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- Updated: 19 Jan 2013
- published: 19 Jan 2013
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- author: AssociatedPress
Type | Not-for-profit cooperative |
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Founded | May 1846[1] |
Headquarters | New York City, New York, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Tom Curley, President and CEO |
Industry | News media |
Products | Wire service |
Revenue | US$631 million (2010)[2] |
Operating income | US$14.7 million (2010)[2] |
Net income | US$8.8 million (2010)[2] |
Employees | 3,700 |
Website | www.ap.org |
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists. Many newspapers and broadcasters outside the United States are AP subscribers, paying a fee to use AP material without being contributing members of the cooperative.
As of 2005[update], the news collected by the AP is published and republished by more than 1,700 newspapers, in addition to more than 5,001 television and radio broadcasters. The photograph library of the AP consists of over 10 million images. The Associated Press operates 243 news bureaus, and it serves at least 120 countries, with an international staff located all over the world.
Associated Press also operates The Associated Press Radio Network, which provides newscasts twice hourly for broadcast and satellite radio and television stations. The AP Radio also offers news and public affairs features, feeds of news sound bites, and long form coverage of major events.
As part of their cooperative agreement with The Associated Press, most member news organizations grant automatic permission for the AP to distribute their local news reports. For example, on page two of every edition of The Washington Post, the newspaper's masthead includes the statement, "The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to use for re-publication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and all local news of spontaneous origin published herein."
The AP employs the "inverted pyramid formula" for writing that enables the news outlets to edit a story to fit its available publication area without losing the story's essential meaning and news information.
Cutbacks at longtime U.S. rival United Press International, most significantly in 1993, left the AP as the primary nationally oriented news service based in the United States, although UPI still produces and distributes news stories and photos daily. Other English-language news services, such as Reuters and the English-language service of Agence France-Presse, are based outside the United States. More recently launched internet news services, such as All Headline News (AHN) are becoming competitive to the traditional wire services like the AP.
Contents |
Associated Press is a not-for-profit news cooperative formed in the spring of 1845 by five daily newspapers in New York City to share the cost of transmitting news of the Mexican-American War by boat, horse express, and telegraph. The venture was organized by Moses Yale Beach (1800–68), second publisher of the New York Sun, and agreed to by the Herald, Courier and Enquirer, Journal of Commerce, and the Express. Some historians believe that the Tribune joined at this time; documents show it was a member in 1849. The New York Times became a member in 1851. Initially known as the New York Associated Press (NYAP), the organization faced competition from the Western Associated Press (1862), which criticized it for monopolistic practices in gathering news and setting prices. An investigation completed in 1892 by Victor Lawson, editor and publisher of the Chicago Daily News, revealed that several principals of the NYAP had entered into a secret agreement with United Press, a rival organization, to share NYAP news and the profits of reselling it. The revelations led to the demise of the NYAP and in December 1892, the Western Associated Press was incorporated in Illinois as the Associated Press. An Illinois Supreme Court decision (Inter Ocean Publishing Co. v. Associated Press) in 1900—that the AP was a public utility and operating in restraint of trade—resulted in AP's move from Chicago to New York City, where corporation laws were more favorable to cooperatives.[citation needed]
When the Associated Press was founded, news became a salable commodity. The creation of the rotary press followed shortly after which led to the New York 'Tribune installing high-speed press in the 1870s allowing them to publish 18,000 papers per hour. During the Civil War and Spanish-American War, there was a new incentive to write vivid, on-the-spot reporting leading to the Graphic Revolution. This occurred making man's ability to make, preserve and transmit images, and print of these events much more fesible. Due to the fact that printing speed had been dramatically increased, this movement was legendary and has the Associated Press to thank for this achievements.
Melville Stone, who had founded the Chicago Daily News in 1875, served as AP General Manager from 1893 to 1921. He embraced the standards of accuracy, impartiality, and integrity for which AP is still known. The cooperative grew rapidly under the leadership of Kent Cooper (served 1925-48), who built up bureau staff in South America, Europe, and (after World War II), the Middle East. He introduced the “telegraph typewriter” or teletypewriter into newsrooms in 1914. In 1935, AP launched the Wirephoto network, which allowed transmission of news photographs over leased private telephone lines on the day they were taken. This gave AP a major advantage over other news media outlets. While the first network was only between New York, Chicago and San Francisco, eventually AP had its network across the whole United States.[3] In 1945, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Associated Press v. United States that AP had been violating the Sherman Antitrust Act by prohibiting member newspapers from selling or providing news to nonmember organizations as well as making it very difficult for nonmember newspapers to join the AP. In 1982, satellites began transmitting news photography. AP entered the broadcast field in 1941 when it began distributing news to radio stations; it created its own radio network in 1974. In 1994, it established APTV, a global video newsgathering agency. APTV merged with WorldWide Television News in 1998 to form APTN, which provides video to international broadcasters and websites. In 2009, AP had more than 240 bureaus globally. Its mission —“to gather with economy and efficiency an accurate and impartial report of the news”—has not changed since its founding, but digital technology has made the distribution of the AP news report an interactive endeavor between AP and its 1,400 U.S. newspaper members as well as broadcasters, international subscribers, and online customers. AP headquarters are at 450 W. 33rd Street in Manhattan.
The Associated Press began diversifying its news gathering capabilities, and by 2007 AP was generating only about 30% of its revenue from United States newspapers. 37% came from the global broadcast customers, 15% from online ventures, and 18% came from international newspapers and from photography.[4]
This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
The AP is known for its polls on numerous college sports in the United States. The AP polls ranking the top 25 NCAA Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision) college football and NCAA Division I men's and women's college basketball teams are the most well known. The AP composes the polls by collecting and compiling the top-25 votes of numerous designated sports journalists. The AP poll of college football was particularly notable for many years because it helped determine the ranking of teams at the end of the regular season for the collegiate Bowl Championship Series until the AP, citing conflict of interest, asked for the poll to be removed from the bowl series. Beginning in the 2005 season, the Harris Interactive College Football Poll took the AP's place in the bowl series formula. Despite the invention of the BCS, the AP has maintained its status and is viewed as an equal to the BCS (USC's AP title in 2003). The AP poll is the longest serving national poll in college football, having begun in 1936.
The AP began its Manager of the Year Award in 1959, for a manager in each league of Major League Baseball.[8] From 1984 to 2000, the award was given to one manager in all of MLB.[9] The winners were chosen by a national panel of AP baseball writers and radio men. The award was discontinued in 2001.[8]
Every year on March 31, the AP releases the names of the winners of its AP College Basketball Player of the Year and AP College Basketball Coach of the Year awards.
In 1994, London-based Associated Press Television (APTV) was founded to provide agency news material to television broadcasters. Other existing providers of such material at the time were Reuters Television and Worldwide Television News (WTN).
In 1998, AP purchased WTN, and APTV left the Associated Press building in the Central London and merged with WTN to create Associated Press Television News (APTN) in the WTN building, now the APTN building in Camden Town.
In November 2010 the Associated Press was sued by iCopyright. iCopyright's lawsuit asserts breach of contract and unfair competition in that the Associated Press launched a copyright-tracking registry, built upon information and business intelligence that the AP misappropriated from iCopyright.[10]
Washington, D.C. bureau reporter Christopher Newton, an Associated Press reporter since 1994, was fired by AP in September 2002 after he was accused of fabricating sources since 2000, including at least 40 people and organizations. Prior to his firing, Newton had been focused on writing about federal law-enforcement while based at the Justice Department. Some of the nonexistent agencies quoted in his stories included "Education Alliance," the "Institute for Crime and Punishment in Chicago," "Voice for the Disabled" and "People for Civil Rights."[11]
In June 2008, the AP sent numerous DMCA take down demands and threatened legal action against several blogs. The AP contended that the internet blogs were violating AP's copyright by linking to AP material and using headlines and short summaries in those links. Many bloggers and experts noted that the use of the AP news fell squarely under commonly accepted internet practices and within fair use standards.[12] Others noted and demonstrated that AP routinely takes similar excerpts from other sources, often without attribution or licenses. AP responded that it was defining standards regarding citations of AP news.[13]
In August 2005, Ken Knight, a Louisiana photographer sued[14] the Associated Press claiming that the AP had willfully and negligently violated Knight's copyright by distributing a photograph of celebrity Britney Spears to various media outlets including, but not limited to: truTV (formerly CourtTV), America Online and Fox News. According to court documents the AP did not have a license to publish, display or relicense the photographs. The case was settled by the parties in November 2006.
In a case filed February 2005, McClatchey v. The Associated Press, a Pennsylvania photographer sued the Associated Press claiming that the AP had cropped a picture to remove the plaintiff's embedded title and copyright notice and later distributed it to news organizations without the plaintiff's permission or credit. According to court documents the parties settled the lawsuit.[15]
In April 2011, Patricia Ann Lopez, a New Mexico courtroom sketch artist, sued the Associated Press claiming that the AP had violated her copyrights by reselling her images without a license and had deceptively, fraudulently and wrongfully passed off the artist's work as its own.[16] According to court documents the AP did not have a license to resell or relicense the images.
