₦airaland Forum

Please post companies which i apply for my One year IT, i studied Marine engineering at Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Any fellow nairalanders can help me free3rhyme2k3@yahoo.com or 07039461802

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM
APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

There are not asking for money, Its only for the registration fee. The form will sent to you free of charge when you are selected and you will be required to pay the money for the registration and processing. Thats all.

That's the amount to be paid to the models, You cannot compare the international standard to our local standard of paying models.

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

LEIGHTON AGENCY

Leighton Agency inc is a maverick in the discipline of representation. Ruth Leighton’s raison d'être for over thirty years has been to provide Arizona’s premium actors, models, children and voice talent.
As a SAG and AFTRA franchised agency it has dominated placing actors amongst the top networks including NBC and ABC along with models in international markets spanning from Tokyo to Paris to Milan. It has spread it’s network here in Africa, currently we have our branches in Ghana & Nigeria and hoping to spread to other parts of the country in Africa. We are looking for models to work for us for the forthcoming Ghana Fashion Awards in June, There will be a free accomodation and free feeding with the payment of $5,000 for the period of 6 months, You consider yourself stunning? send us your 3 photos in JPEG format, with your email address and phone number and your name, send it to our email (leightoninghana@gmail.com).

When selected you will receive a response on your phone and you will receive your registration form and you will be required to pay N3,000 to our partnership account and you will also fill in your bank teller number on the form. More Information is on the Registration Form.

LIMITED FOR 50 MODELS FROM 18- 35 YEARS.

WWW.LEIGHTONAGENCY.COM

APPLICATION CLOSES: 1 MARCH 2008

HEAD OFFICE
Leighton Agency inc
10049 East Dynamite Blvd. Suite D-125
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480.704.8800

BRANCHES
# 33 Creek Road, Accra,Ghana. +233485569715

# 65 King Boma Road
GRA Phase II, Port-Harcourt
Rivers State. +2348078307482

I'm a marine engineering student and this is my final year at school, and i really want all nairalanders to help me give project topics and the links on how the project will be carried out. Please help your fellow nairaland member.

All the cadets of Maritime Academy of Nigeria or Ex-cadet should buy their scratch card to update their profiles on the school's website. For easy accesible of your academic activities and other essential informations.

For interested intending craps visit our website www.maritimeacademynigeria.com

Keep on sailing no matter the high winds we are there already.

which newspaper was that? please tell me the date,month or just post a link for me.

Hi nairalanders I'm Kingsley studying marine engineering at the Maritime academy of Nigeria, i have passion for computers and i really want to make a name in the IT sector in the country especially at a young age like this, I really want to know the criteria for opening a software company, The equipment to be used in developing more softwares cds, Capitals and other stuffs, and where to get knowledge on JAVA, ORACLE, C++,C# and others.
Guys i need your help. here is my number for advise:08064851379 ( Pls for serious minded people, no flashing)

Hi nairalanders I'm Kingsley studying marine engineering at the Maritime academy of Nigeria, i have passion for computers and i really want to make a name in the IT sector in the country especially at a young age like this, I really want to know the criteria for opening a software company, The equipment to be used in developing more softwares cds, Capitals and other stuffs, and where to get knowledge on JAVA, ORACLE, C++,C# and others.
Guys i need your help. here is my number for advise:08064851379 ( Pls for serious minded people, no flashing)

I'm a cadet from Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Why did u use the word "AHOY" in this case, Ahoy is kind of word use by captains onboard ship as an alternative way of calling a Naval Officer or anybody onboard a ship

Name: Cadet Dylan Udom
School: Maritime Academy of Nigeria
Course: Marine Engineering
Age: 23
Level: ND2
Phone Number : 08064851379

I need female friends who will always call my phone and we can make midnight talks
so ladies hook me up

Introduction

This is an old technique that women used to use in the older days. It is effective and so inexpensive since the ingredients are right there in your kitchen!

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need
Olive Oil or Baby Oil
Sugar Granules

Steps

1 Hands or Feet:: Pour about 2 tablespoons of sugar in one hand. Then pour about 1 tablespoon of baby or olive oil in that same hand. If you need more oil, use your own judgment.

2 Gently start massaging and rubbing for a good 2 minutes. (Same thing with feet , massage and rub for 2 minutes, longer if you have calouses or rough feet)

3 After continously rubbing and massaging, gently wash your hands or feet off in warm water.

4 Pat dry and notice the difference in your skin! It should be soft and smooth and will remain that way for days! Repeat this process at least once every two weeks!

Introduction

The fastest and easiest way to get rid of pimples overnight!

Instructions
Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need
Toothpaste
Rubbing Alcohol
Q-Tips

Steps
1 Wash your whole face with luke warm water.

2 Apply any kind of toothpaste to the affected area and leave on for 10-15 minutes, this is the important part!

3 Once the toothpaste has been on for 10-15 minutes, wash it off and pat your face dry.

4 Now you need the rubbing alcohol, this will dry out your pimples and zap them away, get a Q-Tip and dip it in the alcohol, rub it over the affected area and go to sleep, the pimples will be gone overnight! This worked for me and it should for you.

Introduction
Sick of deodorants that fail to live up to that all day long freshness promise?

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Steps

1 Step One Choose a roll on, stick, or spray deodorant and read the ingredient list.

2 Step Two Check for the ingredient Aluminium chlorohydrate, this is the most effective antiperspirant and will stop you sweating excessively through the day.

3 Step Three Next look for the ingredient Triclosan, this is an antibacterial agent. Body odour is caused by the build up of bacteria in sweat so Triclosan effectively controls odour throughout the day.

4[b] Step Four[/b] If the product contains both these ingredients then it should be effective. If you have sensitive skin choose a product without alcohol.

Thanks cute-ass for your opinion, I don't know how to thank you for this, You have made my day.

Hello Dear nairalanders, Please help me with this situation, I'm in love with this girl and this girl is in love with me too, That she told that she is a virgin, But i did not believe her, until when she posed nude to me and told me to dip my fingers to test her faithfulness to me, But she did not allow me to go far, And that really make me love her the more, She calls me on the phone and she knows that I have planned to marry her in future even though we are still young, But the problem is that I'm 18 and she is 18 too, But i told her that i'm 20 and she too believed that i am 20 years old, How i'm i gonna tell her that i'm 18 and will the number really affect us of getting married in the future? please help Me out!
Thanks if u can help me out of this situation?

could you send the settings to my phone i'm using sendo x please send it to this email [
b]free3rhyme2k3@yahoo.com[/b].

Sometimes, guys can feel lost when trying to have relationships with shy girls. This article discusses exactly how to make her feel great, and how to make the relationship last.

Steps

Determine what kind of shy your girl is.
If the girl is vague and trails off when speaking, she is conversationally shy.
If she is outgoing, but never gets past the small talk, she is cover-up shy. You might feel like she is hiding who she really is, when in fact, she may have been hurt in the past and is afraid to open up.
If she withdraws when you touch her or becomes more quiet or just changes herself in order to send negative signals, then she is physically shy.
Contemplate why she is shy (in whatever way), and then when you decide on a reason, speak to her.
Speak to her tenderly, so not to scare her off. Begin with a question, that seeks understanding and does not seem accusatory. Something like, "Why don't you ever talk to me?" is absolutely not appropriate. "(Name), Is there something you need to talk about?" is better.
Try to gain her trust. Just because you haven't earned her trust yet, it does not mean she doesn't like you! She does! Remember, she's already going out with you.
Have sincere and open conversations. If relationships were games of pinball, these conversations earn you a bonus round.
Ease into a physical relationship. You have to move slowly, embracing and honoring her boundaries. Begin with something subtle: tuck her hair behind her ear, hold her hand, slip your arm around her waist.


