Name	LOG Records
Founded	2008
Founder	Larissa Lam
Label	LOG Records
Genre	Hip Hop
Country	United States
Location	Los Angeles
Url	LOG Records Website

Only Won (born Baldwin Chiu, May 17 in San Francisco, California) is a hip hop artist who has been writing, performing, rapping, beatboxing and singing as well as acting and performing stunt work. Only Won started rapping seriously in 1991 after being influenced by hip hop pioneers Run DMC, Will Smith, DC Talk, and T-Bone. Because he started rapping in both English and Cantonese, some consider him to be the first Chinese American bilingual rapper. "This Chinese American rapper has a refreshing and unique sound with a message born out of experience, having been in the game since '91." At one point, he was labeled the "Christian" version of "Jin the MC" until Jin became a Christian as well.

Among these things, Only Won is also a professionally licensed mechanical engineer with a PE License deeming him the "Lyrical Engineer" . The title track of his LP (The Lyrical Engineer), provides an exposition of the life and livelihood of a professional engineer. It demonstrates Only Won's technological acumen as well as his lyrical wit and dexterity. Only Won is also a favored guest speaker at conventions, schools, and youth events challenging and encouraging the next generation to pursue their dreams and passions while maintaining an education and focus on God.

Signed in 2009 under Los Angeles Record Label, LOG Records. Only Won has appeared on JCTV and has been featured on collaboration albums. Only Won's newest release, "The Lyrical Engineer" is produced by Grammy nominated group Dynamic Twins, Billboard winner Maximillian and Larissa Lam. The music video was directed and edited by Emmy Award winning director, Marlon Jones. Only Won and Larissa Lam launched a viral music video title "Cantonese Boy" which was a parody of the Grammy winning song American Boy by Kanye West and Estelle. After being seen performing "Cantonese Boy" in Chinatown, Only Won was asked to perform at the 2010 Green Globe Film Awards as they honored Asians in film and entertainment.

Only Won (as Baldwin Chiu) is also an actor and member of SAG and appears in many feature films such as The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, , Twisted, and Pursuit of Happyness.

He is also an advanced level martial artists having trained under the lineage of Kanbun Uechi and Wong Doc-Fai. He is a 3 time UC Berkeley Wushu Champion in tai chi, weapons, and push hands and teaches Tai Chi in Hollywood. He has used some of his skills in choreographing fight scenes in movies and doing stunt work for Ang Lee in the movie Hulk.

On April 29, 2010 California State University, Sacramento, honored high-achieving alumni at an annual award ceremony called the "Distinguished Service Awards". This is the highest recognized award for CSU Sacramento. Baldwin was recognized for his contributions in engineering, his performances as Only Won: The Lyrical Engineer and other entertainment industry endeavors as well as his work with youth. He received this award along side KXTV ABC News anchor Cristina Mendonsa.

Only Won releases

Record Label

Tai Chiu Music was set up in 2008. After moving its location from Sacramento, CA, TCM joined forces with LOG Records and producer Larissa Lam in Los Angeles.

Reissues on other labels

LOG Records issued the 2010 release of "Only Won-The Lyrical Engineer". Tracks for download, through major outlets (Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby, Nimbitmusic, etc…). Also featured with Holland music collaborating with One Truth.

Filmography

Awards

2010 - Distinguished Service Award 1st ever Rising Star Award

Ministries and Community work

Only Won has worked with the community and uses his platform as an entertainer and engineer to encourage people to continue to seek out their dreams without giving up their education. He strives to use his music to bridge a culture that needs to hear and feel the love of God.

See also

JCTV

References

External links

Hear It First

Cross Rhythms

Holy Hip Hop Database

Only Won Official Website

Only Won Videos

Only Won on Twitter

Only Won on Facebook

LOG Records

Category:Living people Category:1974 births Category:American rappers Category:American actors

Name	Kid Cudi
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi
Born	January 30, 1984 Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Origin	Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop, alternative rock, neo-psychedelia
Occupation	Rapper, singer, songwriter, actor
Years active	2003–present
Label	Dream On, GOOD Music, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Chip tha Ripper, Kanye West, Asher Roth, Jay Z, Ratatat
Url

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), better known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), sometimes stylized as KiD CuDi, is an American rapper, singer and actor. He first gained major attention after the release of his debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. In 2009, his single "Day 'n' Nite" reached the top five of the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs charts. "Day 'n' Nite" is part of Cudi's debut album .

Early life

Kid Cudi was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in suburban Shaker Heights and Solon. Mescudi attended Shaker Heights High School for two years, transferred to Solon High School, and earned his GED. Later, Mescudi studied film at the University of Toledo then dropped out after a year.

Music career

Mescudi first began rapping towards the end of high school, inspired by alternative hip hop groups such as The Pharcyde and A Tribe Called Quest. The mixtape quickly caught the attention of Kanye West, leading him to sign Mescudi to GOOD Music later that year.

Kid Cudi was featured on Kanye West's 2008 album, 808s & Heartbreak, helping to write "Heartless" which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and singing with West on the track "Welcome to Heartbreak", which peaked at #87 on the Pop 100, music videos for both songs have been released. Cudi was then tipped as an artist to watch for in medias such as Rolling Stone, Vibe, The Source, XXL and BBC News's Sound of 2009 poll of up-and-coming acts. MTV News also reported on Cudi on a series of reports MCs To Watch In 2009.

in New York City, July 2008.]]

