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Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980 in Atlanta, Georgia), best known by the stage name T.I., is an American rapper.

Background
T.I. is from the streets of lair Bankhead Zone 1. His original stage name, T.I.P., stems from his childhood nickname "Tip", which he got from his grandfather. Due to his southern drawl, many fans mistook his name for "Chip", so he began spelling it out "T.I.P". During this time, T.I.P was also popularly known to be the acronym of "Ten Inch Playa," denoting Harris' generous anatomic endowment. Upon signing with Arista Records subsidiary LaFace Records in 2001, he shortened his name to T.I. out of respect for label mate Q-Tip. He is also known to go by "Rubberband Man" and the self-proclaimed "King of the South" (which has created several cases of controversy between other southern rappers, such as Lil' Flip and Ludacris)

T.I. has four children. Their names are Messiah Harris, Damani Uriah Harris, Deyjah Harris, and Clifford Joseph "KING" Harris III whom he has with 90's singer Tiny.

He is the leader of a rap group known as P$C (love-vendor Squad Click). His debut album I'm Serious was released through Arista Records in 2001, which spawned the single of the same title which featured reggae vocalist Beenie Man. His debut album included Pharrell Williams of The Neptunes (who named him the Jay-Z of the south), Jazze Pha and Youngbloodz. However, the album did not sell very well, and he was dropped from the label. Undaunted, he formed Grand Hustle Records and released several mixtapes with the assistance of DJ Drama, which created an underground buzz. He resurfaced in the summer of 2003 on Bonecrusher's song "Neva Scared". He parlayed this attention towards the release of his second album, Trap Muzik. It was more of a success than his debut album because of the singles "24s", "Be Easy", "Rubber Band Man", and "Let's Get Away". The success of the album was followed by some controversy: while on tour, T.I. was charged with violating his probation over a 2003 drug charge, and turned himself in. He was sentenced to three years in prison. While there he was granted rights to film the music video for "Let's Get Away".


Rise to fame
After his second CD Trap Muzik sold over 900,000 copies in the U.S., T.I. released Urban Legend in late 2004. Urban Legend instantly generated crossover success with the hit single "Bring 'Em Out". He used a sample from Jay-Z's "What More Can I Say" from The Black Album to create the hook, and featured production from Ruff Ryders's producer Swizz Beatz. The album featured Trick Daddy, Nelly, Lil Jon, B.G., Mannie Fresh of the Big Tymers, Daz Dillinger, Lil' Wayne, Pharrell of the Neptunes, P$C and Lil' Kim. The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard 200. At the beginning of 2005, T.I. enjoyed success alongside Lil' Wayne on the Destiny's Child song "Soldier", which proved to be a worldwide smash hit.

His latest album, King debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart on April 4, 2006, selling over 520,000 copies in its first week. In 2005 he launched his own film production company called Grand Hustle Films, signed a multi-artist joint venture deal for his label with Atlantic Records, and established a music publishing deal for Grand Hustle Music with Warner Chappell. He also produced the soundtrack to the film Hustle & Flow and released the collection through Grand Hustle/Atlantic. He also did the same for the debut album of his group P$C, 25 To Life. He has also starred in the film ATL.

On television, T.I. was seen on MTV's Diary and Punk'd after being tricked by Ashton Kutcher on his way to his own concert held at Fresno, California.

On a recent MTV interview, T.I. has stated that in early 2007, after the sequel to his movie ATL hits theatres, his next studio album, T.I. vs. T.I.P., will quickly hit afterwards,in 2007. T.I. will also be making appearances on upcoming albums by Beyoncé, 2pac , Justin Timberlake, and Young Dro. [1]

T.I. has collaborated in the studio with John Mayer, and their is 2007 tentative release date for the material.


Disputes
In 2004, T.I. received an early release from incarceration, and returned to music with some disparaging words for rival rappers Lil' Flip and Ludacris. T.I. also called out Ludacris over an old disagreement their crews had with one another. Ludacris made a music video in which a person in a shirt that resembeled a Trap Muzik shirt was seen being beaten, and, whether the resemblance was intentional or not, the feud between T.I. and Ludacris progressed. T.I. later recorded a song with G-Unit rapper Young Buck originally featuring Lil Jon. T.I.'s verse seemed like a diss to Ludacris and Young Buck did not want to be a part of it. Young Buck told Ludacris about this and Ludacris decided to get on the same song and diss T.I. In his song "I'm Talkin' To You", he mentions Word of Mouf, maybe subliminally, but is present none the less.

T.I.'s verse was omitted from the original track listing and replaced with The Game. According to website [2], T.I. was on a Houston radio station talking about the situation between himself and Lil' Flip. They since have discontinued this feud after a closed door meeting between the two. The feud was documented by the Houston Press [3].

On T.I.'s album King, there are several tracks which have been disputed by the hip hop community to be shots at Lil Flip ("What You Know", "You Know Who" and "I'm Talkin to You". In an interview with a popular online hip hop website on March 24, 2006, T.I. was quoted as saying he and Lil Flip have no beef. This is somewhat contradictory to the events that occurred during Young Dro's video "Shoulder Lean". As Young Dro delivers the line "Lucky Charm Diamonds man, but nah, I ain't Flip". T.I. is seen making a laughing gesture towards the video camera.


Death of T.I.'s friend and assistant
In the early hours of May 3, 2006, T.I. and his entourage were involved in a gunfight after leaving a concert after-party at the Club Ritz, a nightclub in Cincinnati, Ohio[4] that has a history of problems with the law. Four members of T.I.'s entourage were shot in the altercation. T.I.'s personal assistant Philant Johnson was killed and Janice Gillespie was seriously wounded by the gunfire.[5] It is believed that the altercation began at the Ritz when members of T.I.'s entourage threw money into the crowd,[6] angering male audience members.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the feud began at the city's Club Ritz during an after-party for the Atlanta rapper and his protege Young Dro -- who performed earlier that evening at the club Bogart's -- and moved outside, where shots were fired into two vans transporting T.I.'s crew just after three o'clock.

"[The money] was supposed to be for the ladies," one witness said. "But it was hitting guys in the face, and they were like, 'We had money before, so why are you throwing money at us?'"[7]

When the situation grew tense, T.I. reportedly told his group to head out. A witness outside told the Enquirer that one shot -- believed to be unrelated to the ensuing gun battle -- was fired in the parking lot and at least four people followed the vans in a large vehicle. The person that died was T.I.'s personal assistant and best friend Philant Johnson.


Community work
T.I. has stepped up his community involvement as well, taking the lead on several initiatives to help the victims devastated by Hurricane Katrina, including personally donating $50,000 to the relief effort while leading an on-air Labor Day pledge drive on Atlanta's V-103 FM that raised over $263,000 for Mississippi rapper David Banner's "Heal the Hood" Foundation. He also partnered with David Banner and Atlanta newcomer Young Jeezy for a two-day food and clothing drive at Atlanta's Club Vision and co-headlined a massive benefit concert on September 17, sharing the bill with heavyweights such as Nelly, OutKast's Big Boi, and David Banner - with 100 percent of the proceeds going to "Heal the Hood."

In addition to his Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, T.I. worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center in Atlanta, provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls Clubs, and headlined Boost Mobile's RockCorps concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which featured such performers as Fat Joe, Slim Thug, and Kanye West, and was held exclusively for community service volunteers. In June 2005, The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Foundation, named for the deceased member of multi-platinum female group TLC, and Atlanta's V-103 honored T.I. with the 2005 Lisa Lopes Award for groundbreaking achievements in music and community service which was court ordered. With this steady list of growing accomplishments T.I. is being recognized as the "Jay-Z of the South." according to Pharrell Williams of multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.

Young Jeezy (born Jay Jenkins on October 12, 1977) is a popular American rapper. He used to use the stage name Lil J. Jenkins was born in Columbia, South Carolina, but as a toddler moved to Macon, Georgia. Formerly signed to Bad Boy Records as a member of the hip-hop quartet Boyz N Da Hood, he now works as a solo artist for Def Jam Records and his own record label, Corporate Thugz Entertainment. Young Jeezy is often referred to (by himself and others) as the Snowman; this is widely assumed to be a reference to his previous occupation as a cocaine dealer. He has no relation with Atlanta rapper Yung Joc.[1] Young Jeezy was arrested after an alleged shootout in Miami Beach, Florida, involving some of his friends, police said Sunday, March 12, 2006. The rapper was charged with two counts of carrying a concealed firearm without a permit, however, he was acquitted over lack of evidence.

Gang Affiliation
Young Jeezy has reported to be a Crip from Mac Town. He has confirmed this in his song "Stay Strapped" (a diss song to Gucci Mane). He has also stated he was a Crip in his song "Bang" when he says "Catch me bouncing in the club with my Crip flag

Black Mafia Family
Young Jeamal has been associated with a crew of criminal associates known as The Black Mafia Family that resides in Detroit, Michigan, Inkster, Michigan, Ecorse, Michigan, Montréal,Québec and Atlanta, Georgia. The Black Mafia Family is currently under investigation by the FBI special task force for organized crime and their association with the Crips. Jeezy maintains his association with the group but is not under direct investigation

Music
In interviews and on several records, Young Jeezy has affirmed his resistance to commercialism in his music. Maintaining his street credibility, according to Jeezy, is of the utmost concern to him as an artist.[citation needed] Young Jeezy is known for his unusual work ethic and deep appreciation for a hard day's work. This is represented in several of his songs and interviews.[citation needed]

Boyz N Da Hood's self-titled album was released on June 21, 2005 and peaked at #50 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Young Jeezy's solo album debut with Def Jam, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, was released on July 26, 2005 and debuted at #2, selling 172,000 copies in its first week.[citation needed]

In 2005, Young Jeezy was featured in several popular hip-hop songs including Gucci Mane's "So Icy" and Boyz N Da Hood's "Dem Boyz". In 2006, he was featured in Christina Milian's single "Say I".

In 2005, Young Jeezy recorded a remix of "Go Crazy" with artists Jay-Z and Fat Joe. The success of this song rocketed Young Jeezy to nation-wide status. Jeezy is currently planning to record Beast of Both Hoods, a mixtape with Harlem rapper Juelz Santana. Young Jeezy has several recognizable phrases, such as a long, drawn-out "That's Riiiight!!!", "Ay", "Daammnnn", "Yes sir", "Let's get it!", "Cheee-ahhh!", and "Yeeeehaaah".[original research?]


Beef
Young Jeezy partially wrote and performed on Gucci Mane's hit single, "Icy". Supposedly, Jeezy was never paid properly for his services. Those in Gucci Mane's camp have suggested that gang members from the Macon area attacked Gucci Mane to defend Young Jeezy's honor.[citation needed] Young Jeezy put out a track called "Stay Strapped" dissing Gucci Mane to the beat of T.I.'s song "A.S.A.P." Young Jeezy took a shot at Mane on the track, rapping "even his own momma know, Radric Davis a bitch". In a recent Cutmaster C mixtape, The Hood News Page 3: Jay-Z Boycotts Cristal, Mane disses Jeezy along with Fred Durst and Beyoncé in his track, "745". Jeezy also addresses Mane in the same mixtape, in the track "Break It Down", featuring Cmillz.

Sean Paul Henriques (born January 8, 1975 in Kingston, Jamaica), better known by his stage name Sean Paul, is a popular dancehall deejay

Early life
Sean Paul spent his early years "comfortably" (according to his VH1 biography) [1] in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica, a few miles north of his birthplace, Kingston. His parents were both talented athletes, and his mother a well-known painter.[2]

Sean Paul has multiracial origins. He is the son of a Jewish father (whose Portuguese family emigrated to Jamaica in the 17th century) and Chinese-Jamaican mother. In line with his Sephardi heritage, he was a pupil at the island’s Hillel Academy, a non-religious school funded by the local Jewish community.

Asked about his background, he quotes:

"My grandmother on my mother's side was born in Coventry, England, but the rest of my grandparents were Jamaican in origin. My mother's father, however, is Chinese and my father's father is from Portuguese descent. My grandmother on my father's side is mixed with black and white."[3]
Sean Paul claims to be a direct descendant of Solomon through his father.[4]

Many members of Sean Paul's family are swimmers.[5]. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team.[6] His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer.[7] Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one.[8]. However, he quit to launch his musical career.

Musical career

Stage One (2000)Dancehall music was Sean Paul's first love, and he became proficient at crafting rhythm tracks. He became a deejay after writing his own songs, basing his style largely on the works of Super Cat and Don Yute. The latter was later to become his idol and mentor. Sean Paul was closely connected to the reggae-pop band Third World. His brother, Jason 'Jigzag' Henriques, helped him open up business connections. Sean Paul released his debut single "Baby Girl (Don't Cry)" with producer Jeremy Harding in 1996. It proved a significant success, and led to further Jamaican hits like "Nah Get No Bly (One More Try)," "Deport Them," "Excite Me," "Infiltrate," and "Hackle Mi."

In 1999, Sean Paul started to attract audiences in the United States. He was commissioned to collaborate with fellow dancehall hitmaker Mr. Vegas on a production for rapper DMX, entitled "Top Shotter". The song went on to be included in the film Belly (dir. Hype Williams). Paul also recorded the Jamaican chart-topper "Ladies Man" with rapper Spanner Banner, through the latter's label, Sweet Angel Productions.


Sean Paul's best-selling album to date is his second release, Dutty Rock (2002)The success of "Ladies Man" resulted in Sean Paul being approached by the then little-known Harding, who burst on the scene with his production of Beenie Man's crossover hit "Who Am I" and most famously recorded "Baby Girl (Don't Cry)" with Sean Paul. The following single, "Infiltrate," joined the singer's combination hit in the Jamaican top charts. Also that year, Paul scored a top ten hit on the Billboard Rap chart with "Hot Gal Today," which quickly became his signature tune. Sean Paul fell out very publicly with Mr. Vegas over the packaging of Vegas' remix of "Hot Gal Today," but this did not slow Sean Paul's career momentum.

In March 2000, Paul released his first album, Stage One, on VP Records, which included many of his previous hit singles and compilation cuts, plus several new tracks. He played the Summer Jam 2000 in New York City, where he was held in high acclaim. Sean Paul's fanbase grew tremendously with fans from all over the world. Also in 2000, Sean Paul appeared on the Toronto-based Baby Blue Soundcrew album, Private Party Collectors Edition. He appeared on its first single, "Money Jane", which also featured Kardinal Offishall, and Jully Black.he announced the release of his second album, Dutty Rock. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy," the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe," both chart hits in 2003, and helping to push his reputation further still in the United States.
He then appeared on Punk'd, 106 & Park, Sean Paul Respect, Making The Video (Get Busy, Gimme The Light, Like Glue, We Be Burnin' and Temperature) and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits include Get Busy, Gimme The Light, Baby Boy, Temperature, and Give It Up To Me (feat. Keyshia Cole). On September 27, 2005, Henriques released his third album called The Trinity.
Sean Paul spent part of 2006 opening for Mariah Carey's Adventures of Mimi Tour; his stage patter during these shows was almost exclusively directed towards "all the sexy young ladies in the house." The Trinity was a solid success sold about 3.8 million copies worldwide.
Sean Paul started work on his fourth album in September 2006[9] and currently features on the single "Break it Off" (High Altitude Riddim) with Rihanna, on her A Girl Like Me album. This track is part of a 'riddim set'- a group of artists singing on the same rhythmic base. He intends to include more "politically minded" songs in his fourth album, to be released in spring of 2007.[10]
Sean Paul is rumored to make up words in his songs. Such as in Gimme The Light, after he says Pass The Dro, he says Poosanana Mackalamoe.

culled from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P_diddy



Sean John Combs (born November 4, 1969[1]) is an American entertainment mogul, record producer, actor and rapper. As of October 2006, his nickname and recording name is Diddy (adopted in August 2005); previously, he had been known as Puff Daddy and later P. Diddy (Puff or Puffy being often used as nicknames, but never as recording names). He is still called P. Diddy in the UK after a legal battle with another artist called Diddy.

Diddy presides over a media empire that includes the record label Bad Boy Records, the clothing lines Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company, and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's "Making the Band," writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor.

