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Outlawz, formally known as Outlaw Immortalz, is an American hip hop group founded by Tupac Shakur in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison. Collectively, they are best known for the numerous songs and albums they did with Tupac Shakur.

History[link]

In the earlier years of the Outlawz, they were known as Dramacydal. Dramacydal first appeared on the B-sideTupac Shakur's 1993 single Holler If Ya Hear Me, the track "Flex". Dramacydal was composed of K-Dog who later became Kastro, Young Hollywood who later became Yaki Kadafi, Mutah or Mu who later became Napoleon, and Big Malki who later became E.D.I. Mean. They also appeared on 2Pac's Me Against The World and All Eyez on Me albums. They were also known as "Thoro Headz" and "Young Thugz".

Outlawz[link]

When 2Pac signed to Death Row upon his release from prison, he recruited his step brother Mopreme Shakur and Big Syke from Thug Life. Hussein Fatal, Napoleon, E.D.I. Mean, Kastro, Yaki Kadafi, and Storm (the only female Outlaw) were also added, and together they formed the original lineup of the Outlaw Immortalz that debuted on 2Pac's multi-platinum smash All Eyez on Me. They later dropped the immortal after the untimely deaths of 2Pac and Yaki Kadafi and moved on as Outlawz without the members of Thug Life. When Tupac Shakur recorded "Hit 'Em Up" a diss song towards his former friend and rival, The Notorious B.I.G., he recruited three members from the former group whom he had worked with previously, and was eager to work with them again. Together, with the New Jersey rappers and other associates, they formed the original lineup of the Outlawz. Young Noble was later added and appeared on 2Pac's second Death Row release The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. It was on 2Pac's Makaveli album that Outlawz first came to the greater rap community's notice, appearing on a few songs.

The idea behind the group was for each member to have a rap name coinciding with the names of various tyrants or enemies of America, past and present. Outlawz chose in later years to make a backronym out of the letters of their group name Operating Under Thug Laws As Warriorz although it does not stand for the groups name and is used infrequently.

All together, there were 10 Original Members of the Outlawz, including Tupac:

• Tupac Shakur was the leader of the group, and gave himself the title of Makaveli after the Italian political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, whose writings inspired Shakur in prison.

• Yaki Kadafi, also known as Young Hollywood, was given the name Yaki Kadafi after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was also Shakur's godbrother and an original member of Dramacydal.

• Kastro, also known as K-Dog, was given the alias Kastro after Cuban leader Fidel Castro. He is also a blood cousin of Shakur and an original member of Dramacydal.

• E.D.I. Mean, also known as Big Malcolm, was given the alias E.D.I. Mean after Ugandan president Idi Amin and was also an original member of Dramacydal.

• Hussein Fatal, introduced to 2Pac by childhood friend Yaki Kadafi, was given the alias after former leader of Iraq Saddam Hussein. Hussein left the group after the tragic killings of Pac and Yak. He felt that the remaining group members were going against Tupac's wishes by signing contracts with Death Row. He recently rejoined the Outlawz, which is now composed of him, Young Noble and Edi.

• Napoleon, childhood friend of Kadafi, was given the name Napoleon after French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte and was also an original member of Dramacydal. Napoleon left the group to be a Muslim motivational speaker.

• Big Syke, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Mussolini after Italian leader Benito Mussolini.

• Mopreme Shakur, 2Pac's stepbrother, who was in 2Pac's first group Thug Life, joined the Outlawz under the alias Komani after the Iranian political figure Ruhollah Khomeini.

• Storm, The only female member of the group, met Tupac during the shooting of a film. After he found out how well she could rap, he immediately signed her on the spot and added her to the group, which later became known as The Outlaw Immortalz. Storm was to be a solo artist for Tupac's record label. She was introduced on the multiplatinum selling album All Eyez on Me.

• Young Noble, the last official Outlaw member by Tupac himself. He was introduced to Tupac by Kadafi and Hussein Fatal in Los Angeles, a few months before his death. He appeared in many of 2Pac's last recordings, and featured heavily on 2Pac's last album and the now legendary The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. He was always known as Young Noble and was never given an alias from Tupac.

Later years[link]

Shortly after joining the group, Mopreme and Big Syke severed all ties with Death Row and left the Outlawz for financial and personal reasons. Two months after the death of Shakur, Kadafi was killed in a housing project in New Jersey; after two years, Napoleon convinced his cousin to turn himself in for shooting Kadafi.

