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A.W.O.L. (album)
''A.W.O.L.'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper AZ. It was released on September 6, 2005 via Fast Life Music. Production was handled by The Heatmakerz, Baby Paul, Disco D, DJ Premier, Emile Haynie, Frado, J-Hen, Jimi Kendrix, Lil' Fame, MoSS, Vinny Idol, Buckwild, DJ Absolut, Tone Mason and Young Calvin. It features guest appearances from Begetz, Bounty Killer, Ghostface Killah, Half a Mill, Noe, Raekwon and CL Smooth. In the United States, the album peaked at number 73 on the ''Billboard'' 200, number 17 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, number 10 on the Top Rap Albums and number 5 on the Independent Albums charts. The album was supported with four 12" promotional singles: "Serious" b/w "Live Wire", "AZ's Chillin" b/w "Never Change", "The Come Up" b/w "Magic Hour" and "Still Alive" b/w "New York". Background The album was recorded after '' Final Call'', which AZ declined to release because his label had pushed its release back two months—according to him, they we ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
AZ (rapper)
Anthony Cruz (born March 9, 1972), known professionally as AZ, is an American rapper. Best known for his affiliation with hometown native and fellow East Coast rapper Nas, they formed the New York City-based hip hop group the Firm along with Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature in 1996. Cruz first saw recognition for his guest appearance on Nas' 1994 single " Life's a Bitch", from his album '' Illmatic'' (1994). Cruz was then signed by EMI to release his debut studio album, '' Doe or Die'' (1995), which was met with critical acclaim. Its lead single, " Sugar Hill" (featuring Miss Jones) peaked at number 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Moreover, The Firm's sole album (1997) peaked atop the ''Billboard'' 200 chart despite unfavorable critical response; the group disbanded two years later. Upon EMI's dissolution, he was transferred to its sister labels, Noo Trybe Records and Virgin Records, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Now (newspaper)
''Now'' (styled as ''NOW''), also known as ''NOW Magazine'' is an online publication based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Through most of its existence, ''Now'' was a free alternative weekly newspaper. Physical publication of ''Now'' was suspended in August 2022, amid the bankruptcy of its former owner Media Central Corporation, although some new content was still published to its website. In January 2023, it was announced that the publication will be acquired by journalist Brandon Gonez. Publication history ''Now'' was first published on September 10, 1981, by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein."Publisher of Toronto's iconic NOW Magazine files for bankruptcy." ''blogTO'', April 1, 2022. ''NOW'' is an alternative weekly that covers news, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Top Rap Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, 1965, in an effort by the magazine to further expand into the field of rhythm and blues music. It then went through several name changes, being known as Soul LPs in the 1970s and Top Black Albums in the 1980s, before returning to the R&B identification in 1990 and affixing a hip hop designation in 1999 to reflect the latter's growing sales and relationship to R&B during the decade. From 1965 through 2009, the chart was compiled based on reported sales at a core panel of stores with a "higher-than-average volume" of R&B and/or hip-hop album sales to monitor buying trends of the African-American community. This panel included more independent and smaller chain stores compared to the high percentage of mass merchants that account for overall ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a music chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks R&B and hip-hop albums based on sales in the United States and is compiled by Luminate. The chart debuted as Hot R&B LPs in the issue dated January 30, 1965, in an effort by the magazine to further expand into the field of rhythm and blues music. It then went through several name changes, being known as Soul LPs in the 1970s and Top Black Albums in the 1980s, before returning to the R&B identification in 1990 and affixing a hip hop designation in 1999 to reflect the latter's growing sales and relationship to R&B during the decade. From 1965 through 2009, the chart was compiled based on reported sales at a core panel of stores with a "higher-than-average volume" of R&B and/or hip-hop album sales to monitor buying trends of the African-American community. This panel included more independent and smaller chain stores compared to the high percentage of mass merchants that account for overal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billboard 200
The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists. Sometimes, a recording act is remembered for its " number ones" that outperformed all other albums during at least one week. The chart grew from a weekly top 10 list in 1956 to become a top 200 list in May 1967, acquiring its existing name in March 1992. Its previous names include the ''Billboard'' Top LPs (1961–1972), ''Billboard'' Top LPs & Tape (1972–1984), ''Billboard'' Top 200 Albums (1984–1985), ''Billboard'' Top Pop Albums (1985–1991), and ''Billboard'' 200 Top Albums (1991–1992). The chart is based mostly on sales—both at retail and digital – of albums in the United States. The weekly sales period was Monday to Sunday when Nielsen started tracking sales in 1991, but since July 2015, the tracking week begins on Friday (to coincide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CL Smooth