Being the founder and CEO of Bad Boy, one of the driving forces in moving hip hop music mainstream, resulted in Combs becoming one of the wealthiest people in the entertainment industry. He first worked as a label executive, first for Uptown Records and later for his own label, signing and developing acts such as Father MC, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Craig Mack, Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, 112, Ma$e, Usher, Dream and Carl Thomas. The label rose to prominence in 1994 with the release of B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, and would continue its success into the late 1990's, although Biggie's death and the departure of several artists from the label have made it significantly less prominent. Recently, Sean and his girlfriend, Kim Porter, have revealed that Kim is pregnant with twin girls. The couple have a son, Christian, 9. Sean also has another son, Justin, 12, from his previous relationship with stylist, Misa Hylton-Brim.

Early years
Born in Harlem to Melvin and Janice Combs, Combs grew up in the suburb of Mount Vernon. When P. Diddy was two, his father Melvin, a Muslim, was shot dead in his car on January 26, 1972 at age thirty-three in Manhattan park following a party he attended. Melvin was rumoured to be a drug dealer.

After completing his private secondary education at the Roman Catholic Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, Combs attended Howard University in Washington, DC before becoming an intern at Uptown Records,

Establishing Bad Boy
With the help of Russell Simmons, he tried to sign Tupac Shakur who he thought was the best rapper at the time to jump start the label. However, Tupac refused. Both Mack and Biggie quickly released hit singles, followed by similarly successful LPs, particularly B.I.G.'s Ready to Die. Puff Daddy, as he was then known, began signing more acts to Bad Boy, including Faith Evans, 112 and Total, as well as producing for Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, SWV, Aretha Franklin and others. Mase and The Lox soon joined Bad Boy, just as a widely publicized rivalry with the West Coast's Death Row Records was beginning. Combs and Notorious B.I.G. were criticized and parodied by Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight, in songs and interviews during the mid 1990s. Shakur was murdered in 1996. Six months later, on March 9th 1997, the Notorious B.I.G. was murdered weeks before the release of his successful album, Life After Death.

Combs' performing career
Diddy has recently finished recording his latest LP, entitled Press Play, featuring collaborations with, among others, Christina Aguilera, Nas, Big Boi, Twista, Just Blaze, Pharrell, Brandy and Mary J. Blige which was released on October 17th, 2006.

It was reported that Diddy would be singing on all the tracks of this album, but that was proven false as, on the album's first single, "Come To Me" (featuring Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls), he did not sing at all, but rather did his traditional rapping. He raps on all the singles, but there are just several R&B collaborators, so it seems like an R&B album. "Tell Me" featuring Christina Aguilera is slated to be the follow up single. An interesting fact about this song is that during season 2 of Diddy's popular MTV series Making the Band 3 the girls were asked to demo the hook of this song as a test from Diddy.


Controversy
He has been criticized as watering-down and overtly commercializing hip-hop for a mainstream market, as well as overusing samples and interpolations of past hits for the majority of his own hit songs. The Onion parodied this phenomenon in an article titled "New rap song samples Billie Jean in its entirety, adds nothing."[2] He has also been criticized for claiming to have invented the remix. Nevertheless he has been enormously successful, with a current estimated worth of $346 million and growing.[3]

In 1991, Combs promoted a concert headlined by Heavy D. The concert was held at a City College of New York gymnasium following an AIDS charity basketball game. The event was massively overcrowded; it was oversold to almost twice the capacity of the gymnasium. In addition, thousands without tickets were outside. In order to keep them from sneaking in, Combs' people shut the only door to a stairwell and put a table behind it, despite the crowd jammed inside pounding on the door and pleading for help. At some point people in the crowd outside broke several glass doors in an attempt to get in; this caused a stampede inside the gymnasium in which nine people died. In a 1999 ruling, a Court of Claims judge found Combs and Heavy D 50 percent responsible for the incident, City College bore the rest of the responsibility in part for abandoning security responsibility to Combs, even though they knew the event was oversold.

In 1997, Combs entered into an agreement with Hartford, Connecticut disc jockey JC “Big Balla” Sledge to start a label in Hartford for the city’s untapped talent, named Hip Hart Beat Records. The pair had creative differences over the usage of talent and eventually split. In a statement to Rolling Stone Magazine, JC said,” Sean and I remain friends, just not as close as we once were. Our split where it relates to business was because we saw two totally different avenues. I wanted to drive left and go the way of Def Jam and its mainstay of artists and Puffy wanted to drive right, business as usual. We all knew what that meant. I don’t have to spell it out…just look at Bad Boys roster and its history. The split was amicable; litigation was an option, but why. Hip Hart Beat Records will one day become a reality. We are close now.”

In December 1999, Combs was accused of assaulting Steve Stoute of Interscope Records. Stoute was the manager for Nas, whose video for "Hate Me Now" featured Combs being crucified. Though Combs had willingly filmed the video scene earlier that year, he demanded that the images be removed. Stoute's refusal led to an argument and Combs' arrest for aggravated assault. This was followed by a yet more negative publicity as The Lox left Bad Boy Records, and a recording session with Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease (both of B.I.G.'s Junior M.A.F.I.A.) posse was interrupted by gunfire.

In December 1999, Combs and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire broke out. After a police investigation, Combs and fellow rapper Shyne were arrested for weapons violations and other charges. Combs was indicted after his driver claimed that Combs had tried to bribe him into taking the weapon after the shooting. With bribery charges added to the bill, Combs was being attacked in the tabloids on a near-daily basis. Before the trial was over, Combs found himself in court on numerous civil charges.

With a gag order in place, the highly-publicized trial began. His attorney was Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. A talent agency then sued Combs for unfair competition, as did a woman who rented an apartment owned by Combs; she claimed he refused to rid the house of vermin. Combs then launched his own lawsuit against a writer who did not follow through on an alleged agreement to help write Combs' biography. Combs was soon acquitted of all charges relating to the shooting incident, followed almost immediately by a break-up with Lopez. With the media circus over, Combs changed his stage name to "P. Diddy".[4]

In February of 2004, Combs settled a $3 million lawsuit filed by his former driver, Fenderson, who said he suffered emotional damage after the club shooting four years before. Lawyers for both sides, having agreed to keep the settlement terms secret, refused to say what it took to resolve the case. They would say only that the matter was resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

In June 2005, it was revealed by Ganglandnews.com[5] that Combs is allegedly a close friend of reputed Gambino Mafia family enforcer, Andrew Campos. Combs and Campos both attended the Mount St. Michael Academy in The Bronx, where they both played on the same football team. It was further alleged that on more than one occasion Campos and other Gambino family members have attended recording sessions as guests of Combs.

Diddy in the 2000s
Combs tried to reinvent his image, but was once again in court facing assault charges from a Michigan television host, Dr. Roger Mills, and then was arrested for driving on a suspended license in Florida. In spite of continuing legal problems, Combs decided that he was going to release a gospel album, Thank You, but it was never released. After yet more legal problems stemming from an accusation of reckless driving by the Miami police, Combs began working with a series of unusual (for him) artists. A collaboration with David Bowie appeared on the soundtrack to Training Day, while Combs began working with Britney Spears and N*SYNC. He signed California-based pop girl group Dream to his Bad Boy Records label.

Later in 2002, he made his own reality show on MTV called Making the Band 2, the sequel to the first Making the Band. In it, contestants compete to be in a new group on Bad Boy Records. The six finalists have to come up with their name, CD and video (see Da Band). The group was maligned by comics and critics, including a well known skit that appeared on Chappelle's Show, and was dissolved by Diddy at the end of the series. Diddy went on to later work on creating an all-girl group called Danity Kane in the third version of Making The Band.

In 2003, Combs ran in the New York City Marathon and raised $2,000,000 for the educational system for the children of New York. He appeared on the March 10, 2004 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the marathon.

In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "Vote or Die" for the 2004 Presidential Election. The "Vote or Die" slogan was mocked by both The Daily Show and South Park as being too simplistic and encouraging young people to vote without knowing the issues. In a South Park episode entitled "Douche and Turd", P. Diddy and his associates chase Stan Marsh around with weapons, literally threatening to kill him if he doesn't vote. At the time there were also rumors that Combs didn't even vote in the election, and that like Paris Hilton, another supporter of the campaign, he wasn't even registered.

In a 2005 interview with AndPOP, Combs explained that he was developing a new line of men's suits.

On August 16, 2005, Combs appeared on the Today Show and announced that he was altering his stage name yet again, dropping the "P." and referring to himself simply as "Diddy," saying that "the P was getting between me and my fans."

However this name change to Diddy upset another Diddy, a London based musical artist & DJ,[6] who had been using the name as a musician for 12 years. Diddy (the DJ) lodged paperwork on Wednesday 16th November 2005 at 10:30 am in the Royal Court of Justice, London to start injunctive proceedings, a case which he won when an out of court settlement of £110,000 was agreed. As a result, Combs will no longer be able to use the name Diddy in the UK.[7]

As of 2005, Combs sold his Bad Boy Records to the Warner Music Group. Tensions still existed between Diddy and former Warners CEOs Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles (both formerly of Def Jam), but they arranged for his imprint to be a part of the company. He still remains CEO of Bad Boy Records.

He later hosted the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2005 by Time magazine.

Diddy recently received the rights to "diddy.com", and has launched his promotional site for his latest album.[8]

Diddy was given the key to Chicago on October 13, 2006.[9]

He even earned a mention in the world of country music. The subject of Play Something Country by Brooks & Dunn says he "didn't come to hear P Diddy" which he rhymes with "something bumpin' from the city."

Diddy released the album Press Play on October 17, 2006, his first album in 5 years. The album included a variety of popular and contemporary guest appearances including Christina Aguilera, Keyshia Cole, Mario Winans (signed to his label 'Bad Boy Records'), Nas, Will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, Big Boi (Outkast) and Brandy. The album reached number one on its first week in the charts.

Other work

Combs is one of the wealthiest people in the American entertainment industry. In 2002, he was featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest People Under 40" list and was placed number 1 in the list of the top ten richest people in hip-hop.

In addition to his work as a performer and producer, Combs entered the fashion industry. His clothing line, Sean John, has been nominated for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Award for Menswear Designer of the Year every year since 2000. Sean John received criticism, however, for using fur in his designs. Controversy also followed when it was discovered that factories producing the clothing in Honduras were violating Honduran labor law.[10] Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee, who first exposed the factory, is quoted in the New York Times as saying, "Sean Combs obviously has a lot of bout, he can literally do a lot overnight to help these workers."[10] He did and conditions at the factory improved dramatically. The case is often cited as an example of how concerned celebrities can contribute to ending sweatshop abuses.

Lawsuits were filed by Booz Celestin, who claimed the Sean John clothing lineup was racist.

In 2006 mayor Richard M. Daley awarded Combs with a pair of cufflinks to commemorate the inauguration of an annual October 13 "Diddy Day" in the city of Chicago.[11] Combs received the honor as reward for certain "charitable work" at the Chicago City Hall. This has been seen by some to be an election-month stunt by the mayor.

Combs also owns two upscale restaurants called "Justin's" (named after his son) with locations in New York and in Atlanta. He is the designer of the green Dallas Mavericks alternate jersey.

He appeared as a parody of a drug dealer in Made, and he played the role of Walter Lee Younger in the critically acclaimed 2004 Broadway revival of A Raisin in the Sun. Combs says he loved appearing in the show and being given the opportunity to perform at the theater. He attracted huge crowds for his performance in the New York production, received mixed reviews, and admits he is desperate to pursue an acting career. He also starred with Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in the film Monster's Ball.

Combs is a football (soccer) fan. He arranged time to meet the Manchester United team in Copenhagen prior to MTV European Music Awards.[12] Combs favorite club is Arsenal F.C.: "I'm a loyal guy. There's a couple of other football teams tried to recruit me but I'm staying true to Arsenal. Arsenal fans have inducted me as an honorary official Arsenal member."[13]

UNEDITED Culled from http://en.wikipedia.org/

Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996) was an American rap artist, actor, activist, and poet. He is also referred to as: 2Pac, Makaveli and 'Pac. He is known in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most successful rapper, as he is the best-selling rap/hip-hop artist ever, having sold over 73 million albums worldwide.[2] This includes over 44.5 million sales in the United States alone.[3] Most of Shakur's songs are about growing up around violence and hardship in ghettos, racism, problems in society, and sometimes his feuds with fellow rappers. Tupac is known for the political, economic, and messages of racial equality found in much of his work. He has been ranked by many fans, critics, and industry insiders as the greatest rapper ever.[4][5]

Born in New York City, Tupac frequently found his family changing place of residence. In 1988, his family moved to California, where he would reside for the rest of his life. In 1990, he was hired as a backup dancer for the alternative rap group Digital Underground. Tupac's debut album, 2Pacalypse Now, gained critical recognition and backlash for its controversial lyrics. Shakur became the target of various lawsuits, and experienced legal troubles. Most notably, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in 1993 (although he vigorously denied the claims). The day before the guilty verdict was issued, Shakur was shot five times in a recording studio lobby in Manhattan, wounding him. Following the incident, Shakur grew suspicious that other figures in the rap industry had prior knowledge of shooting and did not warn him; the controversy would help spark the later East Coast-West Coast feud. After serving eleven months of his sentence, Shakur was released from prison on bail by Marion "Suge" Knight, the CEO of Death Row Records. In exchange, Shakur would release three records under the label, with his fifth album, the double-disc All Eyez on Me counting as two albums. On September 7, 1996, Tupac was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 13, 1996, six days after the shooting, Tupac died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest at University Medical Center, Las Vegas.

Tupac's music addresses such topics as the hardships of growing up around violence in United States ghettos, poverty, racism, and his feuds with fellow rappers. He is known for the messages of political, economic, and racial equality that pervade his work as well as the "Thug Life" that he raps about living in. His music has attracted a large amount of controversy and was showcased in the media a number of times. Shakur gained a large amount of publicity for being one of the main figures in the East Coast vs. West Coast feud between his Death Row Records label and Bad Boy Records. During his lifetime, Tupac released five albums and played roles in several films. Many posthumous albums have been released under Shakur's name.

Biography

Early life
Tupac Amaru Shakur was born in the East Harlem section of Manhattan in New York City.[6] He was named after Túpac Amaru II, an Incan revolutionary who led a Peruvian uprising against Spain and was subsequently sentenced to death. His last name Shakur comes from the Arabic word thankful (to God). Out of fear of someone hurting her son, Afeni Shakur put the name Parish Lesane Crooks on the birth certificate, but changed his name one year later.[7] Shakur's mother Afeni was an active member of the Black Panther Party in New York in the late 1960s and early 1970s; Shakur was born just one month after his mother's acquittal on more than 100 charges of "conspiracy against the United States government and New York landmarks" in the New York Panther 21 court case.[8]

Shakur's godfather, Elmer "Geronimo" Pratt, was convicted of murdering a schoolteacher during a 1968 robbery. His stepfather, Mutulu Shakur, spent four years at large on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list beginning in 1982, when Tupac was a pre-teen. Mutulu was wanted in part for having aided his sister Assata Shakur, Tupac's godmother, to escape from prison in New Jersey, where she had been incarcerated for the murder and wounding of two state troopers in 1973. Mutulu was caught in 1986 and imprisoned after being found guilty of the attempted robbery of a Brinks armored car in which two police officers and a guard were killed.[9] Tupac has a half-sister, Sekyiwa, two years his junior, and an older step-brother, Mopreme "Komani" Shakur, who appeared on many of his recordings.

At age 12, Shakur was enrolled in Harlem's famous "127th Street Ensemble". His first major role with this acting troupe was as Travis in the play A Raisin in the Sun. In 1984, his family relocated to the Roland Park section of Baltimore where he befriended noise artist "Panda Bear" (now a member of the musical group Animal Collective) who grew up in the neighbourhood just 1 block away from Shakurs.[10] After his sophomore year he transferred from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School to the Baltimore School for the Arts. At the School for the Arts, he studied acting, poetry, and jazz, and performed in Shakespeare plays and landing the role of the Mouse King in The Nutcracker.[11] One friend of Tupac, Dana "Mouse" Smith, was Tupac's beatbox in the many rap competitions that Tupac participated in. Shakur won the majority of the competitions he was in and was considered to be the best rapper in his school.[12] Despite his lack of trendy clothing he was one of the most popular kids in his school because of his sense of humor and superior rapping skills, he mixed in with all crowds.[13] He also befriended a young Jada Pinkett (later Jada Pinkett Smith). The two developed a close friendship. In one interview that appears on the documentary Tupac: Resurrection, Shakur says, "Jada is my heart. She will be my friend for my whole life." Also in this documentary, Smith calls Shakur "one of my best friends. He was like a brother. It was beyond friendship for us. The type of relationship we had, you only get that once in a lifetime." In Tupac's book, The Rose That Grew From Concrete, there is a poem written by Shakur titled "Jada" including another one titled "The Tears in Cupid's Eyes" which is dedicated to her. The two remained close friends until Shakur's death in 1996.

