Biography

Adele:

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (born 5 May 1988), known under the mononym Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the BRIT Awards Critics’ Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008. At the 2009 Grammy Awards, Adele won the awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Adele attracted the attention of XL Recordings with a three-song demo posted on MySpace and then signed with the label. Since her debut, 19, Adele has received much recognition both commercially and critically. The album debuted at number one, and has been certified four times platinum in the UK. Her career in the US was boosted by a viewer record–breaking Saturday Night Live episode in late 2008. Adele released her second album 21 on 24 January 2011 in the UK, and 22 February in the US. The album was a critical and commercial success, selling 208,000 copies in its first week in the UK and debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart, a position it managed to hold for sixteen weeks. In the UK, 21 has been certified eight times Platinum for shipment of 2.4 million units. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in the US, selling 352,000 copies in its first week. The album has charted at number one in 17 European countries and the US.

After performing at the 2011 BRIT Awards, the album track “Someone Like You” reached number one in the United Kingdom, while the album also remained at number one. “Someone Like You” held the number one position for four consecutive weeks. The Official Charts Company announced that Adele is the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since The Beatles in 1964. 21 has spent eleven consecutive weeks at number one in the UK, the longest ever by a female solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, surpassing Madonna’s nine weeks at number one in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection. In the US the album has spent a total of nine weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 to date. The album has also broken the record for the most UK digital downloads. As of May 2011 the singer was worth £6 million tying her with Lily Allen and Duffy for 9th place on the list of the richest British and Irish music stars under age 30.

Enrique Iglesias:

Enrique Iglesias (born Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler on May 8, 1975, in Madrid, Spain) is a Miami-based singing sensation and multi-million-album seller. He is the son of famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias and Spanish-mestiza Filipina socialite and Hola! magazine journalist Isabel Preysler. He also is the brother of Chabeli Iglesias and Julio José Iglesias, and half-brother of Tamara Falcó and Ana Boyer (from his mother’s side) and Miguel Alejandro, Rodrigo, Cristina, Victoria and Guillermo Iglesias (from his father’s side).

After the widely publicized kidnapping of his grandfather in Spain, Iglesias moved to Miami, Florida in 1983, at age 8. While in Miami, Iglesias enjoyed the luxury of being the son of a billionaire, but he developed a taste for simpler things, a fact that would later surface in his concerts, where he appeared in plain clothes, including white cotton shirts.

Iglesias first performed while in high school, in the musical Hello Dolly. While attending the University of Miami, he was auditioned by his future manager, who was impressed. Using the pseudonym Enrique Martínez, the two promoted his demos across various record labels. Months later, Iglesias was signed by Fonovisa and went to Toronto to record his first album in total anonymity.

Iglesias has been linked to rumors of romantic relationships with a number of women: former Miss Universe Alicia Machado; the model/actor and Miami resident Sofia Vergara; the pop singer Christina Aguilera; and the actress Jennifer Love Hewitt. More recently, he has reputedly been dating the Russian tennis player, Anna Kournikova for a number of years.

On July 12, 1995, Iglesias released his first album titled Enrique Iglesias, a collection of light rock ballads, including such mega-hits as “Si Tú Te Vas”, “Experiencia Religiosa”, and others. The record sold half a million copies in its first week, a rare accomplishment then for an album recorded in a language other than English.

Chris Brown:

Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) from Tappahannock, Virginia.

In late 2005, he released his first studio album, Chris Brown, which spawned the Billboard Hot 100 number-one debut single, “Run It!” which was produced by Scott Storch and featured Juelz Santana. The album also produced two other top ten singles: “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Say Goodbye.” Brown’s second studio album, Exclusive was released worldwide in November 2007. It has spawned his second US number one hit, “Kiss Kiss” which was produced by T-Pain, who was also featured in the song . The third single, “With You”, has reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has entered into the top ten in several countries across the world, becoming one of his most successful worldwide releases to date.

The second single, “Kiss Kiss”, was nominated for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in the category for Best rap/Sung Collaboration.

Brown, one of two children, was born and raised in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, the son of Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown. Brown was influenced by the artists his parents played on the home radio, such as Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke. A dancer since the age of two, Brown was not aware of his vocal talents until the age of eleven. Before becoming a vocalist, he was interested in becoming a rapper.

At thirteen, Brown was discovered by a local production team who visited his father’s gas station searching for new talent. Since then, he began his recording career and moved to New York, staying there for two years. Brown’s local production team organized an audition before Def Jam Vice President Tina Davis, who currently works as his manager. At the age of 15, Brown was then sent to perform for L.A. Reid and was subsequently signed in 2004 to Jive Records. By early 2005, Brown began work for his debut album, working with the likes of Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Dre, Vidal, Bryan Michael Cox, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.

Brown left school in late 2004 to begin working on his self-titled debut album which was released on November 29, 2005. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling over 155,000 copies in first week of sales. Five weeks later, became certified platinum, and within a year, went double platinum. His debut single “Run It!,” was #1 in the United States, New Zealand, and Australia. Following “Run It!,” “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” became Brown’s second top 10 hit in the US, peaking at #7, and #13 in the UK. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

His third single “Gimme That” was released in March 2006 which featured Lil Wayne for a remix, originally not featured on the Chris Brown album, but was later included. The single debuted on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at #80 and climbed the charts quickly peaking at #15. Chris also co-directed his music videos for “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Gimme That.” His fourth single is the ballad “Say Goodbye,” which is also a part of the Step Up Soundtrack. On June 13, 2006, Brown released a DVD entitled, Chris Brown’s Journey, which shows footage of him travelling in England and Japan, getting ready for his first visit to the Grammys, behind the scenes of his music videos and bloopers.

