T.I KING

                                        

bIRDMAN AND LIL WAYNE

                                                      

Jay-z Biography

Jay-Z
Rapper / Music Producer / Business Personality
Name at birth: Shawn Carter
Jay-Z was one of East Coast rap's top acts as the 21st century began, known for his street-hustler background and for creating his own label, Roc-A-Fella Records. Jay-Z released his debut album Reasonable Doubt in 1996. His breakthrough 1998 album Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life included the huge hits "Can I Get A..." and "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," the latter featuring a chorus sampled from the Broadway show Annie. The album won a Grammy for best rap album, and Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life Tour cemented his stardom. He has collaborated with DMX, Foxy Brown, Memphis Bleek and others; his later albums include Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) and The Blueprint (2001, with producer Kanye West). In 2004 he announced his retirement from recording, and in 2005 he was made the chief executive officer of Def Jam Records. His performing retirement was short-lived: an EP he released with rockers Linkin Park produced the hit song "Numb/Encore," a 2006 Grammy winner. He released a full-length "comeback" album, Kingdom Come, in 2006.
Extra credit: Jay-Z's name is a shortened version of an early nickname, "Jazzy"... Another popular nickname for Jay-Z is "Jiggy"... In 2005 he announced he wanted to be known by his real name, Shawn Carter... He has been romantically linked with Beyoncé.

Birdman Biography

Birdman Biography:When he's doing business, Cash Money Records CEO Bryan Williams uses his real name, but when he grabs the mic to spit Dirty South raps, Williams goes by the names Birdman or Baby. Williams formed Cash Money in 1991 with his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams. Releases by B.G., the Hot Boys, Juvenile, and many others built the Cash Money empire into a Dirty South powerhouse. Williams himself displayed his vocal skills on the Hot Boys albums, but it was with Cash Money's in-house producer, Mannie Fresh, that he really made his mark. The two formed the group Big Tymers in 1997 and made of series of albums that became Dirty South favorites. He broke out on his own with Baby aka the 1 Stunna in 2002. After the album's release, he oversaw an urban footwear collection for the Lugz company, narrated the video game Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition, and appeared in the 2005 movie Beauty Shop. Three years after his solo debut, Birdman released his second solo album, Fast Money. In 2006 he teamed with his "surrogate son," Lil Wayne, for Like Father, Like Son. David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Lil Wayne Biography

There's no question about it. The Bayou is the birthplace of the new hip-hop. Rap for the next millennium. And now Blaxuede (pronounced Black Suede) comes out of New Orleans spitting lyrics so hard they'll verbally slay any contender, a flow so smooth it lulls a baby to sleep, and beats so tight they make an Expedition hop. Blaxuede's self-titled debut album IN STORES DECEMBER 14TH, on Avatar Records, showcases a style that will make even rap veterans sweat. "Bring Da Pain" is the first single of the LP's 17 cuts to hit the streets. Featuring Lil' Wayne and Young Turk of the hit-making Hot Boys, "Bring Da Pain" puts all fake MCs on alert. Blaxuede rhymes: "Now I Done Warned You/ Not to Battle Me/I Leave More Casualties Than the Dolla Bills in Your Salary...Ain't No Stoppin' The Black." Produced by Infamous and executive produced by Ray Vincent, Blaxuede, will appeal to hip-hop fans beyond the South. "I have songs for the East, West, Midwest, North and South. I want my album to reach everyone," says Blaxuede. Track after track, Blaxuede, spans regional tastes. B.G., also of the Hot Boys, hooks up with Blaxuede on the defiant "Don't F**K Wit Us." "I liked what I had heard from the Hot Boys and thought it would be great to work together," says Blaxuede. Blaxuede slows down the pace with "Da Sheetz." Utilizing the Isley Brothers' classic, Blaxuede romances his girl on the track. The cut's more about love than lust, a novel sentiment in contemporary rap. "I don't go around calling women bitches and hoes," says Blaxuede. "I don't talk like that in real life, why should I on records? That's not how I was raised." Of course, Blaxuede had to include a shout out to his hometown. "N.O. Be Da City" flows with full Southern flavor while "Dreaming" takes you on a jazzy, surreal journey. "Dey Don't Kno" warns fans and critics to sleep no longer on the "504" a.k.a. New Orleans. Blaxuede's favorite track, however, is "The Only Lady." Following 2Pac's lead, "The Only Lady" is an ode to Blaxuede's mother. "She means the world to me," he says. While Blaxuede admires the success and style of Louisiana's other hip-hop movers-and-shakers, the No Limit and Cash Money clicks, he wants to make a distinction between his music and theirs. "I rap about different subjects. I can rhyme fast. I can rhyme slow. I can flow with anybody," he says. Growing up, Blaxuede's household was filled with music. "Everyone in my family listened to the radio. We rarely watched TV," recalls Blaxuede, who counts Public Enemy as a major influence. "One day I was bored and I just started writing and fell in love with it." So the sixth grader started penning rhymes. By high school he began rapping and entering local talent shows. "I never lost one," says Blaxuede. Although Blaxuede was into sports, having played basketball and football in high school, rap was his main interest. He performed with several crews before going solo. Along the way, he picked up the tag Blaxuede, "because of my smooth delivery," says the tall, dark and handsome 21-year-old master of word-play. His big break came while working at the Winn-Dixie grocery store where, between bagging, he'd battle his friend Ray Vincent. The two had goals of making it in the rap world. Vincent, now CEO of 504 Entertainment, executive produced the album and hooked Blaxuede up with Avatar Records. Their dreams would soon became a reality. Now Blaxuede, whose friends call him "Suede" for short, is out to change the course of hip hop. "No one has stepped up to the plate to take rap to the next level. I'm going to be the one."