In June 1988, he and his family moved once again, this time to Marin City, California, where he attended Tamalpais High School and was a member of Ensemble Theater Company (ETC) and where Shakur continued to pursue his career in entertainment. Due to his mother's crack addiction Shakur moved into Leila Steinberg's home with his friend Ray Luv at the age of 17. Leila Steinberg acted as a literary mentor to Shakur, who was an avid reader at the time. Steinberg has kept copies of the books that Tupac read, which include J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, Jamaica Kincaid's At the Bottom of the River, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, Eileen Southern's Music of Black Americans, and the feminist writings of Alice Walker and Robin Morgan .[14]. Most of which were read before the age of 20.[15] It has been claimed that Shakur was in fact more well-read, and intellectually well-rounded at that age than the average student in the first year class of most Ivy League institutions.[16]. In 1989 Leila Steinberg organized a concert with Tupac's group, Strictly Dope, the concert lead to him to being signed with Atron Gregory who set him up with Digital Underground. In 1990 he was hired as a back-up dancer and roadie for up-and-coming rap group Digital Underground.[17]


Early career

2Pacalypse NowShakur's professional entertainment career began in early 1991, when he debuted his rap skills on the single "Same Song" from the Digital Underground album This is an EP Release. Also in 1991, he appeared in the music video for "Same Song" and made a brief appearance as himself in the movie Nothing But Trouble. In late 1991, after his rap debut, Tupac Shakur performed with Digital Underground again on the album Sons Of The P. Later that year, he released his first solo album, 2Pacalypse Now. Initially he had trouble marketing his solo debut, but Interscope Records executives Ted Field and Tom Whalley eventually agreed to distribute the record.

Shakur claimed his first album was aimed at the problems facing young black males, but it was publicly criticized for its graphic language and images of violence by and against police.[18] In one incident, a young man claimed his killing of a Texas trooper was inspired by the album. Former Vice President Dan Quayle publicly denounced the album as having "no place in our society". 2Pacalypse Now did not do as well on the charts as future albums, spawning no top ten hits. His second album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z., was released in 1993. Heavily produced by Stretch and the Live Squad, the album generated two hits, Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around, the latter featuring guest appearances by other members of the Digital Underground crew. His sophomore album did better than his first, eventually going platinum.


Acting career
In addition to rapping, Shakur began acting in films. His first starring role was in the 1992 movie Juice as Bishop a trigger happy teen, in which he was hailed by Rolling Stone's Peter Travers as "the film's most magnetic figure." He went on to star in Poetic Justice (with Janet Jackson), Above the Rim, Gridlock'd (with Tim Roth), Bullet, and Gang Related. He had also been slated to star in the Hughes brothers' Menace II Society but was replaced by Larenz Tate after assaulting the directors. Director John Singleton claimed that he wrote the film Baby Boy with Shakur in mind for the leading role.[19] It was eventually filmed with Tyrese Gibson in his place and released in 2001, five years after Shakur's death. The movie features a mural of Shakur in the protagonist's bedroom as well as featuring "Hail Mary" in the movie's score.


Thug Life
In late 1993, Shakur formed the group Thug Life with a few of his friends, including Big Syke, Macadoshis, his step-brother Mopreme Shakur, and Rated R. The group released their first and only album Thug Life: Thug Life Vol. 1 on September 26, 1994. The group usually did their concerts without Shakur.[20]


Legal issues
Even as he garnered fame as a rapper and actor, Shakur gained notoriety for his conflicts with the law. On October of 1991 he filed a $10 million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department, alleging they brutally beat him over a jaywalking incident. The suit was later settled for $42,000.[21][22]

In October 1993, in Atlanta, Shakur shot two off-duty police officers (one in the leg, one in the buttocks) that were harassing a black motorist. Charges against Shakur were dismissed when it was discovered that both officers were intoxicated and were in possession of stolen weapons from an evidence locker during the incident.[23]

In December 1993, Shakur was charged with sexually abusing a woman in his hotel room. According to the complaint, Shakur sodomized the woman and then encouraged his friends to sexually abuse her. Shakur vehemently denied the charges. He had prior relations days earlier with the woman who was pressing the charges against him. She performed MouthAction on him on a club dance floor and the two later had sex in his hotel room. The allegations were made after she revisited his hotel room for the second time where she engaged in sexual activity with his friends and claimed Tupac's entourage had gang-raped her, saying to him while leaving, "How could you do this to me?" Tupac states he had fallen asleep shortly after she arrived and later awoke to her accusations and legal threats. He later said he felt guilty for leaving her alone, and did not want anyone else to go to jail, but at the same time did not want to go to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Shakur was convicted of "sexual abuse (forcibly touching the buttocks)". In sentencing Shakur to one-and-a-half years in prison, the judge described the crime as "an act of brutal violence against a helpless woman."[24]

In 1994, he was convicted of attacking a former employer while on a music video set. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail with additional days on a highway work crew, community service, and a $2000 fine. In 1995, a wrongful death lawsuit was brought against Shakur in the 1992 shooting of six-year-old Qa'id Walker-Teal of Marin City, California. The child had been the victim of a stray bullet in a shootout between Tupac's entourage and a rival group, though the bullet was not from Tupac's gun. Criminal charges were not sought, and Shakur settled with the family for an amount estimated between $300,000 and $500,000.[25][26] After serving part of his sentence on the sexual abuse conviction, he was released on bail pending his appeal. On April 5, 1996, a judge sentenced him to serve 120 days in jail for violating terms of probation.[27]


The November 1994 shooting
On the night of November 30, 1994, the day before the verdict in his sexual abuse trial was to be announced, Shakur was shot five times in the lobby of the Quad Recording Studios in Manhattan by two black men in an apparent robbery attempt. He would later accuse Puff Daddy and Notorious B.I.G. — whom he saw after the shooting — of setting him up. According to the doctors at Bellevue Hospital, where he was admitted immediately following the incident, Shakur was shot five times, twice in the head, twice in the groin and once through the arm and thigh. He checked out of the hospital, against doctor's orders, three hours after surgery. The day following the incident, December 1, 1994, Shakur entered the courthouse in a wheelchair and was found guilty of three counts of sexual abuse, but innocent of six others, including sodomy.


Prison sentence
Shakur began serving his prison sentence at Clinton Correctional Facility in February 1995. Shortly afterwards, he released his multi-platinum album Me Against the World. Shakur is the only artist ever to have an album at number one on the charts while serving a prison sentence. The album debuted at number-one and stayed there for five weeks and first week sales of 240,000 copies which was the record for highest first week sales for a solo male rap artist at the time.[28] He married his long-time girlfriend, Keisha Morris, while serving his sentence. This marriage was later annulled. While in prison Tupac read many books by Niccolo Machiavelli, Sun Tzu's The Art of War and other works of political philosophy and strategy.[29] He also wrote a screenplay titled Live 2 Tell while incarcerated.

In October 1995, Shakur's case got an appeal but due to all of Shakur's legal fees he could not raise the $1.4 million bail. After serving eleven months of his one and a half year to four and a half year sentence,[30] Shakur was released from prison, due in large part to the help and influence of Marion "Suge" Knight, CEO of Death Row Records. Knight posted $1.4 million bail pending appeal of the conviction, in exchange for which Shakur was obligated to release three albums for the Death Row label.[31]


LIFE AT DEATH ROW
After his release from prison, Shakur immediately went back to work recording. He began a new group, The Outlawz, and with them released the notorious "diss" track "Hit 'Em Up", a scathing lyrical attack on the Notorious B.I.G (Christopher Wallace) and others associated with him. In the track, Shakur claims to have had sex with Faith Evans, Wallace's wife at the time, and attacks his street cred. Though there is no hard evidence suggesting that they did, Tupac was convinced that Wallace and Sean "Puffy" Combs had known about the shooting beforehand based on their behavior that night and what his sources told him.

Shakur aligned himself with Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight, who was already bitter toward Combs and his successful Bad Boy label; this added fuel to the building East-West feud. Wallace and Shakur would remain bitter enemies until Shakur's death.

In February 1996, Shakur released his fourth solo album, All Eyez on Me. This double album was the first and second of his three-album commitment to Death Row Records. It sold over 9 million copies.[32] The album was a general departure from the introspective subject matter of Me Against the World, being more oriented toward a thug and gangsta mentality. Shakur continued his recordings despite increasing problems at the Death Row label. Dr. Dre left his post as house producer to form his own label, Aftermath. CEO Suge Knight was under investigation for illegal and unethical activities and business practices. Despite these problems, Shakur produced hundreds of tracks during his time at Death Row, most of which would be released on posthumous albums such as Better Dayz and Until the End of Time. He also began the process of recording an album with the Boot Camp Clik and their label Duck Down Records, both New York-based, entitled One Nation. The goal of this project was to bring closure to the East Coast-West Coast feud by bringing together what Shakur thought were the best rappers from both coasts. This project remains unreleased, though some of Tupac's contributions to the album have been used in various other posthumous releases.

By the end of his life, Tupac was in the middle of starting his film development company Euphanasia, and was going to start writing and directing films. Tupac wanted to host concerts that would be free for students who get a C or above, and wanted to build community centers and start baseball and football leagues for inner-city children. Tupac and Johnny "J" were starting up 24/7 Productions and Tupac was starting up Non-Stop Productions. Thug Passion was a drink that Tupac was planning on bottling and selling; the song "Thug Passion" was made to be a theme song for the drink. Tupac was going to step back from rapping by releasing albums every five years or so on his new record label, Makaveli Records, which would have been distributed by Death Row Records. Tupac and Suge Knight were in the process of expanding Death Row to the East, establishing a Death Row East. Tupac died before this could be fulfilled.

Makaveli
While in prison Shakur read and studied Niccolò Machiavelli and his works, which inspired his pseudonym "Makaveli" under which he released the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory presents a stark contrast to previous works. Throughout the album, Shakur continues to focus on the themes of pain and aggression, making this album one of the emotionally darker works of his career. Shakur wrote and recorded all the lyrics in only three days and the production took another four days, combining for a total of seven days to complete the album (hence the name). The album was completely finished before Shakur died and Shakur had complete creative input on the album from the name of the album to the cover which Shakur chose to symbolize how the media has crucified him. The album debuted at #1 and sold 663,000 copies in the first week.[33] Tupac had plans of starting Makaveli Records which would have included the Wu-Tang Clan, The Outlawz, Big Daddy Kane, Big Syke, and Gang Starr

Fatal September 1996 shooting

The famous photo of Tupac and Suge Knight just moments before the shooting.On September 7, 1996, Shakur attended the Mike Tyson - Bruce Seldon boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After the boxing match, Shakur spotted 21 year-old Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, a member of the Southside Crips in the MGM Grand lobby. Shakur rushed him and knocked Anderson down, and Shakur's entourage beat him. The incident was captured on the hotel's video surveillance. Anderson and a group of Crips had beaten up a member of Death Row's entourage in a Foot Locker a few weeks earlier, precipitating Shakur's attack. After the fight with Anderson, Shakur met up with Suge Knight to go to Death Row-owned Club 662 (now known as restaurant/club Seven). Shakur rode with Knight in Knight's 1996 black BMW 750i sedan,[34][35] as part of a larger convoy of cars including some of Shakur's friends, The Outlawz, and bodyguards.

At approximately 11:15 PM, while stopped at the intersection of East Flamingo Road and Koval Lane, Shakur was shot in a drive-by shooting. Shakur was hit four times, twice in the chest, and once each in his arm and thigh, while Knight was scratched in the head by a piece of flying glass.

At the time of the shooting, Shakur was riding alongside with Suge Knight, with his bodyguard following behind in a vehicle belonging to Kidada Jones, Shakur's then-fiancée. The bodyguard, Frank Alexander, stated that while he was about to ride along with the rapper in Suge Knight's car, Shakur asked him to drive Kidada Jones' car in case they were too drunk and needed additional vehicles from Club 662 back to the hotel. Shortly after the shootings, the bodyguard reported in his documentary, Before I Wake, that one of the convoy's cars drove off after the assailant but he never heard back from the occupants.

After arriving on the scene, police and paramedics took Shakur and Knight to the University Medical Center. Shakur was placed on life support until his death six days later, on September 13, 1996, at 4:03 PM PDT at the age of 25. The official cause of death was respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. After his death, Shakur's body was cremated. His ashes were spread over Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, Shakur's aunt's land and his mother's land in North Carolina, and some has been mixed with marijuana and smoked by The Outlawz.[36] Family and friends plan to spread the remaining ashes during a ceremony in Soweto, South Africa. The ceremony has been delayed from September 13, 2006, to June 16, 2007, which would have been Shakur's 36th birthday.[37]


Theories of the crime
Although no one has ever been formally charged, nor publicly identified by the police as a suspect, police sources have indicated they believe that Anderson (who has since been murdered himself) was the killer. Officers in the Compton, California Police Department Gang Unit claimed in a leaked report the Crips were bragging about the killing soon after Anderson returned from Las Vegas. Officers further indicated they were disappointed with the lack of initiative shown by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in pursuing Shakur's killer(s).

Due largely to the perceived lack of progress on the case by law enforcement, many independent investigations and theories of the crime have emerged. Because of the acrimony between Christopher Wallace (aka Notorious B.I.G.) and Shakur, there was speculation about the possibility of Wallace's involvement in the murder from the outset. Wallace vehemently denied involvement. However, in a notable (but highly disputed) 2002 investigation by the Los Angeles Times, writer Chuck Phillips claimed to have uncovered evidence implicating Wallace in the murder.[38] In the article, Phillips quoted unnamed gang-member sources who claimed Wallace had ties to the Crips, often hiring them for security during West Coast appearances. Phillips' informants also state that Wallace gave the gang members one of his own guns for use in the attack on Shakur, and that he put out a $1 million contract on Tupac's life. By the time Phillips' specific allegations were published, however, Wallace himself had been murdered.[39]

Wallace's family and associates have vehemently denied Wallace's involvement in Shakur's death.[40] In support of their claims, Wallace's family submitted documentation to MTV indicating that Wallace was working in a New York recording studio the night of Shakur's murder. Wallace's manager Wayne Barrow and rapper James "Lil' Cease" Lloyd made public announcements denying Wallace's involvement in the murder and claiming further that they were both with Wallace in the recording studio the night of the shooting.

The high profile nature of the killing and ensuing gang violence caught the attention of British filmmaker Nick Broomfield who made the documentary Biggie & Tupac, which examines the lack of progress in the case by speaking to those close to Wallace, Shakur, and the investigation. Shakur's close childhood friend and member of the Outlawz, Yafeu "Yaki Kadafi" Fula, was in the convoy when the shooting happened and indicated to police that he might be able to identify the assailants. He was killed shortly thereafter in a housing project in Irvington, New Jersey.[41]

It was believed by many listeners that in the first few seconds of the song "Intro/Bomb First (My Second Reply) on the album The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, a muffled Shakur can be heard saying but multiple audio tests and confirmation from a member of The Outlawz proved that it was indeed "Shoulda shot me".[42][43] Many theorist mistook the statement as "Suge shot me" or "Suge shot 'em". This, along with reports of Knight's strong-arm tactics with artists and other illegal business tactics including involvement with the Mob Piru Bloods street gang gave rise to a theory that Knight was complicit in Shakur's murder, as it was reported that Suge Knight owed Tupac up to seventeen million dollars in back royalties, but no evidence has been provided to support this theory.

Other theories have been put forth, including a theory that Shakur is alive and well, but in hiding. Many supporters of these theories point to the symbolism in Shakur's The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory album and in the video for the single "I Ain't Mad at Cha". In 2005 a book entitled 2Pac Lives The Death of Makaveli / The Resurrection of Tupac Amaru (Volume 1) was released which claims that Shakur is still alive.

