Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. The complex is located in Community Board 1. Although the Queensbridge Houses house approximately 6,907 people it is technically two separate complexes (North and South Houses) consisting of roughly 3,450 each.

Location

Long Island City is located in the western part of the New York City borough of Queens, with Newtown Creek and East River waterfronts. The Queensbridge Houses, the largest of Queens' twenty-two developments, is located between Vernon Boulevard (which runs along the East River) and 21st Street, immediately south of Ravenswood power plant. Queensbridge gets its name from the Queensboro (59th Street) Bridge, which is just south of the complex. The development is separated into two complexes, the North Houses on 40th Avenue and the South Houses on 41st Avenue.

Subway commuters will recognize the complex's name from its 21st Street–Queensbridge station along the IND 63rd Street Line (). The entrance to the station is on the eastern side of the complex on 21st Street.

Buildings

The 96-unit six-story buildings are distinctive due to their shape - two Y's connecting at the base. This shape was used as the architects hoped it would give residents more access to sunlight than the traditional cross-shape. The design was said to be cost-efficient, and they reduced the cost even further by using elevators that only stopped at the 1st, 3rd and 5th floors. Political pressure to keep costs down was a key reason for the use of cheap designs. W.F.R Ballard, Henry S. Churchill, Frederick G. Frost and Burnett Turner designed Queensbridge Houses.

In many aspects the buildings of Queensbridge are very similar to most government-built housing projects of the era. They are a worn grayish brown which now suffers noticeable deterioration and weathering. Each building is painted red to about four feet up from the ground, giving a united feel to the entire complex because a uniform red "layer" is always close, throughout the complex.

On each of the corners in Queensbridge, the New York City Housing Authority has posted signs indicating the project's name and management: "Queensbridge North (or South) Houses NYCHA." These signs come in several varieties depending on their age. The oldest signs, erected in the early nineties, are simply orange and blue, with the newer signs featuring graphics, like those of many other projects.

Access to buildings in the complex is by key or via a new intercom system. The halls of Queensbridge’s buildings are comparable to most municipal buildings, and are dilapidated and lined with worn light blue tiles. Apartments are painted white and are fairly small, even by New York City standards.

Within the last few years, the elevators have been rebuilt and now stop at floors 1-2-3-4-5 and kitchens have been completely renovated and now have frost-free refrigerators. Three thousand bathrooms were renovated with new tubs, toilets, vanities, floor tile and lighting in 2000. This followed a renovation in 1986 when 1000 of the bathrooms were renovated by Arc Plumbing, a firm for which the salesman to NYCHA was John Gotti.

During the 1950s, the management changed the racial balance of Queensbridge by transferring all families whose income was more than $3,000/year, a majority of whom were White, to middle-income housing projects, and replacing most of these tenants with African American and Latino families. In addition to providing safe and sanitary housing to many low income African American and Latino families, this policy also promulgated racial segregation in public housing.

Amenities and parks

As a result of the 1937 Wagner Housing Act, Congress would only approve funds for public housing if the housing was unattractive to middle-class families who would otherwise buy or rent homes in the private housing market. The original plans nonetheless included some basic amenities, like a central shopping center, a nursery and six inner courtyards for play. In the 1950s, there were also three playschool rooms, a library, a community center with an auditorium where shows were put on, a gymnasium with a wooden floor that doubled as a wooden-wheels roller skating rink, activity rooms downstairs, and a cafeteria upstairs where the playschool children ate their lunches. Some of the downstairs activities included tap dancing, ballet, art, playing the recorder and singing, pool, knock hockey and table tennis, as well as Girl Scout and Boy Scout meetings. Residents enjoyed concerts during the hot summer months in the square central shopping area, and the Fresh Air Fund sent under-privileged youth out to the Peekskill mountains to release them from the crime and grit plagued streets.

The buildings in the complex are divided by a series of paths and small lawns. Also in the complex are several basketball courts and play areas lined with benches. Across Vernon Boulevard lies Queensbridge Park, which has a fully-lit baseball diamond, running paths, lawns and areas for picnicking. That park, home to the Queensbridge Little League, is the primary place of recreation for tenants of the project. Queensbridge Park is the venue for numerous summer-time live concerts with music ranging from R&B; to Latin.

During the 1950s and up through 1970 Queensbridge Park was called "River Park," after the East River that runs next to it. There was also a smaller park placed conveniently right under the 59th street bridge called "Baby Park". Baby Park was closed due to debris falling from the bridge during maintenance work which is ongoing in 2007. Baby Park was replaced by a new playground for same age range between 40-41 Avenues within Queensbridge Park itself.

Illegal drug trade

For many years Queensbridge has had a problem with drug dealers and drug users. An 11-month police investigation led to the arrest of 37 people during a drugs bust In February 2005. Another raid in February 2009, following a seven-month investigation, resulted in 59 arrests.

Music

Queensbridge has historically proven to be a hotbed of hip hop musical talent. Famed producer Marlon “Marley Marl” Williams was the first in a long succession of acclaimed artists from “The Bridge”, which became one of the most prolific hip hop-producing neighborhoods in the country. Marley's Juice Crew collective, hugely influential in the 1980s, featured among its members Queensbridge rappers MC Shan, Roxanne Shanté, and Craig G, each noted names in their own right. Most notable of today's Queensbridge hip hop artists is the well acclaimed rapper Nas, who has since the 1990s frequently used his music and lyricism to reference Queensbridge and its hip hop history.

