Name	Guerilla Black
Background	solo_singer
Born	1977
Origin	Compton, California, United States
Genre	West Coast hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Label	Dolla Figga Entertainment
Associated acts	Hot Dollar

Charles Williamson (born in 1977) better known by his stage name Guerilla Black is a rapper from Compton, California. He was born in Chicago, Illinois . He came to fame after releasing his debut album Guerilla City (2004) which featured the singles "Compton" Featuring Beanie Man and "You're The One" Featuring Mario Winans. Guerilla Black released a track titled "400 Shotz, the Funeral" taking aim at The Game, Jermaine Dupri and Daz Dillinger. His latest mixtape, "The Black Tapes" was released in 2009. It is notable for Williamson's change in rapping style, a change he acknowledges on several tracks. Features on the Mixtape included Hot Dolla, T-Pain and Akon. He has been both criticized and praised for having a similar voice and delivery to the late Notorious B.I.G. and even pays homage to Biggie on his "Real Niggaz Say Real Shit" mixtape, on the track "Letter to B.I.G." Williamson also bears a striking physical resemblance to Biggie.

He is the brother of rapper Hot Dolla, and both rappers are part of the "Dolla Figga" rap collective.

Discography

Albums

2004: Guerilla City

2007: God Bless The Child

Mixtapes

1999: N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S. B.L.A.C.K.

2004: Black by Popular Demand

2007: Real Niggaz Say Real Shit (Vol. 1)

2009: The Blacktapes

Singles

{|class="wikitable" !rowspan="2"|Year !rowspan="2"|Song !colspan="3"|Chart positions !rowspan="2"|Album |- !align="center" width="40"|U.S. Hot 100 !align="center" width="40"|U.S. R&B; !align="center" width="40"|U.S. Rap |- |align="center"|2004 |align="left"|"Compton" (feat. Beenie Man) |align="center"|– |align="center"|30 |align="center"|22 |align="left" rowspan="2"|Guerilla City |- |align="center"|2005 |align="left"|"You're the One" (feat. Mario Winans) |align="center"|77 |align="center"|43 |align="center"|24 |- |align="center"|2007 |align="left"|"Whatever" (feat. Hot Dollar) |align="center"|– |align="center"|– |align="center"|– |align="left"|God Bless The Child |- |}

References

Category:1977 births Category:African American rappers Category:Musicians from California Category:Living people Category:People from Compton, California

Name	Beenie Man
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Anthony Moses Davis
Alias	Ras Moses, The Doctor, The Girls Dem Sugar, He recorded his debut single, "Too Fancy", with record producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes in 1981, with Lawes also including him on the 1983 album Junjo Presents Two Big Sounds alongside established stars such as Dillinger, Fathead, and Ringo. His debut album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder was produced by Bunny Lee and released in 1983, his first hit single following the same year with the Winston Holness-produced "Over the Sea". In 1984 Beenie Man recorded some material with Barrington Levy (released ten years later), but his music career was put on hold while he finished school, and spent time travelling to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.
Name	Man, Beenie
Date of birth	22 August 1973

Category:1973 births Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:2000s singers Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Living people Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists

Name	Mario Winans
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Mario Brown
Born	August 27, 1974
Origin	Orangeburg, South Carolina, United States
Genre	R&B;
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, Producer
Years active	1995–present
Label	Bad Boy, Worldwide, Atlantic, Universal
Url	http://home.rioworldmusic.com

(not to be confused with Mario, an R&B; singer with a similar name)

Mario Winans is an American R&B; singer, songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Born Mario Brown, he is the son of gospel recording artist Vickie Winans (née Bowman) and her first husband, Bishop Ronald Brown. He is also the stepson of his mother's second husband, gospel singer, Pastor Marvin Winans whom she married in 1978. Marvin and Vickie Winans had a son, Marvin Winans Jr. (Mario's half brother.) Vickie and Marvin Winans divorced in 1995 and she has since remarried.

Mario Winans began learning piano, keyboards, and drums while still in grade school in Detroit, Michigan and learned how to work in a recording studio at an early age. He began producing gospel music professionally after graduating high school, eventually working with gospel music artists Fred Hammond, The Clark Sisters and various members of the Winans gospel music family.

