• Horror
• Horror (Garo)
• Horror and terror
• Horror fiction
• Horror film
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• J-Horror
• K-Horror
• Survival horror
• The Horror
• 
  

• 
  Atlanta
  Atlanta ( /ətˈlæntə/, stressed /ætˈlæntə/, locally  /ætˈlænə/) is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia with a 2010 population of 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest in the U.S. It is a major component of a growing southeastern megalopolis known as the Piedmont Atlantic Megaregion. Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, and a small portion of the city extends eastward into DeKalb County.
  Atlanta began as a settlement located at the terminus of a railroad line, and it was incorporated in 1845. Today, the city is a major business city and the primary transportation hub of the Southeastern United States (via highway, railroad, and air), with Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world's busiest airport since 1998. The World Cities Study Group at Loughborough University rated Atlanta as an "alpha(-) world city." With a gross domestic product of US$270 billion, Atlanta's economy ranks 15th among world cities and sixth in the nation. The city is a center for services, finance, information technology, government, and higher education. Metro Atlanta contains the country's third largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies, and is the world headquarters of The Coca-Cola Company, Turner Broadcasting, The Home Depot, AT&T Mobility, UPS, and Delta Air Lines. As of 2010, Atlanta is the seventh most visited city in the United States, with over 35 million visitors per year.
  
  wn.com/Atlanta
• 
  New York City
  New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
  Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km²), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km²), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.
  
  wn.com/New_York_City

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  2 Chainz
  Tauheed Epps (born September 12, 1976), better known by his stage name 2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi, is an American rapper from College Park, Georgia. He was previously signed to Ludacris' record label Disturbing tha Peace with Dolla Boy as Playaz Circle.
  2 Chainz was born Tauheed Epps on September 12, 1976. He was originally known under the name "Tity Boi", a name given to him by his mother, as Epps was an only child and thus the only one his mother would breastfeed. Further research and investigation showed that he had one brother named Dimatri who was 9 months younger than him and adopted by a couple in Birmingham, Alabama. His brother has one daughter named Sakia and one son named Dimatri Jr. nicknamed, DJ. His niece, Sakia is 13 (2011) and his nephew, DJ is 2 (2011). His niece is very proud of her uncle and talks to him alot on the phone. She also loves to visit him on her breaks.
  His graduating record in college was a 4.0
  Epps formed the hip hop duo Playaz Circle (the word "Playaz" being an acronym of Preparing Legal Assets for Years from A to Z) in College Park, Georgia in 1997 with his high school friend Earl Conyers, who became known under his recording name Dolla Boy. Following the release on an independent album titled United We Stand, United We Fall, the duo were introduced to fellow rapper Ludacris when he moved into their College Park apartment complex whilst he was acting as a disc jockey: after he took an interest in Playaz Circle, he began to record several songs with the group, playing some of them on his radio station.
  
  wn.com/2_Chainz
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  Aaliyah
  Aaliyah Dana Haughton (January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001), who performed under the mononym Aaliyah ( /ɑːˈliːə/), was an American recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside Gladys Knight. At age 12, Aaliyah signed with Jive Records and her uncle Barry Hankerson's Blackground Records. Hankerson introduced her to R. Kelly, who became her mentor, as well as lead songwriter and producer of her debut album, Age Ain't Nothing but a Number. The album sold three million copies in the United States and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). After facing allegations of an illegal marriage with R. Kelly, Aaliyah ended her contract with Jive and signed with Atlantic Records.
  Aaliyah worked with record producers Timbaland and Missy Elliott for her second album, One in a Million; it sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and over eight million copies worldwide. In 2000, Aaliyah appeared in her first major film, Romeo Must Die. She contributed to the film's soundtrack, which spawned the single "Try Again". The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 solely on airplay, making Aaliyah the first artist in Billboard history to achieve this feat. "Try Again" earned Aaliyah a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocalist.
  
  wn.com/Aaliyah
• Ace Hood
  Antoine McColister, (born May 11, 1988), better known by his stage name Ace Hood, is an American rapper. Originating from Broward County, Florida, he is signed to DJ Khaled's label We the Best Music Group and Cash Money Records. he is formerly signed to Def Jam Recordings. His song "Top of the World", from his debut studio album Gutta, was also featured in the basketball simulation game, NBA 2K10.
  In 2007, he met DJ Khaled outside the offices of WEDR 99 Jamz, a South Florida radio station that mainly plays hip hop and contemporary R&B music. After Ace gave him an autobiography and demo tape, Khaled asked Ace to rap over the instrumental of "I'm So Hood" and later signed Hood to his label, We the Best. Ace was named with several others to the Freshmen of 09 by XXL magazine.
  His first album, Gutta, was released in 2008. Singles included "Cash Flow" featuring T-Pain and Rick Ross, and "Ride" featuring Trey Songz. Hood also released mixtapes called Ace Won't Fold and All Bets On Ace. He made a guest performance among several rappers on DJ Khaled's single "Out Here Grindin'", also featuring Akon, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Trick Daddy and Plies, which peaked at #38 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ace Hood's biggest hit. It is from Khaled's third studio album We Global, and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. Ace Hood appeared on Wildstyle Radio with Rome and Hoss on WUAG 103.1FM in Greensboro, North Carolina, on September 7, 2008, to promote his album, Gutta, along with DJ Khaled. The album debuted at #36 on the Billboard 200, selling 25,000 copies its first week.
  
  wn.com/Ace_Hood
• Alyson Williams
  Alyson Williams (born May 11, 1962 in New York City, NY) is an R&B singer.
  The daughter of bandleader / trumpeter Bobby Booker, she began her career by singing background vocals for various artists including, Curtis Hairston, Melba Moore ("Love's Coming At Ya"), B. B. & Q. Band, Cashflow, Unlimited Touch, Bobby Brown and Barbara Mitchell before joining the group High Fashion, which also featured Meli'sa Morgan. After they disbanded, Alyson sang with the group The Affair before moving onto a solo career.
  Her first single, "Yes We Can Can", was first released on Profile Records in 1986; a release on the Def Jam label followed in 1987. At the label, she established herself as an in demand vocalist, duetting with many of her label mates including Chuck Stanley ("Make You Mine Tonight") and Oran "Juice" Jones ("How To Love Again").
  Her first album release and the first R&B female singer signed to Def Jam, she released the album Raw in 1989. The album produced the singles "My Love is So Raw", featuring female rapper Nikki D,and "Sleep Talk". In addition, the single "Just Call My Name" was a hit on the Billboard R&B charts reaching number #4. The song, picked up by many "Quiet storm" formats, is now considered a cult classic and is still played. The album included a duet with the Blue Magic vocalist Ted Mills on "We're Gonna Make It". Her single "I Need Your Lovin'" was also a #8 success in the UK, as well as another R&B hit for her.
  
  wn.com/Alyson_Williams
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  Amy Winehouse
  Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British female to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
  In 2007 she won a Brit Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times: once in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", once in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and once in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game".
  
  wn.com/Amy_Winehouse
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  Asher Roth
  Asher Paul Roth (born August 11, 1985) is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. Roth is signed to Schoolboy Records, SRC, and Def Jam.
  Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth (née McConnell), is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm. His mother has Scottish ancestry and his paternal grandfather was Jewish. Roth does not consider himself Jewish, although his name often leads people to believe he is. He attended Pennsbury High School. Growing up, Roth was exposed to little hip hop in his family, with his parents preferring "The Temptations, Earth, Wind & Fire ... Bruce Springsteen and Dire Straits." According to Roth:
  The first CD I ever bought was Dave Matthews Band's Crash ...That is how suburban I am...I finally got into hip hop in '98 when I heard the Annie sample with Jay-Z....When I wrote my 'A Milli' freestyle, that was me listening to 10 years of hip hop and not relating to it at all. Like, Damn I don’t sell coke. Damn, I don’t have cars or 25-inch rims. I don't have guns. I finally got to a point where I had the confidence to do this thing myself, and I was making music for me. And it turns out, a lot of people feel the same way I do.
  
  wn.com/Asher_Roth
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  Beanie Sigel
  Dwight Grant, (born March 6, 1974), also known as Beanie Sigel, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers Jay-Z, Freeway and other former and current artists on the Roc-A-Fella roster. His stage name comes from a street in South Philadelphia, the rapper's former stomping grounds where he worked alongside Senior Durham in the projects. He has sold more than two million albums worldwide. He decided to end his career in middle 2010 when he made his last song, "I Go Off" with 50 Cent who had signed Grant to his G-Unit Records label in 2009. In early 2011 Grant appeared in Travis Barker's album Give the Drummer Some, saying that it was the end of his career. In May 31, 2011 Grant apologized to his former boss Jay-Z. But in an interview with DJ Green Lantern, he said that he had never "apologized" to Jay-Z, and that he was still making music.
  In 2002, Sigel and much of the Roc roster starred in a Dame Dash-produced movie entitled State Property. Its release coincided with the creation and promotion of State Property, a group of artists signed to Roc-A-Fella that hailed from Philadelphia and organized by Sigel and Freeway. Its members included Peedi Crakk, the Young Gunz Chris,Neef, Oschino and Omilio Sparks. Their first collaboration was for the movie's soundtrack, an eponymous release that featured the original "Roc the Mic" by Sigel and Freeway. They followed up with 2003's The Chain Gang Vol. 2, featuring the single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by the Young Gunz; the record was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.
  
  wn.com/Beanie_Sigel
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  Beyoncé Knowles
  Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (née Beyoncé Giselle Knowles; September 4, 1981), known mononymously as Beyoncé ( /biˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-YON-say), is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.
  During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love, in 2003, which spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100—"Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy"—and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the disbandment of Destiny's Child in 2005, Knowles released her second solo album, B'Day, in 2006, which spawned the top 10 singles "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), spawned the hit singles "If I Were a Boy", "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)", "Halo" and "Sweet Dreams". The album helped Knowles earn six Grammys in 2010, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. Knowles' fourth solo album, 4 (2011), became her fourth consecutive number one album on the Billboard 200 as a solo artist. This made her the third artist in history to have her first four studio albums debut atop the chart.
  
  wn.com/Beyoncé_Knowles
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  Big Boi
  Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André 3000 each announced plans to release a solo album. Big Boi's solo debut Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty was released in July 2010 to respectable sales and critical acclaim.
  Patton was born and spent the first half of his childhood in Savannah, Georgia, attending Herschel V. Jenkins High School before moving to Atlanta with his Aunt Renne. Eventually he decided to pursue his interest in music at Tri-Cities High School, a Visual and Performing Arts Magnet School.
  He had a strong interest in hip-hop music, and met André "3000" Benjamin while attending Tri Cities High School in the early-1990s. The two eventually joined forces as OutKast and signed with LaFace Records.
  
  wn.com/Big_Boi
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  Big Sean
  Sean Michael Anderson (born March 25, 1988), better known by his stage name Big Sean, is an American rapper. Big Sean signed with Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music in 2007, and then in 2008 signed with Def Jam Recordings.
  Sean Michael Anderson was born in Santa Monica, California, and he moved at two months old to west Detroit (6 Mile and Wyoming) where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He attended Detroit Waldorf School and graduated from Cass Technical High School with a 3.7 GPA. Big Sean is often heard saying " west side " in his songs; he is referring to the west side of his hometown Detroit, Michigan. In his later years in high school, Sean gained a valuable relationship with Detroit hip hop station WHTD; he would show his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest held by the station.
  In 2005, Kanye West was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM. Hearing about this, Sean headed over to the station to meet West and perform some free-style. Initially Kanye was reluctant to hear the emcee, however he gave Sean 16 bars to rap for him, eventually according to Big Sean "As we get to the entrance of the radio station ... we stopped in the middle of the doorway. He starts looking at me and bobbing his head,". He left a demo-tape as well. Two years later, West finally signed Big Sean to GOOD Music.
  
