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Dr. Dre om his first day working with Eminem

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Dr. Dre om his first day working with Eminem

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SONGEminem - My Name IsLYRICSHi, my name is (what?)My name is (who?)My name is (chka-chka, Slim Shady)TAGSDr. Dre EminemEminem Dr. DreMy Name Is EminemEminem...

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21 Fastest Rappers: Who’s The Fastest Rap Artist? - Music Grotto

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Looking for the fastest rap artist of all time? We’ve got you covered! Check out the 21 fastest rappers here:

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It's not just the speed at which he spits the rhyme, which is crazy impressive by itself, but he doesn't lose any diction or pronunciation while he does it!!!! Incredibly impressive!

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No autotune chrisbrown Look at me now #shorts #noautotune

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Mary J. Blige , in full Mary Jane Blige, (born January 11, 1971, Bronx, New York, U.S.), American singer-songwriter and actress who has been called the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.

Blige's childhood was divided between Savannah, Georgia, and a housing project in Yonkers, New York. Her early musical influences included singing in a Pentecostal church and listening to her mother's collection of soul records. When a recording of the 17-year-old Blige singing Anita Baker's "Caught Up in the Rapture" (made in a karaoke booth in a local shopping mall) came to the attention of Uptown Records in 1988, the rhythm-and-blues label put Blige, who had dropped out of high school, under contract. She sang backup for various artists until the 1992 release of her first solo album, What's the 411?, produced primarily by rapper Sean ("Puffy") Combs ( Diddy). That album revealed the pain of Blige's childhood while presenting a unique sound that mixed classic soul with hip-hop and urban contemporary rhythm and blues, redefining soul music and influencing a generation of artists. Her success continued with the introspective My Life (1994); a documentary centring on the album appeared in 2021.

Blige's glamorous but street-tough image softened over time. However, her music remained personal, emotional, and spiritual. Among Blige's host of hit singles were "Be Without You" (1994), "Not Gon' Cry" (1996), and "Take Me As I Am" (2005). Her hit albums included Share My World (1997) and Growing Pains (2007), both of which reached number one on the Billboard charts, and No More Drama (2001), Blige's fifth album, which presented an artist who is happy with the woman she has become. Her 2006 release, Reflections (2006), provided a retrospective of her work.

Blige's 2008 tour with Jay-Z made her one of hip-hop's top-grossing live acts, and the following year she won a Grammy Award for best contemporary rhythm and blues album-her ninth total career Grammy-for Growing Pains. Stronger with Each Tear (2009) was criticized for its overreliance on guest vocalists and Auto-Tune technology, but Blige rebounded in convincing fashion with My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act I) (2011), which played to her strengths, balancing soulful ballads with infectious dance tunes that recalled her earliest hits. An album of Christmas standards, A Mary Christmas, appeared in 2013. The following year she released the soundtrack for the comedy Think Like a Man Too and The London Sessions, the latter of which featured collaborations with several British producers and musicians, including Sam Smith, Naughty Boy, and the duo Disclosure. The critically acclaimed Strength of a Woman (2017) was inspired by Blige's acrimonious breakup with her husband and manager, Kendu Isaacs. Blige's 14th studio album, Good Morning Gorgeous, appeared in 2022. Shortly thereafter she was among a group of hip-hop stars-which included Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Eminem-who performed at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Blige forayed into acting, making guest appearances on several television shows and taking supporting roles in such films as Rock of Ages (2012), Black Nativity (2013), and Mudbound (2017). For her work in the latter movie, a drama about racism in 1940s Mississippi, Blige earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. In addition, "Mighty River," which she cowrote and sang for the film's soundtrack, received an Oscar nod. She later lent her voice to the animated feature Sherlock Gnomes (2018) and Trolls World Tour (2020). Her other credits from 2020 included the horror thriller Body Cam, in which she played a police officer. During this time she also had recurring roles on such TV shows as Scream and The Umbrella Academy. In Power Book II: Ghost (2020- ), a spin-off of the popular crime drama Power, Blige played a drug "queenpin."

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Mary J. Blige | Biography, Music, & Facts

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Mary J. Blige, American singer-songwriter and actress who has been called the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. She was especially known for soulful ballads and infectious dance hits, and her music was often personal, spiritual, and emotional. She projected a glamorous but street-tough image that softened over time.

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In this song, Eminem samples huge chunks of the song Dream On by Aerosmith.

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Eminem - Sing For The Moment (Clean Version) [No Effects]

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Love the way You Lie Eminem featuring Rihanna

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Love the way You Lie Eminem featuring Rihanna

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Eminem - Love The Way You Lie (CLEAN) [HQ]

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The Monster (with Lyrics) Eminem featuring Rihanna 

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The Monster (with Lyrics) Eminem featuring Rihanna 

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Eminem ft. Rihanna - The Monster (Clean + Lyrics)

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Amanda Gorman (born March 7, 1998, Los Angeles, California, U.S.) American poet and activist known for works that address Black identity, feminism, marginalization, and climate change. She gained international fame when she read her poem "The Hill We Climb" at the 2021 inauguration of U.S. Pres. Joe Biden.

Gorman and her siblings, including her twin sister, Gabrielle, were raised by a single mother, Joan Wicks, who was a middle-school teacher. The sisters both had difficulties with speech. Amanda had an auditory-processing disorder that made it hard for her to pronounce the letter r. By her own account, she sought out poetry as an inexpensive means of expressing herself.

Inspired by Pakistani activist and future Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Gorman became a youth delegate for the United Nations in 2013. The following year she was named the inaugural Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate. In that capacity she worked with the County of Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations to develop youth programs. She self-published her first collection of poetry, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015. Amanda enrolled at Harvard University in 2016, while Gabrielle pursued film studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, but the sisters found ways of collaborating, notably working on such projects as Rise Up As One (2018), a short film by Gabrielle about activism with Amanda reading a poem of the same title. In 2017, while still attending Harvard, Amanda became the inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, and she toured the country reading new work, including "Earthrise" at the Los Angeles Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training (2018). Gorman graduated cum laude in 2020 with a degree in sociology.

In 2021 Gorman became one of only a handful of poets, including Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, to recite a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration. She immediately captivated the audience with her poise and her stirring message. Gesturing elegantly and employing wordplay to great effect, Gorman addressed a country grieving the losses of the COVID-19 pandemic, shaken by George Floyd's murder in 2020, and reeling over the Capitol insurrection a few weeks prior. These events exposed how division sowed violence, inaction, and discrimination. She rallied listeners not only to set aside differences and to unite but also to recognize that America was at a turning point when citizens must reckon with the country's harrowing history to redeem its founding ideals:

[B]eing American is more than a pride we inherit-
It's the past we step into, and how we repair it.

Gorman warned of the consequences of doing nothing, acknowledged her own presence at an inauguration as proof of the country's ability to change, and finished with a call to look for inspiration in oneself:

For there is always light,
If only we're brave enough to see it,
If only we're brave enough to be it.

By the time Gorman uttered her last, satisfying line, she was a celebrity, lauded throughout the world for meeting the moment. In the following weeks she became the first poet to perform at the Super Bowl (her poem, "Chorus of the Captains," honours an educator, a nurse, and a veteran). She also signed a modeling contract and published a special edition of her inaugural poem. Later in 2021 Gorman cohosted the Met Gala, the annual benefit for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, with actor Timothée Chalamet, singer Billie Eilish, and tennis player Naomi Osaka. In addition, she debuted a children's book, Change Sings: A Children's Anthem, and published a collection of poetry, Call Us What We Carry (formerly titled The Hill We Climb, and Other Poems).

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Amanda Gorman | Poems, Book, Inauguration, & The Hill We Climb

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Amanda Gorman, American poet and activist known for works that address Black identity, feminism, marginalization, and climate change. She gained international fame when she read her poem 'The Hill We Climb' at the 2021 inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Read more about her life and career.

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After all, rap lyrics are often poetry.

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Amanda Gorman Teaches Writing and Performing Poetry | Official Trailer | MasterClass

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Sesame Street: Pentatonix Counts (& Sings) to Five

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Kevin “K.O.” Olusola Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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Kevin “K.O.” Olusola biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews

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Pentatonix is an acapela group. They cover songs, but also have original work. One of the members is a beatboxer named Kevin "K.O." Olusola, and he is incredibly talented. He also plays the cello. This is my favorite song by them. As you listen, pay attention to K.O.'s work.

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Pentatonix - The Sound of Silence (Official Video)

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Timbaland, byname of Timothy Z. Mosley, (born March 10, 1971, Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.), influential American producer and hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues performer who contributed to the chart-scaling success of a host of recording artists in the early 21st century.

Mosley grew up in Virginia with rappers Missy ("Misdemeanor") Elliot and Magoo. At age 19, he began to learn how to use studio equipment under the direction of producer and musician DeVante Swing, whose mispronunciation of the shoe manufacturer Timberland resulted in a new name for his protégé. Timbaland's inventive production skills were first evidenced on Aaliyah's 1996 hit "One in a Million." Soon afterward Timbaland signed with Blackground Records as both a solo act and part of the rap duo Timbaland and Magoo. In 1997 the two put out their first album, Welcome to Our World; featuring the contributions of Elliot and Aaliyah, along with the hit song "Up Jumps da Boogie," it achieved platinum sales status.

By the late 1990s Timbaland had developed a signature sound that made him a much sought-after and often-imitated hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues producer. He used original beats-rather than samples-to create complex syncopated rhythms and complemented them with quiet background rapping or obscure sounds, such as a whinnying horse. With an uncanny knack for crafting commercially successful singles and albums, Timbaland produced hits for Jay-Z, Ginuwine, Elliot, Ludacris, and Snoop Dogg. In the early 2000s Timbaland moved beyond the genres of hip-hop and rhythm and blues to produce albums for rock and pop stars, including Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake, Beck, Bjork, and Madonna. In addition to his notable work as a producer, Timbaland continued to release albums, both as a solo artist and in conjunction with Magoo. He created new record labels under the umbrella of Interscope-Beat Club and Mosley Music Group-and received three Grammy Awards for his work with Timberlake, on "SexyBack" (2006), "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" (2007), and "Pusher Love Girl" (2013). He also earned a Grammy for his contributions to Beyoncé 's "Drunk in Love" (2013).

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Timbaland, influential American producer and hip-hop and R&B performer who contributed to the chart-scaling success of a host of recording artists in the early 21st century. He was perhaps best known for his work with Justin Timberlake. Learn more about his life and accomplishments.

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The Way I Are by Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson, D.O.E., Sebastian

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The Way I Are by Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson, D.O.E., Sebastian

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Timbaland - The Way I Are ft. Keri Hilson, D.O.E., Sebastian

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TIMBALAND Teaches Producing and Beatmaking - MasterClass Trailer

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The impact of Timbaland and Missy Elliott 🔥

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About MasterClass:MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited ac…

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The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

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The Message by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

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Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message

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Contemporary Black Biography Sanchez, Brenna

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Grandmaster FlashRap musician, disc jockey Known as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash was one of rap’s earliest technical pioneers; the innovative turntable techniques he experimented with in the 1970s have become synonymous with rap and hip-hop today.

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Official website of Grand Master Flash and the QMT VIP!

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@WillBBell "Din Daa Daa" - Will B.Bell Choreography

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the Roots Remix  George Kranz's "Din Daa Daa"

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AllMusic | Music Search, Recommendations, Videos and Reviews

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Ain't No Half Stepping by Big Daddy Kane

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Ain't No Half Stepping by Big Daddy Kane

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Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half-Steppin' Clean

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An almost direct quote and nod to Prodigy and Mobb Deep with "I'm only 19 but my mind is older." Seconds later we hear him spell out his name in cadence Biggie use in Going Back to Cali.

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Levels by Invicii was one of my nephew's favorites.

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As the song goes "House music is a universal language spoken and understood by all" Chuck Roberts gave us a prayer that perfectly described house music and the culture that surrounds it. From humble beginnings to a worldwide phenomenon, house music is everywhere today.

What makes house music amazing and how did it become such an important musical genre? Here we'll cover what is house music, its history, and give you some examples.

Definition: What Is House Music?
House music is a musical genre birthed in Chicago in the 1980s. With roots in disco, the house uses a similar beat and song structure but combines it with electronic elements, samples, and synthesizers.
Over time the sound would transform and morph into a wide range of subgenres from deep to energetic. No matter what style of house music you enjoy, most of the songs have similar characteristics.

House Music Characteristics

What does house music sound like? House is an extremely broad musical genre and songs can have widely different tones and sounds. Whether it's deep, funky, progressive, or electro, house music does have a few key characteristics that make it house.

Here are some of the most common characteristics you'll find in a house music song.

Almost every house song that has ever been written will have a 4/4 time signature. A kickdrum will also be played on every beat. This gives the music its signature four-on-the-floor sound. Hi-hats and claps are normally played offbeat to add funk to the tune.

Most house music sticks to a danceable tempo between 120 and 130 beats per minute (BPM). Of course, there are exceptions. Chill house tunes may slow to 100 BPM while hard house and other aggressive genres can have BPMs that exceed 150.

Birthed from Disco DJs, House owes much of its sound to disco musicians and producers in the 1970s. You'll find countless house music records those sample melodies, basslines, and vocals from disco and soul tracks.

Sampling became incredibly popular with hip hop and house musicians in the 1980s. Samplers of the time were normally more affordable than purchasing instruments. This gave inner-city kids a chance to express themselves in a new and unique way.

Samples and loops are a perfect match for house music's repetitive nature.

The synths and drums used in house music are greatly influenced by equipment designed in the 80s. The Roland TR-808 is the drum machine of choice for house music Don't forget to add an acid bassline from the Roland TB-303 or a melody from a Nord synth to perfect your house tune.

While not every house song will have this feature, many producers will utilize a repetitive vocal hook in their production. This is prevalent in commercial house music more than it is in the underground styles.

A perfect example is "Around the World" by Daft Punk. During the track's run time, the duo repeat the hook "around the world" 144 times.

Nothing can get a crowd dancing like a good build-up. The repetitive nature of house music can be used to slowly build tension in the song until the DJ releases it with a breakdown. The song will begin to build again until it's ready for release, and the drop will finally hit, and the dancefloor will erupt.

Most house music performances are handled by a DJ instead of a band. DJs use a combination of records or digital music players to seamlessly blend songs. This technique is called beat matching and can be used to create new songs and sounds from the original works.

9 Examples of House Music

What does house music sound like? House has many subgenres for you to enjoy. From deep tunes to pop anthems, there is something for everyone to love about house music. Here are 9 of our favorite house music examples.

Released in 1986, "Your Love" is one of the first house records to receive critical praise for the recording industry.

From the deep and sultry vocals to the mesmerizing beats, "Your Love" is a dancefloor anthem that has lasted through the ages and will continue to be extremely influential to future generations of inspiring DJs and music producers.

"One More Time" is a masterful French house production that went on to have worldwide crossover appeal. Off their second album, Discovery, Daft Punk transformed house music forever, and it finally began to get the attention it deserved on an international scale.

You can thank Marshall Jefferson for piano-house music. The piano riff and drums build and build until Jefferson drops one of the most iconic vocals of any house song to date. If I had one song to describe house music to someone, "Move your Body" would be my first choice.

Acid house and tracks like "Acid Tracks" were extremely influential and responsible for the Summer of Love in the UK.

The combination of house beats, psychedelic synths, and techno created Acid House. This sound was embraced by Europe and helped birth the careers of some of the biggest DJs in the world, including Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, and Pete Tong.

While house music stayed underground for its early years, some exceptions found pop and chart success. Robin S. broke through the charts in 1993 with "Show Me Love" and hit number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

NYC native, Armand Van Helden produced this amazing mix of garage beats and vocals. Many house music producers in the late 90s focused on funk combined with more repetitive drums.

"You Don't Know Me" has been a mainstay in DJs crates since the 90s and can be played by DJs in almost any genre. The song works perfectly during a sunset gig in Ibiza or a disco in NYC.

The mid-2000s found many house music producers embracing a darker and deeper sound. Who's afraid of Detroit is a perfect example of the minimal and deep sound of this era.

The song features a minimal sound that allows the beat and bassline to breathe. Once the melody comes arrives, it's time to dance to the confusing sounds. Claude Von Stroke perfectly captures the feeling of a deep dark underground club in "Who's Afraid of Detroit."

The late 2000s saw house music change forever as the United States pop and music festival scene finally embraced house music. "Don't You Worry Child" is a perfect example of this sound?

The piano background builds the song to a fever pitch, while the simple but effective vocals will give you chills while you wait for the song to drop. Once the beat hits, you'll have a hard time embracing the song and dancing nonstop.

By 2011, the world had accepted house music, and it quickly became one of the largest musical genres on the planet. The big room sound was now called "EDM," and every festival was filled with massive stars like Avicii.

Levels and other songs like it are a perfect time capsule back to the explosion of the EDM sound in the 2010s.

5 Top House Musicians

Since the 80s, there have been thousands of house music DJs, producers, and musicians who have had a huge impact on the genre. Here are five musicians that birthed and transformed this musical genre.

Known as the Godfather of House Music, Frankie Knuckles is a pioneer. As a DJ, Frankie was instrumental in the early NYC scene and DJd with the legendary Larry Levan at The Continental Baths and the Gallery.

It wasn't until the late 70s that he began to fine-tune his sound at The Warehouse in Chicago. Here he would combine rare disco cuts, European synth-inspired music, and other rare tracks for this members-only gay club.

The sound of the Warehouse club quickly caught on across Chicago and began to infiltrate clubs in NYC and Detroit as well. From there, house music was born, and it became the worldwide phenomenon we enjoy today.

