Highlights
Born in Atlanta, this rapper and producer moved to Chicago with his mother when he was 3 years old. He's considered to be one of the most commercially successful "back-pack" rappers. West has said he was largely influenced by Wu-Tang member RZA. The first major label song he produced was Jay-Z's "This Can't Be Life," featuring West's signature sound of taking old, soul samples, speeding them up, and adding his own drum sounds and other instruments. In 2001, he broke out as a producer, largely because his sound was all over Jay-Z's critically-acclaimed "The Blueprint." In October 2002, West survived a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel of his car. He recorded "Through The Wire" ab...
Born in Atlanta, this rapper and producer moved to Chicago with his mother when he was 3 years old. He's considered to be one of the most commercially successful "back-pack" rappers. West has said he was largely influenced by Wu-Tang member RZA. The first major label song he produced was Jay-Z's "This Can't Be Life," featuring West's signature sound of taking old, soul samples, speeding them up, and adding his own drum sounds and other instruments. In 2001, he broke out as a producer, largely because his sound was all over Jay-Z's critically-acclaimed "The Blueprint." In October 2002, West survived a car accident after falling asleep at the wheel of his car. He recorded "Through The Wire" about two weeks after the accident with his jaws wired shut. It was featured on his debut album, "College Dropout," released in February 2004, on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. The Grammy-nominated album sold more than 3 million copies. In August 2005, West released his highly-anticipated follow up "Late Registration," which sold more than 860,000 in its first week. In September 2007 he released "Graduation," which sold more than 950,000 copies in its first week.
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New Kanye album by end of year?
Management for Kanye West says he may release his fourth album toward the end of the year, according to billboard.com. The Chicago-based rapper, who is also currently working on Jay-Z's pending release, "Blueprint III," may follow along the theme...Tags: Jay-Z
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Jacksons reunite at BMI Urban Awards
AP Entertainment WriterThe Jacksons were crowned icons at the BMI Urban Awards, but the King of Pop was an absentee. Janet Jackson presented her music-making brothers -- Michael, Tito, Jackie, Marlon, Jermaine and Randy -- with the lifetime achievement BMI Icon award following...Tags: Music Industry, Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Mario, Janet Jackson
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Franz West
Most Americans know about James West and Kanye West and maybe even Cornel West. This fall, they'll be introduced to Franz West, an Austrian artist with a penchant for turning sculpture into a social experience. The Baltimore Museum of Art is mounting the...Tags: Advertising, Libraries and Museums, Baltimore Museum of Art, James West
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New Kids on the Block come back strong
New Kids on the Block
"The Block"
Interscope
****
On their first album since 1994, the thirtysomething members of New Kids on the Block make remarkably little attempt to conceal their ages. There's one song called "Grown Man," for example, and there's...Tags: New Kids on the Block, Tupac Shakur
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At the U.S. Open, players get to name their tune
robert.kahn@newsday.comIf you tuned into last night's Open action, you heard Wyclef Jean on the public address system as Venus Williams was warming up, and rappers Common and Pharrell when sister Serena took the court. Since 2002, tennis honchos have asked star players to...Tags: Herb Alpert, Los Angeles Kings, Wyclef Jean, Smashing Pumpkins, Roger Federer
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Fall Out Boy bears a racers-only show
Special to the Chicago TribuneBack when Fall Out Boy was playing for packed houses at the now-defunct Fireside Bowl, it's likely the band dreamed of one day performing for a screaming audience inside the cavernous confines of Soldier Field. Sunday evening, that dream finally came...Tags: Pete Wentz, Walter Payton, Soldier Field, Metal and Mineral, Moby
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Catching up with Phelps much easier on land
Orlando SentinelThere was a big personality waiting to leap out of Michael Phelps. He was just waiting for someone to ask the right questions after he waved to a crowd of fans in a celebratory parade hosted by Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom yesterday. Phelps, of Rodgers...Tags: Kobe Bryant, Jay-Z, Chris Farley, LeBron James, Michael Phelps
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The Phelps behind the medals
Sentinel ColumnistA big personality was ready to leap out of Michael Phelps. He was just waiting for someone to ask the right questions after he waved to a crowd of fans in a parade hosted by Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom Friday. He smiled, shook hands -- and the sweat...Tags: Reggie Bush, Jay-Z, Dennis Northcutt, Michael Phelps, Dancing
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Painter eyes hip-hop's titans
From Soviet realism with a twist to portraits of American rap stars might seem something of a leap -- but not necessarily for Alexander Melamid.
The Russian-born artist has often been interested in creating more than a bit of political havoc. Known for...Tags: Hip Hop, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg
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DNC NOTES
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama may have missed a chance to score bigger with New Yorkers who supported their senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Democratic Gov. David A. Paterson says Obama could have overcome disappointment in the New York...Tags: Elections, Jamie Foxx, Political Candidates, The White House, Joe Biden
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Celebrities at the Democractic convention? Too many for DNC to count
How many celebrities and notable Americans came to watch Barack Obama close down the Democractic convention at Invesco field Thursday night? Too many for the DNC to count, but Fergie, Oprah, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Hudson, Shawn Johnson, Sheryl Crow,...Tags: Fergie, Jennifer Lopez, Susan Sarandon, Google Inc., Spike Lee
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In Gunn's scope
Tim Gunn has a fashion message for the once-uber stylish Katie Holmes, who has recently taken to wearing baggy jeans: It's not working. "I have to say, Katie Holmes has become so much more sophisticated in so many ways, but I think she's in a dip right...Tags: Michelle Obama, Tyra Banks, Project Runway, Jay-Z, Dance
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