  wn.com/Big_Sean
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  Bobby V
  Bobby Wilson (born on February 27, 1980), better known by his stage name Bobby V (previously known as Bobby Valentino), is an American recording artist (his nickname being "Valentino" because he was due to be born on Valentine's Day). He is now known as Bobby V due to a lawsuit involving an English singer, song writer and musician who has been recording and performing under the name Bobby Valentino for over 35 years.
  Bobby V was born Robert Wilson on February 27, 1980, in Jackson, Mississippi. He later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended North Atlanta High School. Growing up V listened to Michael Jackson, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Marvin Gaye, Jodeci, and The Isley Brothers. Those were the artists that inspired him to become a R&B singer. He later returned to his old high school appearing on the debut episode of MTV's Once Upon A Prom, which aired on May 19, 2007. V entered the music scene in 1996 as a member of the R&B youth quartet Mista, at this time using his real name, Bobby Wilson. Under the production of Organized Noize (TLC’s "Waterfalls"), the group released their self-titled debut album, which produced the chart topping single, "Blackberry Molasses". Unfortunately, the album did not follow in the same success and despite a second album being produced by Tim & Bob, it was never released. Due to management issues the group split in 1997. Bobby later enrolled at Clark Atlanta University majoring in Mass Communications.While in school, Bobby V continued to record in his free time in hopes of one day returning to the stage. In the spring of 2002 he auditioned for season one of American Idol, but did not make the cut.
  
  wn.com/Bobby_V
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  Brandy Norwood
  Brandy Rayana Norwood (born February 11, 1979), known professionally as Brandy, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, model, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu.
  Born into a musical family in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, Norwood first appeared in a supporting role on the short-lived ABC sitcom Thea in 1993. Her engagement led to her own star vehicle, successful UPN sitcom Moesha in 1996, and resulted in roles in the 1998 horror sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, and the TV films Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997) and Double Platinum (1999), two of television's best-rated special programs.
  In 1993, she signed a recording contract with Atlantic, releasing her self-titled debut album a year after. Following a major success with Grammy Award-winning "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Monica, and her second album Never Say Never in 1998, a series of successful records established her as one of the most successful of the new breed of urban R&B female vocalists to emerge during the mid-to late 1990s. Her latest studio album, Human (2008), was her first effort to be released on the Epic label after a label change in 2005.
  
  wn.com/Brandy_Norwood
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  Charles Kelley
  Charles Burgess Kelley (born September 11, 1981) is an American country music singer-songwriter and founding member of Lady Antebellum, a country rock trio formed in 2006 and signed to Capitol Nashville.
  Kelley was born in Augusta, Georgia, and began his musical career at the age of 11. His older brother, Josh Kelley, is also a musician and singer. As teenagers, Charles, Josh and oldest brother John formed a band called Inside Blue; the band released a five-song CD that garnered the attention of a major label. In middle school, Kelley met Dave Haywood and, at the age of 14, they wrote their first song. They both graduated from Lakeside High School in Evans, Georgia.
  Kelley attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, where he was a member of the Nu Zeta chapter of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He graduated in 2004 with a degree in finance.
  Before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in mid-2005 to pursue a musical career, Kelley worked in his brother John's construction business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as an accountant for an affiliated waste management company. Kelley made the move after his brother Josh, who was a pop musician at the time, bought a house in Nashville and convinced him to come live there so they could write songs together.
  
  wn.com/Charles_Kelley
• Chingy
  Howard Bailey, Jr. (born March 9, 1980), better known by his stage name Chingy, is an American rapper.
  Chingy grew up in the Walnut Park section of St. Louis and began rapping in earnest in his late teens. Chingy toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and then became a protégé of Ludacris, who signed him to his newly formed Disturbing tha Peace (DTP) record label. The rapper's 2003 summer debut single, "Right Thurr", put him on the musical map as a good-time rapper who specialized in catchy, club-friendly beats. Chingy's 2003 debut album, Jackpot, sold two million copies, thanks to the boost from "Right Thurr." A second album, Powerballin', was released in 2004 to mixed reviews, and his 2006 release Hoodstar spawned the hit singles "Pullin' Me Back" and "Dem Jeans." He released Hate It or Love It in 2007, under DTP records. The album's lead single is "Fly Like Me", featuring Amerie. A mixtape entitled Success & Failure was released in 2010.
  As of 2011 Currently Chingy has been working on his new upcoming project No Risk No Reward which will be released under his label Slot-A-Lot Records and distributed by his newly signed label Full Dekk Music Group.
  
  wn.com/Chingy
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  Chrisette Michele
  Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. She is signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group and won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".
  Michele was born in Central Islip, New York, and grew up in Patchogue. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
  Michele has been featured on several hip hop albums. She is on The Game's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z's Kingdom Come she was featured on the second single "Lost One", while on Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You", the Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track "Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah's The Big Doe Rehab.
  
  wn.com/Chrisette_Michele
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  Christina Milian
  Christine Flores (born September 26, 1981), better known by her stage name Christina Milian ( /mɪliˈɑːn/), is an American singer-songwriter, actress, dancer, and model born in Jersey City, New Jersey, to Cuban parents. At the age of 19 Milian signed a contract with Def Jam which she then left to sign with Interscope. Milian is now signed to Young Money Entertainment/Cash Money Records.
  In 2001 Christina Milian released her self-titled debut album, which featured the singles "AM to PM" and "When You Look at Me"; AM to PM charted with in the top 40 of the US Billboard and both peaked in the top three on the UK Singles Chart. In 2004 Milian released her second studio album It's About Time which provided her first major US hit. "Dip It Low" which reached number 5 on the US Billboards, "Whatever U Want" was released has the albums second single, both singles charted within the top 10 of the UK charts. In 2006 Milian released her third studio album So Amazin'. The album produced one single only "Say I" which peaked in the top 30 of the US billboard. A month after the release of So Amazin', Milian's representative confirmed that she had left Island Records due to creative differences. Milian signed with Interscope Records in 2009. A single, ballad "Us Against the World", was released in October 2008. In 2012 Milian signed to Young Money in which she will release her fourth studio album.
  
  wn.com/Christina_Milian
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  Ciara
  Ciara Princess Harris (born October 25, 1985), known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer Jazze Pha. With his help, she signed a record deal with LaFace Records.
  In 2004, Ciara released her debut studio album Goodies, which debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 and included the hit singles "Goodies", "1, 2 Step" and "Oh". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and earned her four nominations at the 48th Grammy Awards. She released her second studio album Ciara: The Evolution in 2006, which spawned the hit singles "Get Up", "Promise" and "Like a Boy". The album reached number one in the US and was certified platinum. Her third studio album Fantasy Ride, released in May 2009, was considerably less successful than Ciara's first two albums. However, it produced the worldwide top-ten hit "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake, which earned her a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album Basic Instinct, which was met with low sales and continued a downward trend in her commercial success. In 2011, she signed a new record deal with Epic Records.
  
  wn.com/Ciara
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  Cormega
  Corey McKay (born April 26, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an African-American rapper best known for his narratives about inner-city life, having been born in Queensbridge, Queens. McKay is notable for consistently producing as an independent artist, refusing to go mainstream.
  Cormega was raised in Long Island City, Queens, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas, AZ, Nature and Capone-N-Noreaga. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas and moved back to New York City.
  Cormega is known and praised for his intricate, complex, multi-syllabic lyricism and raw, straight delivery. Despite being an underground artist he has gained considerable acknowledgement in the rap community and is regarded as one of the best lyricists to grace the mic. McKay often reflects about the hardships of inner-city life and succeeding in a world where we are very much on our own.
  
  wn.com/Cormega
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  Dave Haywood
  David Wesley Haywood (born July 5,1982 in Augusta, Georgia) is an American country music singer. He is one-third of the band Lady Antebellum, in which he plays piano, guitar and mandolin, and sings backing vocals.
  Haywood's father, Van, is a dental instructor/dentist who invented a teeth-whitening method and his mother Angie is a teacher. Both are involved in music in their church.
  Haywood's mother taught him to play piano and his father taught him to play guitar. Their family sang and played instruments together as he was growing up. He also sang in Trinity-on-the-Hill United Methodist Church's youth choir called Love Unlimited where he served as the president during his senior year of high school.
  Dave and his family lived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for about a decade when his father taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Dentistry. In 1993, the Haywood's moved back to Augusta. Haywood first met Charles Kelley at Riverside Middle School in Evans, GA. He was in a jazz band with Charles's brother Josh Kelley when he attended Lakeside High School and graduated in 2000. He attended college at the University of Georgia where he graduated in 2004. Haywood formed the country music group Lady Antebellum in 2006 in Nashville, TN along with Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott.
  
  wn.com/Dave_Haywood
• Davy DMX
  Davy DMX is the stage name of David Reeves, a figure in hip-hop music. His career began in his hometown of Queens, New York as a DJ in the late 1970s. He is mostly known for his popular single "One for the Treble" released in 1984. This song was also included on the rap station in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
  Davy DMX was a member of Orange Krush along with Larry Smith. They are credited with a few singles in their own right such as "Action" (1981), but their chief credit was providing all the music for Run DMC's first two albums. Orange Krush are also credited on Lovebug Starski's "You Gotta Believe" and Sweet G's "Games People Play", both on Fever 1983.
  Davy DMX went on to replace DJ Run as Kurtis Blow's DJ (including a Madison Square Garden performance opening for The Commodores). He was also writing songs and playing guitar for some of Blow's tracks.
  As contemporaries, Run DMC, Davy DMX, and Kurtis Blow were all involved in the early development of sampling in hip hop^{[citation needed]} during the early 1980s.
  
  wn.com/Davy_DMX
• DJ Richie Rich
  DJ Richie Rich (born Richard Lawson in Jamaica), is a former record producer and turntablist who was best known as a member of the New York-based rap trio 3rd Bass. He was also known as Daddy Rich. He was part of The "Supermen" DJ crew which also included other top DJs such as Scratch, Clark Kent, Miz, Supreme, and Alladin. Rich also appeared in the movie "Juice" in the DJ battle scene, and recorded the scratches for the soundtrack. While working with Third Bass, he was one of the first DJs ever to do a DJ trick routine on TV when they appeared on the Arsenio Hall show.
  Lawson did it with MC Serch and Pete Nice in 1987 to form the rap group 3 the Hard Way, which later became 3rd Bass. After releasing two albums in 1989 and 1991, the group split in 1992. Rich and Pete Nice collaborated on their only release together, the 1993 album Dust to Dust, which peaked at #171 on the Billboard 200, #50 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #3 on the Top Heatseekers.
  Rich produced the track "I'm Kurious" for Kurious Jorge's 1994 debut, A Constipated Monkey, before leaving the music business. He resurfaced briefly in 1999 on The Madd Rapper's album Tell 'Em Why U Madd, providing scratches for the single "Dot Vs. TMR."
  