Style and influences

2Pacalypse Now, revealed the socially conscious side of Tupac. On this album Shakur attacked social injustice, poverty and police brutality on songs "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped" and "Part Time Mutha." His style on this album was heavily influenced by the social consciousness and Afrocentrism pervading hip-hop in the late 1980's and early 1990's. On this initial release, Shakur helped extend the legacy of such rap groups as Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy, X-Clan, and even Grandmaster Flash, as he became one of the first major socially conscious rappers from the West Coast.

On his second album, Shakur continued to rap about the social ills facing African-Americans, with songs like "The Streetz R Deathrow" and "Last Wordz." He also showed his compassionate side with the inspirational anthem "Keep Ya Head Up", while simultaneously putting his legendary aggressiveness on display with the title track from the album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. He even added a salute to his former group Digital Underground by including them on the playful track "I Get Around." Throughout his career, an increasingly aggressive attitude can be seen pervading Shakur's subsequent albums.

The contradictory themes of social inequality and injustice, unbridled aggression, compassion, playfulness, and hope all continued to shape Shakur's work, as witnessed with the release of his incendiary 1995 album Me Against the World. In 1996 Shakur released All Eyez on Me. With many tracks on the album considered to be classics, including "Ambitionz Az a Ridah", "I Ain't Mad at Cha", "California Love (RMX) [Remix]", "Life Goes On" and "Picture Me Rollin'", many critics consider this album to be a classic. All Eyez on Me was a change of style from his earlier works. While still containing conscious songs and themes, Shakur's album was heavily influenced by party tracks and tended to have a more "feel good" vibe than his earlier albums. Shakur described it as a celebration of life. Nonetheless, the album was critically and commercially successful.

Shakur's work has influenced many modern rap artists, including Eminem,[44] Nas,[45] Lloyd Banks,[46] Rick Ross,[47] Ja Rule, The Game, and 50 Cent[48] all acknowledge his influence on their work. The likes of Snoop Dogg, Diddy, Pharrell, Ghostface Killa, Lil' Jon, Mary J. Blige, Juvenile, Big Boi, Andre 3000, Jermaine Dupri, WC, Sean Paul, Ice Cube, Missy Elliot, Mike Tyson and Nelly have all named songs by Shakur that they personally enjoyed.[49]


Legacy
Tupac Shakur has perhaps one of the largest personal legacies of any hip hop artist in history. The music and messages in his work pervaded the styles of the following generations and his music had great impact all over the nation and world. At a Mobb Deep concert following the death of the famed icon and release of his '7 day theory' album, Cormega recalled in an interview that the fans were all shouting 'Makaveli'[50], and emphasised the influence of Tupac even in New York at the height of the media-dubbed 'Inter-coastal rivalry'.

To preserve Shakur's legacy, his mother founded the Shakur Family Foundation (later re-named the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation or TASF) in 1997. The TASF's stated mission is to "provide training and support for students who aspire to enhance their creative talents." The TASF sponsors essay contests, charity events, a performing arts day camp for teenagers and undergraduate scholarships. The Foundation officially opened the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts (TASCA) in Stone Mountain, Georgia on June 11, 2005.

On November 14, 2003, a documentary about Shakur entitled Tupac: Resurrection, was released under the supervision of his mother and narrated entirely in his voice. The movie was nominated for "Best Documentary" in the 2005 Academy Awards. Proceeds will go to a charity set up by Afeni Shakur.

On April 17, 2003, Harvard University co-sponsored an academic symposium entitled "All Eyez on Me: Tupac Shakur and the Search for the Modern Folk Hero." The speakers discussed a wide range of topics dealing with Shakur's impact on everything from entertainment to sociology.[51]

Many of the speakers discussed Shakur's status and public persona, including State University of New York English professor Mark Anthony Neal, who gave the talk "Thug Nigga Intellectual: Tupac as Celebrity Gramscian" in which he argued that Shakur was an example of the "organic intellectual" expressing the concerns of a larger group.[52] Professor Neal has also indicated in his writings that the death of Shakur has left a "leadership void amongst hip-hop artists."[53] Neal further describes Tupac as a "walking contradiction", a status that allowed him to "make being an intellectual accessible to ordinary people."

Professor of Communications Murray Forman, of Northeastern University, spoke of the mythical status surrounding Shakur's life and death. He addressed the symbolism and mythology surrounding Shakur's death in his talk entitled "Tupac Shakur: O.G. (Ostensibly Gone)". Among his findings were that Shakur's fans have "succeeded in resurrecting Tupac as an ethereal life force."[54] In "From Thug Life to Legend: Realization of a Black Folk Hero", Professor of Music at Northeastern University, Emmett Price, compared Shakur's public image to that of the trickster-figures of African-American folklore which gave rise to the urban "bad-man" persona of the post-slavery period. He ultimately described Shakur as a "prolific artist" who was "driven by a terrible sense of urgency" in a quest to "unify mind, body, and spirit."[55]

Michael Dyson, University of Pennsylvania Avalon Professor of Humanities and African American Studies and author of the book Holler If You Hear Me: Searching for Tupac Shakur[56] indicated that Shakur "spoke with brilliance and insight as someone who bears witness to the pain of those who would never have his platform. He told the truth, even as he struggled with the fragments of his identity."[56] At one Harvard Conference the theme was Shakur's impact on entertainment, race relations, politics and the "hero/martyr".[57] In late 1997, the University of California, Berkeley offered a student-led course entitled "History 98: Poetry and History of Tupac Shakur."[58]

In August 2006 Tupac Shakur Legacy was released. The interactive biography was written by Jamal Joseph. It features unseen family photographs, intimate stories, and over 20 removable reproductions of his handwritten song lyrics, contracts, scripts, poetry, and other personal papers.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of Shakur's death, Shakur's next posthumous album Pac's Life has been set for a November 21, 2006 release. It is the 6th studio album to be created after Shakur's death.

culled from http://en.wikipedia.org

Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper and current president and CEO of Def Jam and Roc-A-Fella Records. He has been one of the most successful American rappers of the past decade. In 2006, MTV named him the "Greatest MC Of All Time". [1]

Known for his use of freestyling abilities, flow, and blending of street and popular hip hop, Jay-Z became one of the most respected rappers in the music industry before his declared retirement in 2004. He is admired for his ability to craft lyrics from memory, without the use of pen and paper [2] (he claims his critically acclaimed album The Blueprint was written in only two days).[3] He also returned from retirement in October 2006; his new album Kingdom Come will be released November 21st, though it already leaked on November 10th.

Along with Damon "Dame" Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Jay-Z was one of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records, a hip-hop record label which also launched the careers of artists such as Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, Memphis Bleek, Young Gunz, Freeway, and Teairra Marí.

Hip-Hop musician

Early years
Originally from the Marcy Houses in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York, Shawn Corey Carter was abandoned by his father Adnes Reeves when he was twelve years old. Jay-Z attended Eli Whitney High School in Brooklyn, along with rapper AZ until it closed down. After that he attended George Westinghouse High School in Downtown Brooklyn with fellow rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Busta Rhymes and Trenton Central High School in Trenton, New Jersey but did not graduate. He claims to have been caught up in selling drugs; in addition to this, Jay-Z has lyrically alluded to having sold cocaine and marijuana.

According to his mother Gloria Carter, a young Jay-Z used to wake his siblings up at night banging out drum patterns on the kitchen table. Eventually, she bought him a boombox for his birthday and thus sparked his interest in music. He began freestyling, writing rhymes, and followed the music of many artists popular at the time.

In his neighborhood, Carter was known as "Jazzy," a nickname which eventually developed into his stage name, "Jay-Z." The moniker is also an homage to his musical mentor Jaz-O (a.k.a. Jaz, Big Jaz) as well as to the J-Z subway lines that have a stop at Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn.

Jay-Z can be heard on several of Jaz-O's early recordings in the late 80's and early 90's, including "The Originators" and "Hawaiian Sophie." He and Jaz-O once ran into a blossoming LL Cool J in the park and were beaten in a freestyle battle by the self proclaimed G.O.A.T. He also collaborated with Inglewood, California producer Three-1-Zero. His career had a jump start when he battled a rapper by the name of Zai. The battle caught the eye of many record labels, as Jay-Z was able to hold his own against Zai. He also made an appearance on a popular song by Big L, "Da Graveyard," and on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build," which also featured early appearances by DMX and Ja Rule in 1995.


Commercial work
From the beginning of his commercial recording career, Jay-Z chose a route that many would consider untraditional. When no major label gave him a record deal, Jay-Z created Roc-A-Fella Records as his own independent label. After striking a deal with Priority to distribute his material, Jay-Z released his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt with beats from acclaimed producers such as DJ Premier and Clark Kent and a notable appearance by The Notorious B.I.G, Although the album received critical acclaim, record sales were modest as they topped off at 420,000 units the first year.

After reaching a new distribution deal with Def Jam in 1997, Jay-Z released his follow-up In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Executive produced by Diddy, it sold better than his previous effort, though Jay later explained that this was one of the worst periods of his life. He was reeling from the death of his close friend The Notorious B.I.G. The albums relatively glossy production stood as a contrast to his first release, and some dedicated fans felt he had "sold out." However, the album did feature some beats from producers who had worked with him on Reasonable Doubt, namely DJ Premier and Ski. Jay-Z mentioned on the YES Network's "CenterStage with Michael Kay" show that if he could do one thing in his career over, it would be Vol. 1, claiming that "it [the cd] was this close to being a classic, but I put like, a few songs on there that ruined it." Speculation is that he was referring to "I Know What Girls Like" and "(Always Be My) Sunshine," both of which were produced by Bad Boy beatmakers and criticized as a commercialization of his sound.

1998's Vol. 2, Hard Knock Life spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)". He also relied more on flow and brilliant wordplay, and he continued his penchant for mining beats from the popular producers of the day such as Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. Charting hits from this album included "Can I Get A, " featuring Ja Rule and "Jigga What, Jigga Who." Vol. 2 would eventually become Jay-Z's most commercially successful album, it was certified 5x platinum in the United States and has to date sold over 8 million worldwide.

In 1999 Jay-Z released Vol. 3, Life and Times of S. Carter. Despite continued criticism for his increasingly pop-oriented sound, the album proved to be successful and went platinum three times and sold over 5.6 million records worldwide. Through his lyricism, he was able to retain respect from some of his die-hard fans. Vol. 3 is remembered for its smash hit, "Big Pimpin'" (feat UGK). By this time, Jay-Z was seen as a hip-hop figurehead both by hardcore fans and by the hip-hop industry due to his lyrics and his high album sales. The subject of much criticism, praise, popularity, condemnation, and discussion, Jay decided to begin developing other artists. Around 2000, he and Damon Dash signed various artists (including Beanie Sigel and Freeway) and began introducing them to the public. He next appeared on The Dynasty: Roc La Familia, which was intended as a compilation album to introduce these new artists, though the album had Jay-Z's name on it to strengthen market recognition and by extension, sales.

2001's The Blueprint is considered by many to be one of hip hop's "classic" albums, receiving the coveted "5 mic" review from The Source magazine. Released on September 11, 2001, the album managed to debut at #1, selling more than 450,000 albums in its first week. Sadly, the success of the album was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks that same day.

The Blueprint was applauded for its production and the balance of "mainstream" and "hardcore" rap, receiving recognition from both audiences. Eminem was the only guest artist on the album, producing and rapping on the single "Renegade". A large portion of the material on this album was produced by Kanye West and represents one of his (Kanye's) first major breaks in the industry. The Blueprint also includes the popular "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" and "Takeover," a song which takes on rivals Prodigy of Mobb Deep and Nas.

"Takeover" marked the beginning of the feud between Jay-Z and Nas. A diss that seemed to come out of nowhere included verbal barbs such as 'Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco's trash, had a spark when you started but now you're just garbage'. The final line of the diss included a reference to an inside thing between the two of them, rapping, 'you-know-who/did you-know-what/with you-know-who/But lets keep that between me and you (for now).'

Nas responded with the diss track "Ether", in which used the phrase "dick-sucking lips" to describe what he viewed as Jay-Z's exploitation of The Notorious B.I.G.'s memory. He also used anti-gay slurs multiple times in the diss referring to Jay as 'Gay-Z' and his label as 'Cock-a-fella'.

In 2002 the feud culminated with a Jay Z mixtape diss track entitled "Supa Ugly". The first verse of the song is delivered over a sample of Nas's "Got Urself a Gun". In this verse, Jay-Z dismisses the "Ether" track as being filled with falsehoods and questions Nas's street credibility. The beat of the song then switches up to Dr. Dre's "Bad Intentions", to which Jay-Z goes into detail about his alleged affair with Carmen Bryan, with whom Nas has a child. The subtle reference on "Takeover" was now out in the open, essentially claiming that her affair with him split the pair up. 'Me and tha boy A.I. got more in Common than just ballin’ and rhymin’, Get It? More in Carmen, I came in ya Bentley backseat, skeeted in Jeep, left condoms in tha baby seat'

Jay-Z's mother heard the song on the radio and demanded Jay-Z publicly apologize to Nas and his family, to which Jay-Z obliged[citation needed]. In a interview with Rolling Stone,Jay-Z claimed that mentioning his relationship with Bryan was fair game because due to the anti-gay slurs and language used in "Ether". In the end, many consider this to be an enormous boost to Nas' flailing career[citation needed].

Jay-Z's next solo album was 2002's 3.9 million (USA only) selling The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse a double-album . It was later reissued in a single-disc version, The Blueprint 2.1, which retained half of the tracks from the original and went on to sell a further 800 000 copies. Although criticized for having too much "filler", the album spawned two hit singles, "Excuse Me Miss" and "03 Bonnie and Clyde" featuring Jay-Z's girlfriend of four years Beyoncé Knowles.


Recent years
In 2003, Jay-Z toured with 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes and Sean Paul while finishing work on what was announced as his final album, The Black Album. Notable songs on the album included "What More Can I Say," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," "Change Clothes," and "99 Problems." The latter was a cross-over hit comparable to The Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" which some believe pays homage to the now-rare old-school rap style. A few of the songs done on this album portray a more personal side of Jay-Z; for example, "Moment of Clarity" sheds light on his feelings towards his estranged father and coping with his death. It also deals with accusations that he sold out to reach a wider audience. "What More Can I Say" addresses the "biting" accusations leveled against him by Nas in "Ether" and other detractors, as Jay raps, "I'm not a biter I'm a writer for myself and others/I say a Big verse I'm only biggin' up my brother."

In 2004, there was a runaway hit remix project by Danger Mouse called The Grey Album in which Jay-Z's Black Album vocals were blended with instrumentals sampled exclusively from The Beatles' White Album (which subsequently embroiled the DJ in a lawsuit that was later dropped with EMI, the owners of the Beatles' work). This was made possible by an a cappella version of the "Black Album" that Jay-Z released with the specific intent for others to mix. The success of "The Grey Album" led to a rainbow of Black Album remix projects including "The Red Album," "The Blue Album" and so forth.

Also in 2004, Jay-Z collaborated with Linkin Park. The project was named Collision Course, and contained a six track EP, as well as a making of DVD. Some of the mash ups tracks were entitled Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You, Jigga What/Faint, and Numb/Encore.

On May 22, 2004, Jay-Z performed at the famous alternative rock radio festival the 'HFStival'. Playing with the likes of such famous rock acts as The Cure, The Offspring, Violent Femmes, Cypress Hill, and O.A.R. It would be the last HFStival that the Washington/Baltimore radio station 99.1 WHFS would put on before their infamous format flip .


Technique
In his earliest appearances, Jay-Z's style was less polished; he had a propensity for rhyming fast, which gradually lessened over the years. By 1996, he had become more known for his metaphors and similes, as well as being a rapper to stress the ordeals of the drug-dealer's life. Later, flow would become a big part of his style.

He has often pointed to his ability to switch from emotionally provocative material like "Song Cry" to mainstream topics, such as "Big Pimpin'" as a sign that he straddles a line between material and intelligent rhymes that not a lot of artists have been able to do. However, he has been criticized for selling out to reach a mainstream audience, and he has acknowledged this on the song "Moment of Clarity".

Recently, producers and artists alike have been praising Jay-Z's ability to create verse after verse completely in his head without the aid of a pen and paper. He uses a difficult technique pioneered by himself and the late Notorious B.I.G as detailed in the August 2006 issue of XXL magazine celebrating the release of Jay-Z's first album "Reasonable Doubt". Jay-Z is on the cover.


