boy released his documentary bio pic, ''Soulja Boy: The Movie''.

As of 2011, Way has confirmed he is working on his fourth studio album, entitled ''Promise'', which will be released in April 2012.

Early life

DeAndre Way was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age 6, where he became interested in rap music.

Career beginnings

At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for Way to explore his musical ambitions. In November 2005, Way posted his songs on the website SoundClick. Following positive reviews on the site, he then established his own web pages on YouTube and MySpace. In March 2007, he recorded "Crank That" and released his first independent album ''Unsigned & Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'', followed by a low-budget video filmed demonstrating the "Crank That" dance. By the end of May 2007, "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" received its first airplay and Way met with Mr. Collipark to sign a deal with Interscope Records.

Music career

2007-08: ''Souljaboytellem.com''

On August 12, 2007, the song appeared on the Emmy-award winning HBO series ''Entourage'', and by September 1, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot RingMasters charts. Way's major label debut album ''Souljaboytellem.com'', which was reportedly recorded using just the demo version of FL Studio, was released in the United States on October 2, peaking at #4 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums charts.

For the 50th Grammy Awards, Way was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Song with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)". He lost to Kanye West's and T-Pain's "Good Life".

''Souljaboytellem.com'' received a favorable review from Allmusic, but received mainly negative reviews from other sources such as ''Entertainment Weekly''. Several reviewers credited Soulja Boy with spearheading a new trend in hip-hop, while speculating he will likely be a one-hit wonder.

2008-09: ''iSouljaBoyTellem''

The follow-up to ''souljaboytellem.com'', ''iSouljaBoyTellem'', was released on December 16, 2008, to negative critical reception. The first single from the album, "Bird Walk", peaked at #40 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and the top 20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart it was performed on the first ''YouTube Live'' on November 22, 2008, with an introduction from MC Hammer. "Kiss Me Thru the Phone", with Sammie, followed, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks charts. Chris Brown was originally Way's first choice to sing the hook, but respectfully turned down the offer. Way then tried to do it on his own with Auto-Tune but he found it unacceptable. It sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the United States, becoming his second song to reach the two million mark in downloads.

On January 26, 2009 Way released his third single "Turn My Swag On". it topped the US Rap Charts and peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has so far sold more than 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States. It became Soulja Boy's third song to sell 1 million or more downloads.

2009-2010: ''The DeAndre Way''

''The DeAndre Way'' is Way's third studio album, Way has stated that the album is intended to be his most personal and successful album thus far. When speaking on possible collaborations, he stated he wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West, Eminem, among others. The lead single from the album, "POW", was released in January 2009 but failed to garner success and was dubbed a promo single. On October 30, 2009 Way released three mixtapes ''Paranormal Activity'', ''Dat Piff'' & ''Cortez''. Then it was announced on February 18, 2010 that the first single from the album was gone be "All Black Everything" but it was cancelled & was just put on his promotional mixtape ''Legendary''. The album was titled "The DeAndre Way" but was changed in early 2010 to ''Dre'' with a commercial video snippet for "Do It Big" as the first single but it was cancelled as well. However it was reverted back to ''The DeAndre Way'' in July 2010.

But on June 8, 2010, the official lead single from the album was "Pretty Boy Swag". The single has reached #34 on the Billboard Hot 100, number six on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The album's second single was due to be "Digital" but it was just used on his promotional mixtape ''Best Rapper''. Then it was announced that "Speakers Going Hammer" was gone be the second single, but "Blowing Me Kisses" was released on August 31, 2010 as the second single instead. On October 13 Soulja Boy performed "Pretty Boy Swag" & a snippet of his third single "Speakers Going Hammer". On October 19, 2010 Way finally released "Speakers Going Hammer" on iTunes the single peaked at #48 on the ''Hot R&B; & Hip Hop tracks'' Billboard. ''The DeAndre Way'' was released on November 30, 2010 it has so far has only sold 70,000 copies making this Way's lowest selling album. Soulja Boy was to be part of the Summerbeatz tour held in Australia alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean and Travie McCoy in November 2010, but in lieu of his current album release date Soulja Boy had declined the offer & just embarked on his Who They Want tour.

2011-present: Mixtapes and ''Promise''

On January 22, Way released his first mixtape of 2011 ''Smooky'' which cover featured a cartoon version of Way on a bicycle doing a 360. Then On March 17, 2011 Way released the mixtape ''1up'' which cover was based on the Naruto anime Way stated "If I was in a video game, this mixtape would advance me to the next level with an extra life. Power up with the new offering". On April 20, 2011 Way released his mixtape ''Juice'' which cover was based on the ''Juice'' the movie Way stated he would also released a mini movie of his own to go along with the mixtape Way stated that he was headed to greatness with the mixtape. In September 2011, Way confirmed he is working on a new album, called ''Promise'', which will be released in October. Way also released the cover & title of his second independent album via Twitter, entitled "Skate Boy", which he said would be available in stores November 1, also via twitter.

Other ventures

Stacks on Deck Entertainment

name	Stacks on Deck Entertainment
founded	2004
founder	DeAndre "Soulja Boy" Way (CEO)Michael "Miami Mike" Sykes (President)
status	Active
distributor	Interscope (2007-present) Universal Motown (2009-2011)
genre	Hip-hop, Southern rap, pop, Crunk, R&B;
country	United States
location	Atlanta, Georgia (2007-present)
url	http://sodmg.com/ }}

Way founded his record label Stacks on Deck Entertainment in 2004. While Way was signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claimed that his label had distribution deals with Universal Music Group and eOne Music.