On August 17, 2006 to further promote the album, Brown kicked off his major co-headlining tour, The Up Close and Personal Tour. Due to the tour, production for his next album was pushed back two months a second summer tour is in the works once the album is completed the tour may include artists: Pretty Ricky, Bow Wow, Lil Wayne, Juelz Santana, Ne-Yo, Ciara, and Cherish.’. Chris also has been the opening act for R&B singer Beyonce Knowles on the Australian leg of her The Beyonce Experience tour.

Chris Brown has also started to act in movies and has appeared in Stomp The Yard and This Christmas as well as several episodes of The O.C.

Linkin Park:

Linkin Park is an American band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, “Hybrid Theory“, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries. Its following studio album, “Meteora“, continued the band’s success, topping the Billboard 200 album chart in 2003, and was followed by extensive touring and charity work around the world. In 2003, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best of the new millennium behind Oasis and Coldplay.

Having adapted the nu metal and rap metal genres to a radio-friendly yet densely layered style in Hybrid Theory and Meteora, the band explored other genres in their next studio album, “Minutes to Midnight“, which was released in 2007. The album topped the Billboard charts and had the third best debut week of any album that year. The band has collaborated with several other artists, most notably with rapper Jay-Z in their mashup EP Collision Course, and many others included on Reanimation. The band’s most recent studio album, “A Thousand Suns“, was released on September 8, 2010. Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has won two Grammy Awards.

Current members:
Chester Bennington – vocals (since 1999)
Rob Bourdon – drums, percussion (since 1996)
Brad Delson – lead guitar (since 1996)
Dave Farrell – bass (1996–1998, 1999, since 2001)
Joe “Mr. Hahn” Hahn – turntables, programming, samples (since 1996)
Mike Shinoda – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard (since 1996).

Former members:
Mark Wakefield – vocals (1996–1998)
Kyle Christener – bass (1999)
Scott Koziol – bass (2000–2001).

Studio albums:
1. Hybrid Theory (2000)
2. Meteora (2003)
3. Minutes to Midnight (2007)
4. A Thousand Suns (2010).

Bruno Mars:

Peter Hernandez (born October 8, 1985 in Waikiki, Hawaii), better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is a Filipino-Puerto Rican American singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist signed to Atlantic Records. He is most well known for his hit “Just The Way You Are“, which went #1 in 9 countries in 2010. He is also known for singing/co-writing the hooks for the #1 hit “Nothin’ On You” by B.o.B, and Billionaire by Travie McCoy; he also co-wrote the international hits “Right Round” by Flo Rida and Wavin’ Flag by K’naan.

After the success of the songs he featured on, Mars released his debut EP, It’s “Better If You Don’t Understand“, in May 2010.

He then released his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, on October 5th, which features special guest appearances from B.o.B, Cee-Lo Green, and Damian Marley. The lead single, Just the Way You Are, was released on July 19, 2010. The second single off the album, Grenade, was released on September 2010 as a promotional single but was eventually shifted to official second single.

Bruno Mars was born and raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii by parents Pete and Bernadette “Bernie” Hernandez, of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. Hernandez was one of six children and came from a musical family giving him a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B. From a young age, he was impersonating and performing songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations. In 1990, Hernandez was featured in MidWeek as “Little Elvis”, going on to have a cameo in Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992. “I watch the best. I’m a big fan of Elvis. I’m a big fan of 1950s Elvis when he would go on stage and scare people because he was a force and girls would go nuts! You can say the same thing for Prince or The Police. It’s just guys who know that people are here to see a show, so I watch those guys and I love studying them because I’m a fan,” he stated.

In 2010 he said, “Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father’s band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments. My uncle’s an incredible guitar player, my dad’s an incredible percussionist, my brother’s a great drummer, he actually plays in our band. I’ve just been surrounded by it.” He attended President Theodore Roosevelt High School, graduating in 2003 at the age of seventeen, and shortly after moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a musical career.

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Hernandez was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, and Sean Kingston, as well as Flo Rida’s international hit “Right Round”. He also co-wrote the Sugababes’ hit song “Get Sexy” and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement’s second studio album Animal, featured on the track “3D”. He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire”; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide. He said of them, “I think those songs weren’t meant to be full-sung songs. If I’d sung all of “Nothin’ on You”, it might’ve sounded like some ’90s R&B.” Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, on May 11, 2010. The EP peaked at the ninety-ninth position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single: “The Other Side”, featuring rappers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B. He performed a medley of “Nothin’ on You” and “Airplanes” with B.o.B and Hayley Williams at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010.

He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour which began on October 6, 2010. Mars also co-headlined with Travie McCoy on a European tour that started on October 18, 2010.

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas for possession of cocaine. He claims “he has never used drugs before” and his decision was “foolish”.

He has been nominated for seven 2011 Grammy Awards.

Tim Allen:

Actor, comedian. Tim Allen Dick Born on June 13, 1953, in Denver, Colorado. Allen is the son of Gerald and Martha Dick, and one of six children. Allen discovered his penchant for comedy early on — as his last name became fodder for childhood jeers, he often used his wit to deflect insults. In his formative years, Allen had an especially strong connection with his father, who instilled a love of all things automotive in his son. “I loved my father more than anything,” Allen remembers. “He was a tall, strong, funny, really engaging guy. I so enjoyed his company, his smell, sensibility, discipline, sense of humor and all the fun stuff we did together. I couldn’t wait for him to come home.”