Tips
Be careful and smart, and always honor her wishes
Do not feel offended if she doesn't warm up to you immediately, everything takes time.
Conversation is key!

Warnings
Remember, shy girls are usually emotionally tender, so please, for Pete's sake, be K-I-N-D!

Hello what do u guyz think about the new videos of P -SQUARE?

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Eminem, is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning American rapper and occasional actor.

He was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri,[1] and was raised in Detroit. Discovered by rapper and producer Dr. Dre, Eminem got his big break when he signed with Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, becoming a crossover sensation with his debut single "My Name Is" and simultaneously earning respect for his technical and lyrical ability.

Eminem is noted for his ability to change his vocal pace and style multiple times within one song without losing the beat, and has been praised for his skill in alliteration and assonance. He's also infamous for the controversy surrounding many of his lyrics. With the enormous success of his highly acclaimed album The Marshall Mathers LP and its subsequent nomination for four Grammy awards including Album of the Year, critics such as GLAAD denounced his lyrics as homophobic and misogynist, while others protested that it promoted violence.

The most recent release from Aftermath was a greatest hits album from Eminem called Curtain Call: The Hits in 2005, a compilation covering many of his previous commercial hit songs, in addition to three new tracks. Mathers has stated that he is taking a break from solo work, but is in no way retiring as he continues to produce and collaborate with his fellow Aftermath artists as well as G-Unit artists and rappers under his Shady Records label.

To date, Eminem has sold above 76 million albums worldwide. He is, according to the Guinness World Records, the fastest-selling rap artist as The Marshall Mathers LP sold over 1.7 million domestic copies in its first week and looks set to be the worlds best selling rapper by 2007

Early life

By most accounts, the Mathers family was poor, which was the primary reason for their constant moves, during which Marshall and his mother would often find themselves living in trailers, mobile homes, and under the care of relatives. From time to time they would also live in their car (this is where Eminem's little brother was born). During this time, Debbie Mathers was taking the prescription medications Vicodin and Valium; Marshall Mathers later claimed in numerous interviews and songs that his mother was abusing the drugs,[2] to which she retaliated with a lawsuit pressing defamation charges (see below). In the song "Cleaning Out My Closet" (The Eminem Show, 2002), Mathers also accuses his mother of having Munchausen syndrome by proxy, adding that "my whole life I was made to believe I was sick when I wasn't." This was not the first time someone had suggested she had the disorder; a social worker had made similar comments following a 1996 investigation of her mistreatment of her second child, Nathan Samra-Mathers.

Mathers was especially close to his uncle, Ronald "Ronnie" Polkingharn, who was born just three months before him, on July 27, 1972. Polkingharn introduced Mathers to hip-hop and the two were best friends. On December 14, 1991, 19-year-old Polkingharn committed suicide, an event which Mathers has said was devastating, not just to him but to the entire extended family. Ronnie Nelson's older brother Steven suffered a stroke as a result of the stress. Mathers was so distraught he abandoned his musical career for a year. References to Ronnie's death appear in several songs, including "Stan", "Cleaning Out My Closet", "Mockingbird," and "My Dad's Gone Crazy." Mathers has a tattoo on his upper left arm that says "Ronnie R.I.P."

Before dropping out of Lincoln High School in Warren at the age of 17 (after failing ninth grade three times), Mathers made a number of significant acquaintances at the school one of them included Evan Perks a 3 time chess champion that got shot in a drive by and also included the late rapper Proof, who was to become one of his closest friends, and future wife Kimberly Ann "Kim" Scott, with whom he soon developed a long-term relationship. When she became pregnant, Mathers started working on getting a record deal to support his new family; He discusses this in "Never 2 Far" (Infinite, 1996), saying "I got a baby on the way, I don't even got a car, I still stay with my moms, we gotta make some hit records or something [because] I'm tired of being broke, " When the Infinite album failed to generate the revenue and acclaim he had hoped for, she ended their relationship, preventing him from seeing his newborn child, a daughter named Hailie Jade Scott (born December 25, 1995); distraught, he attempted suicide with an overdose of Tylenol. After the attempt failed, he resumed his efforts to succeed in the music industry and reconcile with his ex-girlfriend.(Linda Swanna) [3] He ultimately succeeded in doing both, marrying her on June 14, 1999, in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Mathers would go on to mention his daughter extensively in some of his songs, including "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" (The Slim Shady LP, 1999), which takes the form of a one-sided dialogue with Hailie, as well as "Hailie's Song" (The Eminem Show, 2002), "Mockingbird" (‘‘Encore’’, 2004), and "When I'm Gone" (Curtain Call: The Hits, 2005), all of which are proclamations of his love and dedication to her. In addition, he samples her voice in the track "My Dad's Gone Crazy" (The Eminem Show, 2002).


Early career
Interested in rap from a young age, Mathers began performing as early as 13, later gaining some popularity with the group, Soul Intent. In 1996, he released an independent underground album, named Infinite The album received much airplay and a mixed critical response, with people claiming Eminem's rapping style sounded too similar to Vanilla Ice. It was after this, that drugs, drama and negativity spread in his life. Mathers followed Infinite with The Slim Shady EP demo, which saw his lyrics take a decidedly darker turn, in songs like "No One's Iller" and "Murder Murder", the latter in which he talks about having to commit crimes to feed his daughter. He became famous in the hip-hop underground because of his distinctive, cartoonish style and the fact that he was white in a predominantly black genre. Fellow rapper Snoop Dogg refers to him as rap's "great white American hope" in the song "Bitch Please II" off of Eminem's Marshall Mathers LP.

Eminem had done a notable amount of work with fellow Detroit emcee Royce da 5'9" early in his career. They referred to themselves as Bad Meets Evil, with Eminem playing the evil and Royce playing the bad in the song of the same name on The Slim Shady LP. Royce da 5'9" and Eminem were considered to be two of the best underground emcees in Detroit and were both respected for their battling skills. The Jay-Z song "Renagade" uses Eminem's verses from a song originally done with Royce called "Renegade". The song's first verse ends with the words, "Royce, he's the king of Detroit, " which was replaced with Eminem making beat box noises for Jay-Z's "Renagade" (note that the two songs are spelled slightly differently). Eminem makes a reference to Jay-Z using his verses in a song when he claims "Go bring Jay-Z, tell him I'm a ghost-write for him on Dre's beats" from "Stir Crazy" that he recorded with The Madd Rapper.

While the two were great friends and had mutual respect for one another both personally and musically, they eventually had a falling out. Royce later had an altercation with D12 and made numerous songs defaming and disrespecting the group; however, very few lines were aimed at Eminem himself, none of which were direct attacks. The relationship between the two is unknown at the moment but no talks of a collaboration have surfaced. Recent rumors suggest that the argument was subdued prior to Proof's death.

It is said that rap artist and producer Dr. Dre found Mathers' demo on Interscope Records president Jimmy Iovine's garage floor. While this did not directly lead to a recording contract, Dr. Dre agreed to sign Mathers when he won second place versus Otherwize, (though some sources say it was, in fact, MC Juice who defeated him) at the 1997 Rap Olympics freestyle battle. Other sources state that an executive at the offices of Interscope handed the demo to Iovine who passed it to Dre, which resulted in a contract.