Other noted artists associated with Queensbridge include Prodigy and Havoc of Mobb Deep, Cormega, Tragedy Khadafi, Nature, Screwball, Capone of Capone-N-Noreaga and Big Noyd. Bars N Hooks, Prince A.D., Lakey the Kidd, Infamous Mobb (Ty Nitty, Godfather Part 3,Twin Gambino aka. Big Twinz) In regards to the Queensbridge music scene, XXL columnist Brendan Frederick wrote:

At a time when you can buy screwed & chopped albums at Circuit City in Brooklyn, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that hip-hop was once a local phenomenon. More than just a voice of the ghetto, hip-hop at its best is the voice of specific blocks, capturing the distinct tone and timbre of an artist’s environment. Since the 1980s, New York City’s Queensbridge Housing Projects has been documented perhaps better than any other geographic location. Starting with super producer Marley Marl’s dominant Juice Crew in the ’80s all the way through ’90s mainstays like Nas, Cormega and Capone, the Bridge has produced the highest per-capita talent of any ’hood.

Famous Former Residents

Nas, rapper

D.U. aka Drawz, QB advocate

Ron Artest, NBA basketball player, rapper

Havoc from Mobb Deep, rapper & producer

Bravehearts, rap group

Cormega, rapper

Juice Crew, rap group

Lamar Odom, NBA basketball player

Lou Del Valle, professional boxer

Vern Fleming, NBA player

Big Noyd, rapper

Roxanne Shante, rapper

Marley Marl, music producer

MC Shan, rapper

Capone from Capone-n-Noreaga, rapper

Nature, rapper

Infamous Mobb, rap group

Tragedy Khadafi, rapper

Craig G, rapper

Screwball, hip-hop group

Blaq Poet, rapper

References

External links

Queensbridge Houses Web site

Google Maps picture of Queensbridge Houses

Sources

“Queensbridge, New York, N.Y.,” Architectural Forum 72 (Jan. 1940), pp. 13–15.

Samantha Henry, “A Good Rap: Residents of the Queensbridge Houses Make Their Claim To Fame,” Newsday, August 5, 2001.

New York City Housing Authority, “Factsheet”, April 19, 2004.

Ron Artest: The Next MC Outta Queensbridge?

Gail Radford, “The Federal Government and Housing During the Great Depression” in John F. Bauman, ed., From Tenements to the *Taylor Homes: In Search of an Urban Housing Policy in Twentieth Century America (University Park, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), pp. 102–120.

Henry S. Churchill. The City is the People. New York. Norton. 1945

Category:Neighborhoods in Queens Category:Public housing in New York City Category:Buildings and structures in Queens Category:Populated places in New York with African American majority populations Category:Buildings and structures completed in 1939

Name	Ron Artest
Width	220px
Caption	Artest in October 2009
Position	Small forward
Height ft	6
Height in	7
Weight lb	260
Team	Los Angeles Lakers
Number	15
Nationality	American
Birth date	November 13, 1979
Birth place	Queensbridge, New York City, New York
College	St. John's
High school	La Salle Academy
Draft round	1
Draft pick	16
Draft year	1999
Draft team	Chicago Bulls
Career start	1999
Years1	– |team1 = Chicago Bulls
Years2	– |team2 = Indiana Pacers
Years3	– |team3 = Sacramento Kings
Years4	|team4 = Houston Rockets
Years5	–present |team5 = Los Angeles Lakers
Highlights

Ronald William "Ron" Artest, Jr. (born November 13, 1979) is an American professional basketball player and rapper who is currently with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA. Artest gained a reputation as one of the league's premier defenders as he won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2004. He was a major participant in the Pacers–Pistons brawl and is known for his sometimes eccentric, outspoken behavior.

Biography

Artest was born and raised in the Queensbridge projects in Queens, New York. Artest has two younger brothers, Isaiah and Daniel. He played high school basketball at La Salle Academy and college basketball at St. John's University from 1997–1999. In 1999, he helped the Red Storm to the Elite Eight, losing to Ohio State in a classic game. He gained fame playing in some of New York City's high profile summer basketball tournaments at Nike Pro City, Hoops in the Sun at Orchard Beach, Bronx, New York and Dyckman Park at Washington Heights, earning himself nicknames such as Tru Warier and The New World Order, a name he received from Randy Cruz (one of the co-founders of the Hoops In The Sun basketball league at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, New York).

As a teenager, he was teamed with Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers and current teammate Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers on the same AAU team. The player Artest was speaking of was 19-year-old Lloyd Newton, who was stabbed in the back with a broken-off table leg during an altercation at a 1991 YMCA-sanctioned basketball tournament.

Chicago Bulls

Artest was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the 16th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft.

Artest played a total of 175 games for the Bulls over 2-1/2 years, the bulk as a starter, during which time he averaged about 12.5 points and just over 4 rebounds per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in the 1999–2000 season.

Midway through the 2001–02 season, Artest was traded by Chicago to the Indiana Pacers along with Ron Mercer, Brad Miller, and Kevin Ollie, in exchange for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson, and a 2nd round draft pick.