;Current artists

Soulja Boy (Interscope/Collipark Music/SODMG)(CEO)

Ja-Bar (TOKE Team/SODMG)

Arab (Boss Money/SODMG)

KillaCam (SODMG)

350 (SODMG)

Rashad (SODMG)

Antonio aka Tony The Deity (SODMG)

J-Money aka J. Futuristic (SODMG)

Spinning 9 (SODMG Germany/SODMG)

M2ThaK (SODMG)

Calico Jonez (SODMG)

Riff Raff (SODMG)

Young Sam (SODMG)

Agoff (Ocean Gang/SODMG)

Young L (Ocean Gang/SODMG)

John Boy (SODMG)

Chief Keef (SODMG)

;Managed DJ's

DJ Whoogie

;Managed Producers

Soulja Boy

G5Kids

Kwony Cash

R3$ource

Jay Clink

Supa Crank It

Lil Keis

Record production

Way also produces records, including his own. In 2009 Way produced V.I.C.'s single "Get Silly" which went certified Gold & Bow Wow's single "Marco Polo". Way beats often contain the beginning lines "Soulja Boy Tell 'em" But as of late Way has produced beats without using the lines. Also in 2009 Way was also supposed to been producing for Kanye West's fourth studio album ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' & Kanye was supposed to been producing for Ways third studio album ''The DeAndre Way'' but for unknown reasons neither of them used each other's beats. On May 13, 2011 Way stated that he had produced & submitted beats for 50 Cent's fifth studio album

Fashion designing

On March 5, 2008 Way released his official clothing line of S.O.D clothing. Then also in 2008 Way released his own brand of the popular shoe line entitled "Yums".

Acting career

In January 7, 2009 Soulja Boy announced that he was supposed to been releasing his own cartoon entitled ''Soulja Boy: The Animated Series'' but only one episode was ever released. On April 22, 2011 Way announced that he would be making his acting debut playing the main role as Bishop on the ''Juice'' remake & that it would air on BET in sometime. On July 21, 2011 Way released the trailer to his upcoming documentary about his life entitled ''Soulja Boy: The Movie'' that was released on October 18, 2011.

Personal life

Legal issues

On December 9, 2007, Way was sued by William Lyons (a.k.a. Souljah Boy of Mo Thugs Family) who created the stage name "Souljah Boy" in 1996.

On October 7, 2009, Way was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia on one count of obstruction, a misdemeanor, for running from police when he'd been ordered to stop while filming a video in an abandoned house. The rapper was released on $550 bond.

In May 2011, Way and his labels were sued by a local Pennsylvania promoter for failing to make promised payments in connection with a rescheduled concert.

On October 18, 2011, Way was traveling west on I-20 in Carroll County, Georgia with four other men when their vehicle was pulled over for a vehicle equipment violation. The police officer who made the stop searched the vehicle and found more than five ounces of marijuana. Way was arrested and released on bond during the same day.

Victim of robbery and battery

On December 30, 2008, Way was robbed and battered in his home. Initial reports indicated that the robbers were six masked men with AK-47s and pistols but on December 31, 2008, video clips surfaced on the Internet of two masked men claiming sole credit for the crime. Soulja Boy described the incident to MTV News a month later: He had come home very late at night after attending an album release party and was recording songs with friends when the robbers came in pointing their guns.

Family tragedies

On the night of March 22, 2011, Way's little brother Deion Jenkins was killed in a car crash. Then on March 24, 2011 Way's older brother threatened to commit suicide.

Controversies

Way's music has been banned from some school dances for sexual or violent content and/or innuendos. However, he has denied these claims. In the original YouTube video for "Shootout", Soulja Boy demonstrates his dance while holding a handgun in each hand and pretending to shoot into the audience.

Nas

On February 25, 2008, Way said in an interview that "Nas killed hip hop and his own career". Way later apologized for his comments.

Ice-T

In June 2008, on DJ Cisco's ''Urban Legend'' mixtape, Ice-T told Way to "eat a dick" and criticized Way for "killing hip-hop" and his song "Crank That" for being "garbage" compared to the works of other hip-hop artists such as Rakim, Das EFX, Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube. The two then traded videos back and forth over the Internet. Rapper Kanye West defended Way by arguing that the younger artist created a new, original work for hip-hop, thus keeping the authentic meaning of the music. The feud was parodied in a 2010 episode of The Boondocks.

In May 2011, Way's feud somewhat reignited with Ice-T again regarding The film ''Juice''. Way stated he would also released a movie of his own to go along with his mixtape of the same name again somewhat reignited with Ice-T following a statement during Ice-T's interview with Shade 45 in late April 2011. Ice-T stated that Way's role as Bishop, which was famously originated by Tupac Shakur was not an issue. But Ice-T would find the fact that the film being remade is problematic saying ""What?” he said. “But that’s Pac… At some point, somebody gotta stop it. I came out. I made some statements. Man, I don’t know. Do you, dude, do you. If the masses accept it, it shows you the state we’re in… Come on man, you think I’d try to remake Pac’s movie? Good luck though, I'm not a hater...eh." Way himself barraged Ice-T with retaliatory tweets on the same day, joking that someone should "get this guy a hairline."

Charles Hamilton

On December 9, 2008, Charles Hamilton commented in a interview by saying that Way was making it harder for new artists to be signed. Way responded by saying "X out the Sonic and fuck with Mario, you might want to got damn eat a mushroom." Charles Hamilton responded with the diss song "I'm You Last Year With Talent". Then the diss song "Word Aight".

Bow Wow

On February 2, 2009, Way challenged Bow Wow to a race in their Lamborghinis and claimed Bow Wow's Lamborghini was a rental. On February 4, 2009 Bow Wow proved that he owned his Lamborghini and said "its halloween in Bankhead for you everyday nigga..you scared..you all nervous and shit". Way responded on twitter by saying "HE FUCKED UP!!!! IM BOUT TO SHITTTT ON THIS NIGGA!! LOL!!!!!". On February 7, 2009 both artist sent diss songs to each other such as Way's "Fuck Bow Wow" & Bow Wow's "What I Think About You". Later that day during a phone conversation both rappers settled their differences.

Fabolous

On December 28, 2010, Fabolous during a radio interview commented on the claim that Way does cocaine, saying "pretty boy swag but never coke my nose though", a reference to Way's song "Pretty Boy Swag. "Soulja Boy went on a tirade on Twitter in response, saying "I ignore dis foo like 5x before this. fuck that. If you send some niggaz to spray me @myfabolouslife at least I die I real nigga fuck you boy." 50 Cent also took to Twitter to say, "leave him the f*** alone before somebody get hurt." Way and Fabolous ended their beef on a radio interview.

U.S. Military

In September 2011, Soulja Boy released the song "Let's Be Real". One of the lines of the song went: ''"Fuck the FBI and the army troops ... fighting for what? Be your own man ... I'll be flying through the clouds with green like I'm Peter Pan."'' After the song was released, Soulja Boy was highly criticized by the military members and their families, especially in regards to the timing relative to the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Soulja Boy apologized, "When I expressed my frustration with the US Army, not only did my words come out wrong, I was wrong to even speak them." He adds, "So, I write this to give my sincerest apology to all members of the United States military services, as well as their families that were offended by my most recent lyrics." Representatives for Soulja Boy have indicated that the song has been pulled from his upcoming album, ''Promise'', and will not be available for sale. They are also attempting to remove the video from the internet.

