AMR DIAB

Amr Diab (Amr Abd-Albaset Abd-Alaziz Diab), a new born star for his phenomenal singing talent had his first glow to life on the 11th of October 1961 in Port Said, Egypt. His father was the chairman of Marine Construction & Shipbuilding. He played a great role to igniting the early sparks of musical inspiration towards Diab's early stages in his professional music career. Amr at the age of six sang at the July 23rd Festival in Port Said, he was surprisingly rewarded with a guitar from the governor for his excellence.

Amr Diab had earned his bachelor degree in Arabic Music and graduated at the Cairo Academy of Arts in 1986.

Professionally, Amr Diab entered the musical arena and introduced his first album "Ya Taree'" (1983), integrated with the audience and gained lots of attention and success. Amr followed on producing several great albums: "Ghanny Men Albak" (1984), "Hala Hala" (1986), "Khalseen" (1987), "Mayyal" (1988), "Shawa'na" (1989) and "Matkhafesh" (1990).

Amr was chosen to perform and represent Egypt at the 5th Tournament of African Sports in 1990 where he sang in English, French and predominantly Arabic. Decisively and during the same year the star decided to invade the cinema with a role in the film "El Afareet" with Madiha Kamel. Then came his other hit albums "Habibi" (1991), "Ayyamna" (1992) and "Ya Omrena" (1993). In 1992 and 1994, Amr played two more roles in the cinema in "Ice Cream Fe Glim" and "Dehk Wele'b Wegad Wehob"--which additionally was chosen as the opening film in the Egyptian Film Festival.

Amr Diab's musical career stemmed and kept growing, aiming for musical excellence. He followed on and released the album "Weylomony" (1994). Amr Diab officially established himself as the super star of the Arab world, demarcating the launch of "Rag'een" (1995) and the popular "Nour El Ein" album (1996) which was not only a success in the Middle East but in the whole world, and "Awedony" (1998).

Amr Diab thereafter made a break through with one of his best smashing hits "Amarain" album (1999), Diab engaged with two singers during this album and produced amazing duets, one with the Algerian­French based Cheb Khaled song "Alby" and the second with the Greek Angela Dimitriou song "Bahebbak Aktar".

The years 2000, 2001 & 2003 witnessed the compilation of all Amr Diab's past experience put together and release of Amr Diab's most magnificent albums ever "Tamally Ma'ak" , "Aktar Wahed" and "Allem Alby", as he engraved his quality of voice singing incorporated with astonishing sense of composer and musical arrangements. Amr always favored innovation of new music, form and style. He merged the Arabian oriental theme of music and the western style of musical beats, arrangements and finalization.

Respectively, Amr Diab has achieved the World Music Awards twice, as best selling middle eastern singer in both his albums "Nour El Ain" in 1998 and "Aktar Wahed" in 2002. Also received a Platinum Award for the sales of "Nour El Ain". Visit the awards section in this site to know more about Amr's awards.

2004's summer witnessed the release of "Leily Nehary" album, Diab gave his fans what they've been longing for, a dazzling hit which blew their minds off and topped their sensations. "Leily Nehary" according to the production company "Rotana" and the fans is to be one of the most successful albums out in the market. "Kammel Kalamak" was released by December 2005 after a long anticipation from Amr's fans, according to the big sales records, the album was worth the wait! The album contains 10 tracks representing a year and half of continuous studio efforts. Amr won his 3rd World Music Awards on "Ellila de" album which has been released in July (2007).

El-Helm Biography [12 Parts] have been released on the TV Channles by the end 2008. The Biography reviewed Amr's success through his long career in addition to the international recognition and fame that uniquely Amr gained through his success.

After much anticpating, 2009 witnessed a new milestone in Amr's career, with the release of "Wayah". 12 track hits the summer to put Amr - as usual - on top of the race. Marina concert was the proven success from his fans with over 80,000 persons.

Amr Diab's domestic life is just as rewarding as his musical career, married to Zena Ashoor, his children are Nour (girl), the twin Abdu-Allah (boy) & Kenzy (girl), and Jana (girl). The father Amr Diab is a great family man, who dedicates and cherishes his time to his family.

Amr Diab's hard work and passion to creating quality music and new stylized musical techniques was his ultimate aim throughout the years. He has certainly and clearly delivered to all his multi-national fans around the globe and proved that he is one of the best Middle Eastern singers with extraordinary talent, determination, charisma and charming appearance.