Indiana Pacers

Following his trade to the Pacers, Artest had the best season of his professional career. During the 2003–04 season, he averaged 18.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game. Artest made the 2004 All-Star Game as a reserve and was named the Defensive Player of the Year. He wore three jersey numbers for the Pacers: 15, 23 and 91.

Pacers–Pistons brawl

On November 19, 2004, Artest was at the center of an altercation among players and fans during a game in Auburn Hills, Michigan between Artest's Pacers and the home team Detroit Pistons.

The brawl began when Artest fouled Pistons center Ben Wallace as Wallace was putting up a shot. Wallace, upset at being fouled hard when the game was effectively over (the Pacers led 97–82 with less than 50 seconds to go), responded by shoving Artest, leading to an altercation near the scorer's table. Artest walked to the sideline and lay down on the scorer's table. Reacting to Wallace throwing something at Artest, Pistons fan John Green threw a cup of Diet Coke at Artest, hitting him. Artest jumped into the front-row seats and confronted a man he incorrectly believed to be responsible, which in turn erupted into a brawl between Pistons fans and several of the Pacers. Artest returned to the basketball court, and punched Pistons fan A.J. Shackleford, who was apparently taunting Artest verbally. This fight resulted in the game being stopped with less than a minute remaining. Artest's teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson were suspended indefinitely the day after the game, along with Wallace.

On November 21, the NBA suspended Artest for the rest of the regular season, plus any playoff games. All told, Artest missed 86 games (73 regular season games plus 13 playoff games), the longest suspension for an on-court incident in NBA history. Eight other players (four Pacers and four Pistons) received suspensions, without pay, which ranged from one to thirty games in length. Each of the Pacers players involved were levied fines and ordered to do community service. Several fans were also charged and were banned from attending Pistons games for life. Artest lost approximately $7 million in salary due to the suspension.

Aftermath and trade

Early in the 2005–06 season, Artest requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers and was put on the team's inactive roster. Artest's call for a trade created a rift between him and his teammates. "We felt betrayed, a little disrespected," teammate Jermaine O'Neal said. As for their basketball relationship, O'Neal said: "The business relationship is over. That's fact." Pacers president Larry Bird said he also felt "betrayed" and "disappointed."

On January 24, 2006, reports from NBA sources confirmed that the Sacramento Kings had agreed to trade Peja Stojaković to the Pacers for Artest. However, before the trade could be completed, many press outlets reported that Artest had informed team management that he did not want to go to Sacramento. According to Artest's agent, his original trade request was only made because he was upset when he heard rumors that the Pacers were going to trade him to Sacramento for Stojaković early in the season. While not denying his agent's story, Artest did deny that he had rejected the trade to Sacramento, saying that he would play anywhere; hence, contradicting earlier press accounts stating Artest was holding up the trade. Given conflicting accounts, it is unclear why the trade was delayed, but it was nevertheless completed on January 25 and Artest was officially sent to the Kings for Stojaković.

Sacramento Kings

Though traded midseason to the Kings franchise, Artest quickly found his place on the team by providing some much needed defense. Though many feared his abrasive personality would be a problem, he worked well with his teammates and then-coach Rick Adelman. Artest wore #93 for his jersey number with the Kings. After acquiring Artest in late January 2006, the team immediately went on a 14–5 run, the team's best run of the season. The Kings broke .500 and landed the eighth spot in the Western Conference. This prompted ESPN to declare that "Ron Artest has breathed new life in the Sacramento Kings and enhanced their chances of reaching the playoffs for the ninth straight year." Fox Sports proclaimed, "Artest has Kings back in playoff hunt." Wells was later picked up by the Houston Rockets and then traded to the New Orleans Hornets for former Sacramento Kings player Bobby Jackson. Artest also offered to donate his salary to retain the services of head coach Rick Adelman, whose contract expired after the same season. Adelman and the Kings did not agree on a contract extension so the two parted ways.

Houston Rockets

in the 2008–09 NBA season.]] On July 29, 2008, it was reported that Artest was to be traded to the Houston Rockets along with Patrick Ewing, Jr. and Sean Singletary for Bobby Jackson, recently drafted forward Donté Greene, a 2009 first-round draft pick, and cash considerations. The deal was made official on August 14, due to Greene's rookie contract signing on July 14. In response to the trade, Yao Ming was generally positive, but jokingly said that "hopefully he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands." In response, Artest said, "This is Tracy (McGrady) and Yao's team, you know. I'm not going to take it personal. I understand what Yao said, but I'm still ghetto. That's not going to change. I'm never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don't think he's ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture."

Since then, Artest and Yao have exchanged extensive phone calls. Artest has also said, "Whatever Adelman needs me to do, whether that's come off the bench, sixth, seventh man, start, I don't even care. Whatever he needs me to do, I'm 100 percent sure it's going to work out."

On October 30, 2008, Artest received his first technical as a Houston Rocket, as he raced towards a group of Dallas Mavericks players and then quickly went to Yao Ming who bumped Josh Howard after play stopped. Artest was trying to pull Ming away from the play and to the foul line, but contact was made with Maverick players. The TNT broadcast crew felt this technical was not warranted, and was based upon Artest's prior reputation as a feisty player in the league. In the playoffs, Artest helped the Rockets advance past the first round for the first time in 11 seasons. In Game 2 of the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers, Artest, who was battling for rebounding position with Kobe Bryant, was elbowed in the neck by Bryant, which was later ruled to be a Type 1 flagrant foul. After being called for an offensive foul, Artest was indignant and proceeded to antagonize Bryant after the play, which eventually led to an ejection by Joe Crawford. In Game 3, Artest was again ejected in the fourth quarter after a hard foul on Pau Gasol, who was attempting to dunk on a fast-break. It was determined the next day that the foul was not serious enough to warrant an ejection, and the flagrant foul was downgraded.