Though Tupac had told them specifically to never sign to Death Row Records, after his death, the leftover members of the Outlawz decided to do just that. As a result, Fatal left the group, claiming they weren't being loyal to 2Pac. Napoleon left the group due to his conversion to Islam and is now traveling all around the globe to spread the teachings of Islam. While managing and working on her solo project, Tupac signed Storm to Death Row Records. She left the group shortly after the tragic death of Tupac. In 2009, Kastro had confirmed he had left the Outlawz to pursue a solo career. He reunited with the group on Outlaw Culture Radio in October 2010. In 2011, there were three active Outlaw members: Edi, Young Noble and Hussein Fatal. The group's final cd is called Perfect Timing.

New Child and Muszamil were never official members but have worked closely with the Outlawz and remain good friends.

The Outlawz are also known for their longtime relationship with Brooklyn's Boot Camp Clik, a relationship that begun as a result of 2Pac's friendship with Boot Camp's Smif-n-Wessun and Boot Camp Clik, while working on the yet unreleased "One Nation" album. Despite stylistic differences and divergent fanbases, the two crews maintained connections on the basis of personal relationships. Members of the Outlawz were featured on Boot Camp releases like Heltah Skeltah's "Magnum Force" and Rock's "Veterans' Day."

In 1999, the Outlawz released their first album as a group with original unreleased recordings of 2Pac, entitled Still I Rise, granting them even more recognition. The album was released on Death Row Records. Member Hussein Fatal did not appear on any of the album as he was edited out of the original recordings due to issues with the record labels. Storm was also edited out of some of the original recordings for unknown reasons. Original member Big Syke also appeared on the album. It wasn't until late 2000, though, that they finally got the go-ahead to release their debut album, Ride Wit Us Or Collide Wit Us. Featuring a cover that placed 2Pac's image in the foreground, along with numerous references to the deceased legend, this debut made the most of Outlawz' reputation for being 2Pac's supposed protégés. Unfortunately, the album didn't prove to be much of a success, and neither did the group's follow-up album a year later, Novakane, also released on the group's Outlaw Recordz label (distributed by Koch). Later the members went to release solo albums and collaborations with other artists.

Current Years[link]

As of 2009, The Outlawz, reunited with former member Hussein Fatal, who immediately left the group following the deaths of 2Pac and Yaki Kadafi.

The group has teamed up with allhiphop.com to release a new Outlawz song every week on the site in a series entitled "Return Of The Real" in anticipation for their upcoming studio album "Perfect Timing".^[1]

The Outlawz put out 2 new mixtapes before the official album, Killuminati 2k10 and Killuminati 2k11 available online for free download.

The Outlawz last studio album Perfect Timing was released on September 13, 2011. The album features guest appearances from many big name rappers including Bun B, Tech N9ne, Scarface, Krayzie Bone, Young Buck, Lloyd, among others and production from Focus..., Cozmo, Maxwell Smart, The Network and CyFyre.

Discography[link]

DVDs[link]

• 2002: Outlawz: Worldwide

References[link]

External links[link]

• Outlawz discography at Discogs
• OutlawzMedia.net
• Yaki Kadafi

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

James Wade
Personal information
Full name	James Martin Wade
Nickname	The Machine
Born	(1983-04-06) 6 April 1983 (age 29) Aldershot, England
Home town	Aldershot England
Darts information
Playing darts since	2001
Darts	20g Unicorn James Wade
Laterality	Left-handed
Walk-on music	Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal ft. Armand van Helden
Organisation (see split in darts)
BDO	2001–2004
PDC	2004 – present
Current world ranking	3
BDO majors - best performances
World Ch'ship	Round 2 2004
World Masters	Last 64 2002, 2003
World Darts Trophy	Round 2 2003
Int. Darts League	Quarter Finalist 2004, 2007
PDC premier events - best performances
World Ch'ship	Semi Finalist 2009, 2012
World Matchplay	Winner 2007
World Grand Prix	Winner 2007, 2010
Grand Slam	Runner Up 2010
Premier League	Winner 2009
Ch'ship League	Winner 2010
Desert Classic	Runner Up 2008
European Ch'ship	Semi Finalist 2009
UK Open	Winner 2008, 2011
Players Ch'ship Finals	Semi Finalist 2009
Other tournament wins
Tournament	Years
Bournemouth Mens Singles Bournemouth Open Championship of Darts Cosham Xmas Open Irish Masters Jocky Wilson Cup Pro Celebrity Challenge Swiss Open Vauxhall Autumn Open William Cross Pro Am Players Championships Players C'ship (EMI) Players C'ship (GER) Players C'ship (GIB) Players C'ship (HOL) Players C'ship (NUL) Players C'ship (SCO) Players C'ship (SPA) UK Open Regionals Regional (NWE) Regional (SCO) Regional (WAL) UK Open Qualifier	2010 2010 2010 2003 2005 2009 2008 2002 2006 2007, 2008 2009 2011 2008 2008, 2010 2009 2008 2011 2007, 2009 2007 2007 2010
Other achievements
2006 PDC Young Player of the Year 2006 Three Nine dart finishes during a calendar year (a record) 2007 PDC Player of the Year

