Followers

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Mos Def

Mos Def
Mos Def - Ilosaarirock 2012.jpg
Mos Def at the 2012 Ilosaarirock festival
Background information
Birth nameDante Terrell Smith
Also known asYasiin Bey
BornDecember 11, 1973 (age 40)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
OccupationsRapper, actor
Years active1991–present
LabelsRawkus, Priority, Geffen, Downtown, GOOD Music, DD172
Associated actsSoulquarians, Black Star, Native Tongues Posse, Kanye West, Gorillaz, Massive Attack, Pharoahe Monch, Blakroc
Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973), better known by the stage names Mos Def /ˈmoʊs ˈdɛf/ and Yasiin Bey /jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/, is an American actor and hip hop recording artist from Brooklyn,New York City, New York. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album Black Star in 1998. He was a major force in late 1990s underground hip hop while with Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums Black on Both Sides in 1999, The New Danger in 2004, True Magic in 2006, and The Ecstatic in 2009.
Since the early 2000s, Mos Def has become an actor with roles in films Something the Lord Made, Next Day Air, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian Job, and his portrayal of Brother Sam in the American drama series Dexter. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political causes.
en.m.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mos_Def

Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli - Ilosaarirock 2012.jpg
Talib Kweli performing at the 2012Ilosaarirock festival.
Background information
Birth nameTalib Kweli Greene
BornOctober 3, 1975 (age 38)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1995–present
LabelsJavotti Media, EMI, Capitol(current)
Rawkus Records, Geffen,Blacksmith Records/Warner Bros. Records (former)
Associated actsBlack Star, Curren$y, DeStorm Power, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, Madlib,Mary J. Blige, Mos Def,Pharrell, Reflection Eternal,Res, The Roots
WebsiteTalibKweli.com
Talib Kweli Greene (October 3, 1975)is an American rapper who performs under the name Talib Kweli. His first name, Talib (طالب), in Arabic means "student" or "seeker"; his middle name in Swahili means "true". Kweli earned recognition through his work in Black Star, a collaboration with fellow MC Mos Def.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talib_Kweli


Thursday, 27 March 2014

Immortal Technique

Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique performing in 2010.jpg
Immortal Technique performing in March 2010
Background information
Birth nameFelipe Andres Coronel
BornFebruary 19, 1978 (age 36)
Lima, Peru
OriginHarlem, New York, United States
GenresEast Coast hip hop, alternative hip hop, political hip hop, underground hip hop, hardcore hip hop
OccupationsRapper, activist
Years active2000–present
LabelsViper Records
Associated actsAkir, Diabolic, Lowkey, Chino XL, DJ Green Lantern, La Coka Nostra, Jean Grae, Rockin' Squat, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Ras Kass, Krs-One, Pumpkinhead, Reppin MG, Ill Bill, Sabac Red
Websiteviperrecords.com
Felipe Andres Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is a Peruvian born American rapper as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as class struggle, Marxism,poverty, religion, government, imperialism and institutional racism.
Immortal Technique has voiced a desire to retain control over his production, and has stated in his music that record companies, not artists themselves, profit the most from mass production and marketing of music. He claimed in an interview to have sold close to a combined total of 200,000 copies of his three official releases
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortal _ Technique


Lauren Hill

Lauryn Hill 2012.jpg
Hill performing at RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest, in Ottawa, 2012
Background information
Also known as
  • Ms. Hill
  •  
  • L. Boogie
BornMay 26, 1975 (age 38)
East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer-songwriter
  •  
  • rapper
  •  
  • record producer
  •  
  • actress
Instruments
  • Vocals
  •  
  • guitar
Years active1991–present
Labels
Associated acts
Websitelauryn-hill.com
Notable instruments
Voice
Lauryn Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer–songwriter, rapper, producer, and actress. She is best known for being a member of the Fugees and for her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
Raised in South Orange, New Jersey, Hill began singing with her music-oriented family during her childhood. She enjoyed success as an actress at an early age, appearing in a recurring role on the television soap opera As the World Turns and starring in the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. In high school, Hill was approached by Pras Michel to start a band, which his cousin Wyclef Jean soon joined. They renamed themselves the Fugees and released two studio albums, Blunted on Reality (1994) and the Grammy Award-winning The Score (1996), which sold six million copies in the United States. In the latter record, Hill rose to prominence with her African-America and Caribbean music influences, her rapping and singing, and a rendition of the hit "Killing Me Softly". Hill's tumultuous romantic relationship with Jean led to the split of the band in 1997 to focus on solo projects.
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998) remains Hill's only solo studio album. It received massive critical acclaim, showcasing a representation of life and relationships and finding a contemporary feminist voice with the neo soul genre. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has sold approximately eight million copies there. It included the singles "Doo Wop (That Thing)" (also a number one), "Ex-Factor", and "Everything Is Everything". At the 41st Grammy Awards, the record earned her five awards, including Album of the Year and Best New Artist. She won numerous additional awards and became a common sight on the cover of magazines.
Soon afterward, Hill dropped out of the public eye, suffering from the pressures of fame and dissatisfied with the music industry. Her last full-length recording, the new-material live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2001), sharply divided critics and did not sell nearly as well. Hill's subsequent activity has been sporadic; she has occasionally released songs and performed at music festivals. Her appearances in concert have been erratic and sometimes caused audience dissatisfaction; a reunion with her former group did not last long. Although The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill focused primarily on love, Hill's work with the Fugees and recent repertoire has been heavily focused on social injustice.[1] It is also concerned with racism and female empowerment, and she has issued a series of public statements critical of pop culture and societal institutions. Hill has six children, five of whom are with Rohan Marley, son of reggae legend Bob Marley. In 2012, she pled guilty to tax evasion for failure to pay federal income taxes, and in 2013, served a three-month prison sentence
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Hill