BEYONCE

Name:
Beyonce Knowles
Birth Name:
Beyonce Giselle Knowles
Height:
5′ 6″
Sex:
F
Nationality:
American
Birth Date:
September 4, 1981
Birth Place:
Houston, Texas, USA
Profession:
actress, musician
Education:
High School for the Visual and Performing Arts in Houston, Texas
Husband:
Jay-Z (musician, producer; born on December 4, 1969; married on April 4, 2008)
Father:
Matthew Knowles (Destiny’s Child’s manager)
Mother:
Tina Knowles (designs outfits for all Destiny’s Child members)
Sister:
Solange Knowles (musician; born on June 24, 1986)
Claim to fame:
member of Destiny’s Child

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), commonly known as Beyoncé (pronounced /bi?’?n.se?/), is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools, and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, the best-selling girl group of all time.
In June 2003, after a series of commercial successes with the group, Beyoncé released her debut solo album, Dangerously in Love. The album became one of the most successful albums of that year, spawning the number-one singles “Crazy in Love” and “Baby Boy”, and earned Knowles five Grammy Awards in a single night in 2004. The formal disbandment of Destiny’s Child in 2005 facilitated her continued success as a solo artist. She released her second album, B’Day in 2006, which spawned the UK number-one singles “Déjà Vu” and “Beautiful Liar”, as well as the worldwide hit, “Irreplaceable”. Knowles has sold over 20 million albums worlwide.
The success of her solo albums has established her as one of the most marketable artists in the industry. However, she has also added acting and endorsement deals to her repertoire. In 2006, she starred alongside Steve Martin and Kevin Kline in the comedy The Pink Panther, and that same year, scored the main role in the film adaptation of the 1981 Broadway musical Dreamgirls, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Knowles launched her family’s fashion line House of Deréon in 2004, and among her many lucrative commercial deals are Pepsi, Tommy Hilfiger, and L’Oréal. Knowles has been with long-time boyfriend Jay-Z since 2002, though they have been discreet about their relationship. After much speculation, they married on April 4, 2008.

Personal life Knowles and husband Jay-Z Since 2002, Knowles has been in a relationship with rapper Jay-Z, with whom she has collaborated several times. Rumors began to circulate about their relationship after Knowles was featured on “’03 Bonnie and Clyde”. In spite of persistent rumors about their relationship, they remained discreet about it. In 2005, rumors began to spread about the marriage of the couple. Knowles closed the speculation stating that she and Jay-Z were not even engaged. When asked again about the subject in September 2007, Jay-Z replied, “One day soon—let’s leave it at that.” Laura Schreffler, senior writer for OK! magazine, said, “They are intensely private people”.
On April 4, 2008, Knowles and Jay-Z were married in New York City. Although official confirmation has yet to come from either individual’s camp, it became a matter of public record on April 22, 2008.
Labels: beyonce

LIL WAYNE

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. Formerly of the rap group Hot Boys, he joined the Cash Money Records collective as a teenager. He worked with B.G. on the album True Story and eventually recorded for the label. Get It How U Live, released in 1997, was Lil Wayne’s first album with Hot Boys, and Tha Block is Hot, his solo debut, came out 1999. Block debuted in the top ten on the American Billboard 200 chart and Lil Wayne was nominated for “Best New Artist” from The Source magazine the same year. Following this success, Wayne soon featured on other rappers’ singles, including “Bling Bling” by B.G. and “#1 Stunna” by the Big Tymers in 2000.

After his hit debut album “Tha Block Is Hot” and two albums released with little promotion, Lil Wayne reached higher popularity with 2004’s Tha Carter and its two subsequent albums Tha Carter II (2005) and Tha Carter III (2008). During that period, he appeared on several mixtapes and singles of other artists.

Personal life

Lil Wayne was born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. to Jacida “Cita” Carter and Dwayne Michael Turner, and grew up in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Carter was in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary School, and was in the drama club in middle school. At age eleven, he met Bryan Williams, rapper and owner of Cash Money Records. Lil Wayne recorded freestyle raps on Williams’ answering machine; Williams would eventually mentor the young Carter and include him in Cash Money-distributed songs. He dropped out of school at age 14, but later earned his GED. When he was 12, he played the part of the Tin Man in his middle school drama club’s production of The Wiz. He also accidentally shot himself in the chest with a .44-caliber. Carter has a daughter named Reginae Carter with Antonia “Toya” Johnson, his high school sweetheart. The two were married on Valentines Day of 2004; they divorced in 2006. In an interview with Blender, Lil Wayne revealed one of his favorite bands from childhood to be rock group Nirvana, and cites them as a major influence in his music.

