GZA
Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA ( ) and the Genius, is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in the group to receive a record deal and being the oldest member. He has appeared on his fellow Wu-Tang members' solo projects, and has maintained a successful solo career starting with his second album '' Liquid Swords'' (1995). His lyrical style often dismisses typical rap story lines in favor of science and wide-ranging philosophies and has been characterized as "armed with sharp metaphors and a smooth flow". An analysis of GZA's lyrics found that he has one of the largest vocabularies in popular hip hop music. He teamed up with an education group to promote science education in New York City through hip hop. Early life GZA was born Gary Grice in Brooklyn, New York City, on August 22, 1966. He developed an interest in hip-hop by attendin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Liquid Swords
''Liquid Swords'' is the second solo studio album by the American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film '' Shogun Assassin'' and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout, incorporating lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy. ''Liquid Swords'' features numerous guest appearances from the other eight members of Wu-Tang Clan along with Wu-Tang affiliate Killah Priest. Upon its release, ''Liquid Swords'' peaked at number nine on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum in sales nearly 20 years after its release. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop collective formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its members include RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and, until his death in 2004, Ol' Dirty Bastard. Close affiliate Cappadonna later became an official member. They are credited for revitalizing East Coast hip hop and are considered one of the greatest hip hop groups of all time.Adaso, Henry25 Best Rap Groups of All-Time. About.com. Retrieved June 19, 2010. After signing to Steve Rifkind's label Loud Records in 1992, Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album '' Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)'' in 1993; initially receiving positive reviews, it has since garnered widespread critical acclaim and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Members of the group released solo albums between 1994 and 1996. In 1997, the group released their second album, '' Wu-Tang Forever''. It debuted atop t ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones (November 15, 1968 – November 13, 2004), known professionally as Ol' Dirty Bastard (often abbreviated as ODB), was an American rapper. He was one of the founding members of the New York rap group Wu-Tang Clan, which formed in 1992. Jones also released music as a solo artist beginning with '' Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version'' (1995). He was noted for his "outrageously profane, free-associative rhymes delivered in a distinctive half-rapped, half-sung style". His professional success was hampered by frequent legal troubles, including incarceration. He died on November 13, 2004, of an accidental drug overdose, at age 35. He is the father of rapper Young Dirty Bastard. Biography Early life, formation of the Wu-Tang Clan Russell Tyrone Jones was born on November 15, 1968, in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn, New York City. On the 1997 released Wu-Tang track "Reunited", Jones claimed his ancestors sold Manhattan to Europeans. Later in an i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Babygrande Records
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood. History Babygrande Records was founded in 2001. The label's catalog includes genres such as Hip Hop, Indie Rock, and EDM. Although distributed by Koch Records (now known as Entertainment One Music) for many years, Babygrande moved to The Orchard for distribution. Artists currently on Babygrande Records (2020) * The Burn Unit * Cap Gold * Drako * ERT * Ghasper * GZA * Liam Tracy * Lil' Scrappy * Mercy * The Original Jet Life Crew * Skylab 3 * Theaftrparty * The Yutes Discography The following is a discography for Babygrande Records, an independent record label based in New York City that specializes in Hip hop, Electronic, and Indie Rock. Artists such as Havoc, The Alchemist, GZA, U-God, Freeway, Kasim Keto, Journalist 103, Brand Nubian, and Jedi Mind T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip-hop includes rapping often enough that the terms can be used synonymously. However, "hip-hop" more properly denotes an entire subculture. Other key markers of the genre are the disc jockey, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks. Cultural interchange has always been central to the hip-hop genre. It simultaneously borrows from its social environment while commenting on it. The hip-hop genre and culture emerged from block parties in ethnic minority neighborhoods of New York City, particularly Bronx. DJs began expanding the instrumental breaks of popular records when they noticed how excited it would make the crowds. The extended instrumental breaks provided a platform for break dancers and rappers. These br ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cold Chillin' Records
Cold Chillin' Records was a record label that released music during the golden age of hip hop from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. A producer-and-crew label founded by manager Tyrone Williams and run by Len Fichtelberg (1930–November 4, 2010), most of the label's releases were by members of the Juice Crew, a loosely knit group of artists centered on producer Marley Marl. In 1998, the label shut down, and the majority of its catalog was bought by Massachusetts-based LandSpeed Records (now Traffic Entertainment). History Initially, Cold Chillin' was a subsidiary of Prism Records, but label head Tyrone Williams and Fichtelberg decided to merge their companies, and Prism was absorbed by Cold Chillin'. In 1988, it signed a five-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records, which remained intact for its full duration. However, since Kool G Rap and DJ Polo's third album, '' Live And Let Die'', was rejected by Warner Bros. on behalf of parent company Time Warner because of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Geffen Records
Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pictures, it is owned by the Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA), a unit of Interscope Capitol Labels Group, owned by Universal Music Group. Geffen has been a part of IGA since 1999 and has been used by Universal Music as a syndicating division of Interscope Records, serving its purpose to operate as a premier label for many new releases since 2003 and its 2017 reboot. History Formation (1980–1990) Geffen Records began operations in 1980. It was created by music industry businessman David Geffen who, in the early 1970s, had co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts. Geffen stepped down from Asylum in 1975, when he crossed over to film and was named a vice president of Warner Bros. Pictures. He was fired from Warner , but still rem ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Profanity
Profanity, also known as swearing, cursing, or cussing, is the usage of notionally word taboo, offensive words for a variety of purposes, including to demonstrate disrespect or negativity, to relieve pain, to express a strong emotion (such as anger, excitement, or surprise), as a grammatical intensifier or emphasis, or to express informality or conversational intimacy. In many formal or polite social situations, it is considered impolite (a violation of social norms), and in some religious groups it is considered a sin. Profanity includes pejorative, slurs, but most profanities are not slurs, and there are many insults that do not use swear words. Swear words can be discussed or even sometimes used for the same purpose without causing offense or being considered impolite if they are obscured (e.g. "fuck" becomes "f***" or "the f-word") or substituted with a minced oath like "flip". Etymology and definitions Profanity may be described as offensive language, dirty words, or ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers ( ) are an American soul group originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, that began as a vocal trio consisting of the brothers O'Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley and Ronald Isley in the 1950s. With a career spanning over seven decades, the group has enjoyed one of the "longest, most influential, and most diverse careers in the pantheon of popular music". Together with a fourth brother, Vernon, the group performed gospel music until Vernon's death a few years after its formation. After moving to New York City in the late 1950s, the group had their first successes during these early years, and rose to prominence in 1959 with their fourth single, "Shout (Isley Brothers song), Shout", written by the three brothers, which became their first single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and sold over a million copies. In the 1960s, the group recorded songs for a variety of record labels, labels, including the top 20 single "Twist and Shout" and the Motown s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Commodores
Commodores, often billed as The Commodores, are an American funk and Soul music, soul group. The group's most successful period was in the late 1970s and early 1980s when Lionel Richie was the co-lead singer. The members of the group met as mostly freshmen at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University) in 1968, and signed with Motown in November 1972, having first caught the public eye opening for the Jackson 5 while on concert tour, tour. The band's biggest hit record, hit singles are Sentimental ballad, ballads such as "Easy (Commodores song), Easy", "Three Times a Lady", and "Nightshift (song), Nightshift"; and funk-influenced dance songs, including "Brick House (song), Brick House", "Fancy Dancer", "Lady (You Bring Me Up)", and "Too Hot ta Trot". Commodores were inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and Vocal Group Hall of Fame. The band has also won one Grammy Award out of nine nominations. The Commodores have sold over 70 million albums worldwide. History Comm ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in summer 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor hit "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once the producers Gamble & Huff signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972. With Gamble & Huff, the O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with ''Back Stabbers'' (1972), and topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 the following year with " Love Train". Several other US R&B hits followed, and the O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013. History The group was formed in Canton, Ohio, in 1958 while its members were attending Canton McKinley High School. Origin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Jiffy Lube Live
Jiffy Lube Live (originally known as the Nissan Pavilion) near Gainesville, Virginia, is an outdoor amphitheatre, amphitheater in suburban Prince William County, about 35 miles west of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Live Nation, the amphitheater can seat 25,262: 10,444 in reserved seats and 14,818 on the lawn. History Development of the venue was a result of work by Cellar Door Productions, a prominent concert promoter in the area at the time. Two separate controversies led to the opening of the venue. The community had voiced complaints regarding the Grateful Dead shows at nearby RFK Stadium, a circumstance similar to the creation of Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California 9 years prior. Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company was in the planning stages of its proposed Disney's America theme park in the area. Locals were angered at the proposed theme park. As a result, authorities granted permits for the pavilion instead. The location was decided due to proximity to ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |