Brandy Norwood transforms in a TikTok Cinderella challenge video. The international folklore surrounding a young girl living a life of misery and servitude to her wicked stepmother and sisters, only to later find love and happiness with a handsome prince
Showing posts with label Recording Artist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recording Artist. Show all posts
Saturday, February 20
Rihanna Through the Years: Look Back at Her Rise From Singer to Business Mogul
Since the early aughts, Rihanna has made a name for herself in not only the music industry but also the worlds of movies, fashion, beauty and beyond. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados in 1988, the singer was discovered by Jay-Z in 2005
Saturday, February 26
Ciara,Princess Harris
In 2004 Ciara released her debut album Goodies which spawned the number one hits "Goodies" and "1, 2 Step", selling over five million copies worldwide and certified triple platinum in the United States. The album earned her four nominations at the 2004 Grammy Awards. In 2006, she released her second album, Ciara: The Evolution which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and included the hits "Get Up" and "Promise". Her third album Fantasy Ride released in May 2009, included the worldwide top ten hit single "Love Sex Magic" with Justin Timberlake which earned her a nomination at the 52nd Grammy Awards for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals". Since making her musical debut in 2004, Ciara has attained five Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles including a number one. Prior to the release of her third album, Ciara has sold over seven million albums worldwide,and as of June 2010, she has sold more than 4.3 million albums and 6.9 million digital tracks in the United States alone.
Early life
Ciara was born in Austin, Texas on October 25, 1985 as the only child of Jackie and Carlton Harris. Since her father was in the United States Army, throughout her childhood Ciara grew up on army bases in Germany, New York, Utah, California, Arizona, and Nevada. In speaking of this, Ciara states that while she hated to lose good friends, this helps her in her career when she has to travel all over the world. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in Atlanta. Ciara said that watching Destiny's Child and Janet Jackson perform on a television program while staying home from school inspired her to pursue a career in music, and cites superstar siblings Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson as her biggest inspiration. Ciara is quoted to have reached what she considered "a career pinnacle" when she recorded with Janet Jackson on Jackson's 2008 Discipline album.
Career
2002–03: Hearsay and record deal
In her mid-teens Ciara formed the all girl group Hearsay with two of her friends. The group recorded demos, but as time went on they began to have differences and eventually parted ways. Despite this setback, Ciara was still determined to reach her goal and signed a publishing deal as a songwriter. Her first success was the song "Got Me Waiting" for R&B singer Fantasia Barrino's debut album, Free Yourself It was when she was writing songs that she met music producer, Jazze Pha, whom she called her "music soulmate". In 2002, the two recorded four demos, "1, 2 Step", "Thug Style", "Pick Up the Phone", and "Lookin' at You", which all appeared on her debut album which was released two years later. The former was the second single released from it and became a hit.
After graduating from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia in 2003, she was signed by LaFace Records executive, L.A. Reid, whom she was introduced to by Jazze Pha. She began production on her debut album later that year. In early 2004, Ciara wrote a demo with record producer, Sean Garrett. The demo was later brought to the attention of Lil Jon and became her debut single "Goodies". Lil Jon stated later that he knew it would be big seeing how it sounded similar to Usher's international hit, "Yeah!"
2004–05: Goodies
Goodies (album)
"Goodies"
Ciara released her debut album Goodies on September 28, 2004. Following the release of the album, Ciara was hailed as the "Princess or First Lady of Crunk&B". She worked with several writers and producers on the album, including Jazze Pha (who discovered her), Lil Jon, Bangladesh, R. Kelly, Johntá Austin, Sean Garrett, and Keri Hilson, among others. The album debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200, selling 124,750 copies in its initial week and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Goodies itself had a seventy-one week stint on the Billboard 200, and certified three times-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 10, 2006, and has sold around 2.7 million copies in the United States as of June 2010. Charting at twenty-two on the Canadian Albums Chart, it was certified Platinum by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. The album charted at twenty-six on the UK Albums Chart, and spent twenty weeks on the chart. It was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry, remaining to be Ciara's sole certified album in the UK.
Goodies's lead single, the title track, featuring Petey Pablo, was released on June 8, 2004. Conceived as a crunk female counterpart to Usher's "Yeah", the lyrical content goes against the grain, speaking of abstinence, rejecting advances because "the goodies will stay in the jar." Critics hailed it as an "anthem of the summer" and one of the best singles of the year, complementing its dance-feel and beat, and the irony of the "clever" lyrics. The single performed well worldwide, topping the charts in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, and charting in the top ten of other charts, receiving Platinum certification in the United States. "1, 2 Step" featuring Missy Elliott was released as the album's second single. While topping the charts in Canada, it additionally appeared the in top ten of six other countries, and was certified Platinum or Gold in multiple regions. The song was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 48th Grammy Awards. "Oh" featuring Ludacris was released as the third single on March 5, 2005. The song performed well worldwide, appearing in the top ten of seven charts, and certified either Platinum or Gold in multiple regions.
Following the success of the album, Ciara released a CD/DVD entitled Goodies: The Videos & More in the United States on July 12, 2005 which featured remixes to "1, 2 Step" and "Oh", including two new songs. The release was certified platinum in the United States. Ciara also served as an opening act for Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Tour 2005 and went on tour with Chris Brown and Bow Wow on the Holiday Jam Tour in December 2005. She made a guest appearance on Missy Elliott's single "Lose Control" and also on Bow Wow's single "Like You", which both peaked at number three in the United States and obtained worldwide success. At the 48th Grammy Awards, Ciara received four nominations including a Grammy award for "Best New Artist", "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" for "1, 2 Step", and "Best Rap Song" for "Lose Control" for Elliot's single. She won "Best Short Form Music Video" with Elliott for the single.
2006–07: Ciara: The Evolution
Ciara: The Evolution
On December 5, 2006 Ciara released her second studio album, Ciara: The Evolution. According to the singer, the title of the album is "about so much more than just my personal growth -- it's about the evolution of music, the evolution of dance, the evolution of fashion". The source of the album's creativity such as the sound and edge comes from Ciara in general.Although, Michael Jackson, Prince and Madonna were influences on the album. Ciara worked with a new line of producers including Rodney Jerkins, Pharrell, Bryan-Michael Cox, Will.i.am and many others, as well as working with producers Jazze Pha and Lil Jon who previously worked with the singer on her debut album.
Ciara: The Evolution became Ciara's first number one album on the US Billboard 200 and second on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts with sales of more than 338,000 becoming her highest first week of sales to date. The album went on to be certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States, within only five weeks of its release. It sold over two million copies worldwide. The album's international lead single "Get Up" which features Chamillionaire reached number seven in the United States and gained a platinum accreditation. It reached number five in New Zealand. The song was used for the film Step Up and featured on the film's soundtrack. The album's lead single in the United States, "Promise" reached number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 and became her third number one single on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Like a Boy" was released as the second international single which reached within the top twenty in the UK, Finland, France, Ireland, Sweden Switzerland, and also in the United States.
