Thread: Biographies

Cypress Hill's self-titled first album was released in August 1991. The lead single was the double A-side "The Phuncky Feel One"/"How I Could Just Kill A Man" which received heavy airplay on urban and college radio. The other two singles released from the album were "Hand On The Pump" and "Latin Lingo", the latter of which combined English and Spanish lyrics. The success of these singles led to the album selling two million copies in the US alone. DJ Muggs, Cypress Hill's producer, subsequently produced House of Pain's first album, then worked on other Soul Assassins projects like Funkdoobiest. The band made their first appearance at Lollapalooza on the side stage in 1992.

Black Sunday, the group's second album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in 1993, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group up until that time. Also, with their debut still in the charts, they became the first rap group to have 2 albums in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 at the same time. With "Insane in the Brain" becoming a crossover hit, the album went triple platinum in the U.S. and sold about 3.25 million copies.

Cypress Hill was banned from Saturday Night Live after Muggs smoked a joint on-air and the band trashed their instruments while playing their second single "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That". The band headlined the "Soul Assassins" tour with House of Pain and Funkdoobiest as support, then performed on a college tour with Rage Against the Machine and Seven Year Bitch. In 1993, Cypress Hill also had two tracks on the Judgment Night soundtrack, teamed up with Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.

The band played at the 1994 Woodstock Festival, introducing their new member Eric Bobo, formerly a percussionist with the Beastie Boys. Rolling Stone magazine named the band as the best rap group in their music awards voted by critics and readers. Cypress Hill played at Lollapalooza for two successive years, topping the bill in 1995. They also appeared on the The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza". Prior to Bobo joining the crew, Panchito "Ponch" Gomez sat in as a percussionist when not acting.

Their third album Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom was released in 1995, selling 1.5 million copies and reaching number 3 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the hit single "Throw Your Set in the Air". Cypress Hill also contributed a track "I Wanna Get High" to the High Times sponsored Hempilation album to support NORML.

Currently managed by Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group

Feud with Ice Cube

For over two years, Cypress Hill had a running feud with West Coast rapper and former friend Ice Cube. The feud allegedly started when B-Real played a demo of the then unreleased album Temples of Boom for Ice Cube. According to B-Real, Ice Cube asked if he could use the song "Throw Your Set in the Air" for the soundtrack of his upcoming film Friday. B-Real refused because the song was the single for their III: Temples of Boom album. Ice Cube then recorded the song "Friday", which features a similar hook to "Throw Your Set in the Air". Cypress Hill viewed this as biting (stealing), and recorded the song “No Rest for the Wicked”, in which they attack Cube and accuse him of stealing their music.

Soon after “No Rest for the Wicked” was released, Ice Cube recorded the album Bow Down with his partners WC and Mack 10 of Westside Connection. The album contains two diss tracks aimed at Cypress Hill: “King of the Hill” and “Cross em out and put a K”. “King of the Hill” is a direct response to “No Rest for the Wicked”.

In response, Cypress Hill recorded the track “Ice Cube Killa”. The track features the same beat as “King of the Hill” and was never officially released on an album. In the song, Cypress Hill venomously attacks Ice Cube as well as Mack 10, and expresses that they were ready and willing to end the feud with physical violence instead of words. Even due to his affiliation with Westside Connection, WC did not participate in the feud, due to his friendship with members of Cypress Hill.



In 1997, B-Real and Ice Cube were invited to a late night talk show in order to reconcile their differences for the benefit of the hip hop community, and the feud thus ended. Ice Cube and B-Real worked together later that year as guest features on the track "Men of Steel" for the soundtrack of Shaquille O'Neal's film Steel. B-Real and Cube even featured as guests in Warren G's double "Get U Down" which also featured Snoop Dogg.

Continued career

Sen Dog took a break from the band to form a Los Angeles based rap rock band SX-10. Meanwhile in 1996, Cypress Hill appeared on the first 'Smokin' Grooves' tour, featuring Ziggy Marley, The Fugees, Busta Rhymes and A Tribe Called Quest. The band also released a nine track EP Unreleased and Revamped with rare mixes. In 1997, band members focused on their solo careers. Muggs released Muggs Presents ... the Soul Assassins featuring contributions from Wu-Tang Clan members, Dr. Dre, KRS-One, Wyclef Jean and Mobb Deep. B-Real appeared with Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J and Method Man on "Hit Em High" from the multi-platinum Space Jam Soundtrack. He also appeared with RBX, Nas and KRS-One on "East Coast Killer, West Coast Killer" on Dr. Dre's Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath album, and contributed to an album entitled "The Psycho Realm" with the band of the same name. Though the focus that year was not on Cypress Hill, the band played Smokin' Grooves with George Clinton and Erykah Badu.