James Martin Wade (born 6 April 1983 in Aldershot, Hampshire) is an English professional darts player, currently playing in the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). He became the youngest player ever to win a major PDC title at the World Matchplay in July 2007. He has since won the 2007 World Grand Prix, the 2008 and 2011 UK Opens, the 2009 Premier League, the 2010 World Grand Prix and 2010 Championship League Darts, and has been at a career-high ranking of second in the PDC Order of Merit. James Wade is officially the second most successful player in PDC history, after Phil Taylor.

Early career[link]

Wade reached the final of the British Classic in 2001 at the age of just 18, losing to John Walton but the following year he won the Swiss Open and then made his television debut at the 2003 Lakeside World Championship, but lost 2–3 in the first round to Dennis Harbour having missed eight darts to win the match in the fourth set. In other BDO Open events during 2003, he reached the Norway Open final, Belgian Open semi-finals and Dutch Open quarter finals.

At the 2004 Lakeside World Championship, he beat Shaun Greatbatch 3–0 in the first round, before losing to Darryl Fitton in the second round. Later in 2004, he reached a series of quarter-finals including the German Open, the Isle of Man Open and the prestigious International Darts League in May – which was his last tournament as a BDO affiliated player.

PDC switch[link]

In May 2004, despite having qualified for the final stages of many BDO tournaments, Wade took the decision to forfeit his automatic place in the 2004 World Darts Trophy and 2005 BDO World Championship to join the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) and the PDC circuit.

He made his PDC World Darts Championship début in 2005, losing in the first round to Mark Holden. He bounced back from this to win the Irish Masters in February and reach the last 16 of the UK Open later that year. He also qualified for the Las Vegas Desert Classic (beating the experienced Ronnie Baxter) and the World Grand Prix during the year as well. He also qualified for the 2006 World Championship, losing again in the first round, this time 3–2 to Wayne Jones, who would go on to reach the semi-finals, despite having won the first six legs for a two-set lead.

Wade reached the last 16 of the 2007 PDC World Championship losing to Terry Jenkins having earlier beaten New Zealand qualifier Warren French and Dave Ladley.

Major breakthrough[link]

He made his major breakthrough on television during the 2006 World Matchplay in July. He sensationally reached the final, beating four experienced and respected darts players, in his first ever appearance at the Winter Gardens. He beat Denis Ovens in the first round 10–1, having had darts to make it a 10–0 whitewash. In the second round he beat former World Championship finalist Kevin Painter 13–9, ending one leg with two double-20s to cause a minor controversy, and beat Chris Mason 16–4 in his quarter-final. In the semi-finals he came back from 1–5 down to beat Roland Scholten 19–17 in a tiebreaker, which requires the winner to win by two clear legs. In the final he played Phil Taylor but despite being 8–5 up, he lost 18–11.

He then returned to Blackpool in 2007 to claim the title – his first major televised tournament success and became the youngest player ever to win a PDC televised event in doing so. His route to the title and £50,000 cheque saw him beat Wayne Jones, Dennis Priestley, Mervyn King, Adrian Lewis and Terry Jenkins (who beat Taylor in the semi-final) in the final.

Although Wade's victory was nothing short of emphatic over the ever-tenacious Jenkins, many believe his semi-final victory over Lewis was one of the finest performances ever seen at the Winter Gardens^{[citation needed]}. He consistently checked out ton-plus scores whilst Lewis, fresh from defeating world champion Raymond van Barneveld, having a 3-dart average of over 100, was unable to keep up with the fast-improving Wade.

Wade also won the next PDC major tournament – the 2007 World Grand Prix in Dublin in October beating van Barneveld by 5 sets to 1 in the semi-final and repeating his Blackpool success over Jenkins in the final.

Wade's aforementioned successes in 2007 were rewarded with him winning the 2007 PDC Player of the Year. Wade became the second recipient of this award, following in the footsteps of Taylor in 2006. He was presented with it at the annual PDC Awards Dinner in January 2008.