Success

Album cover of The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)At Aftermath/Interscope, Mathers released The Slim Shady LP, which went on to be one of the most popular albums of 1999, going triple platinum by the end of the year. It moved nearly 1.5 million units in it's opening week. With the album's enormous popularity came controversy surrounding many of the album's lyrics. In "'97 Bonnie and Clyde", he describes a trip with his infant daughter, disposing of the body of his wife. Another song, "Guilty Conscience," ends with him encouraging a man to murder his wife and her lover. "Guilty Conscience" also marked the beginning of the powerful friendship and musical bond that Dr. Dre and Eminem would share. The two label-mates would later collab on a line of hit songs, including "Forgot About Dre" and "What's The Differrence" from Dr. Dre's highly acclaimed album 2001.

The Marshall Mathers LP was released in May 2000, quickly selling two million copies. It was the fastest selling rap album of all time. The first single released from the album, the hit: The Real Slim Shady, was a huge hit, thanks in part to the catchy rhythm and chorus line, "Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?" (adapted from the catch phrase of the TV quiz show To Tell the Truth). It also created some buzz by insulting celebrities and making dubious claims about them; he implies, among other things, that Christina Aguilera performed MouthAction on Fred Durst (of Limp Bizkit) and Carson Daly (of MTV's Total Request Live). "The Real Slim Shady" is widely considered to be Eminem's "signature" and best commercial single. In his second single, "The Way I Am," he reveals to his fans the pressures from his record company to top "My Name Is" and sell more records, and dismisses the alleged controversial link between music such as that of Marilyn Manson and shootings such as Columbine High School as absurd, instead blaming the parents. In the third single, "Stan" (which samples Dido's "Thank you", Eminem attempts to deal with his new-found fame, taking on the perspective of a deranged fan who kills himself and his pregnant girlfriend, mirroring "'97 Bonnie & Clyde" on The Slim Shady LP. To this date, "The Marshall Mathers LP" is widely considered to be Eminem's greatest achievement, and a hip-hop classic.

Mathers' third major album, The Eminem Show, was released in summer 2002 and proved to be another smash hit for the rapper shooting to number one on the charts and selling well over 1 million copies in its first week of release. It featured the single "Without Me", an apparent sequel to "The Real Slim Shady", in which he makes derogatory comments about boy bands, Limp Bizkit, Moby, and Lynne Cheney, among others. The album reflected on the impact of his rise to fame, his relationship with his wife and daughter, and his status in the hip-hop community. He also addresses the charges he faced over assaulting a bouncer he saw kissing his wife in 2000. While there is clear anger present on several tracks, this album was considerably less inflammatory than the previous, and as such did not face any protests of misogyny and homophobia that had plagued The Marshall Mathers LP.

2004 saw the release of Mathers' fourth major album, Encore. The album was another chart-topper for the rapper, driven by the formulaic single "Just Lose It", notable for its lampooning of Michael Jackson. Despite the comedic theme of the lead single, Encore also had its fair share of serious subject matter, including the poignant anti-war track "Mosh". By the end of 2005 Mathers was back with a new single, "When I'm Gone", recorded for the greatest-hits set Curtain Call: The Hits.

Mathers has achieved six UK #1 singles, more than any other rapper, and has also had the most #1 singles in the UK in the 21st century by an American artist and also it makes him the best selling music artist of the 21st Century so far.


Legal troubles
Mathers' rise to celebrity ushered the beginning of his numerous legal troubles. The first of these was his mother's lawsuit against him in September of that year. The lawsuit was motivated by comments on her drug use made in song My Name Is, specifically the lyric "I just found out my mom does more dope than I do," ", make a record about doing drugs and name it after her", and similar accusations in numerous interviews. She denied the statements and demanded more than $10 million in damages for defamation in two lawsuits. After rumors of Debbie dropping the suit, she reached a settlement with her son in 2001 for $25,000, with over $23,000 of it going to her former attorney, Fred Gibson, by a court order.[1] Debbie's request for reconsideration of the settlement was denied by a judge.[2] Mathers' resentful reflections on the case can be heard on the songs "Marshall Mathers" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) in the lyrics "my fuckin' bitch mom is suing for 10 million/ she must want a dollar for every pill I've been stealin'", and on "Without Me" (The Eminem Show, 2002) in the lyric "I just settled all my lawsuits/Bleep you, Debbie!"

With Mathers' rise to stardom, new disputes arose between him and his wife, centering on her dissatisfaction over the graphic fictional account of her husband murdering her and dumping her body in a lake in the songs "Kim" (The Marshall Mathers LP, 2000) and "'97 Bonnie & Clyde", respectively. The tension between the couple came to a boiling point when he witnessed her kissing another man, one John Guerrera, outside the Hot Rocks Café in Warren on June 4, 2000. Mathers threatened Guerrera with an unloaded 9 mm semi-automatic firearm and allegedly proceeded to pistol-whip him.[3] Although, Guerrera is mentioned in "Sing For The Moment" on The Eminem Show, in the line "you're full of shit too, Guerrera, that was a fist that hit you!" On the previous day, Mathers was allegedly involved in a heated dispute in Royal Oak, Michigan with Douglas Dail, an associate of the rap group Insane Clown Posse, with whom Mathers had an ongoing rivalry. On The Marshall Mathers LP, on the track "Marshall Mathers," Eminem calls ICP's Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent Jay "gay 2 Dope," and "Silent Gay," as well as "you two little flaming gays." Furthermore, a skit on this album features the character of "Ken Keniff" (a stereotypically mincing, predatory homosexual) graphically receiving MouthAction from the ICP pair. During the confrontation, Mathers was observed to be holding a gun, which he kept pointed at the ground.[4] Being taken into police custody during the Hot Rocks Café incident, Mathers was charged with misdemeanor charges of brandishing a firearm in public, assault with a dangerous weapon, and two counts of concealed weapon possession, in two separate trials. After a plea bargain in the John Guerrera case, which concluded on April 10, 2001, Mathers pleaded guilty to weapon possession in exchange for the assault charges being dropped, receiving two years of probation,[5] and was ordered to pay $100,000 in damages at the conclusion of the case evaluation in 2002.[6] In the Dail case, he pleaded nolo contendere to the charges of firearm possession and brandishing, receiving one year of probation, enforced concurrently with the sentence from the first case.[7] He would later recount the former incident in the songs "Say Goodbye Hollywood", "Soldier" (The Eminem Show, 2002) and the preceding interlude "The Kiss". At the Up n' Smoke tour in 2000, Mathers also attacked ICP, referring to them as "Insane Clown Pussies" on the intro of his hit "My Name Is".

While the trials were in the beginning stages, things were only getting worse for Mathers, when on July 7, 2000, Kim attempted suicide in the couple's Clinton Township, Michigan home by cutting her wrists. (Mathers talks about this incident from Hailie's point of view in the song "When I'm Gone." This prompted Marshall to file for divorce a few months later,[8] which was promptly countered by Kim with a lawsuit that sought to deny him custody of their daughter and $10 million in defamation damages.[9] Within weeks, however, they settled the lawsuit, and agreed to joint custody of their daughter, with Kim gaining physical child custody, granting him "liberal visitation rights."[10] By the end of the year, the couple reconciled, agreeing to dismiss divorce claims and live together.[11] Mathers mentions her suicide attempt and the Hot Rocks Café incident on the Xzibit song "Don't Approach Me" (Restless, 2000). In "Halie's song", off "The Eminem show", Eminem states in the third verse how happy he was that his wife Kim didn't have their daughter Halie aborted, however the actual word "aborted" is backmasked in the song (much like an inflammitory line about President George W. Bush on "We As Americans" .