In March 2009, the Associated Press counter-sued artist Shepard Fairey over his famous image of Barack Obama, saying the uncredited, uncompensated use of an AP photo violated copyright laws and signaled a threat to journalism. Fairey had sued the Associated Press the previous month over his artwork, titled "Obama Hope" and "Obama Progress," arguing that he did not violate copyright law because he dramatically changed the image. The artwork, based on an April 2006 picture taken for the AP by Mannie Garcia, was a popular image during the presidential campaign and now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington. According to the AP lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan, Fairey knowingly "misappropriated The AP's rights in that image." The suit, which also names Fairey's companies, asks the court to award AP profits made off the image and damages. "While (Fairey and the companies) have attempted to cloak their actions in the guise of politics and art, there is no doubt that they are profiting handsomely from their misappropriation," the lawsuit says. Fairey said he looked forward to "upholding the free expression rights at stake here" and disproving the AP's accusations.[citation needed]
In January 2008, the Associated Press sued competitor All Headline News (AHN) claiming that AHN allegedly infringed on its copyrights and a contentious 'quasi-property' right to facts.[17][18] The AP complaint asserted that AHN reporters had copied facts from AP news reports without permission and without paying a syndication fee. After AHN moved to dismiss all but the copyright claims set forth by AP, a majority of the lawsuit was dismissed.[19] According to court documents, the case has been dismissed and both parties have settled the lawsuit.[20]
In June 2010 the Associated Press was accused[21] of having unfair and hypocritical policies after it was demonstrated that AP reporters had copied Hot News, original reporting and facts from the "Search Engine Land" website without permission, attribution or credit.[22]
The Associated Press is governed by an elected board of directors.[23]
The AP's multi-topic structure has lent itself well to web portals, such as Yahoo! and MSN, all of which have news sites that constantly need to be updated. Often, such portals will rely on AP and other news services as their first source for news coverage of breaking news items. Yahoo!'s "Top News" page gives the AP top visibility out of any news outlet. This has been of major impact to the AP's public image and role, as it gives new credence to the AP's continual mission of having staff for covering every area of news fully and promptly. The AP is also the news service used on the Nintendo Wii's News Channel.[24] In 2007 Google announced it was paying for Associated Press content displayed in Google News, but the articles are not permanently archived.[25] On December 24, 2009, Google stopped displaying or hosting Associated Press news content on the Google News website.[26]
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Lil Wayne | |
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Lil Wayne in 2006 |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. |
Born | September 27, 1982 |
Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations | Rapper, songwriter |
Years active | 1992–present |
Labels | Cash Money, Young Money,Universal Republic |
Associated acts | Birdman, Drake, Cash Money Millionaires, Hot Boys, Young Money, The B.G.'z, Nicki Minaj, Juelz Santana[1] |
Website | lilwayne-online.com |
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Young Turk. Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live! that year. Lil Wayne gained most of his success with the group's major selling album Guerrilla Warfare, released in 1999. Also in 1999, Lil Wayne released his Platinum debut album Tha Block Is Hot, selling over one million copies in the U.S.
Although his next two albums Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002) were not as successful (only reaching Gold status), Lil Wayne reached higher popularity in 2004 with Tha Carter, which included the single "Go D.J." Wayne also appeared on the Destiny's Child top ten single "Soldier" that year. In 2005, the sequel to Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, was released. In 2006 and 2007, Lil Wayne released several mixtapes and appeared on several popular rap and R&B singles. His most successful album, Tha Carter III, was released in 2008 and sold over 1 million copies in the U.S. its first week of release. It included the number-one single "Lollipop" featuring Static Major. It also includes the singles "A Milli" and "Got Money" featuring T-Pain and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.
Lil Wayne released his debut rock album, Rebirth, in 2010 to primarily negative reception from critics. The album eventually went gold. In March 2010, Lil Wayne began serving an 8-month prison sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. While in prison he released another album entitled I Am Not a Human Being in September 2010, featuring Young Money artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj and Lil Twist. His ninth studio album and first since being released from prison, Tha Carter IV, was released on August 29, 2011.[2] The album includes the songs "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, "How to Love" and "She Will" featuring Drake. It sold 964,000 copies in the U.S. its first week out.
Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. and grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana.[3] Carter was born when his mother, a chef, was 19 years old. His parents were divorced when he was 2, and his father permanently abandoned the family. Carter enrolled in the gifted program of Lafayette Elementary School and in the drama club of Eleanor McMain Secondary School.[4]
He wrote his first rap song at age eight.[5] In the summer of 1991, he met Bryan Williams, rapper and owner of Cash Money Records. Carter recorded freestyle raps on Williams's answering machine, leading him to mentor the young Carter and include him in Cash Money-distributed songs. He also recorded his first ever collaboration album True Story with rapper B.G.. At the time, Carter was 11, and B.G. was 14, and was billed as "The B.G.'z".[6] When he was 12, he played the part of the Tin Man in his middle school drama club's production of The Wiz.[7] At age 13, he accidentally shot himself with a 9 mm handgun, and off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler drove him to the hospital.[8] At McMain Magnet School, Carter was an honor student, but he dropped out at the age of 14 to focus on a musical career.[9]
In 1997, Carter joined the Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. At age 15, Carter was the youngest member at that time. Hot Boys' debut album Get It How U Live! was released the same year, followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut Guerrilla Warfare,[3] which reached No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the Billboard 200.[10] During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We on Fire" from Get It How U Live! and "I Need a Hot Girl" from Guerrilla Warfare.[11] Carter was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks.[12] Let 'Em Burn, a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded.[13] It reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 14 on the Billboard 200.[10]
Carter's debut solo album Tha Block Is Hot at age 17 featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys and was certified platinum, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album charts.[3] The album earned him a 1999 Source magazine award nomination for "Best New Artist",[14] and also became a Top Ten hit.[3] The lead single was "Tha Block Is Hot". After the release of Tha Block is Hot, Carter was featured on the single, "Bling Bling", with B.G., Juvenile, and Big Tymers. His verse was featured on the radio edition, and on the album version, only his hook was featured on the single.
His 2000 follow-up album Lights Out failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut[3] but was certified gold by RIAA.[15] Critics pointed to the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys.[16] The lead single was "Get Off The Corner" which was noticed for an improvement in lyrical content and style, it also received a music video. The second single which received less attention was "Shine" featuring The Hot Boys. Near the release of Lights Out, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, "1# Stunna" with Big Tymers and Juvenile, which rose to 24th place on the Hot Rap Tracks charts.