Wade reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 PDC World Championship, being defeated 5 sets to 4 in a close encounter against John Part, who went on to win the tournament.

In January 2008, Wade became the first player to defeat Taylor in the Premier League, winning the match 8 legs to 6. Taylor however exacted revenge with a 16–8 victory in the final on 26 May 2008 after Wade had defeated van Barneveld in the semi-final.

On 8 June 2008, Wade beat American Gary Mawson 11–7 in the final to win the 2008 UK Open, claiming his third major trophy within a year. The following month, he reached the finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, losing 13–7 to Taylor. Then in July reached his 3rd World Matchplay final in a row, losing for the 2nd time in 3 years in the final to Taylor 18–9, making this the 3rd major final loss of the year against Taylor.

In the 2009 PDC World Championship, Wade reached a stage further than the previous year, reaching the semi-finals before losing 4–6 to van Barneveld.

Wade won the 2009 Premier League Darts tournament, defeating Mervyn King 13–8 at the Wembley Arena. However, he failed to defend his UK Open title in 2009 after losing to Peter Manley 9–8 in the third round. He then failed to reach the World Matchplay final for the first time, losing in the quarter-finals to Ronnie Baxter.

Wade lost to an on-fire Simon Whitlock in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Championship. Whitlock won 5–3 in sets.

Defending his Premier League title, Wade reached the final of the 2010 Premier League, where he played against Phil Taylor. Taylor won 10–8, hitting two nine-dart finishes during the match.

Wade won the 2010 World Grand Prix, beating Adrian Lewis 6–3 in the final. Four days later, he won his second major tournament inside a week by defeating Taylor 6–5 in the 2010 Championship League Darts final.

Wade reached another major final in 2010 at the Grand Slam, seeing both Terry Jenkins and Mervyn King squander match darts against him before Wade himself threw away an 8–0 lead against BDO player Scott Waites as Waites won 16–12.

2011 Season[link]

Despite the loss at the Grand Slam, Wade was touted by many as the favourite to win the 2011 World Championship due to his Grand Prix and Champions League Darts victories as well as Taylor's slight dip in form. However, Wade was beaten by world number 47 Mensur Suljovic 4–2 in the second round. He got of to a poor start in the Premier League of Darts losing 8–3 to an on form Mark Webster he went on to defeat World Champion Adrian Lewis 8–6 in week 2 and then lost 8–5 to Simon Whitlock, during the match he took some stick from the Belfast crowd.^[1] He regained some form in the latter weeks of the League drawing with Raymond Van Barneveld 7–7 while averaging over 100.^[2] In June he won the 2011 UK Open Darts title after an 11–8 win against Wes Newton.^[3]

2012 Season[link]

Wade dropped just one set to reach the quarter-finals of the 2012 World Championship, but was then involved in two of the best games ever witnessed at the event.^[4] He played John Part in the last 8 and raced into a 3-1 lead before the Canadian won three sets in a row. Wade took the game into a deciding set and the players broke each others throws twice to require a sudden-leg, which he managed to win by taking out 85 with Part on 40.^[5] He played defending champion Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals and looked to be heading for his first PDC World final as he led 5-1. Lewis pulled a set back, before Wade had a dart at double 18 to win the match. He missed and it proved to be a pivotal moment as Lewis took the set and reeled off 10 straight legs to complete a sensational comeback 5-6. Despite the loss, Wade moved up to third in the PDC Order of Merit overtaking Gary Anderson.^[6]

Wade once again gained automatic entry for the Premier League due to his Order of Merit ranking.^[7] He lost his first three matches, before winning the next three and went into the final game of the season knowing a win over Raymond van Barneveld would guarantee him a spot in the play-offs.^[8][9] Wade drew the match 7–7, but due to other results going his way he still qualified for the play-offs by finishing 4th in the league.^[10] He played Phil Taylor in the semi-finals, against whom he suffered heavy 2–8 and 1–8 defeats during the league campaign.^[8] The semi-final, however, was much closer as Wade led 4–2 in the opening stages, before the score became 6–6. Taylor then took out a 149 finish, with Wade on 57, to break and then closed out the match 8–6.^[11]

Nicknames[link]

Whilst it is somewhat traditional for a darts player to adopt a sobriquet, Wade has adopted several in his short career so far. His first nickname, The Gladiator was changed following his nine-dart exploits in 2006 to 009 – a take on James Bond's 007. This was used during the 2007 PDC World Darts Championship.