Retirement
On November 25, 2003, Jay-Z held a concert at Madison Square Garden, which would later be the focus of his film Fade to Black. This concert was his "retirement party." All proceeds went to charity. Other performers included collaborators like The Roots (in the form of his backing band), Missy Elliott, Memphis Bleek, Beanie Siegel, Freeway, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Twista, Ghostface Killah, Foxy Brown, Pharrell and R. Kelly with special appearances by Voletta Wallace and Afeni Shakur; the mothers of Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur respectively.

While Jay-Z had attested to a retirement from making new studio albums, various side projects and appearances soon followed. Included in these were a greatest hits record, mash-up projects and concert appearances with R. Kelly, Linkin Park and Phish. These appearances have kept his name in the spotlight and furthered peoples' speculation that he would not remain retired for long.

Jay-Z was the executive producer of Fort Minor's debut album The Rising Tied. Mike Shinoda got together with Jay-Z himself, as well as his Linkin Park bandmate Brad Delson, and they went over what tracks they thought should make the album.

"I Declare War" concert
Having been such a visible artist in the late '90s through the early 2000s, Jay has been the subject of more rap-related controversy than most artists in mainstream hip-hop. Some of these have been resolved, some are ongoing, and some have simply dissipated.

On October 27, 2005, Jay-Z headlined New York's Power 105.1 annual concert, Powerhouse. The concert was entitled the "I Declare War" Concert leading to intense speculation in the weeks preceding the event to whom exactly Jay-Z would declare war on. As he had previously "declared war" on other artists taking lyrical shots at him at other events, many believed that the Powerhouse show would represent an all-out assault by Jay upon his rivals. However, an anticipated response to subliminal shots taken by The Game and Cam'ron never materialized.

The theme of the concert was Jay-Z's position as President and CEO of Def Jam, complete with an on-stage mock-up of the Oval Office. Many artists made appearances such as the old roster of Rocafella records artists, Ne-Yo, Teairra Mari, T.I., Young Jeezy, Akon, Kanye West, Paul Wall, the LOX, and P. Diddy.

At the conclusion of the concert, Jay-Z put many beefs to rest to the surprise of hip-hop fans. Instead of declaring war, he declared that he was the "United Nations of this rap shit." The most significant development in this show was closure to the infamous beef between Jay-Z and Nas. The two former rivals shook hands and shared the stage together to perform Jay-Z's "Dead Presidents" blended with Nas's song "The World is Yours" from which "Dead Presidents" had sampled the vocals on the chorus. Nas's verses were rapped over the "Dead Presidents" beat in the vein of a mix song done by DJ Statik Selektah. Nas also performed songs of his own later in the show.

Beefs between other artists were also brought to a close (or put on hold) at the Powerhouse show. The event brought together for the first time in years, P. Diddy and The LOX, both who had a longstanding animosity due to a contract agreement between P. Diddy and The LOX and the latter's departure from Bad Boy Entertainment. Shortly after the concert, the beef was fully rectified.

The event also saw the return of Beanie Sigel from incarceration. There had been some speculation that Beanie Sigel was going to depart from Rocafella Records, but this concert proved otherwise. Beanie and The LOX's Jadakiss also officially ended their own beef when they, Jay-Z, the rest of the LOX and Sauce Money (who had been thought to have some animosity towards Jay) all performed the song "Reservoir Dogs."


Return to recording music
Jay-Z's will return with his comeback album on November 21, 2006 titled Kingdom Come.[4] Jay-Z's comeback single, "Show Me What You Got," was leaked on the Internet in early October 2006, scheduled to be released later on that month, received heavy air-play after its leak, causing the FBI to step in and investigate.[5] Jay-Z is scheduled to work with video director Hype Williams, the single's video will reportedly be directed by F. Gary Gray (Friday, The Italian Job). The album will feature producers such as, The Neptunes,Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Kanye West, Cool & Dre, The Runners and Coldplay's Chris Martin (single entitled "Beach Chair".[6][7]


Hip-Hop entrepreneur
Apart from being President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings, Jay-Z is also one of the owners and founders of the Roc-A-Fella empire, which includes Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc-La-Familia, Roc-A-Fella Films and Rocawear.

At heart, Jay-Z is an entrepreneur like his fellow hip-hop-moguls-turned-friends Russell Simmons, Dr. Dre and Sean "Diddy" Combs, who also have business holdings such as record companies and clothing lines. He redirected the hip hop culture from hooded sweatshirts and baggy jeans to button-ups and crisp jeans, and received GQ's International Man of the Year award.


Roc-A-Fella Records
Jay-Z co-founded Roc-A-Fella Records with partners Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Def Jam purchased a 50% stake in the company in 1997 for a reported $1.5 million.[8]

In late 2004, Jay-Z, Dash and Biggs sold their remaining interests in Roc-A-Fella Records and the label was retained as an Island Def Jam imprint. Soon thereafter Jay-Z was appointed the new President and CEO of Def Jam Recordings by Island Def Jam chairman L.A. Reid. Reportedly this major industry move was prompted by disagreement between Jay-Z and Dash as to what new ventures Roc-A-Fella could undertake.

The publicized split between Jay, Dash and Biggs led to the former partners sending jabs at each other in interviews. Dame Dash has made comment that after the break up he was portrayed as "Osama Bin Laden" to ensure that rappers would stay with Jay and not sign with him.[9] Dash currently operates the recently-founded Dame Dash Music Group as a joint venture with Island Def Jam producing former Roc-A-Fella artists such as Beanie Sigel.


Rocawear and fashion
Co-founded in 1999 by Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Kareem "Biggs" Burke, Rocawear designed for and sought out a share of the lucrative urban fashion market already being capitalized on by labels like Phat Farm.

In 2005, Jay-Z bought out Rocawear co-founder Dash for an estimated $30 million and has sought to expand the company's reach by developing the S. Carter high-end clothing line. Jay also has a line of Reebok sneakers aptly named The S. Carter Collection, which holds the record for fastest-selling Reebok shoe in history[10] and made him the first non-athlete to have a signature line of sneakers. In the spring of 2006, he is in collaboration with Swiss luxury-watch maker Audemars Piguet.[11]


Entertainment and lifestyle
Jay-Z co-owns The 40/40 Club, an upscale sports bar which started in New York City and has since expanded to Atlantic City, NJ. Future plans will see 40/40 Clubs in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Singapore. Roc-A-Fella also distributes Armadale, a Scottish vodka, in the U.S.

Jay-Z is a part owner of the New Jersey Nets NBA team, and is one of the franchise owners interested in relocating the team to Brooklyn. In October 2005, he was reported in English media as considering a takeover of Arsenal F.C., an English football team.[12]


Personal life

Criminal charges
Jay-Z was accused of stabbing record executive Lance "Un" Riviera for what he perceived was Riviera's bootlegging of Vol. 3, Life and Times of S. Carter. The stabbing allegedly occurred at the record release party for Q-Tip's debut solo album Amplified at the Kit Kat Klub, a now defunct night club in Times Square, New York City, on December 9, 1999. Jay-Z's associates at the party were accused of causing a commotion within the club, which Jay-Z allegedly used as cover when he supposedly stabbed Riviera in the stomach with a five-inch blade.[13]

Jay-Z initially denied the incident and pleaded not guilty when a grand jury returned the indictment. Jay-Z and his lawyers contended he was nowhere around Riviera during the incident and they had witnesses and videotape evidence from the club that showed Jay-Z's whereabouts during the disturbance. Nevertheless, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge which resulted in a sentence of three years probation. The New York Post reported that Jay-Z had bought out Riviera for $600,000 to cease his cooperation with prosecutors, and without the cooperation of the victim, prosecutors had to cut a plea deal that would not interfere with Jay-Z's touring plans. Riviera also dropped a civil suit, where he asked for $40 million.[14]

Jay-Z makes reference to the trial and incident on his songs "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)", off The Blueprint, "Threat," off The Black Album and "Dear Summer", which was included in Memphis Bleek's 2005 release 534.

Rival rapper Cam'ron has since claimed on his song "You Gotta Love It" that Jay-Z had actually "stabbed Un over Charli Baltimore".


Romantic life
Jay-Z was featured on Beyonce's hit single "Crazy In Love." He made yet another appearance on Beyoncé's 2006 hit, "Deja Vu". The couple has never publicly discussed their relationship, but has reportedly been together for almost four years. Beyoncé has stated that she believes that not publicly discussing their relationship has helped them. Jay-Z has said in a People Magazine article that "We don't play with our relationship[citation needed]."

Jay-Z did remark during a goodbye party for departing Def Jam head Lyor Cohen in 2004 that he and Beyoncé will "marry very soon."[15] It is rumored that the couple will marry in November 2006 in Anguilla.[16]

In May 2006, there were reports that Jay-Z and singer Rihanna had a more than business-like relationship after the two partied together privately at Jay-Z's club in New York City. Similarly, it was reported that Beyoncé and Jay-Z had a disagreement after he received a fifteen-minute telephone call from Rihanna while attending a New Jersey Nets game. Publicists for Jay-Z denied the claims that there is a love affair between the two. There were no further reports afterwards. [17]

Jay-Z and Beyoncé were listed as a Power Couple on Time Magazine's 100's Most Influential People of 2006

It can be noticed that Jay-Z and Beyonce were fond of each other before they had an "official" relationship. In 1999 Jay-Z directed rapper Amil's "I Got That", a video that Beyonce was featured on. Destiny's Child was also seen in his' "H To The Izzo" video singing some of the rap. There were many appearances like that before 2002.


Other
In 2002, Kashmere High School in Houston, Texas hosted Jay-Z as "principal for a day" [1].

After his retirement, Jay-Z has also become involved in philanthropic activity. On August 9, 2006, he met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the organization's headquarters in New York. The rapper pledged to use his upcoming world tour to raise awareness of – and combat – global water shortage. Already on the look-out for a way to, in his own words, "become helpful", he had been made aware of this issue during a visit to Africa. The effort will take place in partnership with the UN, as well as MTV, which will produce a documentary entitled Diary of Jay-Z: Water for Life, scheduled for airing on November 24.[18]

Culled from http://en.wikipedia.org

Robert Sylvester Stallone Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), who goes by the stage name of R. Kelly, is an American R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. He appeared on the music scene as the founder and lead singer of Public Announcement and later became one of the most successful male artists of the 1990s. Kelly is renowned for hits such as "Bump & Grind" (1994), "I Believe I Can Fly" (1996), and his oft-ridiculed mini-opera "Trapped In The Closet" (2005).

Kelly is also notable for a current case against him on charges of child pornography arising from videotaped sex acts. A widely distributed video allegedly shows Kelly performing sex acts on an underage girl.

Biography

Early life
Born in Chicago's Southside Projects, Kelly was the third of eight children. His father was a coal miner who worked as an ice cream man on the weekends. As a teenager, his love for basketball and music provided an escape from the grimy streets he lived in -- in high school(attended Kenwood High School on the Southside of Chicago), Kelly began participating in talent shows. Though one of his music teachers told him that he was going to be a star singer, Kelly allegedly first tried to earn a living as a stripper. Only when that failed did he follow his dream and begin his singing career by performing with a piano in the train stations and streets of Chicago.

Early career
In 1989, Kelly formed the group MGM and the next year, released his first single "Why You Wanna Play Me" with the group on Tavdash Records. The group appeared on the TV talent show Big Break (hosted by Natalie Cole) the following year and won. His manager at the time was David Hyatt. However, it wasn't until Kelly sang at a backyard barbeque (which Wayne Williams of Jive Records attended) that he was finally noticed and from there, he was signed by Wayne Williams to Jive Records. Sometime around 1991 he met Barry Hankerson, who became his full time manager after David Hyatt was sentenced to prison for running a large midwest drug ring. In late 1991 Kelly was introduced to Aaliyah and his then-group Public Announcement recorded much of what would become "Born Into the '90s". Within a few months, would be the featured songs in , The group's first album, Born Into the '90s -- featuring songs like "She's Got that Vibe", "Slow Dance", "Dedicated", and "Honey Love" -- was released in January 1992. Kelly had just turned 25. The R&B album was a huge success, producing several hit songs and selling more than a million copies.


Rkelly and Aaliyah

By 1993, Kelly had left the group to forge a solo career. Kelly's solo debut, 12 Play, yielded three top 40 singles: "Sex Me (Pt. 1)", "Your Body's Callin'", and the chart-topping "Bump & Grind". In 1994, he completed singer Aaliyah's debut album, Age Ain't Nothing But A Number. Released that summer, the album eventually went platinum on the strength of singles like "Back and Forth" and "At Your Best".

Kelly and Aaliyah married illegally in 1994 -- Aaliyah was only 15 but claimed to be 18 on the marriage papers. Vibe magazine revealed their marriage in 1995, and the two quickly and quietly annulled their union. Aaliyah also ended her professional partnership with Kelly at that time. She would go on to have a successful career, albeit one tragically cut short by her death in a plane crash on August 25, 2001. At the time, rumors of the marriage were fended off with denials; however, nearly a decade later, allegations of dalliances with underage girls would come back to haunt him.


R. Kelly: the Singer, songwriter and producer
After his brush with controversy, Kelly returned to the studio to record his third album (his second solo effort). His 1995 self-titled album was another big success, selling over 5 million copies and spawning hit singles such as "You Remind Me of Something", "I Can't Sleep (Baby If I)" and his collaboration with legendary R&B group The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald Isley, "Down Low". The album was hailed by some as the singer's most mature.

In 1995, Kelly found success as a songwriter penning hits for the R&B group Changing Faces and pop and R&B music stars Janet Jackson (producing the remix for Jackson's 1994 smash, "Any Time, Any Place" and Michael Jackson (penning and co-producing the single, "You Are Not Alone" for Jackson's HIStory

In 1996, Kelly released his most successful single to date: "I Believe I Can Fly". The inspirational theme -- created for the animated Michael Jordan movie, Space Jam -- hit #2 on the singles charts and helped Kelly win three Grammy Awards including Best R&B Song. He was also nominated in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories for "I Believe I Can Fly".

Kelly then took two years off from music, coming back in 1998 with the ambitious double concept album, R. The album featured a hit duet with pop superstar Céline Dion titled "I'm Your Angel", which became Kelly's second #1 single on the Billboard pop singles chart. Other hits included "When A Woman's Fed Up" and "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time". R. would be Kelly's biggest-selling album in the US, with US sales topping 8 million copies.

During the same year of his own release (the R. album), Kelly also found time to completely produce, write and arrange an album for the debut artist of his Rockland imprint. R&B singer Sparkle had a massive hit atop the R&B charts for 6 weeks with the track "Be Careful", a duet with Kelly himself about the tribulations of a broken marriage, much in the vein of his own "When a Woman's Fed Up". Despite the hit, Sparkle's career never got going and the singer called it quits with Kelly, returning two years later on Motown with a tepid effort, no longer promoted by Kelly's superstar backing. Sparkle would later return to the spotlight speaking against Kelly during his court case for child pornography, claiming the girl in the video was her niece.

In 2000, Kelly returned with TP-2.com, which was promoted as a sequel to his 1993 classic album Twelve Play. The biggest singles weren't based on his sexual prowess - "I Wish" was dedicated to the people Kelly adored who had died, and "Fiesta" (whose remix version featured acclaimed rapper Jay-Z) was about partying.


The Best of Both Worlds
After being noted for singing hooks on hip-hop tunes by The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z, there were talks that his collaborations with the latter rapper led to what was supposed to be a history-making project as the rapper and the singer teamed up to record an album together. Released in 2002, The Best of Both Worlds debuted at #2 on the Billboard pop albums chart, but no music videos were shot for the album. Commercially, the album was a disappointment for both R. Kelly himself and for Jay-Z, who didn't want to be associated with the singer during his child pornography trial.

Sexual allegations

Kelly's sexual activity with underage girls go as far back as 1991, when several girls claimed to have had sex with him. In 1994, rumors surfaced that Kelly had married fellow singer Aaliyah, which both singers had denied in the past.

However, none of the prior reports reached the level of publicity that followed the release of a video tape in February 2002 that allegedly showed Kelly and a 14-year-old daughter of an associate, and niece of a former Kelly protege, engaging in sex. The tape, released by an unknown source, was sent to the Chicago Sun Times, the newspaper that broke the story. While witnesses have identified Kelly and the girl, the alleged girl and her parents have denied that she is the person shown on the tape.