T.i Biography

Biography forT.I.
Birth nameClifford Joseph Harris Jr.
NicknameKing Of The South Rubberband Man T.I.P
Height5' 9" (1.75 m)
Trade mark
Usually wears sunglasses.
Trivia
Won for the best dressed man at the 2005 BET awards.
He increased his growing street credibility by collaborating with Tupac, Baby, and Bonecrusher.
His sophomore album "Trap Muzik" debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 Charts while "Urban Legend" debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip- Hop Albums.
On Urban Legend's "Why U Mad At Me," T.I. makes a reference to the legal problems that landed him in jail, and the somewhat overzealous efforts by police officers determined to make him pay his debt to society.
First album with Atlantic Records, "Trap Muzik", had 3 hit singles off of it..24's, Rubberband Man, and Lets Get Away.
Started rapping at age 9, signed a record deal at 19 and released one major-label album (I'm Serious, Arista, 2001) before he joined Atlantic with his own Grand Hustle imprint.
Owns New Finish Construction with his uncle, which builds and repairs homes in Atlanta's less fortunate neighborhoods
He doesn't like champagne.
His favorite actress is Angela Bassett.
One of his favorite TV shows is Friends.
He originally called himself "T.I.P." but he changed his name to avoid confusion with Q-Tip
has his own record label,Grand Hustle Entertainment.
his group P$C (Pimp Squad Click) contains the members Mac Boney,Big Kuntry King,and AK
Won for the best street anthem from his smash hit "Rubberband Man" at the 2004 Vibe awards.
Won for the best street anthem from his smash hit "You Don't Know Me" at the 2005 Vibe awards.
Co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records
He co-executive produced the soundtrack to the hit film Hustle and Flow and released the collection through Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records.
His new album 'King' debuted number 1 on Billboard 200 chart on April 4, 2006 selling over 520,000 copies. His first movie 'ATL' was rank #3.
Is good friends with other rappers like Jay-Z, Young Buck and B.G.
Has had beef with rappers Lil Flip and Ludacris
Raised over $263,000 for rapper David Banner's "Heal the Hood" foundation
Was called by Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes "The Jay-Z of the South"
Won "Best Male Hip-Hop Artist" at the 2006 BET Awards, and came in second place for "Viewers Choice."
Wrote lyrics for rappers Bow Wow, Diddy, and Lil Kim.
Is expecting a second child with fiancée 'Tameka "Tiny' Cottle' in 2007.
Personal quotes
About his album King, "This album is a solidification of why I call myself The King of the South."
About how he got his nickname Rubberband Man, "I'm the Rubber Band Man. It's basically about being back in the Trap, like when we start our day, we might have two, three, rubber bands on our wrist. According to how much dope we had to sell. By the end of the day, if we sold all our dope we don't have any more rubber bands around our wrists cause they wrapped around money. So the Rubber Band Man is just my little way of holding on to that lifestyle just a little bit. I ain't selling no more dope, but I'm still wrapping rubber bands around money."
On how he came up with the lyrics for his album Trap Muzik, "This is a paperless album. I don't write nothing down. Just listen to the beat for a minute like this right here.. and get in the booth and lay it down."
"He's one of the most charismatic guys next to me you will find in the south. The best rapper next to me." - On his protégé, rapper Young Dro
Where are they now
(July 2005) Released the soundtrack for Hustle & Flow.
(January 2006) Working on his 4th album "The King".
(March 2006) Stars in Chris Robinson's feature Film A-T-L-
(March 2006) His 4th album "King" is released.
(September 2006) Filming Ridley Scott's American Gangster (2007) with co-stars Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington in New York City.
(January 2007) T.I. is working on his 5th album "T.I. v.s. T.I.P" which it set to be released by the end of the year.