If you've ever enjoyed a piano riff on the dancefloor, you can thank Marshall Jefferson. His 1986 single "Move Your Body" features a hypnotic piano riff combined with a repetitive vocal that will have you dancing all night long. After "Move Your Body," many house music producers adopted piano chords to their tracks.

This Chicago native was a major influence on house music during its infancy in the late 1980s. Jefferson was also a major factor in kick-starting the European house scene during a UK tour with Frankie Knuckles in 1987. From there, acid house took Europe by storm thanks to Jefferson and Knuckles

From the acid house craze in the 80s to the world's most famous house music radio show host, house music would not have the same popularity without Pete Tong.

As a radio personality on BBC1, Pete Tong began hosting The Essential Selection. This live DJ broadcast hosted weekly DJ mix shows from DJs around the world and was highly praised for its originality and amazing broadcasts.

From there, The Essential Mix found worldwide success and helped DJs like Tiesto, Daft Punk, Sasha, and Paul Van Dyk achieve worldwide fame.

Daft Punk pioneered the French House craze in the early 2000s. From there, they went on to become one of the most famous bands on the planet and have worked with a vast array of pop stars, including Kanye West, Missy Elliot, and The Weeknd.

Their debut album, Homework, was an instant success and changed the house music scene overnight. French house combined the funk of Chicago house, the repetitiveness and robotic sound of Detroit techno, and combined it with a pop vibe to create something truly unique.

While the famous duo released a new album as recently as 2013, the two announced that they would no longer be collaborating together. This was a big hit to the House scene but one that was inevitable for one of the groups that helped to define the genre.

Another French house alumni, David Guetta, brought house music out of the nightclub and into the mainstream in the late 2000s.

He found major crossover success chart-topping tunes including "Stay," "Titanium," and "Nothing but the Beat." Guetta's sound has anthem-level energy, big buildups, and captivating lyrics. If you've ever been to a music festival in the past 10 years, you've probably heard thousands of people chanting his songs.

As one of the most successful EDM producers, Guetta has brought house music to the masses.

The History of House Music

From humble beginnings in Chicago to packing stadiums worldwide, here is the history of house music.

While mainstream radio may have declared "
In major cities like NYC, Chicago, and Detroit, dance floors remained packed. In NYC, The Garage and The Loft replaced clubs like Studio 54. These new venues offered an all-night experience, freedom, and community. DJ like Larry Levan and David Mancuso began blending disco, soul, funk, pop, and techno records to their mostly gay crowds all night long.

It was at the Garage where Frankie Knuckles began his journey to become The Godfather of House Music.

The history of the house can be traced to the Warehouse nightclub in Chicago. It was here that an aspiring DJ created a brand new sound.

This three-story factory was about to become the epicenter of something special.

Frankie Knuckles was no stranger to the DJ booth before he arrived at the Warehouse, but he perfected his sound there. Knuckles would create seamless danceable grooves by mixing two or three records. The combination of records would create a new and unique sound, and the crowds were instantly hooked.

The lucky attendees of The Warehouse were the first people in the world to experience this new sound and cultural movement.

The summer of 1988 would change the UK forever. A group of friends discovered acid house in Ibiza in 1988 and decided to host their acid house nights. These nights quickly grew out of control, and the promoters began hosting huge illegal raves in warehouses and fields near London.

Some of the first acid house nights were hosted by Danny Rampling, Nicky Holloway, and Pete Tong, both of who went on to have massive international success as DJs.

By 1989, UK producers were creating their songs and adding their twists to the music.

While house music was still and niche or underground genre in the 90s, it did see some popularity and success. Artists like Black Box, C&C Music Factory, Haddaway, Amber, and Crystal Waters all saw international success and kept dancefloors busy throughout the 90s.

During the 90s and early 2000s, Raves dominated the underground scene. As the crowds grew bigger, the sound of house and techno began to morph as well. The musicians of this era branched out and began to create brand new genres that had their roots in house and techno but were fundamentally different.

Mainland Europe was dominated by trance, and DJs like Paul Van Dyk, Tiesto, and Armand Van Buren became worldwide phenomena. Breakbeats also became huge during this era, with Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, and The Chemical Brothers hitting billboard charts.

Drum & bass, garage, hardcore techno, gabber, electro, and other genres slowly began to gain underground followings as well during the 90s. Many of these genres would go onto pop and international success in the 200s and beyond.

Europe had been filling clubs for years with house music. In the 90s, house music regained popularity in the US with the birth of French houses in the late 90s. As Daft Punk took over the dancefloors, artists like Armand Van Helden, Stardust, Cassius, and more were crafting incredible dancefloor-friendly tunes for the masses.

While French house was filled with disco hooks and funk, many other DJs took a different route with their production in the 2000s.

A deeper sound with minimal melodies and sounds permeated many clubs around the world. DJs like Danny Tenaglia, Deep Dish, Sasha, and Digweed were at the forefront of this scene. Club attendees would attend 10-12 hour marathon sets featuring this style of music.

While bands like Daft Punk saw success in the late 90s, house music would have to wait until the mid-2000s to gain worldwide popularity.

US promoters and music festivals began taking house music seriously and began booking international headliners like David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii. This big-room sound became the EDM that we hear today.

By 2010, the house had gone mainstream, and pop musicians began to embrace the sound as well.

Today house music is just as popular as ever. House is an ever-changing genre. While they don't get nearly as much radio time as they did back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, they certainly have left an impact on the music scene and continue to innovate within their sound. Sounds or artists might change year to year, house music keeps on chugging and will have its fans moving their bodies for decades to come.

What Is House Music? Final Thoughts

House music has kept the world dancing for almost 50 years. From its humble beginnings in Chicago to its meteoric rise of today, house music has touched the lives of countless people and has given a wide range of people their own community and soundtrack to move their bodies to.

P.S. Remember though, none of what you've learned will matter if you don't know how to get your music out there and earn from it. Want to learn how to do that? Then get our free '5 Steps To Profitable Youtube Music Career' ebook emailed directly to you!

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What is House Music? 9 Top Examples & History - Music Industry How To

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As the song goes "House music is a universal language spoken and understood by all" Chuck Roberts gave us a prayer that perfectly described house music and the culture that surrounds it. From humble beginnings to a worldwide phenomenon, house music is everywhere today. What makes house music amazing and how did it become such...

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Three young characters swagger on to stage and say. "What time is it? Showtime!" This is a direct reference to how litefeet and hiphop dancers would introduce their moves on the subways of NewYork City. Then we eventuallu hear "brrrap brrrap brrrap" from Hercules Mulligan (one of Ms. Pfeiffer's favorites) the "brrrap" was often used by rappers to immitate a machine gun noise.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda | Biography, Movies, Alexander Hamilton, Moana, & Facts

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Lin-Manuel has stated on multiple occasions told interviewers that Hamilton is his love letter to hip hop. You can even hear the influences if you are familiar with certain Hip Hop artists. The whole show is full of references to artists, certain songs, and individual lines. - Ms. Pfeiffer

Lin-Manuel Miranda looked to hip-hop to give voice to some of the characters in his critically acclaimed musical Hamilton.

According to Billboard, the Tony, Emmy and Grammy award-winning playwright and composer was inspired by the intensity of the work of DMX, Mobb Deep, and The Notorious B.I.G.

“They write so brilliantly that they transcend their circumstances and they change the world literally through their power of their pen and their delivery and their oratory,” said Miranda to Billboard.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda | Biography, Movies, Alexander Hamilton, Moana, & Facts

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Lin-Manuel Miranda, American actor, composer, lyricist, and writer who created and starred in stage productions that blended modern musical forms with classic musical theater. Perhaps his best-known work was Hamilton, a hip-hop musical about Alexander Hamilton. Learn more about Miranda’s life and ca…

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Miranda sampled Biggie’s the “Ten Crack Commandments” for his track “Ten Duel Commandments.” The original form of the musical drug-dealing manual appears on Biggie’s debut album Life After Death.

“That’s the fundamental idea in it. That’s why [Hamilton is] such a love letter to hip hop. I want the kids who just only know musical theater when they pick up their liner notes, they see, ‘Contains a sample from ‘Ten Crack Commandments’ by Notorious B.I.G. If you like this musical, you owe it to yourself to listen to the hip-hop that you maybe weren’t listening to because that’s the reason this exists, is my love for hip-hop,” he continued.   - Essence Magazine

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The very opening of the show and we get the first nod to hip-hop influence. Alexander Hamilton opens the show with call and response repetitions. This mode has been used by many, many artists including Snoop Dogg, DMX, Rihanna, and Drake.

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Gimme Some More (Clean Version) - Busta Rhymes

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Busta Rhymes biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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Hit 'em High Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, Method Man , B Real

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Hit 'em High Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, Method Man , B Real

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Busta Rhymes, Coolio, Ll Cool J & Method Man B Real - Hit 'em High (the Monstar's Anthem)

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Video of a coordinated Graffiti festival

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Video of a coordinated Graffiti festival

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500 graffiti artists meet for 26th Paint Louis

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New article about local Graffiti artists

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New article about local Graffiti artists

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This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
Many 'taggers' work full time in the day and paint at night.
ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - We`re going to take you inside the world of illegal street art. You've seen the graffiti appear on impossible places, like the roof of armory off Highway 40. Investigator Chris Hayes spoke with two of the men responsible, about who they are and why they cannot be stopped.

The topic angers and fascinates people, sometimes simultaneously. Taggers risk their lives to paint things that don`t belong to them. Some call them vandals. Others say they`re street artists. But they`re not usually kids. Many of them work full time by day, but claim they cannot be swayed from painting other people`s property at night.

Two insiders met with me after Fox 2 caught a 'tagger' painting a railroad overpass, on camera. Though viewers watched a single man on camera, the insiders say he was not alone. On live TV, you could see him initial it L.D., then he disappeared before police arrived.

One of the illegal artists told me, "Most of them don`t get arrested and if they do, it`s usually for something else."

Two men, who would only talk in hiding, described most illegal graffiti in St. Louis as the work of four groups. One illegal artist said, "Some of them get together just to paint. Other people get together to paint and party and drink and other people try to run businesses together. Usually those are illegal businesses."

Heroin is the big money maker for one crew that they would not name.
Usually the letters stand for the gang responsible or as the graffiti artists put it, their 'crew.'

OFB stands for Only Fresh Bombs. (Another 'tagger' said sometimes it changes to 'Out For Blood.')

LD - Lowdowns.

HSK - Handstyle Kings.

They estimate 40 taggers are responsible for most of what you`ll see. And they say these are not people you might expect. The men who talked to us both have full time jobs by day.

One of them said, "Some of us wear suits and ties, dressed like you, that come into work."

They say BANG is the nickname of a 30+ year old working mother. They say HORSE travels to do this, as does the FST crew (which sometimes goes by DarkFST).

One of the taggers told me they include, "Nurses. A chiropractor is one I know of, people that really have their stuff together, but are artists and like to express themselves in different ways."

They acknowledge it`s vandalism and admit they could express themselves legally, but they go big and climb high because they want everyone to see it.

Artist/Teacher Chris Sabatino explained, "Tagging and graffiti is almost trying to brand an object."

Sabatino says he appreciates illegal street art, even though he won`t do it. He said, "I believe in karma and karma`s a big deal in this world and if you project good energy, it`ll come right back to you."

Though he says illegal artists usually believe they`re improving something.

He described the feeling when you see good graffiti, "It is like 'wow, that`s awesome. Look at this. It`s pretty incredible that they just changed that rusty old item into something that just pops.'"

We walked outside of his shop Artmonster, where he described how graffiti might improve Cherokee Street. Sabatino said, "This is a scene out of a movie. This is a scene out of just real life and if it`s not esthetically correct. I`d like to help that."
Chris Hayes asked, "Graffiti can help that?"
Sabatino answered, "It can help that."

He's going to get a permit to paint an overhang in his scene, legally.

He said, "You don`t have to vandalize things to get the gratification that your graffiti brings to some people."

The illegal artists appointed themselves as street artists. They claim no one can stop them.

One of them said, "If I feel like I can make a masterpiece out of it or make it look better than it does, then I`ll paint it."

Another one put it this way, "As long as I can run jump and climb, I'll probably stick it out for a few more years."

E-mail Chris.Hayes@TvStl.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/ChrisHayesTV
Join Chris on Twitter: Twitter.com/ChrisHayesTV
Raw Video - Tagger spotted marking up bridge.

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FOX Files: The Surprising People Behind St. Louis Graffiti

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Many 'taggers' work full time in the day and paint at night. ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - We`re going to take you inside the world of illegal street art. You've seen the graffiti appear on impossible places, like the roof of armory off Highway 40.

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Here it is: our city in paint. From the "tags" that appear overnight to the elaborate murals that fill our city's most vibrant neighborhoods with color, a short drive through any of St. Louis' streets will reveal an art collection of great variety.

Whether you appreciate, admire, or detest graffiti, it makes its presence known. Seen through a certain lens, graffiti may just look like scribbles. If you embrace it as art, it is an opportunity to peer into local culture. The individuals who create the graffiti we see all over town are actual people, citizens of St. Louis, maybe even your friends and neighbors. Their contributions are an implicit weave in the tapestry that is St. Louis.

The Universality of Presence

"Art is what you can get away with." -Andy Warhol

Everybody can see it, even if they may not want to. The most provocative installments become something that, once seen, cannot be unseen. One of such conspicuous examples of St. Louis graffiti writers is the jarringly titled "RatFag," whose moniker alone is likely meant to pique the viewer's curiosity. The anonymous writer tags his alias in eye-catching places, often difficult to get to, causing some of us to wonder, "how?" and undoubtedly provoking others to question, "why?"

Street Art

What you might picture when we say graffiti is not the only form of expression for artists making their mark on city walls. In the world of large-scale public art, graffiti may more specifically refer to work that is text-based while mural art may be more image-focused. Street art may or may not have been created with permission, with graffiti most often appearing unsolicited, while what is referred to as a mural is most likely work that has been deliberately commissioned by someone. The different species of street art share common ground in that they are made on publicly visible walls and are thereby accessible for viewing by virtually anyone.

If you've driven by any neighborhood in the City of St. Louis, you have surely seen street art in some form. One very omnipresent example is the work produced by painter Phil Jarvis. Jarvis's works can be found in several St. Louis staples, from the Anheuser-Busch Brewery and Sump Coffee to the Sauce on the Side building in the Grove, and all the way to Annie Gunn's in Chesterfield, among many others. Jarvis resides in St. Louis but is an internationally renowned artist, having been commissioned hand-painted signs and murals as far as Europe and South America. During quarantine, he decided to use his free time to turn the façade of his own house into a colorful mural that seems to grow out of the vegetation surrounding the house.

A Shared Identity

Just south of the Gateway Arch, street art sets world records at the annual graffiti festival known as Paint Louis. What started in the late nineties as a "graffiti jam" has grown to host graffiti writers from all over the world who come together over Labor Day weekend to paint the two-mile flood wall along the Mississippi River. Paint Louis is by many accounts the only event of its kind. It offers a welcoming place to an art form that is usually met with rejection and even disgust to take place with not just permission but celebration.

The nature of the event emphasizes the underlying truth of this kind of art: just like the walls it adorns, or the individuals who pass it every day, street art does not remain forever. With each passing year at Paint Louis and in every moment on the broader canvas of the city, a new layer emerges. Each layer, solicited or not, forms the story of who we are.

Strong public art expressions can create a sense of place. Street art is an outlet for artists of all walks of life to impart a piece of themselves onto the community. Separate from the intention of the artist, one message is always the same: this is St. Louis. If you look around, you will find that each little thing that composes the environment composes our identity. This gallery is an ever-changing portrait of us.

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Could you identify St. Louis by its graffiti alone? - Saint Louis Bank Blog

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Here it is: our city in paint. From the "tags" that appear overnight to the elaborate murals that fill our city's most vibrant neighborhoods with color, a short drive through any of St. Louis' streets will reveal an art collection of great variety.

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In Art Blog, Alec Monopoly, Graffiti, Eduardo Kobra

Graffiti and tagging are two forms of contemporary street art that rose to popularity in urban cities in the late 20th century. To an outsider, graffiti and tagging may seem like the same thing.

In this article, we'll explore the history of graffiti and the differences and similarities between graffiti and tagging.

Graffiti can describe any writings or drawings created on a surface in a public space. Tagging refers explicitly to writing the artist's signature (or their pseudonym name or logo) on a public surface.

This distinct signature is known as a "tag", and the artist is referred to colloquially as a "tagger". Tagging is the original and simplest form of graffiti; it is also the most common and can be seen in cities worldwide.

Graffiti may seem like a modern 20th-century art phenomenon. But tagging in its most basic form has been around for centuries.

It was common practice even in ancient Greek and Roman times for people to paint or scratch their names on the surface of public buildings. You can still find some of this ancient graffiti on historical buildings even today.

However, it wasn't until the 1960s that graffiti innovators created the street art culture we recognize today as graffiti. Artists like Cornbread and other youths in New York and Philadelphia started tagging their names on public surfaces. The locations for these tags became more inventive and more challenging to reach as tagging culture matured.

Taggers will try to outdo each other by tagging over each other's works or tagging in unusual spaces. Through the 70s and 80s, subway trains were a prime canvas for taggers, and they became so obscured with graffiti tags you could no longer see through the windows.

The different styles of graffiti and tagging can be found below. Tagging is a graffiti style, but not all graffiti types will focus on the artist's name or signature. Graffiti is a much broader term that can include more graphic designs and images, stickers, poster graffiti, stencil art, or even urban knitting.

