Look up lock or locks in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Lock may refer to:

Mechanical devices[link]

• Lock (water transport), a device for raising and lowering boats and submarines between stretches of water of different levels
• Lock (device), a mechanical device used to secure possessions
• Lock (firearm), the ignition mechanism of small arms
• Rope lock, a device used in theater fly systems

Technology[link]

• Digital rights management (DRM), a computer means of preventing duplication or re-distribution of computer-sensible data or computer programs, in particular, computer games and electronic media.
• Lock (computer science), a bookkeeping object used to serialize concurrent access
• Lock (database), a feature used when multiple users access a database concurrently
• Lock (weapons guidance), an indication the missile seeker system has an acquisition fix
• SIM lock, a restriction on mobile phones to work only in certain countries or with certain providers
• File locking

Sports[link]

• Lock (rugby league), a player position in rugby league
• Lock (rugby union), a player position in rugby union

Other uses[link]

• Lock (surname)
• Lock of hair, a tuft or small bundle of hair
• Lock, South Australia, a small town in the centre of the Eyre Peninsula
• Lock (Saga of the Skolian Empire), a fictional sentient machine in the novels by Catherine Asaro

See also[link]

• -lock, an Old English suffix
• Locke (disambiguation), a common English surname and place name
• Loch, a Gaelic term used in Scotland to describe lakes and other bodies of water
• Locker (disambiguation)
• Lox, cured salmon filet
• Locking (disambiguation)
• Unlock (disambiguation)
• All pages beginning with "Lock"
• All pages with titles containing "Lock"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars performing in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 19, 2010
Background information
Birth name	Peter Gene Hernandez
Born	(1985-10-08) October 8, 1985 (age 26)[1] Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Genres	Reggae fusion, pop, soul, R&B
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, record producer, model, dancer
Instruments	Vocals, drums, guitar, keyboard, bass, piano, harmonica
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Atlantic, Elektra
Associated acts	The Smeezingtons
Website	www.brunomars.com

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age. He performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and then moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, joining production team The Smeezingtons.

Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with Atlantic Records in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs "Nothin' on You" by B.o.B, and "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy. He also co-wrote the hits "Right Round" by Flo Rida featuring Ke$ha, and "Wavin' Flag" by K'naan. In October 2010, he released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Anchored by the worldwide number-one singles "Just the Way You Are" and "Grenade", the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.^[2] Mars was nominated for seven Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards, winning Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Just the Way You Are".

Mars' music is noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, and contains elements of many musical genres. He has worked with an assortment of artists from various genres. Mars acknowledges the influences that his collaborations have had on his own music. As a child, he was highly influenced by artists such as Little Richard,^[3] Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson and would often impersonate these artists from a young age. Mars also incorporates reggae and Motown inspired sounds into his work. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times referred to Mars as "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop."^[4] Worldwide, Mars became the best-selling digital artist in 2011. He had three singles in the top ten, including first place with "Just The Way You Are," which sold 12.5 million copies.^[5] Mars won Best International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in 2012.^[6] Bruno Mars has sold 5 million albums and 36 million singles worldwide.^[7]

Early life[link]

Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8th, 1985, and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii, by parents Pete Hernandez, of Puerto Rican descent, and Bernadette "Bernie," a Filipina.^{[8][9][10][11]} His mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child and his father moved to the island from Brooklyn, New York.^[12] Mars' parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion.^[12] At the age of two, he was nicknamed "Bruno" by his father, because of his resemblance to legendary professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.^[13]

Mars was one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B.^[14][15] In addition to being a dancer, his mother was a singer and his father used his musical ability to perform Little Richard rock n roll music.^[3] Mars' uncle was an Elvis impersonator. By the age of three his uncle had Mars up on the stage performing. He also performed songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations.^[10] At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family's band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley.^[16]

In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as "Little Elvis", going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.^[10][17] He later reflected on the influence Presley had on his music: "I watch the best. I'm a big fan of Elvis. I'm a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It's just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I'm a fan."^[18] In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, explaining, "Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father's band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments...I've just been surrounded by it."^[19] In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of seventeen, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a musical career.^[10][17] He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding "Mars" at the end because "I felt like I didn't have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I'm from Mars."^[20]

Career[link]

[edit] 2004–10: Career beginnings and It's Better If You Don't Understand

Bruno Mars performing in Houston, Texas in November 2010.