In 1964, on his way home from a football game, Gerald was killed by drunk driver. Allen was 11 years old. In the wake of the tragedy, Allen’s mother moved the family to Detroit, Michigan. Several years later, she married her high school sweetheart, a successful businessman with strong Episcopalian values. The pair raised Allen and his siblings.

Teenaged Allen was an indifferent student with a passion for shop class. After receiving his high school diploma, he attended Central Michigan University. He later transferred to Western Michigan University to earn a bachelor’s degree in television and radio production. It was there that he met long-term girlfriend, Laura Deibel, and began making money on the side as a narcotics dealer.

Following his college graduation in 1976, Allen took a position at a sporting goods store, where he was quickly offered a job at the company’s in-house advertising agency. Despite his accomplishments in the ad business, and his happy marriage to Deibel in 1978, Allen continued to deal drugs. His criminal activity caught up with him in October 2, 1978, when Allen and an accomplice were arrested at the Kalamazoo, Michigan, airport for possession of nearly a pound-and-a-half of cocaine. He was released on bail, and a trial was scheduled for November of that year.

In the time before his sentencing, Allen tried his hand at stand-up comedy. He made his successful debut at Detroit’s Comedy Castle and a month later, on November 26, 1979, Allen made his court appearance. The comic received a reduced sentence after agreeing to testify against his partner, and was given eight years in federal prison. He ultimately served only 28 months at Sandstone Federal Correctional Institution. The time in prison seemed to whet his sense of humor, and Allen became known for his ability to wrench laughs from the toughest guards and prisoners alike.

After his parole in 1981, Allen returned to Detroit. Working at an ad agency by day, he became a regular at the Comedy Castle in the evenings. It was there that he started honing his hyper-masculine persona. He also discovered his trademark call: three ape-like, staccato grunts. As his stand-up career gained momentum, he successfully ventured into the world of commercial acting, including appearances in several ads for Mr. Goodwrench. In the midst of this burgeoning acting career, Allen became a father; his daughter, Katherine, was born in 1989.

50 Cent:

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975 in South Jamaica, Queens, New York), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is a Grammy award nominated rapper, actor, singer, entrepreneur, author and founder of the hip hop group and label G-Unit. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he released his debut album “Guess Who’s Back?” in 2002. He was discovered by Eminem and Dr. Dre and then signed to Interscope Records. He has since released 2003’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 2005’s The Massacre, 2007’s Curtis and 2009’s Before I Self Destruct.

50 Cent has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Jay-Z, Ja Rule, The Game, Cam’ron, Fat Joe, and Rick Ross. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” in 2005, the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006, and Righteous Kill in 2008. 50 Cent is one of the richest hip-hop performers, having a net worth estimated at US $440 million in 2008.

Before 50 Cent ever inked a major deal, he built up a substantial fan base in New York through underground mixtapes. 50 Cent met up with Jam Master Jay of Run-DMC and was signed to his label to write all of Jay’s music. After he’d left JMJ, he signed to Columbia Records in 1996. On this label, he released Power of the Dollar, and the singles How to Rob and Ghetto Qu’ran. Columbia Records released him from the label after being shot on May 24th, 2000.

Around this time, Eminem had heard one of 50 Cent’s demo tapes and expressed a huge interest in him on MTV, as did Dr Dre. Shortly after this, 50 Cent officially signed to Interscope Records. He was the first rapper to sign to the joint label owned by Dr Dre and Eminem. The first song he released on this record was entitled “Wanksta” and was featured on the 8 Mile soundtrack.

In its first week of release, his debut ”Get Rich Or Die Tryin’” sold 872,000 units – easily reaching Gold status. Within the second week it went Platinum (1 mil) and on April 12th, 2004 the RIAA certified it six times Platinum.

In 2005 he followed the success of his album Get Rich or Die Tryin’ with a new release – The Massacre (originally called St. Valentines Day Massacre until the release date was pushed back). The first single released off this, Disco Inferno, was a huge hit – he followed this hit up by the release of Candy Shop and then again with Just a Lil Bit.

In 2003 Interscope allowed 50 Cent to have his own label – G-Unit records. He first signed Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and Young Buck as the established members of G-Unit. In 2004, Dr. Dre and 50 Cent had signed The Game under a joint venture.

Mac Miller:
Mac Miller is a rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who is also known for his work in The Ill Spoken group.

In 2009, he released his mixtape “The High Life” as well as his own preview album, “The Jukebox“, which is the predecessor to his upcoming Class Clown album.

On August 13th 2010, he released his mixtape, “KIDS” (Kickin’ Incredibly Dope Shit) and is available for download on DatPiff.com and can be obtained physically from his MySpace page. In anticipation of this release, he released a series of videos of a few songs from the mixtape on the official TreeJTV YouTube page. After the mixtape drop, each of these videos have gained at least one million views each.

On March 11th, 2011, he released his mixtape “Best Day Ever” (BDE) which is available for download at Datpiff.com

Kanye West:

Kanye Omari West (born June 8, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia) is a Grammy award winning rapper, producer, author, designer and singer.

He began making beats and rapping in the early 90s in Chicago, IL, United States when he formed the rap group GO GETTERS with Chicago natives GLC and Really Doe. He later gained nationwide popularity in New York when he began producing tracks for artists such as Jay-Z, Twista, Mase, Talib Kweli and Alicia Keys.

