Young MC
Young MC at the 1990 Grammy Awards.
Background information
Birth name	Marvin Young
Also known as	Mr. MC, The Young MC Man
Born	(1967-05-10) May 10, 1967 (age 45)
Origin	South Wimbledon, London, England Queens, New York, USA
Genres	Hip Hop, Pop Rap
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, Producer, Actor
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Delicious Vinyl, Capital Records, Overall Records, Young Man Moving Records
Associated acts	Def Jef, Tone-Loc, MC Hammer

Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young MC, is an English-born American singer, rapper and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit "Bust a Move". His debut album Stone Cold Rhymin' found international acclaim however subsequent albums have not reached the same level of success. Young has also appeared in film in acting roles and cameo appearances, and has appeared in several television programs. His family left England and moved to Queens, New York when he was eight years old.

Biography[link]

Young attended Hunter College High School in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He went on to earn a degree in economics from the University of Southern California (USC).^[1] At USC he met Michael Ross and Matt Dike from the record company Delicious Vinyl.^[1] Young rapped over the phone for Ross and Dike, who ended up delivering a record contract to his USC dorm room. In 1989, Young collaborated with Tone Lōc on the songs "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina".^[1] Young gained fame with the release of his single "Bust a Move", which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. The single helped Young's debut album, Stone Cold Rhymin', to reach No. 9 on the Billboard 200 and attain platinum status in the US. The follow-up single, "Principal's Office", reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100^[2] and was nominated for Best Rap Video at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards.

Following Young's success, he left Delicious Vinyl, citing restrictions on his work and unwanted changes to his album. The label sued him for breach of contract and the two parties eventually settled out of court.^[1] Young signed with Capitol Records and released his second album, Brainstorm, in 1991. It reached No. 66 on the Billboard 200. Despite the absence of any strong single, the album achieved gold status in the US.^[3] However his third album, What's the Flavor?, released in 1993, was a commercial failure, with both the album and its singles failing to chart. It was his second and final album on Capital Records. In 1997 Young released his fourth album, Return of the 1 Hit Wonder, on the independent label Overall Records. The album produced two singles, "Madame Buttafly" and "On & Poppin" which charted at No. 25 and No. 23 respectively on the Hot Rap Songs chart.^[2]

In 2000, Young released his fifth album, Ain't Goin' Out Like That, on his own record label Young Man Moving Records. The album was Young's first to chart since Brainstorm, peaking at No. 85 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[4] In 2002, he released his sixth album, Engage the Enzyme.

In 2002, Young appeared as a contestant on Weakest Link – Rap Stars Edition. He was joined by Run of Run-D.M.C., DJ Quik, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, B-Real of Cypress Hill, Xzibit, and Nate Dogg. Young went on to win the celebrity contest, outlasting Xzibit in the finals. All of the proceeds from his winning performance were donated to the Humane Society.

In December 2004 Young traveled to Vancouver to commence shooting for the film The Zero Sum. As an actor Young played Mr. Henderson, a publishing company executive. Film director Raphael Assaf and screenwriter Armen Evrensel asked Young to help create the film, for which he is a co-executive producer. Young also teamed up with Baltimore rapper KNOXX to create "Brotherly Love", the films theme song.

In September 2005, Young was cast in the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club 3. Joining Young was Kelly LeBrock, Bruce Vilanch, Tempestt Bledsoe, Countess Vaughn, Chastity Bono, Jeff Conaway, Gunnar Nelson, and Rapper Bizarre of D12. Young won the competition, losing more weight than anybody else.

Young also made an appearance in a special episode of The Best Damn Sports Show Period which featured "The Top 50 Sports Moments of the 80's". Young crafted lyrics and performed a sports-themed rap song alongside KRS-One and Kool Moe Dee.