Types of Tagging

Types of Graffiti

All styles of Tagging

Stencil art

Poster or Paste-Up

Sticker or Slap

Piece or Brush

3D Graffiti

Cartoon

Yarn bombing

What Is the Difference Between Graffiti Tagging and Graffiti Art?

Graffiti art is a contemporary art form that takes inspiration from the processes and methods behind street graffiti and brings them into traditional artworks. Graffiti art might be created on a canvas or other painting surface. Like other forms of fine art, graffiti art can be transported, sold, and exhibited.

It is impossible to sell or exhibit street tagging. Street tags stay on the building they were sprayed on until they are either removed or tagged over. Taggers are working illegally and do not usually want to be widely recognized outside their circles.

Some illegal graffiti is preserved and kept on display, most notably the work of the artist Banksy. But the unknown street artists and taggers can not receive payment for these works, and they would be difficult to sell without removing entire walls or sections of buildings.

Some graffiti artists and street artists like Eduardo Kobra or Clem$ have moved away from creating illegal street art and transitioned into more formal artwork. These graffiti style artists may create works both on the street by commission or on canvas and other traditional surfaces. They will typically still use spray paint or other methods of street graffiti, such as stenciling.

Several of these graffiti artists are becoming well-known. However, many artists who work in graffiti styles, like Alec Monopoly, still keep an element of mystery around their identity. This anonymity is rooted in graffiti street culture.

There are other differences between graffiti art and tagging, which relate to how they are publicly perceived. Street art and graffiti art are perceived as constructive; it has become popular in the mainstream to beautify a neighborhood with graffiti or street art and attract tourists. Tagging, however, is often still viewed as being destructive, and the most basic tags are still widely considered vandalism.

Street art and graffiti art are created for a public audience. However, graffiti tagging promotes the tagger's reputation within the tagging community - it is not usually intended to be enjoyable for the public.

Both taggers and graffiti artists can be talented and show extraordinary artistic skill. However, graffiti artists spend time crafting artworks using techniques found in traditional painting so that their artworks can be widely enjoyed. Tagging, however, focuses more on the challenge and risk associated with creating the artwork in hard-to-reach or public spaces.

Both tagging and graffiti can be illegal, rebellious, and political. It can be beautiful or challenging. Graffiti artists bring the techniques and themes artists have honed in the streets into our houses and private collections, sparking new conversations about the purpose of art. You can explore graffiti art and street art of Eden Gallery artists in our galleries or our crypto art store.

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Graffiti vs Tagging: What's the differences? - Eden Gallery

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Graffiti and tagging are two forms of contemporary street art that rose to popularity in urban cities in the late 20th century. To an outsider, graffiti and tagging may seem like the same thing.

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Graffiti as a form of artistic expression, often associated with subcultures as the rebel against authority. Graffiti in its origins was used to publicly display the artistic expressions in response to the lack of access to museums and art institutions, and the continuous strife, discrimination, and struggle of living in the city.

Because graffiti is illegal in most cases, this form of art has flourished in the underground, requiring little money and providing an opportunity to voice what is often excluded from dominant histories and media. From here, although graffiti remains the major form of street art with other mediums have evolved - including stenciling, stickers, and wheatpasting.

On the other hand, artists also used graffiti as a tool, to express their political opinions, (indigenous) heritage, cultural and religious imagery, and counter-narratives to dominant portrayals of life in the barrios. Similar to other forms of art within, graffiti has become another tool of resistance, reclamation, and empowerment to make the artist own space for expression and popular education.

Nowadays, graffiti is commonly recognized as a form of public art, embraced by museums, art critics, and art institutions. But its significance for many people remains in the barrios (neighborhoods), reiterating the importance of accessibility and inclusion in relation to their identity and community in their artwork.

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History of graffiti goes back to Roman times, but these first graffiti scribbled on Roman houses were not created with any aesthetic idea behind them.

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Sesame Street - The Count and Kid 'n Play

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Sesame Street: Queen Latifah: The Letter O

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03. MC Lyte - Cold Rock A Party (Original Album Clean)

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MC Lyte Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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MC Lyte biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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Just Happy to Be Me The Fugees on Sesame Street

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Just Happy to Be Me The Fugees on Sesame Street

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Sesame Street Elmopalooza - Just Happy To Be Me

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Nelly Heart of a Champion featuring the Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble

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Nelly Heart of a Champion featuring the Lincoln University Vocal Ensemble

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One of Ms. Pfeiffer's favorite Nelly lines is:

If hard work pays off then easy work is worthless

Listen for it!

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Experience this story and others in the new issue of Highsnobiety Magazine, available from retailers around the world and our online store 1967 - Track and Field . 1970s - Jamaican Reggae and Dub
The adidas tracksuit may have emerged as a uniform for athletes, but its adoption by subcultures around the world has made the three-striped set both a cultural icon and a staple for global youth. Today it is one of the most universally adored garments, worn by everyone from rappers to presidents, and remixed by designers from Demna to Kanye. Here we trace how the German sportswear giant's iconic look went from the track to the streets and, ultimately, to the runway.
1970s - Soccer Casuals
adidas launched its very first piece of apparel, the tracksuit, in 1967. Known as the Beckenbauer, the garment took its name from the adidas-endorsed German soccer superstar Franz Beckenbauer. While warm-up suits were nothing new to athletes at the time, adidas' use of innovative fabrics and bold branding added a whole new feel to the uniform. The triple-stripe design was borrowed from the brand's signature sneakers, with three lines placed down the arms and legs of the suit. Initially worn exclusively for sports, the Beckenbauer would exceed its athletic origins to become a cultural phenomenon.
1970s - B-boys
Bob Marley's first love was undoubtedly music, but soccer was a close second. Regularly photographed in adidas T-shirts, sneakers, and tracksuits, Marley was an early fan of the brand. Some say this was due to the phonetic similarities between the brand name and Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, which is considered the Promised Land in Rastafarianism. Rumor or not, Marley and many of his Jamaican musical contemporaries from the reggae, dub, and dancehall scenes are credited with wearing head-to-toe sportswear off the field, long before their American hip-hop counterparts followed suit. It's a look that the British-Jamaican designer Grace Wales Bonner has mined for her recent collaborations with adidas.
1980s - The Rise of Rap
Through the late '70s and '80s, tracksuits were adopted in Europe - and especially in England - by soccer-centric "casuals." Though this subsection of soccer culture is often associated with hooliganism, not all casuals were hell-bent on beer-fueled barbarity. For some, their love for the scene was realized in fashion and sport only. Casuals would be clad in "designer casual" clothing, rather than their team colors; and no tracksuit was complete without customary adidas trainers, such as a Samba. With the success of English soccer clubs, young fans traveled around Europe for matches, developing a taste for new, exotic, and stylish sportswear in the process. They brought brands like adidas back home to flex, and a new cycle of hype began. With various English soccer clubs wielding superiority, a club was regarded as especially good if its supporters were decked in the latest tracksuits from abroad. In essence, they were bragging rights in physical form.
1990s - Gabber
While casual athletics were thriving in the '70s, the decade's burgeoning hip-hop scene gave way to the birth of break dancing. B-boys across NYC made the adidas tracksuit a staple for their crews, taking advantage of the diverse and vibrant colors on offer. Thin and breathable, without constricting movement, these synthetic sets were ideal for the dynamic dances B-boys performed. The era also marked a new tracksuit silhouette for adidas: the SST, short for "Superstar." It offered a modern twist on the three-stripe classic with a low-cut standing collar and slimmer trousers.
1990s - Harajuku
The '80s ushered in an underground style code, and the adidas tracksuit was by now a cultural signifier for B-boys, MCs, and break-dancers alike. When three guys from Hollis, Queens, donned their triple stripes under the name Run-DMC, the trio, widely considered rap's first supergroup, helped establish the tracksuit as the unofficial uniform of hip-hop. Throughout the decade, their allegiance to adidas never wavered, with the release of "My Adidas" in 1986, wherein they professed their love for the brand's shell-toe sneakers. Though there was no official contract between adidas and Run-DMC at the time of the track's release, the group's influence was hard to ignore. Eventually adidas came knocking, offering the trio a $1.5 million endorsement. The deal is considered the big bang for hip-hop's financial relationship with sports companies. Musicians like the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J were other notable 1980s proponents of the adidas tracksuit, and the relationship between trackies and hip-hop continued to blossom into the 1990s.
1990s - Britpop
On the other side of the ocean, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, a new tribe of die-hard music fans were imbuing the adidas tracksuit with a completely new attitude, reinvented for the adrenalized rush of the '90s. Inside the world of "gabber" (at underground parties like the famous Thunderdome), ravers wore tracksuits and Nike Air Max shoes to dance the night away, driven by the genre's relentless rush of superfast BPMs. This niche yet mighty subculture provided inspiration for photographer Ari Versluis and profiler Ellie Uyttenbroek, who documented gabber ravers in Exactitudes - a book inspired by the dress codes of various social groups and which was the basis for Demna's Fall/Winter 2017 Vetements collection. Raf Simons and Gosha Rubchinskiy have also reinterpreted gabber style codes, the latter leaning on post-Soviet rave for his Fall/Winter 2018 adidas collaboration.
2000s - Gopnik
In the '90s, photographer Shoichi Aoki showcased the vibrant street aesthetics visible in Tokyo's Harajuku district, narrating it in the pages of the iconic FRUiTS magazine. The looks he captured on Omotesandō Avenue and its neighboring streets were unlike anything the world had seen before: kitsch, colorful, and wonderfully bizarre. Many of these young fashion enthusiasts were dripped-out in hyper-bright adidas tracksuits, a kaleidoscopic reinterpretation of the hip-hop and rave-inspired looks that were popular in the West. Rollerblading was also a huge part of youth culture at the turn of the millenium, with games like Jet Set Radio, released in 2000, a virtual reflection of the era's youth culture in Tokyo.
2000s - Chav
Back in England, Britpop stars like Oasis, Blur, and The Stone Roses adopted the adidas tracksuit as a symbol of their working class roots. While American grunge band Nirvana had teens in distressed jeans and slouchy plaid shirts, Britpop provided an alternative style that was quintessentially British. Taking cues from soccer casuals, track jackets were worn zipped up to the face like parkas, giving the '80s classic a '90s lad-ness - the birth of #blokecore, if you will.
2000s - Nu-Metal
adidas was among the first global brands to become well-known behind the Iron Curtain. The relationship dates back to the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, when every Soviet citizen saw adidas-manufactured kits for the USSR's team on TV. Communist party leaders refused to allow any logos on the gear of Soviet athletes, going so far as to limit the brand's traditional three stripes to just two. But even that was not enough to stop the Russian public from putting two and three together. After the fall of the Soviet Union, a new era of capitalism was rushed in, with adidas becoming a new symbol of aspiration, particularly within the world of crime. During the 1990s, the mafia would recruit former athletes like lifters or wrestlers to work as enforcers. Due to their exposure to Western culture on trips abroad, these men would simply hang around the streets in their usual sportswear. Before long, the black adidas tracksuit was the official uniform of the gopniks - a Russian subculture of lawbreakers defined by shaved heads, a foul attitude, and a squat position, beer-in-hand.
Mid 2000s - UK Grime
Few garments reflect British chav culture quite like an adidas tracksuit, and few trouser styles more than adidas poppers. The look came to real prominence within mainstream British media on television shows like Shameless and The Catherine Tate Show. Composed of designer tracksuits, white sneakers, and caps, the uniform was demonized in the British press. Many of these depictions perpetuated "chav" as a derogatory social label, synonymous with notions of perceived criminality, lack of education, poverty, and, in turn, poor taste. Despite ongoing debate and controversy, the chav has become something of a style icon, with fashion houses everywhere looking to the British working class for inspiration.
2010s - Palace Skateboards
When nu-metal infiltrated the popular consciousness in the late '90s, it arrived like a subculture from outer space. Figures like Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and Korn's Jonathan Davis replaced the traditionally denim-and-leather clad rock scene with sportswear more closely linked to hip-hop. "It was about breaking the mold, man," Davis told Kerrang! magazine. "It was about going against everything that metal was supposed to be." Korn's smash hit "A.D.I.D.A.S." introduced the youth to both a cheeky schoolyard acronym and a music video that showed how cool being decked out in a full athletic tracksuit could be.
2020s - Subculture to Pop Culture
To be clear, tracksuits are a definitive icon of the working class, especially in England, and have resurfaced decade after decade. The choice of Britain's disenfranchised youth to adopt the black tracksuit as a means of moving incognito through a city full of opps, cops, and cameras is strategic. Musicians like Skepta, Stormzy, and Jme take a modernized, casuals-inspired approach to the sportswear classic. The success of grime in the mid 2000s onwards led to a continued reimagining of the relationship between culture and sportswear. Black working-class youth sported trackies throughout the inner cities, solidifying the garment as an anti-establishment clash against the status quo. Stormzy, at least, will be forever associated with the saturated red tracksuit he donned in a Croydon car park - a look that says, "I'm here, and I'm not hiding."
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Skate brand Palace is known for bringing elements of London street culture and building them into its designs and larger ethos. It's this approach that makes Palace Skateboards different from its contemporaries, whether it's due to those witty quips or its unique awareness of the tracksuit's capacity for style and gaudy luxury. Palace's annual collaborations with adidas started back in 2014, and the brand never fails to supply multiple stylish pieces informed by a myriad of casual culture and menswear classics. On its own or with adidas, Palace has reappropriated the tracksuit from a uniform for British council estate kids into a prized staple for skaters across the globe.

While niche subcultures are rediscovered and repurposed as mass culture for the content era, statement-making uniforms like the adidas tracksuit remain as relevant as ever. Designers such as Demna, Wales Bonner, and stylist Lotta Volkova use their references to teach younger consumers about the cultures that matter to them. Balenciaga's Resort 2023 runway at the New York Stock Exchange was heavily influenced by post-Soviet style, with a dash of nu-metal thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, Gucci designer Alessandro Michele pulled inspiration from collegiate and sports club-style uniforms from decades past, and recontextualized them as something both nostalgic and contemporary. This hybrid between luxury and sportswear, adopted long ago as part of working class culture, has created limitless opportunity for new dialogues. Where it heads next is anyone's guess.

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Gopnik, Gabber, & Demna: A Timeline of the adidas Tracksuit in Youth Culture

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We trace how the German sportswear giant's iconic look went from the track to the streets and, ultimately, to the runway.

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Oh No Mos Def featuring Pharoahe Monch and Nate Dogg

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Oh No Mos Def featuring Pharoahe Monch and Nate Dogg

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Mos Def - Oh No (Feat. Pharoahe Monch & Nate Dogg) (Clean Version)

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Initially regarded as one of the most promising rappers to emerge in the late '90s, Mos Def (aka Yasiin Bey), turned to acting in subsequent years as music became a secondary concern for him. He did release new music from time to time, including albums such as The New Danger (2004), but his output was erratic and seemingly governed by whim. Mos Def nonetheless continued to draw attention, especially from critics and underground rap fans, and his classic breakthrough albums -- Black Star (1998), a collaboration with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek, and Black on Both Sides (1999), his solo debut -- were revered, all the more so as time marched forward. Mos Def often used his renown for political purposes, protesting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Jena Six incident in 2007, for instance.

Born Dante Terrell Smith Bey on December 11, 1973, in New York City's Brooklyn borough, Mos Def began rapping at age nine and professionally acting at age 14, when he appeared in a TV movie. After high school, he began acting in a variety of television roles, most notably appearing in 1994 on a short-lived Bill Cosby series The Cosby Mysteries. In 1994, Mos Def formed the rap group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother and sister, and signed a record deal with Payday Records that didn't amount to much. In 1996, his solo career was launched with a pair of high-profile guest features on De La Soul's "Big Brother Beat" and Da Bush Babees' "S.O.S." A year later, in 1997, Mos Def released his debut single, "Universal Magnetic," on Royalty Records, and it became an underground rap hit. This led to a recording contract with Rawkus Records, which was just getting off the ground at the time, and he began working on a full-length album with like-minded rapper Talib Kweli and producer Hi-Tek. The resulting album, Black Star (1998), became one of the most celebrated rap albums of its time. A year later came Mos Def's solo album, Black on Both Sides, and it inspired further attention and praise. Yet, aside from appearances on the Rawkus compilation series Lyricist Lounge and Soundbombing, no follow-up recordings were forthcoming, as the up-and-coming rapper turned his attention elsewhere.

During the early 2000s, Mos Def acted in several films (Monster's Ball, Bamboozled, Brown Sugar, The Woodsman) and even spent some time on Broadway (in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Topdog/Underdog). He simultaneously worked on the Black Jack Johnson project with several iconic Black musicians: keyboardist Bernie Worrell, guitarist Dr. Know, drummer Will Calhoun, and bassist Doug Wimbish. This project aimed to reclaim rock music, especially the rap-rock hybrid, from such artists as Limp Bizkit, who Mos Def openly despised. Mos Def hoped to infuse the rock world with his all-Black band, and during the early 2000s, he performed several small shows with his band around the New York area. In October 2004, he finally delivered a second solo album, The New Danger, which involved Black Jack Johnson on a few tracks.

Two years later, after a few more acting roles -- including the Golden Globe-winning Lackawanna Blues and the Emmy-winning Something the Lord Made, both of which were made-for-television movies -- Mos Def released his third solo album, True Magic (2006). A contract-fulfilling release for Geffen, which had absorbed Rawkus years prior, the album trickled out in a small run during the last week of 2006. Bizarrely, the disc came with no artwork and was sold in a clear plastic case -- though its single, "Undeniable," did manage to grab a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance. Released on the Universal-distributed Downtown label, The Ecstatic followed in June 2009. At that point, Mos Def had significant acting roles in Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind (in which he co-starred with Jack Black) and Cadillac Records (he played Chuck Berry). The Ecstatic nabbed another Grammy nomination. Throughout the next few years, he lengthened his acting résumé and contributed to Gorillaz' Plastic Beach, Robert Glasper Experiment's Grammy-winning Black Radio, and A$AP Rocky's At. Long. Last. A$AP, among other albums. In January 2016, he made an announcement through Kanye West's website; after he disputed a recent arrest in South Africa for breaking an immigration law, he declared his retirement from the entertainment industry and the forthcoming release of his final album, due later in the year.