On September 7, 2011, the New York Times cited the U.S. military has announced an official ban on Way's music. Way apologized for the content of the song and has offered to do free performances for American soldiers.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Souljaboytellem.com'' (2007)

''iSouljaBoyTellem'' (2008)

''The DeAndre Way'' (2010)

''Promise'' (2012)

;Independent albums

''Unsigned and Still Major: Da Album Before da Album'' (2007)

;Collaboration albums

''Maserati Boys'' (TBA) (with Ja-Bar)

Tours

''America's Most Wanted'' (2009)

''Who They Want'' (2011)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2007	''YouTube Live''	Himself	Small Role
2008	''What's at Stake?'''	Himself	Small Role
2009	''School Gyrls''	Himself	Cameo
2010	''Malice N Wonderland''	Soulja	Small Role
	''Soulja Boy: The Movie''	as Himself	Documentary on his life
''TBA''	''TBA''
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
	''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''	Himself
''Last Call with Carson Daly''	Himself
	''Live with Regis''	Himself	Minor appearance
''Access Granted''	Himself	For his music video for "Bird Walk"
''My Super Sweet 16''	Himself
	''When I Was 17''	Himself
''The Mo'Nique Show''	Himself
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon''	Himself
''Lopez Tonight''	Himself
''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''	Himself

Awards and nominations

BET Awards

*2007: Best New Artist (Nominated)

*2008: Viewer's Choice Award: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

*2009: Viewer's Choice Award: "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

BET Hip-Hop Awards

*'2007: Best Hip-Hop Dance (Won)'

Grammy Awards

*2008: Best Rap Song: "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Nominated)

Ozone Awards

*'2007: Patiently Waiting: Mississippi (Won)'

*2008: Best Breakthrough Artist (Nominated)

*2008: TJ's DJ's Tastemaker Award (Nominated)

Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

*2007: Favorite Male Singer (Nominated)

Teen Choice Awards

*2009: Choice Music: Rap Artist (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: R&B; Track for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone" (Nominated)

*2009: Choice Music: Hook Up for "Kiss Me Thru the Phone"

*2009: Choice Music: Artist (Nominated)

See also

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

References

External links

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Mississippi Category:African American rappers Category:African-American businesspeople Category:African-American fashion designers Category:African American film actors Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American Internet personalities Category:American music industry executives Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:Interscope Records artists Category:People from Panola County, Mississippi Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Rappers from Mississippi Category:Southern hip hop musicians

ar:سولجا بوي تل إم da:Soulja Boy de:Soulja Boy es:Soulja Boy fr:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em ko:솔자 보이 hr:Soulja Boy is:Soulja Boy it:Soulja Boy nl:Soulja Boy ja:ソウルジャ・ボーイ・テレム no:Soulja Boy pl:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em pt:Soulja Boy ro:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em ru:Soulja Boy simple:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em fi:Soulja Boy sv:Soulja Boy Tell 'Em th:โซลจา บอย เทลล์'เอ็ม tr:Soulja Boy

name	The DeAndre Way
type	Studio
cover	TheDeAndreWayStandard.jpg
border	yes
artist	Soulja Boy
released
recorded	2009–2010
genre	Hip hop
label	Stacks on Deck/Interscope
producer	Soulja Boy (exec.), Rico Beats, Boi-1da, Bei Maejor, Young Yonny, Inertia, G5 Kids, Drumma Boy, Polow da Don
last album	''iSouljaBoyTellem''(2008)
this album	''The DeAndre Way''(2010)
next album	''Promise''(2012)
misc
misc	}}

''The DeAndre Way'' is the third studio album by American rapper Soulja Boy. It was released on November 30, 2010 through Stacks on Deck. He also planned to release his novel, ''Teenage Millionaire'', on the album's release day. Soulja Boy stated the album would be the "biggest album of his career." He planned to go on The DeAndre Way Tour after the album was released.

Background

Soulja Boy wished to work with artists such as Jay-Z, and Eminem. Soulja Boy collaborated with American rappers Gucci Mane and Birdman on "Swag Flu" and with Canadian teen pop singer Justin Bieber on "Rich Girl". Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Drake, Trey Songz, Jamie Foxx, Busta Rhymes, Chris Brown, Ray J, and Arab were in works to be on the album but Trey Songz, 50 Cent, and Arab were the only artists who appear on the album out of those names. S.O.D. rapper JBar was to be on the album but was not. A track with 50 Cent called "Mean Mug" was released on September 23. The album has sold 100,000 copies in the United States, making it Way's lowest selling album. On April 23, 2011, four months after the album's release, during a interview with Complex Way stated that internal disagreements with Interscope influenced the album's disappointing record sales. Way also blamed the timing of the album was not good as well. Way also stated that he felt helpless because of communication with Interscope was lacking, and he believed the label failed to listen to him. He claims that his souring relationship with producer and mentor Mr. Collipark, who for the first time did not do any production work on Way's album, gave him less power to negotiate with record execs. Even though the two have since made up, Way stated that because of the disappointing album sales he was about to give up on his music career, but he didn't because of his other mentor 50 Cent, who was also a guest on the album, told him not to and to keep going.

Singles

"Pretty Boy Swag" was released as the lead single on June 8, 2010. The single has reached number thirty-four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US, number six on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number five on the ''Billboard'' Rap Songs chart. The single has gone on to sell over 1,000,000 copies. "Blowing Me Kisses" was released as the second single on August 31, 2010. "Speakers Going Hammer" was released as the third single on October 19, 2010. A music video was filmed and released for the track "Mean Mug" featuring 50 Cent and produced by Rico Beats.

Reception

Upon release, ''The DeAndre Way'' has received mixed reviews from music critics. However it has garnered slightly better critical reception than Soulja Boy's previous albums. IGN stated "For a party-ready southern hip-hop album it gets the job done, but anyone looking for something more substantial needs to look elsewhere." Slant Magazine contributed, "''The DeAndre Way'' doesn't exactly qualify as substantial growth, but it's another solid effort from an innovative MC who's been unfairly chastised by so many." However Rolling Stone labelled the album "bland and jaundiced". Whilst HipHopDX states that it "lacks any evidence of creativity".