  wn.com/DJ_Richie_Rich
• Dresta
  Andre DeSean Wicker (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Dresta, is an American rapper known for collaborating with Eazy-E on the 1993 single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's". He is also the older brother of rapper B.G. Knocc Out, who also collaborated in the song.
  Andre DeSean Wicker was born and raised in Compton, California. He and his brother Arlandis Hinton became Crips gang members. They were affiliated with Nutty Blocc Compton Crips set. He was convicted of assaulting another gang member in Compton in 1985 or 1986, and was incarcerated at the California Youth Authority in Camarillo.
  While Wicker was serving his ten-year sentence, he started writing lyrics and rapping. After Wicker's release, Eazy-E eventually discovered Wicker and Hinton, met up and recorded songs with them. Dresta (Wicker) and B.G. Knocc Out (Hinton) signed to Ruthless Records with Eazy-E. They both appeared on the Eazy's 1993 multi-platinum EP It's On (Dr. Dre) 187^um Killa on single "Real Muthaphuckkin G's" (which was censored to "Real Compton City G's" in order to garner MTV and radio airplay). The song itself was a response to Dr. Dre's and Snoop Dogg's various diss records towards Eazy-E on The Chronic.
  
  wn.com/Dresta
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  Fabolous
  John David Jackson (born November 18, 1977), better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper. His first music appearance was with his 2001 release Ghetto Fabolous. He is also known for his hit singles "Can't Deny It", "Young'n (Holla Back)", "Breathe", "Make Me Better" and "Throw It in the Bag". Fabolous is also signed to Diddy's Ciroc Management company.
  Fabolous was born John David Jackson on November 18, 1977 of Dominican and African American descent. He grew up in Brevoort Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
  While in high school in twelfth grade, Fabolous began to pursue a rap career. He was invited to rap live on DJ Clue's radio show and on WQHT Hot 97, where he was signed to Desert Storm Records. He was featured on several DJ Clue mixtapes and mixtapes with Roc-A-Fella artists.^{[citation needed]} This earned Fabolous and Desert Storm a distribution deal with Elektra Records.
  Fabolous released his debut album, Ghetto Fabolous, on September 11, 2001. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, selling over 143,000 copies in its first week. The album's first single, "Can't Deny It", was produced by Rick Rock and features a chorus by Nate Dogg interpolating Tupac Shakur's song "Ambitionz Az a Ridah". It charted on the Billboard Hot 100, along with two of the subsequent singles. The other charting singles were "Young'n (Holla Back)", which is produced by The Neptunes and "Trade It All", which features vocals from Jagged Edge and is produced by DJ Clue and Duro.
  
  wn.com/Fabolous
• Flatlinerz
  Flatlinerz was a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York. The group was one of the early acts involved in the horrorcore genre of Hip-Hop, along with The Gravediggaz.
  The group was led by Jamal "Redrum" Simmons (nephew of Russell Simmons) and two other emcees named Gravedigger and Tempest. The strategy thought up by Def Jam and Flatlinerz was that the group was to create a style of hip hop music that moved away from the popular gangsta style at the time and deal with darker subjects such as Satanism, horror movies, and gruesome murder. The group was heavily promoted as the next big thing by Def Jam after it signed with Def Jam by Jam Master Jay (contrary to belief, Russell Simmons apparently didn't sign the group because he couldn't take the concept seriously) and released its only album, U.S.A (which stood for Under Satan's Authority) and was produced by Tempest, Rockwilder, Russell Simmons and DR Period. However, the album was not released by Jay's JMJ imprint.
  The album didn't sell well, and there was a lot of controversy surrounding the videos for "Live Evil" and "Satanic Verses" (it featured things like frontman Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose and Gravedigger rhyming from a crucifix), and the group was later dropped, since no one seemed to understand the concept of horrorcore at the time, and the group was seen by many as a facsimile of The Gravediggaz, who explored many of the same concepts, albeit in a more tongue-in-cheek (And arguably skillful) manner. The failure of the group derailed several side projects, such as a Comic book, and two of Flatlinerz's associates (namely the Headless Horsemen and Omen, who were featured on the debut album) who had been promised releases were also dropped.
  
  wn.com/Flatlinerz
• Funkmaster Flex
  Aston George Taylor, Jr. (born August 5, 1968) better known as Funkmaster Flex is an American hip hop DJ, rapper, musician and producer on New York City's Hot 97 radio station and host of the hit MTV show Funk Flex Full Throttle.
  Funkmaster Flex (Aston George Taylor Jr.) was born in the Bronx borough of New York City with music flowing through his veins thanks to his father Aston George Taylor Sr., a sound system DJ for local clubs throughout the city. By 16, Flex began DJing at local nightclubs a perfecting his mixing and turntable talents. At 19, he got his first job as a record boy for fellow Bronx native, Chuck Chillout for WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York. One evening, Chillout was late for his show and Funkmaster Flex got his big break and was allowed to stand in, thus beginning his career in radio.
  He later left KISS for a brief stay at 107.5 WBLS-FM, meanwhile Flex kept up his club appearances at many of Vito Bruno's operated nightclubs including The Tunnel, Home Bass and Mecca. Bruno helped convince Joel Salkowitz, a regional vice president of Hot 97, to begin airing live broadcasts from clubs where Flex was performing like The Tunnel. He called the hours of Saturday evening programming the "Saturday Night House Party". When they realized the resurgence of Hip Hop was coming fast from its fallout in the eighties they increase the hours and days of these style of shows.
  
  wn.com/Funkmaster_Flex
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  Ghostface Killah
  Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, and formerly Little Jimmy Ice, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo-career with Ironman in 1996, which was well received by music critics. He has continued his success over the following years with critically acclaimed albums such as Supreme Clientele (2000) and Fishscale (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film Mystery of Chessboxing.
  Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow, and his emotional stream-of-consciousness narratives containing cryptic slang and non-sequiturs. In 2006, MTV included him on their honorable mention list of The Greatest MCs of All Time, while the editors of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007), praising him as "one of the most imaginative storytellers of our time." Ghostface's storytelling abilities have widely been praised, with Q magazine calling him "rap's finest storyteller."
  
  wn.com/Ghostface_Killah
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  Ja Rule
  Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule or Mockaveli, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City.
  Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti. Ja Rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the fastest selling rapper in 2001^{[citation needed]}. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem).
  Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".
  
  wn.com/Ja_Rule
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  Jadakiss
  Jason Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known as Jadakiss, is an American rapper. He is a member of the group The LOX. (a member of the hip hop collective Ruff Ryders) Jadakiss is one of the three owners of the imprint known as D-Block. In early 2007, Jadakiss signed to Roc-a-Fella Records / Def Jam Records.
  By the age of 16, Jadakiss was a freestyle rapper. He and some of his friends were given the opportunity to compete in the "Jack the Rapper Competition" in Florida, where Jadakiss had been noticed for his battle rap ability. He met Dee and Wah of the Ruff Ryders (then a management company), and began hanging out and battling outside of the Ruff Ryders' studio where artists such as DMX made their first hits.
  Jason Phillps founded the rap group The Warlocks in 1994 with friends, Chris "Lil Mac" Pelkey, and Styles P. They later signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, where it was suggested that they change their name simply to "The LOX", which came to stand for Living Off eXperience. They made their first appearance on The Main Source's 1994 LP Fuck What You Think on the track "Set it Off".
  
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  Jamie Foxx
  Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, singer-songwriter, rapper, stand-up comedian, and talk radio host who began playing the piano when he was five years old. As an actor, his work in the film Ray earned him the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Actor as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a musical/comedy. He is also a Grammy Award winning musician, producing three albums which have charted highly on the Billboard 200: Unpredictable, which topped the chart, Best Night of My Life and Intuition.
  Born in Terrell, Texas, Foxx was raised by his mother's adoptive parents. He performed in high school and was awarded with a scholarship to United States International University. In his twenties, Foxx began performing stand-up at comedy clubs, and eventually joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991; this exposure helped him land film roles and star in his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. He released his debut album, Peep This, in 1994, but he did not gain significant musical success until 2004 when he was featured in Twista's song "Slow Jamz". Also in 2004, Foxx played critically acclaimed roles in the films Collateral and Ray. He released his second album, Unpredictable, in 2005, which was helped by his collaboration on Kanye West's number-one single "Gold Digger". His third album Intuition was released in 2008 and was anchored by the single "Blame It". Foxx released his fourth studio album, Best Night of My Life, in 2010.
  
  wn.com/Jamie_Foxx
• Jayo Felony
  James Savage, better known by his stage name, Jayo Felony is a rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He is known for being the first San Diego rapper to be signed to a major label.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony was a member of the Neighborhood Rollin 40's, a Crip gang stretching from the Chollas View to the Mount Hope neighborhoods of Southeast San Diego.
  In 1994 Jayo Felony was signed to the label owned by Jam Master Jay called Jam Master Jay Records. That year Jayo released his debut album, Take a Ride. In 1998, Jayo released his follow-up album, Whatcha Gonna Do? on Def Jam. It featured rappers like Method Man, DMX, Mack 10, WC, Redman, Kokane, Ice Cube, E-40 and 8 Ball & MJG.
  In 1999, he released Underground. He was due to release his fourth album, Hotter Than Fish Grease, in 2000, but for legal reasons the album was never released.^{[citation needed]} Jayo Felony also is now working on his next album called "Don't Get MeatBalled" under his new label Loco Records.
  Jayo is looking to sign with Priority Records / Doggystyle Records.
  
  wn.com/Jayo_Felony
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  Jennifer Lopez
  Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969) is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. Often referred to as J.Lo, she is reportedly the highest earning actress of Latin descent. Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, she enrolled in singing and dancing classes as a child and grew up in a musically influenced household. She started her career as a fly girl on the television comedy program In Living Color and a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson. Lopez gained recognition in the action-thriller Money Train (1995). Her first leading role was in the biographical film Selena (1997), which was her breakthrough role, earning her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress and Golden Globe nomination. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in Out of Sight (1998), which made her the highest-paid Latin actress. She has since appeared in various films including The Cell (2000), The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), Monster-in-Law (2005), The Back-up Plan (2010) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012).
  
  wn.com/Jennifer_Lopez
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  Jeremih
  Jeremy Felton (born July 17, 1987), who performs under the mononym Jeremih ( /ˈdʒɛrɨmaɪ/), is an American recording artist and producer signed to Def Jam Recordings. Jeremih's debut single, "Birthday Sex" (which was also recorded in French), peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. His first and self-titled album, Jeremih, debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 59,000 copies in its first week. On September 9, 2010, he released his second album, All About You.
  Born into a musical family, he began playing instruments at the age of three and taught himself how to play several, including drums, piano and the saxophone. Jeremih attended Morgan Park High School, where he was part of the marching band as well as a Latin jazz band, where he learned to play percussion instruments like congas and timbales. He graduated at the age of 16 and enrolled into the University of Illinois to pursue a career in engineering. Having graduated from high school at an early age, he said in an interview that he found himself "getting in a lot of trouble" while attending the university and plans on returning to earn his degree. After performing a tribute for Ray Charles at one of the campus's talent shows, he received positive feedback and realized his vocal ability, saying that the "music was just taking over". In 2007, he enrolled in Columbia College Chicago to pursue a degree in music business.
  
  wn.com/Jeremih
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  Jesse McCartney
  Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and voice actor. McCartney achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama All My Children as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo musical career. Additionally, McCartney has appeared on shows such as Summerland and Greek. McCartney also is known for lending his voice as Theodore in Alvin and the Chipmunks and its sequels, as well as voicing the characters Roxas and Ventus in the video games series Kingdom Hearts developed by Square Enix.
  McCartney was born on April 9th in Westchester, New York, the son of Ginger (née Sarber) and Scott McCartney. He began performing in local community musicals at the age of seven, before joining the national tour of The King and I at age ten along with Phil of the Future star Ricky Ullman. Here he played the character of Louis. In 1998, he sang with the group Sugar Beats and can be heard on their 1998, 1999, and 2000 CD releases.
  