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Mos Def Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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Mos Def biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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Welcome

HaringKids.com is a fun and safe place for children, their parents and teachers to explore the incredible art and fascinating life of Keith Haring.

The Keith Haring Foundation answers questions about Keith. You can read his bio. Learn his life story in his own words. View child-friendly examples of his artwork. Browse his books for children.

Lesson Plans

For parents and teachers.

The Keith Haring Lesson Plans offers Teachers, Parents, Students, and Keith Haring fans alike, resources for enriching, explorative lessons for all ages and fields of study.

We have gathered our lessons from education departments at Museums, from some of the staff members and close affiliates of the Keith Haring Foundation, and finally, from visitors just like you, submitting their projects to us.

Over 200 lesson plans and growing.

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HaringKids.com is a fun and safe place for children, their parents and teachers to explore the incredible art and fascinating life of Keith Haring. The Keith Haring Foundation answers questions about Keith. You can read his bio. Learn his life story in his own words. View child-friendly examples of his artwork.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat was an influential African-American artist who rose to success during the 1980s. Basquiat's paintings are largely responsible for elevating graffiti artists into the realm of the New York gallery scene. His spray-painted crowns and scribbled words referenced everything from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and Biblical verse. The gestural marks and expressive nature of his work not only aligned him with the street art of Keith Haring and Kenny Scharf, but also the Neo-Expressionists Julian Schnabel and David Salle. "If you wanna talk about influence, man, then you've got to realize that influence is not influence," he said of his process. "It's simply someone's idea going through my new mind." Born on December 22, 1960 in Brooklyn, NY, Basquiat never finished high school but developed an appreciation for art as a youth, from his many visits to the Brooklyn Museum of Art with his mother. His early work consisted of spray painting buildings and trains in downtown New York alongside his friend Al Diaz. The artist's tag was the now infamous pseudonym SAMO. After quickly rising to fame in the early 1980s, Basquiat was befriended by many celebrities and artists, including Andy Warhol, with whom he made several collaborative works. At only 27, his troubles with fame and drug addiction led to his tragic death from a heroin overdose on August 12, 1988 in New York, NY. The Whitney Museum of American Art held the artist's first retrospective from October 1992 to February 1993. In 2017, after having set Basquiat's auction record the previous year with a $57.3 million purchase, the Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa surpassed it, buying the artist's Untitled (1982) at Sotheby's for $110.5 million. This set a new record for the highest price ever paid at auction for an American artist's work. Today, Basquiat's works are held in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Rubell Family Collection in Miami, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, among others.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat was an influential African-American artist who rose to success during the 1980s. View Jean-Michel Basquiat's 3,782 artworks on artnet. Find an in-depth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. See available prints and multiples, works on paper, and paintings for sale and learn about the artist.

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"I wanted to be a star, not a gallery mascot", Basquiat said. His life echoes this rise and struggle, and reveals the important dialogue between authenticity, representation, identity and recognition that is at the heart of understanding his work.

SAMO

Basquiat began painting graffiti in the late 1970s, often socializing and working alongside other artists of the subculture in the Bronx and Harlem. Graffiti artists often focused on figurative images (cartoonish pictures of animals, people and objects), as well as simple 'tags' - logos or names designed to be a trademark or calling card, which was where Basquiat also began. But Basquiat's graffiti quickly developed in a more abstract direction, with the "SAMO" tag origins quite mysterious and loaded with symbolism.

This particular black spray paint tag on a wall is emblematic of the SAMO works that Basquiat and his collaborator Al Diaz made between 1976 and 1980. Quickly applied to public spaces in the street and subway, the SAMO pieces conveyed short, sharp, and frequently anti-materialist messages to passersby. Usually seen as a sign of trespassing and vandalism, graffiti in the hands of Diaz and Basquiat became a tool of artistic "branding", and represents an important stage in the development of Basquiat's work.

The concept of SAMO, or "Same Old Shit", was developed during Basquiat's involvement with a drama project in New York, where he conceived a character that was devoted to selling a fake religion. Diaz and Basquiat applied the implicit critique embodied by this snake-oil-salesman figure to the commercial and corporate enterprises that they saw hawking goods in public spaces across their city. They initially began to spray paint the slogans that made up the works across subway trains as a way of "letting off steam" but, as Diaz remembers, they rapidly realized that it fulfilled an important role when they compared the work to more conventional graffiti tags. As Diaz says, "SAMO was like a refresher course because there was a statement being made".

After years of collaboration, Diaz and Basquiat chose to signify the end of their joint venture with the three-word announcement "SAMO IS DEAD". Carried out episodically in various cites as a piece of ephemeral graffiti art, the phrase surfaced repeatedly on gritty buildings, particularly those throughout Lower Manhattan, where Basquiat and his collaborators carried out much of their artistic activity.

Graffiti - Location unknown (New York City)

Untitled (Skull)

An example of Basquiat's early canvas-based work, Untitled (Skull) features a patchwork skull that seems almost a pictorial equivalent of the monster from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - a constructed and sutured sum of incongruent parts. Suspended before a background that suggests aspects of the New York City subway system, the skull is at once a contemporary graffitist's riff on a long Western tradition of self-portraiture, and the "signature piece" of a streetwise bohemian. The expression on the skull-like face is downcast, with the rough stitches suggesting an unhappy combination of constituent parts. The colors used, which mix and swirl together, suggest bruising or wounds to the face, combining with the jagged lines to imply violence or its aftermath.

Basquiat's recent past as a curbside peddler, homeless person, and nightclub personality at the time that he created this piece are all equally stamped into the troubled three-quarter profile. Together these characteristics suggest that the piece becomes a world-weary icon of the displaced Puerto-Rican and Haitian immigrant Basquiat seemed to think himself doomed to remain, even while successfully navigating the newly gentrified streets of 1980s SoHo and the art market that took an interest in them.

Acrylic and mixed media on canvas - The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat

Untitled (Black Skull)

Like a page pulled cleanly from a daily artist's journal, this untitled canvas features an array of Basquiat's personal iconography and recurring symbols set against a black background and smeared patches of bright paint. A white skull juts from the center of the ebony composition, vividly recalling the revered painter's tradition of the memento mori - a reminder of the ephemeral nature of all life and the body's eventual, merciless degeneration. The bone to the right of the canvas could also be read as a phallus, suggesting the representation of Black male sexuality as threatening or primitive (particularly when positioned next to the arrow in the painting). Scales appear directly below the skull, perhaps representing the scales of justice and therefore implying the inequality in treatment of Black men by the police and justice system that is perpetuated to this day.

Boldy appropriating images commonly associated with rural African art - a skull, a bone, an arrow - Basquiat modernizes them with his Neo-Expressionist style of thickly applied paint, rapidly rendered subjects, and scrawled linear characters, all of which float loosely across the pictorial field, as though hallucinatory. Basquiat demonstrates in one concise "study" how he is able to carry on an ancient practice of painting "still life" all the while suggesting that the artist's work was relatively effortless, if not completely improvisatory, as in the performance of a jazz musician. Nevertheless, the density of the imagery and its loaded symbolism reveal Basquiat's skill and his ability in composition.

Acrylic, oil stick, and spray paint on canvas - The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat

Flexible

Flexible features two of Basquiat's most famous motifs: the griot and the venerable crown. An emaciated black figure stares out from the canvas towards the viewer, its arms creating a closed circuit in what may be a reference to spiritualized energy, a concept which appears in several works featuring the griot. The work also reflects Basquiat's development as an artist and is a synthesis of his influences, with the diagrammatic rendering of the figure's lungs and abdomen reminiscent of the young Basquiat's fascination with anatomical sketches from Gray's Anatomy.

Whilst its lack of distinguishing characteristics might imply an "Everyman", the specifically African ethnicity of the figure provides a clear reference to Basquiat's own identity and background. In its color palette and the particular rendering of the human figure through thin limbs and a large head, the influence of the shapes and forms of traditional West African art is apparent. Art historian and Basquiat collaborator Fred Hoffman writes that the image represents a tribal king, one whose "posture, with arms raised and interlocked above his head, conveys confidence and authority, attributes of his heroism. He seems to be crowning himself.

Given that the griot is traditionally a kind of wandering philosopher, street performer, and social commentator, it is possible that Basquiat saw himself taking up this role within the New York art world, which nurtured his artistic success but also swiftly exploited it for material profit. The image is painted on wooden slats, which Basquiat asked his assistants to remove from a fence that protected the boundary of his Los Angeles studio. By removing this barrier, Basquiat made the property open, and able to be traversed across freely, perhaps reflecting his empathy and personal experience of the limits of public space as a homeless person in New York.

Acrylic and oil paint stick on wood - Private Collection

Untitled (History of the Black People)

At the center of this painting, Basquiat depicts a yellow Egyptian boat being guided down the Nile River by the god Osiris. Two Nubian masks appear in the left of the image, under the word "NUBA", whilst graffiti-esque tags are scrawled over a silhouetted blackdog, reads "a dog guarding the pharaoh". Other text in the image includes "Memphis [Thebes] Tennessee" "sickle" (repeated several times in the central panel, and directly referencing slave trade), "Hemlock" (in the bottom right corner), "esclave slave esclave") superimposed over a silhouetted black human figure, as well as the Spanish phrases "El gran espectaculo" (along the top of the image), and "mujer" (next to a crudely drawn figure with circular breasts).

In this expansive early work, also referred to as The Nile, Basquiat reconstructs the epic history of his own ancestors' arrival on the American continent. This includes references to Egypt and the rest of Africa, as well as more local centers of African-American music in the Southern United States. Rife with visual and textual references to African history, the painting tackles a heady subject within Basquiat's trademark aesthetic. Art historian Andrea Frohne suggests that the painting "reclaims Egypt as African", attempting to undo the revisionist positioning of Ptolemaic Egypt as a precursor to Western Civilisation and instead emphasizing its African identity. This corresponds to attempts within the African-American community to reconnect with a specifically African heritage and history in the 1980s, which may have influenced Basquiat's development of the piece. Curator Dieter Buchhart asserts that "Basquiat was drawing and painting the Black experience in which any person from the African Diaspora could see themselves reflected and drawing attention to both their collective successes and struggles. Basquiat's African-American men are usually not only ready to struggle but also intent on resistance."

Many of Basquiat's late-period works feature similar multi-panel paintings, in the tradition of Renaissance religious triptychs, and canvases with exposed stretcher bars. Often the surfaces of these pieces are virtually consumed by the density of the writing, collage, and varied imagery.

Acrylic paint and oil paint stick on panel - The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat

Arm and Hammer II

In this collaborative painting, Basquiat paints over Andy Warhol's trademark reproduction of a corporate logo, in this case for the Arm and Hammer brand of baking soda. Adjusting one of the two reproductions of the logo that appear in the painting to show a Black saxophonist instead of the flexing white arm, Basquiat frames the image with text which reads "Liberty 1955". The insertion of an image of Black creativity within an advertising logo may be an assertion of agency and reclamation of public space by Basquiat. It is also a visual reference to jazz, an African-American musical form that reached new heights of popularity in the 1950s, and an implicit acknowledgement of the repression of Black people that existed despite the music's success and incorporation into American identity.

Moreover, the insertion of an image of Black creativity within an advertising logo may be an assertion of agency and reclamation of public space by Basquiat. Typical of their collaboration, Arm and Hammer II demonstrates how Basquiat and Warhol would pass a work between them, like a game of chance happening, free association, and mutual inspiration. Warhol's characteristic employment of corporate logos and advertising copy as shorthand signs for the materialistic modern psyche is frequently overlaid by Basquiat's attempt to deface them in his freehand style, as though he were vainly raising his own fist at a largely invisible, insidious and monolithic monster in the form of corporate America.

Acrylic and silkscreen on canvas - Gallery Bruno Bischofberger AG

Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper)

Ten Punching Bags (Last Supper) is a collaboration between Basquiat and Andy Warhol, commissioned by Alexandre Iolas, the international art gallerist and collector. Basquiat painted each of ten white punching bags with an image of Jesus, as well as the word "Judge" repeated several times on each bag. The piece was originally intended to be displayed in Milan directly across the street from Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper. Opposite the Renaissance masterpiece, Ten Punching Bags was to function, somewhat playfully, as a "call to arms" for contemporary art against all forms of ideological oppression.

Christian readings of the piece were generally (and perhaps surprisingly) very positive, the representation of Jesus as a punching bag corresponding to the concept that he took on the sins of human beings, receiving the punches that they might be free. Reverend Harold T. Lewis wrote that Basquiat's contribution to the work tied the role of Jesus to poverty, suggesting that the iconography both religious and secular added by Basquiat creates a situation where "Jesus the Judge himself is judged by the squalor of urban poverty".

Basquiat and Warhol suggested that this piece was among their favorite collaborations, as it represented an effective blend of their respective styles. Both artists made important contributions to the design. Warhol's influence is made clear by the careful color composition and physical installation, which is reminiscent of several of his iconic brand works. Basquiat's expressive renderings of Jesus and signature crown motifs disrupt the clean lines and organized placement however, much like graffiti disrupts the order of corporatized public space.

Acrylic and oil stick on punching bags - The Andy Warhol Museum

Riding with Death

Riding with Death is one of Basquiat's final paintings, and one which can easily be read as representing his inner turmoil and increasing conviction that the racist, classist, and corrupt nature of America in the 1980s was visible everywhere, including in the art world. Painted in the weeks before his death, the bleakness and sadness of the image and its title is only enhanced by the knowledge that the artist's life would come to an end far too soon shortly after its completion.

Less cluttered and visually dense than many of his earlier paintings, Riding with Death features a textured brown field onto which Basquiat has depicted an African figure riding a skeleton. The skeleton crawls on all fours towards the left-hand side of the image, whilst the rider, rendered in less detail than the bones on which they sit, writhes or flails its arms. The skull faces the viewer, its cartoonish proportions and broad expression suggesting the gestural graffiti that remained a core stylistic influence on Basquiat's painting. The simplicity of the background and the subject matter are also reminiscent of pre-historic cave art, as well as later African tribal art. The head of the African figure is indistinct, its features obscured by black scribbles apart from a single eye in its forehead.

The central figures, although simply framed, are loaded with symbolism. The pair suggest a nihilism or journey towards death that is made more poignant by Basquiat's dependence upon heroin and other drugs at the time of its painting. Although the African figure is riding the skeleton and could therefore be read as being in a position of dominance, the assertive positioning of the skeleton suggests instead that it is in control, perhaps dragging the rider to the far side of the frame. Coupled with the distinction in color between the two (a white skeleton and Black rider), this couple could be read as a metaphor for the repression and destruction of African societies by colonial powers, as well as the inequalities that existed within 1980s America for people of color. This work is an excellent example of the complex meanings Basquiat was able to communicate and suggest through a complex visual language regularly referred to by critics as "primitive" or "naïve". As this poignant image shows, Basquiat's work was in fact highly sophisticated and far more technically accomplished than is often credited.

Acrylic and crayon on canvas - Private Collection

The books and articles below constitute a bibliography of the sources used in the writing of this page. These also suggest some accessible resources for further research, especially ones that can be found and purchased via the internet.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat emerged in New York as a gritty, street-smart graffiti artist crossing over from downtown origins to art gallery stardom.

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Nelly - Just A Dream (Official Music Video)

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Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock - Joy And Pain (Long Video Version)

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Rob Base Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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Rob Base biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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Dj Khaled - All I Do Is Win (Super Clean Edit)

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Friends (CLEAN) - Marshmello & Ann-Marie

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Enigmatic masked DJ/producer Marshmello makes groove-oriented, synth- and bass-heavy electronic dance music which regularly achieves mainstream crossover success. In the spirit of similarly cloaked dance figures like Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, Marshmello performs wearing a full-head-covering, in his case a marshmallow mask. Despite his early anonymity, Marshmello's career blew up in 2015 when he began releasing tracks online. From there came shows at New York's Pier 94, Pomona, California's HARD Day of the Dead festival, and Miami Music Week. He also scored a number five Billboard electronic/dance album with his full-length debut, Joytime, before landing two consecutive number one dance albums, Joytime II and Joytime III. Collaborative hits followed with artists including Selena Gomez ("Wolves"), Khalid ("Silence"), and Bastille (the platinum hit "Happier"). He again hit a solo peak in 2019 with his revolutionary in-game concert Fortnite Extended Set, and returned to the Top Ten of the dance charts with 2021's Shockwave. He collaborated with Brazil's Tropkillaz on 2023's Mellokillaz.

Marshmello's career began in 2015 when he posted his music on SoundCloud, including remixes of Zedd's "Beautiful Now," Jack Ü's "Where Are U Now," and others. Soon he was drawing fans and gaining vocal support from peers like Skrillex, who reposted Marshmello's track "Find Me." High-profile live DJ appearances followed, with shows at Ultra Music Festival and California's HARD Day of the Dead festival, among others. In 2016, Marshmello released a compilation of his previously released tracks, Joytime, which reached number five on the Billboard electronic/dance albums chart and number one on a digital top electronic albums chart. Included on the album was the single "Keep It Mello" featuring rapper Omar LinX.