In 2004 (after being pushed aside by many record companies who felt he wasn’t a marketable hip hop artist), he managed to release his debut solo album, The College Dropout on Roc-a-Fella Records. The album received critical acclaim, defining the style for which West would become known: “wordplay” and heavy sampling of 70s soul and rnb tracks. He is also known for his politically-charged rhymes and controversial behavior both inside and outside the realms of music.

He has since released three more albums, all of which (his fourth to a lesser extent) have received numerous awards, high commercial success and critical acclaim. Late Registration (2005); Graduation (2007); and his current album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008).

Personal life:
West was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old (as mentioned in Hey Mama) his parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Chicago, Illinois. His father, Ray West, was a former Black Panther; one of the first black photojournalists at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and is now a Christian counselor. Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, worked as a Professor of English at Clark Atlanta University, and the Chair of the English Department at Chicago State University before retiring to serve as Kanye’s manager. He was later raised in an upper middle class background, attending Polaris High School in suburban Oak Lawn, Illinois after living in Chicago.

After attending The American Academy of Art, a Chicago art school, West attended Chicago State University but eventually dropped out due to poor grades and in order to continue working on his music career. While attending school, West produced for local artists, including on rapper Grav’s debut album ‘Down to Earth’. He later gained fame by producing hit singles for major hip hop/R&B artists, including Jay-Z, Talib Kweli, Cam’ron, Paul Wall, Common, Mobb Deep, Jermaine Dupri, Scarface, The Game, Alicia Keys, Janet Jackson and John Legend among others. He also “ghost-produced” for his once mentor Deric Angelettie according to his song “Last Call” and the credits of Nas’ “Poppa Was a Playa.”

West’s style of production often utilizes pitched-up vocal samples, usually from soul songs, with his own drums and instruments. The first major label song he produced was “The Truth” by Beanie Sigel, and his first major release featuring his trademark vocal sampling style was “This Can’t Be Life,” a track from Jay-Z’s The Dynasty: Roc La Familia. West said he sped up the drum beat of Dr. Dre’s “Xxplosive” to use as a replacement for his drums on “This Can’t Be Life.”

West has said that Wu-Tang Clan producer RZA influenced him in his style, and has said on numerous occasions that Wu-Tang rappers Ghostface Killah and Ol’ Dirty Bastard were some of his all-time favorites. Said by Kanye West: “Wu-Tang? Me and my friends talk about this all the time… We think Wu-Tang had one of the biggest impacts as far as a movement. From slang to style of dress, skits, the samples. Similar to the [production] style I use, RZA has been doing that.”

Kanye West recently won 4 Grammy Awards for his album Graduation. He performed his hit song “Stronger” at the 2008 Grammys and a new lyrical version of “Hey Mama” as a tribute to his mother’s death in 2007.

Ke$ha:

Kesha Rose Sebert (born March 1, 1987 in Los Angeles, United States), better known mononymously as Kesha (stylized as Ke$ha or K$), is an American recording artist. An active singer since before 2005, her breakthrough came in early 2009 after appearing on Flo Rida’s number one single Right Round. Ke$ha later supported Calvin Harris on tour in the UK and toured with Mickey Avalon in the US. She also performed at Madison Square Garden on December 11, 2009 for the Z100 Jingle Ball. She was announced as one of the acts for the 2010 revival of Lilith Fair and presented at the 52nd Grammy Awards.

Her debut album, entitled Animal, was released on January 5, 2010 in the US to mixed reviews from music critics. The album sold 152,000 copies in its first week in the US, debuting at number one. Animal was seven years in the making and resulted in Ke$ha’s accumulating over two hundred songs by the time of its release, with fourteen making the final cut. A number one placing in New Zealand for the first single TiK ToK (first released on August 7, 2009) gave Ke$ha her first solo number one; this was followed by number one positions in Canada, Australia, Norway and the United States, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100 as the first number one of the 2010 decade. During its second week at number one on the chart, TiK ToK set the female download record and became the second best-selling single in a week, after Right Round, for shifting over 610,000 copies. During its fifth week at the top of the chart, it broke the record for the highest weekly plays on the radio airplay chart. Her second single, Blah Blah Blah (feat. 3OH!3), was first released on February 19, 2010 and has since charted within the top 10 in four different countries.

On March 5, 2010, it was announced that Ke$ha will be performing at Lilith Fair 2010, which is back by popular demand. ABC is the official sponsor of this year’s Lilith Fair.

Selena Gomez:

Selena Marie Gomez (born July 22, 1992) is an American actress and singer best known for her portrayal of Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series, Wizards of Waverly Place. She has starred in the television movies, Another Cinderella Story and Princess Protection Program.

Before Disney, she had one of the kid roles on Barney & Friends. In 2008, she signed a record deal with Hollywood Records and contributed to the Tinker Bell, Another Cinderella Story and Wizards of Waverly Place soundtracks. Her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene, released their debut studio album Kiss & Tell on September 29, 2009.

Gomez, an only child, was born in Grand Prairie, Texas to Ricardo Gomez and Mandy Teefy (née Cornett), a former stage actress who was 16 when she gave birth to Gomez. Her birth parents separated when she was five years old; her mother remarried in 2006 to Brian Teefy. Gomez was named after singer Selena. Her father is Mexican and her mother is of Italian descent. Also becoming a boyfreind with Justin Bieber, Teen Superstar in the winter of 2010-2011.