Los Angeles Lakers

.]] In July 2009, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Artest to a five-year deal worth about $33 million. Artest chose the number 37 jersey, which he said was in honor of Michael Jackson. Jackson's Thriller album was at No. 1 on the charts for 37 straight weeks.

In Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals, Artest hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer after grabbing a last second offensive rebound. He scored 25 points against the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 and went to the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. In the finals, the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics, four games to three. Artest scored 20 points in the clincher and sank the team's last field goal – a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter – to virtually seal the victory. Afterwards, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson called Artest the most valuable player of Game 7 against the Celtics. He won his first championship ring with the Lakers.

For the 2010–2011 season, Artest switched back to number 15, his college number at St. John’s and the first number he wore in his NBA career.

On April 26, 2011, Artest won the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

Career transactions

June 30, 1999: Drafted 16th overall by Chicago Bulls in 1999 NBA Draft.

February 19, 2002: Traded by Chicago along with Ron Mercer, Brad Miller and Kevin Ollie to the Indiana Pacers for Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Norman Richardson and a future second-round draft pick. January 25, 2006: Traded by Indiana to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojaković. August 21, 2008: Traded by Sacramento along with Patrick Ewing, Jr. and Sean Singletary to the Houston Rockets for Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene and a future first-round draft pick. July 8, 2009: Signed by the Los Angeles Lakers for a 5-year deal worth 33 million dollars.

On December 18, 2010, an art show honoring Ron Artest was held in Toronto, Canada. Entitled Lovable Badass, the show featured work by 30 Canadian and American artists, illustrators, painters and sculptors inspired by the athlete. Artest made a surprise appearance at the exhibition's opening night, commenting that “(the show) was definitely special. It was unexpected. Overwhelming.”

Advocacy

In 2008, Artest appeared in a video promoting companion animal spaying and neutering for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals entitled "Have the balls to spay or neuter your dog."

Artest has become involved in advocacy relating to mental health issues. In December 2010, he announced that he would donate some or all of his salary for the 2011–2012 NBA season toward mental health awareness charities. Artest also auctioned off his 2009-10 championship ring and donated the proceeds to various mental health charities nationwide.

Discography

Mixtapes

Ball'n (2011)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1999–00 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 72 || 63 || 31.1 || .407 || .314 || .674 || 4.3 || 2.8 || 1.6 || .5 || 12.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2000–01 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 76 || 74 || 31.1 || .401 || .291 || .750 || 3.9 || 3.0 || 2.0 || .6 || 11.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2001–02 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 27 || 26 || 30.5 || .433 || .396 || .628 || 4.9 || 2.9 || 2.8 || .9 || 15.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2001–02 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 28 || 24 || 29.3 || .411 || .215 || .733 || 5.0 || 1.8 || 2.4 || .6 || 10.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 69 || 67 || 33.6 || .428 || .336 || .736 || 5.2 || 2.9 || 2.3 || .7 || 15.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 73 || 71 || 37.2 || .421 || .310 || .733 || 5.3 || 3.7 || 2.1 || .7 || 18.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 7 || 7 || 41.6 || .496 || .412 || .922 || 6.4 || 3.1 || 1.7 || .9 || 24.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 16 || 16 || 37.7 || .460 || .333 || .612 || 4.9 || 2.2 || 2.6 || .7 || 19.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 40 || 40 || 40.1 || .383 || .302 || .717 || 5.2 || 4.2 || 2.0 || .8 || 16.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 70 || 65 || 37.7 || .440 || .358 || .740 || 6.5 || 3.4 || 2.1 || .6 || 18.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08 | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 57 || 54 || 38.1 || .453 || .380 || .719 || 5.8 || 3.5 || 2.3 || .7 || 20.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 69 || 55 || 35.5 || .401 || .399 || .748 || 5.2 || 3.3 || 1.5 || .3 || 17.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 77 || 77 || 33.8 || .414 || .355 || .688 || 4.3 || 3.0 || 1.4 || .3 || 11.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 29.4 || .397 || .356 || .676 || 3.3 || 2.1 || 1.5 || .4 || 8.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 763 || 721 || 34.1 || .419 || .345 || .719 || 4.8 || 3.0 || 1.9 || .6 || 14.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| All-Star | style="text-align:left;"| | 1 || 0 || 17.0 || .600 || .000 || .500 || 3.0 || 3.0 || 1.0 || .0 || 7.0

