Name	Trakai, Lithuania
Settlement type	City
Pushpin map	Lithuania
Pushpin label position
Pushpin map caption	Location of Trakai
Image shield	Trakai (Lithuania) CoA.svg
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates region	LT
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Ethnographic region
Subdivision name1	Aukštaitija
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Vilnius County
Subdivision type3	Municipality
Subdivision name3	Trakai district municipality
Subdivision type4	Eldership
Subdivision name4	Trakai eldership
Subdivision type6	Capital of
Subdivision name6	Trakai district municipalityTrakai eldership
Established date	1337
Established title	First mentioned
Established date2	1409
Established title2	Granted city rights
Population total	5357
Population as of	2009
Timezone	EET
Utc offset	+2
Timezone dst	EEST
Utc offset dst	+3

Trakai (, is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km² of area and, according to 2007 estimates, is inhabited by 5,357 people. A notable feature of Trakai is that the town was built and preserved by people of different nationalities. Historically, communities of Karaims, Tatars, Lithuanians, Russians, Jews and Poles lived here.

Name

The name of the town was first recorded in 1337 chronicles in German as Tracken (later also used spelling Traken) and is derived from the Lithuanian word trakai (singular: trakas meaning a glade). Since the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the city was known as Troki in Polish.

Demographics

The majority of Trakai's inhabitants (61%) are Lithuanian, although the town also has a substantial Polish minority (21%), as well as Russians. The city has a significant Karaite population.

Geography

There are 200 lakes in the region, of which the deepest (46.7 m) is Galvė with its 21 islands. Galvė covers an area of 3.88 km², Vilkokšnis lake - 3.37 km², the lake of Skaistis - 2.96 km². There are Trakai Historical National Park and Aukštadvaris Regional Park founded in the territory of the region.

Trakai Historical National Park was founded on April 23, 1991 to preserve Trakai as a centre of Lithuanian statehood as well as the park's authentic nature. It is the only historical national park not only in Lithuania but also throughout Europe. The territory of the park covers 82 km², 34 km² of which are covered by forests, and 130 km² are covered by lakes.

Aukštadvaris Regional Park was founded in 1992 to preserve the valuable landscapes of Verknė and Strėva upper reaches. The area of the park is 153.50 km², most of which is covered by forests. There are 72 lakes here, the biggest of which is Vilkokšnis.

Trakai is a town built on water. The town is surrounded by the lakes of Luka (Bernardinai), Totoriškės, Galvė, Akmena, Gilušis. There are a number of architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Trakai. The history museum in the castle was established in 1962. Festivals and concerts take place in the island castle in summer.

History

Beginnings

The first settlements in this area appeared as early as the first millennium A.D. The town, as well as its surroundings, started developing in the 13th century in the place of Senieji Trakai (Old Trakai). According to a legend after a successful hunting party, Grand Duke Gediminas discovered a beautiful lake-surrounded place not far from Kernavė, then capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and decided to build a castle in the location. That is how the Old Trakai Castle was built in Senieji Trakai. The name of Trakai was first mentioned in Teutonic Knights chronicles in 1337. This year is considered to be the official date of town's foundation. When Grand Duke Gediminas finally settled in Vilnius, Senieji Trakai was inherited by his son the Duke Kęstutis. Duchy of Trakai developed and the town entered its best decades.

Golden age

banknote released in 1993]]

Grand Duke Kęstutis moved the town from Senieji Trakai to its current location, which is sometimes known as Naujieji Trakai. The new location was a place of intensive construction: a new castle was built in the strait between lakes Galvė and Luka and known as the Peninsula Castle, and another one, known as the Island Castle, on an island in Lake Galvė. A village grew around the castles. Vicinity of Trakai was protected by Senieji Trakai, Strėva, Bražuolė, Daniliškės and other hillforts from attacks of the Teutonic Knights. Despite the protection, both wooden castles were successfully raided by the Teutonic Knights several times in a row.

The town was in the center of a conflict between Grand Duke Jogaila (later to become King of Poland) with his uncle Kęstutis. In 1382 Jogaila's and Kęstutis armies met near Trakai, but Jogaila tricked Kęstutis and imprisoned him in Kreva. A few weeks later Kęstutis dies in captivity and Jogaila transferred the castles to his brother Skirgaila, who became a governor of Lithuania Proper. However, his rule was briefly interrupted when in 1383 joint forces of Kęstutis's son Vytautas and the Teutonic Knights captured the town. In 1392 Vytautas and Jogaila signed Astrava Treaty ending their quarrel. Vytautas became the Grand Duke of Lithuania while Jogaila technically remained his superior. Vytautas also regained his father's lands, including Trakai. Despite his official capital being Vilnius, Vytautas spent more time in Trakai. In early 15th century he replaced the older, wooden fortress with a stone-built castle. Some design elements were borrowed from the castles of the Teutonic Knights as Vytautas spent some time with the Teutons forming an alliance against Jogaila in earlier years.

Trakai became a political and an administrative centre of the Duchy, sometimes named a de facto capital of Lithuania. Construction of the brick castles was finished and a Catholic church was built. In 1409 the town was granted with Magdeburg Rights; it one of the first towns in Lithuania to get city rights. The village started rapidly developing into a town. In 1413 it became a seat of the Trakai Voivodeship and a notable center of administration and commerce.

Decline and reconstruction

After the Grand Duchy of Lithuania joined the Kingdom of Poland into Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, the castles remained a royal property, but the town's importance gradually declined, with the nearby Vilnius and the political center of the Commonwealth in Kraków being far more important. Nevertheless, it continued to be the seat of local Sejmik. In Polish sources the town name was started to be referred to as Troki. In 1477, the castle on the lake was a meeting place of king Casimir IV of Poland with Venetian envoys. After that the castle became a luxurious prison for political prisoners. Sigismund I the Old imprisoned the members of Goštautai family, believed to be conspiring with Michał Gliński. Also Helena, widow of Alexander of Poland was kept there in order to prevent her escape to Muscovy. The castle was refurbished by king Sigismund I the Old, who set up his summer residence there; however, after his death in 1548 the castle gradually fell into disrepair.

During the wars between Russia and Poland between 1654 and 1667, the town was plundered and burnt. In the aftermath of the war with Muscovy in 1655, both castles were demolished and the town's prosperity ended. The castle ruins remained a historical landmark. During the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Trakai was plundered again, as famine and plague swept the country.

After the Partitions of Poland in 1795, the area was annexed by the Russian Empire. After World War I, the area was captured by the restored Republic of Poland. In 1929, the Polish authorities ordered reconstruction and restoration of the Trakai Island Castle. The works in the Upper castle were almost complete in 1939, when the Polish Defensive War started and the area was soon annexed by the Soviet Union, then by Nazi Germany during Operation Barbarossa. During the war, more than 5,000 Jews from the Trakai region were murdered by the Nazis. In 1944, during Operation Tempest, the town was liberated by joint forces of the underground Polish Home Army and Soviet partisans. After World War II it was again annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Lithuanian SSR in the Soviet Union; subsequently many of the city's and area's ethnic Polish inhabitants left for the recovered Territories of the People's Republic of Poland.

In 1961, the reconstruction of the upper castle and a high tower construction were completed; however, the works came to a halt as a result of Nikita Khrushchev's speech of December 21, 1960. The Soviet First Secretary declared that reconstruction of the castle would be a sign of glorification of Lithuania's feudal past. Works in the lower castle were not resumed until the 1980s and were completed by the Lithuanian authorities in the early 1990s. Today the Island Castle serves as the main tourist attraction, hosting various cultural events such as operas and concerts.

Karaim community

Karaims (or Karaites) are a small Turkic-speaking religious and ethnic group resettled to Trakai by Grand Duke Vytautas in 1397 and 1398 from Crimea, after one of his successful military campaigns against the Golden Horde. Both Christian and Karaim communities were granted separate self-government in accordance with the Magdeburg rights. Despite ever-increasing Polonisation, Trakai remained a notable center of Karaim cultural and religious life. Some famous scholars were active in Trakai in the 16th and 17th centuries, such as Isaac ben Abraham of Trakai (1533–1594?), Joseph ben Mordecai Malinovski, Zera ben Nathan of Trakai, Salomon ben Aharon of Trakai, Ezra ben Nissan (died in 1666) and Josiah ben Judah (died after 1658). Some of the Karaims became wealthy and noble. The local Karaim community, the backbone of the town's economy, suffered severely during the Khmelnytsky Uprising and the massacres of 1648. By 1680, only 30 Karaim families were left in the town. Their traditions, including not accepting neophytes, prevented the community from regaining its strength. Early in the 18th century war, famine, and plague reduced the Karaims to three families. By 1765 Karaim community increased to 300. Trakai's Karaim kenesa is a rare example of a surviving wooden synagogue with an interior dome.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Trakai is twinned with: {| cellpadding="10" |- valign="top" | Rheine, Germany, since 1996 Malbork, Poland, since 1997 Alanya, Turkey || Nowy Sącz, Poland Giżycko, Poland Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine || Yavoriv, Ukraine Schönebeck, Germany Borne, Netherlands || Jarosław, Poland Târgovişte, Rumania Bernburg, Germany |}

Notable people

Isaac ben Abraham Troki

References

;Notes

External links

Trakai Town Site

Trakai Historical National Park

Category:Cities in Lithuania Category:Resorts in Lithuania Category:Cities in Vilnius County

Name	Lupe Fiasco
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Wasalu Muhammad Jaco
Alias	Lupe Fiasco
Born	February 16, 1982Chicago, Illinois, United States
Instrument	Rapping, piano, keyboards
Genre	Hip hop, alternative rock
Occupation	Rapper, songwriter, record producer, CEO
Years active	2000–present
Label	Arista, Epic, 1st & 15th, Atlantic, All Sabotage
Associated acts	Child Rebel Soldier, Japanese Cartoon, Matthew Santos, B.o.B, All City Chess Club
Url

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, artist, producer and CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of post punk band Japanese Cartoon under his real name.