Bootleg copies of the tape became widely available on the black market and over file sharing networks. The tape showed numerous sex acts, including the girl being urinated on. In June 2002, Kelly was indicted in Chicago for 21 counts of soliciting a minor for child pornography, seven counts of videotaping the acts, and seven counts of producing child pornography. These charges came after viewing the tapes showed that there was no actual sexual intercourse involved. Currently, Kelly still faces fourteen of the charges. In addition to those charges, Kelly was further indicted in Florida in January 2003 on twelve counts of possession of child pornography. However, the charges were dropped after the search that led to the indictment was ruled illegal. In 2004, allegations emerged that among Kelly's tapes was one including gospel singer Deleon Richards, the wife of Detroit Tigers baseball player Gary Sheffield.

There have been several other lawsuits against R. Kelly.[1] A female dancer sued for invasion of privacy alleging secret taping of her private acts with him and allowing distribution of copies without her consent. Two other sex suits by underage girls were settled and he denied any relationship with either of them. Another woman sued him claiming he seduced her at age 16, got her pregnant, and forced her to get an abortion.

During the pornography controversy, Kelly's problems carried over into his own family. His wife, Andrea, sought a restraining order against him on September 2, 2005 claiming he physically and verbally attacked her on two occasions but rescinded her request on September 26. Andrea had been a backup dancer before they married and is the mother of his son and two daughters.[2] A trial date has still not been set [1] but it will feature a public showing of the videotape that allegedly shows Kelly performing sex acts with an underage girl.

R.Kelly was recently quoted as saying "How would people react if they found out that the girl pissed on me before I pissed on her,and that I did it in self-defense?"[citation needed].Many comedians have made fun about this comment. Dave Chappelle who made a video about R.Kelly pissing on people in particular [2],one comedian named Earthquake said "If pissing on people is an act of self-defense then what the f**k is violence?"


Trivia
R. Kelly had the most Billboard Top 40 hits of any male artist during the 1990s with 15.
In 2005 VH1 voted "You Remind Me of Something" by R. Kelly as one of the "Top 50 Most Awesomely Bad Songs, Ever".
R. Kelly's "Bump & Grind" stayed at #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart for twelve weeks making it one of the longest-running #1 hits on the chart since the chart's reinstation to Billboard in 1965. It was the longest-running #1 hit in 1994.
In 2003, comedian Dave Chappelle made a music video on his comedy show parodying Kelly's sex scandal. In the video titled "Piss on You," which contains elements from Kelly's "Ignition (Remix)" and "Feelin' on Yo' Booty," Chappelle depicts Kelly as having a urine and scat fetish. Kelly is shown pouring from a bucket labeled "R. Kelly's Doo Doo Butter" and spraying liquid from a can labeled "R. Kelly's Urine." Minutes later in the same episode, he played the "Piss on You Remix," a parody of "Ignition (Remix)."
In 2002, MADtv also produced a music video parody featuring Aries Spears as Kelly singing of his ability to "get away" with statutory rape. The video, a parody of Kelly's "The World's Greatest," features Kelly flirting with a several teenage girls and preparing to make a sex tape with them. An additional joke, was that the video was labeled as being directed by Roman Polanski.
In 2005, the animated Adult Swim series The Boondocks dedicated an entire episode, "The Trial of R. Kelly", to parodying the singer's alleged crimes.
In 2005, again, MADtv produced a music video parody about his urban opera Trapped in the Closet titling it "Trapped in the Cupboard."
In the South Park episode Trapped in the Closet, R. Kelly appears at Stan's house singing his opus trying to get Tom Cruise to come out of the closet. A returning gag with Kelly is that, like in the song, at any given time Kelly will pull out a gun causing every one to panic. At the end of the episode, instead of coaxing Cruise out of the closet, Kelly joins him and sings "now I'm in the closet too."[3]
In 1997, Kelly signed a contract to play professional basketball for the Atlantic City Seagulls of the USBL.

Jayceon Terell Taylor (born November 27, 1979 in Los Angeles, California), better known by his stage name The Game, is a multi-platinum American rapper signed to Interscope Records. The Game rose to fame in 2005 following the success of his debut album, The Documentary and his two Grammy nominations. The Game is considered by many to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts

Biography

The Game grew up in Compton during his early life and lived primarily in a Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc. The rapper would grow up to become a member of the Cedar Block Piru Bloods. The rapper's nickname was coined by his grandmother, who said that he was always "Game" for anything. His mother and father were both affiliated with Crip gangs. After his older sister accused his father of sexual molestation[7] his family was split up and The Game lived with a foster family for eight years in Carson, a suburb of Los Angeles, (located immediately southwest of Compton) until he was reunited with his mother when he was 13. The Game had a short stint at Washington State University on a basketball scholarship before being kicked out because of drug allegations. It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turning towards selling drugs. At 18 years of age he began to follow his older half brother "Big Fase 100" who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus. The Game was shot five times after a failed drug deal in 2001, receiving bullet wounds to the heart, stomach, and arms. This attack put him in a three day coma and while recovering in the hospital, he decided to pursue a career in the rap industry. Studying various classic rap albums, he developed a strategy to become a rapper himself, and with help from Big Fase they founded The Black Wall Street Records. The Game then released his first mixtape called You Know What It Is Vol. 1 which found its way into the hands of Dr. Dre who eventually signed him to Aftermath Entertainment. To capitlize on the growing buzz, The Game continued to release albums independently through JT the Bigga Figga's label "Get Low Recordz".

The Game was originally signed as an artist on Aftermath Entertainment, but Interscope Records CEO Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre decided to have The Game also work with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The arrangement was to help build a growing buzz around The Game which would also fuel interest in G-Unit. Since then he made numerous cameo appearances in music videos by 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Fabolous. Even at this early stage in his career he was embroiled in rap feuds associated with G-Unit including those with Joe Budden, Ja Rule, and Memphis Bleek. The first single The Game appeared on was "Certified Gangstas" by Jim Jones before his own single "Westside Story" was released in 2004.

The original title of the album was Nigga Wit' An Attitude Volume 1, as can be seen in the lyrics to Dreams, but an injunction filed at the request of Eazy-E's widow prevented him from using N.W.A.'s name in the album title. Dr. Dre and 50 Cent were executive producers on The Game's major label debut album, The Documentary, which spawned the hit singles "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It". The album debuted at number one on the Billboard music charts and was the tenth best selling album of 2005 in the United States. It also debuted at number 7 in the United Kingdom and sold over 5 million copies world wide.

In 2006 The Game had to leave Aftermath Entertainment and sign with Geffen Records, an imprint of Interscope, in order to terminate his contractual obligations with G-Unit. The rapper has finished working on his sophomore album Doctor's Advocate, which was released November 14, 2006. He is also working on getting his own label, The Black Wall Street Records, signed to a distribution label. While The Game originally claimed Dr. Dre would still do production work on the album in the November issue of XXL magazine, he admitted in September (after the interview was conducted) during an interview on radio station Power 105 that Dr. Dre would not be producing any tracks on the album.So far he has released 2 singles for his new album entitled "It's Okay (One Blood)" and "Let's Ride".

The Game is also venturing into acting. In 2006 he made his film debut in the movie Waist Deep and has been/is filming at least two more. The Los Angeles Times reported that The Game is now a resident of Glendale, California after having purchased a home in the Kenneth Village neighborhood.The Game announced that he was engaged to actress/model Valeisha Butterfield, the daughter of U.S. Congressman G. K. Butterfield. The couple were set to marry in March of 2007, but the engagement has since been called off

Controversy
Even before releasing his debut album The Documentary The Game has been involved with feuds with many rappers. The rapper has previously had rivalries with Suge Knight of Death Row Records, Joe Budden, Yukmouth, as well as Jay-Z, Memphis Bleek, and the Young Gunz of Roc-A-Fella Records. The most prominent rivalry he has is with 50 Cent and G-Unit.

Joe Budden

The origin of the feud with Joe Budden began when 50 Cent criticized Joe Budden's album for "lacking street credibility." Joe Budden took offense and released various insults directed at G-Unit. The Game previously did a freestyle for DJ Clue, and then Joe Budden used the end of the freestyle without notifying The Game. While on the end, Joe Budden took shots at G-Unit. In defense, The Game made several records against Joe Budden, most notoriously the track "Buddens." Joe Budden mocked The Game's appearance on the dating game show "Change of Heart". The Game has consistently defended his appearance on the show. Later, at a party in New York, the rappers mutually announced their intention to stop making hostile records about each other, but The Game has subsequently suggested in songs and videos that he won the feud. Also in a recent interview with Allhiphop, he was aked about sqashing beef with Budden to which Game replied "he aitn relevant to hip hop so I'm not even gona extend the olive branch


Yukmouth
Yukmouth first met The Game at a club, and at the time Yukmouth was engaged in a feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit. The Game released a diss track aimed at the rapper over the "I Got 5 on It" beat, a song which Yukmouth recorded when he was a part of The Luniz. Yukmouth responded with a track that mocked The Game's appearance on Change of Heart. The two later tried to bury the hatchet, due to a personal friend and even recorded a song together, named "Peace". However the beef continued afterward, since The Game dissed Yukmouth on the 'Peace' song (they recorded their verses separately). Since then, Yukmouth responded by releasing a free style music video over Fabolous' "Breathe" single. In the video there is a look-a-like of the rapper getting robbed and beaten up. In the song Yukmouth claimed that The Game had a tongue ring and was slapped by mogul Suge Knight. Since the West Coast Peace Conference both rappers ended the feud.

Death Row
Dr. Dre's old nemesis Suge Knight had an ongoing feud with The Game stemming from when Yukmouth claimed that The Game had been slapped by Suge Knight. The Game responded on his website, saying that if Suge Knight had ever touched him, he would be "six feet under". After the 2005 BET Awards, associates of Death Row had their invitations to a party hosted by Ciara rescinded. Supposedly, a member of Death Row had tried to steal The Game's chain. The Game stated on his Black Wall Street web site that he dislikes Suge Knight because of "the lives he has endangered." In Miami for the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Suge Knight was shot and wounded at Kanye West's party by an unknown gunman. The Game vigorously denied involvement in the shooting, but the incident renewed efforts to pacify hip hop feuds and The Game has consequently been discouraged from attending certain events in hopes of averting retaliation. Later The Game and various representatives of California's rap cliques formed a West Coast "peace treaty" to end many rivalries between various West Coast rappers. Although Suge Knight did not attend he and The Game declared their fued over.

Roc-A-Fella Records

The fued between The Game and Roc-A-Fella Records grew out of an earlier rivalry with Memphis Bleek over the name of his label (Get Low Records), which was similar to the one The Game was previously signed to (Get Low Recordz). On the single "Westside Story," The Game raps that he "don't do button-up shirts or drive maybachs," which was perceived as being directed towards Jay-Z. Later Jay-Z performed a freestyle called "Dear Summer" and in it he repeatedly used the word "game" which many hip-hop fans believed Jay-Z was directing towards The Game. The Game apparently felt that the rapper was trying to discredit him and made several remarks directed at Roc-A-Fella Records.

In an interview with Ed Lover and Monie Love, The Game said the Maybach line on Westside Story was referring to Ja Rule, he also said he has a lot of respect for Jay-Z and would never take shots at a legend. Jay-Z later insisted that "game" references were just about the rap game itself, not the rapper. The Game still addressed Memphis Bleek and Young Gunz on some songs, but the beef between them cooled off. There were rumors that Jay-Z was planning on "declaring war" on The Game and others at a concert. Despite the feud, Jay-Z instead used the opportunity to make peace with many of his rivals.

50 Cent & G-Unit

Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin is a controversial documentary released by The Game in 2006.The Game is currently involved in a feud with G-Unit. Even before The Game's first album was released and their fued became public there was tension between The Game and 50 Cent. Soon after The Documentary's release, 50 Cent felt that the rapper was disloyal for saying he didn't want to participate in G-Unit's feud with other rappers, and even wanting to work with artists with whom G-Unit were feuding, such as Nas and Jadakiss.

50 Cent also claimed that he was not getting his proper credit for the creation of the album, including writing six of the songs. During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation at the Hot 97 studio in New York City. After the situation between them escalated, 50 Cent and The Game decided to hold a press conference to announce their reconciliation. Many fans had mixed feelings as to whether the rappers created a publicity stunt designed to boost the sales of the two albums the pair had just released. Nevertheless, even after the situation had apparently deflated, 50 Cent and G-Unit continued to feud with The Game, denouncing his street credibility in the media and claiming that without their support, he will not score a hit from his second album. The Game responded during a performance at the Summer Jam and launched a boycott called "G-Unot".

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with 300 Bars and Runnin', a hard hitting diss going at G-Unit as well as members of Roc-A-Fella Records on the mixtape You Know What It Is Vol. 3. Many of The Game's fans felt that the diss song was the pivotal rebuttal that destroyed the credibility of 50 Cent and G-Unit. While it addresses his labelmates, The Game made clear that his attacks are also meant for Memphis Bleek, Benzino, and the Young Gunz. The Game chose to distance himself from addressing Jay-Z negativly on the song. 50 Cent responded through his "Piggy Bank" music video, which features The Game as a Mr. Potato Head doll and parodies many other rivals.

The Game continued his attacks at G-Unit with a mixtape called Ghost Unit. Then later with a mixtape and DVD entitled Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin', released in January 2006, and was said to be the last of the "beef" between him and G-Unit. 50 Cent's rebuttal was "Not Rich, Still Lyin'. In the song he speaks about Game's fallout with his half brother Big Fase 100. Along with this, G-Unit started to respond on numerous underground mixtapes. G-Unit member Spider Loc, one of the newest member of G-Unit, began dissing The Game soon after. The Game responded with "240 Bars (Spider Joke)", a song mainly aimed at Spider Loc, but also addressing Tony Yayo and rap group M.O.P.

The Game had released images depicting the rap group in many parodies on some of his previous mixtapes. In response, G-Unit published a mixtape cover with the rapper's head on the body of an exotic dancer. on the cover of G-Unit Radio 21. In a response to the mixtape, The Game came out with the track "The Funeral 100 Bars" aimed at the whole G-Unit camp.

In October 2006 The Game extended a peace treaty to 50 Cent, which wasn't replied.However a couple days later on Power 106 he stated that the treaty was only offered for one day. The Game later released a diss song towards G-Unit called "SoundScan", which is mainly aimed at Lloyd Banks' disapointing sales of his second album Rotten Apple.


Other controversies
Lil Eazy-E, a young rapper and son of legendary N.W.A. rapper Eazy-E, was also in a feud with The Game. The two used to be close associates and even recorded music together. Lil' Eazy-E has since directed numerous diss songs targeting the rapper and expressed his anger over what he felt was The Game misusing his father's name. The Game responded by claiming that Lil' Eazy-E is trying to establish himself off of the success he had made since releasing The Documentary. The Game responded on "120 Bars" where he claimed that Lil Eazy-E doesn't write his own lyrics. However, The Game states on the same track that he would rather not feud with Lil Eazy-E, due to the deep respect he feels for his father. To which Lil Eazy-E responded with "They Know Me". On October 30, 2006 The Game went on KDAY and said that he and Lil Eazy-E ended the fued between them.

The Game has had a falling out with his manager and half-brother Big Fase 100. The rapper claims that Big Fase 100 had extorted him out of over $1.5 million, and felt that his influence was holding him back. Later in interviews, Big Fase attacks The Game's street credibility, claiming that The Game being a "certified gangsta" is fabricated.The manager went on to claim that the supposed gangster life is based on his own life, and blamed selfishness on The Game's part as the main reason of their falling out.

A confrontation between The Game and Ras Kass took place at Club Element in Los Angeles. The stories are different from each party, but what is known is that The Game approached Rass Kass over a song that Ras Kass made regarding The Game's son and asked him to take back what he said, but he refused. The Game's entourage claimed that The Game punched and knocked out Rass Kass. The story from Ras Kass's representatives was that he walked away and got hit by a bottle in the head and then The Game's crew jumped him, but he escaped with just a black eye.


While on tour
On October 28, 2005 After making appearances with Akon, of Konvict Records nationwide, The Game was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in North Carolina. At one point, police said, his companions were sprayed with pepper spray when they surrounded officers in a threatening manner. The Greensboro police had warned him to not videotape at a mall. It was also believed that the rapper had behaved disruptively and used foul language. The Game was videotaping shoppers and it caused concern for the police. Mall security officers said the rapper was wearing a full-face Halloween mask and cursing loudly, and refused to leave when asked. When police arrived, The Game continued to act up and was arrested, a police statement said. The Game claimed that officers overreacted. A video leaked over the internet detailing the full event. The Game claims to have been giving a young girl an autograph when he was pepper sprayed by the mall security. The Game put footage of the incident on his "Stop Snitchin' Stop Lyin'" DVD. The 5 officers involved in the incident ended up suing The Game, which has yet to be taken to court.