In November 2007, during the 2007 Grand Slam of Darts – he was introduced on television graphics as having "no nickname". In December 2007, following a competition which invited fans to provide him with a new nickname, Wade became known as Spectacular.^{[citation needed]} A play on the fact that Wade is one of the few players who wears spectacles when he plays. For his Premier League debut in January 2008 he unveiled another nickname – "The Machine" which is now regarded as his permanent nickname and used in his walk on in all tournaments.

Nine dart finishes[link]

He became the first player to hit three tournament nine-dart finishes in a calendar year during 2006. They came at the North-West UK Open Regional Final in March, the PDPA Players Championship at Hayling Island in June and he completed his hat-trick at the Vauxhall Men's Open in November. None of these achievements were in televised competitions.

Wade came within one dart of achieving the first ever nine-darter with a double start at the 2007 World Grand Prix in Dublin. In the semi-final against van Barneveld he hit double top to open the leg, then six treble 20s, treble 17 then missed a bullseye for a unique nine-darter.

On 20 November 2008, Wade completed his first live nine-darter hitting two 180s then T20, T19 and D12 against Gary Anderson in the second round of the 2008 Grand Slam of Darts which was shown on ITV4. However, Anderson went on to win the match 10–8, therefore Wade became the first man to hit a nine-dart finish in a major televised tournament in the UK and then go on to lose the match. (Michael van Gerwen had previously done so in a tournament on Dutch television.) Wade was also the first left-handed player to hit a live nine-darter.

Outside darts[link]

Wade quit his job at a garage in Aldershot twelve days before the World Matchplay 2006, to concentrate on becoming a full-time professional darts player.^[12]

Wade dated Soccer AM presenter Helen Chamberlain but the pair split after roughly a year together. The pair had reportedly "drifted apart" from each other. Wade has admitted it hit him hard, affecting his darts.^[13]

In 2012, Wade, together with the seven other players who competed in the Premier League recorded a charity single with Chas Hodges and his band called 'Got My Tickets For The Darts' which was written by Chas. It was released on 18 May, the night after the play-offs at the O2 in London, where it was premiered. Proceeds from the single will be donated to the Haven House Children's Hospice.^[14]

World Championship Performances[link]

• 2003 (BDO) – First Round lost to Dennis Harbour 2–3
• 2004 (BDO) – Second Round lost to Darryl Fitton 1–3
• 2005 (PDC) – First Round lost to Mark Holden 0–3
• 2006 (PDC) – First Round lost to Wayne Jones 2–3
• 2007 (PDC) – Third Round lost to Terry Jenkins 3–4
• 2008 (PDC) – Quarter-finalist lost to John Part 4-5
• 2009 (PDC) – Semi-finalist lost to Raymond van Barneveld 4–6
• 2010 (PDC) – Quarter-finalist lost to Simon Whitlock 3–5
• 2011 (PDC) – Second Round lost to Mensur Suljovic 2–4
• 2012 (PDC) - Semi-finalist lost to Adrian Lewis 5-6

Career finals[link]

PDC premier event finals: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups)[link]

