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Untitled (Nas Album)
The untitled ninth studio album by American rapper Nas, commonly referred to eponymously as ''Nas'', or simply ''Untitled,'' was released on July 15, 2008, by The Jones Experience, Columbia Records and The Island Def Jam Music Group. Its original title ''Nigger'' was omitted due to controversy surrounding the racial epithet. The album is distinguished for its political content, diverse sources of production, and provocative subject matter. The album features guest appearances from Chris Brown, Keri Hilson, Busta Rhymes, and The Game, among others. The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200, becoming Nas' fifth to do so, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of over 500,000 copies in the United States. Upon its release, the album received generally positive reviews from critics. Background Title controversy The original title of the album, ''Nigger'', was mentioned by Nas several times, as well as on an ...
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Hip Hop Music
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, 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 hip-hop culture, subculture. Other key markers of the genre are the disc jockey, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and hip hop production, 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 The Bronx, Bronx. DJs began expanding the instrumental Break (music), breaks of popular records when they noticed how excited it would make the crowds. The extend ...
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Hip Hop Is Dead
''Hip Hop Is Dead'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam. The album's title was inspired by Nas's view of the music industry and the state of hip hop music at the time. The album features appearances from Nas's then-wife Kelis, Def Jam label-mates Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Chrisette Michele, as well as will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and The Game, among others. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 355,880 copies in its first week. His fourth U.S. number-one album, it had sold 785,000 copies by March 2014, eventually over time it went gold by the RIAA. Upon its release, ''Hip Hop Is Dead'' received generally positive reviews from most music critics. ''Hip Hop Is Dead'' was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, ultimately losing to Kanye West's ''G ...
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Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's Theater District, New York, theater district, on 52nd Street (Manhattan), West 52nd Street in Manhattan. The venue, according to its website, accommodated 3,200 standing (with an additional 300 upstairs), 2,500 for a dance party, between 1,300 and 1,500 in theatre style, 800–1,000 for a sit-down dinner, and 1,500 for a buffet and dancing. The venue hosted a wide range of events, from a Hillary Clinton birthday party, to annual gay circuit party, circuit parties, to movie premieres, to musical performances of all genres, including Beyoncé's 4 Intimate Nights with Beyoncé, Elements of 4 show and internet stars StarKid Productions, Team StarKid's Apocalyptour, Apocalyptour National Concert Tour. It was also known as the place American singer Fiona Apple broke down during a concert in 2000. The rear of the venue faced 53rd Street (Manhatt ...
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Recording Industry Association Of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legally sold recorded music in the United States". RIAA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. RIAA was formed in 1952. Its original mission was to administer recording copyright fees and problems, work with trade unions, and do research relating to the record industry and government regulations. Early RIAA standards included the RIAA equalization curve, the format of the stereophonic record groove and the dimensions of 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm records. RIAA says its current mission includes: #to protect intellectual property rights and the First Amendment rights of artists #to perform research about the music industry #to monitor and review relevant laws, regulations, and policies Between 2001 and 2 ...
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RIAA Certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) operates an awards program based on the certified number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets.RIAA certification criteria
Retrieved on September 11, 2006
Other countries have similar awards (see ). Certification is not automatic; for an award to be made, the must first request certification. The audit is conducted against net shi ...
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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 ...
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The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name the Game or simply Game, is an American rapper. Born in Compton, California, he initially released a series of mixtapes under the wing of fellow West Coast rapper JT the Bigga Figga. After releasing his debut album ''Untold Story (album), Untold Story'' independently in 2004, he was discovered by record producer Dr. Dre and signed to his Aftermath Entertainment, Aftermath Records label imprint. The Game rose to fame in 2005 following the release of his major-label debut album ''The Documentary'', which peaked the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 along with its 2006 follow-up, ''Doctor's Advocate''. The former album received RIAA certification, double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and two Grammy Awards, Grammy Award nominations—Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, Best Rap Song and Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, Best Rap Performanc ...
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Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football League, CFL wide receiver Buster Rhymes, George "Buster" Rhymes. He has received 12 Grammy Award nominations, making him Grammy Award records#Most nominations without winning, one of the most-nominated artists without a win. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' and Vibe (magazine), ''Vibe'' ranked him among the Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, while ''Forbes'' listed him among the greatest rappers on their list of the "50 Top Rappers of All Time". Busta Rhymes was an original member of Leaders of the New School, a group that attracted national attention while opening on tour for Public Enemy. He gained further exposure for their guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario (song), S ...
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Keri Hilson
Keri Lynn Hilson (born December 5, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she began her musical career as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other artists under the wing of record producer Anthony Dent in 2002. At the age of 14, Hilson secured a record deal with the girl group D'Signe, who disbanded without any releases. She attended Oxford College of Emory University while contributing to material for popular artists, including Britney Spears, Usher (musician), Usher, Ciara, The Pussycat Dolls, and Mary J. Blige; she joined the songwriting-production group the Clutch in 2004. Later that same year, she guest performed on the single "Hey Now (Mean Muggin)" by Xzibit, which marked her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Two years later, she signed with producers Polow da Don and Timbaland through their respective labels Zone 4 (record label), Zone 4 and Mosley Music Group—both imprints of Interscope Records— ...
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Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of R&B" by some of his contemporaries. His lyrics often address emotional and hedonistic themes. His singing and dancing skills have often been compared favorably to those of Michael Jackson. In 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records. The following year, he released his Chris Brown (album), eponymous debut studio album, which went RIAA certification, triple platinum. Brown topped the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with his debut single, "Run It!", making him the first male artist since 1995 to do so. His second album, ''Exclusive (album), Exclusive'' (2007), was commercially successful worldwide and spawned his second ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one single, "Kiss Kiss (Chris Brown song), Kiss Ki ...
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Nigger
In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–mention distinction, mentioned but not directly used.Oxford English Dictionary Online, s.v. ''nigger, n. and adj''.; ''neger, n.'' ''and adj''.; ''N-word, n''. In an instance of linguistic reappropriation, the term ''nigger'' is also used casually and fraternally among African Americans, most commonly in the form of ''nigga'', whose spelling reflects the phonology of African-American English. The origin of the word lies with the Latin adjective ''wikt:niger#Latin, niger'' ([ˈnɪɡɛr]), meaning "black". It was initially seen as a relatively neutral term, essentially synonymous with the English word ''negro''. Early attested uses during the Atlantic slave trade (16th–19th century) often conveyed a merely patronizing attitude. The word took on ...
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The Island Def Jam Music Group
Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG) was an American record label group formed on December 31, 1998, by Universal Music Group. Before 2014, IDJMG encompassed labels originally established under the umbrella of Island Records and Def Jam Recordings. On April 1, 2014, Universal Music Group publicly announced the dissolution of the Island Def Jam Music Group, leaving IDJMG and its affiliated subsidiaries as separate sister labels. In 2024, Universal Music Group restructured its East Coast labels, including Def Jam Recordings, Island Records, Mercury Records, and Republic Records, under a central operational hub named Republic Corps. History 1999: Seagram buyout of PolyGram and unit formation On December 10, 1998, The Seagram Company completed its seven-month, $10.6 billion plan to acquire PolyGram and consolidated its music label unit with that of MCA Music, forming Universal Music Group. Following the formation of Universal Music Group, and coinciding with the start of 1999, Is ...
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