His first television appearance was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, alongside good friends Travis Barker and the late DJ AM. On February 17, 2009, he appeared on Snoop Dogg's MTV talk show Dogg After Dark performing "Day 'n' Nite" at the end of the show. Two days later on February 19, 2009, Cudi appeared on BET's 106 & Park with Kanye West to debut the video of "Day 'n' Nite". On March 16, 2009 Kid Cudi performed on mtvU's Spring Break special, and the next day he performed three songs on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly. He has also appeared as a musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Kid Cudi also made a cameo appearance next to Solange in the video for the song "T.O.N.Y." in February 2009, and later in the Black Eyed Peas' video for "I Gotta Feeling", with disc jockey David Guetta. He has also appeared on numerous magazine covers including Complex (August/September 2009, October/November 2010, URB (August 2009) and XXL (October 2009).

2009–present: Man on the Moon series

Cudi's debut album was released on Universal Motown Records on September 15, 2009 and sold 104,419 copies in the first week and charted at #4. The album's first single was Day 'N' Nite, and is Kid Cudi's greatest commercial success thus far, the song charting well both in the U.S. and in Europe. The song was also ranked #15 the list of the Best 25 Songs of 2009 by Rolling Stone. The next single from the album was "Make Her Say" (originally titled "I Poke Her Face"), which features a sample from the acoustic version of Lady Gaga's song "Poker Face" and performances by Kanye West and Common. The album has now officially reached Gold status selling over a half million copies. The album also received positive reviews from critics. The Boston Globe praised the experimental uniqueness of the album, writing, "It's spacey, adventurous, and ridiculously intriguing if only because it's so different. ...Supposedly Cudi and West made a lot of music together with sci-fi movies playing silently in the studio, and listening to Man on the Moon pretty much corroborates it. It's an album in its own orbit."

in Santa Clara, California, on September 26, 2009.]]

On February 25, 2009, Cudi self-leaked a "teaser trailer" for the upcoming film using his song "Sky Might Fall" in the background, later he posted that he made the trailer himself and was in talks to possibly make it official. With Emile, Cudi produced an exclusive single called "Switchin Lanes" for the video game , part of its "South Central Premium Upgrade" downloadable content (DLC) which came out March 19, 2009 for the PlayStation 3 and March 27, 2009 for the Xbox 360.

During the summer of 2009, Cudi joined rapper Asher Roth for the Great Hangover concert tour. Kid Cudi then featured on the highly anticipated Jay-Z album The Blueprint 3, on the song "Already Home". Kid Cudi was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards for his singles, "Day 'n' Nite" and "Make Her Say". Kid Cudi appeared on Snoop Dogg's More Malice deluxe album, in the song "That Tree". Kid Cudi has also teamed up for tracks with such artists as T.I., Vampire Weekend, Shakira, Johnny Polygon, Mr. Hudson, A-Trak, Talib Kweli, Robin Thicke, MGMT, 3OH!3, Dan Black and Kevin Rudolf. On April 20, 2010, Kid Cudi announced that the name of his second album has been changed from Cudder and the Revolution of Evolution to . The album is due for an November 9, 2010 release. Cudi has also recently been featured on the song "Memories" with David Guetta. The song peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On June 11, 2010, Kid Cudi was arrested in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York, and charged with felony criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance after an alleged incident with him and a 24-year-old woman. Despite his arrest, he was released and made it to Manchester, Tennessee the next day in time to play at Bonnaroo Music Festival. On September 24, 2010, he was sentenced to two days of community service after pleading guilty in court to the possession of cocaine. The following evening, Cudi performed songs off his upcoming album for the Details @ Midnight event at Cedar Lake Studios in Manhattan. In Complex's October/November issue, Cudi admitted to using cocaine to get through interviews. He said he has stopped using it.

Cudi's sophomore album, , A promotional single, "REVOFEV", was released from the album in early 2010. The official lead single, "Erase Me" featuring Kanye West, was released for airplay on June 30, 2010. The single was officially released on iTunes on August 24, 2010 and debuted at #22 on the Billboard Hot 100 earning the status of "Hot Shot Debut".

Cudi appeared as himself in the 10th episode of the 8th season of the CW TV show One Tree Hill dated November 29.

Other ventures

Kid Cudi is currently starring in the new HBO comedy series How to Make it in America, produced by Mark Wahlberg. Cudi has also made an impact in the fashion world with Bape awarding Cudi his own t-shirt in September 2009 and using him as their main model for the summer 2010 collection in reward for his music and past employment there when living in New York City. He was also named the "Most Stylish New Yorker" in February 2010 by Time Out New York.

Discography

Studio albums

(2009)

(2010)

Official Mixtapes

A Kid Named Cudi (2008)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:2000s rappers Category:2010s rappers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American rappers Category:African American singers Category:American rappers of Mexican descent Category:Electro-hop musicians Category:Hip hop singers Category:Native American rappers Category:Native American singers Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Shaker Heights, Ohio Category:People from Solon, Ohio Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Rappers from Ohio Category:Musicians from Ohio Category:University of Toledo alumni Category:Wonky Pop acts Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio

Name	James Blunt
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	James Hillier Blount
Born	February 22, 1974Tidworth, Wiltshire, England, UK
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano, organ, violin
Genre	Pop rock, folk rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	2004 – present
Label	Warner Bros. Records, Atlantic, Custard
Notable instruments	Seagull Acoustic Guitars
Url

James Hillier Blount (born 22 February 1974), better known by his stage name James Blunt, is an English singer-songwriter and musician, and former army officer, whose debut album, Back to Bedlam and single releases, including "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover", brought him to fame in 2005. His repertoire can be best described as a mix of acoustic-tinged pop, rock and folk. After recording on the independent American label Custard Records, Blunt won two BRIT Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, and by 2006 was nominated for five Grammy Awards. The following year, he released his second album All the Lost Souls (2007). Blunt's third studio album, Some Kind of Trouble, was released in November 2010.