Raised in Chicago, Fiasco developed an interest in hip-hop after initially disliking the genre for its use of vulgarity. He adopted the name Lupe Fiasco and began recording songs in his father's basement, and joined a group called Da Pak. The group disbanded shortly after its inception, and Fiasco soon met rapper Jay-Z who helped him sign a record deal with Atlantic Records. In 2006, Fiasco released his debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor on the label, to commercial and critical acclaim. He then released his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, in December 2007. The single "Superstar" became a hit, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. His upcoming album, Lasers, is scheduled for release on March 8, 2011.

In addition to music, Fiasco has pursued other business ventures, including fashion. He runs two clothing lines, "Righteous Kung-Fu" and "Trilly & Truly"; he has also designed sneakers for Reebok. He has also been involved with charitable activities throughout his career, including the Summit on the Summit expedition, and in 2010 he recorded a benefit single for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Life and career

1982–98: Early life

Fiasco was born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco on February 16, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. Born of West African descent, he was one of nine children of Shirley, a gourmet chef, and Gregory, an engineer. His father, who was a member of the Black Panther Party, was a prolific African drummer, karate teacher, operating plant engineer, and owner of karate schools and army surplus stores. Fiasco was raised Muslim on the West side of Chicago on Madison Terrace housing project. At the age of three, Fiasco began taking martial arts classes.

His parents divorced when he was five, and he went on to live with his mother, but his father still remained prevalent in his life. "After school, my father would come and get us and take us out into the world--one day, we're listening to N.W.A, the next day we're listening to Ravi Shankar, the next day, he's teaching us how to shoot an AK-47, the next day, we're at karate class, the next day, we're in Chinatown...". In sixth grade, he went to live with his father in Harvey, Illinois. His father lived next door to a crack house and taught Fiasco to use guns to defend himself from drug dealers. Early in his career, he went by stage names Little Lu and Lu tha Underdog. Growing up, Fiasco was given the nickname "Lu", the last part of his first name, by his mother. "Lupe" is an extension of this nickname, which he borrowed from a friend from high school. "Fiasco," he says, "came from the Firm album. They had the song, 'Firm Fiasco'. I just liked the way it looked on paper." He also said of his name, "I simply like the way the word looked (Fiasco). You know how rappers always have names like MC Terrorist--like they're 'terrorizing' other rappers? I knew fiasco meant a great disaster or something like that, but I didn't realize that the person named Fiasco would be the disaster, and that you should be calling other MCs fiascos--not yourself. I was moving real fast at the time, and it kind of humbled me in a sense. It taught me like, 'Yo, stop rushing, or you're going to have some fiascos.' So I just kept it. It's like a scar, I guess, a reminder to not over think or overrun anything ever again." Fiasco later described the experience, saying "We had a song out about cocaine, guns, and women, and I would go to a record store and look at it and think, 'What are you doing?' I felt like a hypocrite. I was acting like this rapper who would never be judged, and I had to destroy that guy. Because what Lupe Fiasco says on this microphone is going to come back to Wasalu Jaco. When the music cuts off, you have to go home and live with what you say." After turning away from gangsta rap, he developed a greater appreciation of the lyricism of Jay-Z and Nas. His mother also gave him a record of The Watts Prophets, one of the first bands to use spoken words with music and would become the basis of rap.

Fiasco later signed a solo deal with Arista Records, but was dropped when president and CEO L. A. Reid was fired.

He remixed another one of West's songs, "Diamonds from Sierra Leone", and renamed it as "Conflict Diamonds". This caught West's attention, and he asked Fiasco to perform on his song "Touch the Sky" off his album Late Registration. The song, which sampled Curtis Mayfield's "Move On Up", became a hit in the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #42. After this success his first single "Kick, Push" was released earlier than expected. The song was a love story about two lovers sharing a passion for skateboarding. It would go on to be nominated for two 2007 Grammy Awards. The single, and its accompanying music video, helped Fiasco get attention in the hip-hop community. During this time, he had guest appearances on singles on Tha' Rayne's "Kiss Me" and "Didn't You Know" and also K Foxx's 2004 "This Life". He also released the song "Coulda Been" on a compilation of MTV's Advance Warning.

2006–08: Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor and The Cool

Jay-Z assisted him in the production of what would become his debut album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. The title is, as Fiasco says, "The title reflects on me being Muslim and being from the streets. In Chicago, instead of having bodegas like in New York, the majority of the corner stores are called 'Food and Liquors.' The store is where everything is at, whether it be the wino hanging by the store, or us kids going back and forth to the store to buy something. The 'Food' is the good part and the Liquors is the bad part. I try to balance out both parts of me...Food to me represents growth and progression. You eat food and you get strength. You need it to live. Liquor is not a necessity; it is a want. It destroys you. It breaks you down. I can see why it's prohibited in Islam...I've always felt like liquor represents the bad, the food represents the good, and everyone is made up of a little of both." His single "Kick, Push" became very popular, and was featured in the videogame NBA Live 2007. As his popularity steadily increased, so did anticipation for his upcoming album Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. The album was officially released on September 19, 2006. The album featured production from Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mike Shinoda, The Neptunes, Prolyfic, and more. Singles from the album were "Kick, Push," "I Gotcha" and "Daydreamin'" featuring Jill Scott. The critically lauded album was later nominated for three Grammy Awards including Best Rap Album. Fiasco won "Best Urban/Alternative Performance" for "Daydreamin". In the same year, he was voted by GQ magazine as the "Breakout Man of the Year." He also received four BET Hip Hop Award nominations, and it made it to No. 8 on Billboard 200 and No.2 on Billboard Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

In 2007, Fiasco announced his second album, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, a concept album that expands on the story of the track of the same name on his first album. While recording the album, Fiasco's father died of type II diabetes and his business partner, Charles "Chilly" Patton, was convicted of attempting to supply heroin and was sentenced to 44 years in prison. The song has also been featured in HBO's Hard Knocks TV show. The album's second single (released in the UK in April 2008) was "Paris, Tokyo" - a song based around Fiasco's experiences of touring the world between his first and second albums.

Also in 2007, it was revealed that Fiasco, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams had formed a group known as Child Rebel Soldier. CRS initially released one single, entitled "US Placers" and featuring a Thom Yorke sample. In October 2010, as part of Kanye West's G.O.O.D Friday's, a second song titled "Don't Stop" was released. In an interview with MTV, posted on his blog, Lupe said that a full length CRS album would depend on fan demand. The three appeared on the Glow in the Dark Tour together, though under separate billing.

In an interview with The Village Voice, Fiasco revealed that he was writing a novel about a window washer aptly titled Reflections of a Window Washer. In 2008, Fiasco and his band 1500 or Nothin joined West's Glow in the Dark Tour, which also features Rihanna and N.E.R.D. The tour stopped in several cities, including his hometown of Chicago. In 2008, MTV named Fiasco the 7th Hottest MC in the Game and announced that he was remixing The Cool with French electro house act Justice. Fiasco's "Superstar" has been included in the video game Lips.

2009–present: Lasers

Fiasco announced at a Chicago concert late in 2008 that his next and most likely final album will be a three disc album called LupE.N.D. and that the first disc "Everywhere" would come out in June 2009. On January 30, 2009, Lupe Fiasco originally announced that LupE.N.D. will be postponed indefinitely. Instead, he would release three albums; The Great American Rap Album in June 2009, two following albums in December 2009 and June 2010, with LupE.N.D. following afterward. However, it was announced by Fiasco that his next album would instead be titled, "We Are Lasers"; yet later his official rep announced and confirmed that it would instead be titled simply "Lasers". On June 26, Fiasco announced at the Chicago Theater that the album would be released fourth quarter 2009, most likely in December. The album's first single, "Shining Down," features Matthew Santos and is produced by Soundtrakk. The single was released on July 7, 2009. On January 26, 2010, a new song called "I'm Beamin" was released. "I'm Beamin" will be on the upcoming Lasers; Fiasco referred to the song as a 'taste' of what is coming. There are a few snippets of songs that have been released as of August 24, 2009, unofficially titled "Army Girl," "Ladies And Gentlemen," and "2 Ways." On October 7, 2009, Lupe released a song in response to the release of MTV's 2009 "Top 10 Hottest MC's List," on which he was absent. Lupe stated that the track, entitled "Fire", would prove that he belonged in the number 1 spot on the following year's list.

In October 2009, Fiasco released two new freestyles, "Turnt Up" and "Say Something". Both freestyles were included on his official mixtape , released on November 26, 2009. The mixtape also included beats from Diddy's "Angels", Lil Wayne's "Fireman," Slaughterhouse's The One, and Radiohead's "The National Anthem." Lupe Fiasco has also contributed vocals to Chris Brown's song "Girlfriend" on his 2009 album Graffiti and has provided a guest verse on the song "Past My Shades" from Atlanta rapper B.o.B's 2010 album, .

Fiasco announced on Twitter that the new album is complete and is waiting for release from Atlantic Records. Fans waiting on the album have put together an online petition demanding that Atlantic Records release Lasers, due to the fact the album was announced last year and still doesn't have a release date. The petition garnered considerable attention on hip hop blog sites as well as attaining over 5,000 signatures on its first day. It has since reached over 28,000 signatures. In response to the petition, Fiasco released a song titled "B.M.F-Building Minds Faster" as a gift for his fans. The story was featured on many sites, including CNN, and MTV in which Fiasco said 'I love to see this petition. It brought me to tears a couple of times'.