Legend World Championship (0–0) World Matchplay (1–3) Premier League (1–2) Other (5–2) Performance timeline[link] Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score1 Runner-up 1. 2006 World Matchplay Taylor, PhilPhil Taylor 11–18 (l) Winner 1. 2007 World Matchplay Jenkins, TerryTerry Jenkins 18–7 (l) Winner 2. 2007 World Grand Prix Terry Jenkins 6–3 (s) Runner-up 2. 2008 Premier League Darts Phil Taylor 8–16 (l) Winner 3. 2008 UK Open Mawson, GaryGary Mawson 11–7 (l) Runner-up 3. 2008 Las Vegas Desert Classic Phil Taylor 7–13 (l) Runner-up 4. 2008 World Matchplay Phil Taylor 9–18 (l) Winner 4. 2009 Premier League Darts King, MervynMervyn King 13–8 (l) Runner-up 5. 2010 Premier League Darts Phil Taylor 8–10 (l) Winner 5. 2010 World Grand Prix (2) Lewis, AdrianAdrian Lewis 6–3 (s) Winner 6. 2010 Championship League Darts Phil Taylor 6–5 (l) Runner-up 6. 2010 Grand Slam of Darts Waites, ScottScott Waites 12–16 (l) Winner 7. 2011 UK Open (2) Newton, WesWes Newton 11–8 (l) Runner-up 7. 2011 World Matchplay Phil Taylor 8–18 (l) Tournament 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 PDC World Championship Not PDC member 1R 1R 3R QF SF QF 2R SF World Matchplay Not PDC member DNP RU DNP RU QF SF RU World Grand Prix Not PDC member DNP 1R QF W 1R 1R W SF Las Vegas Desert Classic NH Non-PDC 1R 2R DNP 1R RU SF Not held UK Open Not held BDO 4R 6R 3R 5R W 3R QF W Premier League Darts Not held Did not play RU W RU RR Grand Slam of Darts Not held 2R 2R 2R RU 2R US Open Not held 3R DNP 3R SF NH German Darts Championship Not held 5R 3R QF Not held European Championship Not held 2R SF 1R QF Championship League Not held RR SF W RR Players Championship Finals Not held SF 1R QF BDO World Championship DNP 1R 2R Not BDO member Winmau World Masters DNP 3R 3R Not BDO Member References[link] ^ Planet Darts | Tournaments | 888.com Premier League Darts | PDC Premier League Darts | 888.com Premier League – Night Three. Pdc.tv. Retrieved on 27 August 2011. ^ Planet Darts | Latest News | Newsdesk | Newsdesk | 888.com PLD – Night 12. Pdc.tv. Retrieved on 27 August 2011. ^ "James Wade defeats Wes Newton to clinch UK Open title". BBC Sport. 7 June 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/darts/13681833.stm. Retrieved 8 June 2011.  ^ "2012 PDC World Championship Fixtures". Darts Database. http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/FixtureList.aspx?EventKey=3069. Retrieved 2 January 2012.  ^ "Wade comes through classic". Sky Sports. http://www1.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/7402540/. Retrieved 2 January 2012.  ^ "Lewis edges Wade epic". Sky Sports. http://www1.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/7405848/. Retrieved 2 January 2012.  ^ "Hamilton & Painter's Premier Delight". PDC. 3 January 2012. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2565358,00.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.  ^ a b "2012 Premier League Results". Darts Database. http://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/EventResults.aspx?EventKey=3889. Retrieved 16 May 2012.  ^ "McCoy's PLD - Night 14 Preview". PDC. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2764841,00.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.  ^ "McCoy's PLD Night 14". PDC. 10 May 2012. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2767653,00.html. Retrieved 16 May 2012.  ^ "Taylor's McCoy's Premier League Joy". PDC. 17 May 2012. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2775584,00.html. Retrieved 18 May 2012.  ^ Wade returns to work after Matchplay win Planetdarts.tv ^ James Wade reveals personal problems The Scottish Sun ^ "Chas & Stars Record Charity Single". Planet Darts. 8 March 2012. http://www.pdc.tv/page/NewsdeskDetail/0,,10180~2641173,00.html.  5. http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/sportdarts/3600811/I-lay-in-bed-all-day-crying-I-wished-I-could-have-a-heart-attack-and-die.html External links[link] James Wade's official web site James Wade wins PDC Player Of The Year award v t e Professional Darts Corporation · Top 20 PDC players in Order of Merit at 7 May, 2012     Phil Taylor Adrian Lewis James Wade Gary Anderson Wes Newton Simon Whitlock Andy Hamilton Raymond van Barneveld Mark Webster Terry Jenkins Kevin Painter Mark Walsh Justin Pipe Vincent van der Voort Wayne Jones Paul Nicholson Colin Lloyd Mervyn King Ronnie Baxter Andy Smith Persondata Name Wade, James Alternative names Short description British darts player Date of birth 6 April 1983 Place of birth Aldershot, England Date of death Place of death

Colt Ford
Photo By Jason Accomando
Background information
Birth name	Jason Farris Brown
Origin	Athens, Georgia, U.S.[1]
Genres	Country rap
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, Guitar, Drums
Years active	2008-present
Labels	Average Joe's Entertainment
Associated acts	Brantley Gilbert, Kevin Fowler, Montgomery Gentry, Josh Gracin, Matt Stillwell, Jamie Davis & Soul Gravy
Website	http://www.coltford.com

Jason Farris Brown (born in Athens, Georgia) known professionally as Colt Ford, is an American country music artist and former professional golfer. He has released three albums via his own Average Joe's label, and has charted four singles on the Hot Country Songs charts. Ford has also written a theme song for Professional Bull Riders, and has worked with John Michael Montgomery, Montgomery Gentry, Cledus T. Judd, and Brantley Gilbert among others.

