Sunday, March 22, 2009

"What's cooking David Cook?Nice Name Huh!"

David Cook - Biography

When David Cook traveled to Omaha, Nebraska to be his younger brother's moral support at the American Idol auditions, he never could have imagined where his journey would take him. Only auditioning himself after his mother and brother's prodding and encouragement, David made it through the first round and then into the top 24.

David's knack of choosing and arranging songs that fit his vocal style, along with his consistently strong performances, kept him out of the bottom three and earned him praise from the judges. Despite being something of an underdog next to favorite David Archuleta, David won over the fans and the competition, receiving 56% of the final vote. Born December 20, 1982, David grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri, and started singing in school pageants in the second grade. In high school he played sports, acted in school plays and musicals, and started a band, Axium, with his friends.

He received a musical theater scholarship at the University of Central Missouri, but decided it wasn't for him and got his degree in graphic design instead. David was still playing with Axium until the band was peacefully dissolved in 2006, the same year that he released his first solo record, Analog Heart. Before he auditioned for American Idol, David was working as a bartender in Tulsa, Oklahoma, playing bass with the band Midwest Kings (MWK), and finishing up his second solo record.

Now that he has released a new album on the 19 Entertainment / RCA Records label, it is not clear whether that album will be released. Notable Statistics For the Billboard chart week of June 7, 2008, a week following Cook's American Idol victory, Cook broke several Billboard chart records. Most notable was his record shattering feat of having eleven songs debut on the Hot 100 that week, beating the previous record set by Miley Cyrus in 2006 when she had six songs debut on the chart. Cook's first single, "The Time of My Life" led the pack, debuting at #3 on the Hot 100.

Cook's eleven charting songs also gave him the most songs by one artist on the Hot 100 of any week in the Nielsen Music era (which began in 1991), and the most of any era since The Beatles placed 14 songs on the chart the week of April 11, 1964. In addition, that same week Cook also broke the record for the most debuts on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, where he placed 14 debut entries, the record of which was previously six, set by Bon Jovi in 2007.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

"Techno Music Rules"

Techno Music

Techno music came out of Detroit in the 1980's, and carried the influences of popular electronic music of the 1970's to the dancefloors. The music features regular, pouding beats coupled with distorted synthesized sequences.

The best known early techno producers are Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, sometimes known as the Belleville Three. They made music for clubs that was a urban take on the music of German musicians like Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream were making. While Techno made it to the clubs in Chicago and New York, it was a largely underground style throughout the eighties.

What is Techno?

Techno is pure electronic music, originally designed for dances, that combines the sound of classic German electronica with an american Urban feel. The music emphasizes the machine sound of electronic drum machines, especially the Roland TR-808, and often is based around repetitive riffs played on bass line sequencers like the Roland TB-303.

The history of techno starts in Detroit. The style emerged there when musicians took cheap, used electronic instruments and abused them in ways never intended by their creators. Early techno artists drew on science fiction and futuristic themes in their music. The techno sound depicted a place unlike the aging Detroit city where it was born. The music and the themes of the songs were intended to sound like something from the future. “It’s an attitude to making music that sounds futuristic,” according to techno pioneer Juan Atkins, “something that hasn’t been done before.”

One of the best known early techno songs is "Alleys of your Mind", by techno artists Cybotron. Works from Atkins, May and Saunderson didn't make the charts, but were very influential because they were played in major clubs in the US. In 1988, a compilation called Techno! The New Dance Sound helped define the style.

In the 90's, artists in Europe began to take the Detroit sound of early techno songs and morph it. New variations were created, including acid, ambient techno, hardcore, and jungle. The techno style has gained more popularity in Europe than it has in the United States, because electronica has been popularized more in Europe than in the US.

Techno has been associated with raves since the nineties. The idea of a rave is just a techno party where like-minded techno fans can get together and dance to continuous dj mixes of electronic music. These have been particularly popular in Europe. In 2000, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival became one of the largest and most significant electronica events in the world. It was free and attracted hundreds of thousands of techno music fance from all over the world.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

"Snow Patrol-Eyes Open"

s n o w p a t r o l

Snow Patrol are a Northern Irish and Scottish alternative rock band which formed in Dundee, Scotland.^[1] They are based in Glasgow and are signed to Polydor Records. Originally formed as an indie rock band, Snow Patrol have sought a more alternative rock and powerpop sound in recent years on the heels of mainstream success with the songs "Run", "Chasing Cars" and "Signal Fire" from the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack.