Chart performance

''The DeAndre Way'' sold 12,000 copies in its first week, a significant decrease from his previous two albums. It debuted at number ninety on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, number eight on the Rap Albums chart, and number eighteen on the R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Track listing

{{tracklist | extra_column = Producer(s) | title1 = First Day of School | extra1 = R3$ource | length1 = 3:58 | title2 = Touchdown | extra2 = Rico Beats | length2 = 3:19 | title3 = Hey Cutie | note3 = featuring Trey Songz | extra3 = Young Yonny, The Monsters & The Strangerz | length3 = 3:15 | title4 = Speakers Going Hammer | extra4 = Boi-1da | length4 = 3:08 | title5 = Pretty Boy Swag | extra5 = G5 Kids | length5 = 3:56 | title6 = 30 Thousand 100 Million | note6 = featuring Lil B & Arab | extra6 = Soulja Boy | length6 = 4:03 | title7 = Mean Mug | note7 = featuring 50 Cent | extra7 = Drumma Boy, Rico Beats | length7 = 3:48 | title8 = Blowing Me Kisses | extra8 = Bei Maejor | length8 = 3:19 | title9 = Fly | extra9 = DJ Neeli Neel | length9 = 3:53 | title10 = Grammy | note10 = featuring Ester Dean | extra10 = Rico Beats | length10 = 2:53 }} {{tracklist | headline = Deluxe edition bonus tracks | collapsed = yes | extra_column = Producer(s) | title11 = Steez | extra11 = R3$ource | length11 = 3:57 | title12 = Boom | extra12 = Clinton Sparks, Bei Maejor | length12 = 3:24 | title13 = Do It Big | extra13 = Inertia | length13 = 4:04 | title14 = Xtra | extra14 = R3$ource | length14 = 3:50 }} "Speakers Going Hammer" Contains a sample from "Get Silly" by Soluja boy

Charts

Chart	Peakposition
US ''Billboard'' Top Rap Albums

Release history

+List of release dates, showing country, record label, and formats released	scope="col"	Region	Date	Format	Label	Edition
France		November 27, 2010	rowspan="5">CD, digital download		Universal Music Group>Universal
scope="row"	United States		rowspan="2"
Canada
United Kingdom	rowspan="2"
Germany		December 4, 2010

References

Category:2010 albums Category:Soulja Boy albums Category:Interscope Records albums Category:Albums produced by Boi-1da Category:Albums produced by Drumma Boy Category:Albums produced by Polow da Don

fr:The DeAndre Way it:The DeAndre Way pl:The DeAndre Way pt:The DeAndre Way fi:The DeAndre Way sv:The DeAndre Way

name	Ester Dean
background	solo_singer
birth name	Ester Renay Dean
born	April 15, 1986
birth place	Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, hip hop, pop
occupation	Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, actress, voice actress
years active	2009–present
label	Roc Nation / Interscope
associated acts	Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, RichGirl, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly
website	EsterDean.com }}

Ester Renay Dean (born April 15, 1986) is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Roc Nation. She is most notable for her dual appearance on ''Rio: Music From The Motion Picture'' (2011) and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown.

Dean has also written songs with many artists including Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly and recently Shakira.

In 2012 Dean also lent her voice to Ice Age as one of the characters, as well to the film Pitch Perfect and the soundtrack.

Biography

1986-2010: Early life and career beginnings

Ester Dean was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1986, but lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then in her late teens, she moved to Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from Omaha North High School, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, until relocating to Los Angeles, California. In an interview Dean spoke on her family life, "Yes, in the country!". She was influenced by her mother’s blues music and her church singing. "I used to sing into anything I could hear myself back on. That's what I'd do. Even if it was karaoke, I just wanted to be heard, you know? I believe my mom wanted me to be a star and an artist. I think it trickles down. Sometimes it takes them to want it for you to do it." When Dean relocated to Los Angeles, California, she became a successful songwriter, and was introduced to Polow da Don, and later signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. During her tenure, Dean has amassed a catalog of songs she has written or co-written for other artists, such as Britney Spears, Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Monica, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Katy Perry, Trey Songz, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Pia Toscano, Ginuwine, Teyana Taylor, Scotty McCreery, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mary J. Blige, among others.

Dean recorded and released her first single, "Drop It Low" which features singer Chris Brown, from the LeBron James documentary, ''More Than a Game'' (2009), which peaked at #38 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming her first US Top 40 single. The song received positive reviews, and the song was remixed by artists such as Lil Wayne, Trey Songz and Diddy. Dean has co-written songs featured on the ''Step Up 3D Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2010) and ''Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (2010).

2011-Present: First studio album and Roc Nation

Throughout 2011 Dean carried on song writing while working on her album, she co-wrote "Super Bass", for Nicki Minaj's debut album ''Pink Friday'' (2010). has gone on to achieve the position of number three on the Hot 100. The song's title is included as part of the title of a UK Deluxe edition of the album, ''Pink Friday (Super Bass Edition)''. Dean has a dual appearance on ''Rio: Music From The Motion Picture'' (2011) with "Let Me Take You To Rio" and "Take You To Rio". Dean is featured on the song "Invincible", the second single by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly's debut album. The song has been used in a HTC ReZound ad and also served as one of several theme songs for WrestleMania XXVIII.

Talking on her debut album Ester said "I did not want to be an artist because I was afraid" Dean confesses, "I had tried that before but I learned I had to lose when I weighed only , it poisoned me, however Polow wanted to embrace everything about me and welcomed me to his family just like me ". Dean is working on her debut studio album set to be released in early 2012. Ester told billboard "We're working on picking songs right now," Ester tells The Juice. Ester is shooting for a sound that suits her unique voice, which she calls "hard" and "raspy." In January 2012 Dean took to twitter to announce that she has signed to Roc Nation “I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012,” She has worked with Stargate on six of the album's tracks. Gimme Money featuring Nicki Minaj was released online in February 2012 through Dean's official Twitter. Dean tweeted “If you guys Love Gimmie Money ft Nicki Minaj as my Single let’s get it Trending #GimmieMoney”. Dean has also picked 10 tracks that will be featured on her debut album.