Hot Boys
In 1997, Lil Wayne formed the group Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, Turk, and B.G., Wayne being the youngest member. Hot Boys’ debut album, Get It How You Live, was released the same year. In 1998, the group’s major-label debut Guerrilla Warfare was released. Lil Wayne was also featured on the song “Back That Azz Up” by Juvenile. The group released its final album, Let Em Burn, in 2003.

Solo career

Tha Block Is Hot (1999)
Lil Wayne’s debut solo album Tha Block Is Hot at only age 16 featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys and went double platinum, climbing to #3 on the Billboard album charts. The album earned him a 1999 Source magazine award nomination for “Best New Artist”, and also became a Top Ten hit. The lead single was “Tha Block Is Hot” which attained big recognition as a new artist and a music video. After the release of Tha Block is Hot, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, “Bling Bling”, with B.G., Juvenile, Turk, and Big Tymers.

Lights Out (2000)

Lights Out (Lil Wayne album)

His 2000 follow-up album Lights Out failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut but was certified gold by RIAA. At this point in his development as an emcee, Lil Wayne was criticized for coasting on his fame and the collective success of the Hot Boys. Critics pointed to the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys. The lead single was “Get Off The Corner” which was noticed for an improvement in lyrical content and style, it also received a music video. The second single which received less attention was “Shine” featuring The Hot Boys. Near the release of Lights Out, Lil Wayne was featured on the single, “1# Stunna” with Big Tymers and Juvenile, which rose to 24th place on the Hot Rap Tracks charts.

500 Degreez (2002)

500 Degreez

Lil Wayne’s third album 500 Degreez, released 2002, followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh. While certified Gold like its predecessor, it too failed to match the success of his debut. The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile’s recording, 400 Degreez. The lead single was “Way Of Life” which like the album failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of 500 Degreez, he was featured in the single, “Neva Get Enuf” with 3LW.

Tha Carter (2004)

Tha Carter

In the summer of 2004, Wayne’s album Tha Carter came out. Often cited as a highlight of his career, Tha Carter marked a significant development in Wayne’s flow and delivery, as the young rapper began to employ more original diction and syntax, while occasionally experimenting with his voice and inflection. In addition, the album’s cover art featured the debut of Wayne’s now-signature dreadlocks. Tha Carter gained Wayne significant recognition, selling over 1 million copies in the United States, while the single “Go DJ” became a Top 5 Hit. The album was loosely organized around the theme of Wayne’s mansion, which he refers to as Tha Carter. The tracks “Walk In,” “Tha Carter,” and “Walk Out” employ this concept, as Wayne takes the listener through his house, rapping about the activity therein. This idea was influenced by the movie New Jack City, starring Wesley Snipes, in which Nino Brown (Snipes) calls his drug building The Carter.

After the release of Tha Carter, Lil Wayne was featured in Destiny’s Child’s single “Soldier” with T.I., which peaked at #3 on the U.S. Hot 100 and the U.S. R&B Charts.

Tha Carter II (2005)

Tha Carter II

December 6, 2005 brought the second installment of Tha Carter series, Tha Carter II. The album marked yet another shift in Lil Wayne’s career, as it was his first major release to lack the beats of longtime Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh, who had since left the label. As a result, Tha Carter II contained a more diverse range of production style than had previously been present on Lil Wayne’s recordings. Tha Carter II sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 albums chart, and went on to sell 2,000,000 copies world wide. The Album itself was greatly praised and had some criticts call it a “Classic”. The lead single, “Fireman,” became a hit in the US, peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, “Grown Man”, received little attention, while the third single “Hustler Musik” received a video and gained moderate airplay. The forth single “Shooter” which featured R&B artist Robin Thicke had more of a mainstream and political sound and also received moderate airplay and a video. Other notable tracks include “Get Over”, “Best Rapper Alive, “Tha Mobb”, “Fly In,” “Carter II,” and “Fly Out” the latter three mirror the series of “walk” tracks that appeared on Tha Carter.