Lil Wayne's third album 500 Degreez, released in 2002, followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh. While certified Gold like its predecessor,[15] it too failed to match the success of his debut.[3] The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's recording, 400 Degreez.[17] The lead single was "Way Of Life" which like the album failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of 500 Degreez, he was featured in the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW.[18]
In the summer of 2004, Wayne's album Tha Carter was released, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes.[19] In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks.[3] Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a Top 5 Hit on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart.[20] After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured in Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" with T.I., which peaked at No. 3 on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts.[21]
Tha Carter II, the follow-up to the original Tha Carter album, was released in December 2005, this time without production by longtime Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh, who had since left the label. Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and went on to sell 2,000,000 copies world wide. The lead single, "Fireman," became a hit in the US, peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other singles included "Grown Man", "Hustler Muzik", and "Shooter" (featuring R&B singer Robin Thicke). Lil Wayne also appeared on a remix of Bobby Valentino's "Tell Me", which rose to No. 13 on the U.S. R&B Charts. In 2005, Lil Wayne was named president of Cash Money, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money.[22] However, as of late 2007, Lil Wayne reported that he has stepped down from the management of both labels and has handed management of Young Money over to Cortez Bryant.[23]
In 2006, Lil Wayne collaborated with rapper Birdman for the album Like Father, Like Son, whose first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Instead of a follow-up solo album, Lil Wayne reached his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop and hip-hop singles.[3] Of his many mixtapes, Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 received the most media exposure and critical review. Dedication 2, released in 2006, paired Lil Wayne with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track "Georgia Bush," in which Lil Wayne critiqued former US president George W. Bush's response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. Da Drought 3 was released the following year and was available for free legal download. It contained Lil Wayne rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. Numerous of features in prominent hip-hop magazines such as XXL[24] and Vibe[9] covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine considered the mixtapes Da Drought 3 and The Drought Is Over 2 "among the best albums of 2007."[4]
Despite no album release for two years, Lil Wayne appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, "Make It Rain" by Fat Joe, "You" by Lloyd, and "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled (also featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Birdman), "Duffle Bag Boy" by Playaz Circle, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" by Wyclef Jean (also featuring Akon), and the remix to "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaled (also featuring T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Rick Ross). All these singles charted within the top 20 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. On Birdman's 2007 album 5 * Stunna, Lil Wayne appeared on the singles "100 Million" and "I Run This" among several other tracks. Wayne also appeared on tracks from albums Getback by Little Brother, American Gangster by Jay-Z, and Graduation by Kanye West and Insomniac by Enrique Iglesias. "Make it Rain", a Scott Storch production that peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Rap Tracks chart,[25] was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2008.[26]
Vibe magazine ranked a list of 77 of Lil Wayne's songs from 2007 and ranked his verse in DJ Khaled's "We Takin Over" as his best of 2007, with "Dough Is What I Got" (a freestyle over the beat of Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got") from Da Drought 3 the second song.[9] At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game",[27] The New Yorker magazine ranked him "Rapper of the Year",[6] and GQ magazine named him "Workaholic of the Year".[28] In 2008 he was named "Best MC" by Rolling Stone.[4] Another article, built around Lil Wayne's 2007 mixtape work, cites his creative practice as an example of post performance creative practice.[29]
Initially planned to be released in 2007, Tha Carter III's largest delay came after the majority of the tracks were leaked and distributed on mixtapes, such as "The Drought Is Over Pt. 2" and "The Drought Is Over Pt. 4". Lil Wayne initially decided to use the leaked tracks, plus four new tracks, to make a separate album, titled The Leak. The Leak was to be released December 18, 2007, with the actual album being delayed until March 18, 2008,[30] The release of The Leak in this format never came to fruition, but an official EP titled The Leak and containing five tracks was released digitally on December 25, 2007.[31] Tha Carter III was released on June 10, 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release, the first to do so since 50 Cent's The Massacre in 2005.[32] The first single "Lollipop", featuring Static Major became the rapper's most commercially successful song at that point, topping the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first Top 10 single for Lil Wayne as a solo artist, as well as his first No. 1 on the chart. His third single from Tha Carter III, "Got Money" featuring T-Pain, peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard 100. Tha Carter III also won four Grammy Awards, including best rap album and best rap song, which he won for "Lollipop".[33] Along with his album singles, Lil Wayne appeared on R&B singles "Girls Around the World" by Lloyd, "Love In This Club, Part II" by Usher, "Official Girl" by Cassie, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Turnin' Me On" by Keri Hilson, and "Can't Believe It" by T-Pain; rap singles "My Life" by The Game, "Shawty Say" by David Banner, "Swagga Like Us" by T.I., "Cutty Buddy" by Mike Jones, All My Life (In the Ghetto) by Jay Rock and the remix to "Certified" by Glasses Malone; and pop single "Let It Rock" by new Cash Money artist Kevin Rudolf. On July 14, 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America certified Tha Carter III two times platinum.[34] In an October 2008 interview with MTV News, Lil Wayne announced plans to re-release this album with all new tracks, including a duet with Ludacris and remixes of "A Milli".[35]
The lineup for New Orleans' 2008 Voodoo Experience concert, held in October, featured Lil Wayne. Jonathan Cohen of Billboard magazine reported that the event would mark his biggest hometown headlining set of his career.[36] Lil Wayne stated that he would reunite with Hot Boys alongside Juvenile, Turk, and B.G. They plan to release an album after B.G.'s solo album Too Hood to Be Hollywood was completed.[37] Wayne also performed as the 2008 Virgin Mobile Music Fest with Kanye West, performing the remix of "Lollipop" with West and also lip-syncing to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You".[38] Lil Wayne also performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with Kid Rock ("All Summer Long"), Leona Lewis ("DontGetIt (Misunderstood)") and T-Pain ("Got Money"). On the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, he performed "Lollipop" and "Got Money".[39] He later performed at the homecoming rally at Vanderbilt University[40] and the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards with 12 nominations.[41] He won the "MVP" title at the BET Hip Hop Awards and seven others.[42] It was revealed that M.I.A. dropped out of performing on the tour due to her pregnancy, however Jay-Z is expected to perform with Wayne on the song "Mr. Carter" at select shows.[43] On November 11, 2008, Wayne became the first hip-hop act to ever perform at the Country Music Association Awards. He played alongside Kid Rock for the song, "All Summer Long", in which Wayne did not rap but instead inaudibly strummed guitar strings alongside the guitarist in Kid Rock's band.[44] Shortly after, Wayne was nominated for eight Grammys – the most for any artist nominated that year.[45] Wayne was then named the first ever MTV Man of the Year at the end of 2008.[46] He won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "A Milli", Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his appearance in T.I.'s single "Swagga Like Us", and Best Rap Song for "Lollipop". Tha Carter III won the award for Best Rap Album.[33] MTV News listed Lil Wayne number two on their 2009 list of the Hottest MCs In The Game.[47]
On December 23, 2009, Wayne released a collaboration album with Young Money, with the first single confirmed as "Every Girl".[48] The second single is "BedRock", featuring Lloyd. The third single is "Roger That". On May 24, 2010, the album was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold.[49] Wayne is featured on the song, "Revolver", with Madonna for her 2009 greatest hits album, Celebration. He was also featured on a Weezer song, "Can't Stop Partying", on their 2009 album, Raditude.[50] In late 2008, Wayne stated that he would re-release The Carter III with leftover tracks and call it Rebirth, several months later, however, he announced Rebirth would instead release as his debut rock album, maintaining its title as Rebirth.[51] To support the release of Rebirth and a collaboration album with Young Money Entertainment, Wayne headlined the 'Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Music Festival'... a United States and Canada–only concert tour which started on July 29, 2009. The Rebirth album was originally scheduled for a April 7, 2009 release, however after numerous delays, the album was released on February 2, 2010. For the anticipation of Rebirth, Wayne was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.[52] "Prom Queen", the first official single, debuted on January 27, 2009 immediately after a live Internet broadcast on Ustream[53] of his concert in San Diego.[54] "Prom Queen" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. On December 3, 2009, Lil Wayne's second single from the album, "On Fire", was released on iTunes. "On Fire" was produced by Cool & Dre.[55] "On Fire" peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Drop the World", which features Eminem, is the third single from the album.[55]
Lil Wayne was thought to be releasing an EP entitled I Am Not a Human Being, but it was confirmed that would be a full length LP. The album was released on September 27, 2010 which was his birthday. The album has sold over 953,000 copies in the U.S.[56] and has spawned a successful single in "Right Above It" which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In an interview on MTV's Mixtape Monday, Wayne asserted the possibility of the album Tha Carter IV.[57] Following Tha Carter III's achievement of selling over 3 million copies, becoming 2008's best-selling record, Wayne re-signed with Cash Money Records for a multi-album deal.[58] Wayne said Tha Carter IV will be released in 2009 just before the holidays.[59] Birdman had previously stated that Tha Carter IV would be packaged with Rebirth as a double disc album.[60] However, Wayne denied this idea saying that "Tha Carter IV deserves Tha Carter IV". He went on to say that We Are Young Money may be packaged with Rebirth.[61][62] However, it was later confirmed that Rebirth and We Are Young Money will be released separately and that Tha Carter IV will be released during 2011. He started from scratch on Tha Carter IV since getting released from prison.[63] He recorded his first track since being released from prison and it was described as being "a 2010 version of A Milli on steroids." The album is set to feature multiple guests, including Tech N9ne.[64] The first single "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz was released on December 15, 2010. It was available for digital download on iTunes December 16, 2010. The song is produced by Bangladesh, who also produced Lil Wayne's single "A Milli" in 2008.[65] On March 8, 2011, Lil Wayne released another song called "We Back Soon." The song is produced by StreetRunner; It is more relaxed than "6 Foot 7 Foot" is, but will not be a track on Tha Carter IV.[66] He also released a second single to Tha Carter IV called "John" on March 24, 2011, which features Rick Ross and is produced by Polow Da Don.[67] On April 20, 2011, the official cover of Tha Carter IV was released. Tha Carter IV was scheduled to be released on May 16, 2011,[68] but Mack Maine had confirmed that the forthcoming ninth studio album will be released in June 21, 2011 instead of May 16, 2011, because they need more time to make the album perfect and they'll have a "monster" single coming soon that will possibly be titled "Blows My Brains" or "She's Always In My Head".[citation needed] On May 26, the 3rd single, "How to Love" was released. Tha Carter IV was eventually pushed back to August 29, 2011. A song called "Dear Anne (Stan Part 2)" was released in June, when the snippet was released back in April. Lil Wayne said the song was throw away track for Tha Carter III. He said it was originally suppose to be on Tha Carter IV when it leaked, but decided not to put it one there. He said he's not a fan of the song since it was so old. Lil Wayne said that he that liked the beat, but not the lyrics, and was thinking about redoing "Dear Anne."
For preparation for Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne released a mixtape titled, Sorry 4 the Wait. He named the mixtape so as an apology to his fans for the delay of the album. It consists of 13 with all the beats on the mixtape coming from other artists song, like his "No Ceilings" mixtape.
In July 2011, Lil Wayne confirmed in an interview with MTV that Tha Carter IV is finished.