Musical career

Story Of My Heart: (1995–1997)

In the mid-1990s, Mario was signed to a production deal with Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records thru producers Tim & Bob. He lived with the duo at they're house studio until his breakthrough came as a Christian songwriter, musician and co-producer on R. Kelly's "I Can't Sleep Baby" and "You Remind Me Of Something" from the R. Kelly album in 1995. He also worked with Pebbles and 98 Degrees.

Winans eventually released his debut album Story of my Heart on Motown in 1997. While the song "Don't Know" reached the U.S. R&B; top 50, the album failed to chart.

Soon after, Winans teamed up with P. Diddy and his Bad Boy roster, playing drums on "Come With Me" by Diddy and Jimmy Page, based on the classic Led Zeppelin song "Kashmir" from their 1975 album Physical Graffiti.

Over the next several years Winans amassed a sizeable list of production credits for Bad Boy artists including Diddy, The Notorious B.I.G., Lil' Kim, Faith Evans, Loon, Black Rob, and 112. He has also worked with notable artists outside Bad Boy including Destiny's Child, Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Tamia, and Brian McKnight.

Winans co-wrote the 2-part song "I Need a Girl" with P. Diddy and appeared on the "Pt. 2" version with Loon, Ginuwine, and Diddy, which became a hit recording in 2002. He also produced the Bad Boy remix compilation We Invented The Remix in 2002.

Hurt No More: (2001–2005)

Winans recorded his second album Hurt No More in 2001, 2002, and 2003 in between his busy schedule working with other artists. The album is based on stories of love and betrayal.

The first single "I Don't Wanna Know" was based on a sample of the Fugees' 1996 hit single "Ready Or Not", which itself was based on a slowed-down sample of the instrumental track "Boadicea" by Enya from her 1987 self-titled album. Enya and her representatives became angry since Winans did not seek her approval for the sample, as he was unaware that the Fugees sample he had used had itself been a sample. So, a compromise was reached to credit the single as "Mario Winans featuring P. Diddy and Enya". The song features a rap by P. Diddy and radio programmers and club DJs started playing the track when it started appearing on mixtapes. The song was released as the single in early 2004 and became a worldwide hit going to #1 in Germany and on the rhythmic top 40 radio chart in the United States; to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the U.S. R&B;/Hip-Hop singles chart, and on the world internet download charts; and to #3 on a composite world R&B; chart (based on the R&B; charts in the U.S., UK, Germany, France, and Australia) and on both the Australian and Norwegian singles charts. It also reached the top ten on a composite European singles chart.

Hurt No More was released on April 20, 2004 in the U.S. and, by early June 2004, had reached #1 on the Billboard R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart, #2 on the Billboard 200, and #3 on the UK's album chart.

The album's second single, "Never Really Was", used a sample of the orchestrated beginning of Madonna's 1986 hit, "Papa Don't Preach", as its background music. However, the song failed to chart in America. A remix version was released as a single featuring rapper Lil Flip.

The song "This is the Thanks I Get" began to chart on billboard and was stated to be the album's third and final single but no official release was set. The song went on to peak on Billboards R&B; Chart at #112.

Story Of My Heart Page 2: (2006–Present)

Winans appeared on Diddy's album, Press Play producing, writing and singing on "Through The Pain (She Told Me)" and the hit single "Last Night" with Keyshia Cole. "Last Night" was originally intended for his own album, which he had apparently been recording for release in 2007, this never occured.

Winans also recently executive produced Diddy's new Dirty Money album "Last Train To Paris" which was released in late 2010 and Trey Songz' 2010 single "Can't Be Friends" which has topped the American R'n'B charts for over 10 weeks.

In early 2011, Winans began working on his 3rd studio album which is said to be titled "Story Of My Heart Page 2".