Trivia

The Game voices the character B-Dup on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.The Game has one child, a son named Harlem Caron Taylor. Baron Davis is Harlem's godfather.[39]
The Game's standing height is 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m).
The Game was chosen to play and has bought a large selection of shares for the now defunct Inglewood Cobras, an ABA franchise team.[40]
The Game has multiple tattoos on his body including homages to Eazy-E and N.W.A, the logo of The Black Wall Street, a portrait of 2Pac as an angel and G-Unot due to his feud with 50 Cent and G-Unit, as well as the Dodgers' "LA" logo tattoo below his right eye, covering a previous tattoo of a butterfly.[41]
The Game is the voice of B-Dup, a character featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[42]
The Game has partnered with 310 Motoring to create his own shoe called The Hurricanes. A portion of the proceeds of the shoe are donated to the victims of Katrina.
He is of African American, Spanish, and Native American descent.
The Game won the 2006 ASCAP Pop Music Awards honoring the most performed songs in the ASCAP repertory for the 2005 survey year. The Game won for "How We Do" and "Hate It or Love It".[43]
The Game has been punked by Ashton Kutcher on the show Punk'd.
It has been reported that WWE plans on suing The Game over the rights to his name, which is a nickname for wrestler Triple H.[44]

Marion Hugh Knight Jr., a.k.a Sugar Bear, Suge Knight (born April 19, 1965), is a American entrepreneur in the hip hop music industry and co-founder of Death Row Records with Dr. Dre. The record label rose to dominate the charts after Dr. Dre's breakthrough success The Chronic in 1992. After several years of outstanding chart success for artists including Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tupac Shakur, Tha Dogg Pound and at one time even MC Hammer, Death Row Records fell into a stagnant limbo after Knight's incarceration on parole violation charges in 1996

Early life

Marion Suge Knight was born in Los Angeles, California. He was raised in Compton, California but attended school in neighboring Lynwood, California, graduating in 1984 Lynwood High School (incidentally, this is the same high school that "Weird Al" Yankovic graduated from in 1976), where he played on the Varsity football team. Knight's father was a custodian who loved abandoned warehouses, and his mother was a school-teacher. Knight went to UNLV on a sports scholarship from 1985 to 1987. It was during his UNLV football playing days that he was dubbed Suge, short for Sugar Bear. It was a fellow team mate dubbed Cuspus Crispy that first started to call him by his now present moniker. After setting up operations in Las Vegas he moved back to L.A. and played football as a replacement player for the Los Angeles Rams during the 1987 NFL players' strike. He then retired from professional sports and took advantage of his size (6 foot 4 inches, 345 pounds) by becoming a bodyguard for musicians like Bobby Brown, at which point he learned, as he would later say, that the key to artistic and financial freedom is owning your masters.

Death Row Records and imprisonment

As a youth, he was involved with the Mob Piru Bloods street gang, and during his later years was frequently seen wearing their colors. Knight's legal problems began in 1987 when he faced auto theft, concealed weapon, and attempted murder charges, ultimately receiving probation. Two years later, he formed his own music-publishing company and allegedly made his first big money in the business by coercing Vanilla Ice into signing over royalties from his smash album To the Extreme (by dangling him by his ankles over a hotel balcony), owing to material that he supposedly sampled from one of Knight's company creations.[citation needed] However, Vanilla Ice had two versions of this story, the aforementioned and one he presented several years later in an MTV interview, saying that it was simply a discussion between friends.[citation needed] Knight next formed an artist management company and signed prominent West Coast figures the The D.O.C. and DJ Quik. Through the former, he met several members of the seminal gangsta rap group N.W.A., most notably Dr. Dre. Several disputes between N.W.A. and their label were made, involving Suge Knight who negotiated a contract release for Dr. Dre that, according to N.W.A.'s Eazy-E and manager Jerry Heller, "involved Knight and his henchmen threatening the two with pipes and baseball bats. Finally, Dre co-founded Death Row Records in 1991 with Knight, who famously vowed to make it "the Motown of the '90s

For a time, Knight made good on his ambitions: he secured a distribution deal with Interscope, and Dre's solo debut, The Chronic, became one of the biggest-selling and most influential rap albums of all time. It also made a star of Dre's protégé, Snoop Dogg, whose debut album, Doggystyle, was another smash hit. As Dre's signature G-funk production style took over hip-hop, Death Row became a reliable brand name for "gangsta" fans, and even its lesser releases sold consistently well. However, Knight was already courting controversy. During the 1992 recording sessions for The Chronic, he was arrested for assaulting two aspiring rappers who allegedly used a phone without his permission, and placed on several years probation. Meanwhile, Death Row had begun a public feud with Miami rapper Luke (2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell), and when Knight traveled to Miami for a hip-hop convention in 1993, he was allegedly seen openly carrying a gun. The following year, he opened a nightclub in Las Vegas called Club 662, so named because the numbers spelled out "MOB," Knight's gang affiliation, on telephone keypads. He also pleaded no contest to firearms trafficking charges, and was sentenced yet again to probation. In 1995, he ran afoul of activist C. Delores Tucker, whose criticism of Death Row's glamorization of the "gangsta" lifestyle helped scuttle a lucrative deal with Time Warner. Additionally, Knight's feud with East Coast impresario Sean Combs took a nasty turn when Knight insulted the Bad Boy label honcho on air. Knight mocked Bad Boy CEO Sean 'Puff Daddy' Combs at the Source Awards in August 1995, announcing to the assembly of artists and industry figures: "Anyone out there who wanna' be a recording artist, but don't want to worry about his label producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing, come to Death Row," a reference to Puffy's tendency of ad-libbing on his artists' songs and dancing in their videos.

However, the year was partially redeemed when Knight offered to post a hefty bail for Tupac Shakur if the troubled rapper agreed to sign with Death Row. Shakur agreed, setting the stage for 1996's blockbuster double album All Eyez on Me and the smash hits "California Love" and "How Do U Want It."

Tupac temporarily helped Death Row stay on top of a marketplace that was already shifting back toward the East Coast, which had devised its own distinct brand of hardcore rap. However, the label suffered a major blow when Dr. Dre, frustrated with the company's increasingly thuggish reputation, decided to leave and form his own label. A stream of Dre-dissing records followed, but things turned tragic later in 1996, when Tupac Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting while he was a passenger in a car driven by Knight. When Shakur's East Coast rival, Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls), was murdered in a similar fashion in early 1997, speculation immediately arose that Knight was somehow involved, and that the killing was revenge. To date, both murders remain unsolved, but the investigations exposed a web of connections between Death Row Records, gang members who worked there, and LAPD officers who sometimes worked security for the label and its artists during their off hours. Moreover, Knight's story in the aftermath of Shakur's death was questionable: medical reports contradicted Knight's claim that a bullet from the attack had lodged in his skull, and he also said in an interview that even if he knew who murdered Shakur, he wouldn't rat anyone out to the police.

Videotape at the Las Vegas hotel where Knight and Shakur had been watching a boxing match prior to the murder showed an altercation with Crips gang member Orlando Anderson, who some believe was the eventual triggerman. Knight's involvement in the fight violated the terms of his probation. Moreover, it was revealed that Knight's light sentence may have involved a conflict of interest on the part of prosecutor Lawrence Longo, who rented out a Malibu home to Knight and even had his teenage daughter sign a recording contract with Death Row. Knight was sentenced to nine years in prison, which effectively spelled the end of his Death Row empire. During his time in prison, Knight's home was burglarized, and police seized a vehicle at the Death Row offices thought to be the getaway vehicle in the Biggie Smalls murder.


[edit] Further time in prison
In 2001, Suge Knight was released from prison and tried to re-start his label by signing new artists such as Crooked I, Krucifixx, Tha Realest, Eastwood, and, under the pseudonym "N.I.N.A.", the late Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes of TLC, before her untimely death in a car accident in 2002. However, in December 2002 he was jailed again for violating his probation by associating with gang members. After his release, he was arrested and jailed yet again in 2003, for assaulting parking lot attendant Mehdi Lazrak.[citation needed]


[edit] Recent activities
Knight was released on April 23, 2004. Original artist Kurupt is now the label's headliner, and his most recent album, Against Tha Grain, was released in 2005. After his release, Knight announced Death Row Records would join with other labels to produce a Christmas hip-hop album to benefit both the families of soldiers serving in Iraq and the relatives of those who died. [citation needed] No such album has been released.

Suge Knight has a son that goes by Taj Knight that lives in Atlanta he was born on September 30,1991 in Los Angeles California. He lives with his mom Davina Barnes and attends a boarding school in Georgia.

Suge claims to be developing an autobiography entitled "American Dream/American Nightmare". However, a targeted release date of fourth-quarter 2005 came and went with no biography being released. He has hinted that he will describe his experiences as a bodyguard and rap impresario and relate stories about John F. Kennedy, Jr., Jennifer Lopez, and the "scoop" on Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, as well as his first public statement about the deaths of Tupac and Biggie. Suge also claims to be planning a movie to tell the "real story" of Death Row. [1]

In October 2004, despite having not been formally invited, Suge attended the VIBE Awards, ostensibly to support Petey Pablo, whom he manages. That night Dr. Dre was to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. With Suge in the audience, a man approached Dr. Dre shortly before Dre was called up for the award and feigned interest in an autograph before punching Dre. In the resulting scuffle, G-Unit rapper Young Buck stabbed the man. Immediately, stories pointed fingers at Suge, who went on The Late Late Show and insisted he supports Dr. Dre. The man, Jimmy James Johnson, faces life in prison due to the three strikes law in California, after Dre insisted he be charged. Johnson is now claiming that Suge paid him $5,000 to punch Dre in order to humiliate him before Dre received his Lifetime Achievement Award from Quincy Jones and Snoop Dogg.[citation needed]

On the evening of February 5, 2005, Knight was arrested in Barstow, California after police pulled him over for making a U-turn and found marijuana in his Ford pickup truck. He was booked on suspicion of violating his parole. Sheriff's officials detained Knight pending his transfer to state prison, where it was to be decided whether Knight would be charged or released, but he was released shortly thereafter.

Early Sunday morning on August 28, 2005, the day of the MTV Video Music Awards, Knight was shot in the leg in Miami Beach, Florida during a party held in honor of Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music record label. He was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center and treated for the gunshot wound. Police say they have not been able to identify the assailants, but they are still talking with eyewitnesses.

On April 4, 2006, Suge Knight filed for bankruptcy due to civil litigation against him in which Lydia Harris claimed to have been cheated out of a 50% stake in Death Row Records. Prior to filing, Knight had been ordered to pay $107 million to Lydia Harris. Under questioning by creditors, he denied having money tucked away in foreign countries or in an African company that deals in diamonds and gold. Bankruptcy documents filed showed Knight had no income this year from employment or operation of a business. His bank account contained just $11, and he owned clothing worth $1,000, furniture and appliances valued at $2,000, and jewelry worth $25,000, according to the records. He had testified that the last time he checked the label’s financial records was at least 10 years ago. Knight’s lawyer said that his client was still “at the helm” of Death Row and had been working on securing distribution deals for the label’s catalog. Knight had also testified that he had reached an agreement with Lydia Harris, saying "I settled for a million and signed off on it." Harris told reporters she had received a $1 million payment but had not agreed to settle the matter. "I'm telling you, I didn't do a settlement for $1 million. That's ridiculous. Let's keep it real," she said.

Knight has skipped a meeting with his creditors after injuring himself in a motorcycle accident. Another scheduled meeting with the creditors had been missed after Suge said he had experienced a death in his family. Finally, the federal judge Ellen Carroll on July 7, 2006 ordered a bankruptcy trustee takeover of Suge Knight's Death Row Records, saying the record label has undergone gross mismanagement. She commented that "apparently there's no one at the helm of Death Row".

He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which allows a company to continue business operations while restructuring. Death Row is currently being operated by Neilson during the bankruptcy proceedings, while Knight oversees his bankruptcy estate as a debtor in possession. The Los Angeles Bankruptcy Judge has ordered that parties asserting claims against either Death Row Records or Suge Knight must file those claims with the Bankruptcy Court presiding over the bankruptcy cases by October 31, 2006 or risk being barred from participating in the cases or from asserting claims against Death Row or Knight.

He has recently been seen with New York rapper Necro at a concert in Los Angeles

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975) is a rapper commonly known by his rap name 50 Cent and recognized by the nicknames Fifty Cent and Fiddy Cent. He rose to fame following the success of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' and The Massacre. 50 Cent achieved multi-platinum success with both albums, selling around 22 million albums worldwide. He is known for his "gangsta" image, and having been shot nine times and surviving. 50 Cent currently resides in Farmington, Connecticut; he purchased the former mansion of boxing star Mike Tyson.



Early Life
Curtis James Jackson III grew up in neighborhood known as South Jamaica, located in Queens, New York. Under poverty-stricken circumstances, his mother was murdered in her home in a failed drug deal which led to the rapper being raised by his grandparents. Immersed in the drug trade, the rapper began hustling his native neighborhood under the name of "Boo Boo." This reputation helped build 50 Cent a large following in New York before ever signing a major record deal.

Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC detected talent in the rapper and signed him to his label, for a brief time. His first official appearance on a song was on the group Onyx song, "React", off their album "Shut 'Em Down" in 1998. After leaving Jam Master Jay, 50 Cent began working with hip-hop producers the Track Masters. While signed to Columbia Records, his career took off after the release of the successful, but controversial single "How to Rob". This single was an ode to robbing a number of industry rappers. The next single, "Ghetto Qur'an", led to a feud with a drug kingpin known as Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, founder of a gang known as the "Supreme Team." The song goes indepth about the business of the drug trade and exposed the names of many in the business. The debut album Power of the Dollar was shelved due to the controversies surrounding the rapper, and also led to the infamous shooting and feuds with numerous rappers affiliated with McGriff.

After releasing mixtapes independently, Eminem showed interest in working with the rapper. When Eminem brought this to Dr. Dre's attention, it contributed to 50 Cent signing a deal with Interscope Records. 50 Cent was also the first to sign onto a joint effort between Eminem's Shady Records and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment. Under Interscope, the label marketed 50 Cent as the "real deal". The rapper's appearances on the 8 Mile Soundtrack, with the hit single "Wanksta" going into heavy rotation on BET, MTV, and many radio stations across the country.

Endorsements and Projects
Since releasing Beg For Mercy with his group G-Unit, the rapper teamed up with Reebok to release his own G-Unit Sneakers. He also invested in VitaminWater bottled water and his own clothing line. 50 Cent appeared on an episode of The Simpsons entitled, "Pranksta Rap".

A video game starring 50 Cent, called 50 Cent: Bulletproof, is available on the PlayStation 2, the Xbox, and the PlayStation Portable.

50 Cent starred in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' directed by Jim Sheridan, and co-starring Joy Bryant and Terrence Howard. The rapper is currently working on his upcoming role in the movie Home of the Brave, along side Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Biel. He's also set to star opposite Nicolas Cage in The Dance, a film regarding prison boxers.

50 Cent released a memoir about his life up to his success entitled From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a Time in Southside Queens.


Controversy

Ja Rule and Murder Inc.
Even before signing with Interscope, 50 Cent was engaged in a well-publicized dispute with rival rapper Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. The rappers engaged in numerous mix tape "disses". The conflict stemmed from the rapper's alleged robbery of Ja Rule's jewelry, which led to a confrontation and 50 Cent's stabbing.

An affidavit on The Smoking Gun suggests that the label has ties to Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who is possibly involved in the murder of Jam Master Jay and the attempted murder of 50 Cent. An excerpt of the affidavit reads:

"The investigation has uncovered a conspiracy involving McGriff and others to murder a rap artist who has released songs containing lyrics regarding McGriff's criminal activities. The rap artist was shot nine times in 2000, survived and there after refused to cooperate with law enforcement regarding the shooting. Messages transmitted over the Murder Inc. Pager indicate that McGriff is involved in an ongoing plot to kill this rap artist, and that he communicates with Murder Inc. employees concerning the target."