After 20 years of living in Los Angeles, Young relocated to Scottsdale, AZ in 2006. He spent 2007 creating his seventh album, Adrenaline Flow, which was released in 2008. Immediately following Adrenaline Flow, Young released an online-only album, B-Sides, Demos and Remixes, compiled from unreleased, remixed and re-recorded tracks.

In 2009, Young released his eighth album, Relentless. Later that year, Young also landed a cameo role in the breakout Jason Reitman film Up in the Air starring George Clooney. Young played himself, performing at a software convention which was crashed by Clooney’s character and his two female co-stars, Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga.

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Singles[link]

References[link]

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Young MC biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/young-mc-p140446/biography. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Young MC Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/young-mc-p140446/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 
3. ^ "RIAA – Gold and Platinum". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. Retrieved January 2, 2011.  Search for "Brainstorm"
4. ^ ^{a b} "Young MC Billboard Albums". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/young-mc-p140446/charts-awards. Retrieved December 27, 2011. 

External links[link]

• Young MC profile at NNDB
• Marvin Young at the Internet Movie Database
• Young MC interview on Jammer Direct

N'Dea Davenport (born May 6, 1966) is an American recording artist, dancer, performer and producer, best known for her work as a vocalist in the UK funk band, The Brand New Heavies, and her pioneering contributions to the genre of acid jazz.

Biography[link]

Her diverse projects include collaborations with music producers and artists including Mark Ronson, Roger Sanchez, Guru’s Jazzmatazz, Madonna, Sly and Robbie, Malcolm McLaren, Dead Prez and many more. Prior to her career in the music industry, Davenport was formally trained as dancer and the performing artist. Dance scholarships, acting and music studies were the core of her development as an artist and entertainer. Immediately after finishing, she left her home in Atlanta, with $300 to her name en route to Los Angeles. In California she began working as a dancer and quickly was embraced by artists in both the music and fashion industries. Her influence on pop culture and legacy as an artist began with her involvement in the burgeoning underground club and rave scene in the late '80s and early '90's in Los Angeles, a merger of cultural movements ranging from dance, funk, hip-hop, punk, graffiti and pop art. As a performance artist and dancer, Davenport's was an instrumental figure in the movement that launched careers of artists including Keith Haring, Jean Michel Basquiat, Fab Five Freddy and Robert Mapplethorpe.

Working simultaneously as a recording session and commercial singer, Davenport was soon connected with graffiti artist, Fab Five Freddy who recommended her to his DJ friend starting a new record label, Delicious Vinyl. Producer/label owner Dave Stewart, known for his work with the Eurythmics, had offered Davenport a recording contract a year prior when they were introduced through a collaboration with Bootsy Collins and Malcom McLaren, former manager for the Sex Pistols where she was featured on McLaren's Waltz Darling LP. She declined Stewart’s offer due to his requirement for her to relocate to London, England. After inking a solo development deal with Delicious Vinyl, she eventually relocated to London where The Brand New Heavies were signed to the label for North America, but the band had no singer.

The band’s initial UK indie label Acid Jazz Records, struck a deal with London Records for distribution in Europe and the rest of the world. During this period, the band produced a string of international LP’s and singles, invigorating a global movement and popularizing the musical term known as Acid Jazz. The Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol.1 was a successful collaboration of New York rappers and the initial members of the group, opting to forgo vocals for this project. Parallel to the completion of this project, Davenport completed work on the Jazzmatazz LP with good friend, late MC and rapper Guru. The result of their work together was one of the earliest collaborations between a vocalist and a rapper and an infusion of jazz music, cultural rhetoric and hip hop beats.