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 964,000 copies sold in its first week, making it Lil Wayne's third chart topping album of his career. On January 8, 2012, According to Nielsen SoundScan was elected the seventh artist (second male artist) all-time best-selling tracks digital with 36,788,000 million to the end of 2011.[69]
Lil Wayne has announced several possible upcoming projects, including a collaboration album entitled I Can't Feel My Face with rapper Juelz Santana that has been in production for several years. And also working on Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' album Still Cool in late 2011.[70][71] He has discussed a possible R&B album titled Luv Sawngz, for which he will heavily rely on a vocoder.[72] He has also talked with singer Lloyd about doing a collaboration album in the future.[73] On June 19, 2008, Lil Wayne and T-Pain formed a duo called T-Wayne[74] and planned to release an album.[75] According to an interview with Drake in the December 2011 issue of XXL, plans for an upcoming album with Lil Wayne have been scrapped for the time being because of the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration Watch the Throne.[76] Lil Wayne and Baby will release a second Like Father, Like Son.[77][78] It was announced by Mack Maine that Lil Wayne and Juelz Santana have gone back to working on their collaboration album I Can't Feel My Face which had been delayed for a few years due to "label politics".[79]
In October 2011 it was reported that Lil Wayne is working on sequels to I Am Not a Human Being and Rebirth.[80] A couple months later, Birdman announced that I Am Not A Human Being 2 will be released before the summer of 2012 and that him and Lil Wayne have finished recording Like Father, Like Son 2.[81]
On March 29, 2011, in an interview with Hot 97's Angie Martinez, Lil Wayne announced that he would retire at age 35; saying "I have four kids," and that "I would feel selfish still going to the studio when it's such a vital point in their lives."[82]
Lil Wayne was a guest debater going up against Skip Bayless on the "1st & 10" segment on the January 6, 2009 edition of ESPN First Take.[83] On February 10, 2009 he also appeared on ESPN's Around the Horn and beat out veterans Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti and fellow New Orleanian Michael Smith to win that show's episode.[84] Prior to the 2009 Grammy Awards, Wayne was featured in an interview with Katie Couric.[85] On February 7, 2009, he presented the Top Ten List on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.[86] He then appeared on the April 24, 2009 episode of The View, talking about his GED and addictions.[87] In September 2009, Wayne was profiled in an episode of VH1's Behind the Music[88] and was a presenter of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.[89]
In film, Wayne produced and composed music for and starred in the direct-to-video film Hurricane Season. A documentary of Lil Wayne titled The Carter was released at the Sundance Film Festival.[90]
Lil Wayne has four children. His first child, daughter Reginae, was born when he was 15,[5] to his high school sweetheart Antonia "Toya" Carter (née Johnson). Wayne and Johnson married on Valentine's Day of 2004 and divorced in 2006.[91] Internet rumours started circulating in August 2008 that Wayne's daughter had died in a car crash, which however he quickly cleared up as false saying "Please allow me to dispel any rumors or speculations and report that my daughter is alive, healthy and surrounded by family who care and love her dearly. The rumors are completely false and unfounded; neither Reginae nor any other member of my family has been involved in any car accident."[92] His second child, Dwayne III, was then born on October 22, 2008 at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.[93] His third child, Cameron Carter, was born to actress Lauren London on September 9, 2009.[94] He had his fourth child, Neal, on November 30, 2009 with singer Nivea.[95]
In a CBS interview with Katie Couric, Wayne described why he goes by the name of "Wayne" instead of his given name, Dwayne. Carter explained, "I dropped the D because I'm a junior and my father is living and he's not in my life and he's never been in my life. So I don't want to be Dwayne, I'd rather be Wayne". Couric asked Wayne if his father knew of this and Wayne replied with a smile, "He knows now".[85]
After earning his GED, Wayne enrolled at the University of Houston in January 2005. He dropped out in the same year due to his conflicting schedule.[96] He also revealed on The View that he switched to the University of Phoenix and majored in psychology taking online courses.[87] An article in Urb magazine in March 2007 asserted that Wayne had been earning high grades at Houston.[97]
In an interview with Blender magazine, Lil Wayne revealed one of his favorite bands from childhood to be rock group Nirvana, and cites them as a major influence in his music.[98]
On September 24, 2008, Lil Wayne published his first blog for ESPN in their issue, ESPN The Magazine. Wayne revealed he was a fan of tennis, the Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Red Sox. To commemorate the Packers' making it to Super Bowl XLV, he spoofed Wiz Khalifa's hit song "Black and Yellow" (which were the colors of the Packers' opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers) in a song titled "Green and Yellow".[99] Wayne has continued writing for ESPN, notably reporting at the ESPN Super Bowl party.[100]
Lil Wayne made his debut on ESPN's daily sports round table show Around The Horn on February 10, 2009.[101]
At E3 2011, Lil Wayne, along with Young Money member Drake, appeared on the trailer of FIFA 12.[citation needed]
Lil Wayne is a Christian and reads the Bible regularly.[102][103] While playing in Newark Symphony Hall, Lil Wayne professed his belief "in God and His son, Jesus."[102] During his 2011 tour in Australia with Eminem, before beginning his bracket he proclaimed his belief in God.[104]
On February 19, 2008, Lil Wayne and Cortez Bryant revisited their alma mater McMain Secondary School to get students to design an invitation to the gala introducing Lil Wayne's nonprofit One Family Foundation.[105] The website Change.org states: "The mission of One Family Foundation, Inc. is to empower urban youth by engaging them in opportunities to cultivate their talents and skills, educating them to become productive and economically self-sufficient, and motivating them to dream beyond their circumstances."[106]
Lil Wayne has been referenced in public speeches by President Barack Obama on at least two occasions, in mixed contexts. Speaking to a largely African-American audience during a general election campaign town hall speech in Georgia, then-U.S. Senator Obama exhorted children to stay in school and achieve their dreams through education and perseverance instead of hoping for shortcuts to fame and riches, stating: "You are probably not that good a rapper. Maybe you are the next Lil Wayne, but probably not, in which case you need to stay in school."[107]
After assuming the Presidency, Obama later echoed this theme of personal and familial responsibility and the difficulty of achieving Lil Wayne's lyrical skills or success—during an address to a meeting commemorating the 100th anniversary of the NAACP, telling the audience:
They might think they've got a pretty jump shot or a pretty good flow, but our kids can’t all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers, doctors and teachers, not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court justice. I want them aspiring to be President of the United States of America.[108]
Obama has also noted that the music on his iPod includes Lil Wayne:
On July 22, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in New York City following a performance at the Beacon Theatre; the New York City Police Department discovered Lil Wayne and another man smoking marijuana near a tour bus. After taking Lil Wayne into custody, police discovered a .40 caliber pistol on his person. The gun, which was registered to his manager, was in a bag located near the rapper.[110] He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.[111][112] On October 22, 2009, Lil Wayne pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon. He was due for sentencing in February 2010 and was expected to receive a one-year county jail sentence,[113] but on February 9, 2010, Lil Wayne's attorney announced that the sentencing was delayed until March 2 due to dental surgery,[114] which was performed on February 16. The surgery included eight root canals, the replacement of several tooth implants, as well as the addition of a few new implants and work on his remaining original teeth.[115] On March 2, 2010, sentencing was postponed again when the courthouse reported a fire in the basement.[116] On March 8, 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to a year in prison, which he served in Rikers Island. His lawyer said the rapper expected to be held in protective custody, separated from other prisoners.[117] In May 2010 Wayne was found by Rikers Island correctional staff to be in possession of contraband (an MP3 player, charger, and headphones).[118] In April 2010, Lil Wayne's friends created a website called Weezy Thanx You, which publishes letters written by Wayne in prison.[103][119] In the first letter, titled "Gone 'til November", the rapper described his daily routine, saying he works out a lot, and reads the Bible every day.[103] Wayne was released from Rikers Island prison facility on November 4, 2010 after serving eight months of his year-long sentence.[120]
Following a performance at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho, Lil Wayne was arrested October 5, 2007 on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance.[121] The incident was later described as a "mix-up" and the fugitive charges were dropped.[122]
On January 23, 2008, Lil Wayne was arrested alongside two others. His tour bus was stopped by Border Patrol agents near Yuma, Arizona. A K-9 Unit recovered 105 grams (3.7 oz) of marijuana, almost 29 grams (1.0 oz) of cocaine, 41 grams (1.4 oz) of MDMA, and $22,000 in cash. Lil Wayne was charged with four felonies: possession of narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was granted permission to travel outside of the state and remain out of custody on the $10,185 bond he posted.[123] On May 6, 2008, Wayne returned to court in Arizona to plead not guilty to the charges.[124] A bench warrant was issued on March 17, 2010 when Lil Wayne did not show for a final trial management conference.[125][126] However, the rapper was already in prison, serving a year-long sentence in Rikers on weapons charges. On June 22, 2010 Wayne pleaded guilty to the charges. As part of the plea deal he may serve 36 months of probation.[127] On June 30, 2010, he was sentenced to 3 years probation.[128]
On December 18, 2009, Wayne and 11 others were detained at the Falfurrias, Texas border patrol checkpoint after an unknown amount of marijuana was found on two of his tour buses.[129]
On July 24, 2008, Abkco Music Inc filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne for copyright infringement and unfair competition, specifically referring to Tha Carter III's track "Playing with Fire".[130] In the lawsuit, Abkco claims that the song was obviously derived from The Rolling Stones' "Play with Fire", to which Abkco owns the rights.[130][131] Subsequently, "Playing with Fire" was removed from the tracklist of Tha Carter III on all online music stores and replaced with the David Banner produced track, "Pussy Monster".[132][133][134]