Dean made an appearance in ''Ice Age: Continental Drift''. "I'm just excited," Dean says of playing her character, the Sloth Siren. "On August 23, I go put my voice down. And my character gets to sing." Ester is one of many musicians in the ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' cast. Drake, Nicki Minaj, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Lopez are lending their voices to the film.

For her album, Dean has been reported to be working with rapper Nicki Minaj and Roc Nation signed Alexis Jordan.

Discography

Singles

+ List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name	scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"	Title	Year	Peak chart positions			! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"	Album
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"	! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"
""[[Gimme Money">Drop It Low (Ester Dean song)	2009	38	33	32
scope="row">"[[Gimme Money" (featuring Nicki Minaj)	2012	—	—	—		TBA

Guest Vocals

Year	Title	Album	Artist
		align="center"
		align="center"	align="center"
		align="center"	align="center"
		align="center"
			align="center"

Filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2011		Boy in gondola
	''Ice Age: Continental Drift''	Sloth Siren
''Pitch Perfect''	Cynthia Rose

References

External links

Official website

Category:1986 births Category:Living people E Category:American female singers Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:American record producers Category:American dance musicians

ar:إستر دين de:Ester Dean fr:Ester Dean it:Ester Dean hu:Ester Dean pl:Ester Dean pt:Ester Dean

Name	Marco Polo
Birth date	''c''. 1254
Birth place	presumably in Venice, Italy
Death date	January 09, 1324
Death place	Venice, Venetian Republic
Resting place	Church of San Lorenzo
Resting place coordinates
Known for	''The Travels of Marco Polo''
Occupation	Merchant, Explorer
Spouse	Donata Badoer
Children	Fantina, Bellela, and Moretta
Parents	Mother: UnknownFather: Niccolò Polo }}

Marco Polo (; ; ''c''. 1254 – January 9, 1324) was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in ''Il Milione'', a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently met Kublai Khan. In 1269, they returned to Venice to meet Marco for the first time. The three of them embarked on an epic journey to Asia, returning after 24 years to find Venice at war with Genoa; Marco was imprisoned, and dictated his stories to a cellmate. He was released in 1299, became a wealthy merchant, married and had 3 children. He died in 1324, and was buried in San Lorenzo.

Their pioneering journey inspired Christopher Columbus and others. Marco Polo's other legacies include Venice Marco Polo Airport, the Marco Polo sheep, and several books and films. He also had an influence on European cartography, leading to the introduction of the Fra Mauro map.

Life

Early life and Asian travel

The exact time and place of Marco Polo's birth are unknown, and current theories are mostly conjectural. One possible place of birth is Venice's former contrada of San Giovanni Crisostomo, which is sometimes presented by historians as the birthplace, and it is generally accepted that Marco Polo was born in the Venetian Republic with most biographers pointing towards Venice itself as Marco Polo's home town. Some biographers suggest that Polo was born in the town of Korčula (Curzola), on the island of Korčula in today's Croatia, however there is no proof to this claim. The most quoted specific date of Polo's birth is somewhere "around 1254". His father Niccolò was a merchant who traded with the Middle East, becoming wealthy and achieving great prestige. Niccolò and his brother Maffeo set off on a trading voyage, before Marco was born. In 1260, Niccolò and Maffeo were residing in Constantinople when they foresaw a political change; they liquidated their assets into jewels and moved away. According to ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', they passed through much of Asia, and met with the Kublai Khan. Meanwhile, Marco Polo's mother died, and he was raised by an aunt and uncle. Polo was well educated, and learned merchant subjects including foreign currency, appraising, and the handling of cargo ships, although he learned little or no Latin.

In 1269, Niccolò and Maffeo returned to Venice, meeting Marco for the first time. In 1271, Marco Polo (at seventeen years of age), his father, and his uncle set off for Asia on the series of adventures that were later documented in Marco's book. They returned to Venice in 1295, 24 years later, with many riches and treasures. They had traveled almost .

Genoese captivity and later life

Upon the Polos' return to Italy, Venice was at war with Genoa. Genoese admiral Lamba D'Oria overwhelmed a Venetian fleet at the Battle of Curzola near the island of Korčula, and Polo was taken prisoner. He spent several months of his imprisonment dictating a detailed account of his travels to a fellow inmate, Rustichello da Pisa, who incorporated tales of his own as well as other collected anecdotes and current affairs from China. The book soon spread throughout Europe in manuscript form, and became known as ''The Travels of Marco Polo''. It depicts the Polos' journeys throughout Asia, giving Europeans their first comprehensive look into the inner workings of the Far East, including China, India, and Japan.

While Polo's book describes paper money and the burning of coal, it fails to mention the Great Wall of China, chopsticks, and footbinding, making skeptics wonder if Marco Polo had really gone to China, or wrote his book based on hearsay. Yet, if the purpose of Polo's tales was to impress others with tales of his high esteem and fond regard in an advanced civilization, then the shrewd thing for Polo to do would be to omit those details that would cause his listeners to scoff at the Chinese with a sense of European superiority. Furthermore, researchers note that the Great Wall familiar to us today is a Ming structure, post-dating Marco Polo's travels by more than two centuries. The Yuan rulers whom Polo served, as well as the preceding Jin and Liao Empires controlled territories both north and south of the today's wall, and would have no reasons to maintain any fortifications that may have remained there from the earlier dynasties. Other Europeans who traveled to Khanbaliq during the Yuan Dynasty, such as Giovanni de' Marignolli and Odoric of Pordenone, said nothing about the wall either. Finally, the hearsay theory does not explain the absence of chop stick or foot binding reports. University of Tübingen researcher Hans Ulrich Vogel stated that Polo's description of paper money and salt production supported his presence in China.

Polo was finally released from captivity in August 1299, and returned home to Venice, where his father and uncle had purchased a large house in the central quarter named ''contrada San Giovanni Crisostomo''. The company continued its activities and Marco soon became a wealthy merchant. Polo financed other expeditions, but never left Venice again. In 1300, he married Donata Badoer, the daughter of Vitale Badoer, a merchant. They had three daughters, called Fantina, Bellela and Moreta.