The band's first three records, including their last EP—Starfighter Pilot, Songs for Polarbears and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up—were commercially unsuccessful and were released by independent labels Electric Honey (for their first EP) and Jeepster (for their first two albums). When the band moved to a major record label Polydor Records they released their 2003 album Final Straw which crossed 4x platinum sales in the UK.^[2] The band achieved worldwide success due to 2006's Eyes Open, which sold 4.7 million copies worldwide. Snow Patrol have been nominated for three BRIT Awards and have won five Meteor Ireland Music Awards. Worldwide, the band have sold over 7 million albums.[3]

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History

Early years and development

Originally formed in late 1994 as "Shrug" by students Gary Lightbody, Michael Morrison and Mark McClelland (all from Northern Ireland) at the University of Dundee in Dundee, Scotland,^[4] the band started by performing gigs at the university and surrounding pubs such as Lucifer's Mill. They recorded an EP funded by DUSA Music Club, called the "Yoghurt vs Yoghurt debate" which was a rousing success. In 1995 they changed their name to Polar Bear (or Polarbear) and shortly afterwards drummer, Mike Morrison left the band, returning to Northern Ireland with health problems.^[4] In mid 1997, they again renamed, this time to

Snow Patrol,^[1] and released a three-track EP, Starfighter Pilot, on the Electric Honey label.^[5]

Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol frontman, during the January 2005 Tsunami Relief Cardiff concert in aid of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake

At this point, Jonny Quinn, from Northern Ireland, joined as permanent drummer. With him the band released their next EP "Little Hide" on Jeepster Records while still living in Dundee (its cover was a blurred photo of a football crowd watching [Scotland v Estonia] at Celtic Park, taken by Gary Lightbody and the video included a number of their friends). A follow-up single "One Hundred Things You Should Have Done in Bed" was a minor independent chart hit. Both of these early singles were heavily promoted by Jeepster - with videos included as computer files on the CD singles, and Snow Patrol starting to appear on television. Their first MTV interview was in 1998, and they briefly appeared on a Channel 4 documentary about Jeepster Records (which concentrated mostly on Belle & Sebastian) that same year. Two albums on Jeepster followed: Songs for Polarbears in 1998 (including a slightly remixed version of their debut single "Starfighter Pilot") and When It's All Over We Still Have to Clear Up in 2001 (both recorded while the band lived in Glasgow). Also in 2001, Gary collected a group of Scottish musicians, from such acts as Mogwai and Belle & Sebastian together to perform as a "supergroup", The Reindeer Section, who have so far released two CD albums. Gary also performed vocals on a single by Cut La Roc.

The band's website addresses the naming question in their FAQ, item #6:

“

SP were originally called Polar Bear but had to change their name due to the Jane's Addiction bassist also having a side project called Polar Bear.

The name Snow Patrol came from a friend of the band who while called Polar Bear always referred to the group as Snow Patrol.

When the time to change the name came, it was a logical step.^[6]

”

After the critical successes but commercial failures of the band's two albums on the Jeepster label, the band became increasingly disillusioned with their relationship with their label. The band began to feel that Belle & Sebastian got all the attention from the label, and little effort was being made to promote Snow Patrol. Since the band was not making much money, the members were under financial pressure, with Lightbody having to sell off his CD collection in order to pay for his rent.^{[citation needed]}

Musicians like Bono from U2, Michael Stipe from R.E.M., Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee from Mötley Crüe declared in interviews their admiration for Snow Patrol.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Final Straw and breakthrough success

After being dropped by Jeepster, guitarist Nathan Connolly joined, and the band signed to the mainstream Polydor label. They gained mainstream success with their song "Run" (which debuted at No.5 in the UK singles chart), as well as the album it was from, the 2003 release, Final Straw which was produced by Jacknife Lee and written by Matthew Drake of Seattle, WA. The record peaked at #3 in the UK albums chart. Archer's final date with the band was September 27, 2003 in the St Andrews Students' Association. They followed the success of "Run" up with three more singles from the album: "Chocolate", as well as a re-release of "Spitting Games", both reaching the top 30, and "How to Be Dead" reaching number 39.

The release of Final Straw in the United States in 2004 saw the album notching up well in excess of a quarter of a million sales and becoming the 26th most popular album in the UK of that year.

Jonny Quinn, drummer, performing at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.