In February 2009, production company RMF Productions filed a $1.3 million lawsuit against Wayne, following a $100,000 advance payment for three shows, all of which were cancelled by the artist.[135]
On October 2009, Lil Wayne, Birdman, Cash Money Records, and various music distribution outlets were sued for copyright infringement by Thomas Marasciullo, who claims his voice was used without permission. The rappers asked him to record some "Italian-styled spoken word recordings" in 2006. The lyrics were allegedly used on "Respect" and other tracks from the rappers' collaboration album Like Father, Like Son and Birdman's 5 * Stunna.[136]
In March 2011, producer Deezle (Darius Harrison) sued Wayne and his parent labels Cash Money Records over unpaid royalties from Tha Carter III.[137]
In May 2011, producer Bangladesh also filed a lawsuit against Weezy & Co. over unpaid royalties as well.[138]
In early June 2011, another producer named David Kirkwood filed a lawsuit against Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records on claims that the labels have failed to pay him over $1.5 million in royalties and production services for his work on the album, also including his songwriting on "Love Me or Hate Me", a bonus song featured only on the deluxe edition of the album.[139]
Also in June 2011, Dallas producers Play-N-Skillz filed a lawsuit against him claiming Wayne owes them at least $1 million in unpaid royalties for "Got Money" from his album Tha Carter III. The single has sold over 2 million copies since being released.[140]
In July 2011, Done Deal Enterprises, a production company based in Georgia, filed suit against Wayne, Universal Music Group, Cash Money Records and Young Money Entertainment, claiming copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleges Wayne stole the song "BedRock", featured on the compilation album We Are Young Money, and seeks damages of $15 million.[141]
After hearing word that Lil Wayne had written a diss song for him after 50 Cent made some unkind remarks, 50 lashed out at Wayne first on August 17, 2007 with the song "Part Time Lover".[142] Wayne never really responded to the song, although a 50 Cent diss track called "Louisianimal" did leak much later on November 17, 2008.[143] 50 responded to Lil Wayne in January 2009 in a song entitled "Play This On The Radio".[144] As of August 14, 2009, the controversy between 50 Cent and Lil Wayne seems to have ended after 50 Cent appeared and performed at Lil Wayne's America's Most Wanted Musical Festival stop in Anaheim, California.[145]
In early 2011, when Jay-Z & Kanye West's single "H•A•M" was released, Jay-Z took shots at Lil Wayne's mentor Birdman, saying "Really, you got Baby money" and "[you] ain't got my lady's money!".[146] On August 24, 2011, a song called "It's Good" by Lil Wayne (featuring Drake and Jadakiss) was leaked online and included Lil Wayne responding "Talkin’ ‘bout baby money? I gotcha baby money. Kidnap your bitch, get that, How much you love your lady? money".[147][148] Rapper Jadakiss later absolved himself of involvement in any brewing beef on his official Twitter feed.[149][150]
Film | |||
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Year | Film | Role | Notes |
2000 | Baller Blockin'' | Iceberg Shorty | Main Role |
2007 | Who's Your Caddy? | Himself | Small Role |
2009 | The Carter | Himself | Documentary DVD, Main Role |
2010 | Hurricane Season | Lamont Johnson | Small Role |
Television | |||
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2007 | Access Granted | Himself | |
The Boondocks | |||
2009 | Nike Zoom VI LeBron James "Chalk" | Himself | Minor appearance |
Gatorade | Himself | Narrator | |
1st and 10 | |||
Around the Horn | |||
Behind The Music | Himself | ||
All Access With Katie Couric | Himself | ||
The Mo'Nique Show | Himself | ||
2010 | Freaknik: The Musical | Trap Jesus | |
2010 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Performed alongside Eminem a medley of songs including "No Love" |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lil Wayne |
French Montana | |
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Birth name | Karim Kharbouch[1] |
Born | Rabat, Morocco[1] |
November 9, 1984
Origin | South Bronx, New York, USA |
Genres | East Coast hip hop, Mafioso rap, Gangsta rap |
Occupations | Rapper |
Years active | 2002-present |
Labels | Bad Boy Records, Interscope Records, Maybach Music Group (2011-2012), EMI |
Associated acts | Coke Boys, Max B, Rick Ross, Akon, Diddy, Meek Mill, Waka Flocka Flame, Three 6 Mafia, Wale, Omarion |
Website | frenchmontana.com |
French Montana (born November 9, 1984) is an American rapper and singer of Moroccan[2][3] and Somali[2][4] descent. He is the founder and CEO of Cocaine City Records, and in 2012, signed a joint venture recording deal with Maybach Music Group and Bad Boy Records. He is known for his frequent collaborations with Max B, and more recently with Rick Ross and with his group Coke Boys.
Contents |
French Montana was born Karim Kharbouch in 1984 in Rabat, Morocco,[1][4] where he lived for the first 13 years of his life. Growing up in Rabat, he was consumed by playing soccer and rapping, describing them as his two favorite childhood hobbies.[5] In 1996, French emigrated with his parents and two younger brothers to the Bronx in New York City.[6] His father left the family when French was 17, and so he began to provide for his mother and younger brothers.
In 2002, along with his friend Camz he created a series of street-flavoured DVD documentaries called 'Cocaine City' after drawing inspiration from the 'Smack' DVD series. Under the name Young French he used the DVDs as a means of showcasing his talent as an underground artist. To gain a broader fan base, French incorporated interviews with major artists, as well as some up and comers. The first edition in the series included Pee Wee Kirkland and Remy Ma alongside French himself among others. What started out as simply a medium for developing an audience quickly grew into one of the top-selling "street DVDs".[3][6][7] The series ran for 8 years between 2002 and 2010, with a total of 14 editions being released.[8]
In 2009, French signed a deal with Akon's Konvict Muzik record label, but later left the label in 2011 due to album delays.[9] Montana was subsequently reportedly close to signing a deal with Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group (MMG).[10] There were also reports that he would join Kanye West's GOOD Music label.[11]
In December 2011, Montana signed a record deal with P. Diddy's Bad Boy Records[12] and Interscope Records.[13] According to French, of the many major labels that were courting him, Maybach Music Group would have been his second choice had he not signed with Bad Boy.[14] However on January 2, 2012 while in the studio with Rick Ross Montana announced that he had signed a joint venture deal with Bad Boy Records and Maybach Music Group with Rick Ross and Diddy set to executive produce his debut album.[15] It was announced that his debut album Excuse My French would be released July 17, 2012. French was featured on XXL's Freshman Class of 2012 alongside Future, Kid Ink, Danny Brown, Macklemore, Don Trip, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea, Roscoe Dash and labelmate Machine Gun Kelly (rapper).[16][17] However, he later revealed to Sway Calloway on RapFix Live that he almost turned down the cover opportunity, feeling he "deserved it two years ago" and that he had surpassed the current crop of rap rookies.[18][7]
According to French, the rappers Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G. and Wu-Tang Clan were among the hip hop artists that he listened to while growing up. He also considers himself a general music lover.[19]
Between 2003 and 2004, French was shot in the head as he was exiting a recording studio in New York. He was rushed to the hospital after the incident and survived. Describing the shooting as a possible assassination attempt, the artist was subsequently involved in a murder trial in which he was eventually found not guilty. Rumors began to swirl that he had received settlement money from the case, which he then used to start his rap career. However, French later dismissed these claims as false in an interview.[20]
French Montana is Sunni Muslim, having been raised in Morocco under the Maliki madhab, or school of thought. In an interview for Vlad TV which took place on the first day of the Islamic holy month Ramadan, French revealed that he participates in fasting during the month.[21]
Year | Title | Artist | Album |
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2010 | "TTG (Trained To Go)" (featuring French Montana, YG Hootie, Joe Moses, Suge Gotti & Baby Bomb) |
Waka Flocka Flame | Flockaveli |
2011 | "Big Bank" (featuring French Montana) |
MMG | Self Made Vol. 1 |
"Body Work" (featuring French Montana, Juicy J, & Meek Mill) |
Pusha T | Fear Of God II: Let Us Pray | |
"Everything That Glitters (featuring French Montana & Pusha T) |
DJ Drama | Third Power | |
2012 | "Off The Boat" (featuring French Montana) |
Rick Ross | Rich Forever |
"Stay Schemin" (featuring French Montana & Drake) |
|||
"Ghettoy Boy" (featuring French Montana & Uncle Murda) |
Young Buck | Bond Money | |
"She Did It (featuring French Montana) |
Fabolous | TBA | |
"Hurt Somebody" (featuring French Montana) |
Akon | The Koncrete Mixtape | |
"Top Chef" (featuring French Montana & Gucci Mane) |
|||
"Self Made" (featuring French Montana, Juicy J & Project Pat) |
|||
"Got Damn (Remix)" (featuring French Montana, Torch, Gunplay, Busta Rhymes & 2 Chainz ) |
DJ Kay Slay | TBA | |
"Mean Muggin" (featuring French Montana & 2 Chainz) |
Game | California Republic[38] | |
"Paper Tags" (featuring French Montana, Wale & Styles P) |
Jadakiss | Consignment[39] | |
"Back To The Money" (featuring French Montana, Waka Flocka Flame & Slim Dunkin) |
|||
"Get Ya Money" (featuring French Montana) |
Mak Mustard | Dead Solver (The Mixtape) | |
"Racked Up Shawty" (featuring French Montana & Fabolous) |
Meek Mill | Dreamchasers 2 | |
"All Birds" (featuring French Montana) |
MMG | Self Made Vol. 2 | |
"Actin Up" (featuring French Montana) |
|||
"I Be Puttin' On" (featuring French Montana, Wiz Khalifa & Roscoe Dash |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B |
US Rap |
|||||||||||
"Choppa Choppa Down"[40] (featuring Waka Flocka Flame) |
2011 | — | — | — | Excuse My French | ||||||||
"Shot Caller" (featuring Charlie Rock) |
2012 | 124 | 39 | 23 | |||||||||
"Pop That" (featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne & Drake) |
— | — | — | ||||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B |
US Rap |
CAN | ||||||||||
"Stay Schemin''" (Rick Ross featuring Drake and French Montana) |
2012 | 58 | 40 | 20 | — | Rich Forever | |||||||
"Hurt Somebody"[41] (Akon featuring French Montana) |
— | — | — | 94 | The Konkrete Mixtape | ||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
|
ASAP Rocky | |
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Photo still of Rocky, 2011 |
|
Background information | |
Birth name | Rakim Mayers |
Born | October 3, 1988 |
Origin | New York City, New York, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations | Rapper, music video director |
Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | A$AP Worldwide, Polo Grounds, RCA, Sony |
Associated acts | A$AP Mob, AraabMuzik, Danny Brown, Black Hippy, Drake , Clams Casino |
Website | asapmob.com |
Rakim Mayers (born October 3, 1988), better known by his stage name ASAP Rocky (stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper and music video director. Born and raised in the New York City neighborhood Harlem, he is a member of the hip hop collective A$AP Mob, from which he adopted his moniker.