Death

In 1323, Polo was confined to bed, due to illness. On January 8, 1324, despite physicians' efforts to treat him, Polo was on his deathbed. To write and certify the will, his family requested Giovanni Giustiniani, a priest of San Procolo. His wife, Donata, and his three daughters were appointed by him as co-executrices. The church was entitled by law to a portion of his estate; he approved of this and ordered that a further sum be paid to the convent of San Lorenzo, the place where he wished to be buried. He also set free a "Tartar slave" who may have accompanied him from Asia.

He divided up the rest of his assets, including several properties, between individuals, religious institutions, and every guild and fraternity to which he belonged. He also wrote-off multiple debts including 300 lire that his sister-in-law owed him, and others for the convent of San Giovanni, San Paolo of the Order of Preachers, and a cleric named Friar Benvenuto. He ordered 220 soldi be paid to Giovanni Giustiniani for his work as a notary and his prayers. The will, which was not signed by Polo, but was validated by then relevant "signum manus" rule, by which the testator only had to touch the document to make it abide to the rule of law, was dated January 9, 1324. Due to the Venetian law stating that the day ends at sunset, the exact date of Marco Polo's death cannot be determined, but it was between the sunsets of January 8 and 9, 1324.

Travels of Marco Polo

An authoritative version of Marco Polo's book does not exist, and the early manuscripts differ significantly. The published versions of his book either rely on single scripts, blend multiple versions together or add notes to clarify, for example in the English translation by Henry Yule. Another English translation by A.C. Moule and Paul Pelliot, published in 1938, is based on the Latin manuscript which was found in the library of the Cathedral of Toledo in 1932, and is 50% longer than other versions. Approximately 150 variants in various languages are known to exist, and without the availability of a printing press many errors were made during copying and translation, resulting in many discrepancies. Polo related his memoirs to Rustichello da Pisa while both were prisoners of the Genova Republic. Rustichello wrote The Devisament du Monde in Langues d'Oil, a lingua franca of crusaders and western merchants in the orient. The idea probably was to create a handbook for merchants, essentially a text on weights, measures and distances.

Narrative

The book starts with a preface about his father and uncle traveling to Bolghar where Prince Berke Khan lived. A year later, they went to Ukek and continued to Bukhara. There, an envoy from Levant invited them to meet Kublai Khan, who had never met Europeans. In 1266, they reached the seat of the Kublai Khan at Dadu, present day Beijing, China. Khan received the brothers with hospitality and asked them many questions regarding the European legal and political system. He also inquired about the Pope and Church in Rome. After the brothers answered the questions he tasked them with delivering a letter to the Pope, requesting 100 Christians acquainted with the Seven Arts (grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, music and astronomy). Kublai Khan requested that an envoy bring him back oil of the lamp in Jerusalem. The long ''sede vacante'' between the death of Pope Clement IV in 1268 and the election of his successor delayed the Polos in fulfilling Khan's request. They followed the suggestion of Theobald Visconti, then papal legate for the realm of Egypt, and returned to Venice in 1269 or 1270 to await the nomination of the new Pope, which allowed Marco to see his father for the first time, at the age of fifteen or sixteen. In 1271, Niccolò, Maffeo and Marco Polo embarked on their voyage to fulfill Khan's request. They sailed to Acre, and then rode on camels to the Persian port of Hormuz. They wanted to sail to China, but the ships there were not seaworthy, so they continued overland until reaching Khan's summer palace in Shangdu, near present-day Zhangjiakou. Three and a half years after leaving Venice, when Marco was about 21 years old, Khan welcomed the Polos into his palace. The exact date of their arrival is unknown, but scholars estimate it to be between 1271 and 1275. On reaching the Yuan court, the Polos presented the sacred oil from Jerusalem and the papal letters to their patron.

Marco knew four languages, and the family had accumulated a great deal of knowledge and experience that was useful to Khan. It is possible that he became a government official; he wrote about many imperial visits to China's southern and eastern provinces, the far south and Burma.

Kublai Khan declined the Polos' requests to leave China. They became worried about returning home safely, believing that if Khan died, his enemies might turn against them because of their close involvement with the ruler. In 1292, Khan's great-nephew, then ruler of Persia, sent representatives to China in search of a potential wife, and they asked the Polos to accompany them, so they were permitted to return to Persia with the wedding party – which left that same year from Zaitun in southern China on a fleet of 14 junks. The party sailed to the port of Singapore, travelled north to Sumatra, sailed west to the Trincomalee port of Jaffna under Savakanmaindan and to Pandyan of Tamilakkam. Describing the Pandyan kingdom under Lord Emperor Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I as the richest empire in existence, Polo arrived during the reign of Maravarman Kulasekara Pandyan I, son of Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan I and one of five brother kings on the continent. Eventually Polo crossed the Arabian Sea to Hormuz. The two-years voyage was a perilous one – of the six hundred people (not including the crew) in the convoy only eighteen had survived (including all three Polos). The Polos left the wedding party after reaching Hormuz and travelled overland to the port of Trebizond on the Black Sea, the present day Trabzon.

Legacy

Further exploration

Other lesser-known European explorers had already travelled to China, such as Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, but Polo's book meant that their journey was the first to be widely known. Christopher Columbus was inspired enough by Polo's description of the Far East to visit those lands for himself; a copy of the book was among his belongings, with handwritten annotations. Bento de Góis, inspired by Polo's writings of a Christian kingdom in the east, travelled in three years across Central Asia. He never found the kingdom, but ended his travels at the Great Wall of China in 1605, proving that Cathay was what Matteo Ricci (1552–1610) called "China".

Commemoration

The Marco Polo sheep, a subspecies of ''Ovis aries'', is named after the explorer, who described it during his crossing of Pamir (ancient Mount Imeon) in 1271. In 1851, a three-masted Clipper built in Saint John, New Brunswick also took his name; ''the Marco Polo'' was the first ship to sail around the world in under six months. The airport in Venice is named Venice Marco Polo Airport, and the frequent flyer program of Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific is known as the "Marco Polo Club". The travels of Marco Polo are fictionalised in Brian Oswald Donn-Byrne's ''Messer Marco Polo'' and Gary Jennings' 1984 novel ''The Journeyer''. Polo also appears as the pivotal character in Italo Calvino's novel ''Invisible Cities''. The 1982 television miniseries, ''Marco Polo'', directed by Giuliano Montaldo and depicting Polo's travels, won two Emmy Awards and was nominated for six more. Marco Polo also appears as a Great Explorer in the 2008 strategy video game ''Civilization Revolution''.