  wn.com/Jesse_McCartney
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  Jessica Simpson
  Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American recording artist, actress, television personality and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies and commercials, launched a line of hair and beauty products and designed fragrances, shoes and handbags for women. She has devoted time to philanthropic efforts including Operation Smile and a USO-hosted tour for troops stationed overseas. She started the Jessica Simpson Collection in 2005.
  She has achieved seven Billboard Top 40 hits, three gold and two multi-platinum Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified studio albums, four of which have reached the top 10 on the US Billboard 200. She has sold 30 million albums worldwide. Simpson starred with her then-husband Nick Lachey in the MTV reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica. She ventured into the country music market in 2008 and released Do You Know.
  During the first part of 2010, Simpson released her second reality show on VH1 "The Price of Beauty." In October 2010 she released her first compilation album and last album under the label of Epic Records , with the name Playlist: The Very Best of Jessica Simpson. A month later she released her second Christmas album Happy Christmas under the label Primary Wave Records, owned by EMI.
  
  wn.com/Jessica_Simpson
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  Joe Budden
  Joe Budden (born August 31, 1980) is an American rapper from Jersey City, New Jersey.
  In the year 2003, Budden released his debut solo studio album, Joe Budden. It included Budden's 2003 Grammy-nominated summer hit "Pump It Up", and was also featured in the soundtrack for the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious and the video games Def Jam Vendetta, Def Jam Fight for NY, and Madden NFL 2004. The song "Focus" was also featured in the game and Joe Budden was also a character. Its second single was "Fire" featuring Busta Rhymes, which was in the movie Mean Girls. The song "Drop Drop" was featured on the soundtrack for the movie Cradle 2 the Grave. Joe has hinted in many songs that he was a recovering drug addict and has reaffirmed his position several times through multiple outlets.
  After his debut album, Budden's sophomore release titled ‘The Growth’ was hampered due to the label's problems with Joe and his Def Jam seniors not happy with the direction of his music. The production of the album appeared to end up in a development hell and was ultimately not released. Continued disagreements between Budden and Def Jam forced the two sides to part ways. However, Budden managed to release the first and second installments of his Mood Muzik mixtape series while on Def Jam, and the series has been met with critical acclaim.
  
  wn.com/Joe_Budden
• Jonell
  Jonell is an American R&B singer, born Shannon Jonell Showes in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States.
  In 2003, Jonell introduced with her first hit Round and Round on producer Hi-Tek's album Hi-Teknology. Later that year Jonell intended to release her debut album on the Def Soul label. Her first single "So Whassup" featured a guest appearance by Redman. However, the album was never released. In 2005 her webpage on the Def Soul website was no longer accessible.
  The remix of Round and Round featuring Method Man on the How High soundtrack was also a commercial hit.
  Jonell is currently working on music, as evident on her Myspace page.
  
  wn.com/Jonell
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  Joseph Simmons
  Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), known by the stage name Rev. Run or DJ Run, is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C.. He is also a practicing minister, known as Reverend Run. Simmons was born in Hollis, Queens, New York. He is the brother of Daniel "Danny" Simmons, Jr. and Russell Simmons, the co-founder of Def Jam Records.
  He found new popularity in 2005 with his family's MTV reality show Run's House.
  Before Run–D.M.C., Simmons was the lead vocalist in the hip-hop group called "The Force." He founded Run-D.M.C. as a lead vocalist along with friend Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and the late DJ Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell.
  Run began using the stage name of "Rev. Run" after he was ordained as a Pentecostal minister by E. Bernard Jordan, Simmons spiritual mentor. Jordan also named him "Protege of the Year Award" in 2004. The same day, symbolic of his "Prosperity Ministry", there was a "Rolls Royce parade outside the Plaza Hotel in New York City, " featuring Jordan's Phantom Rolls Royce. The new $325,000 Phantom had been a gift from Reverend Run as a "thank you" for Jordan's mentoring support.
  
  wn.com/Joseph_Simmons
• Josh Kear
  Joshua Peter "Josh" Kear is an American songwriter. His credits include Carrie Underwood's number-one "Before He Cheats," for which Kear won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2007 and Lady Antebellum's number-one "Need You Now," for which Kear won an Academy of Country Music Award for Best Country Song in 2010 and also won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Best Country Song for the 53rd Grammy Awards in 2011. Both songs were awarded the ASCAP Country Song Of The Year. Kear also co-wrote "Inventing Shadows," the debut single for The Voice's Dia Frampton which hit #1 on the iTunes song chart. In 2011 Kear was awarded ASCAP's Global Impact Award.
  
  
  
  wn.com/Josh_Kear
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  Juelz Santana
  LaRon Louis James (born February 18, 1983), better known by his stage name Juelz Santana, is an American rapper, producer, actor and member of group Dipset. He appeared on Cam'ron's 2002 singles, "Oh Boy" and "Hey Ma". In 2003, his debut album From Me to U was released by Def Jam Recordings; his next album What the Game's Been Missing! contained the top-ten single "There It Go (The Whistle Song)". He is currently working on his long awaited third studio album Born to Lose, Built to Win set to be released in the 4th quarter of 2012.
  LaRon James was born in New York City and raised in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. He is of African American and Dominican descent. He began rapping at the age of five and at age twelve started duo Draft Pick, which was signed to Priority Records. In 2000, at the age of 17, he made a guest performance on a track on Cam'ron's album S.D.E. and eventually joined The Diplomats.
  After the signing of The Diplomats, also known as Dipset, to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2002, there was an influence of mixtapes, features on other artists' records, television and radio interviews, in which Juelz achieved mainstream recognition not previously gained through the various Diplomat mixtapes, and his solo mixtape Final Destination, that was sold in late 2002. After being featured on fellow Diplomat member Cam'ron's two singles, "Hey Ma" and "Oh Boy". Juelz started working on his debut album. In the summer of 2003, Santana released his debut album, From Me To U, which peaked at #8 in the Billboard 200. "Dipset (Santana's Town)" peaked #70 in the U.S. Billboard.
  
  wn.com/Juelz_Santana
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  Justin Bieber
  Justin Drew Bieber ( /ˈbiːbər/ BEE-bər, born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian Pop/R&B singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager. Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher in Atlanta, Georgia, and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher, and then to a recording contract with Island Records offered by L.A. Reid. Bieber's debut single, "One Time", was released in 2009 and peaked in the top twenty in Canada and charted in the top thirty in several international markets. His debut album, the seven-track EP My World, followed in November 2009, and was soon certified platinum in the United States. He became the first artist to have seven songs from a debut album chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
  
  wn.com/Justin_Bieber
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  Kanye West
  Kanye Omari West ( /ˈkɑːnjeɪ/; born June 8, 1977) is an American musician, film director and fashion designer. 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, synthpop, 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. West released a collaborative album, Watch the Throne with Jay-Z in 2011, which is the duo's first collaborative album. His five solo albums, all of which have gone platinum, have received numerous awards and critical acclaim. As of 2012, West has won a total of eighteen Grammy Awards, making him one of the most awarded artists of all-time. All albums have been very commercially successful, with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy becoming his fourth consecutive No. 1 album in the U.S. upon release. West has had 5 songs exceed 3 million in digital sales as of July 2011, with "Gold Digger" selling 3,086,000, "Stronger" selling 4,402,000, "Heartless" selling 3,742,000, "E.T." selling over 4,000,000 and "Love Lockdown" selling over 3,000,000 placing him third in overall digital sales of the past decade. He has sold over 30 million digital songs in the United States making him one of the best-selling digital artists of all-time.
  
  wn.com/Kanye_West
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  Kardinal Offishall
  Jason D. Harrow (born May 12, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall ( /kɑrdɨˈnæl oʊfɨˈʃæl/), is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.
  In 1997, Kardinal released his debut album, Eye & I, on independent label Capitol Hill Music, to critical acclaim. In 2000, he released the EP, Husslin', also independently on Figure IV Entertainment, which helped establish him as one of Canada's best hip-hop producers. The same year, Kardinal signed with major label MCA Records, and released his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001. The lead single, "BaKardi Slang", became his first single to appear on a U.S. Billboard chart. After releasing the single "Belly Dancer" in 2003, he left MCA Records after it was absorbed by Geffen Records.
  In 2005, Kardinal released his third album, Fire and Glory, on the Canadian division of Virgin Records. The single "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" became a top twenty hit in Canada. In 2008, his fourth album Not 4 Sale was released on Kon Live Distribution, a subsidiary of Geffen Records. The album was a critical success, spawning the hit single "Dangerous". The single was his first to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number five. Kardinal will release his fifth album—his second under Kon Live Distribution—Mr. International in 2012.
  
  wn.com/Kardinal_Offishall
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  Karina Pasian
  Karina Pasian (born July 18, 1991) is a Grammy Award nominated recording artist and pianist.
  Karina Pasian was born in New York City, of Dominican and Armenian descent. Her first language was Russian, and she can sing in six other languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Turkish, and French. She first began taking piano lessons at the age of three from her babysitter, and began classical piano training while in kindergarten. She began working with a vocal coach at the age of eight, and attended the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City alongside Taylor Momsen and Mark Indelicato.
  In 2003, Pasian met Quincy Jones, who invited her and her family to his home in Bel Air, California. Soon after this, Pasian performed and won on Star Search. She also performed at Quincy Jones' We Are The Future concert in Rome. On June 22, 2007, Pasian performed at the White House for President George W. Bush, in celebration of Black Music Month, making her the first person of Dominican descent to perform there.
  
  wn.com/Karina_Pasian
• Kelly Price
  Kelly Price (born April 3, 1973) is an American R&B and soul singer, formerly on the Def Soul label.
  Kelly Cherelle Price was born in Queens, New York. She began singing in church as a toddler. Her first professional engagement was with George Michael at Madison Square Garden in January 1992. As destiny would have it Price was over heard singing by Mariah Carey who after arriving to her own rehearsal late for the Grammys walked into a room where Price was singing in the rehearsal hall while everyone else was on a meal break. Carey subsequently introduced Price to Sony Columbia's then CEO Tommy Mottola. She made a name for herself as a backing and guest vocalist, appearing on a number of hit singles such as Mariah Carey's "Fantasy", The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money Mo Problems", and Whitney Houston's "Heartbreak Hotel". She has also sung background vocals for Faith Evans, Aretha Franklin, Brian McKnight, SWV and R. Kelly.
  Prior to becoming a recording artist Price's career as a writer flourished. She collaborated and performed with and for well-known artists such as Brian McKnight, Faith Evans, The Notorious BIG, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Mase, Faith Evans, Mic Geronimo, Da Brat, Jermaine Dupree, SWV, Aretha Franklin, LL Cool J, Wynona Judd, Mariah Carey, Ronald Isley, The Isley Brothers, Angela Winbush, Karen Clark Sheard, Yolanda Adams, Whitney Houston, Dallas Austin, MC Lyte, The Lox, ScarFace, Will Downing, Mary J. Blige, Gerald Levert, JOE, Angelique Kidjo, Coco Lee, KeKe Wyatt, Tamia, R. Kelly and Elton John.
  