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that "went nowhere".^[21] However, Mars' experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. Mars, Lawrence, and engineer Ari Levine began writing songs together, and formed the production team The Smeezingtons.^[21] In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck.^[22] After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label.^[22] In the meantime, Bay-Schuck hired Mars and the Smeezingtons to write and produce songs for the label's artists.^[22] According to Bay-Schuck in an interview with HitQuarters, Mars had stated that although his ultimate goal was to be a solo artist, he was willing to write and produce for other artists, both to help improve his songwriting and help him discover the type of artist he ultimately wanted to be.^[22] Bay-Schuck credits this as a period of "self-discovery" that contributed significantly to Mars' later success.^[22]

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida.^[14][23] He also co-wrote the Sugababes' hit song "Get Sexy" and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7.^[24][25] His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement's second studio album Animal, featured on the track "3D".^[26] He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma's debut single "Love" in August 2009.^[27][28] He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B's "Nothin' on You" and Travie McCoy's "Billionaire"; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide.^{[29][30][31][32]} He said of them, "I think those songs weren't meant to be full-sung songs. If I'd sung all of "Nothin' on You", it might've sounded like some '90s R&B." Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It's Better If You Don't Understand, on May 11, 2010.^[33] The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, "The Other Side", featuring singers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B.^[34][35] Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single "Fuck You!". He performed a medley of "Nothin' on You" and "Airplanes" with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.^[36]

[edit] 2010–present: Doo-Wops & Hooligans

Bruno Mars' debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, was released digitally on October 4, and saw its physical release on October 5, 2010.^[37][38] The lead single, "Just the Way You Are", was released on July 19, 2010,^[39] and has reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as well as several other charts worldwide.^[40][41] The music video was released on September 8, 2010.^[42] The second single, "Grenade", was released September 28, 2010, and has also seen successful international chart performance.^[43][44] In the United States, Doo-Wops & Hooligans debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 for the week of October 13, 2010, selling 55,000 copies.^[2] The album also received generally positive reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised Mars for his "instant-access melodies" and "sly snatches of dance-floor swagger", but noted weaknesses in songs deviant from his conventional pop and soul genres.^[45] He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010.^[38]

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine.^[46] When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly stated that what he did was "foolish" and that "he has never used drugs before".^[47][48] Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, he was told that the charges would be erased from his criminal record as long as he stayed out of trouble for a year, paid a $2,000 fine, did 200 hours of community service and completed a drug counseling course.^[49]

On February 13, 2011, Mars won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, having received six nominations; Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Nothin' on You", Record of the Year for "Nothin' on You" and "Fuck You", Song of the Year for "Fuck You", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

On September 16, 2011, Bad Meets Evil released their single, "Lighters", which featured Mars in the song. The song was met with mixed reviews from critics and many criticized Mars for doing this type of song.^[50] On September 22, 2011, it was announced on Mars' website that his new song "It Will Rain" will appear on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which was released on November 8.^[51] On October 30, 2011, Mars gave an exclusive performance of "Runaway Baby" on the results show of The X Factor UK, the same day that Mars received six nominations for a Grammy Award; Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Grenade", and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 54th Grammy Awards. During the ceremony, Mars performed "Runaway Baby" but he did not win any awards as Adele won in all the categories he was nominated in and also lost to Paul Epworth for Producer of the Year.

Mars has confirmed on Twitter that his work on his second album has begun.^[52] On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Mars had signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US.^[53]

Musical style[link]

Mars performing on November 24, 2010. Mars plays several instruments including piano, guitar, bass and congas.^[54]

Mars' music has been noted for displaying a wide variety of styles and influences, including pop,^[55] rock,^[55] reggae,^[55] R&B,^[56] soul,^[45] and hip hop.^[57] His co-producer Philip Lawrence says, "What people don't know is there's a darker underbelly to Bruno Mars." Mars himself says, "I blame that on me singing to girls back in high school."^[58] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called him "one of the most versatile and accessible singers in pop, with a light, soul-influenced voice that’s an easy fit in a range of styles, a universal donor."^[4] Mars was initially influenced by R&B artists such as Keith Sweat, Jodeci and R. Kelly, as well as 1950s rock 'n' roll and Motown.^[59] In high school, he began listening to classic rock groups such as The Police, Led Zeppelin, and the Beatles.^[59] All of these genres of music have influenced Mars' musical style; he observed that "It’s not easy to [create] songs with that mixture of rock and soul and hip-hop, and there’s only a handful of them."^[59] Mars also stated that he is a fan of Alicia Keys, Jessie J, Jack White and The Saturdays.^[60]