The reconciliation, however, would not last, as she filed for divorce in 2001, which was finalized in October of that year, granting joint physical and legal custody of Hailie to both parties, as well as requiring Mathers to make child support payments.[12] There was further turbulence in their relationship when Kim was sentenced to two years of probation for felony cocaine possession in 2003. This was not her first such incident, as she had previously faced similar charges in 2001, although they were eventually dropped.[13] The incident was not to be her last, however, as she was sentenced to 30 days in jail in 2004, after failing a drug test for cocaine while still on probation.[14] Mathers makes numerous references to her cocaine use on the Encore album, including "you're a fucking cokehead slut" and "mama developed a habit" in the songs "Puke" and "Mockingbird," respectively. Their relationship since their divorce remained in an indecisive "on-again, off-again" state for a long time.


The aftermath
Mathers was no stranger to drugs and alcohol, as suggested by a large number of his songs, including the acclaimed "Drug Ballad", "These drugs(with D12) and "Under the Influence." The song "I'm Shady" (The Slim Shady LP, 1999) includes the explanatory line "well, I do take pills (ecstasy or prescription drugs), don't do speed / don't do crack, don't do coke / I do smoke weed / don't do smack / I do do shrooms, do drink beer / I just wanna make a few things clear." Other tracks do suggest cocaine use, although he has never been in a law enforcement incident involving drugs. However, with the sentence of two years of probation taking effect in 2001, during which he was subject to mandatory regular drug testing, his recreational drug use was put to an end. This fact is supported with references to his drug use in his music, which all but disappeared after 2001, and comments by late band mate Proof, who states that Mathers "sobered up".[15] However, with rising pressures and workload in his professional career, he found it difficult to get the rest he wanted, and turned to Zolpidem sleeping pills for relief. His use of the drug eventually became so severe, that in August 2005, he cancelled the European leg of his ongoing tour, and checked into a drug rehabilitation clinic for treatment. [16]


Remarriage and second divorce
Mathers remarried Kim on January 14, 2006 in Michigan. His best man was longtime friend and D12 member Proof (who was shot to death in a Detroit night club three months later), while Kim's maid of honor was their daughter Hailie. They walked down the aisle to Mathers' song "Mockingbird." Guests at the wedding included the other members of D12, as well as the members of G-Unit. Kim's mother attended the wedding, while Mathers' mother did not. However, less than 11 weeks after remarrying Kim, he filed for divorce at the Macomb County clerk's office.[17], citing "a breakdown in the marriage relationship," (which, in Michigan, is the only reason one can give for cause of divorce.) On April 5, 2006, the news was leaked to the Detroit Free Press and MTV's Total Request Live.


Recent events
In 2005, some industry insiders speculated that Mathers was considering ending his rapping career after six years and several multi-platinum albums. Speculation began in early 2005 about a double-disc album to be released late that year, rumored to be titled The Funeral. The album manifested itself under the name Curtain Call: The Hits, and was released on December 6, 2005 under Aftermath Entertainment.

In July 2005, the Detroit Free Press broke news of a potential final bow for Mathers as a solo performer, quoting members of his inside circle who said that he will begin to fully embrace the role of producer and label executive. The Free Press, Mathers' hometown paper, wrote that the aptly titled Encore album would now stand as his final solo album. [18]

Mathers recently announced via MTV News that he does not plan on retiring soon, though he is planning on taking a break to produce music. He is still uncertain whether another album will be released, but his career has not come to a full stop. He is continuing to work out of the spotlight, including producing the Redman album Red Gone Wild.

At "Anger Management" in Madison Square Garden and Atlanta's HiFi Buys Amphitheater, he openly announced that he is not retiring and indicates this is all just gossip by saying the moon exploding is a more credible rumor. However, many still speculate that he will be retiring and the announcement at Madison Square Garden was only a ploy to distract the fans.

Adding to the already feverish rumors from fans, Mathers released a track on Curtain Call entitled "When I'm Gone." The lyrics feature the topic of Slim Shady's destructive power over Marshall Mathers' life, and talks of laying his alter ego to rest, one line featuring the lyrics "I turn around, find a gun on the ground, cock it/ Put it to my brain, scream 'Die Shady!' and pop it. *gun fires*"

On December 6, 2005, the day of Curtain Call's release, Mathers denied that he was retiring on Detroit-based WKQI's "Mojo in the Mornin'" radio show, but implied that he would at least be taking a break as an artist, saying, "I'm at a point in my life right now where I feel like I don't know where my career is going , This is the reason that we called it 'Curtain Call,' because this could be the final thing. We don't know." [19]

Eminem has had some activity since the release of Curtain Call. Eminem also rapped a verse in a live performance of Busta Rhymes' "Touch It" remix at the 2006 BET Music Awards on June 27, 2006.

On August 15, 2006, Obie Trice released Second Round's on Me. Eminem produced 8 tracks on the album. He was also featured in the song "There They Go".

Eminem is featured in a new Akon single "Smack That" which will appear on Akon's new album Konvicted. He also appears in the video with a new tattoo and a green polo. According to Akon, Eminem has cancelled his retirement plans and is making a new album. He said, "Eminem told me he was getting bored with everything, which is why he took a break. But he's back working on his his new album Infinite II and I've got some records ready for him to use on it. We've talked about doing something together for so long, but our schedules made it impossible. It was our chemistry that got him out of retirement."

Producer Swizz Beatz has also said in an interview that he has sent some new tracks to Eminem.


Album cover of The Re-Up (2006)On December 5, 2006, Eminem will be releasing a album compilation titled Eminem Presents: The Re-Up which will feature artists from the Shady Records Roster. Currently the first confirmed single is "You Don't Know" which features 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and new artist Cashis.


Controversies
Alleged homophobia
With the enormous popularity of The Marshall Mathers LP, the controversy surrounding him grew even larger, especially when it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Though Mathers had always claimed that his lyrics were not meant to be taken seriously, and that he had nothing against homosexuals or women, the gay rights group GLAAD organized a boycott of the Grammys. Mathers responded to this by rapping "Stan" on-stage with openly gay singer Elton John, ending the performance by hugging John. This gesture failed to appease many of his critics. He said he did not know Elton John was gay, but he told Kurt Loder after the awards show that he respected him: "Of course I'd heard of Elton John," Eminem said, "but I didn't know he was gay. I didn't know anything about his personal life. I didn't really care, but being that he was gay and he had my back, I think it made a statement in itself saying that he understood where I was coming from." [20]


Racist tapes
In the midst of the Benzino-Eminem beef, Benzino found two tapes of a young Eminem rapping what could have been believed to be racist. Among the two songs, Eminem said, "I don't like that nigger shit" and also that "black girls only want your money." As soon as the songs became public, Eminem immediately released an apology for the controversial songs. Eminem would again apologize for the songs on the song "Yellow Brick Road" off his album Encore. Eminem tried to explain how the songs came to being made in that the first song was him trying to sound "whack." The second he said he did after a bad breakup with a girlfriend who was black. Immediately after the release of Eminem's first apology, Def Jam CEO Russell Simmons came out in accepting Eminem's apology and since then outside of Benzino other rappers have not dissed Eminem over the "racist" songs.