Blunt was an officer in the Life Guards, a Cavalry regiment of the British Army, and served under NATO in Kosovo during the conflict there in 1999. While posted to Kosovo, Blunt was introduced to the work of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF or "Doctors Without Borders"). Since then, Blunt has supported MSF by holding meet-and-greet auctions at many of his concerts.

As of 4 October 2009 Blunt's primary residence is on the Spanish island of Ibiza.

Early life

James Blunt was born at an army hospital in Tidworth, Wiltshire, England; the first child born to Jane A.F. ( Amos) and Charles Blount. James spent his early childhood living in England, Cyprus, and Germany, while his father, a Colonel in the British Army Air Corps, and military helicopter pilot, was posted at various times.

James Blunt has two younger siblings. His father instilled in him a love of flying, and he earned his pilot's licence at age 16. The Blount family has a long history of military service, dating from the 10th century.

Education

Blunt was educated at two independent schools: at the age of seven, he was enrolled at Elstree School in Woolhampton in Berkshire, before continuing to Harrow School in Harrow on the Hill in north-west London (Elmfield House) on an army bursary. From Harrow School he gained an army-sponsored place at the University of Bristol, where he first studied Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering and then subsequently moved on to the study of Sociology.

Military service

Because the British Army sponsored his university education, Blunt was obliged to serve a minimum of four years in the armed forces. James stated on an interview in his Back to Bedlam sessions that he chose to join the military as "his Father was pushing for it, so that Blunt could obtain a secure work placement and income". Blunt trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Life Guards, a unit of the Household Cavalry, where he rose to the rank of Captain. One of his first assignments was to British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada, where his battalion was posted for six months in 1998 to act as the opposing army in combat training exercises.

In 1999, he served as an armoured reconnaissance officer in the NATO deployment in Kosovo. Initially assigned to reconnaissance of the Macedonia-Yugoslavia border, Blunt and his unit worked ahead of the front lines directing forces and targeting Serb positions for the NATO bombing campaign. His unit was given the assignment of securing the Pristina International Airport in advance of the 30,000-strong peacekeeping force; the Russian army had moved in and taken control of the airport before his unit's arrival. According to Blunt's own account of the incident he refused to follow orders from NATO command to attack the Russians. There were less intense moments during Blunt's Kosovo assignment, however. Blunt had brought along his guitar, strapped to the outside of his tank. At some places, the peacekeepers would share a meal with hospitable locals, and Blunt would perform. It was while on duty there that he wrote the song "No Bravery". The Scottish television sit-com that is broadcast on BBC Two Scotland and repeated on BBC One, "Gary: Tank Commander", is loosely based on Blunts exploits while serving in the British Army.

A keen skier, Blunt captained the Household Cavalry Alpine Ski Team in Verbier, Switzerland, eventually becoming champion skier of the entire Royal Armoured Corps. He had extended his military service in November 2000, and after an intensive six-month army riding course was posted to the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London, England. He stood guard at the coffin of the Queen Mother during the days of her lying in State and was part of the funeral procession on 9 April 2002. Blunt left the army on 1 October 2002 having served six years.

Music career

Early career

Blunt took piano and violin lessons as a child, but his first significant exposure to popular music was at Harrow School. There, he was introduced to the guitar by a fellow student, and started playing guitar and writing songs at age 14. At University of Bristol, his undergraduate thesis was The Commodification of Image – Production of a Pop Idol; one of his main references for the thesis was Simon Frith, a sociologist and rock critic, and current chair of the Mercury Music Prize.

Blunt left the British Army in 2002 so that he could pursue his musical career. Shortly after leaving the Army, he was signed to EMI music publishers, and to Twenty-First Artists management. A record contract remained elusive however, with recording label executives pointing to Blunt's "" speaking voice as a barrier in class-divided Britain. and within a few days, Blunt signed a recording contract with Perry, and one month later he was in Los Angeles working with producer Tom Rothrock.

Back to Bedlam

Blunt recorded Back to Bedlam in 2003 with producer Tom Rothrock at Rothrock's home studio, using session musicians and performing on many different instruments himself. While in Los Angeles, he lodged with actress Carrie Fisher, whom he had met through the family of a former girlfriend. Fisher was very supportive of Blunt's aspirations, suggesting the name of the album and providing use of a bathroom in her home for Blunt to record the song "Goodbye My Lover". However, the song was chosen to appear in a Vodafone commercial in Italy, and was a Top 10 hit in that country. In March 2004, with Blunt performing in the support role for Katie Melua in Manchester, Alex McCann of Designer Magazine wrote, "Blunt's ascendance is a dead cert and this time next year it isn't that far removed from reality to suggest that a number 1 album, Brit Award and countless accolade's [sic] will be his for the taking." After release of the album, Concert support slots for Elton John and Lloyd Cole and the Commotions in late 2004 and early 2005 followed, as did a band residency at London club 93 Feet East. In March 2005, his second single, "Wisemen," was released.

Blunt's third single "You're Beautiful" was his break-out hit. The song debuted at number 12 in the UK, and rose all the way to the number one position six weeks after its debut. After the success of "You're Beautiful" in the UK, the song crossed over to mainland Europe, becoming one of the biggest hits of summer 2005 across the continent. In the U.S., "You're Beautiful" made its debut in the summer of 2005 on WPLJ, a prominent radio station in New York City, despite not having been released to radio yet. Once the song was released to radio stations in the fall of 2005, the song climbed into the Top 10 at three radio formats: Adult Contemporary Music, Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks, and Adult album alternative.