In support of the album, Ciara headlined The Evolution Tour in October 2006. The tour went to seventeen different clubs in cities throughout the United States. In August 2007 she headlined the Screamfest '07 tour with fellow rapper, T.I.. Ciara along with Chris Brown and Akon, was a support act for Rihanna's Good Girl Gone Bad Tour in the United Kingdom. She made guest appearances on singles such as "So What" by Field Mob and also on Tiffany Evans' single "Promise Ring". In addition to her music, Ciara made her acting debut in the MTV Films production All You've Got in May 2006. In the movie she played Becca Whiley, a teenager who is competing in a Volleyball Tournament. Ciara became the face of Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line and spokesperson for the women campaign entitled "I Will Not Lose", which debuted in the summer of 2007.
2008–09: Fantasy Ride
Fantasy Ride
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| Ciara in February 2009 |
In October 2008 Ciara was honored as Billboard's "Woman of the Year", because of her success as a recording artist and leadership in embracing the changing music business. In the October issue of Vibe Magazine, Ciara appeared to be naked on the magazine's cover but she has stated that Vibe airbrushed her clothes off to make it appear she was completely nude. Ciara told MTV News she was hurt by the photos and was quite shocked when she finally got her hands on the month's issue. She later confirmed that she was in fact clothed. Although her third album was originally intended for a September 2008 release, Fantasy Ride was released after a number of delays in May 2009. It became Ciara's first top ten album in the UK and Canada. In the United States, Fantasy Ride debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, becoming Ciara's third consecutive album to debut within the top three on the chart.
The album's lead single "Never Ever" which featured Young Jeezy was released in the United States in January 2009 and reached a peak of number nine on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The second single "Love Sex Magic" featuring Justin Timberlake successfully became a worldwide hit, reaching within the top ten in eleven countries including the US where it reached a peak of number ten on the Billboard Hot 100. It went on to be certified platinum in Australia and received a gold accreditation in New Zealand. It received a nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" at the 52nd Grammy Awards and also for Best Choreography in a Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. In July 2009, Ciara headlined the Jay-Z & Ciara Live tour with Jay-Z. She was also the support act for Britney Spears's Circus tour, where she performed eight nights at London's prestigious O2 Arena during June 2009. Ciara made a guest appearance on Nelly's single "Stepped On My J'z" from his album Brass Knuckles, and also on Enrique Iglesias' international hit single, "Takin' Back My Love", from his Greatest Hits album.
2010–present: Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct (album)
In February 2010, rapper Ludacris released a remix to his single "How Low" which had Ciara as a featured artist alongside Miami rapper Pitbull. In March 2010 Ciara made a cameo appearance in the music video of Usher's single, "Lil' Freak". Her fourth studio album Basic Instinct was released in December 2010. Ciara told Pete Lewis of Blues & Soul magazine, that the album "is really about her trusting her instinct and going back to the R&B/urban basics in her music – like where she first started, in the days of "Goodies" and "1, 2 Step". It was executively produced by the singer alongside her A&R agent Mark Pitts and writing/production duo Tricky Stewart and The-Dream who, also produced records for her previous album, Fantasy Ride. Basic Instinct debuted at number forty-four on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 37,000 copies. Consequently, it marks the first time in Ciara's career that one of her album's has missed the top three, as well as continuing a downward trend in success. On the U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the album opened at number eleven,again becoming Ciara's lowest charting album of her career thus far.
"Ride", which features Ludacris, was released as the album's lead single on April 26, 2010. It peaked at number forty-two on the US Billboard Hot 100, number three on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.,and achieved minor success in the UK. It became Ciara's twelfth top-ten R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs hit. The song won the award for "Best Dance Performance" at the 2010 Soul Train Music Awards. "Gimmie Dat" was released as the third single off the album on November 2, 2010, the follow-up to her minor hit "Speechless". It has reached a current peak of number sixty-seven on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and has achieved minor success in the UK. In November 2010 Ciara travelled to Australia to be part of the Summerbeatz tour alongside Flo Rida, Jay Sean, Akon, Travie McCoy and Ja Rule.
Artistry
Music and voice
"Oh"
"Oh" makes uses of a heavy bassline, showcasing Ciara's trademark breathy vocals.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
With the release of her debut single "Goodies", Ciara was referred to as the Princess of Crunk&B. Allison Stewart of The Washington Post commented that she has a "reedy, agile voice, capable of conveying the only three emotions (sexy, sassy, sad) an R&B singer needs. Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times commented that "Ciara has been the most synthetic of the R&B divas over the past decade, an electro-leaning vocalist whose instrumental palate has heavily favored stark 808 beats, sassy and seductive vocal lines." In reviewing her second album Ciara: The Evolution, Jody Rosen of Entertainment Weekly writes "Ciara's comfort with rave-inspired beats sets her apart from Cassie, Amerie, Rihanna, and other would-Beyoncés... singing is nimble throughout: She whispers, coos, wails, and reels off speedy syncopations worthy of Beyoncé herself." Her third album Fantasy Ride saw the singer showcasing a new pop and dance direction. Bill Lamb of About.com commented that her hit "Love Sex Magic" has a "retro funk guitar feel" to it and that "the song rides a beat that brings simultaneous echoes of 70's R&B and classic Janet Jackson. Ciara's music is generally contemporary R&B, but she also incoporates various styles of musical genres including, hip hop, crunk, rap, dance-pop, electro pop and funk into her songs. Critics have described her singles "Goodies", "1, 2 Step", "Get Up" and "Go Girl" as club bangers.
Ciara's debut album featured production from Jazze Pha who discovered her. Critics compared the album to the late singer Aaliyah. and said it had qualities of Destiny's Child. On her second album, Ciara worked with one of her debut album collaborators Lil Jon on "That's Right", sampling Pretty Tony's "Fix It in the Mix". She has also taken to sampling songs from other artist such as, Lyn Collins's "Think (About It)" and Rob Base's "It Takes Two" on "Make It Last Forever", Jive Rhythm Trax’s 80's electro cut "122 BPM" on "C.R.U.S.H" and also Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me by Now", sampling the chorus of the song onto "Never Ever".
Other ventures
In September 2008 Ciara contributed to the song "Just Stand Up!" with fifteen female artists, who shared the stage to perform the song live on September 5, 2008 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special. The proceeds from the single were given to the fundraiser. The television special helped raise $100 million dollars for cancer research.
In 2009 Ciara signed a multi-million dollar deal with the modeling agency Wilhelmina Models. After signing the deal she has been in many magazine spreads. In addition to that, she also has her eyes set on beginning a new clothing line. In June 2008 she was in talks with the department store Steve & Barry's to create an affordable clothing line. On November 9, 2009 it was announced that Ciara would be modeling in the German edition of "Vogue". During that time, it was also announced that Ciara would be the new face of a major multimedia ad campaign for Verizon's smartphone the LG Chocolate Touch. Ciara filmed a commercial for the campaign, which features her dancing to her 2009 single "Work". In March 2010 it was officially confirmed and announced that Ciara was the spokesperson in the new ad campaign for Adidas Originals. A commercial for the campaign was released the same month, featuring numerous of other celebrities.