Rustie Lee

Rustie Lee is a television chef and actress, most famous for her appearing in the 1980s on UK morning station, TV-am.[1] She was born in Jamaica. However, she also appeared as a presenter on the second, less successful, incarnation of ITV gameshow Game for a Laugh.[citation needed]
Rustie has rarely been seen since TV-am, though she had a career as a singer.[citation needed] In summer 2004 she appeared on Living's I'm Famous and Frightened! 2, a reality show featuring a number of celebrities staying in a castle over a weekend, taking part in various challenges and looking for paranormal activity, guided by a medium. Viewers voted for their favourite and the celebrities were voted off one by one. Rustie won the series showing a keen interest in the tasks and occasional emotional involvement, giving detailed and varied accounts of how she felt at certain points.[citation needed]
In 2004 she joined the UK Independence Party[1], and was adopted as their candidate for the Wyre Forest constituency in the 2005 general election. She also appeared in the party's election broadcast[2]. On polling day she came fifth, with 1,074 votes (2.3% of the total).[3].
In 2008, Rustie joined the cast of EastEnders as Gus Smith's aunt Opal,[4] and it proved a huge hit with her fanbase following.
Rustie Lee is also a popular figure on Virgin Radio particularly on the Geoff Lloyd show. He has interviewed her on numerous occasions.[citation needed]
Rustie is also lined up with Paul Daniels and Todd Carty to play the voice of the Gatekeeper in the new updated CGI series of Wizbit, due to be aired 2008/2009.[citation needed]

RAKIM

Rakim (pronounced Rah-KIM) (full name Rakim Allah, born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968 in Wyandanch, Long Island, New York)[1] is an American rapper and pioneer of the musical genre of hip hop, known as one half of the duo Eric B. & Rakim.

Biography

[edit] Early life
He is the nephew of American R&B singer, and actress Ruth Brown. Rakim grew up in Wyandanch, New York where he developed much of his rhyming talent. Rakim became involved in the New York hip hop scene at a young age. Eric B brought Rakim to Marley Marl’s house to record "Eric B. is President." Marley and MC Shan personally knew Eric. However, they didn't know Rakim, who was fresh out of high school at the time, was on his way to college, and left to record with Eric B.[1]
When Rakim turned 16, he joined The Nation of Gods and Earths (also known as the 5 Percent Nation), changing his name to Rakim Allah [2].

[edit] With Eric B.
In 1986, Rakim started to work with New York-based producer-DJ Eric B. The duo—known as Eric B & Rakim—is widely regarded as among the most influential and groundbreaking of hip-hop groups, due in no small part to Rakim's technical abilities. The duo’s first single, "Eric B. Is President" (#48, 1986) b/w “My Melody,” was a success and got the duo a contract with the fledgling Island Records sub-label 4th & B'way. The duo’s next single, the smash “I Know You Got Soul,” sparked early debate on the legality of unauthorized, uncredited sampling when James Brown sued to prevent the duo's use of a fragment of his music. Their first full album, Paid in Full, was released in 1987, causing a stir in the hip-hop music world due to its novel sound, approach, and subject matter.[1]

[edit] Solo career
Eric B. & Rakim broke up in 1992 after releasing 3 more albums: Follow The Leader, Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em and Don't Sweat The Technique. All Four of the duo's albums are now considered Hip Hop standards. Due to legal wrangling over royalties and his contracts with both his record label and with Eric B, Rakim did not release a solo album for another five years. He signed with his good friend at the time DeShamus "Q=BOB" Sallis of Q=BOB Records but the label folded shortly afterward. He then returned in 1997 with The 18th Letter, which included collaborations with DJ Premier and Pete Rock; released in two versions, one of which included an Eric B. & Rakim greatest hits disc titled The Book of Life. The critical reception of the album was positive, and it was certified gold. In 1999, Rakim released The Master, which received very good reviews as well.[1]
Rakim was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000,[3] for work on an album tentatively titled Oh, My God. The album underwent numerous changes in artistic direction and personnel and was delayed several times. While working on the album, Rakim made guest appearances on numerous Aftermath projects, including the hit single "Addictive" by Truth Hurts, the Dr. Dre-produced "The Watcher Part 2" by Jay-Z, and Eminem's 8 Mile soundtrack. However, Rakim left the label in 2003 and Oh, My God was indefinitely shelved, a result of creative differences with Dre.[4] Rakim signed with DreamWorks Records shortly afterward, but the label closed its doors shortly after that.
Rakim also made cameos in the Juelz Santana video "Mic Check," the Timbaland & Magoo video "Cop that Disc," and the Busta Rhymes video "New York Shit." Eric B. and Rakim's classic album Paid In Full was named the greatest hip-hop album of all time by MTV. Rakim was engaged in a lawsuit with reggaeton performer R.K.M (formerly Rakim) over the use of the name "Rakim". Rakim won the rights to the name. Recently, Rakim was featured in an All-Pro Football 2K8 commercial. Rakim will be doing a collaboration album with KRS-One called The Greatest Featuring The God MC and Kris Parker.
The Seventh Seal, Rakim's long-awaited album, has had release dates several times but has never been released. [1]