Cypress Hill released IV in 1998 which went gold in the U.S., even though the reviews were somewhat negative on the backs of hit singles "Tequila Sunrise" and another tribute to smoking cannabis "Dr. Greenthumb." Sen Dog also released the Get Wood sampler as part of SX-10 on the label Flip. In 1999, Cypress Hill helped with the PC crime/very mature video game Kingpin: Life of Crime. Three of their songs from the 1998 IV album were in the game ( "16 Men Till There's No Men Left", "Checkmate" and "Lightning Strikes"). B-Real also did some of the voices of the people in the game. Also in 1999, the band released a greatest-hits album in Spanish, Los grandes éxitos en español. Cypress Hill then fused genres with their two-disc release, Skull & Bones, in 2000. The first disc, "Skull" was composed of rap tracks while "Bones" explored further the group's forays into rock. The album reached the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 and number 3 in Canada. The first single was "Rock Superstar" for rock radio and "Rap Superstar" for urban radio. The band also released Live at the Fillmore, a concert disc recorded at the Fillmore (in San Francisco) in 2000. Cypress Hill continued their experimentation with rock on the Stoned Raiders album in 2001. However, its sales were a disappointment, as the disc did not even reach the top 50 of the U.S. album charts. In 2001, the group appeared in the film How High.

Cypress Hill recorded "Just Another Victim" for the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as a theme song for Tazz. At the time, WWE was using original music for almost all of the wrestlers, so this was an unusual step for the company to take, but it remains one of the more memorable songs to emerge from the wrestling organization. The band released Till Death Do Us Part on March 23, 2004. The album saw the band experiment with reggae especially on the lead single "What's Your Number". The track features Tim Armstrong of Rancid on guitar and backup vocals. It is based on the classic song "The Guns of Brixton" on The Clash's London Calling and has proven to be a success on the modern rock charts. However, the album represented a further departure from the signature sound of their first four albums. The album also features appearances by Damian Marley, son of Bob Marley, Prodigy and Twin of Mobb Deep and producer the Alchemist.

In 2004, the song How I Could Just Kill A Man was included in the popular videogame Grand Theft Auto San Andreas created by Rockstar Games, playing on West Coast hip hop radio station Radio Los Santos. In December 2005 a best of compilation album titled Greatest Hits From the Bong was released including 9 hits from previous albums and 2 new tracks. The group's next album was tentatively scheduled for an early 2007 release. In the summer of 2006, B-Real appeared on Snoop Dogg's single "Vato". Pharrell Williams produced the track, and originally sang the hook, but because of the video idea, B-Real was asked to sing the hook. Sen Dog is now currently touring with the Kottonmouth Kings, Kingspade and Dogboy on the Joint is on Fire Tour

In 2007 Cypress Hill toured with their full line up as a part of the Rock the Bells tour, held by Guerilla Union, and headlined with Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, and a reunited Rage Against the Machine. Other acts included Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots, EPMD, Pharoahe Monch, Jedi Mind Tricks, Erykah Badu, MF Doom, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, The Coup, Blue Print, Lucky I Am, Living Legends, Felt, Cage, Mr. Lif, Grouch & Eligh, and Hangar 18.

Departure from Sony

Having fulfilled their contractual obligations with Sony Music, Cypress Hill will release an as-yet untitled album through a different record label in 2009.
Recently, it was announced that Cypress Hill will be members of the Kannabis Kartel along with the Kottonmouth Kings and Potluck. Their album will be released on Suburban Noize Records.

On July 25, 2008, Cypress Hill performed at a benefit concert at the House of Blues Chicago, where a majority of the proceeds went to the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness.

In August 2009, a new song by Cypress Hill, titled "Get 'Em Up", was made available on iTunes. The song is featured on the Madden NFL 2010 video game and was available for free download for a limited time.

Discography

* 1991: Cypress Hill (2x Platinum)
* 1993: Black Sunday (3x Platinum)
* 1995: III: Temples of Boom (Platinum)
* 1998: IV (Gold)
* 1999: Los Grandes Éxitos En Español
* 2000: Skull & Bones (Platinum)
* 2000: Live At The Fillmore
* 2001: Stoned Raiders
* 2004: Till Death Do Us Part
* 2009: Rise Up

Ciara Princess Harris (born October 25, 1985), who performs under the mononym Ciara is an American recording artist, producer, dancer, fashion model, and actress. Born in Austin, Texas, Ciara made her debut in the summer of 2004 with the Billboard number-one single "Goodies". The album Goodies was released in the United States on September 28, 2004, and in the UK on January 24, 2005. It produced three top two singles on the Billboard Hot 100, selling three million in U.S and over five million worldwide.

Ciara's second album, Ciara: The Evolution, was released in December 2006. It has spawned the Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit "Get Up", and the R&B/Hip-Hop Charts top ten hits "Promise", "Like a Boy", and "Can't Leave 'em Alone". To date, the album, which went platinum only five weeks after its release, has sold more than one million copies in the U.S. and three million worldwide.