In addition, Mars claims that his work with other artists influenced his musical style, saying that "'Nothin' on You' had a Motown vibe, 'Billionaire' was a reggae acoustic guitar-driven song, though one of my favorites is the Cee-Lo [Green] song ['Fuck You']. I don't think anyone else could've sung that song. And there's 'Just the Way You Are.' If you know my story, you know I love all different genres of music."^[61] He cites doo-wop as a major influence on his music, referring to the genre as "just straightforward love songs – so charming and simple and romantic."^[61] In addition, Mars states that growing up in Hawaii influenced his music, giving the songs a reggae sound. He explains that "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first."^[12] Lyrically, many of Mars' songs have been described as "feel-good", carefree, and optimistic,^[62] however, darker subjects are addressed in songs such as "Grenade", "Liquor Store Blues", and "Talking to the Moon", which detail failed relationships and self-destructive behavior.^[45][63]

Discography[link]

• Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)
• TBA (2012)

Tours[link]

• Doo-Wops & Hooligans tour (2010–2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bruno Mars

• Official website
• Bruno Mars on Twitter
• Bruno Mars at the Internet Movie Database

Styles P
Styles Rapping
Background information
Birth name	David Styles
Also known as	The Ghost, S.P., Pinero, Holiday, The Phantom
Born	(1974-11-28) November 28, 1974 (age 37)
Origin	Yonkers, New York, USA
Genres	East Coast hip hop, mafioso rap, gangsta rap, hardcore hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, Author
Years active	1995-present
Labels	D-Block Records/Ruff Ryders/Koch Records
Associated acts	D-Block, Currensy, King Phaze, Akon, G-Unit
Website	[1]

David Styles (born November 28, 1974) better known by his stage name, Styles P, is an American rapper, author, and entrepreneur. He is prominently known as a member of Hip Hop group The LOX and is also a part of the Ruff Ryders hip-hop group, and in addition has released multiple albums and mixtapes as a solo MC.

Career[link]

Styles P, a member of The LOX and the larger D-Block Hip-Hop collective, grew up in Yonkers, New York rapping alongside Jadakiss (Jason Phillips) and Sheek Louch (Shawn Jacobs). In their late teens the trio met Mary J. Blige who was so impressed with their tough street east coast lyrics, she gave them a big break by putting their demo in the hands of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Diddy immediately hired the trio to write for Bad Boy Records. With the label, The LOX quickly started collaborating on hits with Diddy, the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey which gave them instant notoriety and status within the hip-hop and mainstream charts.

In 1996 and 1997, the group wrote and performed on a number of Diddy hits, including “It's All About the Benjamins” and “I Got the Power,” Mase’s “24 Hrs. to Live,” Mariah Carey’s “Honey,” the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Last Day,” and Mary J. Blige’s “Can’t Get You Off My Mind.” In 1997 The LOX received international acclaim when their tribute to the late Biggie Smalls, “We’ll Always Love Big Poppa,” was picked as the B side track off of Diddy’s No Way Out album (3x Platinum) with the number one hit, “I'll Be Missing You.” This single was the most played hit in 1997, which opened the door for The LOX first solo album debut in January 1998 entitled Money, Power & Respect (Certified Platinum). Though the album was a chart toping success, The LOX felt the glossy image of Bad Boy Records conflicted with their grimier rap aesthetic and therefore cut their ties and moved on to Ruff Ryder Records. After another LOX album, We Are the Streets (2000) and appearing on albums with Ruff Ryders, Styles released his firs solo album, A Gangster and a Gentleman, in 2002.^[1] Four years later he released his second album Time is Money on Ruff Ryders which was followed by Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman) a year later.^[1] After recording many mixtapes Styles returned to the Hip-Hop scene by releasing two retail albums in 2010, The Green Ghost Project with DJ Green Lantern on Invasion Records and The Ghost Dub-Dime a retail mixtape on E1 Records (formally Koch Records). His fourth album Master of Ceremonies is a return to solo form after many years.

Other projects[link]

Styles P released his first novel Invincible in 2010^[2] through Random House Publishing Group.^[3] In 2011 he opened up a juice bar in Bronx, New York called Juices for Life with his business partners Nyger Rollocks and Leo Galvez.^[4][5] He just finished his EP with Curren$y titled, #The1st28 which was released on February 28th, 2012.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• 2002: A Gangster and a Gentleman
• 2006: Time is Money
• 2007: Super Gangster (Extraordinary Gentleman)
• 2011: Master of Ceremonies^[6]

Bibliography[link]

• Invinicible by Styles P (2010: Random House Publishing Group, 240 pages) ISBN 978-0-345-50752-5. A Novel ^[3]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Site
• Styles P Interview at Prefix
• The DJ Booth: Styles P Interview
• Styles P Interview
• New Styles P interview with HipHopGame.com

Samuel "Sam" Tsui (Born May 2, 1989^[2]) is a musician and Internet celebrity who rose to fame on YouTube. He is best known for covering and performing songs by popular artists such as Adele and Bruno Mars, as well as original medleys and mashups. Tsui graduated from Yale University in 2011.