In April 2010, in association with Pharrell, Fiasco formed the hip-hop group All City Chess Club. It includes himself as well as Asher Roth, B.o.B., The Cool Kids, Charles Hamilton, Blu, Diggy Simmons, Wale, J. Cole, & Dosage. They have so far made one song, a remix of Lupe's "I'm Beamin", which features Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton, The Cool Kids, Blu, Diggy Simmons, B.o.B & Dosage.

On July 16, 2010, Fiasco, under his real name Wasalu Jaco, released his post-punk band Japanese Cartoon's debut album In The Jaws Of The Lords Of Death. He created the album while waiting for Atlantic Records to release his upcoming album, and stated that Japanese Cartoon was influenced by a variety of musical genres, saying, "I’ve always been a fan of all music. My favorite songs aren’t hip-hop songs, they’re songs from Queen like "Somebody To Love". Hip-hop is just something I actually know how to do. But I always had aspirations to participate in other forms of music. Once I got to create some hip-hop, it was like, 'Okay, what am I going to do now?' So my artistic side was like, 'Yo, let’s do some rock music.'" That snippet/song had the album titled Food & Liquor II (TGARA). This led to speculation that "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album," would be Lupe's follow-up to Lasers.

On August 23, Fiasco released "Go to Sleep" in its entirety. While performing at Wake Forest University's Alumni Weekend Concert in Winston-Salem, NC on October 8, Fiasco revealed to the crowd that the album would be released in early March. On October 15, Fiasco and his fans protested outside the Atlantic Records headquarters in New York City for the release of his third studio album, Lasers. After the long haul, Atlantic has announced a release date of March 8, 2011. The first single off of Lasers, "The Show Goes On", was released on October 26, 2010 via Lupe's official website. The song samples the song "Float On" by Modest Mouse. It was released to iTunes on November 9, 2010, and debuted at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Philanthropy and business ventures

on July 7, 2008.]] In 2001, Fiasco co-founded with Charles "Chilly" Patton 1st & 15th Entertainment (or "FNF", named after the traditional twice-monthly paycheck dates), Although Fiasco was initially to serve as vice-president, he became CEO after Patton was convicted on drug charges. Fiasco and singer Matthew Santos were two of the most recognizable signed artists. In November 2009, Fiasco announced he would get "rid of the entire First and Fifteenth Record Label. Me and Sarah Green are the only artists on the label, like I got rid of the whole label. It was just such a ‘this isn’t right for you right now. This isn’t gonna work for you right now. You need to be focused on you. Do you really want that, do you really have the capacity to do it?’

In 2005, he founded "Righteous Kung-Fu", a company that designs fashions, sneakers, toys, video games, comic books, and graphics for album covers and skateboard decks. He has also sponsored a skateboard team and has endorsements from DGK Skateboards.

In January 2006, Fiasco signed with major footwear and apparel corporation Reebok becoming part of the "O.G" marketing campaign, where rap artists such as Lil Wayne and Mike Jones designed their own personal colorway of the Reebok "O.G" model. Fiasco also runs his own fashion label under the name "Trilly & Truly". Together with Le Messie of FALSE from Singapore he also runs a collaborative clothing line called "Fallacy Of Rome".

In 2009, Fiasco performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that employs musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.

On January 7, 2010, Fiasco joined musician Kenna, actress Jessica Biel, and other celebrities and activists for an expedition to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro called Summit on the Summit to raise awareness of the billions of people worldwide who lack access to sanitary drinking water.

On January 20, 2010, Fiasco released a track called "Resurrection" with Kenna in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake. The song, part of a compilation released through the charity Music for Relief, aimed to encourage donations for immediate relief and long-term recovery following the devastating disaster.

Discography

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (2006)

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool (2007)

Lasers (2011)

See also

List of awards and nominations received by Lupe Fiasco

References

External links

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/12/entertainment/la-et-people-speak12-2009dec12

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2007/Word-Star/

Category:1982 births Category:African American Muslims Category:African American rappers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Living people

Name	Travis Barker
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth name	Travis Landon Barker
Alias	The Baron von Tito (when with the Aquabats)
Born	November 14, 1975
wife	Audreyanna Mariyah Ortiz
Origin	Fontana, California, United States
Instrument	Drums, percussion, keyboards, synthesizers, piano, electronics, guitar, vocals
Genre	Punk rock, pop punk, hip hop, rap metal, alternative rock, rap rock, Post-hardcore, electronic rock, drum and bass. ska
Occupation	Drummer, musician, songwriter, producer
Years active	1993–present
Label	Interscope, LaSalle/Atlantic, Geffen, Hellcat, MCA, Golden Voice Records, Goliath Artists
Associated acts	Blink-182, +44, Game, Eminem, Box Car Racer, Transplants, TRV$DJAM, The Aquabats, Expensive Taste, Lil Wayne, Asher Roth
Url	TravisBarker.com
Notable instruments	Orange County Drum and PercussionRemo DrumheadsZildjian

Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician, producer, entrepreneur, and the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the drummer for the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with DJ AM, and together they formed TRV$DJAM.

After the split of his first band, Feeble, Barker began playing for The Aquabats in 1996 as The Baron Von Tito. He recorded one album with them, The Fury of the Aquabats!, in 1997. His career took off when he joined up with pop punk band, Blink-182 in 1998. Barker became known for his mohawk and his tendency to perform shirtless, revealing a multitude of tattoos. Barker has since established himself as a versatile drummer, producing and making guest appearances in music projects of numerous music genres including hip-hop, alternative rock, pop and country. He has gained significant acceptance within the hip-hop community in particular and often collaborates with artists to compose rock-tinged remixes to their songs.

He founded clothing company Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 and LaSalle Records in 2004. Companies such as DC Shoes and Zildjian cymbals have co-designed products in his name.

Barker is also currently in the studio preparing to record with several artists like Game, Tom Morello, Raekwon, Slash, RZA for his upcoming solo debut album, "Give the Drummer Some".

Early life

Travis Barker was born to Randy and Gloria Barker in Fontana, California, which is located in San Bernardino County. Barker grew up in a high-crime area, where his father worked as a mechanic and his mother babysat for local kids. When Barker was four, his mother gave him his first drum kit, which was the only one he would have until he was fifteen. Barker began taking drum lessons at age five with jazz drummer Michael Mai, who would expose young Barker to many different playing styles.

His mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer three months earlier, died the day before he started high school. She told him to keep playing music and to follow his dreams. Barker attended Fontana High School, where he played in the jazz ensemble and marching band. He gained a lot of experience performing at regional competitions and festivals. During his senior year, he passed up drum corps tryouts to tour with a rock band. Barker gained a lot of experience performing with a few early rock bands. After Barker graduated from high school in 1993 he became a member of The Aquabats. He was nicknamed "Baron Von Tito." Barker did go back to drum corps for his age out year in 1996, to audition with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, but was ultimately cut and did not march.

Recording career

Blink-182 (1998–2005; 2009–present)

. Barker (back) with Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus in 2003]] Blink-182 was formed in 1992 by Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge. After recruiting drummer Scott Raynor, the band recorded three early demos and two studio albums: Cheshire Cat (1994) and Dude Ranch (1997). Hoppus and DeLonge fired Raynor midway through a U.S. tour in 1998 after a drinking problem became far too prevalent. Hoppus and DeLonge asked drummer Barker of Blink-182's support band The Aquabats to fill in for Raynor for the remainder of the tour, and, after being impressed with Barker, asked him to join the band.

Blink-182 released their breakthrough album Enema of the State in June 1999 to commercial success, fueled by successful singles "What's My Age Again", "All the Small Things", and "Adam's Song". After releasing live album The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) in November 2000, the band entered the studio and recorded their fourth studio album Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, released in June 2001. The album continued the band's commercial success and popularity. with the band infusing experimentalist elements into their usual pop punk sound, inspired by lifestyle changes (the band members all became fathers before the album was released) and side-projects (Box Car Racer and Transplants).

Tensions arose between the band members as DeLonge expressed his desire to cancel the tour and enter a half-year respite from touring in late 2004, and the band officially announced an "indefinite hiatus" in February 2005. DeLonge formed Angels & Airwaves while Hoppus and Barker continued playing music together in +44. In August 2008, the band's frequent producer Jerry Finn died of a cerebral hemorrhage, and Barker barely survived a plane crash, sustaining second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso. Both events would be catalysts for the band reuniting; in 2010, DeLonge reflected, "If that accident hadn't happened, we wouldn't be a band. Plain and simple. That was fate."

The band announced their reunion in February 2009 at the 51st Grammy Awards ceremony. A well-received reunion tour took place in mid-2009, with a European leg performed in summer 2010. Currently, the band is recording their sixth studio album which is planned to be released in April or May 2011.

Collaborations/Remixes (2002–present)

Barker has said he has always been interested in many genres of music outside rock, especially hip hop. In a 2002 interview with MTV he said, "I probably listen to more hip-hop and drum'n'bass than I do rock music.". Not being able to explore these interests within Blink-182, Barker participated in two hip hop related side projects during that the time: Transplants and Expensive Taste.

Box Car Racer is a side project begun with Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 in 2002. This project resulted in one self-titled album which was released that year. DeLonge said he asked Barker to play drums so that he wouldn't have to find and pay a session drummer to come in.

Transplants is a hip hop-induced punk band for which Barker partnered with Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Rob Aston (former roadie for Rancid). Transplants released two studio records as well as a remixed version of their second album which was chopped and screwed by rapper and hip-hop artist, Paul Wall. The first album released by Transplants was their self-titled album in 2002. The second Transplants record, Haunted Cities, was released by LaSalle Records in June 2005. After the Vans Warped Tour of 2005, the members decided to disband. This was confirmed by vocalist Rob Aston in January 2006 during an interview. In January 2010, Barker announced that the Transplants would reform for new material.