Rocky released the mixtape LiveLoveA$AP in 2011 to critical acclaim. He plans to release his debut studio album, LongLiveA$AP, in July 2012.
Contents |
Born in 1988, Mayers was named after the hip hop star Rakim, one half of the Eric B. & Rakim duo.[1][2] When he was 12 years old, his father went to jail in connection with selling drugs. A year later an older brother was killed near his apartment, which inspired him to take rapping seriously.[3] Mayers had started rapping at age 8,[4] grew up admiring Harlem-based rap group The Diplomats, and also lists among his influences Three 6 Mafia, Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang Clan, UGK, Run DMC and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.[5][6] After living in a shelter with his mother, and elsewhere around Manhattan, Mayers moved to Elmwood Park, New Jersey.[1]
In 2007, Rocky assembled the hip hop crew A$AP Mob, a collective of rappers, producers, and music video directors.[7] He adopted its A$AP moniker, which has multiple meanings, including "Always Strive and Prosper", "Assassinating Snitches and Police", and Rocky's favorite, "Acronym Symbolizing Any Purpose".[7]
His first single "Peso" was leaked onto the internet in August 2011 and within weeks received airplay on the high-profile Hot 97 New York radio station. Music videos for "Peso" and "Purple Swag" generated further buzz and resulted in ASAP Rocky signing a reported two $3 million record deal with Sony, RCA Records and Polo Grounds Music. ASAP Rocky released the mixtape LiveLoveA$AP in October to critical acclaim.[8][9][10][11][12] On December 5, he was nominated for BBC's Sound of 2012 poll.[13]
Beginning in February 2012, Rocky opened for rapper Drake on the latter's Club Paradise Tour.[14] He plans to release his debut studio album, LongLiveA$AP, in July, along with an ASAP Mob mixtape.[15] The album's lead single, "Goldie", was released on April 27.[16]
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
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US | US R&B |
US Rap |
||||
"Goldie" | 2012 | — | 81[17] | — | LongLiveA$AP | |
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
US R&B [18] |
|||
"Pe$o"[19] | 2011 | 75 | LiveLoveA$AP |
"Purple Swag"[20] | — | ||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Album | Artist |
---|---|---|---|
"Get High" | 2010 | – | A$AP Ferg |
"Take 1" | 2011 | 808s & Dark Grapes II | Main Attrakionz |
"Make It Stack" | Cold Corner 2 | Lloyd Banks | |
"Real Hustlers Don't Sleep" | Blue Dream & Lean | Juicy J | |
"4 Loko" | Rolling Stoned | Smoke DZA | |
"4 Loko" (Remix) | Sweet Baby Kushed God | Smoke DZA, A$AP Twelvy, Danny Brown, Killa Kyleon, Freeway | |
"Grippin Woodgrain" | – | Seth Narley | |
"Hands on the Wheel" | 2012 | Habits & Contradictions | Schoolboy Q |
"Yao Ming" (Remix) | Sex, Drugs & Video Games | David Banner, Chris Brown | |
"Big Spender" | Lovers Holiday 2: Rose Island | Theophilus London | |
"Street Knock" | Life After the Party | Swizz Beatz |
Song | Year | Artist | Director |
---|---|---|---|
"Get High"[21] | 2010 | ASAP Rocky (featuring ASAP Ferg) | King Zulu |
"Purple Swag"[22] | 2011 | ASAP Rocky | Jason Ano and Rakim Mayers |
"Peso"[23] | Abteen Bagheri and Rakim Mayers | ||
"4 Loko"[24] | Smoke DZA (featuring ASAP Rocky) | Cristopher Schafer and Kory Smith | |
"Demons"[25] | ASAP Rocky | Donjai | |
"Wassup"[26] | 2012 | Rakim Mayers | |
"Hands on the Wheel"[27] | Schoolboy Q (featuring ASAP Rocky) | Jerome D | |
"Goldie" | ASAP Rocky | Rakim Mayers | |
"Street Knock" | Swizz Beatz (featuring ASAP Rocky) | Tahj |
Year | Organisation | Award | Result |
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2011 | BBC Sound of 2012 | Sound of 2012[13] | Nominated |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Category:ASAP Rocky |
Florence and the Machine | |
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Florence and the Machine performing at Coachella. |
|
Background information | |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | Indie pop, indie rock, baroque pop, art rock, soul |
Years active | 2007–present |
Labels | Moshi Moshi, IAMSOUND, Island |
Associated acts | Kid Harpoon, The xx, The Big Pink, Lightspeed Champion, The Horrors, Drake, The Weeknd |
Website | florenceandthemachine.net |
Members | |
Florence Welch Robert Ackroyd Christopher Lloyd Hayden Isabella Summers Tom Monger Mark Saunders Rusty Bradshaw |
Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine)[1] are an English indie pop band, consisting of lead singer Florence Welch and a collaboration of other artists who provide backing music. The band's music received praise across the music media, especially from the BBC, before they gained mainstream success. Specifically, the BBC played a large part in their rise to prominence by promoting Florence and the Machine as part of BBC Introducing.
The band's debut album, Lungs, was released on 6 July 2009, and held the number-two position for its first five weeks on the UK Albums Chart.[2] On 17 January 2010, the album reached the top position, after being on the chart for twenty-eight consecutive weeks.[3] As of October 2010, the album had been in the top forty in the United Kingdom for sixty-five consecutive weeks, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2009 and 2010. The group's second studio album, Ceremonials, released in October 2011, debuted at number one in the UK and number six in the US.
Florence and the Machine's sound has been described as a combination of various genres, including rock and soul.[4][5] Lungs won the MasterCard British Album award at the 2010 BRIT Awards. At the 53rd Grammy Awards, Florence and the Machine were nominated for Best New Artist. Additionally, the band performed at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Concert.