From the release of Tha Carter II to the end of 2005, Lil Wayne was featured in two singles as a featured performer. His first single was on a remix of Bobby Valentino’s “Tell Me”, which rose to #13 on the U.S. R&B Charts.

In 2005, Lil Wayne was named president of Cash Money, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money. However, as of late 2007, Lil Wayne reported that he has stepped down from the management of both labels and has handed management of Young Money over to Cortez Bryant.

Mixtapes and cameos (2006-2007)

In 2006, following the release of “Tha Carter II”, Lil Wayne collaborated with rapper Birdman for the album Like Father, Like Son, whose first single “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy”, reached #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Instead of a follow-up solo album, Lil Wayne reached his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop and hip-hop singles. Of his many mixtapes, Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3 received the most media exposure and critical review. Dedication 2, released in 2006, paired Lil Wayne with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track “Georgia Bush,” in which Lil Wayne critiqued US president George W. Bush’s response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. Da Drought 3 was released the following year and was available for free legal download. It contained Lil Wayne rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. Numerous of features in prominent hip-hop magazines such as XXL and Vibe covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone magazine considered the mixtapes Da Drought 3 and The Drought Is Over 2 “among the best albums of 2007.”

Despite no album release for two years, Lil Wayne appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including “Gimme That” by Chris Brown, “Make It Rain” by Fat Joe, “You” by Lloyd, and “We Takin Over” by DJ Khaled (also featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Birdman), “Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle, “Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)” by Wyclef Jean (also featuring Akon), and the remix to “I’m So Hood” by DJ Khaled (also featuring T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Rick Ross). All these singles charted within the top 20 spots on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. In 2007, Wayne was also featured on the song “Breakin’ My Heart” from Little Brother’s Getback and “Hello Brooklyn 2.0” from Jay-Z’s American Gangster.

In the latter half of 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested twice. On July 22, 2007, Lil Wayne was arrested in New York City following a performance at the Beacon Theater; the New York City Police Department discovered Lil Wayne and another man smoking marijuana near a tour bus. After taking Lil Wayne into custody, police discovered a pistol on his person, and he was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana.  Another arrest was on October 5, 2007, following a performance at Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho, on felony fugitive charges after Georgia authorities accused the rapper of possessing a controlled substance. The incident was later described as a “mix-up” and the fugitive charges were dropped.

On October 3, 2007, Vibe magazine ranked a list of 77 of Lil Wayne’s songs from 2007, deciding upon the best song from Lil Wayne on the year. They ranked his verse in “We Takin Over” as his best song of 2007, with “Dough Is What I Got” (a freestyle over Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got”) from Da Drought 3 the #2 song. At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as ‘Hottest MC in the Game.’ The same year, he was named Artist Of The Year by New Yorker magazine. That same year he was also listed in “Men Of The Year” for Workaholic by GQ Magazine, and in 2008 he was named “Best Rock Star Alive” by Blender Magazine. In Rolling Stone’s Best of Rock 2008 issue, Lil Wayne was named the “Best MC”.

Tha Carter III (2008)

Tha Carter III

Initially planned to be released in 2007, Tha Carter III’s largest delay came after the majority of the tracks were leaked and distributed on mixtapes, such as “The Drought Is Over Pt. 2” and “The Drought Is Over Pt. 4”. Lil Wayne initially decided to use the leaked tracks, plus four new tracks, to make a separate album, titled Tha Carter III: The Leak. The Leak was to be released December 18, 2007, with the actual album being delayed until March 18, 2008, The release of The Leak in this format never came to fruition, but an official EP titled The Leak and containing five tracks was released digitally on December 25, 2007.

On January 23, 2008, Lil Wayne was arrested alongside two others. His tour bus was stopped by Border Patrol agents near Yuma, Arizona. A K-9 Unit recovered 105 grams of marijuana (3.7 ounces), almost 29 grams of cocaine (1.02 ounces), 41 grams of Ecstasy (1.4 ounces) and $22,000 dollars in cash. Lil Wayne was charged with four felonies: possession of narcotic drug for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was granted permission to travel outside of the state and remain out of custody on the $10,185 bond he posted. On May 6, 2008 Wayne returned to court in Arizona to plead not guilty to the charges.