(source:wikipedia)
Friday, February 25
Rihanna
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single "Pon de Replay." Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), which peaked within the top five of the Billboard albums chart, and produced her first US number one hit single, "SOS", as well as Billboard Hot 100 top ten entries "Unfaithful" and "Break It Off". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, featured five top ten hits including three US number one hit singles—"Umbrella", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia"—and the worldwide hit "Don't Stop the Music". The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella," which features Jay-Z. Her fourth studio album, Rated R, was released in November 2009, and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Its first three singles, "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy" peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, with "Rude Boy" peaking at number one. She released her fifth studio album, Loud, in November 2010, that features the US and UK number one singles, "Only Girl (In the World)" and "What's My Name?".
Rihanna has sold more than 25 million albums and 45 million singles worldwide. She has achieved nine number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since first appearing on the chart on June 11, 2005, which is the most by any artist during that time span. As of July 23, 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 5,563,000 album units in the US. Billboard named Rihanna the Digital Songs Artist of the 2000s decade. She sold over 10 millionin the UK. She has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. She serves as one of Barbados's honorary cultural ambassadors. In January 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for Jay-Z's 2009 single "Run This Town". In February 2011, Rihanna received a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, as well as receiving a Brit Award for Best International Female Solo Artist.
Biography
1988–2004: Early life and career beginnings
Rihanna was born in Saint Michael, Barbados on February 20, 1988, to Monica, an accountant, and Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor. Her mother, a native of Guyana, is Afro-Guyanese, and her father is of Barbadian and Irish descent.She is the eldest 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 her parents' 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.
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 her 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 Rihanna was going to school and would only record during summer and Christmas school breaks. Her demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label's then-president, Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.
2005–06: Music of the Sun and A Girl Like Me
After signing with Def Jam, she spent the next three months recording and completing her debut album. The album featured production from Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Stargate and Poke & Tone. She first collaborated with rapper Memphis Bleek on his fourth studio album 534 before her debut. She released her debut single, "Pon de Replay", on August 22, 2005, which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. It became a global hit where it peaked within the top ten across fifteen countries. Her debut album, Music of the Sun, was released in August 2005 in the United States. The album reached number ten on the Billboard 200, selling 69,000 copies in its first week. The album sold over two million copies worldwide and received a Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments to US retailers of over 500,000 units.
"Pon de Replay" (2005)
Her music was marketed within the reggae genres because of her Caribbean descent. The album received mixed reviews by music critics. Rolling Stone magazine rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of US R&B inflecting upon her "Caribbean charm". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine described the album as a "glut of teen R&B chanteuses " and described her lead single "Pon de Replay" as "a dancehall-pop mixture that owes plenty of its sweat and shimmy to Beyoncé's "Baby Boy". A reviewer for Entertainment Weekly commented that the "dancehall/R&B debut is filled with chintzy production and maudlin arrangements that block out the Music of the Sun." The albums second single, "If It's Lovin' that You Want" was less successful than "Pon de Replay", having managed a peak position of number thirty-six in the US, and number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. In Australia, Ireland and New Zealand the single proved to be well-received reaching the top ten in those countries.
A month after the release of her debut album, she began working on her second studio album. The album contained production from record producers Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken who produced most of her debut album, Stargate, J. R. Rotem and label-mate singer-songwriter Ne-Yo. While recording the album, Rihanna served as an opening act for Gwen Stefani to promote her debut album. The lead single, "SOS", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States. A Girl Like Me was released in April 2006, less than eight months after her debut. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200 selling 115,000 copies in its first week and has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having shipped over one million units. Internationally, the album peaked at number one on the Top Canadian Albums, five on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the Irish Album Chart. The critical response to the album was mixed; Rolling Stone magazine commented "Like her filler-packed debut album, this similar but superior follow-up doesn't deliver anything else as ingenious as its lead single." Critics described the album as a record that almost identically alternates between the sunny dancehall/dub-pop, hip-hop-infused club bangers and gushy, adult-oriented ballads. The second single, "Unfaithful", became a major worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in dozen countries around the world, including the United States where it reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as topping the charts in Canada, France and Switzerland. The albums third single, "We Ride" failed to reprise the success of the lead single but the fourth single, "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul, jumped from number fifty-two to number ten eventually peaking at number nine. After the release of the album, Rihanna embarked on her first headlining tour, the Rihanna: Live in Concert Tour. She then embarked on the Rock The Block Tour and then toured with Pussycat Dolls from November 2006 to February 2007 in the United Kingdom.Rihanna also made her acting debut in a cameo role in the straight-to-DVD film Bring It On: All or Nothing, which was released on August 8, 2006.
2007–08: Good Girl Gone Bad
With her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), Rihanna wanted to head in a new direction with the help of music producers Timbaland, will.i.am and Sean Garrett, and re-imagine her album compositions with fresh, uptempo dance tracks. She adopted a more rebellious image while recording the album, eventually dying her hair black and cutting it short. 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.
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| Rihanna performing at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre |
The album yielded eight hit singles — 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. Her other singles, "Shut Up and Drive", "Don't Stop The Music" and "Hate That I Love You" were able to mirror the success of "Umbrella," with "Don't Stop the Music" reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while peaking at number one in various countries. With the re-issue of her third album, titled Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, which was released in June 2008. Rihanna released the first singles from the re-release "Take a Bow" — which became a worldwide number-one hit — the duet with Maroon 5, "If I Never See Your Face Again," and the other US number-one hit "Disturbia." "Disturbia" reached to number four before reaching number one, as her previous single, "Take a Bow", was at number two, making Rihanna the seventh female singer to have two songs in the top five. Meanwhile, Rihanna was featured on rapper T.I.'s "Live Your Life," which peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Rihanna her fifth number-one single on the Hot 100 thus far ("SOS," "Umbrella," "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia," as well as T.I.'s "Live Your Life"). This made Rihanna one of the two female solo artists with the most number-one singles of the decade, with the other being Beyoncé Knowles. It has shipped over two million units in the United States, receiving a two-times-platinum certification from the RIAA; this gave Rihanna her best-selling album to date.
Rihanna was nominated in four categories at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, winning Monster Single of the Year and Video of the Year. At the 2008 Grammy Awards, Rihanna earned her first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, in addition to receiving five other nominations, including Record of the Year, Best Dance Recording, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song. In support of the album, she kicked off her second headlining tour The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour on September 12, 2007, with several shows across the United States, Canada and Europe and then embarked on the Glow in the Dark Tour with Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and N.E.R.D on April 16, 2008. Rihanna won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2008 American Music Awards. In December 2008, Margeaux Watson of Entertainment Weekly wrote an article entitled "Rihanna: Diva of the year" which he referred to her breakout success of 2008.