Gomez began her acting career at age seven, playing Gianna on Barney & Friends. She said that she learned “everything” about how to act while on the show. Season 7 of Barney & Friends, when Selena Gomez was on the show, was held up for some time. Because of this, the episodes featuring Gomez did not air until she was in 5th grade. This resulted in some mild controversy/confusion as to whether she was on Barney in the 5th grade or the 1st grade. She later had minor roles in Game Over and the TV film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial By Fire.

In 2004, Gomez was discovered by the Disney Channel in a nation wide scouting. She appeared as a guest star on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Hannah Montana before being cast in Wizards of Waverly Place as one of the main characters, Alex Russo. She also appears in the 2009 Disney Channel movie based on the show. The movie drew 11.4 million viewers for its premiere, which is currently Disney Channel’s second highest rated movie.

In 2008, Gomez appeared in Another Cinderella Story, the direct-to-DVD sequel to the 2004 Hilary Duff film, opposite Drew Seeley. In its January 2009 television debut on ABC Family, it drew 5.3 million viewers and was ranked as the month’s number one cable movie across all key demographics. She also had a minor voiceover role as one the Mayor’s ninety-six daughters in Horton Hears a Who! which released in March of that year. In April, Forbes listed Gomez as one of its “Eight Hot Kid Stars To Watch.” On October 30, 2008, she launched a production company, July Moon Productions, and teamed with XYZ Films to create star vehicles for her.

In 2009, she appeared in the Disney Channel movie, Princess Protection Program with Demi Lovato. The film drew 8.5 million viewers for its premiere, the fourth-highest for a Disney Channel Original Movie.

In 2008, Gomez recorded a cover of “Cruella De Vil” for Disneymania 6, three songs for the Another Cinderella Story soundtrack, and “Fly to Your Heart” for the animated film Tinker Bell. In July 2008, she signed a record deal with Hollywood Records. She also had a cameo in the Jonas Brothers music video for “Burnin’ Up”. During an interview with MTV in August 2008, she said of her future music career:

“I’m going to be in a band — no Selena Gomez stuff. I’m not going to be a solo artist. I think that I don’t want my name attached to it. I will be singing, and I’m learning drums and playing electric guitar.”

In 2009, Gomez recorded “One And The Same” for Princess Protection Program as a duet with her co-star Demi Lovato, four songs for the [album artist=Various Artists]Wizards of Waverly Place[/abum] soundtrack, and “Whoa Oh!” with Forever the Sickest Kids. Gomez with her band, Selena Gomez & the Scene released their debut studio album, Kiss & Tell on September 29, 2009. The album’s first single, “Falling Down” was released on August 21, 2009.

Gomez was involved in the UR Votes Count campaign which helped encourage teenagers learn more about their 2008 Presidential candidates (Barack Obama and John McCain). In October 2008, Gomez was named a spokesperson for UNICEF’s 2008 Trick-or-Treat campaign, which encouraged children to raise money on Halloween to help children around the world. She said that she was “extremely excited” to “encourage other kids to make a difference in the world.” In October 2008, Gomez participated in St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital “Runway For Life” benefit. Gomez is a spokesperson for Borden Milk; she is featured in the campaign’s print and television ads. She is the ambassador of DoSomething.org after being involved with the charity Island Dog, which help dogs in Puerto Rico. She got involved while filming Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie in Puerto Rico. Gomez is a spokesperson for State Farm Insurance, and is featured in their TV commercials; which air on the Disney Channel, to raise awareness of being a safe driver.

Gomez is also involved with the charity RAISE Hope For Congo, the charity helps raise awareness about the violence against Congolese women, in the Congo. Gomez is involved in Disney’s Friends For Change, an organization which promotes “environmently-friendly behavior”, and appears in its public service announcements to raise awareness for the cause on the Disney Channel. Gomez, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus, and the Jonas Brothers recorded “Send It On”, a charity single which serves as the theme song for Disney’s Friends for Change. The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number twenty. Disney’s Friends For Change will direct all of its proceeds from “Send It On” to environmental charities to the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund.

Pitbull:
Armando Christian Pérez (born January 15, 1981 in Miami, Florida), better known by the stage name Pitbull , is a Cuban-American rapper signed to his own label, Mr 305 Inc. His first recorded performance was on Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004. He has since released 2006’s El Mariel, 2007’s The Boatlift and 2009’s Rebelution, which debuted at #8 on the Billboard 200.

Pitbull’s breakout hit was the Lil Jon collabo “Culo” produced by Lil Jon & The Diaz Brothers. In addition, Pitbull has also released several mixtapes, the most recent being Unleashed Volume 6, which are mostly composed of freestyles and remixes of popular rap music. Both thematically and musically, the 25-year-old is seen as a modern-day equivalent of earlier Miami rappers such as the 2 Live Crew and Afro-Rican. It was in fact former 2 Live Crew leader Luther Campbell who gave the up and coming rapper his first chance to shine. Apart from Crunk, his album shows clear influences from both Miami bass and freestyle. In addition to his musical work, Pitbull has also been featured in The Source expressing his stance on Dictator Fidel Castro and he was also part of their Unsigned Hype Section. He contributed to an essay published in the New York Post that criticized Che Guevara’s iconization in clothing and other areas. In video games, Pitbull’s hit single “Dammit Man” produced by Jim Jonsin is featured in Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, and he also plays himself in the upcoming video game based on the 1980’s Scarface. His super hit “Toma” is featured in WWE Day of Reckoning 2. Also, an album cut, “Back Up” produced by The Diaz Brothers, is featured on the EA game Fight Night: Round 2. In late 2005 he re-released “M.I.A.M.I.” as a separate charting entry, whilst his “Welcome to the 305” mixtape was released. In January 2006 he guest-starred in UPN’s South Beach. Also in 2006 he recorded “Nuestro Himno” in collaboration with Wyclef Jean, Carlos Ponce, and Olga Tañón.