Tha Carter III was released on June 10, 2008, selling more than a million copies in its first week of release, the first to do so since 50 Cent’s The Massacre in 2005. The first single “Lollipop”, featuring Static became the rapper’s most commercially successful song at that point, topping the Billboard Hot 100, making it the first Top 10 single for Lil Wayne as a solo artist, as well as his first #1 on the chart. It also gave him his first #1 on the Hot Rap Tracks. The second single, “A Milli”, peaked at #8 on the Billboard 100, becoming the second-highest peaking single as a solo artist behind “Lollipop,” and #2 on the Hot Hip-Hop/R&B Tracks charts. For the chart week of June 21, 2008, Lil Wayne tied T-Pain in having the most songs on the Hot 100 in one week for a rapper, appearing on seven songs in the Hot 100 that week. His third single from Tha Carter III, “Got Money” featuring T-Pain, peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100. Along with his album singles, Lil Wayne charted on “Girls Around the World”, “Out Here Grindin”, “Love In This Club, Part II”, and various other singles featuring Wayne as a performer.

On June 17, 2008, Lil Wayne posted a video blog on YouTube thanking fans for buying Tha Carter III. At the end of the video, he said “Gettin’ back to work. Carter IV.”

Tha Carter III, nine weeks after being released, had officially become certified as double platinum selling two million copies in the United States.

Future work

He has announced several possible projects following Tha Carter III, including a collaboration album I Can’t Feel My Face with rapper Juelz Santana that has been in production for several years. On the website HipHopDX.com, he has discussed a possible R&B album titled Luv Sawngz, for which he will heavily rely on a vocoder.[35] He has also talked with singer Lloyd about doing a collaboration album in the future. DJ Drama stated that there would be a third installation of the Dedication mixtape series with Lil Wayne, who has instead stated that he will do an full album under the title.

On June 19, 2008, Lil Wayne and T-Pain formed a supergroup called T-Wayne and planned to release an album.

The lineup for New Orleans’ 2008 Voodoo Experience concert, to be held in October, will feature Lil Wayne. Jonathan Cohen of Billboard magazine reported that the event will mark his biggest hometown headlining set of his career. Lil Wayne will be reuniting with Hot Boys alongside Juvenile, Turk, and B.G. They plan to release an album after B.G.’s solo album Too Hood to Be Hollywood is completed.

Wayne also performed as the 2008 Virgin Mobile Music Fest with Kanye West, performing his “Lollipop (remix)” featuring West and also lip-syncing to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”. Lil Wayne is also set to perform at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, along with Kid Rock and the Jonas Brothers.

Discography

Lil Wayne discography

* 1999: Tha Block Is Hot
* 2000: Lights Out
* 2002: 500 Degreez
* 2004: Tha Carter
* 2005: Tha Carter II
* 2008: Tha Carter III

EP albums

* 2007: The Leak

Filmography

Film

* Baller Blockin (2000)
* Who’s Your Caddy? (2007)
* Fast and Furious (2009) (forthcoming)
* Hurricane Season (2009) (forthcoming)
* Lil Wayne Documentary (2009) (forthcoming)

Television

* The Boondocks in the “Invasion of the Katrinians” episode (2007)
* Access Granted (2007)

Awards/Nominations
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* BET Awards
o 2008: Best Male Hip-Hop Artist [Nominated]
o 2008: Best Collaboration “I’m So Hood (remix)” with DJ Khaled, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes: Big Boi, Birdman, Fat Joe, & Rick Ross [Nominated]
o 2008: Viewer’s Choice Award – “Lollipop” featuring Static Major [Won]
o 2007: Best Male Hip-Hop Artist (Nominated)
o 2007: Viewer’s Choice Award “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” with Birdman [Won]
o 2005: Best Collaboration “Soldier” with Destiny’s Child & T.I. [Nominated]

* BET Hip Hop Awards
o 2007: Lyricist of the Year [Nominated]
o 2007: Attel People’s Choice Award “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” with Birdman [Won]
o 2007: Attel People’s Choice Award “We Takin’ Over” with DJ Khaled, Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, & Birdman [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Hip Hop Collabo “Stuntin’ Like My Daddy” with Birdman [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Hip Hop Collabo “We Takin’ Over” with DJ Khaled, Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, & Birdman [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Live Performance [Nominated]