Cartography

Marco Polo's travels may have had some influence on the development of European cartography, ultimately leading to the European voyages of exploration a century later. The 1453 Fra Mauro map was said by Giovanni Battista Ramusio to have been partially based on the one brought from Cathay by Marco Polo:

See also

Chronology of European exploration of Asia

Silk Road, which Marco Polo traveled.

1284 Yuan expedition to Sri Lanka

''Did Marco Polo go to China?''

Notes

References

Bibliography

(Article republished in 2006 World Almanac Books, available online from History.com)

Marco Polo. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2010-08-28, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/468139/Marco-Polo

Further reading

(Original from the University of Wisconsin – Madison) ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' – Volume 1 and Volume 2, written by Marco Polo and Rustichello of Pisa, were published by Project Gutenberg (Young Adult novel)

Television

''In the Footsteps of Marco Polo'' is a 2009 PBS documentary about two friends (Denis Belliveau and Francis O'Donnell), who conceived of the ultimate road trip to retrace Marco Polo's journey from Venice to China via land and sea. A 1982 miniseries featured Ken Marshall and Ruocheng Ying. The 2007 television miniseries, ''Marco Polo'', starring Brian Dennehy as Kublai Khan, and Ian Somerhalder as Marco, portrays Marco Polo being left alone in China while his uncle and father return to Venice, to be reunited with him many years later.

External links

Marco Polo's house in Venice, near the church of San Giovanni Grisostomo

National Geographic Marco Polo: Journey from Venice to China

In the Footsteps of Marco Polo: A Journey through the Met to the Land of the Great Khan

Category:Italian Roman Catholics Category:1254 births Category:1324 deaths Category:13th-century explorers Category:Italian expatriates in China Category:Explorers of Asia Category:Explorers of Central Asia Category:Venetian explorers Category:Venetian merchants Category:Italian travel writers Category:People from Venice (city)

af:Marco Polo am:ማርኮ ፖሎ ar:ماركو بولو an:Marco Polo ast:Marco Polo az:Marko Polo bn:মার্কো পোলো map-bms:Marco Polo be:Марка Пола be-x-old:Марка Пола bcl:Marco Polo bg:Марко Поло bo:མཱར་ཁོ་ཕོ་ལོ། bs:Marco Polo br:Marco Polo ca:Marco Polo cv:Марко Поло cs:Marco Polo cy:Marco Polo da:Marco Polo de:Marco Polo et:Marco Polo el:Μάρκο Πόλο es:Marco Polo eo:Marko Polo eu:Marco Polo fa:مارکو پولو hif:Marco Polo fr:Marco Polo fy:Marko Polo fur:Marco Polo ga:Marco Polo gd:Marco Polo gl:Marco Polo gan:馬可·波羅 gu:માર્કો પોલો xal:Поло, Марко ko:마르코 폴로 hy:Մարկո Պոլո hi:मार्को पोलो hr:Marko Polo io:Marco Polo id:Marco Polo ia:Marco Polo is:Marco Polo it:Marco Polo he:מרקו פולו jv:Marco Polo kn:ಮಾರ್ಕೊ ಪೋಲೊ pam:Marco Polo ka:მარკო პოლო kk:Марко Поло kw:Marco Polo rw:Mariko Polo sw:Marco Polo ku:Marco Polo ky:Поло, Марко la:Marcus Paulus Venetus lv:Marko Polo lb:Marco Polo lt:Markas Polas lij:Marco Polo lmo:Marco Polo hu:Marco Polo mk:Марко Поло ml:മാര്‍ക്കോ പോളോ mr:मार्को पोलो arz:ماركو بولو mzn:مارکو پولو ms:Marco Polo mn:Марко Поло my:မာကိုပိုလို nah:Marco Polo nl:Marco Polo ja:マルコ・ポーロ no:Marco Polo nn:Marco Polo oc:Marco Polo pag:Marco Polo pnb:مارکو پولو pl:Marco Polo pt:Marco Polo ro:Marco Polo qu:Marco Polo rue:Марко Поло ru:Поло, Марко sco:Marco Polo sq:Marko Polo scn:Marcu Polu simple:Marco Polo sd:مارڪو پولو sk:Marco Polo sl:Marco Polo szl:Marco Polo ckb:ماڕکۆ پۆلۆ sr:Марко Поло sh:Marko Polo su:Marco Polo fi:Marco Polo sv:Marco Polo tl:Marco Polo ta:மார்க்கோ போலோ tt:Марко Поло te:మార్కో పోలో th:มาร์โก โปโล tg:Марко Поло tr:Marco Polo uk:Марко Поло ur:مارکو پولو vec:Marco Polo vi:Marco Polo vo:Marco Polo fiu-vro:Polo Marco zh-classical:馬可·波羅 war:Marco Polo wuu:马可·波罗 yi:מארקא פאלא yo:Marco Polo zh-yue:馬哥孛羅 bat-smg:Marco Polo zh:马可·波罗

name	Gucci Mane
background	solo_singer
birth name	Radric Davis
birth date	February 02, 1980
Birth place	Birmingham, Alabama
origin	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
genre	Southern hip hop, gangsta rap
occupation	Rapper
years active	2005 – present
label	1017 Brick Squad Records, Asylum, Warner Bros.
associated acts	1017 Brick Squad, Young Money, V-Nasty, Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Plies, Usher, Young Jeezy, E-40, French Montana, Maino, Jadakiss, CTE, Lil' Kim, Birdman
website
notable instruments	}}

Radric Davis (born February 2, 1980), better known by his stage name Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He debuted in 2005 with ''Trap House'' and followed with albums such as ''Hard to Kill'' in 2006, ''Trap-A-Thon'' and ''Back to the Trap House'' in 2007. In 2009, his second studio album ''The State vs. Radric Davis'' was released, and ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted'' was released in 2010, and is his highest charting album so far. Gucci Mane has released many other mixtapes and independent albums as well.

While serving a six-month jail term for assault in late 2005, Davis was charged with murder, though the charges were later dropped due to a lack of evidence. In 2009, he served a year-long county jail sentence for violating probation for his 2005 aggravated assault conviction.

Biography

Early life

Davis was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and later moved with his single mother to Atlanta. He enjoyed writing poetry as a child, and began rapping at age 14.