[edit] Legacy
Rakim pioneered a practice previously unknown to hip-hop called internal rhyming. Prior to Rakim, hip-hop music lyricism was usually rather simple from a structural standpoint and the ideas it expressed were easy and direct. Instead of two rhyming syllables within two lines at the end of the lines, as we would find in the older hip-hop style displayed above, we have 18 rhyming syllables in just four lines. Rakim also introduced a lyrical technique known as cliffhanging and popularized the use of metaphors with multiple meanings. His songs were the first to really impart hip-hop music lyrics with a serious poetic device sensibility. [1]
Many hip-hop artists (both underground and mainstream) acknowledge a huge debt to Rakim's innovative style. He is given credit for popularizing the heavy use of internal rhymes in hip-hop—rhymes that are not necessary to the overall rhyme scheme of the verse, but occur between the endpoints of lines and stanzas, serving to increase the alliteration, assonance, and emphasis of the rhyme. He is also credited for the jazzy, heavily stylistic, seemingly effortless delivery of his lyrical content.[1]

[edit] Musical tributes
Tupac Shakur also pays homage to Rakim in a song called "Old School."
Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan also dedicated a tribute to Rakim titled "Rakim Tribute," which was released on DaVinci Code: The Vatican Mixtape Vol. II in 2006.
50 Cent also makes a reference to Rakim on his hugely successful collaborative effort "Hate It or Love It" with The Game. Fifty rhymes, "Daddy ain't around, probably out committing felonies/my favorite rapper used to sing Ch-Check out my melody," referencing Eric B. & Rakim's classic hit ¨My Melody."
Saul Williams mentions Rakim in the song Twice The First Time, stating "not until you've listened to Rakim on a rocky mountain top have you heard hip hop" and also in the song Penny For A Thought where he says "Someone like Rakim said - 'I could quote any MC, but why should I? how would it benefit me?'"
Kurupt references Rakim on Snoop Dogg's debut album, Doggystyle. On "For All My Niggaz and Bitches," Kurupt says, "Who's jokin'? Rakim never joked, so why should I loc? now that's my idol...."
Ghostface Killah gave props to Rakim in the end of "Paisely Darts," by saying that he is better than every artist except for Rakim, referring to him as "the older god".
Eminem has also paid tribute to Rakim's style as an inspiration and references lines from My Melody in his song “I'm Back”.
Jay-Z paid tribute to Rakim in his 2007 hit “Blue Magic,” where he states: "Eighty-seven state of mind that I'm in/I'm in my prime so for that time I'm Rakim."
Killah Priest references Rakim in many of his songs. He states: "I remind you of Rakim but I'm not him".
British rapper Scroobius Pip mentions Rakim in his song "Fixed" from the album Angles, as an example of hiphop as art, in the lines "Take it back to the start/Like KRS and Rakim use passion and heart".
RZA Digi Snacks Last Track "who could master the rhythm to which rakim got"
Nas' Street Disciple album (Disc 2 Track 3) has a track titled U.B.R. (Unauthorized Biography of Rakim) where he tells a short version of Rakim's musical career and life.