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2001–02 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 5 || 5 || 33.4 || .407 || .462 || .692 || 6.0 || 3.2 || 2.6 || .6 || 11.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 6 || 6 || 42.0 || .389 || .387 || .800 || 5.8 || 2.2 || 2.5 || 1.0 || 19.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04 | style="text-align:left;"| Indiana | 15 || 15 || 38.9 || .378 || .288 || .718 || 6.5 || 3.2 || 1.4 || 1.1 || 18.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Sacramento | 5 || 5 || 39.6 || .383 || .333 || .696 || 5.0 || 3.0 || 1.6 || .8 || 17.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| Houston | 13 || 13 || 37.5 || .394 || .277 || .714 || 4.3 || 4.2 || 1.1 || .2 || 15.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 23 || 23 || 36.5 || .398 || .291 || .579 || 4.0 || 2.1 || 1.5 || .5 || 11.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 67 || 67 || 37.7 || .390 || .306 || .705 || 5.0 || 2.9 || 1.6 || .7 || 14.9

Controversy

Artest has been a subject of frequent controversy. In a December 2009 Sporting News interview, Artest admitted that he had led a "wild" lifestyle as a young player, and that he drank Hennessy cognac in the locker room at halftime when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls at the beginning of his NBA career. During his rookie season in Chicago, he was criticized for applying for a job at Circuit City in order to get an employee discount. He once attended a practice with the Indiana Pacers in a bath robe. He was suspended for two games in the early 2004–05 season by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after he allegedly asked for a month off because he was tired from promoting an R&B; album for the group Allure on his production label. In March 2007, his dog was released under a foster care agreement after being treated for more than a month. In April 2007, the Placer County District Attorney's Office announced that it would not file charges against Artest for the incident. It also was reported by Placer County Animal Services and by Artest that he agreed to allow Socks to be adopted by a new owner. On March 10, Kings announced that Artest would return to the team, while his case was being reviewed by the Placer County District Attorney. On May 3, he was sentenced to 20 days in jail and community service. Artest spent only 10 days in the jail, as the judge stayed 10 days of the sentence, and served the remainder in a work release program. On July 14, 2007, the NBA suspended Artest for seven games at the beginning of the 2007–08 NBA season for his legal problems.

See also

List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders

References

External links

Ron Artest official site

Ron Artest Player Page, NBA.com

Ron Artest Career Statistics, Basketball-Reference.com

Ron Artest Career Statistics, Database Basketball.com

ESPN Profile

Category:1979 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:Basketball players from New York Category:Chicago Bulls draft picks Category:Chicago Bulls players Category:Houston Rockets players Category:Indiana Pacers players Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans Category:NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award winners Category:Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Category:Sportspeople from Queens Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Sacramento Kings players Category:St. John's Red Storm men's basketball players Category:Shooting guards Category:Small forwards

Name	Mobb Deep| Img =
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, mafioso rap, hardcore hip hop, Gangsta rap
Years active	1992–present
Label	4th & B'way (1992-1993)Infamous (2003-present)Loud (1995-2003)G-Unit (2005-2009, 2011-Present)
Associated acts	Big Noyd, Nas, Raekwon, Kool G Rap, Infamous Mobb, 40 Glocc, The Alchemist, Littles, Capone-N-Noreaga, 50 Cent, G-Unit, Big L, O.C., La The Darkman
Current members	HavocProdigy

Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queens, New York, USA, that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hard-core East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones Pt. II." Mobb Deep have become one of the most successful rap duos in hip hop, having sold over 3 million records. The majority of their albums have been critically acclaimed, in particular The Infamous, which is considered a classic. They are partially credited for the resurgence of East Coast rap in the early to mid-'90s. Havoc and Prodigy were also judges for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

Biography

Origins

Havoc and Prodigy started rhyming in 1986, then later they both attended the High School of Art and Design in New York City. Havoc took the role of producer and secondary MC, while Prodigy assumed the position of primary MC. Originally dubbing themselves the Poetical Profits, the duo later changed its name to Mobb Deep in order to "reflect their reputation on the streets.")) When Havoc and Prodigy were 18, they released their debut album as Mobb Deep, called Juvenile Hell, which was led by the single "Peer Pressure." The album sold poorly and was met with harsh reviews that dismissed the duo as just another hardcore group with little to distinguish it from the rest of the hip-hop world, despite production by DJ Premier and Large Professor. However, a few songs from Juvenile Hell did gain some recognition, such as "Hit It from the Back," "Locked in Spotford," and "Me and My Crew." Also in 1993, Havoc had a guest appearance on the critically acclaimed Black Moon album Enta Da Stage, on a song called "U Da Man."

Rise to success

The group saw its first major success with their second album, The Infamous, released in 1995. Mobb Deep catapulted to the top of the hardcore hip-hop scene through Havoc and Prodigy's straightforward narration of street life. Mobb Deep portrayed the struggles of living in New York City's Queensbridge Houses. Following its release, The Infamous became one of the most influential albums of the East Coast hardcore hip-hop genre. The duo's production stood out, as the beats were often hard-hitting and direct—a testament to Havoc, who produced the tracks almost exclusively throughout Mobb Deep's career. Furthermore, the smash hit single "Shook Ones Pt. II" received critical acclaim and was well-received within the hip-hop community. Mobb Deep's third album, Hell on Earth was released in 1996, debuting at number six on the Billboard album chart. The album continued the duo's portrayal of harsh street life, while further pushing them to the forefront of the hardcore hip-hop scene, along with contemporary East Coast rappers like The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan collective, Jay-Z, and fellow Queensbridge associate Nas.

In 1996, they appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.