Biography[link]

"Take a hefty portion of Southern charm, add a dash of country livin’, a pinch of urban style, wash it all down with a sweet, fresh sound, and you have Colt Ford. A man with such a blend of unique talents and tastes can only be the natural recipe for this new sound and musical format.(Average Joes Ent.)"

Brown was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. He was a professional golfer,^[1] playing in one Nationwide Tour but mostly serving as a golfing instructor.^[2] Later, he turned his interests to music, taking influence from country music and hip hop.^[1] Assuming the stage name Colt Ford, he released his debut album, Ride Through the Country, on December 2, 2008 through Average Joe's Entertainment, which he cofounded.^[3] This album included the singles "No Trash in My Trailer"^[4] (a cover of a Gene Watson song) and "Ride Through the Country" (a duet with John Michael Montgomery), the latter of which did not chart until the week of October 10, 2009 when it debuted at #57 on the Hot Country Songs chart. He also appeared on a rap remix of Montgomery Gentry's late-2008 Number One single "Roll with Me."^[5] Ford's debut album also has guest appearances from country singer Jamey Johnson, as well as Bone Crusher and Jermaine Dupri, Adrian Young of NoDoubt and Jeremy Popoff of Lit.^[6] The album did not enter the Billboard albums charts until 2009.

Ford co-wrote and originally recorded the song "Dirt Road Anthem" for his debut album Ride Through the Country, which was later released by Brantley Gilbert who co wrote the song on his 2010 album Halfway to Heaven,^[7] and again by Jason Aldean on his album My Kinda Party, also from 2010.^[8]

Ford wrote the theme song "Buck 'em" for the Professional Bull Riders association. He also appears as a guest vocalist on the track "Tailgatin'" on Cledus T. Judd's 2009 album Polyrically Uncorrect, a song which Ford wrote with Johnson and Popoff.^[9] Ford's second studio album, Chicken & Biscuits, was released in April 2010, following the release of its title track.

Ford released a third studio album on May 3, 2011 called Every Chance I Get.^[10] The album's lead-off single, "Country Thang", debuted at number 55 on country charts for the chart week ending February 19, 2011. "She Likes to Ride in Trucks", featuring Craig Morgan, serves as the album's second single.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Extended plays[link]

Live albums[link]

Singles[link]

Other charted songs[link]

Music videos[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Pitchfork Media	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Keep It Together is an album by the band Guster released in June 2003. The album was recorded from 2001 to 2003 in Bearsville, New York, New York City, Burbank, California, and Shokan, New York. This is the first album by Guster that features Brian Rosenworcel on kit drums instead of hand percussion. Keep It Together went through several working titles, including Bitch Magic, Olympia Dukakis and Come Downstairs & Say Hello.

Joe Pisapia contributed guest vocals on "Jesus on the Radio." Just months after the release of the album, he became the new member of the band.

The song "I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today" features Ben Kweller on vocals.

Track listing[link]

1. "Diane" – 3:46
2. "Careful" – 3:42
3. "Amsterdam" – 3:37
4. "Backyard" – 2:55
5. "Homecoming King" – 3:37
6. "Ramona" – 3:06
7. "Jesus on the Radio" – 2:17
8. "Keep It Together" – 3:43
9. "Come Downstairs and Say Hello" – 5:16
10. "Red Oyster Cult" – 3:27
11. "Long Way Down" – 4:34
12. "I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today" – 3:22
13. "Silence" – 0:30
14. "Two at a Time" (hidden track – 4:57)

Charts[link]

Album - Billboard (North America)

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Song facts[link]

• "Jesus on the Radio" - When the band plays the song live, they often play it "unplugged", without any instruments or microphones plugged in.^[4]

• "Keep It Together" - The song can be heard at the end of the Season 1 The O.C. episode The Rescue.

• "I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today" - The song can be heard during the film Wedding Crashers, when John and Jeremy "break up".

See also[link]

• The Meowstro Sings - Guster's Keep It Together

References[link]

Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls (after a character in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again).

Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. When Wallace released his debut album Ready to Die in 1994, he became a central figure in the East Coast hip-hop scene and increased New York's visibility at a time when West Coast artists were more common in the mainstream.^[2] The following year, Wallace led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A. While recording his second album, Wallace was heavily involved in the East Coast/West Coast hip-hop feud, dominating the scene at the time.