He was best friends with the late DJ AM, Adam Goldstein. Some of his first forays into other genres was on Bad Boy 4 Life by P Diddy and Back In The Mudd by Bubba Sparxxx (who also toured with blink). Barker has produced or worked on albums with the Black Eyed Peas, Pink and Pharrell. He appears on Bun B's album, Trill (2005) with Skinhead Rob for the bonus track, "Late Night Creepin'". In 2006 he was a producer on T.I.'s fourth album, King. Also in 2006 he played drums for several songs on Avril Lavigne's third album, "The Best Damn Thing". He also dueted with Rihanna on a remix of her hit "Umbrella", he also appeared in her video. Barker also had a remix with Eminem, on the song 3 A.M.

In late 2005 Barker started a new band, +44, with fellow Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus. +44 only released one studio album, When Your Heart Stops Beating. They played several tour dates with Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, and Cobra Starship.

In 2006, he and Rob Aston joined Paul Wall in forming a new hip hop group called Expensive Taste.

Barker made a very well received remix of Soulja Boy's "Crank That". In a similar fashion to the Soulja Boy remix, he has also remixed Flo Rida's single "Low" that was later included within the deluxe version of Flo Rida's debut album. Barker is a playable character in and his remix of "Low" is available as downloadable content. Barker is also featured on The Game's latest album, L.A.X., drumming on the song "Dope Boys".

He was the drummer for all of the performers at the MTV Video Music Awards of 2008, including Kid Cudi and LL Cool J.

In August 2009, Matt Sorum revealed that Barker will appear on Slash, Slash's upcoming solo album.

In June 2009, he played drums in the BET Awards for Jamie Foxx's performance of "Blame It".

In November 2009, Barker made a remix with hip-hop artist Drake's song "Forever", featuring Eminem, Lil Wayne and Kanye West.

In January 2010, Barker announced a new TRVS BRKR remix of Snoop Dogg's new single, "I Wanna Rock", via his Twitter account.

In February 2010, Steve Vai mentioned in his newsletter and website that now he's working on a version of "Stairway to Heaven" for Mary J. Blige with Travis Barker on drums, Orianthi on guitar, and Randy Jackson on bass. The song appears on the UK version of Blige's album Stronger with Each Tear.

On February 17, 2010, it was announced that Travis Barker will work with A-Trak for club shows such as he did with DJ AM. The first shows will take place on March 9 and 10 at The Roxy in West Hollywood. It is yet to be announced whether the two will release a mix tape.

On February 2, 2010, Lil Wayne's rock debut album Rebirth was released. It features a track entitled "One Way Trip" which is featuring Kevin Rudolf that shows the friendship between Travis and Lil Wayne, with one of the lyrics being "... And T. Barker is my muthafuckin' drummer..."

On April 22, 2010, Barker performed "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin on American Idol along with Mary J. Blige, Orianthi, Steve Vai and Randy Jackson.

On May 1, 2010, Barker and rapper T.I. both confirmed they will be collaborating on a track on the rapper's upcoming album entitled King Uncaged.

On July 9, 2010, the blink-182 drummer announced on his Twitter account that he would be dropping his new remix of rapper Waka Flocka's "Hard in The Paint". The track later, was made available for streaming on music site RapRadar.

On Aug 5, 2010, it was announced via RapRadar that the drummer himself & DJ Toomp are working on a remix of T.I.'s hit-single Yeah Ya Know (Takers) of the upcoming album King Uncaged.

Give the Drummer Some

On May 4, 2010, Barker stated that his upcoming solo album would not be of any other genre(s), and that would be of "no-one genre". May 22, 2010, Barker confirmed several guests set to be on joint with his upcoming solo album. Guests include RZA, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Raekwon, Game, B.o.B,Lupe Fiasco,Slash, Swizz Beatz,Slip on it, Beanie Sigel, Chester Bennington, Corey Taylor of heavy metal group Slipknot, & post-grunge act Stone Sour. Crystalll

On June 18, 2010, a private MTV interview with Barker exclaiming that, "Several other acts and collaborations on the record would be announced in August, so some other jackasses wouldn't be setting up rumors or hoax 'bout it." The blink-182 drummer also added, "Trust me, this record's gonna rock you guys out. I'm especially stoked to show you guys."

On July 4, 2010, Barker stated in his Twitter account that "he would be working with his favorite artists, to create every artwork for each track on his solo album". The drummer would also be shooting music videos for every track on the album with its designated artists. On top of that, Barker also confirmed that the videos would be going along with the release of his upcoming solo album in September. Barker has also confirmed that blink-182's upcoming single "Up All Night" would not be included in his LP, stating that "No, 'Up All Night' will have its own home, and it won't be on my record. That will continue to be part of a new Blink record or will be released through Blink182.com or something, it's going to be a surprise." Also, he added on "The new song that we record for my record is just going to be something from scratch, and just us doing our thing."

On July 5, 2010, American rapper Rick Ross announced that he would be collaborating with Barker on a single to be included on the yet-untitled project.

On July 9, 2010, the blink-182 drummer confirmed that he would be adding several other artists like Slaughterhouse, Raekwon & Kurupt to the untitled project. Barker has reportedly told The BoomBox that, "he would be producing and making all the music and then getting all his favorite rappers and vocalists to be a part of it so it's been a dream come true."

On July 14, 2010, Barker announced that he would be dropping Stone Sour off his upcoming solo album due to "faults". Instead, Barker added on that he would be replacing the alternative metal act with American rap rock band, Rage Against The Machine maestro Tom Morello instead.

On July 20, 2010, Travis announced via his Twitter account that he would be shooting the music video for the track "Carry It" along with Tom Morello, RZA and Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan. The blink-182 drummer has also confirmed that his upcoming debut solo album would be titled "Give the Drummer Some", and every of the ten tracks to be featuring different artists.

On July 22, 2010, Barker posted several pictures of the drummer himself, Raekwon & RZA on his Twitter account, and that, were confirmed to be snapshots of the upcoming music videos, one of which was a scene of the "Carry It" music video. The track, "Carry It" was also claimed by the MTV News to be the potential first single from his oft-delayed solo album.

As of July 31, 2010, Barker had confirmed several other track titles off Give the Drummer Some, two of which are "Saturday Night" & "Jumpdown".

On Sep 10, 2010, Barker announced the first official track off Give the Drummer Some, titled "Jump Down". The song sets to feature The Cool Kids, and was later made available for free download via "travisbarker.com". The music video for the track would also be release on October 8, and that the video to be of 3-D features. Free 3-D glasses would also be sent over to every users who downloaded the song over at the drummer's official site.

On Oct 8, 2010, the blink-182 drummer released the official music video for "Jump Down" in 3-D format on his official site. Limited editions of "Jump Down" t-shirts were made available for purchase along with the single itself, and a download link for the track "Carry It", which sets to feature RZA, Tom Morello & Raekwon. The track, however can only be made available for download on Nov 9.

On Nov 5, 2010, the full audio track of "Carry It" was leaked onto the internet, and was later claimed by Barker that the leaked media is of the "yet-to-be-mixed/unmastered" version of the track. The official track, along with the artwork was later made available for streaming on the blink-182 drummer's site, which was five days earlier than the official release date of the track, as announced. The music video for the track was later released via Barker's site on Nov 16.

On Nov 19, 2010, Barker mentioned via his tweets stating that "Blink-182 has just had a photoshoot" and that "November is shaping up nice".

On Dec 6, 2010, the blink-182 drummer announced on his Twitter account, that he was in the studio finishing up a track off Give the Drummer Some, alongside with American rappers Kid Cudi and Tech N9ne on verses.

On Dec 24, 2010, Barker mentioned in a tweet reply, stating that the official release date of his upcoming solo album "Give the Drummer Some", has been confirmed to be set on February 22, 2011.

On January 2, 2011, Barker announced on his official Twitter account that the first official single off "Give the Drummer Some" would be released in January 2011. Barker has also confirmed that there will be a Transplants track to be included in the album, and that to feature American hard rock band Guns N' Roses former lead guitarist, Slash. Another track titled "Devil's Got a Hold Of Me" which sets to feature hip hop supergroup Slaughterhouse has been confirmed.

On January 9, 2011, the drummer has confirmed that there also would be collaborations with Linkin Park frontman "Chester", Slash, "Kanye West's touring DJ" A-Trak, heavy metal group Slipknot's "Corey Taylor" & American rapper Bobby Ray aka B.o.B. "Give the Drummer Some" will also set to feature various mixes of genres including electro, hip hop, punk rock and many more.

Business ventures

Barker owns and contributes to several businesses in addition to his musical interests. He founded an accessory/apparel company called Famous Stars and Straps in 1999 which sells street/skate style clothing and gear. Barker has said the brand's trademark "F" for the logo was chosen for its resemblance to a car logo but mainly for the fact that it can stand on its own. Barker is also business partners with famous skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and together they are part of the team that own the clothing label named Rogue Status, and in 2009 another label called DTA.

He co-founded LaSalle Records, a record company to which his band, Transplants, are signed. He has dabbled in the restaurant industry, opening a Wahoo's Fish Taco restaurant in Norco, California.

Barker has developed a shoe for DC Shoe Company called the "Alias Remix" and is endorsed by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian. He also has his own line of drumming products, sponsored by Zildjian.

Personal life

Tattoos

Barker has a few tattoos that symbolize his love for cars and Cadillacs in particular – two racing flags on the side of his neck with the number 66 which symbolizes the year of his favorite Cadillac and a Cadillac emblem . Also, the front of his neck has a portrait of Marilyn Monroe.