In 1998, the duo collaborated with reggae dancehall rapper Bounty Killer on the track "Deadly Zone" for the soundtrack to Blade. In 1999, they released the highly anticipated Murda Muzik album. Despite extensive bootlegging (nearly 30 songs of unreleased material leaked onto the Internet) and countless delays, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and quickly received platinum certification—further highlighted by the popular single "Quiet Storm." Shortly afterward, Prodigy released his long-awaited solo album H.N.I.C, in which the MC collaborated with other artists (B.G. and N.O.R.E.) and producers (including The Alchemist, Rockwilder, and Just Blaze).

Changes

Mobb Deep released Infamy in 2001. The song "Burn" (featuring Vita) was perceived as a response to Jay-Z's "Takeover" on The Blueprint, as was "Crawlin'," in which Prodigy's two verses both mention Jay-Z. The album marked a major stylistic change in which the duo moved away from raw, minimalist, stripped-down beats and toward more commercial fare with such songs as "Hey Luv (Anything)." This transition fostered accusations of "selling out"—upsetting many long-time fans who did not wish to see them veer away from their original style.

Although these stylistic adjustments opened up Mobb Deep to a wider audience, many critics and fans consider their style change as a detriment to Mobb Deep's street image and record sales (most evident when comparing the platinum-selling Murda Muzik to Infamy, which struggled to attain gold-record status).

In 2003, the group split with Loud Records and released Free Agents: The Murda Mix Tape, in which Havoc and Prodigy proclaimed themselves "free agents" and addressed the group's split with its old label and its search for a new label. Jive Records signed the duo later in the year through a deal with the group’s own imprint. Mobb Deep then released Amerikaz Nightmare in 2004, which was seen by the general hip-hop audience as a weaker release, resulting in poor sales and the group’s subsequent departure from the label. Today, as a result of various mergers, all of Mobb Deep's studio albums from 1995 to 2004 are owned by Sony Music Entertainment.

2011-present

On April 4th 2011 a possible new Mobb Deep single leaked on the internet named 'Dog Shit'. The song features rapper Nas. This is the first official song by Mobb Deep since Prodigy made his return from jail and their first song with Nas in almost 10 years, due to their feud. It is produced by Havoc & Alchemist. Their ninth studio album is set to be released sometime in 2011 with production from Havoc, Alchemist, Sid Roams, DJ Premier, MTK, Cardiak and J.U.S.T.I.C.E League.

Discography

Juvenile Hell (1993)

The Infamous (1995)

Hell on Earth (1996)

Murda Muzik (1999)

Infamy (2001)

Amerikaz Nightmare (2004)

Blood Money (2006)

TBA (2011/2012)

Compilations

The Infamous Archives (2007)

The Safe Is Cracked (2009)

References

External links

Interview with Prodigy - 2006

2007 Interview with Prodigy

Category:American hip hop groups Category:1990s music groups Category:2000s music groups Category:G-Unit Records artists

Category:African American musical groups Category:Musical duos

Name	Tragedy Khadafi
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Percy Chapman
Alias	Intelligent HoodlumPercy/TragedyTragedyPercy Chapman
Born	August 13, 1971
Origin	Queensbridge, Queens, New York, USA
Genre	Mafioso Rap
Years active	1985–present
Label	Tuff Break/A&M;/PolyGramGee Street/V2/BMG Records25 To Life EntertainmentDolo Records (distributor, 1997)Solid Records
Associated acts	Juice CrewMarley MarlKilla ShaCapone-N-NoreagaHavocLittlesImam ThugCormegaBlack Market MilitiaMobb Deep

Percy Chapman, (born August 13, 1971, in Queens, New York, USA) known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, and formerly known as Intelligent Hoodlum, is an American rapper and producer who hails from the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, which has spawned other hip hop artists such as Nas, Cormega, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, and many others. His name is a reference to Libyan head of state Muammar al-Qaddafi, also known as Momar Qaddafi. He was one half of the group the Iron Sheiks, along with Imam T.H.U.G., which produced the underground classic "True Confessions."

Biography

He began his career as half of the duo Super Kids, along with Hot Day, releasing the single "Go, Queensbridge" in 1985. It was this output that caught the attention of Marley Marl, who produced the duo's next two singles, and Chapman was also made a junior member of the Juice Crew Immersed in well-suited beats and melodies that accent the tone of the situations described, he was trying to articulate the lesson he learned through experience as a disadvantaged child. Political perceptions are also expressed as he implied that he is a skeptic about 9/11 and the veracity of the federal statements regarding the issue.

Prison sentence

On December 27, 2007, Tragedy was convicted of selling narcotics and sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison. Although originally scheduled to be released on January 21, 2011, Tragedy was granted early parole, and released on June 23, 2010.