* Grammy Awards
o 2008: Album of the Year: Graduation [Nominated as a featured Guest]
o 2008: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group “Make It Rain” with Fat Joe [Nominated]
o 2006: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration “Soldier” with Destiny’s Child & T.I. [Nominated]

* Ozone Awards
o 2008: Best Rap Artist (Won)
o 2008: Best Rap Group, with Birdman [Nominated]
o 2008: Best Lyricist [Won]
o 2008: Club Banger of the Year, “Duffle Bag Boy” with Playaz Circle [Nominated]
o 2008: Club Banger of the Year, “Lollipop” with Static Major [Nominated]
o 2008: Trillest Award [Nominated]
o 2008: TJ’s DJ’s Hustler Award [Nominated]
o 2008: Best Video, “Lollipop” with Static Major [Nominated]
o 2008: Mixtape Monster Award [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Lyricist [Won]
o 2007: Best Male Rap Artist [Won]
o 2007: Best Rap/R&B Collaboration (“You”) with Lloyd [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Video (“We Takin’ Over”) with DJ Khaled, T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, & Birdman [Won]
o 2007: Mixtape Monster Award [Won]

* MTV Video Music Awards
o 2008: Best Hip-Hop Video “Lollipop”, featuring Static Major [Nominated]
o 2008: Best Male Video “Lollipop”, featuring Static Major [Nominated]
o 2006: MTV2 Award “Fireman” [Nominated]
o 2006: Best Group Video “Soldier” with Destiny’s Child & T.I. [Nominated]

* Source Awards
o 2000: Best New Artist [Nominated]

* Teen Choice Awards
o 2008: Choice Rap Artist [Nominated]

* Vibe Music Awards
o 2007: Best Mixtape of the Year Da Drought III [Nominated]
o 2007: Coolest Collabo “We Takin’ Over” with DJ Khaled, T.I., Akon, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, & Birdman [Nominated]
o 2007: Best Rapper [Won]
o 2005: Coolest Callabo “Soldier” with Destiny’s Child & T.I. [Nominated]

RIHANNA

Rihanna (born Robyn Rihanna Fenty; February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, model, fashion designer and music director. She is the second artist, and first female, from Barbados to have received a Grammy Award (the first being Jimmy Senya Haynes). Rihanna is currently signed to the Def Jam Recordings label. She has attained four Billboard Hot 100 number ones thus far (“SOS”, “Umbrella”, “Take a Bow”, and “Disturbia”), tying her with Mariah Carey and Beyonce as the female solo artist with the most number ones this decade.

Rihanna came to fame in 2005 with the release of her debut album Music of the Sun, which featured her breakthrough single “Pon de Replay”. Less than a year later, Rihanna released A Girl Like Me and gave her first number one single, “SOS”. In 2007, Rihanna released her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The album has yielded six hit singles including four worldwide number one singles “Umbrella”, “Don’t Stop the Music”, “Take A Bow”, and “Disturbia”. Since the release of her debut album, Rihanna has amassed eleven top 40 hit singles in the U.S.

This is a comprehensive list of awards and nominations won by Rihanna, a Barbadian singer-songwriter. Her first single led her to win three awards, following her winning more awards for both herself and her debut album. Her second album, A Girl Like Me (2006), was much more successful and earned her many more awards and nominations. Good Girl Gone Bad, the third album, was the most successful album of her career. She won Favorite Female Artist — Soul/R&B at the American Music Awards, a Best Rap/Sung Collaboration award at the 2008 Grammy Awards, and an International Album of the Year award at the Juno Awards. Since beginning her career, Rihanna has received forty-three awards from seventy-eight nominations.