The first single from El Mariel has been released, entitled “Bojangles”. The album, slated for an October 31st release, will feature guest artists Lil Jon, Ken-Y of Rakim y Ken-Y, Rick Ross, Bun B and the Ying Yang Twins. El Mariel will lead up to Pitbull’s 2007 release of an all-Spanish album entitled “Armando”, which will have an Afro-Cuban feel[1]

The cover of Pitbull’s 2005 album Money Is Still A Major Issue.Pitbull has a global music publishing deal with BMG Music Publishing.

On the evening of July 31st, 2006, when Cuban Dictator Fidel Castro announced that he was transferring his duties to his brother Raúl Castro, Pitbull jumped into the studio at 11:00PM to write the Ya Se Acabo (which means ‘it is over’) single. Stating the verse ‘hasta luego’ (which means ‘see you later’) during the duration of the song. The song is currently being played widely on Miami radio stations, most noteably Power 96.

Pitbull has contributed much to the Reggaeton music movement. He has worked alongside Zion Y Lennox in the song “Jump & Spread Out” featuring Miri Ben-Ari. He also participated in Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” remix featuring N.O.R.E… He was also featured in Yaga & Mackie Rank’s “Muevete” hot Reggaeton single, and Elephant Man’s “Rah Rah Medley” Remix. He appeared in Don Omar’s pobre diabla remix and otra noche remix.

Pitbull is also known to appear in various remixes like an alternative remix to Salt Shaker by the Ying Yang Twins, Here We Go by Dirtbag & Timbaland, Promiscuous by Nelly Furtado & Timbaland , and Lovers and Friends by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher & Ludacris by adding his own verses to the songs. In October 2006, Pitbull hosted a mixtape which featured him in remixes, side by side today’s hottest rappers. The Mixtape was created by Blend DJ, DJ ACV. The two worked together in 2005, aswell. The mixtape has since been avaliable for download on the dj’s website djknowskillz.com

Red Hot Chili Peppers:

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a funk rock band based in Hollywood, California and was formed in 1983, in Los Angeles, California. The band currently consists of founding members Anthony Kiedis (vocals) and Michael “Flea” Balzary (bass) along with longtime member Chad Smith (drums). Guitarist John Frusciante quietly left the band on good terms in early 2008. On January 2nd 2010 Josh Klinghoffer was announced as Frusciante’s replacement.

The band initially formed for a one-off support act for a friend’s band, calling themselves Tony Flow And The Miraculously Majestic Masters Of Mayhem. Upon renaming themselves Red Hot Chili Peppers, they played a handful of small club venues in Los Angeles in 1983, before they were signed to EMI Records.

Current members:

Vocal: Anthony Kiedis (1983-present).
Guitar: Josh Klinghoffer (2009-present).
Bass: Michael Peter “Flea” Balzary (1983-present).
Drums: Chad Smith, (1988-present).

Previous members:

Notable guitarists (in chronological order):
Hillel Slovak (1983-1984),
Jack Sherman (1984),
Hillel Slovak (1985-1988),
John Frusciante (1988-1992),
Arik Marshall (1992-1993),
Jesse Tobias (1993)
Dave Navarro (1993-1998),
John Frusciante (1998-2009)

Notable drummers (in chronological order):
Jack Irons (1983-1984),
Cliff Martinez (1984-1987),
Jack Irons (1987-1988),
D.H. Peligro (1988),
Chad Smith, (1988-present)

The Chili Peppers’ original guitarist, Slovak, was replaced in 1984 by Jack Sherman, while Slovak and Irons recorded music with their band at the time, “What Is This?” Upon Slovak’s return, Sherman was fired from the band.

Following Slovak’s death of a heroin overdose, a young John Frusciante took over as guitarist in 1988. Frusciante, however, quit the band in 1992 due in part to his sadness at the band becoming so successful in such a short time; complex personal issues, involving an addiction to heroin, were also a factor. He was then replaced by Arik Marshall. Approximately a year later, Marshall left the band, to be replaced by former Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro.

After the release of 1995’s One Hot Minute, Navarro’s escalating drug habits became a subject of conflict. In 1998, Navarro was fired from the band, to be taken over by none other than former guitarist, Frusciante, who has remained in the band ever since.

Founder and guitarist Hillel Slovak did not actually appear on the self-titled debut album, despite performing and writing the content with the band prior to recording. He was replaced by Jack Sherman for the recording of the album, but returned to the band for second album, Freaky Styley. The third album, Uplift Mofo Party Plan, is in fact the only album to include all four founding members. After this, Slovak overdosed on heroin and was replaced on future albums (Mother’s Milk, Blood Sugar Sex Magik – on which Frusciante provides guitars, One Hot Minute – Navarro, Californication and By the Way – Frusciante) Frusciante is also on their latest release Stadium Arcadium.

Bassist flea claims to have nearly quit following the tour for 2002 album By the Way due to feeling sidelined following Frusciante’s development as a guitarist. Flea has been quoted as saying that the issue has now been resolved. Flea is also the only member to have been in the band perpetually as Anthony was kicked out for a short time in 1984 due to his drug problems.