  wn.com/Kelly_Price
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  Kim Kardashian
  Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, celebutante, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for starring in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the E! reality series that she shares with her family, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York.
  Prior to the development of her career as a reality television star, Kardashian gained notoriety as the subject of a sex tape that subsequently resulted in a court awarding her $5 million. She has been involved in the production of several lines of clothing and fragrances. In 2010, she was the highest earning reality star, with estimated earnings of $6 million, and is one of the most highly documented and followed celebrities in the world in popular media.
  In August 2011, Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries in a widely publicized ceremony. In October 2011, Kardashian filed for divorce, 72 days after the wedding.
  Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and his wife Kris Kardashian (née Houghton). Her father was a third generation Armenian American, and her mother is of Dutch and Scottish descent. Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. She has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner, step-sister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner. She attended Marymount High School.
  
  wn.com/Kim_Kardashian
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  Kuk Harrell
  Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash. In 2011, Kuk Harrell and partner Tricky Stewart joined the ranks of Fox's American Idol along with music mogul Jimmy Iovine, producing many of the songs performed on television by the contestants and released via iTunes. 2011 marked the highly-anticipated return of Jennifer Lopez and her album LOVE? in which Kuk served as Album Vocal Producer. Earning his fourth Grammy for the vocal production of Rihanna's #1 Billboard Single "Only Girl In The World", Harrell is also the vocal producer and co-writer of Rihanna's Grammy-winning single "Umbrella". A composer and engineer on Beyonce's chart topping "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" from the album I Am... Sasha Fierce, he is also vocal producer and engineer of the Diane Warren-penned "I Was Here" from Beyonce's 2011 album 4. He also produced the majority of the vocals on Mary J. Blige's Platinum album Growing Pains, which recently won a Grammy for "Best Contemporary R&B Album", 2008. The first single from Growing Pains, "Just Fine", earned a Grammy nomination for best R&B vocal performance in 2007.
  
  wn.com/Kuk_Harrell
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  Lady Gaga
  Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (/ˈstɛfəniː dʒʌrməˈnɑːtə/ STE-fə-nee jurr-mə-NAH-tə; born March 28, 1986), known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to focus on her musical career. She began performing in the rock music scene of Manhattan's Lower East Side, and was signed with Streamline Records by the end of 2007. During her employment as a songwriter for the record company, her vocal abilities captured the attention of recording artist Akon, who signed her to his label Kon Live Distribution.
  Lady Gaga came to prominence as a recording artist following the release of her debut album The Fame (2008), which was a critical and commercial success that topped charts around the world and included the international number-one singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". After embarking on the The Fame Ball Tour, she followed the album with The Fame Monster (2009), which spawned the worldwide hit singles "Bad Romance", "Telephone" and "Alejandro". The album's success allowed her to embark on the eighteen-month long Monster Ball Tour, which later became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time. Her most recent album Born This Way (2011) topped the charts of most major markets and generated more international chart-topping singles, including "Born This Way", "Judas" and "The Edge of Glory". Besides her musical career, she involves herself with humanitarian causes and LGBT activism.
  
  wn.com/Lady_Gaga
• Laney Stewart
  Laney Stewart (born January 10, 1966) is an American songwriter, music producer, musician, music publisher, music executive, manager and youth mentor.
  He was born Philip Lane Stewart II, in the South Side suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Laney has penned, produced and published hits for some of the biggest names in R&B, hip hop and pop music over the past three decades. In addition to his individual achievements, he also has a proven ear and consistent track record of recognizing and developing unknown talent on their way to success. The long list of hits he has created, published and or managed is a testament to both his creative and business acumen.
  
  wn.com/Laney_Stewart
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  Lil Jon
  Jonathan Smith (born January 27, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and international DJ who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004. He then went solo and released a new album in 2010 called Crunk Rock.
  Lil' Jon was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Frederick Douglass High School.
  After working as a DJ for Atlanta night clubs, he started working for So So Def Recordings between 1993 and 2000. The group signed to the Atlanta-based Mirror Image Records and were distributed by Ichiban Records. In 1997, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz debuted with Get Crunk, Who U Wit: Da Album. It included singles "Who U Wit?" and "Shawty Freak a Lil' Sumthin'", the latter of which came out in 1998. Both singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart at No. 70 and No. 62 respectively. In 2000 Jon took part in starting up his own label BME Recordings and signed a distribution agreement with Norcross, Georgia based Southern Music Distribution. There he released his break through album titled We Still Crunk. Among the tracks on that project was the hit single "I Like Dem Girlz", which reached No. 55 on the R&B chart and No. 3 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Jon
• Lil Ru
  Sylvester Samuels better known by his stage name Lil Ru, is an American rapper from Columbia, South Carolina currently signed to Def Jam Recordings. His debut album, 21 & Up was released on August 25, 2009. The Ridgeway native was 16 when he made his professional foray into the music business. Inspired by New Orleans’ innovative Cash Money Crew, Ru began making a name for himself on his local music scene, doing live shows and pressing up his own CDs. His hard-hitting lyrics and entrepreneurial spirit caught the attention of fellow South Carolinian Angie Stone. Shortly after the neo-soul songstress helped him secure a deal with Elektra Records, Ru found himself unsigned again, among the artists lost in the shuffle after the label merged with Atlantic Records. Music fans first got a taste of Ru’s wrath on his 2001 debut single “Will Destroy.” The buzz on the promising new lyricist continued with the release of his 2002 follow up, “Shawty What You Doin’.” Both songs reached the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts and helped land him at his next label home, Capitol Records.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Ru
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  Lil Scrappy
  Darryl Kevin Richardson II (born January 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Lil Scrappy, is an American rapper.
  Richards was discovered by producer and performer Lil Jon while performing at a bar, when a fight broke out during his set in his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Along with labelmates Trillville, Lil Scrappy was one of the first signings to Lil Jon's BME Recordings.
  Lil Scrappy built a strong reputation and eager following throughout the Southeastern United States through mixtapes and his 2003 song "Head Bussa", which was used as the theme for the 2004 Atlanta Braves.
  Lil Scrappy released his debut album Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live on December 5, 2006 on BME Recordings/Reprise Records/G-Unit Records and G-Unit South now Cashville Records. The album features appearances by Yung Joc, Three 6 Mafia, Lil Jon, Young Buck, 50 Cent, Olivia, Young Dro, and Bohagon. It was produced by Lil Jon and 50 Cent. The first single Money in the Bank features Young Buck and became Lil Scrappy's second Top 30 single. Money in the Bank peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart trajectory, becoming his biggest solo hit and most commercially successful single to date in the U.S. as it surpassed the peak position of "No Problem" by one position. The second single from the album is called Gangsta Gangsta and features Lil Jon. "Oh Yeah (Work)" is the third single from Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live and features E-40 and Sean P (formerly Sean Paul) of YoungbloodZ He also has one son named Rashaud Archie.
  
  wn.com/Lil_Scrappy
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  Lionel Richie
  Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. (born June 20, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. From 1968, he was a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records. Richie made his solo debut in 1982 with the album Lionel Richie and number-one hit "Truly".
  Richie was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, the son of Alberta R. (Foster) and Lionel Brockman Richie. Richie grew up on the campus of Tuskegee Institute. His grandfather's house was across the street from the home of the president of the college. His family moved to Joliet, Illinois, where he graduated from Joliet Township High School, East Campus. A star tennis player in Joliet, he accepted a tennis scholarship to attend Tuskegee Institute, and graduated with a major in economics. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Tuskegee, Richie briefly attended graduate school at Auburn University. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
  As a student in Tuskegee, Richie formed a succession of R&B groups in the mid-1960s. In 1968 he became a singer and saxophonist with the Commodores. They signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 1968 for one record before moving on to Motown Records initially as a support act to The Jackson 5. The Commodores then became established as a popular soul group. Their first several albums had a danceable, funky sound, as in such tracks as "Machine Gun" and "Brick House." Over time, Richie wrote and sang more romantic, easy-listening ballads such as "Easy," "Three Times a Lady," "Still," and the tragic breakup ballad "Sail On."
  
  wn.com/Lionel_Richie
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  LL Cool J
  James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), better known as LL Cool J (an abbreviation for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor from Bay Shore, New York. He is known for romantic ballads such as "I Need Love", "Around the Way Girl" and "Hey Lover" as well as pioneering hip-hop such as "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "I'm Bad", "The Boomin' System", and "Mama Said Knock You Out". He has released thirteen studio albums and two greatest hits compilations, including 2008's Exit 13, the last for his record deal with Def Jam Recordings. He has also appeared in numerous films, and currently stars as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS: Los Angeles.
  As he grew older, Smith found a way to escape the effects of his abuse, and his bullying attitude: hip-hop music. He fell in love with it at the age of nine, and by 11 he was writing lyrics and making his own songs with some DJ equipment his grandmother gave him to stop him riding motorcycles or doing karate. Before too long, LL was an established member of the Hip-Hop community in his area. He gained notoriety through his many rap battles against well-established MCs, including the battle against Chicken and Porn that rocketed him to fame.
  
  wn.com/LL_Cool_J
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  Ludacris
  Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings. Ludacris has won a Screen Actors Guild, Critic's Choice, MTV, and three Grammy Awards during his career. Along with fellow Atlantans Big Boi and Andre 3000 of OutKast, Ludacris was one of the first and most influential Dirty South artists to achieve mainstream success.
  Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludacris moved to Atlanta, Georgia at age nine, where he began rapping. After a brief stint as a disc jockey, he released his debut album Back for the First Time in 2000, which contained the singles "Southern Hospitality" and "What's Your Fantasy". In 2001, he released Word of Mouf, followed by Chicken-n-Beer in 2003. He took a more serious approach with his next three albums, The Red Light District (2004), Release Therapy (2006), and Theater of the Mind (2008). His latest record, Battle of the Sexes, was released in 2010.
  
  wn.com/Ludacris
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  Mariah Carey
  Mariah Carey (born March 27, 1970) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut in 1990 under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, and released her self-titled debut studio album, Mariah Carey. The album went multi-platinum and spawned four consecutive number one singles, on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. Following her marriage to Mottola in 1993, a series of hit records, including Emotions (1991), Music Box (1993) and Merry Christmas (1994), established her position as Columbia's highest-selling act. Daydream (1995), made music history when the second single, "One Sweet Day" a duet with Boyz II Men, spent a record sixteen weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100, and remains the longest running number one song in US chart history. During the recording of the album Carey began to deviate from her pop background, and slowly traversed into R&B and Hip-hop. After her separation from Mottola, this musical change was evident with the release of Butterfly (1997).
  
  wn.com/Mariah_Carey
• Megan Rochell
  Megan Rochell (born August 19, 1985) is an American contemporary R&B singer, who was formerly signed to Def Jam Records.
  At the age of 11, Megan was a 5-time winner on Showtime at the Apollo. Several years later, she met Philadelphia International's Leon Huff and started working on her recording career. One day outside of Philadelphia International, Megan met Boyz II Men's Nathan Morris and sang for him which prompted Morris to sign her to his management company. Then Megan secured herself a deal with Def Jam Records.
  Megan's debut album, "You, Me and the Radio" featured collaborations from Rodney Jerkins, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, the Underdogs, and Stargate. The album was scheduled for release in 2006, but was never released.
  
  wn.com/Megan_Rochell
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  Method Man
  Clifford Smith (born April 1, 1971), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man & Redman. He won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige. In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).
  Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. On television, he and hip-hop collaborator Redman co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom Method & Red, and he had a recurring role on HBO's Oz as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the acclaimed HBO drama series The Wire.
  Born in Staten Island, New York, on April 1 , 1971, Clifford Smith divided his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's home in the Park Hill section of Staten Island aka Killa Hill. He has two sisters, Terri and Missy.
  
  wn.com/Method_Man
• Montell Jordan
  Montell Jordan (born December 3, 1968) is an American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer. Jordan became the main solo male artist on its Def Soul imprint until leaving the label in 2003. During his live performances he generally gave more of a rock-oriented performance, with Jordan even going as far as to wear sunglasses while on stage. As of 2010, Jordan has left the music business to become the worship leader at Victory World Church in Atlanta.
  Jordan attended Pepperdine University in California, where he received a bachelor's degree in communications and became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Jordan graduated summa cum laude and was a state finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.
  Jordan's first single was the 1995 #1 hit "This Is How We Do It," which sampled Slick Rick's earlier Def Jam hit "Children's Story". This success would not happen for a male act again until Chris Brown's debut single "Run It!" topped the chart in 2005. Jordan followed up his success with "Somethin' 4 Da Honeyz", which peaked at #21. Later hits would include "Let's Ride" with Master P and "Talk Show" with Shae Jones in 1998 and "Get It on Tonite" in 1999.
  