At the height of The Brand New Heavies success in 1995, Davenport left the group citing irreconcilable differences, returning to the US and choosing New Orleans as a home base while she pursued other collaborations, and completed work on her long overdue solo recording with Delicious Vinyl. Encouragement received from her associate, producer Daniel Lanois, resulted in the completion of the debut solo, less the remaining four songs, produced by Dallas Austin. After her association with Delicious Vinyl dissolved, Davenport's project was picked up by newly formed label owned by Virgin Group originator Sir Richard Branson. In 1997, Davenport released her and self-titled debut solo recording on V2 Records. She toured extensively in support of the album, around Europe, North America and Australia and with the concert series Lilith Fair. During which Davenport also played with renowned guitarist songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Renard Poche'. When her relationship at V2 came to an end she continued her work output, primarily focusing on European dance music projects.

Upon returning the US in the late 1990s, Davenport held residency in New Orleans but lived primarily in New York City and cites the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina disaster as the motivation to shift both professionally and personally. In late 2005 talks began about a reunion with The Brand New Heavies and by 2006 the group reemerged with the release of a new CD called “Get Used To It." Their reunion received a warm reception and the group continues to tour globally. Davenport's most recent projects include Celectrixx, a multi-media and live performance based electronic/acoustic duo, conceived in Japan.

Discography[link]

Album[link]

• N'Dea Davenport (V2, 1998)
  (Peaked at #56 on Billboard's R&B Album Charts)^[1]

1. Whatever You Want - (4:31)
2. Underneath A Red Moon - (4:16)
3. Save Your Love For Me - (4:07)
4. When The Night Falls - (4:50)
5. Bring It On - (4:22)
6. No Never Again - (5:14)
7. In Wonder - (4:06)
8. Bullshittin' - (3:34)
9. Real Life - (3:06)
10. Old Man - (4:00)
11. Placement For The Baby - (6:25)
12. Oh Mother Earth (Embrace) -(3:52)
13. Getaway - (3:30)

Singles[link]

• "Trust Me" (Guru featuring N'Dea Davenport) (Delicious Vinyl, 1993) (UK #34)^[2]
• "Bring It On" (V2, 1998) (US R&B #75; UK #52)^[2][3]
• "Bullshittin" (V2, 1998)
• "Underneath A Red Moon" (V2, 1999)
• "Whatever You Want" (V2, 1999)
• "You Can't Change Me" (Roger Sanchez featuring Armand Van Helden and N'Dea Davenport) (Defected, 2001)^[4] (UK #25)^[2]
• "One Day My Love" (Peace Bisquit/Curvve, 2006)

Additional information[link]

• The acid jazz label applied to The Brand New Heavies music was popularized by Eddie Piller and British record executive Gilles Peterson, perhaps in hopes that he could keep interest in the music on a par with the then-ubiquitous acid house music. The musical style was patterned after an admiration for 1970s funk ranging from James Brown to Rufus and the Average White Band. Peterson named his fledgling label Acid Jazz Records as well, and the Heavies recorded for this label in the United Kingdom.
• Davenport recut the vocal track on "Never Stop" "Stay This Way", and "Dream Come True" after Jaye Ella Ruth (the band's prior lead vocalist and co-writer) had ceased to be a member of the group, but preceding the major release of these recordings.
• Davenport's participation in sessions for both Malcolm McLaren's Waltz Darling and Madonna's I'm Breathless provide a curious link between "Deep in Vogue" and "Vogue" respectively. Madonna's originality has been contested vis-a-vis these two songs.^{[citation needed]}
• Davenport provides backing vocals on the November 2006 Robbie Williams single Lovelight, a cover of a Lewis Taylor song. Fellow Brand New Heavies member Andrew Levy provided bass.
• Davenport provides vocals on Natalie Merchant's song "Break Your Heart" featured on Merchant's album Ophelia.
• Davenport's "Save Your Love For Me" is a cover of a song originally performed by Nancy Wilson. Wilson's original song appears on an album of the same name.
• Davenport appeared in the music video for Breakfast Club's "Right On Track" dressed as a giant singing hen in 1987.
• Davenport is also a drummer.^[5]
• Davenport is a spinto soprano.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Brand New Heavies website
• Video: Interview with N'dea Davenport
• N'Dea Davenport at Allmusic