[edit] Discography
Main article: Rakim discography
The 18th Letter/The Book Of Life (1997)
The Master (1999)
The Archive: Live, Lost & Found (2008)
The Seventh Seal (2008)

Swizz Beatz





Kasseem Dean,[1] better known by his stage name Swizz Beatz, is an American record producer and rapper. He is the founder of the label Full Surface Records. His songs are usually very bouncy and energetic, though his early work was known to be quite minimalistic and arguably experimental—it reportedly takes him an average of only 10 to 15 minutes to complete a song. In most recent Swizz Beatz productions, (such as "Top Down") the quick uttered phrase "Swizzy" or "It's Showtime" is heard at the beginning and is accompanied by guest vocals from Swizz himself, although often uncredited.

Biography

[edit] Personal life

Swizz Beatz is half African American and half Puerto Rican and one eighth Indian. He lived in the Bronx, in New York City, where he first encountered the hip-hop world. His father was Muslim and his mother was a Christian. He relocated to Atlanta as a teenager due to having too many fights at Harry S. Truman High School, there he started to DJ parties. When his relatives became involved with the Ruff Ryders label, he began to produce tracks at the tender age of 16. Forgoing the practice of using samples, he used real instruments whenever possible and tried to accentuate the performance aspect of his music. The next five years would find him landing hit after hit and becoming more in demand with each production. In 2004, he married R&B singer Mashonda. A son, Kasseem Jr., was born in January 2007. In April 2008, the couple separated after four years of marriage. Rumors have since surfaced online suggesting Alicia Keys was involved in the break-up[2], but Swizz dismissed the rumors saying that that is far from the truth. [3]

[edit] Career

With his uncles (Chivon, Dee, and Waah Dean) involved with the Ruff Ryders label, he began to produce tracks at the age of 16. He sold his first beat at 17 which became DMX's hit single Ruff Ryders Anthem. He started working with Ruff Ryders, Roc-A-Fella Records, Elektra Records, Epic Records, Def Jam Recordings, and Bad Boy Entertainment and his career blew up from there. But it wasn't until his first solo album, 2002's Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories, that he started to get notices for his production style and interesting ideas. He released two singles "Guilty" and "Bigger Business" and both had music videos.[4]
Swizz Beatz has his own record label called Full Surface which was helped developed by Cassidy and is currently working on albums by Cassidy, Jay-Z, 2 Much, 50 Cent, Drag-On, Papoose, Busta Rhymes, Ruff Ryders, Michael Jackson, Eve, T.I., Bow Wow, Eminem and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. He is also set to be recording the new album for his close friend DMX which is confirmed to be titled Walk with Me Now and You'll Fly with Me Later. It was also confirmed he will be working with Jennifer Lopez for the first time on her new album.[5]
Swizz Beatz released his first proper solo album titled "One Man Band Man" on August 21, 2007, selling a disappointing 45,000 records in its first week of release including songs such as It's Me Snitches, Money In The Bank.

On October 19, 2007, as an extension to his first solo project, Swizz Beatz launched a contest called Music Video 2.0 and The Source Magazine Presents "Share the Studio." The contest and allows unsigned/indie music artists the opportunity to compete on the Music Video 2.0 website for the chance to open for Swizz Beatz at a NYC event.
Swizz Beatz also did an interview with MTV about his next album stating he just leaked a record called "Hard Knocks" with Drag-On. It's the first offering from Beatz's upcoming follow-up to One Man Band Man.[6]
“
Everybody is expecting 'It's Me Bitches' or 'Money in the Bank', I just want to use my opportunity to get a little more serious in the artist department, as a performer and lyricist. Not giving a f--- about radio and all that. I just want to give hip-hop something that's not on the radio. A lot of the songs I got can blend in on the radio, but 'School of Hard Knocks' don't blend in with nothing on the radio. I'm already in full mode. What they want me to do? Let's get it. I'm busting shots early — bong, bong!
The title is between Life After the Party and Remember Hip-Hop," he continued. "I'm in between them. I don't even have a date on my joint. I'm just feeling out the scene.
”

[edit] Discography
Main articles: Swizz Beatz discography and Swizz Beatz production discography
Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories (2002)
One Man Band Man (2007)

Papoose (rapper)

Shamele Mackie, better known by his stage name Papoose (IPA: /pæˈpuːs/), is an African-American rapper.[1]