Other New York Rappers
50 Cent began a feud with rappers Nas, Joe Budden, Fat Joe, Shyne, Jadakiss and D-Block.

The feud with Nas started from tension after Nas appeared on Jennifer Lopez's track "I'm Gonna Be Alright (Remix)", which 50 wanted to be on. The beef brewed underground for a while, but sparked publicly when Nas made a disrespectful comment towards 50 Cent at a free concert in New York's Central Park.

The feud with Joe Budden started from the 50 Cent's critical review of Joe Budden's debut album in a magazine interview. Joe Budden responded with several mixtape disses attacking the rap group's credibility. This feud continued on with The Game's involvement against Joe Budden.

The feud with Jadakiss and Fat Joe started from their partnership with Ja Rule. After they were featured in the filming of a video, 50 Cent recorded a response to the rappers through a single known as "Piggy Bank". The single attacks Jadakiss, Fat Joe and imprisoned rapper Shyne for the association to Ja Rule. The feud with Shyne started from the rapper having some of his album being produced by Irv Gotti. Even though things cooled down, at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards, Fat Joe made a disparaging comment about G-Unit during a performance. 50 Cent and G-Unit retaliated on set by shouting obscenities toward Fat Joe and his Terror Squad.

The rapper has feuds with former G-Unit members, Bang 'Em Smurf and Domination (rapper). This feud started after Bang 'Em Smurf claimed the rapper didn't assist in bailing him out of jail after being charged with a gun crime. This led to the rapper serving a three year prison sentence.

He has also criticized Lil' Kim for having breast implants and expressed his disgust of her participation in their hit single "Magic Stick," which he did not want to record with her, citing that the song was originally entitled to Miami rapper Trina.

The feud with Jay-Z started when the rapper released "How to Rob" and Jay-Z responded with sublimial lines targeting 50 Cent on the single "It's Hot." 50 Cent responded with "Be a Gentleman." The track was never heard by many due to the rapper's departure from Columbia Records. He has, however, ended his feud with Jay-Z.

50 Cent began to speak negatively about Bad Boy Entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, and recorded a song targeting the mogul, which reveals the reason behind his negative feelings toward the mogul: a contract dispute over Mase. In the aforementioned song, he implied that (Diddy) knows about The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder and threatened to expose him through several former associates. This feud has since been resolved, with Diddy and 50 Cent appearing on MTV's TRL and Sucker Free, respectively, stating that there are no longer problems between the two.

The Game
50 Cent has an escalating feud with The Game. The Game, who was previously signed to G-Unit, was bonding with the rapper before the release of his debut The Documentary. When the album was released, 50 Cent felt that The Game was disloyal for wanting to work with artists G-Unit were feuding with. He further claimed that he was not getting proper credit for the debut of the album.

During that dispute, a member of The Game's entourage was shot after a confrontation outside the Hot 97 radio station. When the situation escalated, 50 Cent and The Game tried to hold a press conference to end their feud. Fans claim the feud and particularly the incident at the radio station were a publicity stunt designed to boost the sales of the two albums the pair had just released. Nevertheless, the situation escalated when The Game's street credibility was criticized by 50 Cent and G-Unit. The group denounced The Game and claimed that their participation will not be featured on the rapper's albums. The Game during a performance at the Summer Jam launched a boycott called "G-Unot".

After the performance at Summer Jam, The Game responded with "300 Bars And Runnin'" which directly addresses 50 Cent and G-Unit. The Game continued his attacks at G-Unit with a DVD entitled Stop Snitchin, Stop Lyin'. After numerous songs aimed at G-Unit, 50 Cent had responded to the The Game's rebuttals with "Not Rich, Still Lyin.'" The song imitates The Game and attacks his credibility and his recent feud with his brother, Big Fase 100.

The Game had also released images depicting the rap group in many parodies on some of his previous mixtapes. In response, G-Unit published a mixtape cover with the rapper's head on the body of an exotic dancer. Although both rappers were once signed to the same label, this feud has led to The Game leaving Aftermath Entertainment, in order to completely resolve the matter. Since leaving the record label, The Game has expressed his desire to come to a truce with 50 Cent.


Other controversies
While appearing at the Summer Jam concert in New York, 50 Cent and members of G-Unit were criticized for speaking out against other notable artists including R&B singer R. Kelly. Before going onstage, 50 Cent mentioned R. Kelly's pending child pornography trial. He and his crew received mixed reactions from the crowd and chairs were thrown onstage, forcing 50 Cent and his G-Unit crew to leave the stage for safety reasons.

The rapper also had a falling out with Eminem's former deejay Green Lantern. The deejay has been labeled a "snitch" and "traitor" for his apparent phone conversation with rival Jadakiss. The rapper had a phone interview with DJ Green Lantern over the feud with 50 Cent. The DJ was apparently encouraging Jadakiss to "deliver a major blow" to 50 Cent, Jadakiss has responded on songs such as "Sorry Ms. Jackson" and "Checkmate". The rapper never confronted the DJ about the situation, but it did affect the relationship within Shady Records. The situation forced Green Lantern to leave Shady Records and other ventures associated with Eminem.

On a taping of The O'Reilly Factor, conservative commentator Bill O'Reilly has urged boycotts against rap music. O'Reilly named 50 Cent as a target of his crusade to prevent rappers who promote bad behavior from endorsing mainstream merchandise. He criticized shoe maker Reebok for partnering up with 50 Cent to endorse his G-Unit Sneakers. O'Reilly has rallied another boycott, this time against the shoe maker. Despite the boycott, sales remain excellent, and Reebok still continues to endorse 50 Cent's products. However, a television advertisement for Reebok which featured 50 Cent was taken off air in the United Kingdom. The advertisement contained lyrics from one of the rapper's tracks, which resulted in complaints against their violent imagery.

50 Cent has apparently expressed support for President George W. Bush after comments were made by rapper Kanye West. After the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, 50 Cent defended the president when being criticised for his slow response in assisting the victims of the Gulf Coast region. If the rapper's felony convictions didn't prevent him from voting, 50 Cent claimed that he would have voted for Bush.

Dan McTeague, a member of Canadian Parliament suggested that the government ban 50 Cent from entering the country. McTeague said the rapper's message encourages gun violence. The rapper's tour went on as planned, only a few of the featured G-Unit acts were denied entry in Canada.

Hakeem Seriki (born November 28, 1979, in Houston, Texas) is an American rapper from the Acres Homes section of Houston, Texas. He is best known by his stage name, Chamillionaire (pronounced Kha-mil-yen-air), but also uses nicknames such as The Mixtape Messiah, King Koopa, Color Changin' Lizard, Chamillionator, The Truth From Texas. He has publicly stated that his aim is to prove that the South can produce quality lyricists. He is also a hook writer and usually sings and harmonizes with himself (using double-tracked vocals) on his own hooks. Chamillionaire is an original member of The Color Changin' Click, which houses rappers such as his brother Rasaq, 50/50 Twin, and Yung Ro.

Biography
After his parents, a Muslim father from Nigeria and a Christian mother from the United States, split in his early teens, Chamillionaire settled into a notoriously dangerous inner-city neighborhood in North Houston, which he elaborated upon during an interview with Houston's 104.9 KPTY on October 3. Rap and other forms of secular music, that his parents had highly opposed in their household, became very appealing to the young Hakeem Seriki. Inspired by local rap acts such as The Geto Boys, 8 Ball & MJG, and UGK, as well as other national acts such as N.W.A. and Public Enemy, Chamillionaire began to compose his own rhymes.

At a young age, Chamillionaire along with fellow rapper and childhood friend Paul Wall, had decided to make music their careers. One day while promoting themselves at a Texas event, Paul Wall and Chamillionaire ran into Michael 5000 Watts, a popular mixtape DJ from the Northside. After proposing to do promotions for Watts' company, the Swishahouse, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall came to Watts' studio and convinced Watts to allow them freestyle on an intro to Watts' radio show on Houston’s 97.9 The Box. Watts, who himself was convinced to rap on the record, enjoyed the freestyle so much that he put the verses on one of his mixtapes. The freestyle became so popular in the streets that Chamillionaire and Paul Wall became regular staples on Houston's mixtape circuit, appeared on several of Watts' mixtapes, and became permanent members of Swishahouse.

Although Paul Wall and Chamillionaire were making much noise in the streets by rapping on Watts' mixtapes, they, along with several other members of the Swishahouse, became frustrated with the lack of money they were receiving from the mixtapes. After fellow member Slim Thug left the label, Chamillionaire and Paul Wall followed and started their own mixtape group known as The Color Changin' Click. Each successive mixtape released by The Color Changin' Click led to more business opportunities; the most notable of which being a contract to do a full album for Paid in Full Records. A one album contract was then negotiated between the Color Changin' Click and Paid in Full's label head, DJ Madd Hatta from 97.9 The Box, and the CCC's first album, Get Ya Mind Correct, would continue on to sell over 100,000 copies.

The sale of all these albums without the backing of a major deal caught the attention of several major labels wanting to sign Chamillionaire and Paul. Chamillionaire and his labelmates decided to remain independent, however, until the right deal came along. While working on his second album with the Color Changin' Click, Chamillionaire began to have creative differences with Paul Wall, so much so that it was decided that the two emcees should each release solo albums that would be packaged together. When Chamillionaire became dissatisfied with how things were being resolved, he left Paid in Full and his almost complete album after fulfilling his contractual obligations to focus on promoting his mixtape label Chamillitary instead.


Solo career
2005-2006 Mixtape Messiah to The Sound of Revenge
After being dissatisfied with Swishahouse and Paid in Full due to monetary disputes, Chamillionaire began releasing his own mixtapes to ensure that all the money he earned went to him. After releasing Mixtape Messiah in 2004, Chamillionaire signed a deal with Universal Records in early 2005.

Chamillionaire's eighth major solo release, entitled The Sound of Revenge, was released through Chamillitary Entertainment and Universal Records in November 2005. The album's lead single was entitled "Turn It Up" featuring Lil' Flip and was produced by Scott Storch. The second single, released in March 2006, entitled "Ridin'" features Krayzie Bone of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony & Play-N-Skillz, who produced the track, all make appearances in the video. Ridin' was so successful that it held the number 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks in a row and helped drive The Sound of Revenge to platinum success.

R&B singer and friend, Natalie announced in a recent MTV interview that Chamillionaire will be shooting a video for the track, "Think I'm Crazy." She'll cameo in whilst traveling back and forth in between breaks to shoot the video for her first single "What You Gonna Do" with rapper and friend Bun B. However, Chamillionaire has since replaced "Think I'm Crazy" with Grown And Sexy as the next single. If "Grown and Sexy" proves another success, "Think I'm Crazy" might be released as the 4th single. Also, while not an official single, the bonus track "Grind Time" was used as part of the NBA Live soundtrack.

Chamillionaire recruits an impressive list of talent on his debut effort, including Lil' Flip, Bun B, Scarface, and Krayzie Bone, as well as in-demand producers Scott Storch (50 Cent), Mannie Fresh (Lil' Wayne, Baby, Juvenile) and Cool & Dre (The Game). But, it's his work with Atlanta studio kings The Beat Bullies (Big Boi/OutKast) that sets the tone for much of The Sound Of Revenge's diverse platform. "They understand me," Chamillionaire says of the in-house producers. "There are a lot of producers that have dope beats, but they don't know me as an artist. The Beat Bullies, being from Atlanta, can take it to the strip clubs, the streets and to the radio."

The album was recently certified platinum by the RIAA, and a chopped and screwed version, screwed by OG Ron C, was released in February 2006.

Chamillionaire has lately been getting calls from a slew of artists who want to work or tour with him. So far, he's worked with Joe, Young Buck and newcomer Jibbs ("King Kong" ,and is also featured on Ciara's new single, entitled Get Up, which is included on the soundtrack for Step Up plus he contributed on the official remix of Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera. Chamillionaire also makes appearances on DJ Khaled's album with Slim Thug and Trina on a track called "Candy Paint", on Frankie J's upcoming single "That Girl" with Mannie Fresh, and most recently, on Trick Daddy's new single "Bet That". A rumored collaboration between Chamillionaire and 50 Cent has also been officially confirmed. SOHH recently caught up with Chamillionaire during "MTV Video Music Awards" press forum and the Houston bred emcee revealed that him and the G-Unit honcho have worked on some material. "I bumped into 50 in NY a couple of weeks ago, and he hollered at me and said he wanted to do some stuff, next day Sha Money hit me up and put me on some records," explained Cham. "I really don't like to say nothing until it gets cleared, and everything goes through cause I don't like to say I'm a be on something and then get pulled off." "So yeah, I'm definitely been messing around with them," Cham continued. " They been showing love, and I've been messin' with his DJ, DJ Whoo Kid and Lil' Scrappy, he just shot a video, he's with G-Unit now and he put me in the video, so it's a good look," he added.

Chamillionaire is still turning heads in the hip-hop industry after winning the VMA for Best Rap Video, beating out veterans such as T.I., Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, and fellow new artist Yung Joc. On September 6, 2006, the ringtone of his song Ridin' was the first to be certified triple platinum, making it the highest selling master ringtone ever . Despite these successes, he considers "Weird Al" Yankovic spoofing his "Ridin'" with "White & Nerdy" his Greatest honor.


Controversy
Chamillionaire is known to have issues with southern rapper Mike Jones, claiming that he is the reason Chamillionaire left Swishahouse, and going as far as devoting an entire disc of his 3-CD mixtape Mixtape Messiah to rapping about Jones, whom he calls "Dike Jones". He accused Mike of slander, and as a result the first CD is mostly insulting Mike Jones in songs like "Who They Want", "You Got Wrecked", and "Roll Call". Recently, however, Chamillionaire has contemplated working with Jones again and ending any friction between the two.
Chamillionaire's younger brother Rasaq was allegedly jumped and punched in the back of the head by Paul Wall and his entourage at a nightclub. Paul Wall denied these claims, and Chamillionaire denied that anyone was hurt at all. He also expressed his disappointment in Paul Wall, claiming that they "all used to be family", and expressing dismay in the state of affairs. While Chamillionaire and Paul Wall have since ended any friction toward each other (after performing Ridin' on BET's 106 & Park, Chamillionaire confirmed that he and Paul Wall had settled all problems and had no friction towards each other, citing that it had taken "so long" to get to where they were in their success), Chamillionaire has contemplated working with his estranged business partner again and even touring together.


Conclusion


His first name "Hakeem" is the Arabic word for Wise.
Both the first names of him and his brother Rasaq are from Arabic words.
His name is pronounced with a K and not with a CH, being a portmanteau of chameleon and millionaire. It "represents the unique style that defines the talented urban artist, and his ability to change and adapt on the fly, forcing people to respect the true breadth of his talent".
He will be featured on the new Bone Thugs-N-Harmony album Strength & Loyalty.
He grew up in a strict household with his Muslim father and Christian mother, where secular music was banned until his parents split up in his early teens. Despite these settings, he considers himself a Christian which is confirmed on his Song "Void In My Life".
Chamillionaire was on the original version of "Still Tippin'", but due to an argument with Mike Jones, the third verse was given to Paul Wall.
Prefers to ride on buses over riding in airplanes.
Chamillionaire's favorite album is Ridin' Dirty by UGK.
On July 17, 2006, Chamillionaire announced via bulletin on his official MySpace page that American parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded a parody of "Ridin'" for his new album Straight Outta Lynwood (released on September 26, 2006). The parody, called "White & Nerdy" also featured a music video and was released as the lead single from the album. Chamillionaire stated in an interview that he was honored to have a parody of the song written by Yankovic, and was pleasantly surprised by Yankovic's rapping ability.
Chamillionaire has recently stated on his MySpace that he has plans of a Chamillitary clothing Line.
Chamillionaire won an award for 2006 Best Rap Video for the song Ridin' at the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
His height is 5' 10½" (1.79 m)
He is one day younger than friend and fellow rapper The Game.
Chamillionaire's even younger brother, who goes by the name Thundacat, is also a rapper. Thundacat isn't and has never been affiliated with the Color Changin' Click. In Chamillionaire's entire underground rapping career, he has only been in one song with Thundacat. It is even rumored that they are on bad terms.
Chamillionaire appears on a track called "Soon As I Get Home" on the new 2Pac album Pac's Life alongside with Akon
Chamillionaire does not smoke weed or drink alcohol

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