Discography

Studio albums

Vocal appearances

1988: "The Rebel" (from the Marley Marl album ''In Control, Volume 1)

1988: "Live Motivator" (from the Marley Marl album ''In Control, Volume 1)

1991: "America Eats The Young" (from the Marley Marl album '')

1991: "Keep Control" (from the Marley Marl album '')

1995: "Juice Crew All-Stars" (from the Juice Crew album ''Cold Chillin's The Juice Crew Story Greatest Hits)

1996: "The Turnaround" (Thug Remix) (from the Real Live single The Turnaround)

1996: "Real" (from the DJ Krush album MiLight)

1997: "Stick You" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Parole Violators" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Neva Die Alone" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Channel 10" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Stay Tuned (Thug Paradise)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "L.A., L.A. (Kuwait Mix)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Black Gangstas" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Usual Suspects" (from the Mic Geronimo album Vendetta)

1998: "Raw Footage" (from the Sporty Thievz album Street Cinema)

1998: "Strange Fruit" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)

2000: "Gengis Khan" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album ''Violent By Design)

2000: "Da Bridge 2001" (from the compilation album QB Finest)

2001: "They Forced My Hand" (from the Cormega album The Realness)

2001: "Too High Too Low" (from the Screwball album Loyalty)

2001: "Armageddon (Crime Side of Life)" (from the Self aka Eddie Whispers album What About My Life)

2003: "True Confessions" (from the Imam Thug album Die Hard)

2003: "QB2G" (from the Imam Thug album Die Hard)

2003: "Kublai Khan" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album ''Visions of Gandhi)

2003: "Fallen Soldiers" (from the 24k album Quotable)

2005: "Ape Something" (from the Littles mixtape Reloaded)

2006: "Gorilla Rap" (from the compilation album Natural Selection)

2007: "Renaissance" (from the Hell Razah album ''Renaissance Child)

2007: "One Hand Wash The Other" (from the Killa Sha album ''God Walk on Water)

2007: "911" (from the Big Left album World War Three)

2008: "Rebeloution" (from the Almighty mixtape The Original S.I.N.)

2008: "Whale Head" (from the Da Evangillest mixtape ''Quit Ya Day Job)

2008: "The Damage" (from the Ras Ceylon album ''Scientific Non-Fiction)

2009: "Define Yourself" (from the Cormega album ''Born and Raised)

2009: "On The Streets" (from the Betrayl album The Life N Death Of My Hood)

2011: "Camaraderie (Real To Real)" (from the Divine street single "Camaraderie (Real To Real)" to be released early 2011)

References

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from Queens Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:American hip hop record producers Category:A&M; Records artists Category:V2 Records artists

Name	Irv Gotti
Background	non_performing_personnel
Birth name	Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Jr.
Alias	Irv Gotti
Born	June 26, 1970
Instrument	Turntable, Mixer, keyboards, Drum Machine, sampler
Genre	Hip Hop, R&B;
Occupation	producer,
Years active	1992–present
Label	The Inc. Records
Associated acts	Ja Rule, Jay-Z, DMX, Ashanti, Fat Joe, Charli Baltimore, Vanessa Carlton, Lloyd

Irving Domingo Lorenzo, Jr., (born June 26, 1970) better known as Irv Gotti is a hip hop and R&B; record producer and is the head and founder of The Inc record label.

He selected the stage name Irv Gotti by naming himself after John Gotti.

He produced such hit rap songs such as Jay-Z's "Can I Get A...", DMX's "What's My Name?", and Ja Rule's "Holla Holla".

Music production

Gotti co-produced Vanessa Carlton's third album, Heroes and Thieves, with Channel 7, Rick Rubin and Stephan Jenkins, which was released October 9, 2007.

In an interview with Angie Martinez in early May 2009, Gotti stated that his label, The Inc., was leaving Universal Records.

Discography

References

External links

Interview with Irv Gotti on Running a Record Label

VIBE Profile

Category:1970 births Category:American hip hop record producers Category:African American rappers Category:American people of Dominican Republic descent Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:The Inc. Records artists

{{ Infobox presenter | name = Craig Sager | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Batavia, Illinois | death_date = | death_place = | show = | station = ESPN, TBS

}} Craig Sager (born 1949 in Batavia, Illinois), is currently a sportscaster for TNT and TBS. Sager is a graduate of Northwestern University. He has previously covered sports for CBS and CNN. His nickname is "America's Sideline Reporter".

Biography

Education and early life

Sager graduated from Northwestern University in 1973, earning a bachelor's degree in speech. He was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity. He made both the football and basketball teams as a walk-on, having grown to . He also served as Willie the Wildcat, the school's mascot.

Broadcasting career

Before working for CBS, he worked in Kansas City, Missouri, for KMBC, as well as WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, WTSP in St. Petersburg, Florida, and WXLT in Sarasota, Florida where he began his broadcast career in 1972.

Sager was sports director for WINK-TV in Ft. Myers, Fla., where he was honored with the Sportscaster of the Year Award from the Florida High School Coaches Association. He also had a stint at WSPB radio in Sarasota, Fla.

Prior to signing on with CNN, Sager spent two years at KMBC-TV in Kansas City, Missouri where he served as sports director and reporter and handled play-by-play duties for the Kansas City Kings, Royals spring training and Chiefs' pre-season games.

Sager was waiting for Henry Aaron at home plate after Aaron hit his 715th home run, breaking the record held by Babe Ruth. Sager can be easily recognized in the fracas at home plate after the home run because of the long white overcoat that he was wearing.

Prior to working for Turner Sports, Sager joined CNN in 1981 after handling the network's first live remote report from the 1980 baseball playoffs. At CNN, Sager was co-anchor of the network's CNN Sports Tonight shows and was honored with a CableAce award in 1985. He also served as the anchor of College Football Scoreboard from 1982–85.

