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Notorious B.I.G.

     Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), popularly known as Biggie Smalls (after a gangster in the 1975 film Let’s Do It Again),[1] Big Poppa, Frank White (from the film King of New York), and his primary stage name, The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper.
     One of the best to ever grip a mic, Biggie’s Bed-Stuy crime tales, player lifestyle, and untimely death made him a legend. His 1994 debut, “Ready To Die,” featured the classic hits “Juicy,” “Big Poppa,” and “One More Chance.” Biggie was murdered in 1997. His posthumous LPs include “Life After Death” and “Born Again.” Biggie helped make stars out of Lil’ Kim, Jay-Z, Ma$e, the Lox, and Puff Daddy. He called himself Frank White after Christopher Walken’s character in the film “King Of New York.”
     Born in Brooklyn, New York, Biggie grew up during the peak years of the 1980s’ crack epidemic and started dealing drugs at an early age. When Biggie debuted with the 1994 record Ready to Die, he was a central figure in the East Coast and increased New York’s viability at a time when hip hop was mostly dominated by West Coast artists.[2] The following year, Biggie led his childhood friends to chart success through his protégé group, Junior M.A.F.I.A.

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JoJo

     Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque (born December 20, 1990) is an American R&B and pop singer-songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actress who rose to fame in 2004 with her platinum-certified, self-titled debut album JoJo, which reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.
     Sassy teen popster JoJo got her start on children’s television shows, including “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.” Her real name is Joanna Noelle Levesque. Someone decided JoJo was easier to say. She’s performed on Maury Povich’s and Oprah Winfrey’s shows. Take that, Jerry Springer. She’s performed in the movies “Aquamarine” and “RV.” JoJo was born on December 20, 1990.
     JoJo has also begun a film career, starring in two 2006 Hollywood films: Aquamarine and RV. Her second album, The High Road, was released on October 17, 2006. In the summer of 2007, she embarked on tour in the United States, Europe, and Mexico. JoJo has sold more than five million albums worldwide. She is currently working on her third album, All I Want Is Everything, which is set to be released in late 2008.

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Janet Jackson

     Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actress. Born in Gary, Indiana and raised in Encino, California, she is the youngest member of the Jackson family of musicians. She initially performed on stage with her family beginning at the age of seven, and later started her career as an actress with the variety television series The Jacksons. She went on to star in other television shows including Good Times, A New Kind of Family, Diff’rent Strokes, and Fame.
     A member of the Jackson clan, Janet broke out with the highly successful “Control” and hasn’t looked back since. Jackson’s early career boasts two TV stints: “Good Times” (1977-79) and “Diff’rent Strokes” (1981-82). Jackson became the first artist in history to squeeze seven Billboard Top Five singles out of one album (”Rhythm Nation”). It was Janet Jackson who (inadvertently) put the term “wardrobe malfunction” into the American lexicon. In 2006, Janet Jackson released the album, “20 Y.O.” which celebrated the performer’s 20 years of hit making.
     Jackson faced initial difficulties after launching her recording career in 1982, often criticized for having a limited vocal range and being yet another child from the Jackson family to become a recording artist. However, with the collaboration of record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jackson found record-breaking success, producing five consecutive number one studio albums on the Billboard 200; these include Control (1986), Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989), janet. (1993), The Velvet Rope (1997), and All for You (2001). Although critics have compared her contemporary work less favorably to that of her initial breakthroughs, the critical and commercial success of her innovative multi-platinum albums, music videos and choreography have contributed to Jackson’s successful career as an entertainer.

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REM

     R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe (lead vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Bill Berry (drums and percussion). R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck’s ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe’s unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, “Radio Free Europe”, in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band’s first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single “The One I Love”. The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.
     R.E.M.’s jangling guitars, mysterious-but-melodic vocals and DIY touring method pretty much defined 1980s indie rock. Their first single, “Radio Free Europe” (b/w “Sitting Still”), was released in July of 1981 on the Hib-Tone label. R.E.M. released one EP and five LPs on indie label IRS between 1982 and 1987, then signed with Warner Brothers in 1988. Each release won them more fans: “Document” (1987) went platinum; “Green,” their Warner’s debut, sold twice that. Drummer Bill Berry suffered a brain aneurysm on tour in ‘95; two years later, he quit the band.
     By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of Time (1991) and Automatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band’s established sound. R.E.M.’s 1994 Monster was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band amicably, with Buck, Mills, and Stipe continuing as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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Dido

     Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O’Malley Armstrong, is an English BRIT Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated singer and songwriter.
     With a background in classical vocals, Dido’s career switched gears to Pop Electronica with Faithless in the mid-1990s. Rap superstar Eminem’s single “Stan” was a hit largely due to the sampled chorus of Dido’s of “Thank You” track. DidoÂ’s full name is Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong. Despite putting out just two albums since arriving on the scene in ‘98, Dido has won just about every UK award available. Another Dido was the first queen and founder of the ancient city of Carthage.