There was extensive promotion in the United States starting in the fall of 2005, with Blunt making appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Eight of the songs on the album were featured in television shows (The O.C., Grey's Anatomy and many more), films (Undiscovered), and advertising campaigns (Hilton Hotels, Sprint telecommunications) throughout 2005 and 2006.

The album eventually sold 11 million copies and topped the album charts in 16 territories worldwide. In Britain the album was certified 10x platinum, sold over three million copies, and entered the Guiness Book of World Records for the fastest selling album in one year. In 2005, Blunt performed in 90 live shows, mainly across the UK and Europe, ending the year supporting Jason Mraz in a North American tour. The "Back to Bedlam World Tour" started off in January 2006, covering cities in Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, as well as three separate headline tours in North America, ending in November of that year.

A parody of You're Beautiful titled "You're Pitiful" was recorded by Weird Al Yankovic. James Blunt gave personal permission for this parody to be included on a Weird Al album, but Atlantic Records, Blunt's label, stepped in to forbid the commercial release of the song. Weird Al has since made the song available as a free MP3 download on his website. In a request by Yankovic to include the song on an upcoming compilation CD, Blunt's manager replied via email, "Thanks for your email, but both James and I will never approve this parody to be released on any label.".

On 28 December 2009, BBC Radio 1 announced that Back to Bedlam was the biggest selling album of the noughties decade in the United Kingdom.

All the Lost Souls

in San Francisco, 2007]] Blunt's second studio album, All the Lost Souls, was released on 17 September 2007 in the United Kingdom and one day later in North America. It sold 65,000 units in its first week, and was certified gold in the UK after only four days. By the end of January 2008, the album had sold 600,000 copies in the UK, and 4.5 million copies internationally. Blunt completed the album's songs at his home in Ibiza in the winter of 2006–2007. He performed five of the ten album tracks during his 2005–2006 tours; lyrics, melodies, and harmonies were refined for the studio recording, on which his touring band played and Tom Rothrock worked as producer. The album maintains a 53/100 rating at Metacritic, which the website describes as "mixed or average reviews." Yet, in her review of the album, Kerri Mason of Billboard said Blunt "shows the abandon and confidence of a long-term artist, not just a one-hit wonder". And of the album, Mason wrote, "there is not a misstep throughout". Equally effusive, Liz Hoggard of The Observer wrote that "it’s impossible to resist Blunt’s troubadour yearning.”

The first single from All the Lost Souls, "1973", was inspired by Blunt's nights out at Pacha, an Ibiza club, which opened in that year. The song became another hit for Blunt reaching number one the Billboard European Hot 100 Singles chart. D.J. Pete Tong remixed "1973" and played the track during his set at Pacha over the summer of 2007. The third single from the album was "Carry You Home", released in March 2008, peaking at number 20 in the U.K charts and bringing the album back into the Top 10, six months after its release. and his mother arranged for the purchase of his principal residence in Ibiza, where Blunt has holidayed since he was a teenager.

The musician's social life has been the subject of significant commentary, particularly in the tabloid press. Blunt himself has found the degree of interest in his personal life to be bizarre, stating that "fame and celebrity is something that other people have constructed that I'm not really party to".

Charitable and environmental causes

Blunt has raised funds for the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières through benefit concerts and by auctioning opportunities to meet him at his own shows. He first encountered MSF medical care workers during his tour of duty in Kosovo, and was impressed with their work despite minimal support and limited security. On 7 July 2007, Blunt performed at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium, London, and is the owner of one of two prototype electric cars made by Hybrid Technologies under a Space Act partnership with NASA.

As a former soldier, Blunt is a patron of Help for Heroes, a charity aiming to raise money to provide better facilities for wounded British servicemen, and has also held benefit concerts for this charity.

Blunt has also contributed with his vocals for the charity single, "Everybody Hurts" in aid of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake Appeal.

Discography

Back to Bedlam (2005)

All the Lost Souls (2007)

Some Kind of Trouble (2010)

Awards

Grammy Awards

|- | rowspan=5|2007 || James Blunt || Best New Artist || |- | rowspan=3 |"You're Beautiful" || Record of the Year|| |- | Song of the Year || |- | Best Male Pop Vocal Performance || |- | Back to Bedlam || Best Pop Vocal Album ||

2005

MTV Europe Music Awards – Best New Act

Q Awards – Best New Act

Digital Music Awards – Best Pop Act

2006

NRJ Music Awards (France) – Best International Newcomer

BRIT Awards – Best pop act and Best Male Vocalist

ECHO Awards (Germany) – Best International Newcomer

NME Awards – Worst Album

MTV Australia Video Music Awards – Song of the Year for You're Beautiful

Ivor Novello Awards – Most Performed Work and International Hit of the Year

MTV Video Music Awards – Best Male Video and Best Cinematography

World Music Awards – Best New Artist in the World and Biggest Selling British Artist in the World

Teen Choice Awards (United States) – Choice Music Male Artist

2008

ECHO Awards (Germany) – Best International Male Artist

References

Further reading

TV interview with The Hour on CBC

James Blunt interview and video on and POP

External links

JamesBlunt.com Official James Blunt website

Monkey King's Amazing Facts – James Blunt Online Encyclopedia

James Blunt on Twitter

Category:1974 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol Category:British Life Guards officers Category:Custard Records artists Category:English folk singers Category:English guitarists Category:English keyboardists Category:English-language singers Category:English male singers Category:English multi-instrumentalists Category:English pianists Category:English singer-songwriters Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Living people Category:Old Harrovians Category:People from Tidworth Category:Sandhurst graduates Category:Warner Music Group artists Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:British expatriates in Spain