Violence towards women
The two 'eye-opening' songs most often cited as examples in The Marshall Mathers LP of Mathers' supposed misogyny were "Kill You" and "Kim." Critics claimed the former portrayed extremely violent abuse against women in general and contained a line about him raping his own mother. The latter is not so much a song as it is a reenactment of a fictional fight between him and his wife, although his shouted, hoarse lines do rhyme. Despite his conflicting expressions of love and hate throughout the track, he ends up slitting Kim's throat at the end, accompanied by cries of "Bleed, bitch, bleed!" Several people objected to the graphic description of domestic violence. On the clean version of the CD, the track was removed and replaced with a song almost entirely devoid of profanity called "The Kids."


[edit] Criticism of other artists
Eminem's provocative style has resulted in a number of high-profile feuds erupting between the rapper and some of his music industry peers. He has at one time or another had disputes with artists including Ja Rule, former Source magazine co-owner Raymond "Benzino" Scott, Everlast, Royce Da 5'9", Canibus, Insane Clown Posse, Vanilla Ice, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Will Smith, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Fred Durst, DJ Lethal, Jermaine Dupri, Moby, Nelly and Christina Aguilera.


[edit] "We as Americans"
On December 8, 2003, the United States Secret Service admitted it was "looking into" allegations that Mathers had threatened the President of the United States after the unreleased song "We As Americans" leaked onto the Web. The lyrics in question: "Bleep money / I don't rap for dead presidents / I'd rather see the president dead / It's never been said, but I set precedents, ". The song was being recorded to possibly be on Encore, but wound up on a bonus CD accompanying the album instead. The second use of the word "dead" was backmasked in that version. The skit was also used in Immortal Technique's song "Bin Laden", stated near the end. Immortal Technique also attacks the president on the song.

Michael Jackson
On October 12, 2004, a week after the release of "Just Lose It", Eminem's first single off Encore, Michael Jackson called into the Los Angeles-based Steve Harvey radio show to report his displeasure with the video, which parodies Jackson's child molestation trial, plastic surgery, and an incident in which Jackson's hair caught on fire while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984. The lyrics to "Just Lose It" also refer to Jackson's legal troubles. Many of Jackson's supporters and friends spoke out about the video, including Stevie Wonder, who called the video "kicking a man while he's down" and "bullshit",[21] and Steve Harvey who declared, "Eminem has lost his ghetto pass. We want the pass back." [22] In the video, Eminem also parodied Pee Wee Herman, MC Hammer, and a Blonde-Ambition-touring Madonna.


Album cover of Encore (2004)Black Entertainment Television was the first channel to stop airing the video. MTV, however, announced it would continue airing the video, and "Just Lose It" became the #1 requested video on Total Request Live for the week ending October 22. The Source, through its CEO Raymond "Benzino" Scott, wanted not only the video to be pulled, but the song off the album, and a public apology to Jackson from Mathers.[23]

Others dismissed "Just Lose It" as a tame "Weird Al" Yankovic-style knockoff.[24] Regarding Jackson's protest, Yankovic, who parodied the Eminem song "Lose Yourself" on a track titled "Couch Potato" on his 2003 album Poodle Hat, told the Chicago Sun-Times, "Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my "Lose Yourself" parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career. So the irony of this situation with Michael is not lost on me".


George W. Bush criticism
On October 26, 2004, a week before the U.S. presidential election, 2004, Eminem released the video for his song titled "Mosh" on the internet. The song features a very strong anti-Bush message, with lyrics such as "Bleep Bush" and "this weapon of mass destruction that we call our president." The video features Mathers gathering up an army of people presented as victims of the Bush administration and leading them to the White House. However, once the army breaks in, it is revealed that they are there to simply register to vote, and the video ends with the words "VOTE Tuesday November 2" on the screen.

After Bush won the election, the video's ending was changed to Eminem and the protesters invading while Bush was giving a speech. None of the publicity helped the album however, which saw its sales stall at 5 million copies, a number dramatically lower than his past two albums.


September 11, 2001 attacks
Later in 2005, Eminem appeared on the song, "Bin Laden", written and produced by Immortal Technique and DJ Green Lantern. The song blames U.S. conservatives, the Reagan Doctrine and President George W. Bush for the September 11, 2001 attacks It is available on the mixtape "Shade 45: Sirius Bizness".[25]

It must be noted however, that Eminem never wrote any new material for the song and only appears through samples of other songs he made, the most notable being 'Patiently Waiting' from 50 Cent's debut album Get Rich Or Die Tryin', in which he claims that the hijackers that hit the World Trade Center were actually aiming for the headquarters of Shady Records.

Drug rehabilitation
In summer 2005, Mathers embarked on his first US concert run in three years, the Anger Management 3 Tour, featuring Lil' Jon, 50 Cent and G-Unit, D12, Obie Trice, The Alchemist, and others. In August 2005, Mathers cancelled the European leg of the tour and subsequently announced that he had entered drug rehabilitation for treatment for a "dependency on sleep medication."

At the same time as he was entering rehab, his aunt and uncle, Jack and Betty Schmitt, sued him, charging that he had reneged on a promise to build a $350,000 house for them and supply them with money for the house's upkeep. The couple claimed that Mathers had kept the house in his name, and then issued them eviction orders.

Literary praise
Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney has praised Mathers for his "verbal energy" and for arousing popular interest in poetry and lyrics.[26]


Other works and ventures
Eminem as an actor
Mathers made his Hollywood acting debut with the semi-autobiographical 8 Mile, released in November 2002. He has said the movie is not an account of his life, but a representation of how growing up in Detroit. He recorded several new songs for the soundtrack, including "Lose Yourself," which won an Academy Award for Best Song; it was not performed at the ceremony, reportedly because ABC wanted him to perform an edited version.

Mathers has also done some voice acting, both on Crank Yankers and a web cartoon called The Slim Shady Show, which has since been pulled offline and is instead sold on DVD.

Mathers has also been linked to "Songs of Hope" by U2 and supported the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Leary Fire Fighters Foundation with various proceeds donated to these causes. In "", he expressed support for American troops, but speaks against the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Bush administration. The Raelians Religious Movement, a religious group whose beliefs are centered around communication with extraterrestrial life, tried to appoint him as an honorary priest. In addition, he has raised STD awareness in a number of songs portraying infected people having promiscuous sex with numerous partners. He also created Shade 45, distributed by Sirius Satellite Radio.


[edit] Shady Records
Dr. Dre's leading protégé, Mathers succeeded in multi-platinum record sales. He was granted his own record label, a sub-label of Aftermath Entertainment. He and his manager Paul Rosenberg created Shady Records in late 2000. Mathers and Dr. Dre had signed 50 Cent on a joint venture between Aftermath & Shady Records. His own Detroit collective D12 and rapper Obie Trice were signed to the Shady Records label. In 2003, Mathers and Dr. Dre signed on Atlanta rapper Stat Quo to the Shady/Aftermath roster. DJ Green Lantern, the former deejay for Mathers, was signed to Shady Records until a dispute with 50 Cent forced him to depart from the label; he is no longer associated with Mathers. The Alchemist is now officially Mathers' tour deejay. In 2005, Mathers officially signed another Atlanta rapper known as Bobby Creekwater to his label along with west coast rapper Ca$his.