2005–2006: ''Trap House'' and ''Hard to Kill''

In 2005, Davis released his independent debut album entitled ''Trap House'', which featured the successful single "Icy" with Young Jeezy. Disputes over the rights to this single caused a rift between the two artists. ''Hard to Kill'' followed in 2006. ''Hard To Kill'' included the hit single "Freaky Gurl". The song peaked at number 12 on the Hot Rap Tracks, number 19 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs, and at number 62 on the Hot 100.

2007: ''Back to the Trap House''

The official remix of Freaky Gurl featuring Ludacris and Lil Kim was included on his 2007 commercial debut album ''Back to the Trap House''. Gucci Mane appeared on OJ da Juiceman's "Make Tha Trap Say Aye" and began working on various mixtapes. Gucci Mane signed to Warner Bros. Records in May 2009.

2009–2010: ''The State vs. Radric Davis''

He appeared on remixes of the songs "Boom Boom Pow" by The Black Eyed Peas, "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey and "5 Star Chick" by Yo Gotti and made a guest appearance on Mario's "Break Up" (he has made 17 guest appearances total in 2009). Gucci Mane's second studio album ''The State vs. Radric Davis'' was released under the label Warner Bros. Records on December 8, 2009. Its first single, "Wasted" featuring Plies, was originally from Mane's 2009 mixtape ''Writing on the Wall''. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot 100, number 3 on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs, and number 3 on the Rap Songs making it Gucci Mane's most successful single to date. The second single is "Spotlight" featuring Usher. The third single is "Lemonade". The fourth single is "Bingo", featuring Waka Flocka Flame and Soulja Boy Tell 'Em. On October 2, 2009, Gucci Mane was listed at number 6 on MTV's annual Hottest MC in the Game list.

2010–present: ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted'' and other projects

After being released from jail, Gucci Mane stated that he would start or change the label name from So Icey Entertainment to 1017 Brick Squad Records. ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted'', was released on September 28, 2010. The first single from this release was titled "Gucci Time", produced by Swizz Beatz. It premiered on Gucci Mane's official MySpace page on August 6. The single also features Swizz Beatz and was released to US urban radio stations on August 24, 2010.

On March 18, 2011, Gucci Mane released his 10th EP, ''The Return of Mr. Zone 6'', mostly produced by Drumma Boy. It debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200, and is his highest charting EP. The album also debuted at #2 on the Rap albums chart and #8 on the R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He also released a collaboration album with Waka Flocka Flame named ''Ferrari Boyz'' on August 5, Gucci's first collaboration album. It's first single is "She Be Puttin On" featuring late-fellow Brick Squad labelmate Slim Dunkin. ''Ferrari Boyz'' debuted at #21 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Gucci Mane released another collaboration album, this time with rapper V-Nasty, called ''BAYTL'', on December 13. The album's first single is "Whip Appeal" featuring P2theLA. Three days after the album's release, while traveling to the video shoot of "Push Ups", a song from ''BAYTL'' featuring Slim Dunkin, the latter got into an argument with another person who shot Dunkin dead at an Atlanta recording studio. On February 5, 2012, Gucci Mane released his ''Trap Back'' mixtape. It features guest appearances from Yo Gotti, Rocko, Waka Flocka Flame, Jadakiss, 2 Chainz, and Future, the latter three recently appearing on Young Jeezy's third studio album ''Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition''. The first single is the mixtape's title track. Music videos have been filmed for the songs "Quiet", "Face Card", "In Love With a White Girl" featuring Yo Gotti, "Chicken Room" featuring Rocko, and the title track, and "Sometimes" featuring Future. ''Trap Back'' has been met with positive reviews so far, scoring a 7.8 from Pitchfork Media, a 7.5 from AllHipHop, and an "L" from ''XXL''.

Legal issues

2001

In April 2001, Davis was arrested on cocaine charges and sentenced to 90 days in county jail.

2005

On May 10, 2005, Davis was attacked by a group of men at a house in Decatur, Georgia. Davis and his companions shot at the group, killing one. The corpse of one of the attackers, Pookie Loc, was found later behind a nearby middle school. Davis turned himself in to police investigators on May 19, 2005, and was subsequently charged with murder. Davis claimed that the shots fired by him and his party were in self-defense. The DeKalb County district attorney's office dropped the murder charge in January 2006 due to insufficient evidence. The previous October, in an unrelated matter, Davis had pleaded no contest to a charge of aggravated assault for assaulting a nightclub promoter the previous June; at the time the murder charge was dropped, he was serving a six-month county jail sentence for this. Davis was released from jail in late January 2006.

2008

In September 2008, Gucci Mane was arrested for a probation violation for completing only 25 out of 600 community service hours following his 2005 arrest for aggravated assault. He was sentenced to a year in the county jail but was released after six months. He was incarcerated in the Fulton County jail for probation violation and released on May 12, 2010.

2010

On November 2, 2010, Gucci Mane was arrested for driving on the wrong side of the road, running a red light or stop sign, damage to government property, obstruction, no license, no proof of insurance and other traffic charges. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

2011

On January 4, 2011, A judge in the Superior Court of Georgia’s Fulton County ordered rapper Gucci Mane to a psychiatric hospital, according to court documents. The documents reveal that his lawyers filed a Special Plea of Mental Incompetency on Dec. 27 arguing that he is unable “to go forward and/or intelligently participate in the probation revocation hearing.”

On September 13, 2011, Davis was given a six month county jail sentence after pleading guilty to two counts of battery, two counts of reckless conduct and one count of disorderly conduct.

Discography

Studio albums

2007: ''Back to the Trap House''

2009: ''The State vs. Radric Davis''

2010: ''The Appeal: Georgia's Most Wanted''

Collaboration albums

2011: ''Ferrari Boyz'' (with Waka Flocka Flame)

2011: ''BAYTL'' (with V-Nasty)

References

External links

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:Asylum Records artists Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People from Birmingham, Alabama Category:Rappers from Alabama Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Warner Bros. Records artists

de:Gucci Mane es:Gucci Mane fr:Gucci Mane ko:구치 메인 hr:Gucci Mane it:Gucci Mane hu:Gucci Mane ja:グッチ・メイン pl:Gucci Mane pt:Gucci Mane ru:Gucci Mane simple:Gucci Mane fi:Gucci Mane sv:Gucci Mane