Ciara's third studio album, Fantasy Ride, was released in the United States on May 5, 2009. The first official single, the R&B/Hip-Hop Charts top ten hit "Never Ever", features rapper Young Jeezy and was released in January 2009. The second single, the worldwide hit "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake, was released in March 2009. Since its release, the single became a hit on numerous charts, including the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 10. The third single, "Like a Surgeon" and fourth single "Work" were both released in July 2009.
Early life

Ciara was born in Austin, Texas; She is the only child of Jackie (née Smith) and Carlton Clay Harris. She grew up on Army bases in Germany, New York, Utah, California, Arizona, and Nevada, since her father was in the United States Army. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in Atlanta. Ciara said that watching Destiny's Child perform on a television program while staying home from school inspired her to pursue a career in music but often cites Michael Jackson as her biggest inspiration.Then, Ciara joined a girl group called Hearsay and worked on her songwriting. The group recorded demos, but began to have differences. Eventually, she left the group, got a publishing deal, and found a "musical soulmate" when she met producer Jazze Pha. Ciara graduated from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia in 2003 and was signed by LaFace Records executive L.A. Reid with the help of Jazze Pha. She began production on her debut album. Ciara co-wrote a demo with songwriter Sean Garrett, who was co-writer of Usher’s international hit "Yeah!".

Career

2004–2005: Goodies

Goodies became a commercial success in the U.S., selling 2.63 million copies. The following year, Goodies received an international release, but success was limited, although the singles were worldwide hits. Ciara’s debut single, "Goodies" reached number one in United States and United Kingdom. The second and third single "1, 2 Step" featuring Missy Elliott and "Oh" featuring Ludacris were top five singles, both peaking at the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, in both countries. "And I", the fourth single, did poorly compared to the first three releases. The song peaked at ninety-six on the Billboard Hot 100.

In the summer 2005, Ciara released her DVD of music videos, documentaries, and commentaries entitled Goodies: The Videos & More and contributed to hip-hop artists' singles during Goodies success. She appeared on Missy Elliott's "Lose Control" from her album The Cookbook and Bow Wow’s "Like You" from his album Wanted, which both peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

In December 2005, Ciara went on tour with Gwen Stefani on her Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 and Bow Wow and Chris Brown for the "Holladay Jam" tour, which stopped at big cities such as New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta. She received Grammy nominations for "Best New Artist", "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" for "1, 2 Step", "Best Rap Song" and "Best Short Form Music Video" for “Lose Control”.

2006–2007: Ciara: The Evolution

On February 8, 2006, Ciara won her first Grammy Award for "Best Short Form Music Video" with Missy Elliott's "Lose Control". In April 2006, Ciara was featured on Field Mob’s Billboard top ten single "So What". The following month, she made her acting debut in the MTV Films production All You've Got, also starring Adrienne Bailon and Efren Ramirez. The summer of 2006, Ciara completed her second album, after the release of the Step Up soundtrack single "Get Up" featuring Chamillionaire. It became the second European single in the summer 2007, apart from the UK, where the song was released twice as a download-only single, once in 2006 and again in 2007.
Ciara at Screamfest '07

Ciara's second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution was released December 5, 2006. Production included hit makers such as, Jazze Pha, Rodney Jerkins, Pharrell, Bryan Michael Cox, Will.i.am and many others. The album is about Ciara's personal growth after two years in the public eye. She co-wrote and co-produced most of the songs. The official first single "Promise", produced by Atlanta producer Polow da Don, which reached eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. In October 2006, Ciara went on a seventeen city club tour until December, which she previewed new music from the album. Ciara: The Evolution debuted at number one selling over 338,000 copies, which is 213,000 more than Ciara’s debut album Goodies. The album received generally positive reviews and was certified platinum by the RIAA within only five weeks of its release. The second single from Ciara: The Evolution, the first single in Europe, "Like a Boy", was released on February 13, 2007 in the U.S. The single was the second to be released in the UK with an April 9, 2007 release date. The single was a moderate success peaking at nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100, six on the Hot Hip-Hop/R&B Singles chart, and sixteen in the UK.

In early May, Ciara teamed with Glamour Magazine to direct her first music video for emerging female artists Tiffany Evans, Paula Campbell, or Samantha Jade in the Nissan Reel Music Contest. She signed on to her second film role Mama, I Want to Sing! which filmed the summer 2007 and is due in theaters October 2008 and she became the face of Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line and spokesperson for the women campaign entitled "I Will Not Lose", which debuted in the summer. The official third single "Can't Leave 'Em Alone",which features 50 Cent was released on June 12, 2007 and peaked at forty on the Billboard Hot 100. Ciara headlined with Lloyd, T-Pain, T.I. and Yung Joc on the Screamfest '07. The tour was scheduled to begin July 24, 2007. but it was changed to August 3, 2007. During this period, Ciara was featured on teen singer Tiffany Evans's debut single, "Promise Ring". Ciara supported fellow pop singer Rihanna on the UK leg of the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour. Ciara performed "Can't Leave 'Em Alone" at the World Music Awards with 50 Cent. She won the award for "World's Best Selling Female R&B Artist" at the 2007 World Music Awards.