In the Anger Management Tour of 2003 The Alchemist hurt his wrist, preventing him from being the tour's DJ. Clinton Sparks filled in for him, and his name is mentioned on the album numerous times.


Eminem as a producer
Mathers is also active as a producer of rap records. Besides being the executive producer of D12's two albums, Devil's Night and D12 World, he has also produced numerous tracks on Obie Trice's Cheers and Second Round's On Me as well as 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. In addition, Mathers has produced and appeared on several songs by other famous rappers, such as Jadakiss' "Welcome To D-Block", Jay-Z's "Renegade" and "Moment of Clarity" Lloyd Banks' "Warrior Part 2", and "Hands Up", Tony Yayo's "Drama Setter", Trick Trick's "Welcome 2 Detroit," and Xzibit's "My Name" and "Don't Approach Me". Most of The Eminem Show was produced by Mathers himself, with co-production from longtime collaborator Jeff Bass. He also split the production with Dr. Dre on Encore. In 2004, Mathers executive-produced 2Pac's posthumous album Loyal to the Game with 2Pac's mother Afeni Shakur. He also produced the UK Number 1 single 'Ghetto Gospel' which featured Elton John. On certain tracks on the album, 2Pac's voice was slowed down or sped up, and digitally altered to say things like "2005" and "G-Unit," angering many fans. He also produced Akon's "Smack That". It has also been confirmed that Eminem has produced a track for Chamillionaire called "I Don't Give a Shit" on his up coming album Ultimate Victory.


Eminem in D12
In 2001, Mathers brought his rap group, D12, to the popular music scene. In 2001, D12 released their hit debut album Devil's Night.

The first single released off of the album was "Purple Pills", an ode to recreational drug use (although this was preceded in the UK by a song called "Shit on You", which was included on the special edition version of the album). The version of the song released on the radio and music television was heavily rewritten to remove many of the song's obscene lyrics, and renamed "Purple Hills." While the first single was a massive hit, the album's second single, "Fight Music", was not as successful, in part due to its timing in relation to the 9/11 attacks.

After their debut, D12 took a three-year break from the studio, later regrouping to release their sophomore album, D12 World, in 2004, which featured the popular hit single release "My Band." The other members of D12 have also appeared as guests on all of Mathers' albums since The Marshall Mathers LP. D12's third album was tentatively scheduled for a 2006 release. D12 member Bizarre had said that the crew had spent time in the studio. However, it can be expected that the album may be postponed due to the untimely death of D12 member Proof.

Robert "Bobby Valentino" Wilson, born on February 27, 1980 in Jackson, Mississippi, is an African-American R&B singer. He was raised in Atlanta, Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. Valentino first entered the music scene in 1996 with the now-defunct youth quartet Mista. Some years after Mista disbanded, he enrolled in Clark Atlanta University where he majored in Mass Communications, graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He is currently signed with Island Def Jam music imprint and is a member of Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace label. His first single, 2005's "Slow Down", from his self-titled debut album became a top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, receiving a huge amount radio and TV airplay. In 2005, he also joined other R&B/hip-hop acts including Bow Wow and Omarion on the Scream 4 Tour. Valentino released a second single from his debut album titled "Tell Me". Bobby got the moniker "Valentino" because his parents expected him to be born on Valentine's Day, but he was born thirteen days later. His first single of his new album Special Occasion (Which is being released on February 13, 2007) is titled "Turn The Page". The long-running legal dispute between Bobby and the UK violinist of the same name has apparently now been settled, with the US artist allowed to use the name anywhere except in the UK.

Bobby Valentino is 5'3.5" tall

Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974)[1], best known by the stage name Lil' Kim, is an American Grammy Award winning female rapper who rose to fame in the mid 1990s. Lil' Kim is known for her hardcore, raunchy style of rapping and her controversial sexual image and lyrics. She is known to have paved the way for many following female artists such as Foxy Brown, Trina, Eve, Shawnna, and Remy Ma.

Lil' Kim is one of the most, if not the most successful female rapper of all-time. With four solo albums, and one group album with Junior MAFIA, Lil' Kim has sold more albums than any solo female rapper in history, with over 19 million albums sold worldwide. She is the only female rapper to have a Classic 5 Mic rated album by The Source. Along with rapper Missy Elliott, she is the only female rapper to have three consecutive Platinum albums to her credit. She has four #1 rap singles, and seven Top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lil' Kim is one of two female rappers in history (the other being Shawnna) to ever have a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, for "Lady Marmalade".
Biography

Early years
Kimberly Jones was born and raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York. At the age of nine, her parents divorced, leaving her at home with her father. The relationship between Jones and her father was frequently negative and at one point ended when Kim attempted to stab him after a physical fight. Kim's father moved to another state, which left her homeless. She eventually went back with her mother, where they both lived out of a car. Jones was purportedly living on the streets when she met Christopher Wallace a.k.a. rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was a key figure in both her personal and artistic life, particularly when Wallace had gained popularity and influence through his relationship with Bad Boy Records.

The Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Hard Core

Hard Core (1996)In late 1994, Wallace was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn based group Junior Mafia, which included Jones (aka "Big Momma" or "The Lieutenant" at the time. The group's first and only album was titled Conspiracy. The group released their first single, "Playas Anthem", which went on to top the Rap charts. Perhaps notably for a young female, Lil' Kim wrote all 16 bars of her verse on the song. The next singles, "Need U Tonight" featuring Aaliyah, and "Get Money," were both certified gold and made the top 20 on the Hot 100. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. To date, the album has sold 1.1 million copies, making it Platinum.

After a year with Junior Mafia, Jones began a solo career by recording her debut album. Hard Core was released on November 12, 1996. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Rap Chart's selling over 100,000 copies in the first week, also making it the highest-charting album by a female rapper on the Billboard 200 charts, at the time. The album's lead single "No Time", a duet with Puff Daddy, reached the #1 spot for nine weeks on the Rap Charts. The single quickly went platinum. The album later produced the 2X Platinum-selling single "Crush On You" and the platinum single "Not Tonight"(Remix). "Not Tonight"(Remix) saw Lil' Kim team up with Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Da Brat and Left Eye of TLC. The song was released and went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also earned Lil' Kim her first Grammy Award nomination and was the first of several awards she received. In March 1997, her mentor and secret lover Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in Los Angeles. Kim was devastated; she would often pay homage to him in her future recordings. Following this event, she sunk into deep depression, stopped promoting Hard Core, and took a break from the music scene for a while. Meanwhile, Hard Core went on to sell over 2 million copies in the US alone and over 5 million copies worldwide, making it the most successful album by a female MC to date. Although her future album, The Naked Truth, was a 5mic, many critics claim Hard Core to be a Classic Album as well as a major step forward for female rappers.


The Notorious KIM

The Notorious KIM (2000)From 1998-1999, Kim toured and modeled for various fashion and pop culture companies including Candies,Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat. In 1999, she performed P. Diddy's "No Way Out" tour. In the same year, she launched her own label Queen Bee Entertainment. In late 1999, she recorded her sophomore album, utilizing a style in hip hop known as Pop-Rap in a few of her songs. On June 27, 2000, Kim released her second album The Notorious KIM. The album marked a new image and revamped look for the rapper. Despite the limited success of its singles, the album was a smash and debuted at #4 on the Top 200 Albums Charts, and #1 on the Hip-Hop/R&B charts. It was certified platinum by the RIAA. It went on to sell well over 3 million copies worldwide.