Keyshia Cole Biography

Keyshia Cole is the real deal. Like many young people raised in a tough neighborhood, the 21-year-old songstress endured a tumultuous childhood in Oakland, California, and has fought all her life to keep her dream of a music career alive. Now she's realizing that dream on her own terms with her first album for the A&M label, The Way It Is. It's been a long road for Keyshia, but it's her powerful voice-- a bell-like instrument whose soaring clarity is topped off with a tantalizing touch of soulful grit -- that's carried her through, not to mention the diminutive singer's personal combination of sugar, spice, sass and sex appeal, along with a solid-steel spine.

"Being young, you have to be really dedicated to doing it for yourself," says Keyshia, who co-wrote most of the songs on her new CD and cites artists like Mary J. Blige and Brandy as inspirations. "There's a lot of trials and tribulations you have to go through to get what you want, especially if you feel like it belongs to you."

Keyshia's talent, personality, and faith have won her fans and supporters within the notoriously picky entertainment industry since she was a young girl. While still a pre-teen she convinced then-superstar MC Hammer that he should put her on, and she even got a chance to do some recording with the rap star before she was 12 years old. She also scored sessions singing hooks with other Bay Area artists, including Messy Marv's "Nubian Queen" remix, which was a regional hit for the rapper, and with Tony Toni Tone's Dwayne Wiggins, who featured her on his soundtrack for the indie film Me & Mrs. Jones.

Within minutes of catching her boyfriend cheating, Keyshia was in her car driving to Los Angeles in the middle of the night to start a brand-new life. It only took the determined singer a few months of making connections to snag an introduction to A&M Records President Ron Fair, who immediately signed her to her first solo recording deal. For her first album, Keyshia has garnered the support of none other than reigning hip-hop star Kanye West; producer and songwriter DaRon of R&B group 112; rapper Chink Santana, whose gruff stylings have graced hits by Ashanti and The Inc.; and popular producer E-Poppi. She also got a chance this past Spring to collaborate with Eve for her debut single, "Never," on the Barbershop 2 soundtrack.

So what's everybody raving about? Check Keyshia's first single with West, "I Changed My Mind." The tune is a perfect fit for Keyshia's longing soprano and her distinct stance as a performer: Like many young women, she's looking for love, but she's not so desirous of romance that she'll sacrifice her own needs. Having been devoted to her man, she quickly realized that he is devoted to himself. What's a girl to do? She simply changes her mind about being involved and walks away.

Keyshia easily admits that the song reflects her romantic philosophy. "That song was actually about being focused and dedicated to what you want and what you're trying to be. It's about the things you're trying to accomplish in life and dealing with somebody, a significant other, who comes in between that, especially with their ways. I want to be an example for young girls in following your goals and dreams and making it happen and checking him out later if you have to."

A twist on that philosophy is on display in "I Should've Cheated," which was crafted by DuRon, a producer whose songs Keyshia admired so much she chased him down in Atlanta to work with him. On the track, Keyshia sings of being a devoted girlfriend who is constantly accused of cheating by her man. It seems that two can play that game, and Keyshia has no trouble letting Mr. Suspicious know what's up. "That song has a lot of emotion, because I feel every girl and every guy can relate to that," she says. "If somebody is doing you wrong or saying that you're doing something and you're being the best that you can be in the relationship, then you get home and they're like 'Where you been?' "Well, where I could have been is ...' Don't start! It could get real ugly."

At the same time, Keyshia's songcraft reveals that the plucky artist isn't afraid to let a man know she's interested. On the flowing "We Could Be," she fearlessly lays out all a former friendship could blossom into. On the mid-tempo "Down N Dirty," she has no trouble expressing what she'd like to do, while on the spare, deep groove "Talk To Me," co-written by singer Mya, Keyshia lets a guy know that his seeming disinterest is just a front. And Chink Santana lends his gritty rhyming skills to "Situations," another love song with a twist.