Name	Iyaz
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Keidran Jones
Origin	Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Instrument	Vocals
Genre	R&B;, hip hop, reggae fusion
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, dancer, actor
Years active	2009–present
Label	Beluga Heights Records
Associated acts	J. R. Rotem, Charice, Miley Cyrus, Sean Kingston, New Boyz
Url

Keidran Jones, (born 1987) better known as his stage name, Iyaz, from the British Virgin Islands, is a singer signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. His debut number one hit single "Replay" was released in 2009 reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 number one in the UK, Australia and top ten in many other countries. All of Iyaz's singles have reached the top 40 on the UK Official Singles Chart.

Life and career

Iyaz was born into a musical family and grew up in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. and later signed a recording contract with Time Is Money/Beluga Heights. Kingston introduced him to producer J. R. Rotem. He released "Replay" in 2009, which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at #1 in many other territories, including the United Kingdom. His second single "Solo" was released in February 2010, and has so far peaked at #32 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also took part in "We Are The World 25 for Haiti". His debut album, Replay was released in 2010, and he is the featured artist on Charice's single "Pyramid".

He is also featured in the upcoming film '21 Coconuts'.

In an interview with HitQuarters, producer and Beluga Heights head J.R. Rotem described Iyaz's creative perfectionism:

"Whereas others might work on several songs in one day, he might sit there and work on one song for days. The end result that he gets is usually an absolute gem, so heartfelt and genuine."

He was on Hannah Montana Forever and made a song with Miley Cyrus called "Gonna Get This", which is on the Hannah Montana Forever Soundtrack album. In 2011, Iyaz will be working on his second album.

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Details ! colspan="4"| Peak chart positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! style="width:35px;"| UK ! style="width:35px;"| GRE ! style="width:35px;"| NL ! style="width:35px;"| SWI |- ! scope="row"| Replay |

Release date: June 4, 2010

Label: Beluga Heights/Reprise

Formats: CD, music download

| 26 | 18 | 61 | 35 |- |}

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Title ! colspan="10"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:11.5em;"| Certifications(sales threshold) ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style=font-size:smaller ! style="width:35px;"| UK ! style="width:35px;"| AUS ! style="width:35px;"| CAN ! style="width:35px;"| FRA ! style="width:35px;"| GER ! style="width:35px;"| AUT ! style="width:35px;"| IRE ! style="width:35px;"| NL ! style="width:35px;"| NZ |- | 2009 ! scope="row"| "Replay" | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | align="left"| AUS: 2× Platinum US: 3× Platinum | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| Replay |- | rowspan="2"| 2010 ! scope="row"| "Solo" | 3 | 32 | 48 | 54 | — | 25 | 28 | 26 | 35 | 35 | align="left"| US: Gold |- ! scope="row"| "So Big" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 46 | — | — | |- | colspan="15" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country |- |}

Guest appearances

Music Videos

Filmography

References

External links

Category:British Virgin Islands musicians Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Living people Category:1987 births

| name	Celldweller
Background	solo_singer
Origin	founded: New York City, New Yorkrelocated: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Genre	Electronic rock Industrial rockIndustrial metalAlternative metalNu metalElectronicaDrum & bass
Label	Esion MediaPosition MusicFiXT Music
Years active	1999–present
Url	www.celldweller.com
Associated acts	Blue StahliCircle of DustArgyle ParkCriss AngelAngeldust
Current members	Klayton

Celldweller is a Detroit, Michigan-based electronic rock project that was created by multi-instrumentalist Klayton, former frontman and songwriter of the bands Circle of Dust, Argyle Park, Angeldust (with Criss Angel), and many more. Celldweller's music is multi-faceted, often labeled electronic rock and more commonly being described as a combination of rock and trance. Celldweller songs have frequently appeared in movies, trailers, television shows, and video games.

Biography

Precursors: Circle of Dust and Angeldust, 1997-2001

Klayton had gained a devoted cult following in the mid 90s because of his industrial metal band Circle of Dust. After the dissolution of that band, Klayton concurrently released both a posthumous collection of reworked Circle of Dust leftovers titled Disengage and an album for a new project, Angeldust, created in conjunction with illusionist Criss Angel. Both albums demonstrated Klayton's shift away from industrial metal and towards more goth and darkwave influences, incorporating richer electronic instrumentation and greater emphasis on melody. This change in style was a major step toward the sound that would come to define Celldweller's output. Klayton began demoing songs for the Celldweller project in 1998/1999 and released a limited edition EP of three early Celldweller demos and two solo trance tracks, which quickly sold out. Klayton and Criss Angel parted ways in 2000 after three albums' worth of material had been completed, allowing Klayton to devote all of his time to Celldweller.

Eponymous debut album, 2003

Klayton worked in earnest with producer Grant Mormhan (formerly of Leaderdogs For The Blind) on the debut Celldweller album, which was slated for release in February 2001. Unfortunately, various delays kept pushing the release date back. During this time, Klayton kept fans up to date with numerous Celldweller Logs through his website and via email and, in 2001, released raw files of the song "Symbiont" to give fans and fellow musicians a chance to remix Celldweller's music. Eight remixes were chosen and uploaded to the original Mp3.com, most of them making it to the top of the Electronic and the Electro-Industrial charts. All the exposure led to over 500,000 song plays on Mp3.com. The "Symbiont" remixes became a digital EP six years later.

