It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Following the moderate sales success of his acclaimed debut album, Illmatic (1994), Nas chose to focus his efforts in a more mainstream direction. Primarily produced by Trackmasters, it is a departure for him from the raw, underground tone of his debut album towards a more polished, mainstream sound. The album features mafioso and gangsta themes, and marks the first appearance of Nas's short-lived supergroup The Firm, which included rappers Foxy Brown, AZ, and Cormega.

The album proved to be Nas’s most commercially successful release, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling 3 million copies worldwide. It also heralded Nas’s mainstream popularity, despite its appeal being hindered by the success of other mafiaso rap albums such as Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995) and Reasonable Doubt (1996). However, his stylistic changes and increased mainstream success fostered accusations of selling out within the hip hop community. It Was Written also received mixed criticism for not being on-par with Illmatic, serving as an example of the sophomore slump.

Secret is the eighth studio album by Japanese pop singer-songwriter Ayumi Hamasaki, released by Avex Trax on November 29, 2006 in Japan. Hamasaki herself wrote all of the album's lyrics. The album was successful on many charts^{[clarification needed]} across Asia and has gone triple platinum in Japan.

Secret received an "Album of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards and its title track received the award for "Japanese Song of the Year" at the RTHK International awards at Hong Kong. It became the 22nd best selling album of 2006 according to the Oricon.

Hamasaki on an interview stated that the reason behind naming the album 'Secret' was that the album literally was a secret. She said it was named so that people might think "That's one of her secrets". She also said she wanted to feel when they hear a song, they should think they knew her secret. The album's lyrics reinforce the understanding others, rather than just yourself, as she states:

But it's not a secret in the sense that "I'm about to disclose something you didn't know!" Instead, it could be about "me" in my daily life, or it could be about you… Everyone keeps secrets; there is not one person on this planet who does not have at least one secret, nor is there a person who can tell others everything about him or herself. Even when you try to understand others (or to have a mutual understanding with others), there is always a "you" that only you know about. I have aspects that only certain people know about and aspects that everyone knows about. That's what I call a secret. And in this sense, there are secrets incorporated into this album.

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley (born July 21, 1978) is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley.

Damian was two years old when his father, Bob Marley, died; he is the only child born to Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976. Damian's nickname Junior Gong is derived from his father's nickname of Tuff Gong. Marley has been performing since the age of 13. He shares, along with most of his family, a full-time career in music.

Marley has described his music as "dancehall and reggae. I've noticed...people trying to separate the two of them," he continues. "It's Jamaican culture in general. I don't try to classify or separate."

At age 13, he formed a musical group by the name of the Shephards, which included the daughter of Freddie McGregor and son of Third World's Cat Core. The group opened the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival. The band fell apart in the early 1990s and Damian started his solo career.

With the backing of his father’s label, Tuff Gong, he released his 1996 debut album Mr. Marley which surprised many who were unaccustomed to hearing a Marley deejaying rather than singing. Damian’s brother, Stephen Marley, was a producer and co-author for this album.

Ronald Watson "Ron" Henley (born December 5, 1956 in Houston, Texas) is a grandmaster of chess, chess writer, producer of chess videos and is involved in financial trading funds. As President of RWH Advisors, International Grandmaster Ron Henley acts as Special Consultant to Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices.

Henley was awarded the International Master title in 1980, and the International Grandmaster title in 1982. He won the GM title by winning a 26-player round-robin grandmaster super-tournament in Surakarta, Denpasar, Indonesia, defeating Grandmaster Tony Miles in the last round.

Henley has been second, analyst and trainer for former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov in several matches throughout the 1990s. Henley has written several chess books, and also served as a chess trainer and promoter of young, women chess stars such as Irina Krush. At University of South Florida, Henley received one of the first ever chess scholarships in America. While there in 1976 the USF Chess team won the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship with a perfect 8-0 team score. In 1977 Henley won the Association of College Unions National Individual Championship. Henley narrated the double-volume chess video, "American Chess Princesses," in which Irina Krush, Elina Groberman, Laura Ross and Shirley Ben-Dak present some of their best games from the 1997 FIDE World Youth Chess Championships held in Cannes, France. In the late 1990s Henley founded the www.chesssuperstore.com which sponsored Irina Krush and Hikaru Nakamura. He was appointed by Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov as President of the World Chess Champions Council Inc, a New York not for profit entity which promotes chess in the schools.

Aristotle Pollisco (born October 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Gloc-9, is an Awit Award-winning Filipino rapper. His fast-flowing vocal style has made him one of the most successful hip-hop artists in the Philippines. He was described by fellow Filipino rapper Francis Magalona as "a blacksmith of words and letters, and a true Filipino poet."

He is an award-winning rapper who has collaborated almost a dozen of songs with other OPM artists; “Lando” collaborated with late Francis M., “Upuan” with Jaezelle, “Bagsakan” with Parokya ni Edgar and Francis M., and “Sari-Saring Kwento” with Noel Cabangon and Champ Lui Pio. His songs mostly tackle social issues such as social injustices, poverty and patriotism.

He is the son of Orlando Pollisco, Sr. and the second of four siblings: Sharito (born 1976), Orlando, Jr. (born 1978) and Sharon (born 1982). Gloc 9 is a graduate of BS Nursing. He is married to Thea Pollisco and the father of fraternal twins, Sean Daniel and Danielle Shaun.^{[citation needed]}