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Chris Brown

     Christopher Maurice Brown is an American R&B singer-songwriter, dancer, music video director, and actor.
     Chris Brown’s debut single, “Run It!,” features a verse from Juelz Santana and a beat from super-producer Scott Storch. Clearly influenced by crossover megastar Usher, Chris Brown’s musical style is glossy R&B with a touch of rap. Signed to Jive Records, Chris dropped his first single when he was just 16 years old. With “Run It!”, Brown became the youngest male solo artist to release a single that reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brown dropped out of school to begin his career in music; now he’s being tutored as a home-schooler so he can graduate.
     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.

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Jennifer Lopez

     Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), popularly nicknamed J.Lo, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, record producer, dancer, fashion designer, and television producer. She is the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood according to Forbes, and the most influential Hispanic entertainer in America according to People en Español’s list of “100 Most Influential Hispanics”.
     Sure, she’s a dancer, actress, singer, fashion designer and restaurateur. But she’s still Jenny from the block. She’s also famous for her high-profile relationships (remember Bennifer?) and higher-profile attire (remember the Versace?). One of Jennifer Lopez’s earliest public roles was as a Fly Girl on the Fox TV comedy In Living Color. La Lopez is the first woman ever to have a No. 1 album and No. 1 movie in the same week. She’s also one of the highest paid actresses in the world, and the highest paid Latina actress in Hollywood history.
     Starting in 1999, Lopez released seven albums, including two #1 albums on the Billboard 200 charts and four Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles. She won the 2003 American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and the 2007 American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist. She has appeared in numerous films, and has won ALMA Awards for outstanding actress for her work in Selena, Out of Sight, and Angel Eyes. She parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement.

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Queen

     Queen are a British rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor, with bass guitarist John Deacon joining the following year. Queen rose to prominence during the 1970s and have sold over 300 million albums worldwide.
     Queen’s excessive blend of metal and majesty was one of the biggest draws of the ’70s. In England, Queen is second only to the Beatles in terms of popularity and collectibility of their music. It took the band three weeks to record what is probably their most famous song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” On Queen’s first American tour in 1974, they supported Mott the Hoople. Singer Freddie Mercury died of AIDS in 1991.
     The band is noted for their musical diversity, multi-layered arrangements, vocal harmonies, and incorporation of audience participation into their live performances. Their 1985 Live Aid performance was voted the best live rock performance of all time in an industry poll.

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John Mayer

     John Clayton Mayer is an American singer-songwriter. Originally from Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music before moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1998, where he refined his skills and gained a following. His first two studio albums, Room for Squares and Heavier Things, did well commercially, achieving multi-platinum status. In 2003, he won a Best Male Pop Vocal Performance Grammy Award for “Your Body Is a Wonderland”.
     A masculine voice that’s almost too pretty to be a man’s fronts Mayer’s complex yet extremely catchy Adult Alternative rock. In 2005, he left the pop world and collaborated with legendary blues musicians B.B. King and Buddy Guy. John Mayer also toured with the renowned jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and is the guest vocalist on his song “Stitched Up.” The John Mayer Trio focused on raw electrified blues and payed homage to Mayer’s childhood idols. They are now defunct. At age 19, Mayer dropped out of Boston’s Berklee College of Music to move to Atlanta and start performing in coffeehouses.
     Mayer began his career performing mainly acoustic rock and pop, but gradually began a transition towards the blues genre in 2005 by collaborating with renowned blues artists such as B. B. King and Eric Clapton, and by forming the John Mayer Trio. The blues influence can be heard on his album Continuum, released in September 2006. At the 49th Annual Grammy Awards in 2007 Mayer won Best Pop Vocal Album for Continuum and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for “Waiting on the World to Change”. Mayer’s career pursuits have extended to stand-up comedy, design, and writing; he has written pieces for magazines, most notably for Esquire. He is also involved in philanthropic activities through his “Back to You” fund and his concern over global warming.

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Keyshia Cole

     Keyshia Michelle Cole is an African-American , Grammy-nominated R&B singer-songwriter, and record producer known for her soulful voice. She released her platinum selling debut album The Way It Is in 2005, and her second album Just like You in 2007. She is currently in the process of making a third album entitled “Truth” coming out in December 2008. She also is currently making the Third Season of her BET reality series “The Way It Is” which she recently disclosed on will be out on TV in June of 2008.
     Growing up in Oakland, Keyshia Cole has been honing her powerful R&B voice since she was a young girl. She was in the studio recording with local legend MC Hammer before she was even a teenager. She has also collaborated with East Bay artists like Messy Marv and Dwayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! On her lead single “I Changed My Mind,” Keyshia teamed up with Kanye West. Her smooth vocals can also be heard on the soundtracks to ‘Barbershop 2′ and ‘Me & Mrs. Jones.’

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