2009-10: Domestic violence case and Rated R
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| Rihanna on the AMA red carpet in 2009 |
On February 8, 2009, Rihanna's scheduled performance at the 2009 Grammy Awards was cancelled. Reports later surfaced regarding an alleged altercation with then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, who was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats. On March 5, 2009, Brown was charged with assault and making criminal threats. Due to a leaked photograph from the Los Angeles Police Department obtained by TMZ.com—which revealed Rihanna had sustained visible injuries—an organization known as STOParazzi has proposed a law called "Rihanna's Law," which, if enacted, would "deter employees of law enforcement agencies from releasing photos or information that exploits crime victims." Gil Kaufman of VH1 reported "the nonstop coverage of the Rihanna/Brown case has brought up a number of issues regarding the privacy of alleged victims of domestic violence, including the decision by almost all major news outlets to divulge the identity of the victim—which is not typically done in domestic-violence cases" and the controversial distribution of the leaked photograph. Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify during a preliminary hearing in L.A. on June 22, 2009. "The DA told me Rihanna will be subpoenaed. I will accept on her behalf," Rihanna's attorney, Donald Etra told Us Weekly. On June 22, 2009, Brown pled guilty to the felony assault. In exchange for his plea Brown received five years probation and was ordered to stay fifty yards away from Rihanna, unless at public events, which then will be reduced to ten yards.
Rihanna made an appearance as the central character in Kanye West's music video "Paranoid". She also collaborated with Jay-Z and West on "Run This Town" which peaked at number two on Billboard Hot 100 as well as reaching the top ten in ten other countries. The song won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, bringing her total to three Grammys. Her fourth studio album, Rated R, was released in November 2009. Rolling Stone was favorable of the album commenting that "Rihanna has transformed her sound and made one of the best pop records of the year". The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of one million copies. Its first three singles: "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy" peaked within the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Rude Boy" reaching number-one. The song also topped the charts in Australia, while reaching number two in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand and Switzerland. In January 2010, Rihanna won two Barbados Music Awards for "Song of the Decade" with "Umbrella" and "Entertainer of the Decade". She was named "International Female Artist of the Year" at the 2010 NRJ Music Awards.Two other singles were released from Rated R, which included "Rockstar 101" and the final single from the album, "Te Amo". To further promote the album, she embarked on her worldwide tour, the Last Girl on Earth Tour.
2010–present: Loud
During the summer, Rihanna collaborated with rapper Eminem on "Love the Way You Lie", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as other countries including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden. The song became Rihanna's seventh number one hit single on the Hot 100 of her career, making her the female artist with the fifth-most number ones in the chart's history. In August, 2010, a wax figure of Rihanna was unveiled in Madame Tussauds in Washington D.C. Rihanna was asked by Kanye West in or around August 2010 to contribute to "All of the Lights", the fifth track from West's fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. In an interview with MTV News, Rihanna stated that she "loved" the song, which also features several other artists, including but not limited to Alicia Keys, John Legend, Fergie and Elton John. On October 19, 2010, Rihanna released a self-titled book, and is currently working on Peter Berg's film, Battleship, scheduled for release in 2012. On October 20, 2010, Rihanna announced that she was parting ways with manager Marc Jordan and will henceforth be managed by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. She is also starting her own company, Rihanna Entertainment, in which she will "merge all of her businesses including music, film, fragrance, fashion and book ventures".
Rihanna released her fifth studio album, Loud, on November 16, 2010. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 207,000 copies in its first week, becoming the fifth top-ten album of Rihanna's career in the US, with her best week of sales.Its lead single, "Only Girl (In the World)", was digitally released in the United States in September 2010. After many weeks, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. "Only Girl" also reached number one in many other countries including Australia, Canada, and the UK. Later the song won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 53rd Grammy Awards. The album's second single, "What's My Name?", featuring rapper Drake, also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Although it was the second single from Loud, it reached the top spot before the first single, "Only Girl (In the World)" making it the first time in Hot 100 history that an album's debut single reached number one after the second single.
On December 5, 2010, Rihanna had three songs in the top ten on the UK singles chart with "Only Girl (In The World)" at number seven, "What's My Name?" at number eight, and the David Guetta single "Who's That Chick?" at number nine. On January 9, 2011, the same three songs were in the top ten on the UK singles chart with "What's My Name?" at number one, "Only Girl (In The World)" at number nine, and the David Guetta single "Who's That Chick?" at number ten.
On January 9, 2011, "What's My Name?" hit the top spot on the official UK singles chart, giving Rihanna the record of being the first female solo artist to have 5 number one singles in the UK in consecutive years. In 2007, "Umbrella" gave Rihanna her first UK number one single; in 2008, "Take A Bow" gave her her second; in 2009, "Run This Town" was the third; in 2010, "Only Girl (In the World)" gave her her fourth UK number one single.
Rihanna will embark on her fourth concert tour, the Loud Tour, later this year, in support of the album.
On February 20, 2011, the day of her 23rd birthday, she performed on the 2011 NBA All-Star Game halftime show, held at Staples Center, in LA.
Artistry
Music and voice
Volume 65 of the Contemporary Black Biography book series notes that "Rihanna is the rare rhythm and blues (R&B) diva to emerge from the Caribbean world." Becoming an international sensation, Rihanna is known for blending R&B with Caribbean music, such as reggae and dancehall. Peter Coulter of the Antrim Times commented that "Rihanna has an amazing voice which showed during her acoustic set, she just needs to work on her audience engagement during live shows." At the time of her debut, reviewers referred to her as a "bubblegum queen" and her music to "teen pop." Larry Meyler of The Sun stated that "Rihanna going bad is very good" and that she had "[shaken] off any 'teen pop' image as she rocked the stage." While performing at the Ottawa Bluesfest, Denis Armstrong of Canadian Online Explorer commented on her performance saying "her show was a Disney-esque choreographed fantasy of non-stop hip-swivelling, sassy attitude and personal endearments and a string of funky, sugar-free hits."[108] After revealing a new image while headlining her first tour, she was likely to be criticized for her tight leather outfit during each show. A review in The Times compared Rihanna's stage wardrobe styling to that of Janet Jackson. He described her outfit as "a vision of Ann Summers couture in thigh-high boots and a few scraps of black PVC." Stuart Derdeyn of The Province commented that "even with the whole haute couture B&D clearly firing on all points, she's still got a ways to go to become the new Janet Jackson."