The self-titled debut album saw release in early 2003 and debuted at #17 on Billboard's Internet Sales Chart. Celldweller included a guest appearance by Taproot drummer Jarrod Montague. In 2004, the album took home seven awards at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards, winning Album of the Year, Producer of the Year, Industrial Album of the Year, Metal Song of the Year ("One Good Reason") and Best Industrial Rock Song ("Switchback"), and also took runner-up in Best Industrial Song with "Stay with Me (Unlikely)" and Best Rock Song with "I Believe You". Klayton has stated that he plans to release Beta Cessions to coincide with each of his major albums to collect outtakes, demos, and other rarities.

Take It & Break It

In the years following the release of the first Celldweller album, various remix EPs were released, culminating in the conception of the Take It & Break It Celldweller Remix Competition in 2006. Expanded off the fan remix concept that Klayton first toyed with in 2001 with the Symbiont remixes, the Take It & Break It competition saw the creation of its own website on which unlimited numbers of fans could register, download and remix the individual recording files of various Celldweller songs, and then submit their remixes. Thus far, three rounds of the competition have been completed, with multiple-disc collections of Celldweller remixes being released at the end of each round. In 2008, the Celldweller Remix Competition evolved into the FiXT Remix Competition where fans, remixers, and musicians have the opportunity to remix songs of not only Celldweller but other FiXT Music artists as well. Subsequent remix compilations completed in 2009 have not been released under the "Take It & Break It" banner.

Soundtrack for the Voices in my Head, 2008

In December 2008, Klayton released Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1, a collection consisting primarily of short, instrumental score-based compositions. The songs were culled from the hundreds of demos in Klayton's extensive archives and represented work that he felt was not suited for a premier Celldweller album but rather for theatrical use. Celldweller's management has sought to have these songs placed in media, like those on the debut album, and several have already been heard on film and television and in video games. Many of the leftovers will be on the second vol. of The Beta Cessions: "In fact The Beta Cessions II (when I ever get around to working on those tracks) will be primarily new material and not a bunch of remixes and alternative versions of songs from the sophomore ... album."

Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 2

Recently he released the first chapter of his follow-up to Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1. Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 2 a 4-track chapter, three relatively short songs accompanied by a 20-minute long ambient piece.

A Limited Edition CD of SVH 2 Chapter 1 was released 7 December 2010 and was sold out after just 8 hours of its release, 100 copies where available.

2010 Tour and Recent Events

In mid-2010, Klayton teamed up with Blue Stahli and began touring across America, with intent to move on to Russia as well. He also produced a song, "Kill The Sound", to be featured in the video game Dead Rising 2..

In October, 2010, Celldweller's "Birthright (Birthwrong Remix by Blue Stahli)," from the album Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1, was featured in a trailer for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood introducing the Harlequin DLC character. Later that month, in recognition of Halloween, Celldweller posted a cover of the Halloween theme on his website, and made it free for download. .

In November, 2010, Celldweller announced that he is planning to release an EP with some of the live versions of his music due out in early 2011, with remixes of Own Little World, The Best It's Gonna Get Vs. Tainted and Frozen.

The live show

During the early formative years of Celldweller, Klayton conceptualized a live show very unlike that of a typical rock band. While most bands play songs in a fairly straightforward manner, one after another, a Celldweller show would essentially be a live remix session that incorporated performance art and exclusive audio/visual material. Much of the influence for this came from Klayton's time collaborating on Criss Angel's theatrical magic shows. A recent show in Michigan was also recorded for release on DVD.

Former touring band members have included:

Del Cheetah - guitar, multi-media (though Del helped Klayton form the initial live concept, circumstances prevented Del from actually participating in any Celldweller shows other than some private showcases)

Chris Gramling aka Tweety - guitar, multi-media (though Chris helped Klayton form the initial live concept, circumstances - Klay moved to Detroit - prevented Chris from actually participating in any Celldweller shows other than some private showcases)

Sparky - drums (for showcases with Del & Chris)

Dale Van Norman - electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2004-2005)

Kem Secksdiin - bass guitar, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals (2004-2005)

Kenny James - drums (2004-2005)

Mike Cais - drums (2004-2005)

Bret Autrey (Blue Stahli) - drums, guitars, keys (2010- )

Discography

;Major releases

Celldweller (2003)

The Beta Cessions (2004)

Soundtrack for the Voices in My Head Vol. 1 (2008)

Wish Upon a Blackstar (2009 - 2011)

Soundtrack For The Voices In My Head Vol. 2 (2010 - ?)

Awards

The debut Celldweller album won seven awards in the 2004 Just Plain Folks Music Awards:

Best Hard Rock song - "Fadeaway"

Best Industrial Song - "Switchback" (with "Stay with Me (Unlikely)" in second place)

Best Metal song - "One Good Reason"

2nd place, Best Rock Song - "I Believe You"

Album of the Year - Celldweller

Producer of the Year - Klayton

Best Industrial album - Celldweller

Best Male Vocalist - Klayton (2005 Radio-Active-Music Awards)

External links

Official website

FiXT Music

FiXT Store

FiXT Remix

Russian Fan-Blog

Russian Fan-site

Russian Fan-forum

References

Category:American industrial music groups Category:American electronic music groups Category:Musical groups from Detroit, Michigan Category:Heavy metal musical groups from Michigan Category:Industrial metal musical groups

Name	Anita P, Baker
Background	solo_singer
Born	December 20, 1957Toledo, Ohio, United States
Origin	Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genre	Smooth jazz, soul, soul jazz, R&B;, quiet storm
Voice type	Contralto
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Years active	1978–present
Label	Beverly Glen Records (1982-1984)Elektra (1985-1995)Atlantic (1996-2001)Blue Note (2004-present)
Url	Blue Note artist page

Anita Baker (born December 20, 1957) is an American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter. To date, Baker has won eight Grammy Awards, and has four platinum albums and two gold albums to her credit.