2008–present: Fantasy Ride
Ciara attending Maxim magazine's 10th Annual Hot 100 Celebration in Santa Monica, California, on May 13, 2009

Promotion

In September 2008, Ciara promoted the forthcoming release of the album at Austell's Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park, with her parents and fans in attendance. For the day, the roller coaster Goliath was renamed Fantasy Ride. Ciara also met fans and signed autographs. She also released a promo single for the album, titled "Go Girl", which featured T-Pain on September 30,2008. Ciara made her first stage appearance performing at Media WildJam '08, where she previewed a few unreleased tracks from the upcoming album, as well as performed past hits. Performances included new songs "I'm On", "Go Girl", "Ciara To The Stage", and "High Price". For a limited period of time UK and European customers at Foot Locker were given the chance to download an exclusive remix of "Go Girl" and had the opportunity to win a meeting with Ciara in person.[19] Ciara announced that she would release a Fantasy Ride mixtape in anticipation for the album. However only two tracks were made available, "Slow Down", featuring rapper 50 Cent.and a cover of "Diva" by Beyoncé

On Monday, February 23, 2009, Ciara made an appearance on BET's 106 & Park. There, she promoted the album, the new singles, and answered selected online fan questions. Ciara spoke about the controversy surrounding the track "Turntables" featuring Chris Brown, saying that it will be on the album, but that it might sound different in a good way. On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, Ciara was a special guest on Snoop Dogg's MTV show, "Dogg After Dark" although she did not formerly promote the album. Ciara confirmed on April 2, 2009 that she has many promotions coming up for the album including performances live in the UK and US including appearing on Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel Live!. On April 25, 2009 during the UK promotions, Ciara performed "Love Sex Magic", "Never Ever", "Goodies" and "1 2 Step" at London's G-A-Y nightclub .

Ciara appeared on BET's "106 & Park" on May 6, 2009 where she formally promoted her album, displayed some of her album artwork and co-hosted . On May 9, 2009, during an edition of Saturday Night Live hosted by Justin Timberlake and Jessica Beil, Ciara performed a special rendition of "Love Sex Magic" (featuring a James Brown interlude) with Timberlake and later appeared solo to perform "Never Ever".

In February 2009, Ciara announced in a SayNow Message, that she is hoping to embark on a worldwide tour in support of her third studio album, "Fantasy Ride", at the end of the year. In March 2009, it was also announced that Ciara will be the supporting act for Britney Spears' world tour, "The Circus Starring: Britney Spears". She will serve as the opening act at all eight of the London shows in June. It was then confirmed and announced that Ciara will continue to be the opening act for Britney's second North American leg in August. In May 2009, Ciara announced that she will also be going on a 6-city summer tour titled "Jay-Z & Ciara Live" with fellow rapper Jay-Z, which begins on July 2nd.

Release

The album was first released on May 3, 2009 in the UK where it debuted at number 10. It was released in United States on May 5, 2009. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, with 81,000 copies sold, the album has currently sold over 150,000 copies. The album is currently Ciara's most successful album overseas. A new lead single was released shortly in preparation for the album's release. The lead single is called "Never Ever", which features Young Jeezy, and was produced by Polow da Don and co-written by Ciara and Elvis “BlacElvis” Williams. The single has already made a big impact on the radio, even before the music video was released. The single is more successful so far than "Go Girl". The single reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 9 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The second single, also worldwide hit "Love Sex Magic", which features Justin Timberlake, was co-written and produced by its featured act. The single was impacted radio stations in March 2009. The single reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single reached the top 10 in other countries including the UK. The third single "Like a Surgeon" was released to radio stations on June 15, 2009. "Like a Surgeon" has already debuted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and peaks at number 59. Due to the single receiving massive radio airplay, it debuted on the chart without a official release. The fourth single "Work" which features Missy Elliott, will be released first internationally and then will be released in the US after "Like a Surgeon". The single currently peaks at numeber 56 on the UK Singles Chart, the single has already charted in Australia and Ireland. The single is expected to be officially released to UK radio on July 27, 2009.

In 2008, Ciara was featured on many albums including rapper Nelly's album Brass Knuckles and Enrique Iglesias's greatest hits album in the second single titled "Takin' Back My Love", the single reached the top ten in numerous countries including United Kingdom, she will continue to be on many more upcoming albums.

