A Grammy Award (originally called Gramophone Award) – or Grammy – is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a widely viewed televised ceremony. It is the music equivalent to the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for stage performances, and the Academy Awards for motion pictures.
The first Grammy Awards ceremony was held on May 4, 1959, and it was set up to honor musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Following the 2011 ceremony, NARAS overhauled many Grammy Award categories for 2012. The 54th Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
The Grammy Awards had their origin in the Hollywood Walk of Fame project in the 1950s. As the recording executives chosen for the Walk of Fame (Tabinda Walk) committee worked at compiling a list of important recording industry people who might qualify for a Walk of Fame star, they realized there were many more people who were leaders in their business who would never earn a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The music executives decided to rectify this by creating an award given by their industry similar to the Oscars and the Emmys. This was the beginning of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. After it was decided to create such an award, there was still a question of what to call it; one working title was the Eddie, to honor the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. They finally settled on using the name of Edison's invention, the gramophone, for the awards, which were first given for the year 1958.
Pharrell Williams (born April 5, 1973), commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music. He is also the lead vocalist and drummer of hip-hop band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley. He released his first single "Frontin'" in 2003 and followed up with his first album In My Mind in 2006.
As part of The Neptunes, Williams has produced numerous hit singles for various musicians. The two have earned three Grammy Awards amongst ten nominations. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing. He is a member of the supergroup V.A. Playaz with Fam-Lay, Clipse, Skillz, Missy Elliott, and Timbaland & Magoo.
Pharrell Williams was born on April 5, 1973, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the eldest of three sons of Carolyn, a teacher, and Pharaoh Williams, a handyman. He met Chad Hugo in a seventh-grade summer band camp where Williams played the keyboards and drums and Hugo played tenor saxophone. They were also both members of a marching band; Williams played the snare drum while Chad was student conductor. With Hugo, Williams attended Princess Anne High School where they played in the school band; there he got the name Skateboard P.
Stevland Hardaway Morris (born May 13, 1950 as Stevland Hardaway Judkins), known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, a child prodigy who developed into one of the most creative musical figures of the late 20th century. Blind since shortly after birth, Wonder signed with Motown's Tamla label at the age of eleven, and continues to perform and record for Motown to this day.
Among Wonder's best known works are singles such as "Superstition", "Sir Duke", "I Wish" and "I Just Called to Say I Love You". Well known albums also include Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs in the Key of Life. He has recorded more than thirty U.S. top ten hits and received twenty-two Grammy Awards, the most ever awarded to a male solo artist. Wonder is also noted for his work as an activist for political causes, including his 1980 campaign to make Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday a holiday in the United States. In 2009, Wonder was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace. In 2008, Billboard magazine released a list of the Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists to celebrate the US singles chart's fiftieth anniversary, with Wonder at number five.
Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), simply known as Kendrick Lamar, is an American rapper and songwriter from Compton, California currently signed to Top Dawg, Aftermath and Interscope. He first gained major attention after the release of his 2010 mixtape Overly Dedicated. In 2011, his album Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes, instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip hop releases of the year. Lamar has amassed a large internet following, is a member of hip hop collective Black Hippy, along with Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul, and has worked with Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Wiz Khalifa, Game, Drake, Busta Rhymes and Tech N9ne among other popular artists.
Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known by her stage name Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Perry grew up with gospel music, and during her first year of high school she pursued a music career as Katy Hudson, releasing her first studio album called Katy Hudson which failed to chart. She recorded a solo album later, which was never released. After signing with Capitol Music Group in 2007, her fourth record label in seven years, she adopted the stage name Katy Perry.
She first gained recognition with the release of her first mainstream album, One of the Boys in 2008, which spawned three Billboard Hot 100 top-ten songs—"I Kissed A Girl", "Hot n Cold" and "Waking Up In Vegas". Perry supported the album with her Hello Katy Tour. In 2010, her third studio album, Teenage Dream (2010), which topped the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned five number one singles—"California Gurls", "Teenage Dream", "Firework", "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"—Teenage Dream was the only album (after Michael Jackson's Bad)—to do so, and the first female in history to achieve this milestone. She embarked on the California Dreams Tour, which grossed nearly $60 million worldwide. Perry re-released the album under the name of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection on March 26, 2012, and the re-release has already spawned the number-one single "Part of Me".