Background[link]

According to his profile on The Duke's Men of Yale's official website, Tsui is from Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.^[3] Tsui grew up a street away from Kurt Schneider, his producer and accompanist, with whom he attended Wissahickon High School.^[4][5] He was active in high school musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Urinetown, and Miss Saigon. Tsui attended Yale University, where he was a member of Davenport College and The Duke's Men of Yale, an all-male a cappella group. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a major in classical Greek in 2011. Sam is proficient in the C++ programming language, as stated in an interview on March 5.^[3][6][7].

Career[link]

Collaborations between Sam Tsui and Kurt Hugo Schneider began in high school with an electronic keyboard, primitive recording equipment, and GarageBand. Both attended Yale University, and there a musical partnership developed.^[6] They have produced videos ranging from covers and original medleys to the College Musical online series. As of February 2012, the YouTube channel "KurtHugoSchneider" has garnered over 350 million total views and a million subscribers.^[8] The most viewed video is Just a Dream, with more than forty million views.^[8] His videos have been described by Time as a combination of Glee and Attack of the Clones.^[9]

In December 2010, Tsui made a collaboration with fellow YouTube singer Christina Grimmie, singing Just A Dream. On February 3, 2011, Tsui was featured on Britney Spears' official website, along with his cover of Hold It Against Me.^[10] In March 2011, Tsui, and lyrics from his song "Start Again", were also mentioned in the book "Seeker" by Andy Frankham-Allen published in print format by Hirst Publishing, and in all digital formats by Untreed Reads Publishing.^[11] In November 2011, he had made a mashup base on two songs, "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars, and "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele (singer), which have more than 450,000 views.

Sam Tsui was mentioned three times by Tom Hanks when he addressed the class of Yale 2011.^[12]

College Musical[link]

Starting in 2009, Tsui and Schneider have produced a series of episodes of College Musical, a comedy web series parodying the High School Musical film series, with original songs composed by Schneider.^[6] Four episodes have been released, with Tsui playing the lead role of Cooper. Following the popularity of the series, it was announced that a film, currently in production, would be made based on the series.^[6][8]

Television appearances[link]

In November 2009, Tsui appeared on The Bonnie Hunt Show where he was interviewed and performed Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)". He also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on February 22, 2010 along with his producer, Kurt Schneider.^[7][13] The pair was interviewed, and Tsui performed a medley of Michael Jackson's songs. Tsui also appeared on ABC World News on October 28, 2009, singing The Jackson 5's "I'll Be There".^[14] In November 2009, Tsui appeared on It's On with Alexa Chung, singing Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for the cast of American television series Glee.^[15][16] On December 2, 2010, Tsui gave an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and performed a mashup of Katy Perry's "Firework" and Bruno Mars' "Grenade" with Schneider.^[17][18]

The Sing-Off[link]

Tsui is currently a Behind-The-Scenes host on NBC's a cappella competition show, The Sing-Off Season 3. He has since gone on to record a "Judges Medley" consisting of Sara Bareilles' "Love Song", Ben Folds' "Gone" and Shawn Stockman's (Boyz II Men) "On Bended Knee" which is free to view on both NBC's website and Tsui's independent YouTube channel, TheSamTsui.

Discography[link]

[edit] The Covers

A digital album, The Covers was released to the iTunes Store on February 9, 2010 by Sh-K-Boom Records.^[5][19]

[edit] DJ Got Us Falling in Love

On October 10, 2010, a mini album was released by Mud Hut Digital. It contains three covers:^[20]

Singles[link]

Tsui has also released twenty-three singles digitally: two original songs under NoodleHouse Records and nineteen covers under Mud Hut Digital.^[21][22]

"Call Me Maybe" (Carly Rae Jepsen cover)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kurt Schneider's channel on YouTube
• Sam Tsui's channel on YouTube
• Sam Tsui on Facebook
• Sam Tsui at Music-covers

Kurt Hugo Schneider (born September 7, 1988)^[1] is an American video editor, musician, singer and songwriter, whose primary medium is YouTube music videos. He produces music videos for Sam Tsui, including the musical medley videos in which Sam Tsui sings as a one-man choir.^[2][3] His blend of musical and technical skills have been sought after by other musicians and organizations.^[4]

Background[link]

Schneider grew up in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he lived just a street away from Sam Tsui, whom he met while attending Wissahickon High School.^[5] He is of German and Austrian descent on his father's side.^[6][7] Kurt has an older sister.^[8] He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 2010 with a degree in mathematics ^[1] and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa ^[9]