In October 2008, Billboard announced that Ciara would be honored as a "Woman Of The Year" for her success in the music industry.Ciara did interviews in many magazines including "Right On", Maxim Magazine, and Vibe Magazine, which she was promoting the new album Fantasy Ride. This followed to the Vibe Magazine controversy. On the October issue, Ciara was appearing to be naked but she has stated that Vibe airbrushed her clothes off to make it appear she was completely nude. She later confirmed to MTV News that she was in fact clothed. Ciara was quoted as saying:
“ I think, at this point, I'd rather just be quiet about things such as that but I definitely want to make it clear that I was going in to do something artistic, and I was upset that when I saw the photos, everything was gone."

* Goodies (2004)
* Ciara: The Evolution (2006)
* Fantasy Ride (2009)

T.I. has grown to truly be one of his generation’s most captivating speakers. Whether he's conversing frankly with a room full of youth about the positive side of staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, audiences are engrossed by the King of the South’s words. On September 30, 2008, he delivers his most potent and important LP to date, Paper Trail.

“I’m not doing too much pre-hype on the album,” Tip says of his new project. “I just want everyone to know that it’s coming out, and that I’m going to answer a lot of questions in the music. It’s intense and insightful; it’s gonna shake up the game and it’s me at my best.”

Paper Trail’s title is a direct reference to T.I.’s return to literally writing down his lyrics – a practice he hasn’t engaged in since his debut, I’m Serious, in 2001. Ironically, he found that going back to the basics has helped him evolve into a better MC.

“I’ve had phenomenal success on my previous albums by just going into the booth, letting the music flow through me, and being spontaneous with it. This time I wanted to try something different. My writing is a little more structured and thought out, but it’s still art at the end of the day. It’s still free-flowing.”

The new album’s official lead single is the #1 smash “Whatever You Like,” a glamorous glance into what it would be like to receive the royal treatment by the King of the South. Produced by acclaimed hitmaker Jim Jonsin, the seductive jubilation takes us to a place where the only thing more abundant than the King of the South’s endless cash flow, is his limitless flow of rhyme and melody.

"In so many of my records that I've crafted that address women, the ladies have catered to me in those songs,” Tip says. “In this particular record, I wanted to show my appreciation and reverse the roles a little. I tell the females don't worry; the sky's the limit. No desire is too great. Live your fantasy."

Paper Trail’s first street tease, “No Matter What,” is the definitive declaration of T.I.’s stance as a man undeterred and an artist unrivaled, as well as a testament to how his faith in a higher power helped him get through a very public period of turbulence in his life.

“Somehow I rise above my problems and remain here,” the hip-hop veteran raps. “Yeah, and I hope the picture painted clear./ If your heart’s filled with faith then you can’t fear./ Wonder how I face years and I'm still chillin’./ Easy, let go and let God deal with it.”

In November of 2007, T.I. was arrested on firearms possession charges. Subsequently, he was placed under house arrest for almost seven months. Earlier this year, Tip pleaded guilty and he faces jail next year. He has also been ordered to serve over 1,500 hours of community service.

“Obviously that was one of the worst mistakes of my entire life, but I will not let that mistake characterize my existence or my contribution to society,” says T.I. “I cannot go back and change the past, but I can learn from it, and teach others how a poor assessment of a situation can not only affect you drastically but also impact the ones you love. It’s something that I still have to deal with.”

There will never be a quandary too large to make T.I. give up hope. The King of the South has made the pledge to himself, his family, and his fans to always hold his head high and persevere through any predicament -- whether it be persecution, prosecution, or the loss of loved ones.

Another emotive moment on Paper Trail is “My Life, Your Entertainment.” The King talks about some of the consequences of being a high-profile celebrity and candidly speaking MC. The public gets to see both your joys and your grief played out right in front of their eyes: “My life, your entertainment./ My sorrow, your amusement./ Laugh at my pain and anguish./ So famous I could lose it." Usher guest appears.

Paper Trail isn’t a musical doctrine filled only with harrowing experiences, however. What would a King be without celebratory anthems… especially the King of the South, who has always served anthems for the clubs and streets in addition to mindful fodder in his body of work.

Without exaggeration, "Swagger Like Us (S.L.U.)" is an historic moment not just for T.I., but for all of hip-hop. The song is a lyrical collage of metaphors, braggadocio and style painted by the foursome many have nicknamed "Rap's Olympic Dream Team": Tip, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne and the record's producer Kanye West. Each MC not only displays his distinctive cool, but each ferociously attacks the M.I.A. sampled soundscape with brash wordplay showing why they all tower over rap's most elite.

“This record is nothing short of monumental,” T.I. promises. “Everyone who participated has had A-status credentials for years. It’s always great when you can work with friends of yours who you socialize with outside of music. But what’s greater is when all of those parties can come together to bring forth a classic caliber collaboration.”