On the feel-good, old-school-styled ballad "Love," Keyshia's powerful vocal intensifies a straight-ahead plea to the object of her affection, who's involved with someone else. It was a real-life situation that compelled Keyshia, who admits ballads are not her favorite style, to come up with the lyrics to "Love" in five minutes flat. At a Malibu restaurant, she spied the same guy who years earlier had told her he wasn't interested in a committed relationship with her dining with his girlfriend. "So I was looking at the girl and I was like, 'What is it about her? You know, like seriously, what are you thinking?'" Keyshia remembers. "And I just wrote about it, it came out really quick." She immediately headed into the studio with producer Greg Curtis: "After I wrote the song, I went to the studio about 4 in the morning, and by 5 or 6 I was done with the song and that's what you hear."

Ms. Cole even applies her keep-it-real aesthetic to the tune "You've Changed," in which she takes on none other than Jay-Z for the lyrics to his tune "Song Cry." The tune is from the point of view of a neglected wife who's had enough.

The realities surrounding where she was raised and the hurdles she overcame are never far from her mind. She says she recorded the tune "Streets Is A Mothafucka" because the lyrics reflected some true-to-life scenarios, including crime, drugs, and the hustles that come with survival. "It's just different things that we see in the 'hood that we never see in Hollywood. I liked the contents of the song, because I felt like no girls talked about it," she says.

A self-described "hard worker" who can sometimes be "goofy" and "fun" yet says she would never kiss a guy she doesn't know for a video, Keyshia is passionate about providing inspiration to young girls, and young people in general, who come from troubled backgrounds. "I want to be an example for young people, especially growing up in the 'hood, because it's already hard enough to not be focused, not to be trying, to be doing something," she says, adding that hope and faith and holding on to a dream can carry anyone far. The tattoo on her right shoulder -- a cross, a heart, and a star-- truly reflects her belief that goals can be realized, despite the circumstances. "It's really possible," she says with a grin. And those are her thoughts -- just the way it is.

Beyonce Knowles - Biography

Beyonce Knowles Biography

Name :
Beyonce Knowles
Birth Date :
September 4, 1981
Birth Place :
Houston, Texas, USA
Birth Name :
Beyonce Giselle Knowles
Height :
173cm (5' 7
Education :
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Nationality :
American
Occupation :
Singer
Genres :
Rock
Styles :
Teen Pop, Dance-Pop
Relationship :
Jay-Z (musician; born on December 4, 1969)
Fan Mail :
Music World Music 9898 Bissonnet Ste 625 Houston, TX 77036 USA



Beyonce Knowles Detailed Biography
She began her career at the age of 7 when she auditioned for a role in a child singing group. The group was made up of her, Latavia Roberson, Beyonce's cousin, Kelly Rowland and LeToya Luckett. Her musical influences include, The Supremes, Jackson 5. She and the other members of her group started off small, doing local events but got their break when performing on Star Search. Their young energy and sound was a revelation for Hip Hop/ R&B music during the 90's. Soon after that Destiny's Child got it's formal name and started doing bigger gigs and were the opening act for other groups like SWV, Dru Hill and Immature. They released their self titled album in 1998 and Beyonce was the cornerstone in the group. Working out most of the lyrics and sound for the new group. She was the dominent lead singer in the group and no one could dispute. Beyonce was responsible for most of the lyrics for hit songs, NO, NO, NO, BILLS, BILLS, BILLs and many of their other top 10 hits. In March of 2000 LeToya and Latavia left Destiny's Child because Beyonce and Matthew Knowles were causing them distress and not giving them the freedom to develop as artists on their own and contribute. Two replacements, Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin were hired to take their place and keep the band going. Beyonce got her first big film break in the Austin Powers: In Goldmember. Besides that her recent song, Survivor with Destiny's Child has cemented her superstardom. She will most likely be appearing in other Hollywood productions and will continue to perform her music. The sexy first single, "Crazy In Love," featuring Jay-Z, was co-produced by Beyonce and Rich Harrison. Jay-Z returns the favor for Beyonce's part on his hit "Bonnie and Clyde 03." Laced with an Arabic ambience, fused with a ghetto-fied edge and encompassing a sample from Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," "Naughty Girl" is uptempo and party perfect. Also sexy is the dancehall-Arabic flavored "Baby Boy," featuring the red hot Sean Paul. She co-stars with Cuba Gooding Jr. in "The Fighting Temptations." She has two more features currently in production and can also be seen on the small screen in a series of Spike Lee-directed commercials for Pepsi-Cola. She is also the spokesperson for L'Oreal.