Soulja boy:
(Talking)
Ester dean
What do u want from me
Because I've giving u everything
What do u need from me
Are u not happy with anything
Soulja Boy
Party like a rockstar
Hit em with the hot bars
Fast like a nascar
Lyin like my dash car
I deserve a grammy
Will I fly away or land on Miami
I don't have time to rhyme
But I do have time to grind
SOD pirates I don't need a hook
My lyrics illustrated versus takin from a book
I understand the fans
Supply and demand
Crunk and command
Fight nd we'll stand
Lyrics from a true legend
Live a life to god blessings
Big papers long acres
Top flight no security
Black ice on me call a jury
Yahh trick yahh and we call it magic
My style may change u can call it drastic
Money so long ????? measures
I love my business and I love my pleasure
Live now dies later Internet genius
Self proclaimin he a critically acclaimed for the
fortunate of fame
He'll run through the rain
For a meanin to change
Taking over the game
18 years old wid a drop top phantom
Kidnap the world till they pay my ransom
Deandre way look what tatted on my face
4 words 2 say
I deserve a grammy
Ester dean
What do u want from me
Cause I've giving u everything
What do u need from me
Are u not happy with anything
Is it not good enough
Am I not good enough
Have I not gave enough
I have a problem
She is not getting better
How I will I know when to leave her
I am so scared of this
I wish she'd get rid of it
Though it doesn't seem like she will soon
And my heart hurts very much
And my head hurts just as much
But I know neither hurts like hers
I go see her now
I hope she is feeling well
My mum told me she got more pills
She is coming home today
I hope she will be to stay
But I know it can only be a while
And my heart hurts very much
And my head hurts just as much
[Bronze Nazareth:]
Yo, pipe face, axe face, rubberband police chase
Heroin needle briefcase, a city need face
Gats face, faggot legs like Dave Maggot
Loose leaf, tight beef lean, cancer addict
Cold case, no face, stole bank rolls, thanks
Expose shanks, export blanks, fake thug ranks
Take drugs in basement clubs, come outside and shoot 'em down
Grow 'em down with the pound, ready on the ground
Like whirlwind, girls pearlsmen between limb
Rock them brims, jump in skins, pump the shins
Fatigue rock, we see clock, before we need stop
Respiration, best rock vest for less patience
A metal rocking for pocket locking, broccoli set
Where chain on bill fold, fold bills, two-fold
Old grimmace haze can break a witness face
Dead life in the headlight, vehicular homicide sight
C.S.I., speeding eye, see through seaping lies
Weak disguise guys, crack the bone above your eyes
Concrete of wars, a block as I world tours
Gun totes, spleen pokes, stab so vicious
Criminal intent, where law and order is missing
Movie subscription, steadily horror flick admission
Corners, alley's, long tenements in prisons
Life in Detroit, Atlanta, made in Havana
D.C., catch street bullets in your bandana
Watchtower like clock tower, my hands is ansy
You invite me to pick up my award
After all the time I've been out here
My music is still the same
Why is it just now getting there?
Wonder why this one got such play?
Wonder why all the fuss is made?
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
Who's the judge of this anyway?
My music said what I had to say
Who decides if it's wrong or right?
The authority with such insite?
Wonder why this one got such play?
Wonder why all the fuss is made?
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
We thought you wanted to be a star
You worked so hard to get this far
You played all the small time scenes
We just wanted to fulfill your dreams
You won a grammy, you won a grammy
You won a grammy, you won a grammy
Don't think I want to be bothered at all
Maybe I'll just give them a call
I won't go through pomp and circumstance
Anyway, my music isn't fancy
You invite me to share my fame
I've decided not to play your game
Now the turntables goin' 'round and 'round
(Cover of Soulja Boy's original song)
(Intro)
What do you want from me cause I've given you everything
What do you need from me - are you not happy with anything?
(Verse)
Party like a rock star, hit 'em with the hot bars
Fast like a NASCAR, lime like my dad's car
I deserve a Grammy, will I fly away
Or land on Miami? I don't have time to rhyme
But I do have time to grind
S.O.D. pirates, I don't need a hook
My lyrics illustrated verses taken from a book
I understand the fans, supply and demand
Crunk at command, fight and we'll stand
Lyrics from a true legend, livin life through God's blessing
Big papers, long acres, top flight, no security
Black ice on me, call the jury
Yahh trick yahh, and we call it magic
My style may change if you call it drastic
Money so long and we is the measure
I love my business and I love my pleasure
Live now, die later, internet genius
Self proclaimed he a critically acclaimed
For the fortune and fame, he'll run through the rain
For a million in change, takin over the game
18 years old with a drop top Phantom
Kidnap the world 'til they pay my ransom
DeAndre Way, look what's tatted on my face
Fo' words to say - I deserve a Grammy
(Chorus)
What do you want from me cause I've given you everything
What do you need from me - are you not happy with anything?
Is it not good enough?
Am I not good enough?
Have I not gave enough?
Tell me what do you want from me
Tell me what you want
(Chorus)
What do you want from me cause I've given you everything
What do you need from me - are you not happy with anything?
Is it not good enough? Is it not good enough?
Am I not good enough? Am I not good enough?
Have I not gave enough?
What do you want from me?