Frusciante has also been making solo albums for a number of years. His new album with the band Ataxia came out May 2007, and is titled Automatic Writing II.

In 2003 Flea played bass on The Mars Volta’s album Deloused In The Comatorium. Frusciante added guitar to tracks on Deloused and 2005’s Frances The Mute. He also played rhythm guitar on The Mars Volta’s Amputechture. Omar A. Rodriguez-Lopez, guitarist for The Mars Volta, appeared on Stadium Arcadium, playing the solo on “Especially In Michigan”.

A new era in the band’s history took place due Frusciante’s departure in 2009. He was replaced by Josh Klinghoffer, who had already played shows as a second guitarist with the band during their 2007 tour dates. As of late 2009 the band is working on a new record.

Through the years, Kiedis’ lyrics have dealt with a variety of topics, which have shifted as time has progressed. Themes within his expansive repertoire include love and friendship, teenage angst and good-time aggression, various sexual topics and the link between sex and music, political and social commentary (Native American issues in particular), romance, drugs, loneliness, globalization and the cons of fame and Hollywood, poverty, alcohol, and dealing with death…

Cee Lo Green:

Thomas DeCarlo Callaway (born May 30, 1974), better known by his stage name Cee Lo Green, is an American hip hop, funk, soul, and R&B musician. He is a singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer, best known as a member of Goodie Mob and more recently Gnarls Barkley, and has also recorded two critically acclaimed solo LPs. He’s also known for his strong Southern accent and smooth harmonizing vocals. Among Cee Lo’s solo hits are the singles “closet freak” (2002), “I’ll Be Around” (2003), produced by and featuring Timbaland and “Fuck You” (2010). He also performed backing vocals on multi-platinum selling R&B trio TLC’s 1995 #1 single “Waterfalls”.

Cee Lo was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta.

Both of Cee-Lo’s parents were ordained ministers and he started his music career in his church. His father died when he was 2 years old. His mother Sheila J. Tyler-Calloway was involved in a car crash leaving her quadriplegic and died 2 years later in 1992 when Cee Lo was 18 years old and his career with Goodie Mob had just begun taking off. His mother’s death led him into depression, as is reflected in various songs throughout his career, including “Free” by Goodie Mob, songs on St. Elsewhere, and on The Odd Couple (“She Knows”, “A Little Better”). Cee Lo also expresses his love for his mother in the song “Guess Who” from Goodie Mob’s Soul Food album.

He has two daughters, Sierra and Kalah, the daughters of his former wife Christina Johnson, and a son, Kingston. Sierra was on an episode of MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 in season 1. She was also featured on the follow-up MTV television series, Exiled. Kingston is featured on the intro of Cee Lo Green…is the Soul Machine.

Rihanna:

Robyn Rihanna Fenty (born February 20, 1988), known by her stage name, Rihanna, is a Bajan singer. Her song “Umbrella” was one of the highest-selling songs of 2007 and her 3rd album “Good Girl Gone Bad” was critically acclaimed, helping propel her to superstar status. She has attained nine Billboard Hot 100 number ones thus far and is the second Bajan artist to win a Grammy Award. She is also a cultural ambassador for Barbados.

Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados to Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor, and Monica Fenty, an accountant. Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese and her father is Bajan and Irish. She is the oldest of three siblings; two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty. She began singing at around the age of seven. Her childhood was deeply affected by her father’s addiction to crack cocaine and parent’s rocky marriage, which ended when she was fourteen years old. Rihanna attended Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates at the age of fifteen. In 2004 she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant. She was an army cadet in a sub-military programme that trained with the military of Barbados and Shontelle was her drill sergeant.

At the age of 15, she formed a girl group with two of her classmates. In 2003, friends introduced Rihanna and her two bandmates to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that “the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn’t exist.” While auditioning for Rogers, Rihanna sang Destiny’s Child’s cover of “Emotion”. Over the next year, Rihanna and her mom shuttled back and forth to Rogers home in Stamford, Connecticut. Then, shortly after turning 16, she relocated in the United States and moved in with Rogers and his wife. Carl Sturken helped Rihanna record a four-song demo, which included the ballad “Last Time,” a cover of Whitney Houston’s hit “For the Love of You” and what would become her first hit, “Pon de Replay” to send to various recording companies. It took a year to record the demos, because she was going to school and would only record during summer and Christmas school breaks. Rihanna’s demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label’s then-president, Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.

Rihanna broke into the recording industry in 2005 with the release of her debut album Music Of The Sun, which features the number 2 hit single “Pon de Replay”. Less than a year later, Rihanna released A Girl Like Me and earned her first number-one single, “SOS”, which sampled the popular 80s track “Tainted Love”. “Unfaithful” was also released and was fairly successful.

Rihanna released her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, in June 2007. Prior to the release of the album, she spent the week of the Grammys writing songs for the album with Ne-Yo. She adopted a more sexual image while recording the album, eventually dying her hair black and cutting it short. Rihanna worked with Timbaland and Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, as well as previous musical collaborators such as Stargate, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers to re-imagine her album compositions with uptempo dance tracks. Rihanna commented, “I want to keep people dancing but still be soulful at the same time. You feel different every album, and [at] this stage I feel like I want to do a lot of uptempo [songs].”

The album topped the charts in countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Brazil, Russia and Ireland, and peaked at number two in the United States and Australia. Unlike previous work, the album featured a more dance-pop sound instead of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles. The album received positive reviews by critics, becoming her most critically acclaimed album at that time compared to her previous efforts.