Rihanna's musical style has changed during the release of her last three albums. She was originally marketed as a reggae singer since she burst into the music scene in 2005, with a styles of pop, R&B and dancehall. Her music include various styles of musical genres, including contemporary R&B, dance-pop and the Caribbean music styles of reggae and dancehall.With the release of Music of the Sun and its lead single "Pon de Replay", Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic described Rihanna's musical style as "synthesize Caribbean rhythms and beats with standard-issue urban dance-pop: Caribbean-inflected urban, if you will." Rihanna is described as utilizing "dancehall-lite beats and a reggae vocal cadence." NME describes the singer as a "heady mix of dancehall, reggae and contemporary R&B." Barry Walters of Rolling Stone considers Rihanna's A Girl Like Me to be "lightweight dancehall and R&B jams." After the release of Good Girl Gone Bad, Allmusic's Andy Kellman credits Rihanna to be "as pop as pop gets." Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times described her hit "Umbrella" as a lightweight pop confection with a heavy hip-hop backbeat, a breezy love song enriched by those unexpectedly goth-sounding keyboards and by the incongruous hint of anguish in Rihanna’s girlish voice.
Her debut album featured production from pop veterans Evan Rogers and Carl Sturken who first discovered her. Sturken and Rogers have collaborated with Rihanna many times, including with her debut single "Pon de Replay", which helped launch her career with the tradition of reggae and dance pop and collaborated on her sophomore album. Rihanna then enlisted into the pop and contemporary R&B working with music producer Stargate and singer-songwriter Ne-Yo on "Unfaithful" and sampling the key section, bass line, and drum beat from Soft Cell's 1981 single "Tainted Love" on "SOS". With songs like "Kisses Don't Lie" and "Shut Up and Drive", her music style became more rock-oriented. Unlike Music of the Sun or A Girl Like Me, her third album contained a more dance-pop sound and less of the dancehall, reggae and ballad styles of her previous albums. She has included various styles of music from uptempo pop-reggae with "Pon De Replay", to an 80's new wave fueled club banger "SOS" to the whiff of gothic horror in a love song "Unfaithful". Most of her love subject ballads contain a mid-tempo pop sound, with an R&B influences that uses of a gently strummed acoustic guitar with the production of Stargate and the songs written by Ne-Yo. Some of her up-tempo dance-pop songs include production from Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and J. R. Rotem. She has taken to sampling songs from other artist like Soft Cell's "Tainted Love" on "SOS", New Order's "Blue Monday" on "Shut Up and Drive" and '70s original song "Soul Makossa" of Manu Dibango with a part of the chorus from Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" on "Don't Stop the Music".
Influences
One of Rihanna's major influences and idols is Mariah Carey. She says, "I looked up to Mariah a lot and I still do. I admire her as an artist, and to [compete with her] was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life. Rihanna also considers Madonna as one of her idols and biggest influences, saying "Madonna has reinvented herself throughout her career and moved into different areas. I want to be the black Madonna." Of Janet Jackson, Rihanna has commented that "she was one of the first female pop icons that I could relate to ... She was so vibrant, she had so much energy. She still has power. I’ve seen her on stage, and she can stand there for 20 minutes and have the whole arena scream at her. You have to love Janet." Beyoncé Knowles has been named as a major influence, citing that she was inspired to start her career after watching Knowles on television as part of a Destiny's Child performance. Her other musical influences include Bob Marley, (for whom she built a shrine in her Los Angeles home) Alicia Keys Whitney Houston, Destiny's Child, Celine Dion, Brandy and Gwen Stefani. Her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to, having a fellow artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.
Rihanna's music contains strong influences of caribbean music which include reggae and dancehall. The video for "Rude Boy" was inspired by her Caribbean roots. In an interview, she stated that while growing up in Barbados she grew up listening to reggae music and when she came to the United States she was exposed to many different types of music. During The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, she did a cover to "Is This Love" which paid tribute to Marley; she would later do a cover song to Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Redemption Song". Rihanna commented that Marilyn Monroe and vintage clothing served for visual inspiration for the music video "Hate That I Love You" and "Rehab"; in contrast, the "dark, creepy" scenes of "Disturbia" have drawn comparison to Michael Jackson's Thriller. The music video ranked number five on the "Top Five Most Paranoid Music Videos" published by MTV Buzzworthy. Jon Bream of the Star Tribune commented "in the tradition of Madonna and Janet Jackson, Rihanna has become the video vixen of the '00s ... Rihanna has perfected the pout, the long-legged strut and trend-setting hairdos that keep women and men alike checking her out on YouTube." George Epaminondas of InStyle considers Rihanna's music videos to be "cinematic" due to her "blend of lush island rhythms and swinging pop and ... mischievous sensuality."
Image
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| Rihanna performing "Hard" on her Last Girl on Earth Tour |
New York magazine described Rihanna's early look as a cookie-cutter teen queen while stating that she has the ability to shift looks so dramatically and with such ease. During the release of her sophomore album, many critics felt that Rihanna's sound and substance was too heavily similar to that of Beyoncé. The media even made negative reviews comparing her music, music videos, performances and even her image to Beyoncé, which garnered Rihanna much criticism.Some media even claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Beyoncé. Since the release of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, Rihanna's image has become a sex symbol and set herself apart from other R&B starlets, opting for designer couture over belly-baring crop tops. Sonya Magett of Black Voices reported that Rihanna's style has become quite risqué since she burst onto the scene four years ago. Rihanna's fashion and style landed her on the list of People's 10 Best Dressed Stars of 2008. In 2009, she ranked seventeenth on Glamour magazine's list of the 50 Most Glamorous Women. Tracey Lomrantz of Glamour commented, "If style risks could be measured in miles, Rihanna would have criss-crossed the globe a thousand times over already." She has appeared on Maxim's Hot 100 list for three consecutive years, from 2007 to 2009, listed in positions eight, fifteen, and eight, respectively. In June 2007, Rihanna was named 2007 Venus Breeze's "Celebrity Legs Of A Goddess" by Gillette.
Rihanna's tattoos have drawn much media attention. Her tattoos include a music note tattoo on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, a Sanskrit prayer going down her hip, a star in her left ear, the word love on her left middle finger, an Arabic phrase meaning "Freedom in Christ" on her ribcage area, a trail of stars going down the back of her neck, a skull with a pink hair bow, the phrase "shhh..." on her right index finger, the date 11.4.86 in Roman numerals on top of her left shoulder, a henna-style dragon claw including hibiscus flowers, a handgun under her right armpit, a six-word phrase on her chest, and the phrase "rebelle fleur" on her neck, said to mean "rebel/rebellious flower" in French. Her gun tattoo was planned to be just below her shoulders but was ultimately located on her ribcage. In answer to criticism for her violence-themed tattoo, Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, her tattoo artist, was quick to explain his opinion that the image simply "represents strength and power".Her thirteenth tattoo which she had was on her chest and reads, "Never a failure, always a lesson". She had it tattoed backwards, McCurdy says, because she wanted to be able to read it in the mirror. When he asked why she wanted it, she said that it was her "motto in life for everything".
Other ventures
In October 2005, Rihanna struck her first endorsement deal with Secret Body Spray for them to sponsor her first tour, Rihanna's Secret Body Spray Tour In 2006, Rihanna participated in several endorsement deals, including Nike sportswear for the launch of her "SOS"[36] and J. C. Penney. That same year, she received an endorsement deal from Clinique to promote their Happy fragrance. She recorded a song written by Ne-Yo entitled "Just Be Happy" as part of the deal to promote their Happy fragrance. Rihanna also recorded a song called "Winning Women" with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger for Procter & Gamble's female deodorant Secret. In 2007, Rihanna signed with CoverGirl and became a celebrity spokesperson which included appearances on TV commercials and in the Barbados Tourism Authority's tourism commercials.