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  Musiq Soulchild
  Musiq Soulchild or Musiq ( /ˈmjuːsɪk/; born Taalib Johnson on September 16, 1977) is a American R&B/soul singer-songwriter whose style blends contemporary R&B, soul, funk, alternative, blues, jazz, some gospel influences and hip hop.
  Musiq was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and is the oldest of nine children. At an early age, Musiq decided he would drop out of high school, and left home at 17. It was during that time Musiq started to sell dope in the hood and build a reputation for being musically gifted, beat boxing for MC's, free styling on the open mic circuit, scatting at a jazz club, or just performing a cappella in the streets of Philadelphia, which is where he got the name "Musiq" and later added "Soulchild", which is intended to respect and represent the legacy and traditions of past soul artists. We all know how hard it can be for an African American to get by and Muisq protected his dream with a compact 9mm. He cites as his inspiration such icons as Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Billie Holiday, Sly & the Family Stone and Ray Charles.
  
  wn.com/Musiq_Soulchild
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  Nas
  Nasir Bin Olu Dara Jones ( /nɑːˈsɪər/; born September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas ( /ˈnɑːz/), is an American rapper and actor. He is also the son of jazz musician Olu Dara. Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums since 1994, four of which topped the Billboard charts upon release and has sold over thirteen-million records in the United States alone. Nas was also part of the hip hop supergroup The Firm, which released one album under Dr. Dre's record label Aftermath. Aside from rapping, Nas is also an occasional actor and has appeared in feature films such as Hype Williams' directorial debut Belly, Ticker and In Too Deep and the television show Hawaii Five-0.
  His rise to fame began in 1991 with his feature on hip hop group Main Source's debut album on the track "Live at the Barbeque". In the years that followed, Nas garnered attention from music industry A & R's and record labels with more impressive features and a solo single "Halftime". His debut album Illmatic, released in 1994 by Columbia Records, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community and would go on to be widely hailed as a musical landmark and a classic in the genre and is consistently ranked as one of the greatest LP's of all time. His follow up album It Was Written debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Charts, stayed on top for four consecutive weeks and went platinum twice in only two months, propelling Nas to worldwide notoriety.
  
  wn.com/Nas
• Nicole Wray
  Nicole Monique Wray (born May 2, 1981), also known as simply Nicole, is an American R&B and hip hop singer. Her 1998 debut single "Make It Hot" was certified gold.
  Wray was born in Salinas, California on May 2, 1981, and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. After being introduced to Missy Elliott, Wray was featured on Missy's platinum certified debut Supa Dupa Fly. When Elliott started her own label, The Goldmind, the then 17-year-old Wray was the first artist signed.
  In 1998, her debut album Make It Hot was released. Heavily criticized for Elliott's heavy-handed involvement (she produced, wrote, and performed on much of the album) the first single, "Make It Hot", peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified gold. Her second single, "I Can't See", reached #36 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart.Make It Hot peaked at number nineteen on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart (number 42 on The Billboard 200) and dropped off by the end of the year. The third single, "Eyes Better Not Wander", peaked at #71 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Later that year, Wray would sing the hook to "All n My Grill" on Missy Elliott's platinum certified second album, Da Real World.
  
  wn.com/Nicole_Wray
• Nikki D
  Nichelle "Nikki D" Strong is an American female rapper. Nikki D was the first female rapper signed by Def Jam Recordings.
  She signed with Def Jam in 1989, and released her debut single "Lettin' Off Steam" the same year. It was produced by Sam Sever. The single's video featured Flavor Flav. Later Nikki D released the more commercially acceptable song, "Daddy's Little Girl" some two years later, which reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.
  Prior to releasing "Daddy's Little Girl", Nikki D was on tour in Europe for a year with fellow R&B artist Alyson Williams. Nikki D has recorded songs with Moby, Queen Latifah on the Set It Off soundtrack, with Redman for his Muddy Waters album, EPMD, Naughty By Nature, Flavor Unit and Suzanne Vega.
  In 1998, Nikki D became the vice president of A&R at Flavor Unit Records, a position she held for two years. Today she is the marketing manager at "Phat Fashions", the apparel company that houses Phat Farm, Baby Phat, and Atman.
  
  wn.com/Nikki_D
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  Patti LaBelle
  Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards (born May 24, 1944), better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry. LaBelle spent 16 years as lead singer of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, who changed their name to Labelle in the early 1970s and released the iconic disco song, "Lady Marmalade".
  LaBelle started her solo career shortly after the group disbanded in 1977 and crossed over to pop music with "On My Own", "If Only You Knew", "If You Asked Me To", "Stir It Up" and "New Attitude". She has also recorded R&B ballads such as "You Are My Friend" and "Love, Need and Want You".
  LaBelle possesses the vocal range of a soprano.
  Patricia Louise Holte was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 24, 1944 . Her father, Henry Holte (alternatively, Holt), was a railroad worker and lounge singer. Her mother, Bertha Holte, was a domestic and housewife. Holte was one of four daughters (Vivian, Barbara, Patricia and Jacqueline). Holte recalls having a happy childhood but said being sexually molested at the age of seven led her to be shy and withdrawn. Holte's parents had an unhappy marriage. When Holte was twelve, her parents split up and Bertha Holte raised her daughters as a single mother. Holte's mother later adopted Claudette Grant, who would become one of Holte's closest friends.
  
  wn.com/Patti_LaBelle
• Paul Epworth
  Paul Epworth is a British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Chapel Club, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash, Foster the People and Maxïmo Park. On February 12, 2012 at the 54th Grammy Awards, he won 4 Grammy Awards for Producer of the Year, Album of the Year (Adele's 21), and Song of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Rolling In The Deep").
  From 2002–2004 Paul provided lead vocals & guitar for the band Lomax. He later remixed two songs from the band's catalogue – "Reiterator" and "Modern Life".
  Epworth is well known for his remix work under the name Phones. He began to gain recognition with this moniker based on his work with Bloc Party's track "Banquet"; he has since provided remix work for New Order, U2, P-Diddy, Goldfrapp, Nine Inch Nails, Simian Mobile Disco, The Streets, Interpol, Tom Vek, Death from Above 1979, and Annie. His debut of original material under the Phones name, "Sharpen The Knives/Worryin", was released on French label Kitsuné in November 2006. In 2008 he announced he had killed off the Phones moniker but has said he continues to remix anonymously.
  
  wn.com/Paul_Epworth
• Peedi Peedi
  Pedro Zayas, known as Peedi Crakk and also Peedi Peedi (born September 25, 1977) is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent. He is a member of State Property and is currently signed to Amalgam Digital and G-Unit Philly.
  The North Philly MC first signed to Roc-a-Fella Records in 2001 with the help of Freeway, a friend of Peedi since high school who had already joined the label through Beanie Sigel and his State Property entourage. In 2003, Peedi's debut single, "One for Peedi Crakk," charted in the R&B/hip-hop Top 40. He continued to make appearances on various Roc-a-Fella albums, including Jay-Z's The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse and Freeway's Philadelphia Freeway. His guest appearances were usually standouts, and his mixtapes gave him a reputation among East Coast rap fans. Faced with increasing exposure, the Philly rapper decided to modify his rap name to Peedi Peedi.
  However, in 2005, two problems greatly affected Peedi's career. State Property dissolved, and Roc-a-Fella Records formally split into two. Jay-Z remaining at Def Jam with 50 percent, and Roc-a-Fella co-founder Dame Dash taking the other 50 percent to Universal Records under his Dame Dash Music Group. Peedi refused to side with Sigel and Dame Dash, and was briefly a free agent until Jay-Z, who soon became the president of Def Jam and maintained the Roc-a-Fella catalogue at the label, signed him. Peedi began working on a debut album, Prince of the Roc, but it was continuously delayed.
  
  wn.com/Peedi_Peedi
• Pete Nice
  Prime Minister Pete Nice (born Peter J. Nash in Floral Park, Long Island, New York) is a former hip hop MC who was most noted as a member of the group 3rd Bass.
  After graduating from Bishop Ford High School in 1985, Nash majored in English at Columbia University, where he hosted a hip hop radio show. This led to the creation of the hip hop group 3 the Hard Way, which later changed its name to 3rd Bass, where he adopted the stage name Prime Minister Pete Nice. The group released two gold-selling albums before disbanding in 1992. Nice teamed up with group DJ Richie Rich, and the pair released their only collaboration, Dust to Dust, in 1993.
  Pete Nice and author-radio jock Bobbito started their own label, Hoppoh Records, under the aegis of Columbia Records. The first release was Kurious Jorge's 1994 album A Constipated Monkey; Nice co-produced the album and the single "I'm Kurious." Nashville artist Count Bass D's debut Pre-Life Crisis followed in 1995, distributed by Columbia sister label Chaos Recordings, but those would be the only records released before the label folded because of creative differences with Columbia.
  
  wn.com/Pete_Nice
• Pusha T
  Terrence Thornton (born May 14, 1977) better known by his stage name Pusha T is an American recording artist, occasional actor and one half of the critically acclaimed hip hop duo Clipse. Along with No Malice, his brother and fellow member of Clipse, he released the album Hell Hath No Fury, which was praised by critics, many of whom consider it to be a cornerstone in Hip-Hop and one of the best rap albums ever made. He is also the co-founder and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Re-Up Records along with his aforementioned brother. In September 2010 he announced his signing to Kanye West's GOOD Music label and on March 21, 2011, released his first solo project, a mixtape titled Fear of God.
  Pusha T was born Terrence Thornton on May 13, 1977, in The Bronx borough of New York City. Thornton and his family soon relocated to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where he and his brother, Gene 'No Malice' Thornton, grew up. In 1992 Terrence and his brother Gene formed the duo now internationally known as Clipse. With help from Pharell Williams the group eventually signed to Elektra Records in 1997 and released Exclusive Audio Footage, their only album under that label. Of the two brothers, Terrence was more open to features, appearing on Kelis' 1999 single "Good Stuff" and Nivea's 2001 single "Run Away (I Wanna Be with U)", respectively. In 2004, he and his brother launched their record label, Re-Up Records and formed hip hop group Re-Up Gang along with rappers Ab-Liva and Sandman. After four albums as the Clipse, under various record labels both Malice and Pusha T announced that they were taking time off from the duo to focus on their own respective solo projects.
  
  wn.com/Pusha_T
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  Rick Ross
  William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross (often stylized as RICK RO$$), is an American rapper. He derived his stage name from the drug trafficker "Freeway" Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection. Ross founded the record label Maybach Music Group, on which he released his studio albums Deeper Than Rap and Teflon Don, Ross was also the first artist signed to Diddy's management company Ciroc Entertainment. In early 2012, MTV named Ross as the Hottest MC In The Game.
  William Leonard Roberts II was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi. and raised in Carol City, Florida, near Miami. After graduating from Carol City Senior High School, he later attended the historically black college Albany State University on a football scholarship.
  After being signed to Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG, he eventually signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records, which has been under the Def Jam umbrella since 2006. While signed to Slip-n-Slide, Ross toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-n-Slide albums.
  