Corey Brent Penn Sr. (born October 8, 1968), known by his stage name CL Smooth, is an American rapping, rapper. He is best known as the vocal half of the hip-hop duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Early life Corey Brent Penn Sr. was born on October 8, 1968, in New Rochelle, New York, to a mother who was still in high school and a father who was largely absent after his birth. His main caregivers were his grandmother, who worked as a pediatric nurse, and his grandfather, who worked as a dry-cleaning presser. Smooth attended Mount Vernon High School (New York), Mount Vernon High School, where he met future producer/DJ/rapper Pete Rock. Career After the duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth split in 1995, Pete Rock produced and remixed tracks for dozens of other acts and released instrumental solo albums, while CL Smooth remained musically inactive. Since their split, the two managed to reconcile their differences only long enough to record seven tracks over the course of ten years, namely "Da Two," " ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raekwon
Corey Woods (born January 12, 1970), better known by his stage name Raekwon ( ), is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as a founding member of the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan, which achieved mainstream success following the release of their debut album, ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'', in 1993. Raekwon would subsequently pursue a solo career, releasing his first solo album, entitled ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...'', in 1995. The album received critical acclaim, and is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, as well as a staple of 1990s rap. Whereas his next two albums, ''Immobilarity'' in 1999 and then ''The Lex Diamond Story'' in 2003, drew mixed reviews, his fourth album, long delayed, ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II'', released in September 2009, was likened to ''The Godfather Part II, The Godfather 2''. Recognized for his "street epics" that are "straightforward yet linguistically rich," Raekwo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Half A Mill
Jasun Wardlaw (April 6, 1973 – October 22, 2003) better known by his stage name Half a Mill, was a Brooklyn-based American rapper. Career Half a Mill was considered an underground rapper in the early 1990s. His mainstream breakthrough came in 1997 when he scored a guest spot on supergroup the Firm's only release, '' The Album''. Personal life and death Wardlaw would commit suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ... by shooting himself in the head in Brooklyn's Albany Projects on October 22, 2003. His body was found by police inside his apartment. He left behind a son, Jasun Jabbar Wardlaw Jr., who is a rapper and actor. Half a Mill was the subject of the 2010 full-length documentary '' Player Hating: A Love Story'' by filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West. Disco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ghostface Killah
Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'', the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success. Ghostface Killah debuted his solo career with ''Ironman (Ghostface Killah album), Ironman'', which was well received by music critics, in 1996. He has enjoyed continued success in the years that have followed, releasing critically acclaimed albums such as ''Supreme Clientele'' (2000) and ''Fishscale'' (2006). His stage name was taken from one of the characters in the 1979 kung fu film ''The Mystery of Chess Boxing''. He is the founder of his own record label, Starks Enterprises. Ghostface Killah is critically acclaimed for his loud, fast-paced flow (rapping), flow, and his emotional Stream of consciousness, stream-of-consciousness narratives containi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bounty Killer
Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant flair for gun talk". He is considered one of the best dancehall lyricists of all time. Biography Early life and career Price moved to Kingston at an early age, along with his mother and siblings.Moskowitz, David V. (2006) ''Caribbean Popular Music: an Encyclopedia of Reggae, Mento, Ska, Rock Steady, and Dancehall'', Greenwood Press, , pp. 39–40 Price started his musical career as a sound system deejay in his early teens. At the age of 14, Price was shot by a stray bullet during a gunfight between rival political factions, and while convalescing in hospital decided on the name Bounty Killer. After recovering, he increased his performances on a greater number of sound systems, and turned his attention towards recording. 1990s Before his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guest Appearance
The term guest appearance generally denotes the appearance of a guest in an artistic or pop-culture setting. The guests themselves (referred to as guest artists, featured artists, guest stars, or guest fighters, depending on context), are distinguished from the other real artists or fictional characters by not being part of or fitting the usual theme of the cast. They are usually recognisable on their own and only appear once or rarely within that cast. By medium Show business In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other performing group. In music, such an outside performer is often referred to as a guest artist. Classical performance arts Guest appearances have been known in theatre, ballet, and classical music for centuries, with guests both from the home country and from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hip Hop Production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music in a recording studio. While the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music creation, including recording the rapping of an MC, a turntablist or DJ providing a beat, playing samples and " scratching" using record players and the creation of a rhythmic backing track, using a drum machine or sequencer, it is most commonly used to refer to recording the instrumental, non-lyrical and non-vocal aspects of hip hop. Music production Hip hop producers may be credited as the record producer or songwriter; they may also supervise recording sessions. Hip hop instrumentals are colloquially referred to as beats or musical compositions, while the composer is called either a programmer, songwriter, or beat maker. In the studio, the hip hop producer often functions as both the composer and as a traditional record producer. They are sometimes called Orchestrators. P. Diddy is an example of one, but they are ultimately responsible for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