Much of his body art is devoted to his love of music such as the phrase "Can I Say" (the title of an album by Dag Nasty released when he was growing up). Barker also has the word "HOPE" on his back because of the Descendents' song and something positive after his mother's death. He has another tribute to the Descendents on his leg – the cover art to the album, I Don't Want to Grow Up, drumsticks and musical notes on his right arm.

Barker also makes several tributes to his family with the phrase "familia" on his arm, Japanese flowers on the back of his neck with a heart that says "Mom", and another heart with "SHANNA" on the banner.

Relationships

Barker has been married twice. He first married his long time girlfriend, Melissa Kennedy, on September 22, 2001. The couple divorced August 6, 2002 after eleven months of marriage.

Barker married actress and Miss USA 1995, Shanna Moakler, on October 30, 2004. The couple had a Gothic-style ceremony inspired by the Tim Burton film, The Nightmare Before Christmas, which was held on the eve of Halloween. Barker and Moakler have two children together, Landon Asher (born October 9, 2003) and Alabama Luella (born December 24, 2005). Atiana Cecilia de la Hoya (born March 29, 1999) is Moakler's daughter with former boyfriend Oscar de la Hoya. The family appeared in a reality television series, Meet the Barkers, which aired on MTV from 2005–2006.

On August 8, 2006, Barker filed for divorce from Moakler after nearly two years of marriage. The couple's divorce was made public as each used their MySpace pages to air their feelings on the matter. During their separation, Barker had a brief fling with Paris Hilton in September, 2006.

Despite their pending divorce, reports surfaced in early 2007 that Barker and Moakler were "quietly trying to give it another go" as they were reportedly seen autographing a fan's book, with a heart around their names.

In March 2007, Moakler revealed to People magazine that she and Barker (still married) were back together, but denied that she was pregnant. This admission came after the couple were publicly affectionate at a surprise birthday Barker threw for his wife in Miami.

Barker and Moakler were together during a DJ set Barker was playing with DJ AM in Las Vegas on January 7, 2009. The couple attempted to rekindle their relationship in early 2009 but announced that they were no longer together on April 1, 2009, amid reports that police had been called to their home after a fight; no charges were filed against either party.

Plane crash

On September 19, 2008, Barker was injured when the Learjet 60, which he boarded, crashed outside Columbia, South Carolina. The jet was headed for Van Nuys, California. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the plane was departing the airport when air traffic controllers saw sparks emanating from the plane. It went off the runway, smashed through a fence, crossed a nearby road, slammed into an embankment and caught fire. Barker had performed the night before at an event with Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, Gavin DeGraw and DJ AM. two of the deceased were crew members, and two were passengers, including Chris Baker, Barker's personal assistant who often appeared in Meet The Barkers, On September 21, Dr. Fred Mullins, medical director of the Burn Center reported that Barker sustained second and third degree burns on his lower body and torso and was expected to fully recover within a year. Barker stopped his vegetarian diet and began eating meat to increase his protein intake and possibly speed up healing of his burns.

Barker survived the incident, enabling him to return to the recording studio in November 2008 with long time friend and Keys to the Cadillac drummer Mike Barbalaci. On his first television interview since the crash, he said to MTV, "I'm already playing my drums again, and I'm already back in the studio". Elaborating by stating that the return to the studio "was like riding a bike. It was really exciting to know I still have my chops. It still felt good... I still can make it around the kit. Everything felt right, so I'm thankful to be able to play."

Barker sued the plane's owners, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., and an airplane maintenance company on November 21, 2008. He sought more than $25,000 in damages "for pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of earnings, and medical and legal expenses", claiming that the companies had "improperly operated and maintained the Learjet". The lawsuit claims the Learjet's pilots were "improperly trained and should have tried to take off rather than continue down the runway." The mother of Barker's bodyguard, Charles Monroe Still Jr., who was killed in the crash, joined the lawsuit. She sued the companies for "damages including grief and sorrow, funeral expenses and loss of earnings." The court case was settled in December 2009, with lawyer William L. Robinson, who represented some of the companies, saying the terms of the settlement are confidential.

On December 1, 2008, TV Guide reported that Barker would make his first appearance with DJ AM (Adam Goldstein) since the two survived the plane crash. The duo performed at New Year's Nation's Los Angeles New Year's Eve Party at The Wiltern. Their performance was streamed live on the Internet via New Year's Nation's official site, and broadcast at other New Year's Nation parties across the US. Of the gig, Barker told press, "I'm ready to get back onstage with AM and continue to rock the house. I'm very excited to bring in the New Year in my hometown of L.A." DJ AM died on August 28, 2009 of an accidental drug overdose in his New York City apartment.

Equipment

Barker is currently sponsored by Orange County Drum and Percussion and Zildjian.

Latest drum kit (2009–2010)

Drums – OCDP Diamond Fire Acrylic w/50% offset Lugs

* 12x9" Tom

* 16x14" Floor Tom

* 22x20" Bass drum

* 14x6.5" Orange County Stainless steel/nickel snare

* Latin Percussion LP008 Rock Ridge Rider Cowbell

Hardware - DW

* 9000 Series Hardware

* 5000 Series Pedals

Cymbals – Zildjian

* 14" Avedis Mastersound Hi-hats

* 10" A Custom Splash

* 20" K Crash Ride

* 18" A Custom Projection Crash

* 21" A Sweet Ride

* 18" Oriental China Trash

Heads - Remo

* Snare: Emperor X (Batter) / Ambassador Snare Side (Resonant)

* Toms: Smooth White Emperors (Batter) / Ambassadors (Resonant)

* Bass Drum: Powerstroke 3 (Batter)

Barker also uses Roland electronics.

Discography

Album appearances

; Solo Project

Give the Drummer Some (2011)

; With Blink-182

Enema of the State (1999)

The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show (The Enema Strikes Back!) (2000)

Take Off Your Pants and Jacket (2001)

Blink-182 (2003)

Greatest Hits (2005)

TBA (2011)

; With Transplants

Transplants (2002)

Haunted Cities (2005)

; With +44

When Your Heart Stops Beating (2006)

; With TRV$DJAM

Fix Your Face (mixtape) (2008)

Fix Your Face, Vol 2: Coachella (mixtape) (2009)

; With The Aquabats

The Fury of the Aquabats! (1997)

; With Box Car Racer

Box Car Racer (2002)

; With Expensive Taste

DJ Skee Presents: Expensive Taste (2007)

Guest appearances

"In Search Of..." (by N.E.R.D) (2001) - drums on the track "Provider"

"Elephunk" (by Black Eyed Peas) (2003) - drums on the track "Rock My Shit"

"Try This" (by Pink) (2003) – drums on the track "Unwind"

"Trill" (by Bun B) (2005) – drums on "Late Night Creepin"

"King" (by T.I.) (2006) – co-production on "You Know Who"

"Wolves" (by Idiot Pilot) (2007) – drums on "Elephant"

"I Don't Have to Try" / "Alone" / "Runaway" / "I Can Do Better" (by Avril Lavigne) (2007) – drums

"Get Money, Stay True" (by Paul Wall with Expensive Taste) (2007) – drums and production on "Slidin' on That Oil"

"Hardcore 4 Life" (by Danny Diablo (2007) - Drums On "Livin' By The Gun" & "Jersey White Trash"

"The Way It Is" (by Blestenation) (2007) – drums

"It's Whateva" (by the Federation) (2007) – drums on "Black Rosez"

"Dope Boys" (by Game) (2008) – drums, production and vocals contribution

"Goodbye" (by The Centerfolds) (2008) – drums

"OG'z" (by Wale) (2008) – drums

"The G Files" (by Warren G) (2009) – drums on "Let's Get High"

"Stronger with Each Tear" (by Mary J. Blige) (2009) – drums on "Stairway to Heaven"

"Drop the World/Forever" (by Drake, Lil Wayne & Eminem) (2010) - drums and percussion on Live Performance

"Rebirth" (by Lil Wayne) (2010) – production on "One Way Trip"

"Rockstar 101" (by Rihanna with Slash) (2010) – drums on music video

"Outta Control" (by Mams Taylor featuring Jacoby Shaddix) (2010) - Drums and Production

"" (by B.o.B) (2010) – Drums and percussion on track "Fame"

"Electric Gigolo" (by Mickey Avalon) (2010) - Drums on track "Fast Life"

"Heart of a Champion" (by Paul Wall) (2010) - Drums and production on tracks "Take Notes", "Im'ma Get It", "Live It", "Not My Friend" and "Heart Of A Hustler"

"31 Minutes to Takeoff" (by Mike Posner) (2010) - Drums on track "Gone In September"

"Passion, Pain & Pleasure" (by Trey Songz) (2010) - Drums and production on track "Blind"

"Peice Of Mind (mixtape)" (by Eddie Rap Life) (2010) - Drums and production on tracks "Rock N Roll Memorabilia", "Invisible Ingredients", "Oh Lord" and "Waitin' For The Moment"

"I Am Not A Human Being" (by Lil Wayne) (2010) - Drums and percussion on track "I Am Not A Human Being"

"You Need This Music" (by Nottz) (2010) - Drums and percussion on track "Intro"

"Bad Season (mixtape)" (by Tech N9ne featuring Dr Dre & Krizz Kaliko) (2010) - Drums and Production on track "Hard Liquor"

Remixes

"Back in the Mudd" (by Bubba Sparxxx) (2004)

"Can I Have It like That" (by Pharrell Williams featuring Gwen Stefani) (2006)

"Throw Some D's" (by Rich Boy) (2006)

"Pump It" (by Black Eyed Peas) (2006)

"Shoes Off Lights Out" (by Go Big) (2007)

"Duffle Bag Boy" (by Playaz Circle featuring Lil Wayne) (2007)

"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em) (2007)

"Umbrella" (by Rihanna) (2007)

"I Kissed a Girl" (by Katy Perry) (2008)

"Famous Stars Wit Straps" (by Paul Wall featuring Too Short & B-Real (2007)

"Low" (by Flo Rida) (2008)

"Don't Touch Me (Throw da Water on 'em)" (by Busta Rhymes) (2008)

"Jockin' Jay-Z (Dopeboy Fresh)" (by Jay-Z) (2008)

"3 a.m. (Remix)" (by Eminem) (2009)

"Get U Home" (by Shwayze and Cisco Adler) (2009)

"The One" (by Slaughterhouse featuring Bun B) (2009)

"Forever" (by Drake, Eminem, Kanye West and Lil Wayne) (2009)

"I Wanna Rock" (by Snoop Dogg) (2010)

"Such Great Heights" (by Postal Service) (2010)

"Shake" (by Game) (2010)

"How Low" (by Ludacris) (2010)

"Sour Patch Kids" (by Asher Roth featuring Talib Kweli and Blu) (2010)

"Hard in da Paint" (by Waka Flocka) (2010)

"Yeah Ya Know (Takers)" (by T.I.) (2010)

"Penitentiary" (by Raekwon) (2010)

"Big Nut Bust" (by Big Sean) (2010)

Film and television

Travis has appeared in numerous films and television shows, most notably his own reality show, Meet the Barkers, with his ex-wife Shanna Moakler which debuted in 2005. However, Barker can be found in a brief scene with blink-182 in the teen movie, American Pie. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of MTV's Punk'd, a Candid Camera-esque television show, in which he took part in a set-up bareknuckle boxing match; he also appeared and spoke alongside Linkin Park-vocalist Chester Bennington on MTV's Icon show honoring heavy metal band Metallica in May of that year.

In 2006 Barker starred in a Boost Mobile commercial, which was detailed in an episode of Meet the Barkers. He's also played a few guest starring roles such as a rapper on the popular crime drama, . In 2001, he appeared with Tom Delonge and Mark Hoppus in the skit "Leave it to Blink-182", a parody of "Leave It to Beaver", on the late night TV show MADtv.

In a slight departure from his usual genres, he made an appearance on the 41st annual CMA Awards in 2006, performing a medley of songs by country icon Buck Owens with a group of artists including Dwight Yoakam, ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons, and former Byrds bass player Chris Hillman.

; Filmography

Video games

Travis appears as a secret, playable character in Tony Hawk's Project 8.

Travis appears as a playable character in .

Videos

In addition to his own work with Blink-182, Box Car Racer, Transplants, and +44, Barker has made numerous guest appearances. In 2001, Barker appeared, playing drums, in P. Diddy's video, "Bad Boy for Life". In 2003 he played the drums in Bubba Sparxxx's video for "Back in the Mud".

He was featured in the opening sequence of the Dem Franchise Boys music video, "Ridin Rims," in 2006. Travis appeared in Xzibit's music video "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)", T.I.'s video "What You Know", Ice Cube's "Go to Church", New Found Glory's "My Friends Over You", Three 6 Mafia's "Side 2 Side (Remix)" and "Doe Boy Fresh" videos. He was also featured on the Outkast music video "Morris Brown" and can be seen playing drums in The Game's AOL Session.

; Videography

References

External links

Travis Barker's Official Website Official Website

Cymbal configuration at Zildjian.com

Category:1975 births Category:American punk rock drummers Category:Blink-182 members Category:Car collectors Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Corona, California Category:People from Fontana, California Category:Survivors of aviation accidents or incidents Category:The Aquabats members

Name	Sébastien Tellier
Background	solo_singer
Born	1975
Origin	Paris, France
Instrument	Vocals, electric guitar, piano, synthesizer, keyboards, percurssion
Genre	Electronica, French pop, R&B;, downtempo, ambient, New Wave
Years active	2001–present
Label	Record Makers
Url	Official website

Sébastien Tellier (born 1975 in Paris) is a French singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is currently signed to Record Makers, a French independent record label. He sings in English, French and Italian.

Biography

Tellier's first album, L'incroyable Vérité (The Incredible Truth), was released in 2001. Tellier went on tour with Air in support of the album and was joined on stage by world-renowned theremin player Pamelia Kurstin. L'incroyable Vérité is a pop album featuring styles from lo-fi electronica to bizarre cabaret tunes. Its sleeve featured Tellier in full evening dress on the front, while the back of jacket had a shot of him cavorting in a playboy's pool. He instructed listeners only to listen to the album by candle light.

Tellier followed L'incroyable Vérité with his second studio album Politics (2005). A particularly popular song from Politics was "La Ritournelle", a string-led tune, which featured Nigerian drummer, Tony Allen of Fela Kuti fame. "La Ritournelle" was remixed by various artists, notably in Britain by Metronomy.

Since the release of Politics, Tellier has also recorded an acoustic album of his more popular songs, Sessions (2006). The album was repackaged for the British market as Universe (2006), to include both highlights from the French CD, as well as compositions from Tellier's score for the film Narco. This compilation included a cover of La Dolce Vita, a song originally by French singer Christophe.

His third studio album Sexuality was produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. Like his previous album Politics, Tellier used a single term as title and theme of the album. Tellier's label Record Makers collaborated with retailer American Apparel for an exclusive three month pre-release of the album, whilst American Apparel sold limited edition versions of the Sexuality CD, LP and "Divine" 7" and 12" single through their North American stores and website.

On 7 March 2008, it was announced by Bruno Berberes, head of EBU delegation in France, that Tellier would represent France in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008. It was held in Belgrade on 24 May 2008. Tellier sang "Divine". This was the first time in the history of the contest that the nominated French entry was to be performed largely in English, which caused controversy, leading to Tellier pledging to increase the amount of French in the song prior to the competition itself. In total, the entry received 47 points.

Use of Tellier's songs

The track "Fantino" from L'incroyable Vérité was chosen by Sofia Coppola for the soundtrack to her 2003 film Lost in Translation.

The song "Look" from his Sexuality album, and "La Ritournelle" were featured in Ugly Betty's episodes "Crush'd" and "Dressed for success", respectively.

The song "Universe" from the album L'incroyable Vérité is featured in the film Daft Punk's Electroma.

"Divine" (as remixed by Danger) was used in the 2009 racing game "Gran Turismo" for the PSP.

Discography

L'incroyable Vérité (2001, Record Makers)

Politics (2004, Record Makers)

Narco, Original Soundtrack (2004, Record Makers)

Sessions (2006, Record Makers) - a collection of previous songs recorded with new arrangements

Universe (2006) - compilation album featuring tracks from Sessions and Narco albums

Sexuality (2008, Record Makers)

Sexuality Remix (2010, Record Makers)

Other contributions

Acoustic 07 (2007, V2 Records) - "La Ballade du Georges"

Collaborations

Tellier sang on the track A Mountain For President by Principles of Geometry for their 2007 album Lazare.

In 2007, Tellier contributed songs to and collaborated with Mr. Oizo for the soundtrack of Oizo's feature film directorial debut, Steak.

References

External links

Official website

Anthem interview with Sebastian Tellier

Photos of Tellier Performing in Philadelphia, April 2009

Category:French musicians Category:French Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2008 Category:1975 births Category:Living people

Name	Kanye West
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Kanye Omari West
Born	June 08, 1977Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Instrument	Vocals, keyboards, sampler, percussion, synthesizer
Occupation	Producer, rapper, musician, singer
Years active	1996–present
Label	GOOD Music, Roc-A-Fella, Def Jam
Associated acts	Go Getters, Child Rebel Soldier, Jay-Z, Common, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Pusha T, Mr Hudson, Pusha T, Big Sean
Url

Kanye Omari West (; born June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and Janet Jackson. His style of production originally used pitched-up vocal samples from soul songs incorporated with his own drums and instruments. However, subsequent productions saw him broadening his musical palette and expressing influences encompassing '70s R&B;, baroque pop, trip hop, arena rock, folk, alternative, electronica, synth-pop, and classical music.

West released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008, and his fifth album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. His five albums have received numerous awards, including a cumulative twelve Grammys, All have been very commercially successful, with 808s & Heartbreak becoming his third consecutive #1 album in the U.S. upon release. West also runs his own record label GOOD Music, home to artists such as John Legend, Common and Kid Cudi. West's mascot and trademark is "Dropout Bear," a teddy bear which has appeared on the covers of three of his five albums as well as various single covers and music videos. About.com ranked Kanye West #8 on their "Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers" list. On May 16, 2008, Kanye West was crowned by MTV as the year's #1 "Hottest MC in the Game." On 17 December 2010, Kanye West was voted as the MTV Man of the Year by MTV.

Early life

Kanye West was born in Atlanta, Georgia, where he lived with his parents. When he was three years old, his parents divorced, and he and his mother moved to Chicago, Illinois. West's mother, Dr. Donda West, was a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as West's manager. He was raised in a middle-class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago. When asked about his grades in high school, West replied, "I got A's and B's. And I'm not even frontin'".

West attended art classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and also enrolled at Chicago State University, but dropped out to focus on his music career.

Music career

Early career (1996–2003)

Kanye West's first career productions came on Chicago rapper Grav's 1996 debut album Down to Earth. West produced eight tracks on the album. While the album didn't attract much attention and would be the only album released by Grav, West would soon be producing for higher profile artists. In 1998-1999 he produced for well known artists such as Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, Goodie Mob, and the group Harlem World.

West got his big break in the year 2000 however when he began to produce for artists on Roc-a-Fella Records. He produced the well received Jay-Z song "This Can't Be Life" off of the album . West would later state that to create the beat for "This Can't Be Life" he sped up the drum beat from Dr. Dre's song "Xxplosive".