Discography

Albums

Singles

As featured performer

Non-singles

"Put Ya Arm Around Me" (#16 US, #7 UK)

"Thanks I Get"

"Mr Cool" (Tamia ft. Mario Winans)

"Get Away" (Rick Ross ft. Mario Winans)

"Ridin" (Belly ft. Mario Winans)

"Rock the Party" (Benzino ft. Mario Winans)

"Save Your Love" (Mams Taylor ft. Mario Winans & Stephen Michael)

Videos

"Don't Know"

"Don't Know (Remix)" (Featuring: Mase)

"I Don't Wanna Know" (Featuring: P.Diddy)

"Never Really Was" (Featuring: Lil' Flip)

"I Need a Girl Part.II" (Featuring: Ginuwine)

"You're the One" (guest appearance)

"Down 4 Me" (guest appearance)

"Best Friend" (guest appearance)

"Rock the Party" (guest appearance)

"Through the Pain (She Told Me)" (guest appearance)

"Tell Me" (guest appearance)

"Ridin" (guest appearance)

"Forever" (guest appearance feat. Timati)

"Dream" (guest appearance feat. Massiv)

"Mine" (feat. Sahara)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

* 2005, Best Contemporary R&B; Album: Hurt No More (Nominated)

* 2005, Outstanding New Artist: Hurt No More (Nominated)

MOBO Awards

* 2004, Best Song: "I Don't Wanna Know" (Nominated)

* 2004, Best Ringtone: "I Don't Wanna Know" (Winner)

Vibe Awards

* 2004, R&B; Song of the Year: "I Don't Wanna Know" (Nominated)

References

External links

http://home.rioworldmusic.com - official Mario Winans Internet site

Mario Winans at Billboard.com

Allmusic Mario Winans article

VH1 Mario Winans page

Bad Boy Online

Category:1974 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Living people Category:American male singers Category:American gospel singers Category:Urban contemporary gospel musicians Category:Gospel artists from Detroit, Michigan Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:Bad Boy Records artists

Name	Jazze Pha
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Phalon Anton Alexander
Born	1974 Memphis, TN
Origin	Atlanta, Georgia
Instrument	Keyboards, Vocals, Sampler, Percussion
Genre	Hip hop, R&B;
Occupation	Producer, Songwriter, Rapper, Singer
Years active	1995 - present
Label	Sho'nuff Records/Atlantic Records
Associated acts	Birdman, Lil Wayne, TQ, T.I., Nelly, Cee-Lo, Ludacris, Ciara, Too $hort

Phalon Anton Alexander (born 1974), also known as Jazze Pha ( ), is an American singer, rapper, record producer and songwriter.

Career

His well known trademark is hollering "Ladies and Gentlemen!" at the beginning, and sometimes at the end of the tracks he has contributed to.

He made an early appearance on Erick Sermon's 1995 album Double or Nothing performing on a skit and collaborating with Sermon on "Man Above".

Jazze Pha's first hit was the club anthem from Tela, "Sho Nuff", the label banner of the producer's company.

His first production was for Gerald Levert, Keith Sweat, and Johnny Gill on supergroup LSG's first album, with the fresh "Let A Playa Get His Freak On", in 1997.

Other artists he has collaborated with include Nelly, Ludacris, T.I., U.G.K., Lil Wayne, Nate Dogg, Trick Daddy, Petey Pablo, Big Boi, Ciara, Girlicious and Eightball & MJG.

Pha also helped Ciara start out her career. He produced the hit single, which was titled "1, 2 Step", which featured Missy Elliott, which was included on her debut album which was named Goodies, which was released in 2004. He also produced the tracks which were called "Thug Style", "Pick Up the Phone", and "Lookin' at You". Two years later in 2006, he produced her hit single, which was called "Get Up", the song featured Chamillionaire, and was included on her album named . The two haven't worked since then,because Pha says they haven't seen eye-to-eye.

Personal life

His father is Bar-Kays bassist, James Alexander. He is named after the late Phalon Jones, a member of his father's group. His mother is an experienced singer named Denise Williams, but contrary to widespread belief, she is not chart-topping R&B; and gospel singer, Deniece "Niecy" Williams.

Discography

TBA: Ladies And Gentlemen

References

External links

Official Jazze Pha & Cee-Lo Green Website

Jazze Pha | Features Producers | Global Hit Music

Jazze Pha - Happy Hour Lyrics - Lyrics to the song "Happy Hour", which features Cee-Lo Green.

Jazze Pha Discography & Production Credit

Jazze Pha Beatbuggy Profile

Category:1975 births Category:American hip hop record producers Category:African American rappers Category:African American singers Category:Living people Category:People from Memphis, Tennessee Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Atlantic Records artists