In December 2008, Rihanna contracted with Gucci to appear in their ads for the Tattoo Heart Collection, a special-edition line. In the Gucci handbag ad, Rihanna is seen hanging from a giant hoop, scantily clad in a barely-there white bodysuit and wearing an oversized white Gucci purse. The success of her single, "Umbrella" earned her an endorsement deal with Totes. Her handlers pitched her hit "Umbrella" to Totes and the song became the soundtrack for commercials in which she starred. On April 8, 2009, it was announced that Rihanna inked a fragrance deal with Jay-Z’s licensing company Iconic Fragrances. The fragrance is named Reb'l Fleur and was released in 2011. Rihanna was working with her artistic director for Rated R, Simon Henwood, on the book Rihanna. It was released on September 14, 2010. In August 2010 Rihanna began appearing in an Australian television advert for Optus, a position previously held by Pink.
Philanthropy
Rihanna created her Believe Foundation in 2006 to help terminally ill children.Rihanna explained her reasons for starting the Foundation saying, "When I was young and I would watch television and I would see all the children suffering, I always said: when I grow up, I want to help." Rihanna is also heavily involved in the marketing of her native country of Barbados. She began by including the flag and broken trident in many of her videos, shooting her album packaging for A Girl Like Me there. In September 2007, she became the official face of tourism for Barbados, being included in many of their ad campaigns. She holds the honorary title of Ambassador for Culture and Youth in Barbados.She additionally was honored by the Prime Minister David Thompson, who presented her with several gifts at a national concert on February 20, 2008, in Barbados, called "Rihanna Day". In February 2008, Rihanna thanked and honoured her country during the acceptance speech for her win of "Best Rap/Sung Collaboration" at the Grammy Awards. Although Rihanna is heavily involved in the promotion of her country and works with the government in Barbados to do so, she is often criticized by other Barbadians for everything from her music to her successes and for wearing "skimpy clothes". Rihanna, speaking on one incident, said, "I went to the beach and I had on a one-piece swimsuit with jeans They took the picture and they made it look like a top that was really revealing... There were radio programmes about it. It was a big deal for, like, three weeks straight – talking about I'm not setting a good example." Rihanna states she was bullied at school. "Having lighter skin wasn’t a problem in my household, but it was when I went to school — which really confused me at first. The harassment continued to my very last day of elementary school."
Rihanna has performed a number of concerts to raise funds for both charities and the Foundation and is a 2008 Cartier Love Charity Bracelet Ambassador. She performed at Madonna’s Raising Malawi fundraiser on February 6, 2008, in New York City. After becoming an honorary cultural ambassador for Barbados, Rihanna became involved with DKMS, an international donor network based in Tübingen, Germany, to try to find a donor for Lisa Gershowitz Flynn. The Manhattan attorney had been diagnosed in November with acute myelogenous leukemia. In January 2008, Rihanna contributed in the fight against AIDS when she visited the H&M in New York to support Fashion Against AIDS by presenting her t-shirt design and signing autographs for a limited time with slogans like "Believe" and "Stop and Think." The collection features t-shirts and hoodies designed by Rihanna, Timbaland and other well-known designers, musicians and artists. The line, called Fashion Against AIDS, was launched in February 2008 to raise awareness of the disease among teens and spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. In August 2008, Rihanna and other pop, rock, R&B and country singers such as Carrie Underwood, Ciara, Beyoncé Knowles, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, and Fergie recorded the charity single, "Just Stand Up!", the theme song to the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer and its theme song. The singers performed the song live on September 5, 2008. Rihanna was also selected as the spokesmodel for Gucci’s first United Nations Children's Fund ad campaign. She appeared in the fashion house’s Tattoo Heart campaign, which premiered in December 2008. Rihanna was photographed in series of special edition print ads with United Nations Children's Fund items, twenty-five percent of sales will benefit the children’s charity.
On November 19, 2008, Rihanna was enlisted by Gucci's Frida Giannini along with Madonna to light the United Nations Children's Fund Christmas snowflake in New York City at the Grand Army Plaza. In 2008, she became the global representative and the face of the 4th annual Gucci Campaign to Benefit United Nations Children's Fund. The campaign aimed to raise funds for children in Africa through the sale of its Tattoo Heart collection of bags, which launched worldwide on November 19, 2008. Rihanna has been a part of many benefit concerts to help raise money for various illnesses, such as cancer for Hope Rocks. Rihanna performed on January 20, 2009, at the Recording Industry Association of America's Presidential Inauguration Charity Ball to raise money for the world largest anti-hunger organization. On April 2, 2009, Rihanna visited the NYU Medical Center to help look for another bone marrow donor for a young girl named Jasmina Anema. Rihanna first learned about Anema's plight in February 2009, when she saw the moving video Anema's best friend, Isabelle Huurman, and her mother, Karen Detrick, made appealing for donors to save Anema.Rihanna honored Anema's best friend, Isabella, for her efforts for trying to save her best friend at a DKMS Gala on May 7, 2009. Jasmina Anema eventually received her transplant on June 11, 2009,but died on January 27, 2010. In September 2009, Rihanna performed at Jay-Z's "Answer to Call" concert, which paid tribute to the police officers and firefighters who died on the September 11 attacks. In February 2011, Rihanna was scheduled to perform at a charity concert for the Women's Cancer Research Fund, but was forced to pull out at the last minute, due to bronchitis.
(source:wikipedia)
Wednesday, August 4
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean, born October 17, 1972, is a Haitian-American recording artist and record producer.
Early life
Born in Haiti, the son of a Nazarene pastor, Wyclef briefly attended Eastern Nazarene College.
Wyclef moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was nine, before moving again to northern New Jersey. He worked briefly as a Burger King crew employee as a teenager, before he was fired. Jean has been a resident of Saddle River and South Orange, New Jersey. Jean, who regrets dropping out of college, has announced plans to attend Boston's Berklee College of Music. Jean has cited reggae artist Bigga Haitian as one of his early influences.
In 1994 he married Fusha designer Marie Claudinette. In 2005 they adopted their daughter, Angelina Claudinelle Jean. The couple renewed their vows in August 2009.
His uncle, political activist, journalist and diplomat Raymond Alcide Joseph, is the Haitian ambassador to the United States since 2005, and came to prominence as a spokesman for his country after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake and together with Wyclef issued an appeal for international aid.