American Music Awards
2008     Rihanna     Favorite Female Artist — Soul/R&B     Won

Barbados Music Awards
2006     “Music of the Sun”     Best Reggae/Dancehall Album     Won
Album of the Year     Won
“Pon de Replay”     Best Dance Single     Won
Song of the Year     Won
Rihanna     Best New Artist     Won
Entertainer of the Year     Won
Female Artist of the Year     Won
Best-Selling Female Artist of the Year     Won
2007     “A Girl Like Me”     Album of the Year     Won
“SOS.”     Best Music Video (Female)     Nominated
Best Dance (Pop) Single     Nominated
“Unfaithful”     Best Music Video (Female)     Nominated
Song of the Year     Nominated
Rihanna     Best Entertainer of the Year     Won
Best Female Entertainer of the Year     Won
Best Selling Recording Artiste (Worldwide)     Won
Digicel People’s Choice Award     Nominated
2008     “Umbrella”     Song of the Year     Won
“Shut Up And Drive”     Best Female Music Video     Won
“Don’t Stop the Music”     Best Pop/R&B single     Won
Rihanna     Pop/R&B Artist of the Year     Won
Female Entertainer of the Year     Won
People’s choice Entertainer of the Year     Won

BET Awards
2006     Rihanna     Best New Artist     Nominated
2008     Rihanna     Best Female R&B Artist     Nominated

Billboard Music Awards
2006     Rihanna     Female Artist of the Year     Won
Pop 100 Artist of the Year     Won
Female Hot 100 Artist of the Year     Won
“SOS”     Hot Dance Airplay song of the Year     Nominated

Brit Awards
Year     Nominated work     Award     Result
2008     Rihanna     Best International Female Artist     Nominated

Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards are held annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Rihanna has won one award from six nominations.
2008     “Umbrella”     Record of the Year     Nominated
Song of the Year     Nominated
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration     Won
“Don’t Stop the Music”     Best Dance Recording     Nominated
“Hate That I Love You”     Best R&B Song     Nominated
Best R&B Performance by a Duo/Group w/ Vocals     Nominated

Juno Awards
2008     “Good Girl Gone Bad”     Album of the Year (International)     Won

NRJ Music Awards
2007     “Unfaithful”     Best International Song     Won
Rihanna     New International Artist of The Year     Nominated
2008     “Don’t Stop the Music”     Best International Song     Won
Rihanna     Best International Artist     Nominated

Teen Choice Awards
2006     Rihanna     Female Breakout Artist     Won
Choice R&B Artist     Won
2007     Rihanna     Choice Music: R&B Artist     Won
Choice Female Hottie     Nominated
Choice Music: Female Artist     Nominated
Choice Summer Artist     Nominated
“Umbrella”     Choice Music: Single     Nominated
“Shut Up and Drive”     Choice Summer Song     Nominated

World Music Awards
2007     Rihanna     Female Entertainer of the Year     Won
World’s Best-Selling Pop Female Artist     Won

Other awards
2006     20th Japan Gold Disc Award     New Artist of the Year     Rihanna     Won
MOBO Awards     Best R&B Artist     Rihanna     Won
MTV Europe Music Awards     Best R&B Artist     Rihanna     Won
Best Song for     “SOS”     Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Japan     Best New Artist in a Video     “Pon de Replay”     Won
2007     MOBO Awards     Best International Act     Rihanna     Won
Best Video     “Umbrella”     Nominated
People’s Choice Awards     Favorite R&B Song     “Shut Up and Drive”     Won
MTV Video Music Awards     Monster Single of the Year     “Umbrella”     Won
Video of the Year     “Umbrella”     Won
Best Director (Director: Chris Applebaum)     “Umbrella”     Nominated
Female Artist of the Year     “Umbrella”     Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards     Ultimate Urban     Rihanna     Won
Solo     Rihanna     Nominated
Most Addictive     “Umbrella”     Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Latin America     Song of the Year     “Umbrella”     Nominated
Best Pop Artist (International)     “Umbrella”     Nominated
Premios Principales 2007     Song of the Year     “Umbrella”     Won
2008     Image Awards     Best Music Video     “Umbrella”     Nominated
ECHO Awards     Female Artist of the Year (International)     Rihanna     Nominated
Hit of the Year (National or International)     “Umbrella”     Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Japan     Best Video of the Year     “Umbrella”     Nominated
MuchMusic Video Awards     Best International Artist Video     “Don’t Stop the Music”     Won
International Dance Music Awards     Best R&B/Urban Dance Track     Don’t Stop the Music     Won
Best Pop Dance Track     Don’t Stop the Music     Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards     Best Female Video     Take A Bow     Nominated
Swiss Music Awards     Best Song International     Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z)     Won

RICK ROSS

William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Rick Ross, is an American rapper. His stage name is derived from the name of drug trafficker Freeway Ricky Ross, to whom he has no connection. Ross is signed with Slip-N-Slide Records, which as of 2008 is distributed under Def Jam Recordings.
Rick Ross was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi and raised in Carol City, Florida, a lower-class neighborhood of Miami.  After graduating from Carol City Senior High School, he later attended the historically black Albany State University in Albany, Georgia on a football scholarship.