Biography

Born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. Papoose made his first attempts at rapping at the age of three. He was given his name by his grandma because of his childhood resemblance to a Native American child. Inspired by Big Daddy Kane, Notorious B.I.G., and Big L [2] he made his first recorded appearance in 1998 on Kool G Rap's Roots of Evil album.[1] The following year, he released his first single, "Thug Connection"/"Alphabetical Slaughter".[3]
After an early record deal failed, he decided to produce and sell his own mixtapes,[1] one of which he presented to DJ Kay Slay outside the offices of New York's Hot 97 after the latter's radio show there.[4] This led to Kay Slay inviting Papoose onto the air, and, impressed by his rendition of "Alphabetical Slaughter", signing him to his Streetsweepers Entertainment label. He continued to release mixtapes at a prolific rate – over a dozen between 2004 and 2006[1] – and won the Justo Mixtape Award for Best Underground Artist in 2005.[3] As of 2008, he had put out his twentieth, Build or Destroy.[citation needed]

On August 24, 2006, his official website announced that he had signed with Jive Records in a deal worth $1.5 million.[1] An album to be called The Nacirema Dream ("American" spelled backwards) was planned.[5] However, in September 2007, Kay Slay revealed that he and Papoose had left Jive, commenting that they had "almost [become] victims of A&R hell."[6]
In 2008, Papoose issued a statement saying that he and fellow rapper Remy Ma were to be married on a Yacht or Luxury yacht, but due to Ma's impending jail sentence of potentially up to 15-25 years, that the couple had changed their plans and intend to marry in prison instead.[7] Papoose planned to wed his fiance while in prison, but the wedding was called off after he attempted to smuggle a handcuffs key into prison on their wedding day in May 2008. After the incident, Papoose was barred from visiting Ma for six months.[8]

[edit] Music

One of his most notable songs is one where Papoose raps using all the letters of the alphabet in the form of alliteration entitled "Alphabetical Slaughter".
More recently he made a song called "Change Gon’ Come (50 Shots)", that talks about the Sean Bell shooting, in which an unarmed man was shot at fifty times by New York police.[9] The song concludes with a sample of fifty gunshots.
He has made appearances on songs by Nas, AZ, Common, Talib Kweli, Kool G Rap, Ghostface Killah, Busta Rhymes, Tupac Shakur (on the posthumous album Pac's Life), Chamillionaire, Hell Rell, Jadakiss, Cam'ron and Jim Jones.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Mixtapes
Art & War
Street Knowledge
The Beast from the East
Election Day
A Moment of Silence
Underground King
Sharades
Mixtape Murder
A Bootlegger's Nightmare
Bedstuy Do or Die (with Memphis Bleek)
Unfinished Business
Menace to Society Part 2
A Threat and a Promise
The Boyz in the Hood
The 1.5 Million Dollar Man
Second Place Is The First Loser
The Fourth Quarter Assassin
Internationally Known
Already a Legend
Build or Destroy

[edit] Guest appearances
Year
Song
Chart positions
Album
U.S. Hot 100
U.S. R&B
U.S. Rap
1998
"Home Sweet Funeral Home" (Kool G Rap feat. Papoose and Jinx)
–
–
–
Roots of Evil
2006
"Touch It (remix)" (Busta Rhymes feat. Mary J. Blige, Rah Digga, Missy Elliott, Lloyd Banks, Papoose & DMX)
12
3
2
The Big Bang
"Ridin' (remix)" (Chamillionaire feat. Papoose & Jae Millz)
–
–
–
The Sound of Revenge
"My Jealousy" (Cam'ron feat. Papoose, Slim Thug, All Star, Tef)
–
–
–
Single
"New Friend Request (remix)" (Gym Class Heroes feat. Papoose)
–
–
–
New Friend Request (single)
"Crowded" (Jeannie Ortega feat. Papoose)(Produced by Stargate)
93
24
–
No Place Like Brooklyn
"Where You At?" (Joe feat. Papoose)
29
12
–
Ain't Nothin' Like Me
"What's Happenin (remix)" (Juvenile feat. Papoose and Jae Millz)
–
–
–
Reality Check
"Dumpin" (2pac feat. Hussein Fatal, Papoose & Carl Thomas)
–
–
–
Pac's Life
2007
"Everything" (Addictiv feat. Papoose)
–
–
–
Everything (single)
"Special" (Jennifer Hudson feat. Papoose)
–
–
–
New
2008
"Comprehend" (Pete Rock feat. Papoose)
–
–
–
NY's Finest

[edit] Filmography
Righteous Kill (playing cameo of a rapper)