It yielded eight hit singles – “Umbrella” “Shut Up and Drive”, “Don’t Stop The Music” “Hate That I Love You” “Rehab” “Disturbia” “Take A Bow” “If I Never See Your Face Again” – all singles reaching the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100 — including the worldwide number-one hit “Umbrella,” featuring Jay-Z.

In addition to reaching number one in various countries, “Umbrella” was the number one single in the United Kingdom for ten consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running number-one single since Wet Wet Wet’s single “Love Is All Around” spent fifteen weeks at the top in 1994. The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007 published by Rolling Stone magazine. In 2008, “Umbrella” earned Rihanna and Jay-Z a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration in addition to receiving nominations for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. It managed to stay at number one in the United Kingdom for 10 weeks, the longest time spent by a female and in the 21st century, on this chart.

“Umbrella” has also been recognised in various forms of accolades by the music press. The song is listed number three on the 100 Best Songs of 2007, published by the music magazine Rolling Stone. Time magazine also listed the song number three on their Top 10 Songs of 2007. The song is listed number one on Entertainment Weekly magazine’s list of the 10 Best Singles of 2007, while topping the magazine’s poll for the best single of 2007. Blender magazine awarded the song Song of the Year in their Readers’ Poll 2007. The music press has considered “Umbrella” as 2007’s Song of the Summer, while The New York Times writer Kelefa Sanneh regarded it as “arguably 2007’s signature slow jam”.

Rihanna is finishing up recording of her upcoming fourth album, which is slated for a late-Fall release. Play.com has confirmed that the album will be released on November 23, 2009 whereas Amazon.co.uk has said that the album will be released November 16, 2009. She will be in the studio with Tricky, The Dream, Stargate, Ne-Yo and SRP in the coming weeks.

In August 2009, Rihanna collaborated with Jay-Z and Kanye West on “Run This Town.” The song has so far peaked at number three on Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the top ten in five other countries. Rihanna has also been working on her fourth studio album. She appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia for the September 2009 Issue. The shoot was influenced by Rihanna’s hair, which she had cut for the shoot into a mohawk-like style. The style of the shoot was Extreme Couture and very dark, and in one shot she appeared semi-nude. Rihanna performed “Run This Town” along with Jay-Z and West for the “Answer the Call” concert at Madison Square Garden in September 2009, making it her first musical performance since the altercation with Brown. The trio also performed “Run This Town,” on the premiere of The Jay Leno Show on September 14, 2009.

Rated R (2009) was released in the wake of a physical altercation with romantic interest Chris Brown, who pled guilty to felony assault. The album’s lead single, “Russian Roulette” — written with Ne-Yo — was one of the year’s most controversial singles.

Lady Gaga:

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), who performs under the stage name Lady Gaga, is a singer, songwriter and musician from New York City, New York, United States.

Before Gaga adopted her stage name she was in a band called Stefani Germanotta Band. She released her first EP, “Red and Blue”, in early 2006. The following year, music producer Rob Fusari dubbed her Lady Gaga, inspired by the Queen song “Radio Gaga”. After this she recorded her first two songs as Lady Gaga (Fever and Wonderful) on Def Jam records, but was later let go.

She began her career as a songwriter for some of pop music’s biggest stars, including Fergie, Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears and New Kids on the Block, as well as American singer and producer Akon. After Akon recognized that Gaga also had vocal talent, he signed her to a joint deal with his own label, Kon Live Distribution, and then she started to work on her own new material for her debut album.

Gaga released “The Fame” in 2008, which she explained was “about how anyone can feel famous.” To date, the album has spawned the international number one hit singles “Just Dance” (nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards) and “Poker Face.” The Fame then went Diamond in February 2010, Selling over 12 million copies worldwide.

She then continued to release a new album 1 year later, “The Fame Monster”, which she wasn’t intending to make at first. She released “Bad Romance” as the first single, and has been nominated for dozens of awards all over the world. After The Fame Monster was released she released two more singles “Telephone (feat. Beyonce)” and “Alejandro”. She released “Dance in the Dark” as a promotional single, but only released it in Australia, New Zealand and France. She has been touring almost constantly since “The Fame Monster” was released, referring to her shows as The Monster Ball.

Lady Gaga announced her new album name, “Born This Way” at the 2010 MTV VMAs. It is set to be released in 2011, an official date has not been set yet.

Eminem:

Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), better known by his stage name Eminem/Slim Shady is an American rapper and record producer. Eminem learned his trade while growing up in Detroit, United States, and quickly gained popularity in 1999 with his major-label album, The Slim Shady LP, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The following album, The Marshall Mathers LP, became the fastest-selling solo album in the United States history.

The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11 Grammys in his career. In 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Lose Yourself” from the film, 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. “Lose Yourself” would go on to become the longest running #1 hip-hop single. Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004’s Encore, titled Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Relapse Part 2 was due to be released in 2010, but scrapped it due to media and fans and so he decided to release his latest album Recovery. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade on the US Nielsen SoundScan, and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Eminem was ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.He was also named the Best Rapper Ever by Vibe magazine. Including his work with D12, Eminem has achieved nine #1 albums on the Billboard Top 200, 7 solo and 2 with D12. Eminem has had 12 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009 Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine. His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked as the 3rd. 7th, and 40th best album of the 2000-2009 decade by Billboard magazine. According to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five highest selling albums of the 2000s. In the UK, Eminem has sold over 12.5 million records.