Turner Sports

Sager normally works as a sideline reporter for The NBA on TNT. Previously, he has worked at CNN and TBS for the Goodwill Games, Pan American Games, and 1990 FIFA World Cup. Sager also called Nordic skiing and curling for TNT's coverage of the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Sager is in his 17th season as sideline reporter for TNT's exclusive Thursday night NBA doubleheader coverage. Sager is also making several appearances on NBA TV during the 2008–09 NBA season.

Sager is also known for his rather distinctive clothing style. He commonly wears velvet suits, pink ties, red jackets, yellow suits, and other wacky articles of clothing on the sidelines or on the field.

Sager recently worked as a sideline reporter for TBS during Barry Bonds' chase to break Aaron's all-time home run record. While covering the 2008 MLB postseason, Sager wore a different brightly colored suit jacket to each game. He currently serves as the lead sideline reporter for the MLB postseason on TBS.

Sager was admonished by Indiana Pacer guard Reggie Miller for prematurely reporting Miller's impending retirement from the game of basketball.

He appears in the NBA 2K video game series along with fellow TNT reporters Kevin Harlan and Kenny Smith. Sager is a sideline reporter who interviews the coaches and reports on the interviews in the games.

He has also served as a reporter for the network's coverage of golf, tennis and amateur sports. He previously hosted Atlanta Hawks telecasts for TBS Superstation, was a reporter on TNT's NFL pre-game, halftime and post-game from 1990–1997. Among his other assignments have been the 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 Goodwill Games for TBS. In addition, Sager hosted the weekly amateur sports series U.S. Olympic Gold, which aired Saturdays on TNT.

Sager reported from the sideline for TBS' Pac-10/Big 12 college football coverage from 2002 to 2006. He also served as the sideline reporter for the 50th annual Delchamps Senior Bowl from Ladd Memorial Stadium in Mobile, AL, and the 1998 and 2000 Micron PC Bowl, formerly known as the Carquest Bowl. *

Sager was a reporter for TNT's coverage of the 2002 World Championships of Basketball, 2000 USA Basketball Games coverage from Hawaii and Japan, as well as the 1999 Tournament of the Americas Olympic Qualifying Basketball Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Sager will serve as a sideline reporter for the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, both for Turner Sports and CBS.

NBC Sports

In 1999, he was loaned to NBC Sports where Sager served as a field reporter for both NBC's coverage of the 1999 National League Championship Series and 1999 World Series.

He has been the men's and women's basketball reporter for NBC's Olympic coverage since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He also has filled in as a sideline reporter on NBC's coverage of Notre Dame football.

Sager served as a reporter for NBC Sports coverage of basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Personal

Sager's wife, Stacy, a former NBA dancer, and Sager have two children, Riley and Ryan. Sager also has three children from a previous marriage, including Craig Jr., a walk-on wide receiver at the University of Georgia.

Awards and honors

Sager was honored with a Georgia-area Emmy Awards for his work as co-host of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Parade from 1990–95. Sager has also won numerous awards for his suits, which are often colorful and outrageous. Among the awards have been the "Pimpest Daddy" award given out every year by BET. He has also received the International Badass Award for his clothing selection.

References

External links

TBS Superstation: NBA

Category:Living people Category:1949 births Category:American television sports announcers Category:Association football commentators Category:Curling broadcasters Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:National Basketball Association broadcasters Category:National Football League announcers Category:Northwestern University alumni Category:People from Kane County, Illinois Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:College football announcers Category:Golf writers and broadcasters Category:Tennis commentators Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football broadcasters

Name	Blaq Poet
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Wilbur Bass
Alias	The Poet
Origin	Queensbridge, New York City, United States
Born	May 31st, 1970 (age 40)
Genre	Hip Hop
Years active	1987–present
Label	Year Round Records
Associated acts	Screwball, DJ Hot Day, DJ Premier, M.O.P., Nick Javas

Wilbur Bass (born May 31st, 1970), better known as Blaq Poet is an American rapper from Queensbridge, New York, USA.

Blaq Poet was first heard in the track "Beat You Down" from the Bridge Wars during 1987, a diss song towards KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. At that time Poet was at least 17 years old, as stated in a 2009 radio interview. During 1991, Poet and DJ Hot Day made a duo called PhD and released their debut album, Without Warning on Tuff City Records. They released after that album several 12 inch singles and a EP until 1996 when they broke up. Poet went onto teaming up with KL, Hostyle and Solo, creating the group Screwball. They released two albums and a compilation together before Poet went solo with the street album Rewind: Deja Screw, released 2006. The album featured production from DJ Premier amongst others. Poet later on signed to DJ Premier's Year Round Record label and released his second album, Tha Blaqprint in 2009 with the majority production coming from DJ Premier and guest appearances from the likes of Lil' Fame and N.O.R.E. as well as labelmates NYGz and Nick Javas. On the remix version of Ain't Nuthing Changed, a single from Tha Blaqprint, he collaborated with west coast rappers MC Eiht and Young Maylay. Blaq Poet is currently working on an album with producers Stu Bangas from Guns-N-Butter, and Vanderslice to be released on Stu's label Brutal Music.

Discography

1991: Without Warning (Collabo with DJ Hot Day as PHD)

2006:

2009: Blaq Out

2009: Tha Blaqprint

2009: Collection Rare Tracks

References

Category:Living people Category:Rappers from New York City Category:African American rappers Category:1970 births Category:DJ Premier