Also in 2016, after a set at Electric Daisy Carnival, Dutch DJ Tiësto jokingly emerged from under Marshmello's mask, fallaciously proclaiming he was the mysterious DJ. The real Marshmello continued to perform and release singles throughout the year, later starting his own Joytime Collective record label. More collaborations followed in 2017, including "Silence" with Khalid and "Wolves" featuring Selena Gomez. Both tracks became Top 30 hits and were certified platinum around the world.

In 2018, Marshmello added another hit collaboration to his roster, pairing with British vocalist Anne-Marie for their multi-platinum hit single "Friends." After delivering his second full-length album, Joytime II, he released the non-album single "Happier," which featured Bastille's Dan Smith on vocals. The song quickly became a high-charting track, rising into the Top Three in the U.S., U.K., and Australasia. As the popularity of "Happier" continued to rise, Marshmello scored a charting effort with the revolutionary Fortnite Extended Set, a 30-minute mix taken from his 2019 in-game concert that attracted millions of video gamers. By the time summer rolled around, "Happier" had topped the Billboard electronic chart and peaked at number two on the Hot 100. Meanwhile, a collaboration with Chvrches, "Here with Me," began its steady rise up the charts, giving the indie outfit their highest-charting single to date. Marshmello also added additional cross-genre collaborations to his singles list, including "Light It Up" with Tyga and Chris Brown, "One Thing Right" with country singer Kane Brown, and "Rescue Me" with pop-punkers A Day to Remember. The latter track appeared on Joytime III, which arrived in July 2019 and featured guests Slushii, Flux Pavilion, Elohim, and Wiwek. It hit number 50 on the Billboard 200 and topped the dance chart.

In February 2020, Marshmello joined Svdden Death for the track "Crusade," and later Halsey for the ebullient "Be Kind." The following year saw Marshmello deliver collaborations with Aussie singer/songwriter Vance Joy ("You"), Kentucky rapper 2KBABY ("Like This"), and Iranian singer/producer Arash ("Lavandia"). The DJ's fourth full-length, Shockwave, arrived in June 2021 and featured appearances by Juicy J, Megan Thee Stallion, Subtronics, and more. It hit number three on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart and earned Marshmello his first Grammy Award nomination. A handful of non-album tracks kept the DJ busy in 2022, including "Numb" with Khalid, "Sah Sah" with Nancy Ajram, and the punk-influenced "American Psycho" with Mae Muller (and featuring Trippie Redd). "Bye Bye," a 2019 collaboration with the late Juice Wrld, appeared in 2022, followed in 2023 by the Jamie Brown-assisted "Party Jumpin'." Other 2023 singles included collaborations with Polo G, Farruko, and Brent Faiyaz; he additionally released Mellokillaz with Tropkillaz.

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Marshmello Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic

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Marshmello biography and history on AllMusic including birthday, best songs, existing and new album information, and more.

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Hip-Hop Bio:

Kris Kross was a hip hop duo which formed in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. The group consisted of Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly (born August 11, 1978- May 1, 2013) and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith (born Atlanta, January 10, 1979). The duo is best known for their single "Jump", which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992. The group had three further Top 20 hit singles in the United States - "Warm it Up", "Alright" and "Tonite's tha Night" - before disbanding in 1996.

They were found in 1991 performing at Lenox Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, by Jermaine Dupri. The duo's album, Totally Krossed Out, was released in 1992 and sold more than four million copies. It included the hit single "Jump", which sampled the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back," and stayed at number one on the Billboard charts for eight weeks. This landed them a spot on Michael Jackson's European tour that year as well as a cameo appearance in Michael Jackson's "Jam" video.

It became a short-lived fad for youth to wear their pants backwards.

1992, at the peak of their popularity, a video game was released starring the pair entitled Kris Kross: Make My Video. It was released on the Sega CD system, and consisted of the player editing together the groups music videos to a few of their hit songs using portions of the original music videos, stock footage, and general video animation effects. Players were prompted before each edit session to make sure to have certain footage compiled into the video. The game was released in the US only to very lackluster sales figures.

In 1993, Kris Kross released their second album entitled Da Bomb, which went platinum. 1996 saw the release of their final album Young, Rich & Dangerous which went gold. By then, they'd stopped wearing their clothes backwards.

Kris Kross' popularity lead to a television commercial they starred in to advertise the soft drink Sprite in 1992-93, and guest spots on popular television shows such as A Different World and In Living Color. Kris Kross made a cameo appearance in Ted Demme's film Who's the Man? (1993), which starred Ed Lover and Doctor Dré of Yo! MTV Raps fame.

Kris Kross recorded the "Rugrats Rap" for Rugrats and for Nickelodeon; it was released as a single in 1992 on their debut album Totally Krossed Out and released in 1994 as extras on some Nickelodeon VHS tapes, and was finally released on CD in 1998, on The Best of Nicktoons CD. The "Rugrats Rap" made its official radio airplay debut and is available on the Rugrats Chuckie the Brave VHS, Harriet the Spy VHS, The Best of Nicktoons CD (which is a compilation album of theme songs and other material from several Nicktoons that was released by Nickelodeon and Warner Bros. Records in 1998), Rugrats: Decade in Diapers Collectors Edition DVD, and YouTube.

The group separated some time after their third album and went on to solo careers. Kelly and Smith began writing and producing albums.

In 2007, the group reunited, and were working on different projects, still working for Jermaine Dupri. Chris Smith released his new album, Urbane Expressions sometime in 2008, the first single from his album is titled "Lady." Chris Kelly had his own label called C.Co records. Kris Kross reunited for So So Def's 20th Anniversary concert in early 2013.

On 1st May 2013, Chris Kelly was found "unresponsive" at home. He died in a hospital in Atlanta later that day.

(sources: last.fm, allmusic.com, wikipedia.org)

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Kriss Kross Biography - Hip Hop Scriptures

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The digital biography of Atlanta's own hip-hop duo Kris Kross - Mac Daddy & Daddy Mac

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DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - A Nightmare On My Street

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DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince was a 1980s and 1990s rap duo. The vocalist of this duo, Will Smith, met Jeff Townes while trying to make a name for himself in West Philadelphia's local party/rap scene. After joining forces, the team became local celebrities. Philadelphia-based Pop Art Records released their first single, Girls Ain't Nothing but Trouble, in late 1985, a tale of misadventures with the opposite sex. The song sampled the theme of I Dream of Jeannie. Smith became known for lighthearted, storytelling raps and capable, through curse-free, 'battle' rhymes. Townes was known for his turntable acrobatics, and is credited by many as inventing a style of scratching called "transforming".

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince managed to be both fun and influential at the same time. Their breezy mix of lighthearted raps and pop-music hooks made listeners of all kinds smile with its tasty combination of humor and groove. Their friendly, likeable sound caught on quickly with mainstream audiences and thus made them the first artists to tap into the pop-chart potential of hip-hop music.

Based off this success, the duo were brought to the attention of Jive Records and Russell Simmons'. Their first album, Rock the House, debuted on Jive in the summer of 1987. The band found themselves on their first major tour with Run DMC, Public Enemy, and others, that same year. The album sold about 300,000 units. Their 1988 follow-up hit, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper made them multi-platinum stars. Mostly recorded in the UK, the album was rap musics's first double-vinyl LP release (also issued as a single cassette and CD). Parents Just Don't Understand, the lead-off single, made them MTV household names, and tracks like Brand New Funk was received well by their fans. Rock The House was re-released to gold sales later that year.

Another single, Nightmare on My Street, showcased a fictional confrontation with movie villain Freddy Krueger. Coinciding with the release of the fourth Nightmare on Elm Street film (1988's "The Dream Master"), New Line Cinema was not pleased. A video allegedly shot for the single was buried, and a disclaimer was hastily included on pressings of the album indicating that the record was not officially affiliated with any of the "Nightmare" films (ironically, Jive Records ended up releasing the soundtrack to the next film in the series, "The Dream Child").

1989 saw the release of And In This Corner..., which sold gold, but saw the duo slip in popularity. The crossover curse of various rap acts had come to pass, as their initial audience felt they had become too accessible; non-crossover rap acts like Big Daddy Kane and Boogie Down Productions had bigger street followings; meanwhile, pop radio had latched on to new faces like Tone Loc and Young MC, while non-radio followers became more enamored with hardcore acts like Ice-T and 2 Live Crew. In a bit of mild irony, the lead single, I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson, featured the brawler in its video, but shortly after the band's Grammy performance in 1990, Tyson lost his first fight with Buster Douglas.

Smith would later admit to a spendthrift attitude during this time, becoming near-broke, which led him to feel he had nothing to lose when a TV producer approached him to do a show on NBC. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air boosted his profile, and pocketbook, giving him the leverage to stage a comeback album, Homebase, in 1991. The platinum album featured the lead-off single Summertime, which has become one of their most enduring hits. Code Red, their last studio LP as a duo, released in 1993 to gold sales. The duo made it to the very top of the Singles charts in 1993 with the single Boom! Shake The Room.

Shortly afterward, Smith began to look at acting full-time; his movie roles increased, finally getting his first lead role in 1995's Bad Boys. 1996's Independence Day cemented him as a major draw, and he left the Fresh Prince that same year. Strangely, he and Townes ended up being sued by Jive, who alleged that the duo still owed them albums. In an intervew, Smith has stated that while shooting the Men in Black movie, Smith approached Jive with the "Men in Black" single; they turned him down, saying that it couldn't be a hit. In the aftermath of the movie and soundtrack's success, the duo settled the lawsuit out of court. Hence, their Greatest Hits compilation includes two cuts from the M.I.B. soundtrack.

Since then, of course, Smith has released three Columbia/Sony albums under his own name; a separate "solo" hits cd was released in 2003. Jazzy Jeff, meanwhile, recorded an aborted album for Columbia in 1999 (including a song with Eminem), and then independently released The Magnificent in 2002. He has also become an R&B producer of note, overseeing releases by Jill Scott and others.

Smith has released three solo CDs on Columbia Records. The duo collaborated in Smith's successful album, Willennium. After being dropped by Columbia, he released one CD in 2005 on Interscope Records.
Townes released two albums on the famous UK DJ label BBE. He continues to tour the world as a respected DJ. He has also become an R&B producer of note, overseeing releases by Jill Scott, Rhymefest and many others. His production company A Touch of Jazz became the launching pad for talent out of the Philadelphia music scene. Producers, songwriters and instrumentalists from the team include Dre & Vidal, Carvin & Ivan, Kev Brown, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Keith Pelzer and Pete Kuzma.

Will Smith appeared on the May 24, 2013 edition of the BBC talk show The Graham Norton Show with his son Jaden Smith to promote the film After Earth. After performing a brief freestyle rap with his son, Will Smith brought on Townes as Jazzy Jeff and the two performed the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (with Jaden contributing backing vocals) before Smith's co-star from the sitcom, Alfonso Ribeiro, was brought on to complete the reunion.

(sources: last.fm, sing365.com, wikipedia.org)

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DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince Biography - Hip Hop Scriptures

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Digital Biography of West Philly's DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

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DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand

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Though popular success has largely eluded the Roots, the Philadelphia group showed the way for live rap, building on Stetsasonic's "hip-hop band" philosophy of the mid-'80s by focusing on live instrumentation at their concerts and in the studio. Though their album works have been inconsistent affairs, more intent on building grooves than pushing songs, the Roots' live shows are among the best in the business.

The Roots' focus on live music began back in 1987 when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer ?uestlove (Ahmir Khalib Thompson) became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts. Playing around school, on the sidewalk, and later at talent shows (with ?uestlove's drum kit backing Black Thought's rhymes), the pair began to earn money and hooked up with bassist Hub (Leon Hubbard) and rapper Malik B. Moving from the street to local clubs, the Roots became a highly tipped underground act around Philadelphia and New York. When they were invited to represent stateside hip-hop at a concert in Germany, the Roots recorded an album to sell at shows; the result, Organix, was released in 1993 on Remedy Records. With a music industry buzz surrounding their activities, the Roots entertained offers from several labels before signing with DGC that same year.

The Roots' first major-label album, Do You Want More?!!!??!, was released in January 1995; forsaking usual hip-hop protocol, the album was produced without any samples or previously recorded material. It peaked just outside the Top 100, but was mostly ignored by fans of hip-hop. Instead, Do You Want More?!!!??! made more tracks in alternative circles, partly due to the Roots playing the second stage at Lollapalooza that summer. The band also journeyed to the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Two of the guests on the album who had toured around with the band, human beatbox Rahzel the Godfather of Noyze -- previously a performer with Grandmaster Flash and LL Cool J -- and Scott Storch (later Kamal), became permanent members of the group.

Early in 1996, the Roots released Clones, the trailer single for their second album. It hit the rap Top Five, and created a good buzz for the album. The following September, Illadelph Halflife appeared and made number 21 on the album charts. Much like its predecessor, though, the Roots' second LP was a difficult listen. It made several very small concessions to mainstream rap -- the bandmembers sampled material that they had recorded earlier at jam sessions -- but failed to make a hit of their unique sound. The Roots' third album, 1999's Things Fall Apart, was easily their biggest critical and commercial success; The Roots Come Alive followed later that year.

The long-awaited Phrenology was released in late November 2002 amid rumors of the Roots losing interest in their label arrangements with MCA. In 2004, the band remedied the situation by creating the Okayplayer company. Named after their website, Okayplayer included a record label and a production/promotion company. The same year, the band held a series of jam sessions to give their next album a looser feel. The results were edited down to ten tracks and released as The Tipping Point in July of 2004. A 2004 concert from Manhattan's Webster Hall with special guests like Mobb Deep, Young Gunz, and Jean Grae was released in early 2005 as The Roots Present in both CD and DVD formats. Two volumes of the rarities-collecting Home Grown! The Beginner's Guide to Understanding the Roots appeared at the end of the year.

A subsequent deal with Def Jam fostered a series of riveting, often grim sets, beginning with Game Theory (August 2006) and Rising Down (April 2008). In 2009, the group expanded its reach as the exceptionally versatile house band on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The new gig didn't slow their recording schedule; in 2010 alone, they released the sharp How I Got Over (June), as well as Wake Up! (September), where they backed John Legend on covers of socially relevant soul classics like Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "Wake Up Everybody" and Donny Hathaway's "Little Ghetto Boy." The next year, as they remained with Fallon, the Roots worked with Miami soul legend Betty Wright on November's Betty Wright: The Movie, and followed it weeks later with their 13th studio album, Undun. ~ John Bush & Andy Kellman, Rovi

(source: mtv.com)

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The Roots Biography - Hip Hop Scriptures

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Digital Biography of Hip Hop Band THE ROOTS - from Hip Hop Scriptures virtual Hip Hop Museum!

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Jimmy Fallon, Sesame Street & The Roots Sing "Sesame Street" Theme (w/ Classroom Instruments)

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Sesame Street: Hop This Way Song with Elmo

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Sesame Street: Elmo and Ice Cube are Astounded

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MACKLEMORE FEAT SKYLAR GREY - GLORIOUS (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

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Sesame Street: Oscar ft. Macklemore in Grouch Thrift Shop

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graffiti, form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. Although the common image of graffiti is a stylistic symbol or phrase spray-painted on a wall by a member of a street gang, some graffiti is not gang-related. Graffiti can be understood as antisocial behaviour performed in order to gain attention or as a form of thrill seeking, but it also can be understood as an expressive art form.

Derived from the Italian word graffio ("scratch"), graffiti ("incised inscriptions," plural but often used as singular) has a long history. For example, markings have been found in ancient Roman ruins, in the remains of the Mayan city of Tikal in Central America, on rocks in Spain dating to the 16th century, and in medieval English churches. During the 20th century, graffiti in the United States and Europe was closely associated with gangs, who used it for a variety of purposes: for identifying or claiming territory, for memorializing dead gang members in an informal "obituary," for boasting about acts (e.g., crimes) committed by gang members, and for challenging rival gangs as a prelude to violent confrontations. Graffiti was particularly prominent in major urban centres throughout the world, especially in the United States and Europe; common targets were subways, billboards, and walls. In the 1990s there emerged a new form of graffiti, known as "tagging," which entailed the repeated use of a single symbol or series of symbols to mark territory. In order to attract the most attention possible, this type of graffiti usually appeared in strategically or centrally located neighbourhoods.

To some observers graffiti is a form of public art, continuing the tradition, for example, of the murals commissioned by the U.S. Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project during the Great Depression and the work of Diego Rivera in Mexico. Like the murals of these artists, great works of graffiti can beautify a neighbourhood and speak to the interests of a specific community. For example, the graffiti in many Hispanic neighbourhoods in the United States is quite elaborate and is regarded by many as a form of urban art. The question of whether such work is an innovative art form or a public nuisance has aroused much debate.

Graffiti became notoriously prominent in New York City in the late 20th century. Large elaborate multicoloured graffiti created with spray paint on building walls and subway cars came to define the urban landscape. The art world's fascination with artists who functioned outside traditional gallery channels stimulated an interest in this form of self-expression. In the 1980s New York artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat gained notoriety for their graffiti and parlayed this recognition into successful careers as painters represented by top galleries.

Most jurisdictions have laws prohibiting graffiti as vandalism, and in some countries punishment is quite severe. For example, in Singapore violators are subject to caning. During the 1980s and '90s many jurisdictions sought ways to eliminate and remove graffiti, fearing that it would otherwise lead to the debasement of the community. Significant resources were allocated for abatement and other clean-up efforts, and some cities even introduced mural programs or "free walls" to provide legal opportunities for urban youths to express their artistic creativity.

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Graffiti, form of visual communication, usually illegal, involving the unauthorized marking of public space by an individual or group. It can be understood as antisocial behavior or as an expressive art form. Graffiti has had a long history, but became closely associated with gang activity in the 20th century.