"Live Your Life" pairs T.I.'s distinguished insight and smooth-as-a-silk-Louis Vuitton pocket square-delivery with bold, but sweet harmonies of fellow Grammy Award winner Rihanna.

The roster of producers on the album includes Swizz Beatz, DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, Danja, Just Blaze, and Justin Timberlake, among others. T.I. recorded over 70 songs for the album before narrowing it down to the final cream of the crop. “When I make LPs, I get into such a focus; you have to drag me out of the studio sometimes. This is my passion.”

Tip’s second professional love, as a film actor, has just taken a major step forward. He has signed a three-picture deal with Screen Gems, which will see him both acting in and producing movies. One of the projects, Bone Deep, is a heist thriller.

“Obviously that type of deal is monumental for me and my company,” the Bankhead, GA native enthuses. “I’m learning my craft as a thespian, and I know I have so much to offer on both sides of the camera. It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to fulfill my goals in Hollywood. This is the first of many big steps for me.”

Music and movies are just the tip of T.I.’s entertainment conglomerate. He’s also expanding into comedy tours, the night club and restaurant scene, management, record producing, and fashion.

“I wake up every morning feeling in my heart that my greatest accomplishments are ahead of me,” he says. “It’s the excitement that is sustained by coming up with your goals, realizing them, and then coming up with new ones.”

As 2008 progresses, T.I. continues to lend his powerful voice towards the betterment of communities across the entire country. He recently aligned himself with the Hip-Hop Caucus, an organization dedicated towards promoting voter registration and telling youth the importance of going to the polls. The initiative targets adults between the ages of 18-29 and utilizes grassroots organizing tactics to get them to use their votes in the upcoming Presidential election.

Tip's clothing line Akoo designed the "Respect My Vote" tee-shirts that are being promoted in conjunction with the “Get Out and Vote” campaign. Akoo's hard launch happens this fall, with the apparel garnering placements in major retailers across the country. Akoo’s pieces – which range from shirts to jeans – reflect Tip’s diverse and lauded fashion flair.

Since 2001, T.I. has grown to become one of the most revered and successful artists in his genre, racking up millions in album sales and a myriad of awards, among them two Grammys. In July of 2007, his conceptual masterpiece, T.I. vs T.I.P., debuted at the top of the Billboard charts, selling nearly 500,000 units in its first week of release, on its way to RIAA platinum certification. T.I. vs T.I.P. featured guest appearances from Jay-Z, Eminem, and Wyclef Jean. The album birthed the smash single, "Big Things Poppin’ (Do It)," which was also featured in an ESPN ad campaign.

In 2006, T.I. – known in Hollywood as Clifford "Tip" Harris – made his critically acclaimed star turn as the leading actor in the coming of age film, ATL. He followed up that role by acting alongside Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Ruby Dee in the blockbuster drama, American Gangster. In 2009, Harris will be tackling television with an inspirational reality show airing on MTV. The yet-to-be-titled show will center on his life on probation in the year leading up to his impending year-long jail sentence.

But first up, it’s Paper Trail, the latest chapter in the extraordinary story of T.I.

King
2006 -
Including: Why You Wanna, King Back, Undertaker, and more...
Urban Legend
2004 -
Including: Limelight, Stand Up, Tha King, and more...
Trap Muzik
2003
Including: Be Easy, Doin' My Job, Kingofdasouth, and more...
I'm a King
2005
Including: What You Know, Goodlife, Why You Wanna, and more...
King [Clean]
2006
Including: Told You So, Live in the Sky, Hello, and more...
I'm Serious
2001
Including: Intro, Why I'm Serious (Interlude), Hotel, and more...

Urban Legend [Chopped & Screwed]
2005
Including: Motivation, Limelight, Stand Up, and more...

Urban Legend [Clean]
2004
Including: The Greatest, Get Ya S*** Together, ASAP, and more...

Bring Em Out
2004
Including: You Don't Know ME [Instrumental], You Don't Know ME [Amended Album Version], You Don't Know ME [Explicit Album Version], and more...

I'm Serious [Clean]
2001
Including: Intro, Why I'm Serious (Interl

There are lots of stories about the birth of jazz and the beginning of rock n’ roll, but hip-hop has founding fathers: one of them is DJ Grandmaster Flash.

In the early 70’s Joseph Saddler was living in the South Bronx and studying electrical engineering. However, Saddler, a native of the Bronx, had a much deeper passion for music; he had been experimenting with his father’s vinyl since he was an adolescent. His knowledge of audio equipment led him to an idea that would revolutionize music: the turntable would become his instrument.

The career of DJ Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighborhood block parties that essentially were the start of hip-hop—the dawn of a musical genre. He was the first DJ to physically lay his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion, when most DJs simply handled the record by the edges, put down the tone arm, and let it play. Those DJs let the tone arm guide their music, but Flash marked up the body of the vinyl with crayon, fluorescent pen, and grease pencil—and those markings became his compass.