Moulin Rouge
In 2001, Lil' Kim teamed up with Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Mýa to remake the soulful "Lady Marmalade," which was originally performed by the group Labelle (which included diva Patti LaBelle) 25 years earlier. The song was recorded for the Moulin Rouge film soundtrack, released in April 2001, and stayed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. The song also went to #1 in 50 countries around the world. This was a big accomplishment for female rap, as well as for Kim, who scored her first #1 Hot 100 hit and became the first and only female rapper in history to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lady Marmalade also garnered Kim her first Grammy Award.

In 2003, Lil' Kim recorded a new entrance theme for then World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Women's champion Trish Stratus entitled, "Time to Rock 'n Roll", which was used during broadcasts, until Stratus' retirement. The single was released on WWE Anthology, a compilation of entrance theme music to various Professional Wrestling superstars.


La Bella Mafia

La Bella Mafia (2003)On March 4, 2003, Kim released her third critically acclaimed album, La Bella Mafia. Highly rated (4.5 mics) by music magazine The Source. La Bella Mafia spawned the hit "The Jump Off" featuring Mr. Cheeks, which climbed to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. Then came the single "Magic Stick" feat. 50 Cent, which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100 without a video ever being shot.

La Bella Mafia debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It soon went Platinum and sold over 1.7 Million copies by the end of 2003. Kim was nominated for five Source Awards and won two ("Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year", and "Female Single of the Year". This album also got two Grammy Award nominations: Best Female Rap Solo Performance ("Came Back For You" and Best Rap Collaboration ("Magic Stick". She was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with singer Christina Aguilera for the song "Can't Hold Us Down", from Aguilera's album Stripped.


Criminal conviction and The Naked Truth

The Naked Truth (2005)On March 17, 2005, Kim was found guilty of conspiracy and perjury for lying to a grand jury about her friends' involvement in a 2001 shooting outside the Hot 97 studios in Manhattan — involving the entourage of rap duo Capone-N-Noreaga and her reported fellow Brooklynite rival Foxy Brown. She claimed not to have known that her manager (Damion Butler), and another friend (Suif “Gutta” Jackson) were at the scene, despite video footage showing all three exiting the building. Both men have pleaded guilty to gun charges since. In July 2005, she was sentenced to a one-year-and-a-day in the Philadelphia Detention Center. She had requested to go to a camp center in Connecticut to be closer to her mother, but instead was ordered to report to the Philadelphia Detention Center. Many people were outraged over this stern sentence because Martha Stewart, who was also convicted of perjury during the same time period, was only sentenced to 5 months in a small women's camp in Alderson, West Virginia. Her lawyer stated that, "A year and a day is actually less than a year sentence, because according to federal sentencing guidelines, if there's an extra day, time is credited to you". A parole bill was filed that reduced her sentence. Throughout her entire jail sentence, Kim's representatives declared that she was busy working; she wrote over 200 songs while in prison.

Despite her conviction, Kim released a fourth album, The Naked Truth, during her sentence on September 27, 2005. It earned her a 5 mic rating from The Source, making her the first and only female rapper to ever accomplish this feat. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 charts, giving Kim her fourth Top 10 debut on the charts.

The music video for The Naked Truth's first single, "Lighters Up" was number one on BET's 106 & Park for two weeks. "Lighters Up," was a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The second single, "Whoa" was released on February 17, 2006. It reached reached No. 22 on Airplay. On March 9, BET premiered the show Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, which was filmed before Kim headed to jail. The show became the highest rated premiere in BET history, with 1.9 million viewers, 1.7 rating, 1.4 million households. A second season is currently in the works showcasing Lil' Kim in her post-prison lifestyle. The show will air in the Spring of 2007.

In May 2006, Debbie Harry released a Lil' Kim tribute song called "Dirty and Deep" in protest of her conviction. The song is available free from the Deborah Harry Home Page.

On June 6, 2006, Lil' Kim "The Dance Remixes" was released. It features 10 remixes of her most popular songs.


Post-prison
On July 3, 2006, Kim was released from the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center. Hundreds of fans and supporters gathered around the prison as she made her release, holding a "Welcome Home" balloon and a dozen roses. After she waved to her fans and gave speeches to news reporters, Kim left in a 2007 Rolls Royce Phantom with a driver, telling the crowds, "Thank you, I love you all." According to her assistant, Kim was welcomed home by five different parties, including one hosted by VIBE magazine.

Lil' Kim is now looking for a new record deal. The rapper's attorney, L. Londell McMillan, said on Aug. 10 that Kim and her label, Atlantic Records, are currently "having discussions" about her deal and whether or not she will continue to make music under the company's title.

"We do wish Atlantic would release and simply free Kim," stated McMillan, who also said that he "cannot confirm the details at this time" regarding the possible split from Atlantic.

At this time Atlantic Records would like for Lil'Kim to continue to make music under their label, but there has been no word as of yet, whether Lil' Kim will remain with the label. According to her lawyers, Atlantic is offering Lil'Kim a whole new deal, but Interscope is trying to buy Lil'Kim's contract.

There has also been discussion about a possible re-release of The Naked Truth and Lil' Kim has released a re-mastered version of "The Game's In Trouble" to radio, but nothing has been officially stated. Lil' Kim also recorded a mixtape track entitled "Brooklyn 4 Life" with fellow rappers Maino and Papoose. It is unsure at this time if this track will make an official release.

Lil' Kim gave her first post-prison performance at this years VH1: Hip-Hop Honors 2006. Lil' Kim paid tribute to veteran rapper MC Lyte. Kim performed, "Lyte As A Rock" for Lyte's tribute. Lil' Kim stated "MC Lyte has paved the way for many rappers including myself, and I was honored to show respect for an amazing woman."

Lil' Kim is also slated to appear in two new movies, including one about her life. She has both a clothing and shoe line which will be available in Summer 2007. She has also signed a lucrative book deal about her life. The second season of her reality show "Countdown To Off Lockdown" will premiere in Spring 2007 on BET.


Philanthropy
Lil' Kim recently started a foundation called "Lil' Kim Cares." It is a charity project that gives help to anyone who contacts the foundation via e-mail at lilkimcares.com. During Christmas 2005, Kim's charity, along with her good friend Zab Judah's charity, donated toys, clothing and food to underprivileged families in Philadelphia.

From 2000-2002, Lil' Kim and best friend, singer Mary J. Blige, were spokeswomen for MAC Cosmetics and raised a record $4 million for people living with AIDS.

In October 2006, Lil' Kim became a Mentor for a young lady from a charity event sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and others from the Democratic Party.

Eve (born Eve Jihan Jeffers on November 10, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American rapper, singer, and actress associated with the Aftermath crew. She adopted the name Gangsta in high school as part of an all-female group called EDGP (pronounced Egypt), and eventually went solo as Eve of Destruction

Career
Eve is an actress and rapper who has sold millions of albums during her musical career. Eve's first three albums have so far already reached over 3.6 Million copies sold in the U.S. alone. She has been awarded 1 Grammy Award over the years. In 2003 Eve became the star of her own TV show, Eve, which lasted for 3 seasons.