  wn.com/Rick_Ross
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  Rick Rubin
  Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin is the founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings. With the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and Run–D.M.C., Rubin helped popularize hip hop music.
  Rubin has worked with artists as varied as Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, Trouble, Slipknot, Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Mars Volta, Danzig, Dixie Chicks, Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Weezer, Linkin Park, The Cult, Neil Diamond, Mick Jagger, System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Audioslave, The Avett Brothers, Adele and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. In the 1990s and 2000s, he produced the "American Recordings" albums with Johnny Cash. MTV called him "the most important producer of the last 20 years." In 2007, Rubin was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World.
  Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York and grew up in Lido Beach, New York, in a Jewish family. His father was a shoe wholesaler and his mother a housewife. While a student at Long Beach High School he befriended the school's AV Director Steve Freeman who gave him a few lessons in guitar playing and songwriting and helped him create a punk band called "The Pricks". Their biggest claim to fame was being thrown off the stage at CBGB after two songs for brawling with the heckling audience. These hecklers were friends of the band instructed to instigate a confrontation so as to get the show shut down and create a buzz. Although he had no authority in New York City, Rubin's father traveled all the way from Nassau county to Manhattan wearing his Lido Beach auxiliary police uniform as he attempted to "shut down" the show.
  
  wn.com/Rick_Rubin
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  Rihanna
  Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( /riˈɑːnə/ ree-AH-nə or /riˈænə/ ree-AN-ə; born February 20, 1988), known mononymously as Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist and actress. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers. She subsequently signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings.
  In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and features the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit single "Pon de Replay". In less than a year, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), which peaked within the top-five in the United States, and produced her first Hot 100 number one single, "SOS". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad released in May 2007, spawned the international hit singles "Umbrella", "Don't Stop the Music", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia", with an additional four singles being released. The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella". Her fourth studio album Rated R (2009), produced the top-ten singles "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy", with the latter achieving the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Loud (2010), Rihanna's fifth studio album, spawned the number-one hits "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?" and "S&M". "We Found Love" served as the lead single from Rihanna's sixth studio album, Talk That Talk (2011). The song was an international success, topping the charts in more than twenty countries.
  
  wn.com/Rihanna
• 
  Russell Simmons
  Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American business magnate. He and Rick Rubin founded the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam. He also created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and American Classics.
  Russell Simmons is the third richest figure in hip hop, having a net-worth estimate of $340 million as of April 2011.
  Simmons was raised in Queens, New York. He is the son of Daniel Simmons, Sr., a public school administrator, and Evelyn Simmons, a New York City park administrator. His older brother is abstract expressionist painter Daniel Simmons, Jr., and his younger brother is Rev. Joseph Simmons ("Run" of Run-DMC).
  Def Jam became just one piece in Simmons' corporation, Rush Communications, Inc., which included a management company, a clothing company called Phat Farm, a movie production house, television shows such as Def Comedy Jam, a magazine and an advertising agency. His nephew Jamal "Redrum" Simmons and his group Flatlinerz released the highly controversial album U.S.A. in 1994 on Def Jam but was dropped from the label soon after. Rick Rubin sold his share of the record company for $100 million to Universal Music Group in 1996. Simmons produced Def Poetry, begun as a television series on HBO, which also branched into a Broadway live stage production in 2002. In 2000, he co-founded the Internet start-up 360 Hip Hop which he later sold to BET.
  
  wn.com/Russell_Simmons
• 
  Sean Combs
  Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He was originally known as Puff Daddy and then as P. Diddy (Puff and Puffy have been used as nicknames, but never as recording names). In August 2005, he changed his stage name to simply "Diddy", but continues to use the name P. Diddy in the UK as the result of a lawsuit. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He formed and recorded with the group Diddy – Dirty Money.
  Combs was born in Harlem and grew up in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked as a talent director at Uptown Records and then founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. His business interests—under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide—include Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and "Sean by Sean Combs", a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. In 2011, Forbes estimated his net worth at $500 million, making him the richest figure in hip hop.
  
  wn.com/Sean_Combs
• 
  Shakira
  Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( /ʃəˈkɪərə/,Spanish: [t͡ʃaˈkiɾa]; born February 2, 1977),known mononymously as Shakira, is a Colombian singer-songwriter who emerged in the music scene of Colombia and Latin America in the early 1990s. Born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira began performing in school, demonstrating her vocal ability with rock and roll, Latin and Arabic influences with her own original twist on belly dancing. Shakira is a native Spanish speaker and also speaks fluent English and Portuguese as well as some Italian, French, Catalan and Arabic.
  After a poor commercial reception with local producers on her first two albums, and being little-known outside Colombia, Shakira decided to produce her own brand of music. In 1995 she released Pies Descalzos, which brought her great fame in Latin America and Spain, and her 1998 album Dónde Están los Ladrones? was a critical success selling over 7 million copies worldwide. In 2001, aided by the worldwide success of her first English single "Whenever, Wherever" that became the best selling single of 2002, she broke through into the English-speaking world with the release of Laundry Service, which sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Four years later, Shakira released two album projects called Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2. Both reinforced her success, particularly with the best selling song of the 2000s, "Hips Don't Lie". In 1997, Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation. It is a Colombian charity with special schools for poor children all around Colombia. During her career, Shakira has performed at a large number of benefit concerts. Among the most famous are the Live 8 benefit concert in July 2005, the Live Earth concert, Hamburg where she headlined the show, as well as the "Clinton Global Initiative" created by former US President Bill Clinton. She was also invited to the Oval Office by President Barack Obama in February 2010 to discuss early childhood development.
  
  wn.com/Shakira
• Shareefa
  Shareefa Faradah Cooper (born March 12, 1984), professionally known as Shareefa, is an R&B singer. Shareefa has also lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. She signed with Disturbing tha Peace/Def Jam Recordings in 2005. Her debut single, "Need a Boss", featuring rapper and labelmate Ludacris, was produced by Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and reached #62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album Point of No Return was released in October 2006 and charted at #25 on the Billboard 200.
  
  wn.com/Shareefa
• Shawnna
  Rashawnna Guy (born January 3, 1978), better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chicago rap duo Infamous Syndicate and she is also the daughter of the blues musician Buddy Guy.
  She is known for her rapid fire delivery and her sexually explicit image and lyrics. She is one of only four female rappers (others being Lauryn Hill, Lil' Kim and Remy Ma) to ever have a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 with 2003's "Stand Up" with Ludacris.
  An MC from the south side of Chicago and the daughter of blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Shawnna began writing rhymes while in high school. She caught her first break in 1996, when her duo Infamous Syndicate opened for Junior M.A.F.I.A. in Chicago. Infamous Syndicate signed to Relativity a year later and released "Changing the Game" in 1999. The album did not live up to its title, despite production help from No I.D. and Kanye West, the duo was dropped and eventually split. She then went on to team with Ludacris where she was featured on his song "What's Your Fantasy". Before she recorded her first album, Shawnna was featured on the remix to the song "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey for the album and movie Glitter. She was featured in the video along with Ludacris, Da Brat, and Twenty II.
  
  wn.com/Shawnna
• Sheek Louch
  Sean Divine Jacobs, November 9, 1976. better known as Sheek Louch (also known as Donnie Def Jam and "Donnie G"), is an African American rapper and member of The LOX (aka D-Block), along with Styles P and Jadakiss.
  At around the age of 12, he was inspired to rhyme by his friend Jason Phillips (Jadakiss). He and Jason would later form The LOX with Styles P. Mary J. Blige "discovered" the trio, and they would soon be signed to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records. Their first album, Money, Power & Respect, was released on January 13, 1998.
  Sheek and his fellow LOX members later parted ways with Bad Boy Records, and joined the Ruff Ryders group, which included DMX. Their second album, We Are the Streets, was released on January 25, 2000. Meanwhile, Sheek, an aspiring entrepreneur, began working on their D-Block brand, building a studio, and looking for new talent to join their roster. He also opened a D-Block car wash and D-Block "fitteds" around the same time.
  Sheek released his solo debut Walk Witt Me on Universal Records through D-Block Records. Early promotional material, such as within the liner notes of Styles P's album A Gangster and a Gentleman, indicate that the album's original title was Walk With Me.
  
  wn.com/Sheek_Louch
• 
  Shyne
  Moshe Levi Ben-David (born Jamal Michael Barrow; November 8, 1978), better known by his stage name Shyne, is a Belizean rapper.
  Shyne was born in Belize City, Belize, the son of Dean Barrow, the current Prime Minister of Belize. Shyne's once estranged father was first to welcome him back to their home country upon his return in 2009. His mother is the sister of Michael Finnegan, one of Barrow's long-time political colleagues. Shyne remained behind with his uncle in Belize City when his mother moved to the US. It was not until the age of 13 when she was able to bring him with her to Brooklyn's Vanderveer Estates in East Flatbush (now known as 'Flatbush Gardens').
  In 1998 hip hop producer Clark Kent discovered Shyne, noticing something unique in his voice. He sounded to him very similar to the late Notorious B.I.G.. At the time, Clark Kent was working on B.I.G.'s posthumous "Born Again" album.
  Not long after, Shyne started making appearances on recordings made by Bad Boy Records artists. He notably featured on a remix of Total's "Sittin At Home" track and on Mase's second album Double Up, on the track entitled "From Scratch". In the same year he featured on Bad Boy Records' chief executive Sean Combs' Forever, as well as on a remix of P.E. 2000.
  
  wn.com/Shyne
• Sisqó
  Mark Althavean Andrews (born November 9, 1978), known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actor. He is lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and has also released solo material, including his successful first solo album Unleash the Dragon which included the single "Thong Song". Sisqó also calls himself "The Dragon".
  Andrews attended Mervo, graduating 1994. He has a daughter, Shaione, who was born in 1995.
  After Woody Rock left Dru Hill in 1999 to pursue a solo career, it was decided that the other three members would do the same. Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, was released on Def Soul Records in November 1999. Unleash the Dragon sold moderately at first, until the February 2000 release of its second single, the novelty "Thong Song". A runaway hit, "Thong Song" and its follow-up, "Incomplete", were major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with "Thong Song" making it to number three, and "Incomplete" going to #1. The success later got Sisqó a doll made of himself by Play Along Toys in 2001.^{[citation needed]}
  
  wn.com/Sisqó
• 
  Slick Rick
  Richard Walters (born January 14, 1965), better known by his stage name Slick Rick, is a Grammy-nominated British American rapper. He has also been known as MC Ricky D and Rick the Ruler. He began his career in late 1983, in the hip hop genre, where he recorded a series of acclaimed recordings such as "La Di Da Di" and "Children's Story". Walters is best known for his storytelling innovations in this genre. His music has been frequently sampled and interpolated by other artists such as TLC, Black Star, The Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Dogg, with many of these songs later becoming hit singles. Slick Rick rose to stardom in an era known to fans as the Golden age of hip hop.
  Born and brought up in the south-west London suburb of Wimbledon, Walters later moved with his British Jamaican family to The Bronx in 1977 where he met Dana Dane with whom he later formed a hip hop duo known as the Kangol Crew. Walters received his characteristic eye patch after being blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant. Once he gained a degree of wealth, Walters earned a reputation for wearing the eye patch over his right eye, and a significant amount of gold and diamond jewelry.
  