He invented the Quick Mix Theory, which included techniques such as the double-back, back-door, back-spin, and phasing. This allowed a DJ to make music by touching the record and gauging its revolutions to make his own beat and his own music. Flash’s template grew to include cuttin’, which, in turn, spawned scratching, transforming, the Clock Theory and the like. He laid the groundwork for everything a hip hop DJ can do with a record today, other than just letting it play. What we call a DJ today is a role that Flash invented.

By the end of the 70s, Flash had started another trend that became a hallmark of hip-hop: emcees asked to rap over his beats. Before long, he started his own group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their reputation grew up around the way the group traded off and blended their lyrics with Flash’s unrivaled skills as a DJ and his acrobatic performances—spinning and cutting vinyl with his fingers, toes, elbows, and any object at hand.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five went Platinum with their single, “The Message.” Meanwhile, the single “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” introduced hip hop DJing to a larger listening audience than it had ever known before; it became the first DJ composition to be recorded by a DJ. The group’s fame only grew with “Superappin,” “Freedom,” “Larry’s Dance Theme,” and “You Know What Time It Is.” Punk and new wave fans were introduced to Flash through Blondie, who immortalized him in their hit, “Rapture.”

The rock n’ roll establishment also recognized Flash with an honor no one else in hip hop has received: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip hop group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Flash is also the only hip hop DJ to ever receive that honor.

By the time the 90s rolled around, Flash was hand picked by Chris Rock to spend five years as the music director for his groundbreaking HBO series, The Chris Rock Show. More recently, Flash has played for audiences as large as the Super Bowl and as elite as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Today, Flash has a weekly show on Sirius Radio, The Flash Mash on Hot Jams 50. The show is a kaleidoscopic mash-up of Flash’s tastes, spanning just about any genre from just about any corner of the world; it airs on Saturdays from 5-8pm.

On top of his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Flash has been the recipient of many awards, including VH1 Hip Hop Honors; The Icon Award from BET in honor of his contribution to hip hop as a DJ; The Lifetime Achievement Award from the RIAA; and Bill Gates’ Vanguard Award.

Although Flash has been in the business for many years, he shows no sign of slowing down: this coming year promise, a new album, and he will began his descent from the analog vinyl world of DJing to enter the digital world of DJing. His DJ application of choice will be “Traktor Scratch” by Native Instruments.

Grandmaster Flash’s memoirs, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash – My Life My Beats is slated to hit bookstores on June 10. The book is penned by David Ritz, author of both Marvin Gaye’s and Ray Charles’ biographies. In this extraordinary book, Grandmaster Flash sets down Hip Hop history,sharing for the first time his personal and difficult life story—along with no small amount of wisdom and experience.

The Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of Black History Month has opened its exhibit RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture that Grandmaster Flash along with other hip hop artist such as LL Cool J, Erykah Badu and Common will be featured. The exhibition opened on February 8 and will be throughout October 8, 2008.


Message from Beat Street: The Best of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & the Furious Five
1994
Including: The Birthday Party, New York, New York, Message II (Survival), and more...

The Message: The Best of Grandmaster Flash & the Sugarhill Gang
2002
Including: Rapper's Delight, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel, Hot Hot Summer Day, and more...

They Said It Couldn't Be Done
1985
Including: Girls Love the Way He Spins, Alternate Groove, Jailbait, and more...

Grandmaster Flash the Furious Five Grandmaster Melle Mel
2006
Including: Birthday Party, Flash to the Beat, Message II (Survival), and more...

Grandmaster Flash Vs. the Sugarhill Gang
1997
Including: Livin' in the Fast Lane, Birthday Party, Rapper's Delight, and more...

Greatest Hits [Sanctuary]
2004
Including: Rapper's Delight, Rapper's Delight [Sanctuary Copyrights [1980][Mix], Flash to the Beat, and more...

The Source
1986
Including: P.L.U. (Peace, Love and Unity), Freelance, Behind Closed Doors, and more...

On the Strength
1988
Including: Leave Here, On the Strength, Magic Carpet Ride, and more...

Hits
2003
Including: The Birthday Party, Flash to the Beat, Pt. 1, Message II (Survival), and more...

Ba-Dop-Boom-Bang
1987
Including: All Wrapped Up, Ain't We Funkin' Now, Tear the Roof Off, and more...

[Biography - Amy Lee]


Amy Lee on stage

Amy Lynn Hartzler (née Lee; born December 13, 1981), better known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. Her influences range from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists like Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman, and Plumb.

Early life

Amy Lee was born to parents John Lee, a disc jockey and TV personality, and Sara Cargill. She has one brother, Robby, and two sisters, Carrie and Lori. Lee had a third sister, who died in 1987 at the age of three from an unidentified illness. The song "Hello" from Fallen has been reported to have been written for her late sister, as well as the song "Like You" from The Open Door. Lee took classical piano lessons for nine years. Her family moved to many places, including Florida and Illinois, but eventually settled in Little Rock, Arkansas, where Evanescence started. She graduated from Pulaski Academy in 2000 and also briefly attended Middle Tennessee State University.