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‘The History of American Graffiti:’ From Subway Car to Gallery

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Since its explosion onto city walls and subway cars in the 1970s, the increasing popularity of graffiti as an art form has won commercial success for its artists and a regular presence in pop culture and the contemporary art world.

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One of the first white rap groups to gain a following and acceptance in the rap/ hiphop genre.

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Beastie Boys, American hip-hop group, the first white rap performers to gain a substantial following. As such, they were largely responsible for the growth of rap's mainstream audience. The principal members were MCA (byname of Adam Yauch; b. August 5, 1964, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.-d. May 4, 2012, New York City), Mike D (byname of Michael Diamond; b. November 20, 1965, New York City), and Adrock (byname of Adam Horovitz; b. October 31, 1966, South Orange, New Jersey).

Founded in New York City in 1981 by a group of arty middle-class Jewish kids responding to Manhattan's eclectic downtown music scene, the Beastie Boys evolved by 1983 from a hard-core punk quartet (including original guitarist John Berry and drummer Kate Schellenbach) into a trio-MCA, Mike D, and Adrock. They signed with Def Jam, and early 12-inch singles and a brief tour with Madonna in 1985 finally brought them press attention. It was not until they toured with popular black rappers Run-D.M.C., however, that the Beastie Boys won credibility with the rap audience. Good timing and a clever blend of hard rock samples and parodic fraternity-boy posturing turned Licensed to Ill (1986), with its hit single "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)," into a smash debut album, confirming the emotional and stylistic affinities some critics found between rap and hard rock. After moving from Def Jam to Capitol Records for their 1989 release, Paul's Boutique, the Beastie Boys strategically appropriated retro- funk influences, adding an acoustic dimension to digital sound-collage techniques learned from Rick Rubin and Grandmaster Flash.

The band launched the Grand Royal record label in 1992. In addition to the Beastie Boys, its roster included the alternative girl group Luscious Jackson, Australian singer-songwriter Ben Lee, and German techno act Atari Teenage Riot. Check Your Head (1992), the Beastie Boys' first release on Grand Royal, featured a collection of radio-friendly rhymes that layered pop culture references over distorted funk instrumentation. The group's next album, Ill Communication (1994), had a similar sound, and the music video for the hit single "Sabotage"-a tongue-in-cheek homage to 1970s television police dramas-was in near-constant rotation on MTV. The band took an electronic turn on the Grammy-winning Hello Nasty (1998) and scored another hit with the single "Intergalactic." In 2001 Grand Royal folded as a result of slow sales and mounting debts, and the Beastie Boys returned to Capitol for the 2004 release To the 5 Boroughs.

The instrumental hip-hop album The Mix-up (2007) represented a return to basics, and its fusion of funk, Latin, and lounge music won the band another Grammy. The trio's eighth studio album, Hot Sauce Committee Part One, was scheduled for release in 2009, but Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in July of that year, and the group suspended all recording and touring activity. With Yauch's health improving, the Beastie Boys resumed recording and in May 2011 released Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (with the exception of one song, the track list was virtually identical to the unreleased Part One). Stylistically, it was similar to Ill Communication, and the star-studded video for the debut single "Make Some Noise" demonstrated that the group had not lost its sense of the absurd. Despite the progress that was made with his early cancer treatments, Yauch's health deteriorated, and he passed away in 2012. Two years later Diamond confirmed that the band had dissolved after Yauch's death.

In 2012 the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Diamond and Horovitz collaborated with a number of famous fans of the Beastie Boys and individuals from the band's past to write Beastie Boys Book (2018), a multimedia memoir that explores the group's history and significance. The documentary Beastie Boys Story was released in 2020.

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Beastie Boys | Members, Albums, Songs, & Facts

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Beastie Boys, American hip-hop group, the first white rap performers to gain a substantial following. They were largely responsible for the growth of rap's mainstream audience. They had a number of stylistically diverse hit songs such as '(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party),' 'Sabotage,' and 'Intergalactic.'

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Decaf Hip Hop (Clean Edited Old School Rap)

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Brass Monkey Clean Radio Beastie Boys 1986

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One of hip hop and rock's greatest collabortions in Ms. Pfeiffer's opinion!

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RUN DMC - Walk This Way (Official HD Video) ft. Aerosmith

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Roxanne Shanté - Queen of Rox (Shanté Rox On) [Official Video]

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Roxanne Shanté is a hip-hop pioneer, becoming the first female rapper to have a hit single. Known for her razor-sharp disses, she was the only female member of the hip-hop collective, the Juice Crew.

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A very early example of rap making its way into pop. Also, not the tagging in the background.

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Blondie - Rapture (Official Music Video)

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Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing) (Official HD Video)

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- Lauryn Hill

Background and Career with the Fugees

Singer-songwriter, producer and actress Lauryn Noelle Hill was born in South Orange, New Jersey, on May 26, 1975, to Valerie Hill, a teacher, and Mal Hill, a computer consultant. After releasing her solo debut album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, in 1998, Hill became the first woman or hip-hop artist to win five Grammy Awards-for album of the year, best new artist, best female R&B performance, best R&B song ("Doo Wop (That Thing)") and best R&B album.

A natural performer, Lauryn Hill was singing at Harlem's Apollo Theater by the age of 13. Soon after, she met Prakazrel "Pras" Michel and his cousin, Wyclef Jean, and the three formed a band focusing on hip-hop, soul and R&B. First called Tranzlator Crew (later becoming the Fugees), the group began performing in area clubs, with Hill singing lead vocals.

Hill tried her hand at acting at an early age, as well. When she was just a high school sophomore (attending Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey), Hill landed a recurring role on the television soap opera As the World Turns. Soon after, she earned a featured part in the popular film Sister Act II: Back in the Habit, starring Whoopi Goldberg.

Instead of heading to Hollywood, in 1993, Hill enrolled at Columbia University, where she studied for a year before pursuing a performance career. That same year, the Fugees released their first album, Blunted on Reality, which met with mixed reviews. Three years later, the group released a hugely successful second project, The Score (1996). Featuring the hit single "Killing Me Softly," which highlighted Hill's bold and soulful vocals, the album sold 17 million copies-making the Fugees the highest-selling rap group of all time-and garnered two Grammy Awards (best rap album and best R&B performance by a duo or group).

Following The Score's release in 1996, the Fugees have briefly reunited for live performances, but have not worked on another album. In 2003, the group released a Greatest Hits album.

Going Solo

Lauryn Hill's first solo effort, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998), established her as a major talent in her own right. The album sold more than 12 million copies and earned the singer-songwriter five Grammys, three American Music Awards, a Billboard Award, a Soul Train Award and an MTV Music Award.

After an extended hiatus, Hill returned in 2002 with MTV Unplugged No. 2.0, a recording of her two-hour acoustic performance on the popular series MTV Unplugged. In October 2005, Hill performed two songs at the Take Back TV concert launching Al Gore's CurrentTV.

Outside of her performance career, Hill is a dedicated activist. She founded an organization dedicated to serving underprivileged urban youth called the Refugee Camp Youth Project; the group raises money to send inner-city children in Hill's native New Jersey to summer camp.

Hill has five children with longtime boyfriend Rohan Marley, the son of legendary reggae singer Bob Marley: Zion (born in August 1997), Selah Louise (born in November 1998), Joshua (born in January 2002), John (born in 2003) and Sarah (born in January 2008). Hill also has a son from a later relationship, Micah, who was born on July 23, 2011.

Recent News

In May 2013, a 37-year-old Hill made headlines when she was sentenced to three months in prison for not paying federal taxes on approximately $1 million in earnings. The hip-hop singer had pleaded guilty to the tax-evasion charges in 2012. "I needed to be able to earn so I could pay my taxes, without compromising the health and welfare of my children, and I was being denied that," Hill said in a statement, following her sentencing.

During 2014, Hill was heard as the narrator of Concerning Violence, an award-winning Swedish documentary on the African liberation struggles of the 1960s and 1970s. She also continued to draw media attention for her erratic behavior, appearing late twice in the same day for sets at Voodoo Fest in November 2014.

In May 2015, Hill canceled her scheduled concert outside Tel Aviv in Israel following a social media campaign from activists promoting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. She said she had wanted to also perform a show in Ramallah in the West Bank but logistical problems had proved too great. Hill stated: "It is very important to me that my presence or message not be misconstrued, or a source of alienation to either my Israeli or my Palestinian fans."

Hill contributed her voice to the soundtrack for What Happened, Miss Simone?, a 2015 documentary about the life of Nina Simone, an American singer, pianist, and civil rights activist. Hill was originally supposed to record only two songs for the record, but ended up recording six. She also served as a producer on the compilation alongside Robert Glasper. Hill said of her connection to Simone: "Because I fed on this music ... I believed I always had a right to have a voice. Her example is clearly a form of sustenance to a generation needing to find theirs. What a gift." NPR critically praised Hill's performance on the soundtrack, stating: "This album mainly showcases Lauryn Hill's breadth and dexterity. Not formally marketed as Hill's comeback album, her six tracks here make this her most comprehensive set of studio recordings since The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1998."

In April 2016, Hill hosted and headlined what was billed as the inaugural Diaspora Calling! festival at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. The festival's purpose was to showcase the efforts of musicians and artists from around the African diaspora like Brooklyn Haitian Rara band Brother High Full tempo. The following month, Hill was approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes late for her show at the Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, though members of Hill's team claimed it was only an hour after their scheduled start time. Moments after the less-than-40-minute show ended due to the venue's strict 11:00 p.m. closing time, Hill said her driver had gotten lost and she could not help that. Less than 48 hours later, after a large backlash from her fans on Twitter, she took to her Facebook page and stated she was late for the concert because of certain needs, including her need to "align her energy with the time."

Hill recorded a studio version of her song, "Guarding the Gates", for the movie Queen & Slim which was released on November 27, 2019. She had been singing this song during live performances for several years prior to the recording for the movie. This song appears on the album, Queen & Slim: The Soundtrack.

Legacy and impact

Hill is widely considered to be one of the greatest rappers of all time, and has often been called the greatest female rapper. The New York Times once referred to Hill as "the most popular woman in hip-hop". In the book, Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists, rapper Kool Moe Dee gave Hill the highest score of any rapper, on his rap 'Report Cards' list. In 2012, VH1 ranked Hill as one of the Greatest Woman in Music. Billboard ranked her as the seventh greatest rapper of all time. Consequence of Sound named her one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. For TIME, music critic Brandon Tensley wrote, "few artists have marked culture as profoundly as Hill did with her solo debut". In 2019, Hill ranked number-one on the Ranker poll of the greatest singer/rappers. Beyoncé has referred to Hill as "one of the best hip-hop rappers ever". Hill was included on the NPR list of the '50 Great Voices'. In 2021, she was among the inaugural nominees for the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.

In her solo music and work with Fugees, Hill pioneered the technique of rapping and singing; this has since become popular, with many modern artists like Beyoncé, Drake, Nicki Minaj and Kanye West emulating it. Music journalist Danyel Smith credited Hill with reviving the hip hop genre, following the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

Hill has often been cited as one of the most influential entertainers of her generation. Many artists have cited Lauryn Hill as an inspiration to them, including pop artist Adele, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Mumford & Sons, SZA, Doja Cat, H.E.R., P!nk, Kelly Clarkson; rappers Kanye West, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, Nicki Minaj, Nas, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Rapsody; and K-pop artists Jennie of Blackpink, CL of 2NE1, and RM of BTS.

Producer Savan Kotecha told Vulture that he and Ariana Grande were inspired by Lauryn Hill and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album during the recording of Grande's fourth studio album Sweetener. Beyoncé was inspired by Hill during the making of her fourth album 4. Additional albums inspired by Hill include Daytona by Pusha T, The College Dropout by Kanye West, and Immunity by Clairo. Multiple artist have titled projects after Hill's debut solo album including Freddie Gibbs (The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs), rappers Calboy & Lil Wayne ("Miseducation"),[172] and Lil' Kim ("Mis-education of Lil' Kim").

In an interview with the New York Post, singer Erykah Badu called Hill her hero. Primarily a rapper, Lizzo incorporated singing into her debut record. She stated in an interview in 2018, "I was always afraid of being a singer, but then when I heard Lauryn Hill, I was like, maybe I can do both", further adding that her debut album was inspired by The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, "rapping, singing, being political". Nicki Minaj has made mention of Hill's influence on her on multiple occasions; Including on 2020 US number-one single "Say So Remix", In which Minaj raps, "Spittin' like Weezy, Foxy, plus Lauryn". Minaj has also referred to Hill as her idol and quoted her in her high school yearbook. John Legend credits Hill for helping him launch a career into the music industry. R&B singer Kehlani, has a tattoo of the singer on her arm. Colbie Caillat launched a music career after hearing Hill's singing in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. Rapsody and Bebe Rexha have referred to Hill as their biggest musical inspiration. After performing with Hill, The Weeknd described the experience as the "most important experience of my life". During her 2018 Grammy award acceptance speech, Latin singer Rosalía thanked Hill for being an inspiration to her. Ella Mai, Rihanna, Childish Gambino, H.E.R., Dan Smith of Bastille, and Adele have all called The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill their personal favorite album, while rappers J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar have listed it as their favorite album by a female artist.

Music sampling

Hill's single "Doo Wop (That Thing)", was sampled by Drake on the song "Draft Day", and later sampled by Kanye West on "Believe What I Say" from his album, Donda. In 2018, Hill's single "Ex-Factor" was sampled on Cardi B's "Be Careful" and Drake's "Nice for What". Jay-Z samples Hill's vocals from the Fugees single "Fu-Gee-La" on the song "Moonlight", from his 4:44 album. J. Cole samples Hill's "Nothing Even Matters" in his song "Cole Summer" and "To Zion" in "Can I Holla At Ya". Meek Mill sampled Hill's vocal from the Fugees song "Ready or Not" in his song of the same name. Kanye West's "All Falls Down" contains an interpolation of "Mystery of Iniquity" from her live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. In 2018, A$AP Rocky and Frank Ocean released "Purity" which samples "I Gotta Find Peace of Mind". Ocean also sampled Hill's "Just Like Water" on the Jazmine Sullivan-featured "Rushes", from his 2016 album Endless. Method Man released "Say" as the lead single from his album 4:21... The Day After, which sampled the song "So Many Things to Say". In 2020, Mariah Carey released the single "Save the Day", as the lead single from her compilation album The Rarities, featuring Hill's vocal sampled from the Fugees track "Killing Me Softly".

Achievements

Hill has won numerous accolades throughout her career, including eight Grammy Awards, five MTV Video Music Awards, four NAACP Image Awards, including the President's Award, and has earned four Guinness World Records.

Hill won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a member of The Fugees, for their album The Score, becoming the first female artist to win the award. The Score peaked at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, making Hill the first female rapper to earn a number-one album as a member of The Fugees; her first solo studio album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, also peaked at number-one, making Hill the first solo female hip hop act to reach number-one on that chart. The album sold more than 400,000 copies in its first week, breaking the then record for highest first-week sales by a female artist. Both The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and its lead single "Doo Wop (That Thing)" debuted at number-one in the US, making Hill the first act to have debuted at number-one on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 with their first entries on each chart. The album was nominated for ten Grammy Awards and won five that night, Including Album of the Year, becoming the first hip hop album to win the award, while Hill broke the record at the time for most nominations and wins for a female artist in one night, and became the first female rapper to win the Best New Artist award.

In 1999, after the success of her first solo album, Hill landed on the cover of Time magazine, and was the only black musician on the cover in the 1990s decade. With The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, she became a pioneer in the neo soul genre, when the album was one of the first in the genre to achieve mainstream success, and became the best-selling neo soul album of all time. NPR ranked it 2nd on its list of "The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women". Rolling Stone listed it as the 10th-Greatest Album of All Time, on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, in 2020. In 2021, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was certified Diamond by the RIAA, making Hill the first female hip hop artist to achieve this.

Along with having a successful music career as a member of The Fugees and as a solo artist, Hill also achieved success as a songwriter and producer for other artists. Hill has written songs for Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, CeCe Winans and produced songs for Whitney Houston and Santana, among others.

(sources: biography.com, Wikipedia)

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Lauryn Hill Biography - Hip Hop Scriptures

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The digital biography of female emcee, film actress, vocalist and songwriter Lauryn Hill

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It Was a Good Day [Extra Clean][Best Edit!] - Ice Cube

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"I keep the fire in me. You gotta be able to survive in whatever environment you find yourself in. The 'hood means everything to me. You never know when you could wind up back there."

Actor and rapper Ice Cube was born in South Central Los Angeles in 1969. With fellow rappers Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren, he rocketed to fame in the late 1980s as a member of the hard-hitting gangsta rap group, N.W.A. After breaking off on his own in '89, Cube has put together a successful recording and acting career, having appeared in the films Friday (1995), Barbershop (2002) and Are We There Yet?

Early Life

Rapper, actor and producer Ice Cube was born O'Shea Jackson on June 15, 1969, in South Central Los Angeles, California. Ice Cube was raised by his mother-Doris-who worked as a hospital clerk, while his father-Hosea-was a groundskeeper at the University of California, Los Angeles.

With a set of strong parents behind him, Cube was able to navigate the tricky landscape that was his neighborhood, which became increasingly shaped by drugs, guns and violence. Cube was a good student who was passionate about football and music.

When Cube reached his teens, his parents pulled him out of his local school and bussed him to a suburban high school in the San Fernando Valley. For the young Cube, who'd known little beyond the deteriorating South Central L.A., the affluence and stability that marked his new surroundings left a deep impression. He saw his hometown in a new light and wondered why the violence and drugs that were wreaking havoc on it weren't generating more attention.