After producing for Jay-Z earlier, West’s sound was featured heavily on Jay-Z's critically acclaimed album The Blueprint, released on September 11, 2001. Jay-Z admitted that Roc-A-Fella was initially reluctant to support West as a rapper, claiming that he saw him as a producer first and foremost. Multiple record companies felt he was not as marketable as rappers who portray the "street image" prominent in hip hop culture. West's faith is apparent in many of his songs, such as "Jesus Walks", which became a staple at his benefit performances, such as the Live 8 concert. These songs were featured on West's debut album, The College Dropout, which was released on Roc-A-Fella Records in February 2004, and went on to receive critical acclaim. The album also defined the style for which West would become known, including wordplay and sampling. During 2003 West also co-produced songs for British singer Javine Hylton, even appearing in the music video to Real Things playing the love interest of Javine.

West was involved in a financial dispute over Royce Da 5'9"'s song "Heartbeat", produced by West and released on Build & Destroy: The Lost Sessions. West maintains that Royce never paid for the beat, but recorded to it and released it; hearing him on the beat, the original customers decided not to buy it from West. After the disagreement, West vowed to never work with Royce again. Other Kanye West-produced hit singles during the period The College Dropout was released included "I Changed My Mind" by Keyshia Cole, "Overnight Celebrity" by Twista and "Talk About Our Love" by Brandy. Like its predecessor, the sophomore effort garnered universal acclaim from music critics. Late Registration topped countless critic polls and was revered as the best album of the year by numerous publications, including USA Today, Spin, and Time. Rolling Stone awarded the album the highest position on their end of the year record list and hailed it as a "sweepingly generous, absurdly virtuosic hip-hop classic." The record earned the number one spot on the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll of 2005 for the second consecutive year. Late Registration was also a commercial success, selling over 860,000 copies in its first week alone and topping the Billboard 200. Grossing over 2.3 million units sold in the United States alone by year's end, Late Registration was considered by industry observers as the sole majorly successful album release of the fall of 2005, a season that was plagued by steadily declining CD sales. The sophomore album earned eight Grammy Award nominations including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for the song "Gold Digger". The album is certified triple platinum.

On August 22, 2005, the MTV special All Eyes On Kanye West aired, in which West spoke out against homophobia in hip-hop. He claimed that hip-hop has always been about "speaking your mind and about breaking down barriers, but everyone in hip-hop discriminates against gay people." He then reflected on a personal experience. He said that he had a "turning point" when he realized one of his cousins was gay. He said regarding this experience: "This is my cousin. I love him and I've been discriminating against gays." He drew comparison between African Americans' struggle for civil rights and today's gay rights movement. The following year, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, West further expounded his experiences with and views on the relationship between the black and gay communities.

In September 2005, West announced that he would release his Pastelle Clothing line in spring 2006: "Now that I have a Grammy under my belt and Late Registration is finished, I am ready to launch my clothing line next spring." The current status of this project is unknown. In that year, West produced the hit singles "Go" by Common and "Dreams" by The Game.

Graduation (2007)

.]] In 2007, it was announced that West would be starring in a series directed by Larry Charles. He has been working on the pilot episode for the past two years with Larry Charles and Rick Rubin. He also had this to say on January 14: "I wouldn't do something as cliché as a reality show. At least give me the credit for being more creative than that. It's a situational half-hour comedy. It's fictional, and loosely based on my life. " West also collaborated with Japanese hip-hop group Teriyaki Boyz to produce the single "I Still Love H.E.R.," a reference to Common's 1994 single "I Used to Love H.E.R.". Further to this, during a radio appearance in early 2007, West, like many of his peers, recorded an impromptu freestyle to the popular song "Throw Some D's." The song that to all other rappers was about automobile rims, was used by West to comically refer to D-cup breasts. Because of the unexpected success of the song, West went on to make a video for the freestyle, in which he is seen playing his 'Old Ass Cousin'.

West was also featured in a new song called "Classic (Better Than I've Ever Been)". It was believed to be a single for, Graduation, because he is featured on the track, but Nike quickly explained that it was for the Nike Air Force 1's anniversary. It was meant only to be an exclusive track for the company.

On March 25, 2007, he and his father Ray West supported World Water Day by having a "Walk for Water" rally. After a two-year break, West has returned to being a fashion columnist in lifestyle magazine Complex. On July 7, 2007, West performed with The Police and John Mayer at the American leg of Live Earth. West hosted the August 17 edition of British comedy- variety show The Friday Night Project.

In July 2007, West changed the release date of Graduation, his third album, from September 18, 2007, to the same release date as 50 Cent's album Curtis, September 11, 2007. 50 Cent later claimed that if Graduation were to sell more records than Curtis, he would stop releasing solo albums. However, 50 Cent would later dispel his comments. The album has been certified double platinum. Guest appearances included T-Pain, Mos Def, and Lil Wayne.

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On August 26, 2007, West appeared as himself on the HBO television show Entourage which he used as a platform to premier his new single "Good Life" during the end credits. On September 9, 2007, West performed at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, losing in every category he was nominated for; he gave an angry speech immediately afterward. (see "Controversies" section)

Following the MTV stint, West was nominated in eight Grammy Award categories for the 50th annual Grammy Awards. He won four of them, including Best Rap Album for Graduation and Best Rap Solo Performance for "Stronger" from Graduation. During the four-hour televised Grammy Awards ceremony, West also performed two songs: "Stronger" (with Daft Punk) and "Hey Mama" (in honor of his recently deceased mother).

Glow in the Dark Tour, 808s & Heartbreak (2008–09)

in Chicago]]

West kicked off the Glow In The Dark Tour in Seattle at the Key Arena on April 16. The tour was originally scheduled to end in June in Cincinnati but was extended into August. Over the course of the tour West was joined by a varying group of opening acts, including Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna, N.E.R.D., DJ Craze, and Gnarls Barkley. On June 15, West was scheduled to perform a late night set at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. His performance started almost two hours late and ran for half of its alloted time, angering many fans in the audience. West later wrote an outraged entry on his blog, blaming the festival organizers as well as Pearl Jam's preceding set, which ran longer than expected.

On September 7, West debuted a new song "Love Lockdown" at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards. "Love Lockdown" features no rapping and only singing using an auto-tune device. This song appears on West's fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak. The new album was expected to be released on December 16, but West announced on his blog on September 24, 2008, that he had finished the album and would be releasing it sometime in November, earlier than previously scheduled. In early October, West made a surprise appearance at a T.I. concert in Los Angeles, where he stated that 808s & Heartbreak was scheduled to be released on November 25, though it was actually released on the 24th, and that the second single is "Heartless". The album was another number one album for West, even though the first week numbers fell well short of Graduation with 450,145 sold.

Along with Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Leona Lewis, and others, West performed at the American Music Awards ceremony on November 23. That same night he won two AMA awards, including Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Graduation and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Male Artist. West performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August 2008, along with Wyclef Jean and N.E.R.D. in support of Barack Obama. On January 20, 2009, Kanye West performed at the Youth Inaugural Ball hosted by MTV for Obama's inauguration.

On February 17, 2009, West was named one of Top 10 Most Stylish Men in America by GQ. The next day, February 18, 2009, West won International Male Solo Artist at The Brit Awards 2009. West was not in attendance but accepted his award with a video speech, saying "Barack is the 'Best Interracial Male' but I'm proud to be the Best International Male in the world.

In April 2009, Kanye West recorded a song called "Hurricane" with 30 Seconds to Mars to appear on their album This Is War, but was not released due to legal issues with both record companies. The song was eventually released on the deluxe version of This Is War, titled "Hurricane 2.0".

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Watch the Throne (2010–present)

In May 2010, West made an animated television guest appearance on Fox's animated television series The Cleveland Show (a spin-off of Family Guy) as the voice behind "Kenny West", a rival of Cleveland Brown's son. In his first episode he performed in a rap battle with Cleveland's son. The producers stated working with West was a very good experience and a reason they chose him was because they knew he was a fan of Family Guy. Kenny West re-appeared in the season 2 premiere of The Cleveland Show.

West spent the first half of 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii, working on his new album with the working title "Good Ass Job", later named My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, released on November 22, 2010. West has cited Maya Angelou, Gil Scott-Heron and Nina Simone as his musical inspirations for this album. Outside production is said to come from RZA, Q-Tip, Pete Rock, and DJ Premier. West also had Justin Vernon flown into his studio on Oahu after seemingly expressing interest in sampling one of Bon Iver's songs; Vernon proceeded to feature on a number of new tracks, including "Lost In The World," which features Vernon's vocal line from Woods.

On May 28, the Dwele-assisted first single from the album, entitled "Power", leaked to the Internet. On June 30, the track was officially released via iTunes. The upcoming music video was quoted as being "apocalyptic, in a very personal way" by the director Marco Brambilla.

On September 12, 2010, West performed a new song, "Runaway" featuring Pusha T, at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. Shortly after the performance, Kanye revealed he was working on a 35 minute short film based around the song. The movie is said to be influenced by film noir and concerns a fallen phoenix whom Kanye falls in love with. The short film debuted consecutively on VH1, MTV, and BET on October 23, 2010.

Watch The Throne, an upcoming collaborative studio album by West and Jay-Z, is scheduled to be released by Def Jam Recordings in 2011. It has been under production since August 2010 as part of West's GOOD Friday initiative of releasing new songs every Friday between August 20 and Christmas 2010. West said through a recent interview with MTV that the album is "going to be very dark and sexy, like couture hip hop. He appeared at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, performing the track "Lost in the World" from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. On January 6, 2011, Kanye announced via Twitter that the first official single from Watch the Throne would be a song called "H.A.M" produced by Lex Luger. The song was released on January 11, 2011.