Before he became a gangster rapper talking about guns and drugs he worked for the Department of Corrections in South Florida Reception Center of Dade County, Florida.

Life and music

Rick Ross joined Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG. He eventually signed a joint, multi-million-dollar deal with Slip-N-Slide Records, which has been under the Def Jam umbrella since 2006. While signed to Slip-N-Slide, Ross toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-N-Slide rap albums.

Port of Miami (2006)

Port of Miami (album)

His debut album Port of Miami, was released in August 2006 and debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart with sales at 187,000 units its first week out. Its lead single “Hustlin'” was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in May 2006, and nearly a million ringtones of the song were sold prior to the album release. The song also peaked at the seventh spot on the Billboard magazine Hot Rap Tracks chart and #54 on the Hot 100. A remix of the single featuring Jay-Z and Young Jeezy also achieved some popularity in digital downloads. The second single was “Push It”, which samples “Scarface (Push It to the Limit)”, the theme song off the gangster film Scarface. The music video for “Push It” was also modeled after the film.

Trilla (2008)

Trilla

In March 2008, his second album Trilla was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200. Its lead single “Speedin'” featuring R. Kelly peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100; the next one, “The Boss” featuring T-Pain peaked at #17 on the Hot 100. The third single “Here I Am” featured Nelly and Avery Storm. MTV News ranked Ross on the fourth spot in its 2008 “Hottest MCs In The Game” List among ten rappers. His next album is to be titled Deeper Than Rap.

Rumor controversies

In late June 2008, rumors that Ross was engaged with rapper Foxy Brown began to circulate; a photo of Brown and Ross together was on the cover of a June 2008 issue of Hip Hop Weekly magazine. Ross responded that he was currently not engaged with any woman. The Smoking Gun, in July 2008, produced details linking Ross’ social security number to a two-year stint as a correctional officer in a Florida prison facility, along with a photograph purporting to be Ross in his correctional officer uniform. Ross denied that the photograph was of him.

Lawsuit from DJ Vlad

In August of 2008, YouTube entertainer DJ Vlad filed a 4 million dollar lawsuit again Rick Ross for assault. Vlad claimed Ross organized a ambush on Vlad at the 2008 Ozone Awards in Houston, Texas that left Vlad with multiple facial fractures and a corneal abrasion. Footage of the attack was caught by bystanders and audience members at the Award show which has surfaced on the internet.

Discography

Rick Ross discography

* 2006: Port of Miami
* 2008: Trilla
* TBA: Deeper Than Rap

Filmography

* M.I. Yayo (March 25, 2008) – M.I. Yayo is described as “A groundbreaking documentary about the real Miami” and “Is told in a manner stylistically similar to televisions Gangland and the film Cocaine Cowboys”.

* Lunchtime (June 2, 2009) – Lunchtime is a coming-of-age romantic comedy detailing the humorous ups and downs of Pete ‘da heat’ Simpson, an inexperienced young rapper from Miami. Ross plays the role of Fr. “Cool,” a rapping priest.

Awards

* BET Awards
2008, Best Collaboration (“I’m So Hood [Remix]”) with DJ Khaled, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, & Birdman [Nominated]

* BET Hip-Hop Awards
2007, People’s Choice Awards (“We Takin’ Over”) with DJ Khaled, Akon, T.I., Fat Joe, Birdman, & Lil Wayne [Nominated]
2007, Best Hip-Hop Collabo (“We Takin’ Over”) with DJ Khaled, Akon, T.I., Fat Joe, Birdman, & Lil Wayne [Nominated]
2006, Viewer’s Choice Award (“Hustlin'”) [Nominated]
2006, Rookie of the Year [Nominated]

* Ozone Awards
2008, Best Rap Album (Trilla) [Won]
2008, Best Rap Artist [Nominated]