On March 16, 2005, McClelland left the band, with Lightbody stating 'a whole new set of new and unexpected pressures... have unfortunately taken their toll on working relationships within the band, and it was felt the band could not move forward with Mark as a member.' Former Terra Diablo member Paul Wilson replaced him on bass. In April 2005, Snow Patrol declared longtime touring keyboardist Tom Simpson an official member of the band.

In mid-2005, during their tour to support Final Straw, the band toured with U2 as an opening act on U2's Vertigo Tour in Europe. The band returned to the United States afterwards to continue touring in support of Final Straw. That summer also saw Snow Patrol playing a small set in London at the worldwide benefit concert Live 8. After finishing their opening act duties and extensive 2-year tour of Final Straw in late July, the band took a few weeks off and began writing and recording songs for a new album. Snow Patrol's new version of John Lennon's

"Isolation" was released on December 10, 2005 as part of the Amnesty International campaign, Make Some Noise. The song was later issued on the 2007 John Lennon tribute album, Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur.

Eyes Open

The band completed recording Eyes Open in December 2005, with Jacknife Lee returning for production, and this album was released on April 28, 2006 in Ireland, and the UK on May 1, 2006, with the first UK single "You're All I Have" having been released on the April 24, 2006. The album was released in North America on May 9. While "Hands Open" was the first American single, "Chasing Cars" pushed its way onto the download and pop charts after it was heard during an emotional and (plot-wise) huge scene in the second season finale of the television show Grey's Anatomy on May 15, 2006. Due to the song's surprise popularity, it was released as an overlapping single in early June and the video was re-recorded to include clips from the show. On December 30, 2006, it was voted by virgin radio nyc listeners to be the #1 song of all time.

On July 30, 2006, Snow Patrol appeared on the finale of the long-running BBC music show Top of the Pops, performing "Chasing Cars". The band was the last act to ever appear on the show.

Snow Patrol recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios for Live from Abbey Road on October 4, 2006. The performance was included on an episode shared with Madeleine Peyroux and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and shown in the UK on Channel 4 and the US on the Sundance Channel.

The band was forced to postpone a majority of the American Eyes Open tour after polyps were discovered on Lightbody's vocal cords, and failed to heal after initial postponement of three dates on the tour. Dates were rescheduled for August and September. The year would continue to be difficult on the band for the U.S. legs of their tours, as they were also forced to cancel two west coast festival appearances in mid-August due to the threat of terrorist attacks on U.S.-bound flights from the UK. Two band members made it to the U.S. while two were stuck in London. Subsequently, they all made it to the lone U.S. tour stop in Boston days later but failed to recover any of their luggage, forcing them to shop for clothes on Newbury St. that afternoon. Their gear arrived hours before show time, just in time for sound check. The band also had to cancel appearances in Germany and France after bassist Paul Wilson injured his left arm and shoulder.

On November 26, 2006, Eyes Open had become the UK's best-selling album of the year, overtaking previous leader Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Despite very strong sales for Take That's comeback album Beautiful World, Eyes Open marginally earned the title of the UK's best-selling album of 2006, with 1.6 million in sales. The album reached platinum certification in the US as well, selling over 1,000,000 copies, and it maintained a spot in the upper quarter of the Billboard 200 list for over fifteen weeks, on the heels of the popularity of "Chasing Cars". The band also holds the distinction of having one of iTunes' top downloaded albums and songs of 2006. Ahead of the band's February tour, Eyes Open topped the Australian charts some eight months after its release on January 22, 2006. Back home in Ireland, Eyes Open became one of the best selling albums of all time, staying at the top of the charts from the end of 2006 to early - mid 2007, and remaining in the charts to the present.

Snow Patrol live in Madison Square Garden in 2007

Snow Patrol appeared as the musical guest on the March 17, 2007 episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. They performed "You're All I Have" and "Chasing Cars". The band toured Japan in April, followed by European festival dates, Mexico, and the US in the summer. They ended their tour in Australia in September 2007.

The band contributed the song "Signal Fire" to the Spider-Man 3 soundtrack, as well as the film. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack and was featured in the credits to the film.

On July 7, 2007, the band performed at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London. Shortly after the band's performance, Simpson was arrested at RAF Northolt for missing a court date in Glasgow after having been charged for possession of a Class A drug (cocaine).^[10]^[11]

September 1, 2007 saw Snow Patrol headlining a "home coming" mini-festival in Gary Lightbody and Jonny Quinn's home town of Bangor, County Down. Around 30,000 people came to see the band.^[12] ^[13]

On November 25, 2007, Snow Patrol performed an acoustic session for the charity Mencap, in a small chapel in Islington. They were one of the main bands to take part in the project, called "Little Noise Sessions" which was curated by Jo Whiley.