  wn.com/Slick_Rick
• 
  Snoop Dogg
  Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, The Chronic and on the titular theme song to the film Deep Cover.
  Snoop's debut album Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records making a debut at No.1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle quickly became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. In early 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His second album, late 1996's Tha Doggfather, also debuted at No.1 on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album sold only half as well, being certified double platinum in 1997.
  
  wn.com/Snoop_Dogg
• South Central Cartel
  South Central Cartel is a Los Angeles-based gangsta rap group. Some of their popular songs include "U Gotta Deal Wit Dis", "Pops Was a Rolla", "Ya Getz Clowned", "Gang Stories", "Servin 'Em Heat", "Knocc on Wood" (Remix), and "All Day Everyday" & "Eastside-Westside" & "It's an S.C.C Thang" .
  As one of the original early-'90s West Coast gangsta collectives to follow N.W.A.'s lead, South Central Cartel first appeared with their debut album South Central Madness in 1991, before releasing a succession of albums throughout the remainder of the decade. After their follow-up, 1994s 'N Gatz We Truss, generated a sizable amount of attention in the gangsta rap underground. Def Jam Recordings signed the group, eventually resulting in their most commercially successful album, 1997s All Day Everyday.
  During this same era, group leaders Havoc & Prodeje together released a string of albums on Pump Records as well, helping garner a small yet healthy cult audience. Despite their lack of mainstream success, the group does stand alongside fellow early-'90s West Coast colleagues such as N.W.A., Compton's Most Wanted, and Above the Law as gangsta rap pioneers.
  
  wn.com/South_Central_Cartel
• Sterling Simms
  Sterling Simms (born July 7, 1985), is an American R&B singer-songwriter. His debut album, Yours, Mine & The Truth was released on December 23, 2008 by Def Jam Records. He is currently working on his sophomore album on RCA Records, and recently released a mixtape entitled July's Finest.
  Sterling recorded his first song with his grandfather at the age of 6. His grandfather, a musician himself, introduced him to the sounds of Sam Cooke. When he was 15, his mother moved the family of four children to Atlanta. There Sterling began to make the rounds with Dallas Austin, Jermaine Dupri and other music makers in the city.
  After a period struggling, Sterling began to focus on writing, putting his artist ambitions aside. Returning to Philadelphia, Sterling reconnected with Kenny Gamble. Back in Atlanta, Sterling met up with producer Teddy Bishop, who liked the songs Sterling was working on. Bishop asked, "Who was the voice behind the songs?" At Teddy's prompting Sterling decided to pursue becoming a performer again. He sang for Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles and a group of other influential music executives, giving them Sam Cooke's "A Long Time Coming." They were impressed with Sterling and by this time Warner Bros and Atlantic were very interested in signing him. While waiting for an offer, Sterling traveled to Miami with Bishop to the VMA’s. Bishop played Sterling’s music for industry veteran George Robinson. Robinson recognized his talent at once and convinced the partners of One Recordings to make Sterling their first release.
  
  wn.com/Sterling_Simms
• Terminator X
  Terminator X is the stage name of Norman Rogers (born August 25, 1966), a retired American DJ best known for his work with rap group Public Enemy, which he left in 1999. He also produced two solo albums, Terminator X & The Valley of Jeep Beats (1991) and Super Bad (1994), featuring Chuck D, Sister Souljah, Kool DJ Herc, the Cold Crush Brothers, and a bass music track by the Punk Barbarians.
  Since retiring from the music scene in 2003, Rogers has been running an ostrich stud farm in North Carolina. However, in 2010, Terminator X returned to the recording studio. Set for release in 2011, the album, Judgement Day, is said to be "a tribute to the five elements of hip-hop, which include B-boying, graffiti, rapping, DJ’ing and knowledge."
  
  wn.com/Terminator_X
• Terri Walker
  Terri Walker (born Chanelle Gstettenbauer, 14 April 1979) is an English R&B and soul singer–songwriter. Walker has released three albums in the United Kingdom, Untitled, L.O.V.E, and I Am. She also provided the majority of the vocals for Shanks & Bigfoot's debut album Swings & Roundabouts. Walker's fourth studio album Walk with Me is due for release in 2011.
  Walker, born in the Wimbledon district of London, England, to Jamaican parents, moved to Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany, when she was four. She speaks fluent German. In a 2007 interview with Soul Culture, Walker stated that "I love Deutschland, it’s moulded me into what I am. I love here [London] too and I came back to go to boarding-school in London when I was 11. The thing is I still lived in Germany and didn’t actually come back proper till I was 17″. At the age of seventeen, Walker moved back to the UK permanently to study at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London, which is a performing arts centre of excellence. Here, she she began to study and sing opera. Walker stated that "I started to study opera when I was about 15 and I started to sing it professionally from about 18. It was always a life-long ambition of mine. I think classical training is the best kinda training you can get."
  
  wn.com/Terri_Walker
• The Dove Shack
  The Dove Shack was a G-funk group from Long Beach. Consisting of C-Knight, Bo-Roc and 2Scoops, the group made their debut with the song "This Is the Shack" on Warren G's album Regulate...G Funk Era. Under the same name they released their first album back in 1995 with the substantial hit single "Summertime in the LBC" featuring Arnita Porter. They later contributed to a few compilations, and released Reality's Got Me Tied Up in 2006.
  
  
  
  wn.com/The_Dove_Shack
• Tricky Stewart
  Christopher "Tricky" Stewart (born January 4, 1974) is an American songwriter, music producer, music publisher, executive producer, recording industry executive and recording studio owner. In a career spanning 16 years, Stewart, at the helm of his company RedZone Entertainment, is responsible for over 25 million records sold. He is noted for producing many hip hop, R&B and pop chart topping singles, such as Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, Britney Spears's "Me Against the Music", Mýa’s “Case of the Ex”, Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, Mary J. Blige’s “Just Fine”, Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" and "Obsessed", Jesse McCartney’s “Leavin'”,Justin Bieber's "Baby", Ciara's "Ride" and many others. He is currently working on upcoming albums from Ciara, Jennifer Lopez, Pentatonix and Jessica Simpson, among others.
  Tricky Stewart, was born Christopher Alan Stewart in Markham, Illinois. Raised in a musical family, Stewart was playing guitar, playing keyboards and writing songs by the age of 12. Stewart's older brother, record producer Laney Stewart, introduced him to one of his first music business mentors, the late Louil Silas, Jr.. Silas fostered Tricky’s music career by giving him the opportunity to contribute to the projects of several major artists. Before graduating high school, Stewart had placements with artists such as Aaron Hall, rhythm and blues trio Immature, and Chanté Moore. Stewart credits his work with Chanté Moore with opening many doors for him in his burgeoning music career.
  
  wn.com/Tricky_Stewart
• Warren G
  Warren G (born Warren Griffin III, November 10, 1970), is an American West Coast rapper and hip hop producer.
  Warren G grew up in Long Beach, California listening to his parents’ collection of jazz, funk and soul; nurturing a deep love for music. In 1990, he formed the group 213, named after the Long Beach area code, with his friends Nate Dogg and Snoop Dogg. The current area code in Long Beach, California is 562. While practicing with “213,” and working a full time job, the young Warren used all his free time on creating his own sound and dreamed of making it big.
  The trio “213” dissolved when two of its members signed with Death Row Records. Although Warren G had the option of joining Death Row and work with his step-brother Dr. Dre, Warren preferred, from the very beginning of his career, to focus primarily on his solo career. True to his independent spirit, Warren G dedicated himself to creating his own sound; a distinct style that was later to become known, worldwide, as the legendary G-Funk.
  
  wn.com/Warren_G
• Wikipedia Persondata
  wn.com/Wikipedia_Persondata
• Young Chris
  Young Chris (born Christopher F. Ries in 1983) is a Grammy nominatedAmerican rapper and songwriter. A member of Philadelphia rap duo Young Gunz, formerly signed to Roc-A-Fella records through Beanie Sigel’s State Property collective, early success included the hit single "Can't Stop, Won't Stop". Signed in December 2010 as a solo artist to Universal Motown through producer/songwriter Rico Love’s label imprint Division1, Young Chris is currently working on his album release. Because of identical names (minus a spelling difference), he is often confused with rapper Yung Chris and incorrectly credited as the performer of the song Racks
  Young Chris and Neef Buck (born Hanif Muhammad) had been friends since they were young boys on the block(C-Ave). On "Takeover", a track from his 2001 album “The Blueprint”, Jay-Z announced the duo as "Chris & Neef". In 2001, the duo performed on the State Property soundtrack album. Young Chris and Neef starred in the titular movie. Also during this period of their career, Young Chris appeared throughout Dame Dash's Dream Team compilation, and Beanie Sigel's The Reason. The duo performed together on guest appearances for albums like Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2, Freeway's Philadelphia Freeway, State Property's The Chain Gang Vol. 2, and Memphis Bleek's M.A.D.E.; all while recording their album. The Young Gunz scored their first hit with "Can't Stop, Won't Stop", the lead-off single from The Chain Gang Vol. 2 album. Its song and video received major airplay on hip-hop radio, MTV2, and BET and reached #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.
  
  wn.com/Young_Chris
• 
  Young Jeezy
  Jay Wayne Jenkins (born October 12, 1977), better known by his stage name Young Jeezy, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop group United Streets Dopeboyz of America (USDA) and a former member of BMF (Black Mafia Family). He began his career in 2001 under an independent label and joined Boyz 'N Da Hood in 2005, the same year his solo major label debut Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 was released. Its single "Soul Survivor", which featured Akon, became a top-ten hit in the US.
  The Inspiration followed in 2006, and The Recession followed in 2008; both albums yielded chart-topping singles. Jeezy has also appeared on numerous other rap and R&B singles such as "Say I" by Christina Milian, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Hard" by Rihanna, and "Love in This Club" by Usher, the latter being a number one single on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 2008.
  Jay Wayne Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia when he was a toddler. Because his parents were separated, custody of him transferred between family members frequently. In an interview with XXL magazine, he described his childhood as "empty". In 1994, he spent nine months in YCA (Youth Challenge Academy), a boot camp in Fort Stewart, Georgia, for narcotics possession.
  
  wn.com/Young_Jeezy
• 
  Yung Joc
  Jasiel Robinson (born April 2, 1983), better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper.
  Robinson's father, Stanley Tucker, owned a hair-care products company and helped him get an opportunity to write a jingle for Revlon; Robinson founded his own label to release his music. In 2001 he married his high school sweetheart Alexandria Robinson and together they have three children, Ja'Kori, Amir, and Chase Robinson. (Jasiel has an older son Amoni from a previous relationship)
  Yung Joc met Atlanta producer Nitti Beatz and the two recorded the hit "It's Goin Down" in the spring of 2006. After Teaming with Russell "Block" Spencer, founder of the Block Enterprises label. Spencer signed Joc to Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records for a multi-million dollar deal, and Bad Boy released Joc's debut New Joc City that year. The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 selling nearly 150,000 copies in the first week^{[citation needed]}. The second week it fell to #7. It has since been certified gold by the RIAA selling over 500,000 copies.
  
  wn.com/Yung_Joc

Amityville Horror, The (2005)

Actors

• Ryan Reynolds
• Melissa George
• Jesse James
• Jimmy Bennett
• Chloe Moretz
• Rachel Nichols
• Philip Baker-Hall
• Annabel Armour
• Rich Komenich
• Danny Mccarthy
• Jason Padgett
• Sean Skowronski

Director

• Andrew Douglas

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• timeline:
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