As he saw more of his friends get killed or go to jail, Cube became determined to create a better life for himself. After high school, he enrolled at the Phoenix Institute of Technology, where he earned a two-year degree in drafting in 1988.

N.W.A.

Around this time, he also continued to get involved in music, with much of his interest focused on the still emerging world of rap. He started writing his first raps in high school, and in the mid-1980s started a group with two others called CIA. The group, and Cube in particular, soon caught the attention of another up-and-coming rapper, Andre Romelle Young, better known as Dr. Dre.

Together, the two teamed up with a small crew of other young rappers (DJ Yella, Eazy-E and MC Ren) to form N.W.A. (****** With Attitude).

Considered one of the pioneers of gangsta rap, N.W.A.'s hard-hitting sound and lyrics jolted the music industry, all the while selling millions of records. The group's second album, Straight Outta Compton (1988) rocketed the young men to fame. Anchored by the controversial hit "**** tha Police," the record made them one of the most contentious groups in the music business, while also delving into the complicated divide between black youth and law enforcement.

Cube's fourth album, Lethal Injection, came out in late 1993. Here, Cube borrowed from the then-popular G-funk popularized by Dr. Dre. Although not received well by critics, the album brought successful singles, including "Really Doe", "Bop Gun (One Nation)", "You Know How We Do It", and "What Can I Do?" After this album, Ice Cube effectively lost his rap audience.

Following Lethal Injection, Cube focused on films and producing albums of other rappers, including Da Lench Mob, Mack 10, Mr. Short Khop, and Kausion. In 1994, Cube teamed with onetime N.W.A groupmate Dr. Dre, who was then leading rap's G-funk subgenre, for the first time since Cube had left the group, and which had disbanded upon Dre's 1991 departure. The result was the Cube and Dre song "Natural Born Killaz", on the Murder Was The Case soundtrack, released by Dre's then-new label, Death Row Records.

In 1995, Cube joined Mack 10 and WC in forming a side trio, the Westside Connection. Feeling neglected by East Coast media, a longstanding issue in rap's bicoastal rivalry, the group aimed to reinforce West pride and resonate with the undervalued. The Westside Connection's first album, Bow Down (1996), featured tracks like "Bow Down" and "Gangstas Make the World Go 'Round" that reflected the group's objectives. The album was certified Platinum by year's end. Interpreting rapper Common's song "I Used to Love H.E.R." as a diss of West Coast rap, Cube and the Westside Connection briefly feuded with him, but they resolved amicably in 1997.

It was also at this time that Cube began collaborating outside the rap genre. In 1997, he worked with David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails singer Trent Reznor on a remix of Bowie's "I'm Afraid of Americans". In 1998, Cube was featured on the band Korn's song "Children of the Korn", and joined them on their Family Values Tour 1998.

Other Endeavors

Cube's involvement with N.W.A. came to screeching halt in 1989. Angered over how little he'd been paid, he bolted the group and went solo. A year later, he released the first of several critically acclaimed albums, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. In 2013, he released his tenth studio album, Everythang's Corrupt.

Around the time of his departure from N.W.A., Cube launched his movie career with a highly praised performance in the John Singleton directed coming-of-age 'hood film, Boyz n the Hood (1992). Over the years, he's had major roles in several other successful films, including the Friday (1995) film series, Three Kings (1999) and Barbershop (2002).

Still, for all his success, Cube hasn't forgotten his roots. "I keep the fire in me," he said. "You gotta be able to survive in whatever environment you find yourself in. The 'hood means everything to me. You never know when you could wind up back there."

(source: biography.com, Wikipedia.com)

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Digital biography of O'She 'Ice Cube' Jackson - rapper, actor, artist, director, entrepreneur

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Hip-Hop Bio:

Earl Simmons (born December 18, 1970) better known by his stage name DMX (also known as Dog Man X and Dark Man X) is a multi-Platinum American rapper and actor. His stage name was originally an acronym of "Divine Master of the Unknown", but also pays tribute to an instrument he used in the 1980s, the Oberheim DMX drum machine. In 1999, DMX released his best-selling album ...And Then There Was X, which featured the hit single "Party Up (Up in Here)". He has acted in films such as Belly, Romeo Must Die, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 The Grave, and Last Hour. In 2006, he starred in the reality television series DMX: Soul of a Man, which was primarily aired on the BET cable television network. In 2003, DMX published a book of his memoirs entitled, E.A.R.L.: The Autobiography of DMX.
Early life
DMX was born on December 18, 1970, to Joe Barker and Arnett Simmons (who became pregnant with him when she was nineteen years of age). There are conflicting reports as to where he was born, with some saying he was born in Baltimore, MD and other saying he was born in Mount Vernon, NY. He was the second child born; his mother had a two year old daughter from a previous relationship.[citation needed] He was raised as a Jehovah's Witnesses. At a young age his Mother moved them to the infamous School Street projects in Yonkers where DMX would learn his trade of robbing. As a youth, he committed crimes such as robbery and spent much of his adolescence in and out of juvenile detention and youth group homes. DMX always looked down on street level drug dealers and found it easier to simply rob the dealers of their earnings at the end of the day. While always close to his uncles and a few close friends he found his true companionship in the many stray dogs that he befriended. Throughout this period, DMX viewed hip-hop as an escape from his troubles; he enjoyed beatboxing, turntablism, and eventually, rapping.
1998: It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
In February 1998, DMX released his debut major-label single, "Get at Me Dog", on Def Jam Recordings. The single was certified Gold by the RIAA. His first major-label album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, which included the single "Ruff Ryders Anthem", was released in May 1998. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in the U.S and sold over five million copies.

Later that year in December, DMX released his second album, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, where it remained for three consecutive weeks. Within one week of the album's release, 670,000 units were shipped.[citation needed] It was eventually certified Platinum four times. As a result, DMX was the second rapper in history (following Tupac Shakur) to have released two albums in the same year, which both debuted at number one on Billboard 200.
1999 - 2000: ...And Then There Was X
DMX released his third and best-selling album (as of January 2012), ...And Then There Was X, on December 21, 1999. It was his third album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Its most popular single, "Party Up", became his first Top Ten hit on the R&B charts. Singles "What's My Name?" and "What These Bitches Want" were also popular. The album was certified Platinum six times.
2001 - 2002: The Great Depression
After improving his legal situation, DMX returned to the studio to complete his fourth album, The Great Depression. Released October 23, 2001, it was his fourth album to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, featuring the singles "Who We Be", "We Right Here", and "Shorty Was The Bomb". Despite the album's triple Platinum certification, its commercial and critical success was lower than his previous album.
2003: Grand Champ
His fifth album, "Grand Champ", once again debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 charts, placing DMX as the only musical artist in history to release five consecutive albums (his entire album catalog at the time) that debuted at number one. Singles include "Where Tha Hood At" and "Get it on the Floor". After its release, he informed the public that he planned to retire, and that Grand Champ would be his final album.
2005 - 2007: Year of the Dog...Again
DMX signed to Columbia Records in January 2006. He recorded what would be his next album, Year of the Dog...Again, while switching record labels, which caused numerous delays. It was finally released on August 1, 2006, and lost the number one Billboard spot by only one-hundred sales.[citation needed] He released two more singles, "Lord Give Me A Sign" and "We In Here"

On June 12, 2008, DMX released a compilation of his greatest hits, The Definition of X: The Pick of the Litter. Def Jam released another compilation album, The Best of DMX, in 2011. which features hit singles including "Where the Hood At?" and "X Gon' Give It to Ya".
2012: Undisputed
On October 11, 2011 DMX performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards. He stated that he has been working "nonstop, every day" on the new album, and plans to release it before December of 2012. During a performance at New York's Santos Party House on December 25, 2011, DMX stated that the new album will be entitled Undisputed and would be released on March 26, 2012. This was later confirmed by DMX (via his official Twitter account, DMX (rapper) on Twitter), where he also confirmed that its first single is scheduled for release in January 2012. A video for a new track entitled "Last Hope" was released via Internet on September 24, 2011. DMX has not confirmed whether the track will appear on his upcoming album. After numerous delays,[28][29] the album was eventually released on September 11, 2012, and featured production from Swizz Beatz and J.R. Rotem with a guest appearance by MGK.

Seven Arts Entertaiment Inc. recently purchased David Michery's music assets, which included some of DMX's music. DMX's had announced that Undisputed will be released on March 27, 2012. However it was later revealed that DMX did not plan to release the album on that date, and that date was one forced upon him by the record label. The release date for the album is now set for June 26th 2012.
2013-2021: Def Jam reunion and Exodus
In 2013, DMX announced he had begun working on his eighth studio album. He collaborated with producers Swizz Beatz and Dame Grease. In December, after regaining his passport, he embarked on a world tour with performances in Bulgaria and Kosovo. On January 7, 2015, Seven Arts Music announced that DMX would be releasing Redemption of the Beast the following week; however, close personal friend and recurring collaborator producer/rapper/entrepreneur Swizz Beatz and DMX's management confirmed that this was false. On January 13, 2015, Seven Arts Music released Redemption of the Beast, without acquiring a legal artist contract. On January 15, 2015, it was announced by DMX's brother/manager Montana that DMX was no longer signed to Seven Arts Music and that they would be taking legal action against Seven Arts Music for the unauthorized release of Redemption of the Beast.

Long-time collaborator Swizz Beatz stated that two of the collaborators on the album would be Kanye West and Dr. Dre. His 2003 song "X Gon' Give It to Ya" was featured in the 2016 film Deadpool and in its trailers. On June 28, 2016, DMX released a new song titled "Blood Red" and produced by Divine Bars. On January 11, 2017, DMX released a new song produced by Swizz Beatz titled "Bain Iz Back". On September 20, 2019, DMX signed a new record deal with Def Jam Recordings, reuniting with the label for the first time since his 2003 album Grand Champ.

DMX's eighth and first posthumous studio album Exodus was released through Def Jam on May 28, 2021.
Personal life
Religion

DMX was a born-again Christian, and stated that he read the Bible every day. While in jail, DMX stated that he had a purpose for being there: "I came here to meet somebody...Don't know who it was, but I'll know when I see him. And I came here to give him a message. And that message is Jesus loves them." DMX was a transitional deacon in the Christian Church and aspired to become ordained as a pastor, stating that he received this call in 2009. In 2016, he gave a sermon at a church in Phoenix, Arizona. In April 2020, he held an online Bible study and asked people to accept Jesus as their lord and savior.
Relationships and children
DMX was the father of 15 children from 9 different women. He married his childhood friend Tashera Simmons in 1999 and they were married for 11 years. They had four children together: Xavier (born 1992), Tacoma (born 1999), Sean (born 2002), and Praise Mary Ella (born 2005). In July 2010, after his first of three incarcerations that year, Tashera announced their separation. They remained friends, although in 2016, Tashera accused DMX of missing his $10,000/month child support payment.

DMX had extramarital affairs during his marriage to Tashera, some of which produced children. He had a daughter, Sasha (born 2002), with Patricia Trejo. In 2012, Trejo sued DMX for $1 million in unpaid child support. The case was settled in 2013. DMX and Monique Wayne, a Maryland resident, fought over her claim that he was the father of her son born in 2004. She sued him for defamation and for child support. After genetic testing proved that DMX was indeed the father, in January 2008, DMX was ordered to pay Wayne $1.5 million, but a judge vacated the judgment in May 2008. DMX also fathered a child in 2008 and fathered two children with ex-girlfriend Yadira Borrego. In 2009, his daughter Sonovah Junior was born. In 2011, his daughter Aaliyah, named after his close friend, Aaliyah, was born. His fifteenth child, Exodus Simmons, was born to his fiancée, Desiree Lindstrom, on August 16, 2016.
Finances and bankruptcies
DMX earned $2.3 million from his songs between 2010 and 2015.

He also filed for bankruptcy three times. His first filing was on July 30, 2013, citing his child support obligations as his priority claim. The filing was challenged by the United States Trustee Program and was dismissed by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan on November 11, 2013.
Feud with Ja Rule
During the 1990s, DMX formed a close bond with fellow up-and-coming rappers Jay-Z and Ja Rule. The three collaborated many times and formed a group known as Murder Inc. The group was short-lived due to internal issues between DMX and Jay-Z. After the breakup of Murder Inc., DMX disparaged Ja Rule in interviews, accusing him of being a copycat, drawing comparisons between himself and what he saw as Ja stealing his signature "gruff" style of delivery.

DMX released a diss track, "They Want War", on a 2002 DJ Kay Slay mixtape; Ja Rule never directly responded. DMX also released the singe "Go to Sleep" with Eminem and Obie Trice as apart of the Cradle 2 The Grave soundtrack with numerous lines directed to Ja Rule. However, as time passed and the feud faded into obscurity, DMX said that he wanted to officially bring it to an end when he was released from prison in 2005: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him. I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it." Despite this, DMX and Ja Rule did not officially end their feud until 2009, at VH1's Hip Hop Honors.
Feud with Jay-Z
When DMX partnered with Jay-Z and Ja Rule in Murder Inc., there was a feud between the two, which also contributed to the failure of the group and working together. According to reports, the feud started in the early 1990s after a rap battle between the two, which led to DMX's disdain for Jay-Z. Prior to DMX's death, the feud, although it fizzled out over the years, continued on when DMX said in an Instagram video that he wanted to rap battle Jay-Z on Verzuz.
Legal trouble
DMX was in jail 30 times for various offenses, including robbery, assault, carjacking, animal cruelty, reckless driving, driving under the influence, unlicensed driving, drug possession, probation violation, failure to pay child support, pretending to be a federal agent, and tax evasion.

1986-1988

DMX was first sent to prison in 1986 after stealing a dog from a junkyard. He was sentenced to two years in the juvenile unit of Woodfield Prison in Valhalla, New York. However, just weeks after starting his sentence, he and his cellmate successfully escaped the prison and DMX returned home until his mother forced him to turn himself in and finish his sentence, which he did at the McCormick Juvenile Detention Centre in Brooktondale, New York. Simmons was sent to prison again in 1988 for carjacking, and was later moved to a higher security prison after attempting to extort a fellow inmate for drugs. He was released in the summer of 1988.

1998-1999

When officers of the Fort Lee Police Department executed a search of his home in 1999, DMX promptly surrendered himself on weapons possession charges.

DMX faced a 1999 animal cruelty charge in Teaneck, New Jersey after a dozen pit bulls were found at his home there; the charge was dismissed after the performer agreed to accept responsibility and record public service announcements for an animal rights group.

2000-2005 Metro NY

In 2000, DMX served a 15-day jail sentence for possession of marijuana.

DMX served another jail sentence in 2001 for driving without a license and possession of marijuana. His appeal to reduce the sentence was denied; rather, he was charged with assault for throwing objects at prison guards.

In January 2002, DMX pleaded guilty in New Jersey to 13 counts of animal cruelty, two counts of maintaining a nuisance, and one count each of disorderly conduct and possession of drug paraphernalia. He eventually plea-bargained down to fines, probation, and community service and starred in public service announcements against the dangers of guns and animal abuse.

In June 2004, DMX was arrested at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, on charges of cocaine possession, criminal impersonation, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, menacing, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, while claiming to be a federal agent and attempting to carjack a vehicle. He was given a conditional discharge on December 8, 2004, but pleaded guilty on October 25, 2005, to violating parole.

On November 18, 2005, DMX was sentenced to 70 days in jail at Riker's Island for violating parole; the lateness charge added a 10-day extension to the original 60-day sentence. DMX was released early (for "good behavior") on December 30, 2005.

2007

In 2007, DMX's home was raided on reports of animal cruelty.

2008-2011 Arizona and California

On May 9, 2008, DMX was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after attempting to barricade himself inside his Cave Creek, Arizona home.

DMX pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession, theft, and animal cruelty stemming from an August 2007 drug raid as well as the May 2008 arrest, at a hearing on December 30, 2008; he was sentenced to 90 days in jail on January 31, 2009.

On May 22, 2009, DMX entered a plea agreement/change of plea and pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault in jail.

After serving four out of six months for violating drug probation, DMX was released from jail on July 6, 2010. That day, a television pilot was filmed to portray his road to recovery; however, DMX was arrested three weeks later and the pilot did not evolve into a series.

On July 27, 2010, DMX turned himself in to Los Angeles Metropolitan Court for a reckless driving charge he received in 2002. He was sentenced to serve ninety days in jail.

On November 19, 2010, DMX was arrested in Maricopa County, Arizona on charges of violating probation for a February 24, 2009 aggravated assault on an officer while he was incarcerated. On December 20, 2010, DMX was moved to the Mental Health Unit of the Arizona Alhambra State Prison, and released on July 18, 2011.

On August 24, 2011, DMX was arrested for the tenth time in Maricopa County, this time for speeding, recorded at 102 miles per hour (164 km/h) in a 65-mile-per-hour (105 km/h) zone, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. While DMX admitted to speeding, he claimed he was driving 85 miles per hour (137 km/h).

2013 South Carolina

On February 13, 2013, DMX was arrested in Spartanburg, South Carolina for driving without a driver's license.

On July 26, 2013, DMX was arrested again in Greenville County, South Carolina and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as driving without a license.

On August 20, 2013, DMX was arrested again in Greer, South Carolina during a traffic stop after a car he was a passenger in made an improper u-turn. He was arrested due to an outstanding warrant for driving under suspension. Four packages of marijuana were also found in the vehicle, and he along with the driver were cited for them.

On November 4, 2013, DMX was again arrested by the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport police near Greer, South Carolina after police, who were familiar with his prior arrests, noticed DMX behind the wheel of a vehicle at the terminal. DMX was booked on charges of driving with a suspended license, having an uninsured vehicle, and driving an unlicensed vehicle. He was subsequently released after spending three hours in jail.