Music
After a period of working as a stripper, Eve returned to hip-hop at the encouragement of rap superstar Ma$e; she recorded "Eve of Destruction", which appeared on the soundtrack to Bulworth in 1998 (see 1998 in music). Her label, Aftermath Records, found itself in financial trouble and Eve was soon without a record contract. She had, however, befriended DMX and appeared on a remix of his hit single "Ruff Ryders Anthem" from his multi platinum selling debut album, It's Dark and Hell is Hot, along with other Ruff Ryders' compilations. Her next single, "What Ya Want", featuring Nokio of Dru Hill, soon became a hit, and she collaborated with The Roots, Blackstreet and Janet Jackson, which further expanded her fan base. Her 1999 debut, Let There Be Eve, Ruff Ryders First Lady, was an unprecedented success, becoming the second hip-hop album by a woman to enter the Billboard 200 at #1 (the first was by Brooklyn rapper, Foxy Brown).

The follow-up, Scorpion, was released in 2001 to good reviews. Its first single, "Who's That Girl" guaranteed the rapper first international success. The second single, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (with Gwen Stefani of No Doubt) became a pop success, peaking at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, and Scorpion eventually went platinum.

Eve's third album, Eve-Olution, was released in summer 2002 (see 2002 in music) and peaked at #6 on Billboard. In the meantime, the album's first single, "Gangsta Lovin'", with Alicia Keys, became another #2 hit. The second and final single, "Satisfaction", only saw moderate success again. Eve-Olution, was a flop and became Eve's worst selling album to date. Afterwards, Eve closed out 2003 by signing to UPN for a television show about a fashion designer titled, Eve, and a feature on Mary J. Blige's single, "Not Today".

In 2005, the rapper appeared on Gwen Stefani's top ten hit "Rich Girl", which peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March. The same year, she appeared on the remix of Amerie's #8 US Hot 100/#1 US R&B single from the Hitch Soundtrack, "1 Thing."

Currently, Eve is working on her fourth solo album Here I Am on Aftermath Entertainment/Full Surface Records (she is still signed to the Ruff Ryders Records and to their management company). The record is said to involve by Dr. Dre, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz and Scott Storch, and guest appearances by Adam Levine, Shakira and possibly Gwen Stefani. [[1]]


Acting
Eve appeared in Bleep with Vin Diesel, both Barbershop and Barbershop 2 with Ice Cube, The Cookout with Queen Latifah and Meagan Good, and The Woodsman with Kevin Bacon in mid 2004. She also voiced Major Jones in the video game XIII. She also voiced one of the villains of the short-lived Spiderman cartoon on MTV.

In 2003, Eve starred in the UPN television sitcom, Eve, as a fashion designer named Shelly. The show lasted three seasons until it was cancelled May 2006.


Personal life
Eve is no longer romantically involved with Teodorín Nguema Obiang [2], son and heir of a Equatorial Guinean dictator. In 2003, a nude photo of what appeared to be Eve with another woman leaked on the Internet. At the time, Eve said of the photo: "I used to strip, so it could be me or it could not be me." She also said, the person who released the photo had tried to blackmail her. In 2005, a clip of a sex tape she created in 1999 was leaked on the Internet. She took legal action to have sites remove the clip.

Shad Gregory Moss (born March 9, 1987) is an American rapper and actor. He is best known as Lil Bow Wow or Bow Wow. He is listed in the Guinness World Records as the "youngest solo rapper to ever hit number one".[1]

Biography

Early life
Bow Wow was born in Reynoldsburg, Ohio,[2] a suburb of Columbus, to Teresa and Alfonso Moss. His father left the family (though Bow Wow claims they are still in contact), and his mother re-married to Rodney Caldwell; Bow Wow grew up with his step-father and has two step-siblings. When he was five, he started his career in rap using the moniker "Kid Gangsta". One year later, in 1993, he performed at a Chronic tour in Columbus, and was noted by rapper Snoop Dogg, who subsequently gave him a stage name, "Lil' Bow Wow".[2] Snoop later hired him as an opening act, officially gaining him a spot on the Death Row Records roster. Also "Lil' Bow Wow" appeared on a skit on Snoop's debut Doggystyle. By 1998, Bow Wow was introduced to record producer Jermaine Dupri,[2] who helped shape his career.


Career
At the beginning of his career, Bow Wow was first a part of the Death Row Records artist roster, with his name appearing in various magazine and poster advertisements for the label. In 2000, he released his first album, Beware of Dog and became a successful recording artist under Dupri's mentorship; the same year, Bow Wow's single, "Bounce With Me", was also successful.[2] After the success of Bow Wow's debut album, he released 2002's Doggy Bag, which contained, among others, the songs "Thank You" and "Take You Home". During this time, he removed "Lil'" from his professional name.[2] He eventually broke out on his own in 2003 with the album Unleashed, which was his first without Dupri's writing assistance; the album's sales were lower than that of his first two.[2] In addition to his own albums, Bow Wow has contributed to Will Smith's Wild Wild West album, and had a guest appearance on Brandy's TV sitcom, Moesha as well as The Steve Harvey Show.

Bow Wow made his acting debut in 2002's Like Mike, where he starred as a young orphan who gets a shot at the NBA. He also co-starred with Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams, and Solange Knowles in Johnson Family Vacation. Bow Wow has appeared in commercials for Twix, Campbells, and Verbs. He has participated, as the headlining act, in every Scream Tour except for the last. Bow Wow also performed live with Chris Brown at the 2006 Kids' Choice Awards on Nickelodeon and appears on rapper Miss Nana's album I Got The Hood, Volume 1 as a host.

In 2005, Bow Wow released his fourth album, Wanted, on which he once again worked with Jermaine Dupri.[2] The album featured two singles that reached #1 on the R&B charts, "Let Me Hold You" (featuring Omarion) and "Like You", featuring Ciara. [1] Since the success of Like Mike, Bow Wow has starred in several Hollywood films, with the latest, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, released on June 16, 2006. He has described the film's director, Justin Lin, as "the best director" he has ever worked with.[1] Bow Wow has also developed a clothing line entitled Shago. In July of 2006, he received a Hollywood Life award for being "the most exciting crossover artist".[1]

Bow Wow is currently working on his fifth studio album and expects the project to be out in December of 2006. Bow Wow describes the album as "edgier" and more "mature" than his last one;[3] he has also noted that the album, which he describes as his biggest to date, may also be his last.[3] The first single, "Shortie Like Mine",[3] video will world premiere on BET on October 11 and will feature singer Chris Brown.[4] Bow Wow has also committed to appearing in at least two more film roles. The script for one of the films, named Mr. President, is currently being re-written.[3] Bow Wow's fifth album is titled "The Price of Fame".

Bow Wow has been dubbed as "The Prince of Hip-Hop" and "Mr. 106 & Park"

Bow Wow became the second celebrity to appear on the reality prank show, Punk'd, more than two times. During his first appearance, he was tricked by Ashton Kutcher for losing some borrowed jewelry. The second time involved singer Omarion.

Bow Wow's fifth album The Price of Fame will be released on December 19, 2006. It is lead off by the single "Shortie Like Mine," which debuted at number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Shortie Like Mine" is said to be about past girlfriend, Ciara. On Access granted for "Shortie Like Mine," he talked about the song being about everything that he's experienced in the last 8 months ( about the number of months since his public break up.) The album, he said, has to do with all he's experienced in the last year and a half.

Bow Wow has recently cut off his signature braids for the second time in his career.

Bow Wow owns his own McDonalds in Atlanta,Ga

Bow Wow was a guest star on the television show Smallville in November 2006 in the episode entitled "Fallout".

Bow Wow's cartoon "Homeboyz" debuts on MTV late Dec/early Jan