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The name of Florence and the Machine is attributed to Florence Welch's teenage collaboration with Isabella "Machine" Summers. Welch and Summers performed together for a time under the name Florence Robot/Isa Machine. Later, this was shortened to Florence and the Machine as it was felt to be too cumbersome. The current band members include musicians Robert Ackroyd (guitar and backing vocals), Chris Hayden (drums, percussion and backing vocals), Isabella Summers (keyboards and backing vocals), Mark Saunders (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Tom Monger (harp).[6] In the past, Welch has praised the Machine for understanding her creative process, claiming, "I've worked with most of them for a long time and they know my style, know the way I write, they know what I want."[7]
According to Welch, "The name Florence and the Machines started off as a private joke that got out of hand. I made music with my friend, who we called Isabella Machine to which I was Florence Robot. When I was about an hour away from my first gig, I still didn't have a name, so I thought 'Okay, I'll be Florence Robot/Isa Machine', before realising that name was so long it'd drive me mad."[8][9]
In 2007, Welch recorded with a band named Ashok, who released an album titled Plans on the Filthy Lucre/About Records label. This album included the earliest version of her later hit "Kiss with a Fist", which at this point was titled "Happy Slap".[10] She signed a contract for Ashok with a manager, but feeling that she was "in the wrong band" she resigned, which cancelled the contract.[8] Florence and the Machine are managed by Mairead Nash (one half of the DJ duo Queens of Noize), who decided to manage the singer when an inebriated Welch followed Nash into the toilets at a club[8][11] and sang Etta James' 1962 song "Something's Got a Hold on Me".[12]
Florence and the Machine released their debut album Lungs in the United Kingdom on 6 July 2009. The album was produced by James Ford, Paul Epworth, Steve Mackey and Charlie Hugall.[5] Much of the material on the album was written as reaction to what turned out to be a temporary break-up with Welch's former boyfriend. Welch said, "He prefers me not to talk about it. It's funny then singing about it."[13] The album was officially launched with a set at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, South East London. It peaked at number one in the UK and number two in Ireland. As of 6 August 2009, the album had sold over 100,000 copies in the UK and by 10 August it had been at number two for five consecutive weeks.[13][14] Following its 25 July 2009 release for download in the United States, the album debuted at number seventeen on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart,[15] ultimately peaking at number one.[16] The album was released physically in the US on 20 October by Universal Republic.[17]
"Kiss with a Fist" was released as the album's lead single on 9 June 2008. The track was featured on the soundtrack to the films Wild Child,[18] Jennifer's Body,[19] and St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold,[20] as well as in the television series 90210 and Saving Grace.[21][22] Follow-up single "Dog Days Are Over", released on 1 December 2008, was recorded with no instruments in a studio the "size of a loo".[23] The song was used in the American television series Gossip Girl,[24] Community[25] and Covert Affairs,[26] in the British television series Skins,[27] and in the theatrical trailer for the 2010 comedy-drama film Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts.[28] "Dog Days Are Over" was also featured in the Glee episode "Special Education", where it was covered by Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley.[29] "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" was released on 22 June 2009 as the third single from the album. A small part of the song's melody, as well as the lyric "How quickly the glamour fades", were lifted from New York band Gang Gang Dance's 2008 song "House Jam" without credit on the Lungs liner notes. Members of the group noticed this and brought it to the attention of Florence and the Machine's label. Island Records acknowledged infringement and agreed to pay Gang Gang Dance a share of the song's publishing royalties. Welch agreed that she erred and said her intent was to pay homage.[30][31]
After the release of Lungs, "Drumming Song" and a cover of The Source and Candi Staton's 1986 song "You've Got the Love" were released as singles,[32][33] the latter of which also went on to become part of a mashup titled "You Got the Dirtee Love" between Welch and English rapper Dizzee Rascal. The two performed the mashup together at the 2010 BRIT Awards on 16 February 2010 and the recorded performance was subsequently released as a single the following day.[34][35]
On 5 January 2010, "Hurricane Drunk" was originally announced as the next single from the album.[36] However, on 3 March a re-release of "Dog Days Are Over" was announced on the band's website; it was released digitally on 11 April 2010 and on 7" vinyl the following day, coinciding with the release of a brand-new video.[37] "Cosmic Love" was released on 5 July 2010 as the sixth and final single from Lungs, with a music video having already been shot.[38] The song was featured in several American television shows, including Grey's Anatomy,[39] The Vampire Diaries,[40] V,[41] Nikita[42] and So You Think You Can Dance.[43] The band also made a guest appearance in the 7 February 2011 episode of Gossip Girl, titled "Panic Roommate", where they performed an acoustic rendition of "Cosmic Love".[44] On 12 May 2010, it was announced that Florence and the Machine would provide a track called "Heavy in Your Arms" for the soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film of The Twilight Saga.[45] Eclipse was released in cinemas on 30 June 2010, with "Heavy in Your Arms" playing during the end credits. The music video followed on 7 July 2010. An exclusive remix of "I'm Not Calling You a Liar" is featured in the 2011 video game Dragon Age II as "I'm Not Calling You a Liar (Dragon Age II: Varric's Theme)", produced by the game's composer Inon Zur.[46]
Initially, Welch considered offers from the band's record label to record their second album in the USA to work with writers and producers in Los Angeles,[47] but ultimately decided to record the album in the UK. The first demo session occurred in January 2010 with Welch and Paul Epworth at a small London studio. Numerous producers expressed an interest in working on the album but Welch rejected the offers because she wanted Ceremonials to be a better version of Lungs with a "more dark, more heavy, bigger drum sounds, bigger bass, but with more of a whole sound". For the rest of the year work on the album continued only intermittently as the band concentrated on an extensive tour of the United States, where Lungs had become popular. The majority of the writing for the album was done between January and April 2011, with recording taking place in April at Abbey Road Studios. Refinement took place at Epworth's own London studios while Welch recorded vocal tracks in various US studios, during days off from touring. The final recording session took place in July at Epworth's studio.[47] Epworth co-wrote seven tracks. Several other British writers share credits on the album, including Summers, Kid Harpoon, James Ford and composer Eg White.[47]
In June 2011 a cover of the Buddy Holly classic "Not Fade Away," which Florence and the Machine recorded for the tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly tied to Holly's seventy-fifth birthday year, was released[48] and they debuted Ceremonials' setup track "What the Water Gave Me" at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California.[49] In August 2011, the single "What the Water Gave Me" was released on iTunes[50] along with an accompanying video on the band's website and YouTube channel.[51] The video drew 1.5 million YouTube views in two days and the track received play on US alternative radio with strong support from Los Angeles radio station KROQ.[47] The single "Shake It Out" was released over the internet in September 2011, with standard release 11 October. In Australia, the song was playlisted at Triple J and Nova radio networks and received strong airplay in Scandinavia, Italy and Canada.[47]
The band's second album, Ceremonials, was released on 31 October 2011. It reached the number one position on the UK Albums Chart in its first week of release and number six on the US Billboard 200.[52][53] On 12 January 2012, Florence and the Machine were nominated for two Brit Awards, with the awards ceremony taking place on 21 February 2012 at the O2 Arena, London.[54]
On 26 April 2012, the band released "Breath of Life", a song which was recorded as the official theme song for the upcoming film Snow White and the Huntsman.[55][56]
Florence and the Machine started off by playing a handful of gigs in and around London, and in August 2007, the band performed at the debut year of the 1-2-3-4 Shoreditch Festival, performing alongside Lightspeed Champion on the MySpace Main Stage which was hosted by manager Nash's DJ double act, Queens of Noize.[11][57] In May 2008, they supported MGMT on tour in Europe.[58] The BBC played a large part in Florence and the Machine's rise to prominence by promoting her as part of BBC Introducing.[59] This led to them playing music festivals in 2008, including Glastonbury,[60] Reading and Leeds[61] and Bestival.[62] Florence and the Machine were also part of the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2009 in January and February.[63]
The group played the Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust charity event at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2009.[64] Florence and The Machine supported Blur for their 26 June comeback performance at the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.[65] They played at the Lovebox Festival on 18 and 19 July.[66] In July 2009, the group was supporting Duran Duran.[9] They performed at the Glastonbury Festival 2009,[67] the Reading and Leeds 2009,[68] Electric Picnic 2009[69] and T in the Park 2009.[70]
Florence and the Machine played at Australia's Splendour in the Grass music festival in July 2010. The group drew one of the biggest crowds of the three-day festival. They performed in the natural open-air amphitheater, which had to be closed off by security due to safety concerns as an unprecedented number of festivalgoers rushed to see the performance. It is estimated that 28,000 people of the 33,000 people that attended the festival crammed in to see Florence and the Machine. The amphitheater was reopened shortly after the start, once the safety fear was over.[71] In October 2009, the band's equipment and instruments were caught in a trailer fire during their European tour, forcing the band to use rented instruments to complete their remaining shows.[72] Welch stated, "You could hear the harp's strings ping in the fire. Strange sound. We recorded it and I want to use it in a song."[73]
On 27 October 2009, Florence and the Machine played their first official New York City gig at the Bowery Ballroom,[74] and performed "Kiss with a Fist" on The Late Show with David Letterman.[75][76] On 5 November, the band performed "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" on Jimmy Kimmel Live![77] Welch stated although she would like to tour the United States, she is fearful of becoming homesick due to the time it would take to tour the country.[78]