Fugees-era
Jean's musical breakthrough was as part of The Refugee Camp (The Fugees), a three-member group that included Lauryn Hill and Prakazrel "Pras" Michel. Jean is Pras's cousin and a fellow Haitian immigrant. The Fugees signed to Ruffhouse Records, which released the group's debut album, Blunted on Reality. It sold fairly well, peaking at #49 on the U.S. Hot 100 and selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The follow-up album The Score sold over 18 million copies worldwide, eventually becoming a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning album.
Jean announced plans to begin a solo career with 1997's Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival Featuring the Refugee All-Stars (generally called The Carnival). The album's guests included Lauryn Hill and Pras along with Jean's siblings Melky Sedeck and Farel Sedeck Guerschom Jean, the I Threes (back-up vocals for Bob Marley), The Neville Brothers and Celia Cruz. The album was a hit, as were two singles: "We Trying to Stay Alive" (adapted from The Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive") and "Gone Till November" (recorded with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra).
Solo career
At the concert Woodstock 1999, Jean paid homage to 1969 Woodstock performer Jimi Hendrix by setting fire to his guitar after playing "The Star-Spangled Banner", and burnt his fingers while doing so.
Jean's second solo album, released in 2000, was The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book. This was recorded with guests including Youssou N'Dour; Earth, Wind & Fire; Kenny Rogers; The Rock; and Mary J. Blige. With Blige he released "911" as a single. He was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Jean participated in the benefit concert America: A Tribute to Heroes contributing a cover of the Bob Marley song "Redemption Song".
Jean's third album, Masquerade, was released in 2002. His fourth album, The Preacher's Son, was released in November 2003 as the follow-up to his first solo album, The Carnival.
In 2004, he released his fifth album, entitled Sak Pasé Presents: Welcome to Haïti (Creole 101) (released in the United States by Koch Records). Most of its songs are in his native language of Haitian Creole like "Fanm Kreyol" with the French Caribbean Admiral T. He also figured on the album Mozaik Kreyol of this one in the song "Secret Lover". Then he covered Creedence Clearwater Revival's song "Fortunate Son" for the soundtrack of the 2004 film remake of The Manchurian Candidate and wrote the song "Million Voices" for the film Hotel Rwanda.
Jean also produced and wrote songs for the soundtrack to Jonathan Demme's 2003 documentary The Agronomist, about the Haitian activist and radio personality Jean Dominique. With Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Jean also composed the score of the documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, in which he appears onscreen speaking by telephone in 2004 to a "chimere" gang-leader and aspiring rapper, Winston "2Pac" Jean.
During a period between 2004 and 2006 and fueled by a reunion performance in Dave Chappelle's "Block Party", it appeared that the Fugees were on track to record a new album, however Fugees member Pras claims to Billboard "To put it nicely, it's dead." He says the root of this animosity is the third member of the group, Lauryn Hill, saying to Billboard, "Me and Clef, we on the same page, but Lauryn Hill is in her zone, and I'm fed up with that shit. Here she is, blessed with a gift, with the opportunity to rock and give and she's running on some bulls**t? I'm a fan of Lauryn's but I can't respect that."
Jean released an album in September 2007 that he recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with the help of T.I., who also collaborated with Jean on the songs "You Know What it is" and "My Swag" on T.I.'s 2007 album, T.I. vs. T.I.P. Recently, Wyclef released a new song called "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" featuring Lil' Wayne, Niia and Akon, which references the song "C.R.E.A.M." by the Wu-Tang Clan. The album also features a single, "Fast Car", whose video was made with the assistance of video game Burnout Paradise. In November 2008, an upbeat single 'Let Me Touch Your Button' featuring will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas) was released in the UK in conjunction with Wyclef's invovlement with UK MOTOROKRSTAR (which sees Motorola UK on the search to discover British talent).
In 2009, he featured in a song called "Spanish Fly" with Ludacris and Bachata group Aventura in Aventura's upcoming album "The Last" which came out in June.
On June 17, 2009, Wyclef announced via Twitter that his new album will be called wyclefjean to be released sometime in February 2010.[citation needed] The first single off of wyclefjean is to be titled "Seventeen" and will feature Lil' Wayne.
In November 2009, A track titled "Suicide Love" featuring rapper Eve leaked online prior to the release of his EP.
Wyclef Jean's EP named From the Hut, to the Projects, to the Mansion was released on November 10, 2009. It includes 17 tracks, featuring Cyndi Lauper, Timbaland, Eve, and Lil' Kim. In this album, Wyclef uses the alias Toussaint St. Jean, his alter ego when he raps.
Jean's self-entitled studio album is due to be released in 2010. "Hold On," the lead single from the project will feature Dancehall artist Mavado.
Yéle Haiti
Wyclef at the ONEXONE benefit in San Francisco, October 2008
In 2005, Jean established the Yéle Haiti Foundation. In its first year of operation, the foundation, with funding by Comcel, provided scholarships to 3,600 children in Gonaïves, Haiti, after the devastation by Hurricane Jeanne. In its second year of operation, it is almost doubling the amount of the scholarships and spreading them throughout Haiti, providing tuition in 5 regions. The foundation aims to provide 6,800 scholarships to children in Port-au-Prince, Gonaïves, Les Cayes, Port-de-Paix, and Cap-Haïtien.
The Foundation filed its tax forms for 2005–2007 all in August 2009, a delay Charity Navigator characterized as "odd" even among charities, and "beyond late". Much of Yéle Haiti's money has been paid out to Wyclef Jean, his relative and fellow Yéle Haiti director Jerry Duplessis, or companies they own. For example, the Foundation claimed about $1,000,000 in revenue for 2006, but paid $250,000 to Telemax, a television station controlled by Jean and Duplessis, $31,000 to rent its own offices from Platinum Sound owned by Jean and Duplessis, and $100,000 for Jean's own performance at a benefit concert in Monaco, when Jean had been paid only $40,000 as headliner at 2002 festival at the top of his career with the Fugees.
Hugh Locke, president of Yéle Haiti, said "I think people should be very comfortable that any money given to Yéle Haiti is going 100 percent to emergency relief." and that the group hopes to increase the percentage of its budget on services as it gains experience.He described the concert payments as "not our finest hour". A spokesman for Yéle Haiti's public relations firm described paying Jean's and Duplessis' companies as an opportunity to receive services at a "severely reduced" rate and a "significant discount".
Yéle Haiti, and its predecessor the Wyclef Jean Foundation, have been involuntarily dissolved by the Florida Division of Corporations on multiple occasions for failing to file required state disclosure reports.Of the $1,142,944 in total revenue the foundation collected in 2006, at least $410,000 was paid directly to Jean and his business partner for rent, production services, and Jean's appearance at a benefit concert.
In a 2009 interview with Allhiphop.com writer Han O'Connor, Wyclef stated that his priority for the organization was to raise money to build the Yéle Center, which would be a facility that consists of a sports center, Wyclef Jean School of the Arts, a cultural center focusing on the environment and an internet café. During the interview he claimed that he feels the key to improving the situation in Haiti is to build sustainable opportunity.
After the earthquake on January 12, 2010 in Haiti, Jean called on others to donate to his foundation's Yéle Haiti Earthquake Fund, imploring "We must act now."