Music career

The Songstress (1983)

Baker released her debut album, The Songstress, in 1983. Produced by the late Patrick Moten and Otis Smith, the album was released on a small label, Beverly Glen Records. The album helped launch Baker's career as it found minor success on the R&B; chart. Baker herself co-wrote the album's opening track, "Angel".

Rapture (1985-1986)

In 1985, Baker signed a contract with Elektra Records, a division of Warner Music Group. She released her second album, Rapture, in 1986. Produced by her friend Michael J. Powell (from the Detroit soul band Chapter 8), Baker wrote several tracks for the album herself including "Been So Long" and "Watch Your Step", and co-wrote the single "Sweet Love" which became her first mainstream hit; it peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number two on the U.S. Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs, and number thirteen in the United Kingdom. "Caught Up in the Rapture", "No One in the World", and "Same Ole Love" also became major R&B; and adult contemporary chart hits during 1986 and 1987. Rapture ultimately went on to sell eight million copies worldwide and earned Baker two Grammy Awards in 1987: Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female for the album and Best Rhythm & Blues Song for "Sweet Love". Baker's world tour for her Rapture album, entitled A Night of Rapture, was filmed and released on home video (and DVD in 2007).

In 1987, Baker collaborated with The Winans on the single "Ain't No Need to Worry", which led Baker to her third Grammy Award the following year, in the Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus category.

Giving You the Best That I Got (1988)

Baker's third album, Giving You the Best That I Got, was released in October 1988. She again worked with Powell, and the album became a critical and commercial success, reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart and selling five million copies worldwide (including three million in the U.S. alone). It featured such hits as "Just Because" and the title track, which became Baker's biggest pop hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while topping both the R&B; and adult contemporary charts. The album also won three more Grammy awards.

Compositions (1990)

Baker returned to the studio in 1990 for her fourth album (her third for Elektra), entitled Compositions. Once again produced by Powell, this time Baker became more involved in the songwriting and production process and began to experiment with jazz influences. Baker wrote or co-wrote seven of the nine songs on the album, including the hits "Talk to Me", "Fairy Tales", "No One to Blame", and "Whatever It Takes" (written with Gerald Levert). The album was mostly cut "live", in that the rhythm section was playing as Baker sang. The album included musicians Greg Phillinganes, Nathan East, Paulinho da Costa, Vernon Fails, Ricky Lawson, and Stephen Ferrone.

Though the three singles from Compositions all failed to reach the top forty of the Billboard Hot 100 ("Talk to Me" came closest at number forty-four), they still became top twenty hits on the R&B; chart and were also moderate adult contemporary hits. Compositions peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, number three on the Billboard Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums, and number four on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums, and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album also earned Baker her seventh Grammy Award and her fourth in the category of Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance. Amazingly she had won in that category four out of the past five awards ceremonies 1987 - 1991.

Following Compositions, Elektra Records secured the rights to Baker's debut album The Songstress from 1983, and re-released it with a new cover artwork in 1991.

After almost five years of touring, performing, and recording non-stop, Baker took a break, only entering the studio to record the jazz standard "Witchcraft" with Frank Sinatra for his 1993 Duets album.

Rhythm of Love (1994)

Baker's fifth album, Rhythm of Love, was issued in September 1994. After ending her successful partnership with Powell, Baker produced most of the album herself along with many famous producers such as George Duke, Arif Mardin, Barry J. Eastmond, and Tommy LiPuma. Rhythm of Love was mainly recorded at Baker's home due to her pregnancy at the time, and she wrote five of the album's twelve songs. The album was another commercial success, peaking at number three on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums, and eventually being certified double platinum by the RIAA. The first single, "Body and Soul", became Baker's first U.S. top forty hit in over five years. Baker won the award for Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance for the single "I Apologize" at the 1996 Grammy Awards, her fifth Grammy Award in this category and her eighth overall.

Recent career

In June 2002, Rhino Records released The Best of Anita Baker (known as in the UK, with a slightly different track listing), a compilation of Baker's material from 1983–2002.

Two years later, in March 2004, Blue Note Records announced that they had signed Baker to an exclusive recording contract that would result in at least two albums. Bruce Lundvall, president and CEO of EMI Jazz & Classics, signed her after she approached him to record for Blue Note. At the same time Rhino Records released A Night of Rapture: Live, a compilation that contained nine live tracks and three multimedia videos recorded in the late 1980s.

In September 2004, a decade after her last studio album, Baker released a new album, entitled My Everything. Co-produced by Barry J. Eastmond and Baker herself, she wrote or co-wrote nine of this album's ten tracks, including a duet with Babyface, "Like You Used to Do". Though she had been out of the limelight for some considerable time, the album was a success and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified gold by the RIAA, denoting sales in excess of 500,000 units in the U.S.

In October 2005, Baker released her first Christmas album, Christmas Fantasy. Again produced by Baker and Eastmond, the album mixed traditional Christmas carols ("God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"), standards ("I'll Be Home for Christmas"), re-imagined classics ("Frosty's Rag"), Broadway show tunes ("My Favorite Things"), and three new songs by Baker and Eastmond ("Moonlight Sleighride", "Family of Man", and "Christmas Fantasy"). She received a Grammy Award nomination in 2007 for Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance for the song "Christmas Time Is Here".