After the success of Lungs topping the UK Albums Chart in January 2010, seven months after the album was released, Florence and the Machine announced an eleven-date UK and Ireland tour called The Cosmic Love Tour in May 2010.[79] Support acts include Babe Shadow and The Drums.[79][80] Florence and the Machine performed at Oxegen 2010,[81] T in the Park 2010,[82] the Isle of Wight Festival 2010,[83] Roskilde Festival 2010,[84] V Festival 2010,[85][86] and the San Miguel Primavera Sound 2010.[87] In March 2010, it was that confirmed that the band's first headlining festival would be Latitude 2010, having been booked the previous September before achieving mainstream success.[88]
The Cosmic Love Tour kicked off at Dublin's Olympia Theatre on 2 May 2010 where the group debuted a new song called "Strangeness and Charm" [89] and ended at London's Hammersmith Apollo on 15 May 2010.[90] On 25 June, the group played the Glastonbury Festival 2010, where they performed "Strangeness and Charm" and a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" during their ten-song set.[91] Their performance drew one of the biggest crowds of the day and one of the biggest in the Other Stage's history.[91]
Welch and Dizzee Rascal's performance of a mashup version of the band's single "You've Got the Love" and Dizzee's single "Dirtee Cash", titled "You Got the Dirtee Love", at the 2010 BRIT Awards on 16 February 2010 was described as "a definite highlight of the evening".[92] This collaboration was released as a charity single the following day, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart.[92] She reprised the performance when she joined Dizzee on stage during his performance at the Glastonbury Festival 2010.[93] Florence and the Machine opened for U2 on the North American leg of their U2 360° Tour in June and July 2011.[94]
In an interview with New York Post's PopWrap, Welch revealed that, in the weeks and months prior to her 12 September performance at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, was so nervous she lost sleep and cried.[95] In addition, she struggled during the pre-show rehearsal with a move that required her to stand up on a rotating platform.[96] The performance was directed by So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Travis Wall and had Welch performing with a host of hyperactive dancers.[96] It was described as "both ethereal and downright joyous".[96] After the performance, Lungs rose to number two on the iTunes albums chart and "Dog Days Are Over" rose to number nine on the iTunes singles chart.[97] In addition, Florence and the Machine became the number-one search on Google and received 1,700 tweets per minute on Twitter.[97] Florence and the Machine performed "Dog Days Are Over" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 15 October 2010.[98] On 20 November 2010, the band performed "Dog Days Are Over" and "You've Got the Love" on Saturday Night Live.[99] They performed an online-only concert at New York City's Ed Sullivan Theater on 16 December 2010 as part of the Live on Letterman concert series.[100] Welch and a number of other female singers opened the 53rd Grammy Awards on 13 February 2011 with a tribute to an ailing Aretha Franklin.[101] On 27 February 2011, Welch replaced pregnant Dido and sang her portion of Best Original Song nominee "If I Rise" (from 127 Hours) with A. R. Rahman at the 83rd Academy Awards.[102][103] Two years of worldwide touring are scheduled to promote Ceremonials.[104]
Welch led a tribute to Amy Winehouse by performing Winehouse's single "Back to Black" during "VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul" concert held in December 2011.[105] The group performed in Times Square on 31 December 2011 for the 40th annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve special.[106]
Florence Welch has been compared to other female singers such as Kate Bush,[107][108] Siouxsie Sioux,[107][108] PJ Harvey,[107] and Björk.[108] During an interview, Welch cited Grace Slick as her influence and "hero".[109] Florence and the Machine's style has been described as "dark, robust and romantic".[107] Their music is a mix of "classic soul and midnight-on-the-moors English art rock".[107] Florence Welch stated that her lyrics related to Renaissance artists : "We're dealing with all of the same things they did : love and death, time and pain, heaven and hell".[110] From 2008, Welch had a relationship with Stuart Hammond, a literary editor: their temporary split provided inspiration for much of the Lungs album.[111] In 2011 the couple announced that they had broken up by mutual decision because of conflicting career demands: the breakup provided material for Florence and The Machine's second album.[104]
Florence and the Machine won the Critic's Choice Award at the 2009 BRIT Awards after coming third in the BBC's Sound of 2009 poll.[112][113] As well as attention from the BBC, the band received significant support from NME magazine, who included them on their annual Shockwaves NME Awards Tour for 2009, along with Glasvegas, Friendly Fires and White Lies.[63]
The Sunday Times described Welch as "the most peculiar and most highly acclaimed female singer of the moment" and "the latest in a line of great English pop eccentrics".[8] Allmusic referred to Lungs as "one of the most musically mature and emotionally mesmerising albums of 2009".[114] Spin magazine rated Lungs eight out of ten and wrote, "You've gotta hand it to the girl: She always makes you feel something."[115] The magazine named it the eighth best album of 2009.[116] In December 2010, Florence and the Machine appeared on one of Spin's three holiday issue covers as Artist of the Year.[117][118]
Florence and the Machine won the MasterCard British Album award for Lungs at the 2010 BRIT Awards,[119] having also been nominated for British Female Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act.[120] On 19 February 2010, Florence and the Machine won Best International Band at the 2010 Meteor Awards.[121] The group led the nominations for the 2010 MOJO Awards, with four nods.[122] They received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards.[123] In April 2011, Florence and the Machine were ranked 51 in the 2011 Time 100 poll, which annually lists the 100 most influential people in the world.[124] American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, cited Florence and the Machine as an influence on her 2011 album 4.[125]
The band's music video for "No Light, No Light" sparked controversy after several online commentators addressed its religious and racial imagery, due to its perceived use of blackface and representations of voodoo.[126][127][128] During an interview with MTV News, when asked by James Montgomery whether she was a part of the Illuminati due to the online accusations around the video, Welch said, "That's ridiculous. Really? So people [think that?]. I'm definitely not [a member]. It's just not true."[129]
Year | Organisation | Nominated work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | BBC Sound of 2009 | Florence and the Machine | Sound of 2009 | Nominated Third place |
BRIT Awards | Critic's Choice Award | Won | ||
Mercury Prize | Lungs | Mercury Prize | Nominated | |
Studio8 Media International Music Award | Florence and the Machine | Female Voice of July 2009 | Won | |
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" | Song of July 2009 | Won | ||
MTV Europe Music Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best UK and Ireland New Act | Nominated | |
Q Awards | Lungs | Best Album | Nominated | |
"Drumming Song" | Best Video | Nominated | ||
Florence and the Machine | Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | ||
UK Festival Awards | Best Breakthrough Act | Won | ||
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" | Anthem of the Year | Nominated | ||
Florence and the Machine | Festival Fitty of the Year – Girls | Nominated | ||
UK Music Video Awards | "Drumming Song" | Best Pop Video | Nominated | |
Best Styling in a Video | Won | |||
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" | Nominated | |||
2010 | South Bank Show | Florence and the Machine | South Bank Show Award | Won |
BRIT Awards | British Female Solo Artist | Nominated | ||
British Breakthrough Act | Nominated | |||
Lungs | MasterCard British Album | Won | ||
Glamour Women of the Year Awards | Florence and The Machine | Band of The Year | Won | |
Meteor Music Awards | Lungs | Best International Album | Nominated | |
Florence and the Machine | Best International Band | Won | ||
Best International Live Performance | Nominated | |||
Elle Style Awards | Musician of the Year | Won | ||
Shockwaves NME Awards | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | ||
"Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)" | Best Track | Nominated | ||
"You've Got the Love" | Best Dancefloor Filler | Nominated | ||
Florence Welch | Best Dressed | Nominated | ||
MOJO Awards | Florence and the Machine | Breakthrough Act | Nominated | |
Best Live Act | Nominated | |||
"You've Got the Love" | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
Lungs | Best Album | Nominated | ||
MTV Video Music Awards | "Dog Days Are Over" | Video of the Year | Nominated | |
Best Rock Video | Nominated | |||
Best Art Direction in a Video | Won | |||
Best Cinematography in a Video | Nominated | |||
BT Digital Music Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best Female Artist | Nominated | |
"You've Got the Love" | Best Song | Nominated | ||
Q Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best Female | Won | |
"You've Got the Love" | Best Song | Won | ||
UK Music Video Awards | "Dog Days Are Over" | Best Pop Video | Nominated | |
Best Styling in a Video | Nominated | |||
UK Festival Awards | "You've Got the Love" | Anthem of the Year | Won | |
Florence and the machine | Feel-Good Act of the Summer | Nominated | ||
4Music Video Honours | "Dog Days Are Over" | Best Video of 2010 | Nominated | |
European Festival Awards | "You've Got the Love" | Anthem of the Year | Nominated | |
Florence and the Machine | Best Newcomer | Won | ||
2011 | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | Nominated | |
Virgin Media Music Awards | Hottest Women | Nominated | ||
Florence and the Machine with Dizzee Rascal | Best Collaboration | Nominated | ||
"Dog Days Are Over" | Best Video | Nominated | ||
Florence Welch | Best Live Act | Nominated | ||
Shameless Publicity Seeker | Nominated | |||
BRIT Awards | "You've Got the Love" | Best British Single | Nominated | |
Shockwaves NME Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | |
International Dance Music Awards | "Dog Days Are Over" (Yeasayer Remix) | Best Alternative/Rock Dance Track | Nominated | |
Florence and the Machine | Best Break-Through Artist (Group) | Nominated | ||
Glamour Women of the Year Awards | Best Band | Nominated | ||
Billboard Music Awards | "Dog Days Are Over" | Top Rock Song | Nominated | |
Top Alternative Song | Nominated | |||
2012 | Elle Style Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best Music Act | Won |
BRIT Awards | Florence and the Machine | British Female Solo Artist | Nominated | |
Ceremonials | Mastercard British Album | Nominated | ||
Shockwaves NME Awards | Florence and the Machine | Best Solo Artist | Won | |
"Shake It Out" | Best Track | Won | ||
Florence and the Machine | Hottest Female | Nominated |
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