2015 New York

On April 5, 2015, a man charged DMX of robbing him.

On June 26, 2015, DMX was arrested in New York, charged with robbery in Newark, New Jersey, and failure to pay child support.

On July 14, 2015, DMX was sentenced to 6 months in jail for failure to pay $400,000 in child support.

On December 14, 2015, an arrest warrant was issued for DMX after he missed a court hearing to address child support issues with his ex-wife Tashera Simmons and their four children.

2017-2019: Tax fraud conviction

In July 2017, DMX was charged with 14 federal counts of tax fraud. Federal prosecutors charged him with failing to file income tax returns from 2010 to 2015 (a period when he earned at least $2.3 million). DMX pleaded guilty to a single count of tax fraud in November 2017. DMX was originally free pending sentencing but was remanded to jail in January 2018 after leaving a drug treatment program ordered by the court and relapsing with cocaine and oxycodone. In March 2018, Judge Jed S. Rakoff sentenced DMX to one year in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The court also ordered DMX to pay $2.29 million in restitution to the government.[109] He was released from prison on January 25, 2019.
Health issues and death
Simmons said he became addicted to crack cocaine when he was 14 years old, after Ready Ron tricked him into smoking a marijuana cigarette laced with the drug. He also said that he had bipolar disorder.

Simmons entered drug rehabilitation several times including in 2002, 2017, and 2019, when he cancelled concerts.

On February 10, 2016, Simmons was found unresponsive in a Ramada Inn parking lot in Yonkers, New York. He was resuscitated by first responders and intravenously given Narcan, an opioid-reversal drug; he responded quickly to Narcan and became semi-conscious. Simmons was subsequently rushed to the hospital. A witness said he ingested some type of substance before collapsing, but police found no illegal substances on the property. Simmons stated that it was from an asthma attack.

On April 2, 2021, at approximately 11:00 pm, Simmons was rushed to White Plains Hospital, where he was reported to be in critical condition following a heart attack at his home possibly resulting from a drug overdose. The next day, his attorney Murray Richman confirmed Simmons was on life support. That same night, Simmons suffered cerebral hypoxia (oxygen deprivation to his brain) as paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 30 minutes. Simmons' former manager, Nakia Walker, said he was in a "vegetative state" with "lung and brain failure and no current brain activity". His manager, Steve Rifkind, stated Simmons was comatose and that he was set to undergo tests to determine his brain's functionality and his family will "determine what's best from there".

On the morning of April 9, 2021, Simmons lost functionality in multiple essential organs, reportedly his liver, kidneys and lungs, and was pronounced dead shortly after at age 50. It was revealed on July 8 by the Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office that Simmons' official cause of death was a cocaine-induced heart attack.[132][1]
Legacy
Upon DMX's death, The Ringer wrote, "Throughout his nearly three-decade career, DMX came to embody passion, rawness, and pure emotional honesty like few hip-hop artists ever have, barking his way through hits like " Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "Get at Me Dog" one moment, and repenting and philosophizing on tracks like "Slippin'" the next. His was a decidedly anti-commercial approach, but it worked, and it made him the genre's first new superstar in the wake of the killings of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. To this day, few have been able to reach the heights he did-he's the only rapper to have his first five studio albums debut at no. 1, and he was the first living hip-hop artist to have two projects go platinum in the same year."

Various celebrities paid tribute through outlets like social media including former NFL star Torrey Smith, LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal,Eminem, Gabrielle Union (who co-starred with DMX in the 2003 film, Cradle 2 the Grave, along with Jet Li (who also paid tribute), Swizz Beatz (who DMX collaborated with including on the hit single, "Ruff Ryders' Anthem"), Eve and Missy Elliott.

A "Celebration of Life" at Brooklyn's Barclays Center took place on April 24, 2021, led by Kanye West's Sunday Service Choir. They performed several songs in honor of DMX. The memorial took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. with a limited capacity of 1,900. It was livestreamed on DMX's YouTube and Instagram accounts. On the way to Barclays, DMX's casket was carried by a black monster truck with "Long live DMX" painted on the side. A procession of hundreds of motorcyclists, in homage to the hip-hop collective Ruff Ryders, rode from DMX's birthplace of Yonkers to Barclays Center. In between performances, people gave speeches including Eve, Nas, Swizz Beatz and Ruff Ryders founders Joaquin "Waah" Dean & Darin "Dee" Dean. Kanye West was also confirmed to be in attendance of the celebration, according to Variety.

DMX's funeral ("DMX's Homegoing Celebration") took place in Brooklyn at the Christian Cultural Center on April 25, 2021. It was livestreamed on the BET Network and its YouTube channel. It lasted around five hours to a limited capacity of 2,000 people. DMX's casket was in the color red and featured the word, "FAITH", in large printing. It was featured in the front of the room. People who were in attendance included Nas, Lil Kim, Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz, as well as the pastor of the church, Reverend A.R. Bernard. Louis Farrakhan, a leader of the Nation of Islam, joined the service via Zoom. With the exception of Alicia Keys, Nas and Lil Kim, they all gave speeches. DMX's former wife, Tashera Simmons and Ruff Ryders founders Waah & Dee also gave a speech. There was some controversial testimonies like former Def Jam chief Lyor Cohen, when his video featured an overheard view of a beach and explained how Earl Simmons was a wonderful man while DMX was a gremlin. As well as Def Jam cofounder Russell Simmons, when he compared his own issues with drug abuse to DMX via video. The homegoing ended with DMX's obituary read on stage and a virtual performance from Faith Evans.

At the funeral, New York City community leader and peacemaker Erica Ford presented DMX's family several citations and proclamations from the New York governor's and Senate's office; including a proclamation from the New York state Senate declaring Dec. 18 - DMX's birthday - "Earl 'DMX' Simmons Day." Additional citations came from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers (the hometown of DMX). Cuomo had the flag flying over the state capitol on the day of DMX's death presented to his family.

(source: musictory.com, Wikipedia)

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The digital biography of rapper DMX - from Hip Hop Scriptures virtual Hip Hop Museum!

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DMX - Ruff Ryders' Anthem (Clean Version)

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A little less than 50 years ago, the adidas Originals Superstar sneaker hit store shelves for the first time across the US. Since then, the silhouette has acted as a favourite on the courts and an impactful force within several subcultures, both in America and across the globe. Nicknamed the "shell tops", "shell shoes" or "shell toes" due to its iconic rubber shell toe cap, the Superstar has been regarded as one of the main influences in the rise of modern day sneaker culture. And yet, while its relevance today is deeply rooted within lifestyle culture and fashion, its tenure began in quite a different arena altogether back in 1969.

Harking back to its very beginnings, adidas first introduced the Superstars in 1969 as the ultimate on-court sneaker. They were designed to completely revolutionise and change the basketball footwear industry. Predecessors to the adidas Supergrip - released sometime between 1964 and 1965 - it was the brand's second attempt at entering the basketball market.

In the early 1960s, adidas embarked on a mission to expand the brand into the American market on a larger scale. They reached out to their US advisor, Chris Severn, for help. Severn relayed back that basketball shoes in the US were being made exclusively out of minimal supporting canvas, which often meant that players were injuring their knees or ankles whilst training and playing. For several decades, the basketball sneaker market had been lacking in any significant innovation in both design and technology. There was an opportunity here for the brand.

Shortly after such revelations, adidas produced their first-ever basketball trainer donning an all leather upper. Leather gave players a much firmer hold around the ankle than Converse 's canvas and the shell toe on the nose of the sneaker, as well as the thick rubber padding around the toe, protected the player's feet mid-game. It was 30% lighter than other shoes and it improved stability. It was ideal for playing basketball.

It took a year or so for the Superstar to permeate the space and by 1973, 75% of professional basketball players across the US had swapped out their Converse All Stars and Pro Keds for adidas Superstars. They were being worn by top players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Gervin, George Irvine and Bob Verga.

By the mid 1970s, adidas had successfully managed to infiltrate the basketball sneaker market. Yet, as more modern technology began to hit the market, the Superstar's sporting days were beginning to look numbered. Luckily for the brand, the silhouette was held in such high esteem at this point that it naturally evolved as a shoe for the courts to a shoe for the streets. This was largely thanks to the hip-hop and skateboarding scenes.

The explosion of hip-hop from the mid-1980s was where the adidas Superstar's next chapter would begin. While their musical predecessors Grand Master Flash and Furious Five would rock full on glam looks and leather jackets, Run-DMC, the new favourite hip-hop group on the block, were slipping their feet into white/black, white/red, and white/blue adidas shell-toes. The trainer was the band's onstage and on-cover shoe of choice. They sported them laceless with the tongues pushed out. Run-DMC were being nominated for the Grammys, appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone and selling out arenas. They were doing all of this while repping three stripes from head to toe.

When the group performed "My adidas" - an ode to the brand released in 1986 - and asked fans "if you got adidas on, hold 'em up," 40,000 avid fans held their Superstars up in the air. After seeing this first-hand, the brand was eager to swiftly sign a deal between themselves and Run-DMC. This was the first time a sporting brand had used music to push their product and it was the first endorsement deal between a major corporation and a hip-hop artist. The Superstar was no longer just a cultural classic. It had now also become an immense marketing force.

Alongside the long-told tale of Run-DMC's affiliation with adidas, the 1990s brought about several more ties between the Superstar and the music and skateboarding scenes. The Beastie Boys wore adidas on the cover of their 1992 Check Your Head album and Madonna was spotted rocking a white and red combo Downtown. Check into the world of skateboarding during the late 1990s and you'd find skaters like Keith Hufnagel, Mark Gonzalez, Kareem Campbell and Carlos Kenner doing their finest work in the signature shell shoe.

The rise of hip-hop and skateboarding culture naturally led to the beginnings of the streetwear culture boom. All around the globe the Superstars were merging with various movements, communities and cultures within the world of fashion, and as streetwear became a domineering player in the scene during the 2000s, so did adidas and their signature Superstar shoe.

Collectors culture in Tokyo at the time meant that exclusive and premium Superstars were highly sought after and resold internationally at a high price. Hiroshi Fujiwara 's endorsement of the shoe embedded the silhouette even deeper into streetwear's cultural narrative and the Superstar slowly became a status symbol within the world of fashion. Fashion capitals such as London and Los Angeles took turns to put their own twists on the silhouette, and soon, the trainer could be spotted by anyone window shopping in their respective big city. The lifestyle market had now officially been checked off by adidas. The world of collaborations, on the other hand, was just beginning to open up to the Superstar.

The first Superstar collaboration came out in 2003 when Fujiwara's protégé Nigo created four Superstar mash-ups between adidas and the brand that he had founded back in 1993, A Bathing Ape. The line was called the Super Ape Star and caused a huge stir around the world. The silhouette had infiltrated a yet untapped luxury market, with each of the four colourways going on to resell for more than double the original price.

In 2005, adidas celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Superstar by collaborating with a range of music, fashion and art icons to create the very much anticipated 35th Anniversary Edition. The series consisted of five different groups - Consortium series, Expression series, Music series, City series and the Anniversary series - and 35 different Superstar designs in total. 35 shoes for 35 years.

The Consortium series was a hit with Superstar fanatics: seven top-tier sneaker retailers were given the opportunity to remake the 1969 silhouette in any manner that they wished. On New Year's Eve of 2004, queues of people eager to get their hands on the exclusive Superstars stretched across streets near London's Footpatrol, New York's Union, Tokyo's Neighbour, to name a few. Other collaborations within the 35 designs included names such as Roc-a-Fella, Missy Elliot, Disney, Andy Warhol and adicolor.

The 2010s saw countless new models and iterations of the Superstar. Models such as the Slip-on, the Primeknit, the Boost, the Lite and the Clear were now readily available for Superstar fans. Adidas also released several more Superstar collaborations over the past ten years. Names such as Mastermind, Neighborhood, Nigo, Atmos, Alife, CLOT, SNS, Palace, Afew, Porter, XLarge, Parra and even Lego were found scribbled, stamped and engraved on the sneaker model.

Then there was the adidas collaboration with Pharrell Williams in 2015. The Superstar "Supercolor" Collection took the sneaker scene by storm: 50 differently shaded Superstars hit the market all at once, making it the biggest ever collaborative sneaker release the industry has seen for a while.

Some would say that the adidas Superstar is one of the greatest sneaker designs of all time. It's gone through a multitude of variations, several cycles of collaboration and experimentation, and millions of dollars' worth of sales. Its impact thus far on popular culture, although immeasurable, has been colossal. One thing that's to be remembered about the adidas Superstar is that even through it's most radical reiterations or collabs with big creative names within wider culture, its design has remained more or less the same. Whether as a performance basketball silhouette, a trainer being sky-rocketed into the air by thousands in Madison Square Garden, a sneaker hitting the decks or a collaboration with Prada fuelled by the contemporary multi-billion-dollar reselling scene, the Superstar was, is and always will be a timeless sneaker of great cultural significance.

It has fused the worlds of sports, pop culture and sneaker culture. In 2016, it beat Jordan, Nike, and the adidas' Boost and NMD lines by a landslide in being the best-selling shoe in the US that year. Both culturally and through profit stats, the Superstar still sits at the forefront of sneaker culture 50 years after its initial release. What else does this gem of a shoe have in store for us in the near 10, let alone 50 years?

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The History of the Iconic adidas Superstar Sneaker

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The History of the Iconic adidas Superstar Sneaker: How the silhouette came to be one of the most recognized shoes of our time.

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Air Force 1 sneakers, known by various monikers including Forces, AF1s, Uptowns, Flaves, and Harlems, hold a special place in the hearts of sneaker collectors worldwide. Nike Air Force 1s, released in 1982, are not just shoes - they're a cultural phenomenon. These iconic sneakers introduced Nike's groundbreaking Air technology to the basketball shoe arena, forever changing the game. With its timeless AF1 silhouette, Nike crafted a versatile masterpiece that seamlessly blends style and functionality, making it a must-have for streetwear and sneaker enthusiasts. Coming off of the 40th Anniversary of the AF1, we delve into the captivating history of the Nike Air Force 1 and explore our collection of Air Forces for sale at our online Sneaker Shop.

In 1982, the Nike Air Force 1 emerged as a game-changer, captivating both sneaker enthusiasts and basketball stars. Its debut saw endorsements from the "Original Six," prominent NBA players of the era. Designed by Bruce Kilgore, the Air Force 1 not only marked his basketball shoe debut but also became the first to introduce Nike Air cushioning to the court, revolutionizing performance.

While originally conceived as a hiking boot-inspired, ankle-strapped high top, the shoe's popularity exploded with the release of the Air Force 1 Low, which found a fervent fanbase in major cities from Baltimore to D.C. to New York.

Despite facing retirement in 1984 amid the rise of innovative Nike models, the shoe's revival was spearheaded by Baltimore sneaker boutiques. Collaborating with Nike on exclusive styles through the "Color of the Month" club, these retailers laid the groundwork for sneaker culture, showcasing the significance of those who curate and sell Air Force 1s alongside their makers and buyers. The evolution of the Nike Air Force 1 encompasses innovation, community, and style, an enduring influence on modern sneaker culture.

The Nike Air Force One has long been a staple of Hip Hop culture. Exclusive AF1 collabs with Hip Hop royalty, ranging from DJ Clark Kent to Drake, heightened the Air Force 1's influence and appeal.

DJ Clark Kent and Nike commemorated "The List" with a limited edition Nike Air Force 1 Low. With a history of sneaker collaborations, including the renowned 112 Pack, DJ Clark Kent's involvement in the sneaker world is well-established. The mismatched design sports a multicolored, pebbled leather upper with mini Swooshes on the lateral sides.

In 2019, Nike teamed up with Drake's October's Very Own ("OVO") label to redesign the iconic Air Force 1 low silhouette. This sneaker sample features a sleek black patent upper contrasted by hints of gold in Swoosh, heel and tongue branding, and OVO's signature owl on the lateral heel. This sample pair was never released to the public, making it extremely rare and sought after. The Air Force 1 Low comes complete with a sample hang tag.

Virgil Abloh's deconstructed take on the Air Force One became an instant fan favorite. Over the years to come, Off White Air Force 1s would continue to drop in a variety of colorways including the AF1 Low Off White from "The Ten" collection. This Off White Air Force 1 release contains some of the most experimental elements of Abloh's "GHOSTING" effect. This Off White AF1 Low is distinguished by the removal of the typical layers, exposing the padding of the shoe overlaid with translucent details.

In celebration of the Nike Air Force One's 40th Anniversary, Virgil Abloh collaborated with Nike to send 47 pairs of bespoke Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1s down the Spring/Summer 2022 runway. To distinguish them from the original Nike Air Force 1, the sneakers were made with materials employed in Abloh's Louis Vuitton men's collections and styled with his signature quotation marks, echoing the written graphics Abloh used to adorn the shoes. Every pair was made by Louis Vuitton in Fiesso d'Artico, marking the first time the AF1 model was crafted outside of a Nike factory.

In March of 2023, Nike and Tiffany & Co. teamed up to release the sought-after Nike x Tiffany & Co. Air Force 1. Paying homage to the brand's heritage, the Air Force One Low was produced using premium materials, including Tiffany's 925 silver on the back of the coveted sneaker. The Nike Swoosh is also featured in the iconic Tiffany Blue. The tongue reads "Tiffany" in cursive and "NIKE AIR" is embroidered on each heel tab and engraved on sterling silver plates below.

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Buy Nike Air Force 1 sneakers at Sotheby's today. Explore our collection of Air Force One shoes, including Off White Air Force 1 releases and the Louis Vuitton Air Force 1.