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles. His double-disc set Life After Death, released 15 days later, hit #1 on the U.S. album charts and was certified Diamond in 2000 (one of the few hip hop albums to receive this certification).^[3] Wallace was noted for his "loose, easy flow",^[4] dark semi-autobiographical lyrics and storytelling abilities. Since his death, a further two albums have been released. MTV ranked him at #3 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time.^[5] He has certified sales of 17 million units in the United States.^[6]

Early life[link]

Born in St. Mary's Hospital, despite later claiming to be raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, Wallace grew up in neighboring Clinton Hill.^[7] Wallace was the only child of Voletta Wallace, a Jamaican preschool teacher, and George Latore, a welder and small-time Jamaican politician.^[8] His father left the family when Wallace was two years old, leaving his mother to work two jobs while raising him. At the Queen of All Saints Middle School, Wallace excelled in class, winning several awards as an English student. He was nicknamed "Big" because of his size before he turned 10.^[9] At the age of 12, he began selling drugs. His mother, often away at work, did not know that her son was selling drugs until Wallace was an adult.^[10]

At his request, Wallace transferred out of the private Roman Catholic Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School to attend the state-funded George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Jay-Z and Busta Rhymes were also students at that school. According to his mother, Wallace was still a good student, but developed a "smart-ass" attitude at the new school.^[8] At seventeen, Wallace dropped out of high school and became further involved in crime. In 1989, he was arrested on weapons charges in Brooklyn and sentenced to five years' probation. In 1990, he was arrested on a violation of his probation.^[11] A year later, Wallace was arrested in North Carolina for dealing crack cocaine. He spent nine months behind bars until he made bail.^[10]

Rapping career[link]

Wallace began rapping when he was a teenager. He would entertain people on the streets as well as perform with local groups, the Old Gold Brothers and the Techniques.^[2] After being released from prison, Wallace made a demo tape under the name Biggie Smalls, a reference to his childhood nickname and to his stature; he stood at 6' 3" (1.91 m) and weighed as much as 300 to 380 pounds according to differing accounts.^[12] The tape was reportedly made with no serious intent of getting a recording deal, but was promoted by New York-based DJ Mister Cee, who had previously worked with Big Daddy Kane, and was heard by the editor of The Source.^[11]

In March 1992, Wallace featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, dedicated to aspiring rappers, and was invited to produce a recording with other unsigned artists in a move that was reportedly uncommon at the time.^[13] The demo tape was heard by Uptown Records A&R and record producer, Sean Combs, who arranged for a meeting with Wallace. He was signed to Uptown immediately and made an appearance on label mates, Heavy D & the Boyz' "A Buncha Niggas" (from the album Blue Funk).^[2][14] Soon after signing his recording contract, Combs was fired from Uptown and started a new label.^[15] Wallace followed and in mid-1992, signed to Combs' new imprint label, Bad Boy Records. On August 8, 1993, Wallace's longtime girlfriend gave birth to his first child, T'yanna.^[16] Wallace continued selling drugs after the birth to support his daughter financially. Once Combs discovered this, he was made to quit.^[2]

Wallace gained exposure later in the year on a remix to Mary J. Blige's single "Real Love", under the pseudonym The Notorious B.I.G., the name he would record under for the remainder of his career, after finding the original moniker "Biggie Smalls" was already in use.^[17] "Real Love" peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was followed by a remix of Blige's "What's the 411?". He continued this success, to a lesser extent, on remixes with Neneh Cherry ("Buddy X") and reggae artist Super Cat ("Dolly My Baby", also featuring Combs) in 1993. In April 1993, his solo track, "Party and Bullshit", appeared on the Who's the Man? soundtrack.^[16] In July 1994, he appeared alongside LL Cool J and Busta Rhymes on a remix to label mate Craig Mack's "Flava in Ya Ear", reaching #9 on the Hot 100.

[edit] Ready to Die and marriage

On August 4, 1994, Wallace married singer Faith Evans after they met at a Bad Boy photoshoot.^[16][18] Four days later, Wallace had his first pop chart success as a solo artist with double A-side, "Juicy/Unbelievable", which reached #27 as the lead single to his debut album.

Ready to Die was released on September 13, 1994, and reached #13 on the Billboard 200 chart,^[19] eventually being certified four times Platinum.^[20] The album, released at a time when West Coast hip hop was prominent in the U.S. charts, according to Rolling Stone, "almost single-handedly... shifted the focus back to East Coast rap".^[21] It gained strong reviews on release and has received much praise in retrospect.^[21][22] In addition to "Juicy", the record produced two hit singles; the Platinum-selling "Big Poppa", which reached #1 on the U.S. rap chart,^[4] and "One More Chance" featuring Faith Evans, a loosely related remix of an album track and its best selling single.