In an interview on AOL Music, Lee said that the first songs she remembered writing were called "Eternity of the Remorse" and "A Single Tear". The first was written when she was eleven years old and wanted to become a classical composer, and the second was for an assignment when she was in the eighth grade.

Engagement and marriage

Lee revealed during the live broadcast of MuchMusic's January 9, 2007 episode of Live @ Much that she had become engaged the previous evening. She later confirmed on EvThreads.com that she had been proposed to by Josh Hartzler, a therapist and long-time friend. She noted in an interview that the songs "Good Enough" and "Bring Me To Life" were inspired by him. The couple were married on May 6, 2007, and honeymooned near The Bahamas. She has posted on EvThreads that she is "now officially Mrs. Amy Hartzler."


Lee at the 2007 Scream Awards

Evanescence

Lee co-founded the band with guitarist Ben Moody. The two met at a youth camp after Moody heard Lee playing Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" on the piano. Within a month, the pair were playing acoustic sets at Arkansas book stores and coffee houses, and they eventually recorded two EPs, Evanescence EP (1998) and Sound Asleep EP (1999), selling them at various local venues. In 2000, Evanescence recorded the longer EP Origin. This demo contains three songs from the debut album Fallen and was written by Lee and Moody: "Whisper", "Imaginary" and "My Immortal". Whereas "Whisper" and "Imaginary" were altered before being included on Fallen, "My Immortal" is virtually unchanged. A later band version of "My Immortal" was made available for download for those who had bought an official version of Fallen through their web site, but required that a CD checker program also be downloaded for verification before it would play. The band version was included on later copies of Fallen, notably the Brazilian, Bolivian, and Argentine editions.

On October 22, 2003, Moody left the band citing "creative differences". In an interview several months later, Amy said: "...we'd gotten to a point that if something didn't change, we wouldn't have been able to make a second record". She also said "We're finally a real band, not just Ben and I and a few others thrown together". Ex-Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo replaced Moody in the band, both on guitar and as Lee's writing partner.

Other projects

n 2000, Lee sang guest vocals on two of former Evanescence keyboardist David Hodges' songs: "Breathe" (The Summit Church: Summit Worship) and the unreleased "Fall Into You". She performed backup vocals for "Missing You", a song on Big Dismal's 2003 debut album Believe, and sang backup vocals on two songs with 'supergroup' The Damning Well, though her vocals were taken off the final release due to record label issues. Lee later performed a duet with her then-boyfriend Shaun Morgan on the track "Broken" for Seether's 2004 album Disclaimer II. The song was also featured as part of the soundtrack for the 2004 film The Punisher.
Lee at the 2003 Billboard Awards

In 2004, Lee claimed to be working on music for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but that the music was rejected by the studio for being "too dark and epic." However, the producers of Narnia stated that Lee was never asked to compose any music for the film, whose score was written by Harry Gregson-Williams, and that "No Evanescence music was planned for the soundtrack." While there was some speculation that one of the supposed songs had been cut and used in several tracks of The Open Door, Lee stated this was not true except for part of it being used to segue into the last track of the album, "Good Enough".

Lee became the American Chairperson for Out of the Shadows in 2006. This organization is an international foundation with the goal of providing education about epilepsy. Lee's younger brother, Robby, was previously diagnosed with this condition. The singer also made a brief guest appearance in the music video for Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down" in late 2006. As each celebrity featured in the shoot was allowed to choose what they would be doing for the video, Lee chose to appear laying flowers on a grave. Her scene was recorded at Trinity Church in Manhattan, during which she wore a black velvet coat that previously belonged to Tim Burton.

In February 2007, MTV released MTV Unplugged: Korn to television and radio, in which Lee is featured during the song "Freak on a Leash". The song was also released as the first single from the album. In November 2007, VH1 produced a mockumentary in the style of Behind the Music, titled Rock Band Cometh: The Rock Band Band Story, to promote the video game Rock Band. Lee was one of the celebrity cameos featured on the show.

In June 2008, the National Music Publishers' Association presented Lee with their 2008 Songwriter Icon Award, which "recognizes outstanding songwriters for their personal achievement".

For Walt Disney Records' September 2008 release of Nightmare Revisited, Lee sang a remake of "Sally's Song". The album contains new material and covers of songs from the original Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. Lee performed live renditions of "Sally's Song" during the October 17 Nightmare Before Christmas re-release premiere in Hollywood, California, and for an October 13 appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Discography

* Fallen (2003)
* The Open Door (2006)


P.S.

This whole summer they were working on the new album ... so just let's wait and see ...