Jean has been active in his support of his native country and created the foundation Yéle Haiti to provide humanitarian aid and assistance to Haiti. He describes Yéle as a non-political organization intended to empower the people of Haiti and the Haitian diaspora to rebuild their nation, saying, "The objective of Yéle Haiti is to restore pride and a reason to hope, and for the whole country to regain the deep spirit and strength that is part of our heritage".[citation needed]. Yéle Haiti was created in October 2004 with Wyclef's cousin Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis. Projects were launched in January 2005. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were present for the first anniversary of the launch in 2006.
In January 2007, Jean became a roving ambassador for Haiti, to help improve its image abroad.
May 20, 2008 – Yéle Haiti partnered with WFP (World Food Programme) of the United Nations to launch www.togetherforhaiti.org
September, 2008 – Wyclef in conjunction with Yéle Haiti Charity delivered food to Hurricane Ike victims in Haiti. Matt Damon provided assistance in the food lines serving food.
Oct 23, 2008 – Wyclef Jean performed on stage with Carlos Santana in San Francisco on behalf of Yéle Haiti, OneXOne, and WaterPartners International to raise funds for clean water, education, health, environment, and community development in the USA and in the developing world.
In 2009, Wyclef Jean and The Timberland Company joined forces to help raise environmental awareness in Haiti. This duo "will be a multi-platform effort incorporating Timberland products, digital and social media, service events, music, and concerts that will promote environmental awareness." The campaign will push to support and educate the country as well as helping to improve health care and the environment, and the community. Wyclef Jean also plans to spread information about the joint efforts through social media outlets such as "Twitter, YouTube, Myspace, Facebook, imeem, and Social Vibe."He also aims to use social networking websites to help raise money to build the Yéle Center.
In January 2010, along with his uncle Raymond Joseph, Haitian ambassador to the US, Wyclef issued an appeal for international aid following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake. Yéle Haiti also came under "fiscal scrutiny" for some questionable payments made to Wyclef and his businesses.The tax returns can be seen on thesmokinggun.com website.
Also following the Haitian earthquake, ABC News uncovered how e-mail spammers posed as Jean to siphon money from potential donors to his foundation. Thousands of people reportedly received the message, which software security groups and charity watchdogs said was a scam.
Politics
Wikinews has related news: Wyclef Jean considering standing for president of Haiti
Jean said he was considering running for President of Haiti in the 2010 elections.
Finances
Wyclef performing at the Mezzanine in San Francisco to a full house, July 2008
Wyclef's waterfront mansion that was purchased through his corporation on Pine Tree Drive in Miami Beach, Florida, is now owned by a bank as of November 2008. The property is valued at US$1.4 million. He took out a US$2-million mortgage to purchase and renovate the property, but fell behind in payments. There are more than $100,000 in construction and architectural liens associated with the property. The house was reported to be auctioned at the Miami-Dade Courthouse on December 12, 2008. Wyclef Jean's corporation, which he and a few friends set up several years ago, then owed the bank US$2.4 million.
In January 2009, Wyclef mentioned, in a walk-by interview, that the problems with their Miami property were due to a contractor's sitting on the job for two years, and that the court-ordered sale did not take place, and that he plans to sell the property later.
Appearances in television and film
Jean at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival
Was a musical guest star on Nickelodeon sketch comedy show All That during the 1990s.
In 1997, toured "Carnival" album on MTV's "Live from the 10 Spot" at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan.
Performed "Sweetest Girl" on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Performed "President" on the second season of Chappelle's Show.
In 2001, he appeared in the made-for-television movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera alongside Beyonce and Mos Def, as a fortune teller.
Performed on the 2003 Source Awards with DJ Khaled.
Appeared for a second time on Chappelle's Show in a parody of Making the Band.
Appeared on the The Apprentice (US Season 4) in 2005. Did a rap, "Rubble Man", with the winning team, Excel, as their reward for winning task five.
Also in 2005, he played gang leader Marcel Hollis who leads his group on an assault on the station house in the NBC television drama Third Watch.
In 2004, Jean, Pras and Hill reunited as The Fugees for an event filmed and released in 2006 as Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
He also starred in Virgin Mobile commercials as himself. In one commercial, a woman approaches him and tricks him into signing a contract which legally binds them in marriage. She drags him back to her trailer-park home where he is mistreated, forced to work and pleasure his wife. Eventually, he runs away and seeks police assistance, but is instead arrested for violating his contract and ultimately winds up in jail.
Appeared in 2002 Jamaican gangster film Shottas, released in 2006.
In 2005, he played the role of a Jamaican drug dealer in the movie Dirty.
He narrated the movie Full Clip, starring Busta Rhymes, Xzibit, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Spliff Star, and others.
He has appeared and performed on the Source Awards with DJ Khaled, with Wyclef and his band and Khaled doing turntables.
He appears in the documentary film Ghosts of Cité Soleil, released in limited theaters on June 27, 2007.
In 2005, he appeared in the film One Last Thing.... His character is a cab driver named Emmett Ducasse. It is implied he is an angel due to being in the main character's "Heaven". Wyclef also has an original track that is the closing credits first song. The song is "Heaven's in New York".
In December 2007, starred in the four-part MTV exclusive online short-film Americlef
On April 26, 2008 he hosted the MTV Australia Awards
He appeared on a remix of his own track "Bubblegoose" for Chef Aid: The South Park Album, where he sings alongside the main characters of the show.
Created a music video at the University of San Francisco for the song "President" in February 2008.
May 20, 2008: At the Gansevoort Hotel, Wyclef Jean in partnership with the WFP and PADF launched TOGETHER FOR HAITI to address the hunger crisis in HAITI www.togetherforhaiti.org http://think.mtv.com/044FDFFFF009898BA00170098F67D/ members of the American and international television and print media were invited to cover the news. UN envoy Jeffrey Sachs introduced Jean. Supermodel Petra Nemcova was on hand to support. A surprise appearance was made by Paul Simon.
August 25, 2008: Wyclef Jean goes "On The Record" with Greta Van Susteren of FOX News discussing his life and career, political coverage, Obama, McCain, Bush and 9-11.
January 11, 2009: Wyclef Jean is featured on 60 Minutes
January 30, 2009: Wyclef Jean is featured on The Musical Brain on CTV, a documentary film based on Daniel Levitin's book This Is Your Brain On Music.
2009 TV appearance on "30 Rock." (performed He Needs a Kidney with many other musicians).
FIFA 10 Soundtrack "MVP Kompa"
Performed on David Letterman with Cyndi Lauper and DJ Rekha on Monday, November 16, 2009, singing "Slumdog Millionaire"
Performed on the Nobel Peace Prize Concert In Oslo(Norway), December 11, 2009.
Was a guest speaker on Hope For Haiti Now telethon, January 22, 2010.
Was a guest speaker on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, January 31, 2010.
Source:Wyclef Jean
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