Personal life

Relationships

Kanye West and designer Alexis Phifer ended their 18-month engagement in 2008. The couple had been dating on and off since 2002, with West eventually proposing in August 2006. According to a friend, the couple's relationship had been straining, significantly influenced by the sheer amount of time and attention West was dedicating to his current concert tour. "It's always sad when things like this end, and we remain friends," Phifer told People.

West was also in a high profile on/off relationship with Amber Rose from 2008 until the summer of 2010.

Mother's death

On November 10, 2007, West's mother, Donda West, died of complications from cosmetic surgery involving abdominoplasty and breast augmentation. TMZ reported that Beverly Hills physician Andre Aboolian had advised Donda West not to have surgery because of a health condition that placed her at risk for a heart attack. He had previously been under scrutiny by the medical board. Adams appeared on Larry King Live on November 20, 2007 but left before speaking. Two days later, he appeared again, with his attorney, stating he was there to "defend himself." He said that the recently released autopsy results "spoke for themselves". The final coroner's report January 10, 2008 concluded that Donda West died of "coronary artery disease and multiple post-operative factors due to or as a consequence of liposuction and mammoplasty."

The funeral and burial for Donda West was held in Oklahoma City on November 20, 2007. West held his first concert following the funeral at The O2 in London on November 22. He dedicated a performance of "Hey Mama", as well as a cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", to his mother, and did so on all other dates of his Glow in the Dark tour.

At a December 2008 press conference in New Zealand, West spoke about his mother's death for the first time. "It was like losing an arm and a leg and trying to walk through that," he told reporters.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger passed the "Donda West Law," a legislation which makes it mandatory for patients to provide medical clearance for elective cosmetic surgery.

Musical style and influences

(left)]] At the start of his career, Kanye West's production style often used pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. His first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was "This Can't Be Life", a track from Jay-Z’s . West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre's "Xxplosive" to use as a replacement for his drums on "This Can't Be Life". and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol' Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites, "Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time... We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that." RZA himself has spoken quite positively of the comparisons, stating in an interview for Rolling Stone, "All good. I got super respect for Kanye. He came up to me about a year or two ago. He gave me mad praising and blessings... For people to say Wu-Tang inspire Kanye, Kanye is one of the biggest artists in the world. That goes back to what we say: 'Wu-Tang is forever.' Kanye is going to inspire people to be like him."

While his use of sampling has lessened over time, West's production continues to feature distinctive and intricate string arrangements. This characteristic arose from him listening to the English trip hop group Portishead, whose 1998 live album Roseland NYC Live, with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra inspired him to incorporate string sections into his hip hop production. Though he was unable to afford live instruments beyond violin riffs provided by Israeli violinist Miri Ben-Ari around the time of his debut album, its subsequent commercial success allowed him to hire his very own eleven-piece string orchestra. For a time, West stood as the sole current pop star to tour with a string section. Both a fan and supporter of indie culture, West uses his official website to promote obscure indie rock bands, posting up music videos and mp3s on a daily basis. This musical affinity is mutual, as West has collaborated with indie artists such as Santigold, Peter Bjorn and John and Lykke Li while his songs have gone on to be covered countless times by myriad rock bands.

Other ventures

Business ventures

In August 2008, West revealed plans to open 10 Fatburger restaurants in the Chicago area; the first was set to open in September 2008 in Orland Park. The second followed in January 2009, while a third location is yet to be revealed, although the process is being finalized. His company, KW Foods LLC, bought the rights to the chain in Chicago. Additionally, West planned to launch his fashion career, and applied for internships with major European fashion houses. He is due to release his own clothing line called Past Tell in 2009. He also collaborated with Nike to release his own shoe, Air Yeezys.

On January 22, 2009, during Paris Fashion Week, West introduced his first shoe line designed for Louis Vuitton. The line was released in summer 2009.

Philanthropy

West started the "Kanye West Foundation" in Chicago in 2003. On August 24, 2007, West hosted the inaugural benefit concert to launch the foundation's partnership with Strong American Schools. It is focused on helping Latino and African American children stay in school and to get a proper education through grade school, high school, and college. The foundation also helps children to stay in high school by finding a path through music. West has contributed over $500,000 to his foundation. The foundation has also been called the "Donda West Foundation".

Kanye West has appeared and participated in many fundraisers, benefit concerts, and has done community work for Hurricane Katrina relief, the Kanye West Foundation, the Millions More Movement, 100 Black Men of America, a Live Earth concert benefit, World Water Day rally and march, Nike runs, and a MTV special helping young Iraq War veterans who struggle through debt and PTSD a second chance after returning home.

Controversies

Media

West has had several controversies throughout his career. On September 2, 2005, during a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina relief on NBC, A Concert for Hurricane Relief, West was a featured speaker. When West was presenting alongside actor Mike Myers, he deviated from the prepared script. Myers spoke next and continued to read the script. Once it was West's turn to speak again, he said "George Bush doesn't care about black people." At this point, telethon producer Rick Kaplan cut off the microphone and then cut away to Chris Tucker, who was unaware of the cut for a few seconds. Still, West's comment reached much of the United States. Bush stated in an interview that the comment was "one of the most disgusting moments” of his presidency.

In January 2006, West again sparked controversy when he appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in the image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.

Award shows

Later in 2006, West had his first of a number of incidents involving music award events. After the 2006 Grammy nominations were released, West said he would "really have a problem" if he did not win the Album of the Year, saying, "I don't care what I do, I don't care how much I stunt — you can never take away from the amount of work I put into it. I don't want to hear all of that politically correct stuff." On November 2, 2006, when his "Touch the Sky" failed to win Best Video at the MTV Europe Music Awards, West went onto the stage as the award was being presented to Justice and Simian for "We Are Your Friends" and argued that he should have won the award instead. Hundreds of news outlets worldwide criticized the outburst. On November 7, 2006, West apologized for this outburst publicly during his performance as support act for U2 for their Vertigo concert in Brisbane. He later spoofed the incident in the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. On September 9, 2007, West suggested that his race had to do with his being overlooked for opening the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in favor of Britney Spears; he claimed, "Maybe my skin’s not right." West was performing at the event; that night, he lost all 5 awards that he was nominated for, including Best Male Artist and Video of the Year. After the show, he was visibly upset that he had lost at the VMAs two years in a row, stating that he would not come back to MTV ever again. He also appeared on several radio stations saying that when he made the song "Stronger" that it was his dream to open the VMAs with it. He has also stated that Spears hasn't had a hit in a long period of time and that MTV exploited her for ratings.

On September 13, 2009, during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards while Taylor Swift was accepting her award for Best Female Video for "You Belong with Me", West went on stage and grabbed the microphone to proclaim that Beyoncé's video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", nominated for the same award, was "one of the best videos of all time". He was subsequently removed from the remainder of the show for his actions. When Beyoncé later won the award for Best Video of the Year for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", she called Swift up on stage so that she could finish her acceptance speech. and by President Barack Obama, who called West a "jackass" in an off the record comment. In addition, West's VMA disruption sparked a large influx of Internet photo memes with blogs, forums and "tweets" with the "Let you finish" photo-jokes. He posted two apologies for the outburst on his personal blog; one on the night of the incident and the other the same day he appeared on The Jay Leno Show, on September 14, 2009, where he apologized again. After Swift appeared on The View two days after the outburst, partly to discuss the matter, West called her to apologize personally. Swift said she accepted his apology. In September 2010, West wrote a series of apologetic tweets addressed to Swift including "Beyonce didn't need that. MTV didn't need that and Taylor and her family friends and fans definitely didn't want or need that" and concluding with "I'm sorry Taylor." West also revealed he had written a song for Swift and if she didn't accept the song, he would perform it himself.

Legal issues

In December 2006, Robert "Evel" Knievel sued West for trademark infringement in West's video for "Touch the Sky." Knievel took issue with a "sexually-charged video" in which West takes on the persona of "Evel Kanyevel" and attempts flying a rocket over a canyon. The suit filed in federal court claims infringement on his trademarked name and likeness. Knievel also claims the "vulgar and offensive" images depicted in the video damage his reputation. The suit seeks damages and to stop distribution of the video. West's attorneys argued that the music video amounted to satire and therefore was covered under the First Amendment. Just days before his death in November 2007, Knievel amicably settled the suit after being paid a visit from West, saying, "I thought he was a wonderful guy and quite a gentleman."

On September 11, 2008, West and his road manager/bodyguard Don Crowley were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport and booked on charges of felony vandalism after an altercation with the paparazzi in which West and Crowley broke the photographers' cameras. West was later released from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division station in Culver City on $20,000 bail bond. On September 26, 2008 the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said it would not file felony counts against West over the incident. Instead the case file was forwarded to the city attorney's office, which charged West with one count of misdemeanor vandalism, one count of grand theft and one count of battery and his manager with three counts of each on March 18, 2009. West's and Crowley's arraignment was delayed from an original date of April 14, 2009. West was arrested again on November 14, 2008 at a hotel near Gateshead after another scuffle involving a photographer outside a nightclub in Newcastle Upon Tyne. He was later released "with no further action", according to a police spokesperson.

Discography

; Studio albums

The College Dropout (2004)

Late Registration (2005)

Graduation (2007)

808s & Heartbreak (2008)

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

; Live albums

''Late Orchestration (2006)

(2010)

; Collaboration albums Watch The Throne (2011) (with Jay-Z)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Kanye West at Beatbuggy

Category:1977 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American rappers Category:African American singers Category:American bloggers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:American music video directors Category:American pop musicians Category:American record producers Category:Songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Chicago State University alumni Category:Electro-hop musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Hip hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Living people Category:Mercury Records artists Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Roc-A-Fella Records artists Category:World Music Awards winners