In 2007, Baker appeared on Dave Koz's album At the Movies. She sang "Somewhere" from the Broadway musical West Side Story.

Baker embarked on a concert tour in 2008, entitled An Evening with Anita Baker. Her performance at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, on July 12, 2008, was recorded and Baker announced plans to release a new DVD and/or CD live album in early 2009.

On September 19, 2008, BusyBoy Productions filmed her entire An Evening with Anita Baker concert at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota, for Baker's up-and-coming DVD and B-roll footage for promotional purposes.

On April 25, 2010, Baker performed at the New Orleans Annual Jazz Fest 2010 at the Congo Square Stage.

On June 10, 2010, Baker sang the National Anthem at Game 4 of the NBA Finals in TD Garden. Her performance was criticized by some viewers.

Baker will be releasing a new album in the beginning of 2011 entitled "21st Century Love", her seventh studio album, which will be released on Blue Note Records/EMI.

Selected awards and accolades

Grammy Awards

{| class=wikitable |- | colspan=4 align=center | Grammy Award history |- ! Year ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |- align=center |rowspan="2"| 1987 | Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female | Rapture | |- align=center | Best Rhythm & Blues Song | "Sweet Love" | |- align=center | 1989 | Best Soul Gospel Performance by a Duo or Group, Choir or Chorus | "Ain't No Need to Worry" (with The Winans) | |- align=center |rowspan="4"| 1989 | Record of the Year | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | |- align=center | Song of the Year | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | |- align=center | Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | |- align=center | Best Rhythm & Blues Song | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | |- align=center | 1990 | Best R&B; Vocal Performance, Female | Compositions | |- align=center |rowspan="2"| 1995 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "Body and Soul" | |- align=center | Best R&B; Album | Rhythm of Love | |- align=center |rowspan="2"| 1996 | Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance | "I Apologize" | |- align=center | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals | "When You Love Someone" (with James Ingram) | |- align=center |rowspan="2"| 2005 | Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance | "You're My Everything" | |- align=center | Best R&B; Album | My Everything | |- align=center | 2007 | Best Traditional R&B; Vocal Performance | "Christmas Time Is Here" | |}

American Music Awards

{| class=wikitable |- | colspan=4 align=center | American Music Award history | |- align=center | 1994 | Hollywood Walk of Fame | | Star at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. |- align=center |}

Personal life

She married Walter Bridgforth Jr. on Christmas Eve 1988. As of October 2007 they were finalizing their divorce. They have two sons, Walter Baker Bridgforth (born January 1993) and Edward Carlton Bridgforth (born May 1994). Baker currently lives in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.

Discography

1983: The Songstress

1986: Rapture

1988: Giving You the Best That I Got

1990: Compositions

1994: Rhythm of Love

2004: My Everything

2011: 21st Century Love

References

External links

Official Website

Anita Baker on Blue Note Records

Biography and note to fans at SoulTracks

Official Myspace Page

Category:1958 births Category:1970s singers Category:1980s singers Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American contraltos Category:American jazz singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Blue Note Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Ohio

Category:People from Detroit, Michigan Category:People from Toledo, Ohio Category:Smooth jazz singers Category:Women in jazz

Name	Agnes Obel
Born	1981
Years active	2009-present
Background	solo_singer
Origin	Copenhagen, Denmark
Genre	Folk, classical
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Instrument	Vocals, piano
Label	PIAS Recordings (2010)
Url

Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel (born 1981) is a Danish singer/songwriter. Her first album, Philharmonics, was released by PIAS Recordings on 4 October 2010 in Denmark, Germany and other European countries.

Education

Agnes Obel was born Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel in 1981. Living in Copenhagen, and coming from a musician family, Agnes Obel learned piano at a very young age. She attended high school at Det frie Gymnasium and university at Roskilde University.

Philharmonics

Philharmonics has garnered generally positive review with for example James Skinner from BBC saying that "the compositions... are slow, sombre, sepulchral even, but not without a sense of occasionally singular beauty".

In the French cultural magazine Les Inrockuptibles, Johanna Seban speaks about a "disarming purity" and states: "There is, in her ballads intensely melancholy, the purity and reassuring nobility of the bedside's discs."

In Musicomh, Ben Edgell writes: "Obel sings with a hushed and tender grace that waxes wistful and serene over yearning cello, harp, and piano vignettes. She's a fey siren, with a dusky, near-whispered vocal that speaks to Ane Brun or Eva Cassidy."

Philharmonics contains three titles that are purely instrumental: Falling and Catching, Louretta, and Wallflower.

Others works

Her song "Just So" was featured in a Deutsche Telekom commercial in Germany and three songs were on the soundtrack to the movie Submarino by Thomas Vinterberg.

Covers of songs by other songwriters

All of the songs in Philharmonics - except for "Close Watch" (by John Cale) & "Katie Cruel" (a folk traditional; as the iTunes bonus track of the album) - are original work. However, Agnes Obel has performed a very personal cover:

I keep a Close Watch: John Cale (1983).

Discography

Albums

2010: Philharmonics - DK #1 - F #40 - CH #58 - NL #28 - BE (Fl) #76 - BE (Wa) #100

EPs

2010: Riverside (EP) - CH #58 - DK #33

Singles

2009: "Just So" - GER #44 - NL #87

References

Category:Living people Category:2010s singers Category:Danish female singers Category:Danish singer-songwriters