A Hundred Million Suns

Gary Lightbody stated that recording for the follow-up to Eyes Open was to begin in Autumn 2006, with Jacknife Lee returning a third time for production.^[14] Since then the band stated that they wished to take a year off after the back-to-back tours of Final Straw and Eyes Open and intended to emerge at the end of 2008 with their next album. Gary Lightbody is also set to release an album as part of a solo project called "Listen... Tanks!" but a date for this has not yet been publicly announced.

A post, dated May 23, 2008 on the band's official website stated that recording for the next album had been under way for a week; they began on May 19, 2008. The new album, entitled A Hundred Million Suns, was released on October 24, 2008 in Ireland and October 28 in the UK and US. The first single entitled "Take Back the City" was released in Ireland on October 10, 2008. Filming for the music video to "Take Back the City" took place on the week of August 11, 2008 in Central London, as one of the band members was getting married the next day. The music video was directed by Alex Courtes.

The band kicked off their 2009 UK/Irish/Australian tour at Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, southern England on Sunday 22nd February 2009. For this tour, tha band have been joined by the former front man of well known band The Alleycats, Kieran Dooley. The final date of this tour will be at Claremont Showgrounds, Perth on April 5th. This will then be followed by a tour consisting of mainly German dates but starting in Stockholm, Sweden on May 18th and ending in Stuttgart on May 31st.

Band members

Current members

Gary Lightbody– lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1994–present)
Jonny Quinn – drums, percussion (1994–present)
Nathan Connolly – lead guitar, backing vocals (2002–present)
Paul Wilson – bass guitar, backing vocals (2005–present)
Tom Simpson – keyboard (2005–present although a touring member since 1997)

Former members

Mark McClelland – bass guitar, keyboards (1994–2005)
Mike Morrison – drums (1994-1995)

LL Cool J Says He Made Exit 13 'As A Hip-Hop Fan'

LL  Cool  J

The first-week numbers for LL Cool J's Exit 13 will be released Wednesday, but hip-hop's G.O.A.T. said the only stat that matters is how many hits are on the album.

"People can say what they want," he said. "But this is a Mayweather moment. I'mma take a page out of Floyd's book on this one. The album is hot. It's crazy. ... I can't guarantee the first-week sales, because retail is gonna be looking at my last albums' sales and thinking about that. They gonna be caught up in that. So I don't know what I'm gonna do the first week. That's all based on how many records you put out there in the first place. But let me tell you something: That word of mouth on that album and that second week, you watch. We're gonna see.

"Mr. Smith did 80,000 the first week and sold 3 million," he added. "Mama Said Knock You Out did maybe 100,000 first week; that sold 3 million. Bigger and Deffer sold triple-platinum. I have a feeling that sold pretty well, but this is my favorite album that I've made. It is. It's hard for people to think that way. They have records that's embedded in their heads so deeply, you can't move them. But for those new hip-hop fans, its gonna be crazy."

LL spoke with so much pride about the project because it's the LP he's worked the longest on.

"Just hating on it, hating on yourself," he said about recording the album over the past two years. "I hated on the joint. Say what you want about me, but everything I do musically is on purpose and by design. I know what I'm doing. And that being said, when it's time to make a joint, I hated on the joint. 'Make a new joint, flip it. I'll make two types of joints.' There's two types of albums I make: Albums I make by myself when I'm being artsy and albums I make as a hip-hop fan. I made this album as a hip-hop fan.

"Mama Said Knock You Out — that was, maybe, almost a year," he continued. "[Exit 13] is crazy. Two years to get it right, B. I'm telling you. I promise you. It's gonna be mailmen that ain't bought a hip-hop album in 10 years that's gonna buy this album. It's gonna be junior high schools that never bought an LL album buying this album once it gets in the system, God willing."

LL is currently opening for Janet Jackson's Rock Witchu Tour. On November 21, he'll head to New Jersey's Izod Center for Hot 97's Check the Rhyme concert. Besides LL, 50 Cent, Q-Tip, T-Pain, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Ice Cube and Brandy are all on the bill.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Lonely Island, The - News

The Lonely Island's Debuts at #1 on iTunes

dream girl

Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as 'the new frontier of white and nerdy,' and lauded on the cover of TV Guide magazine as 'the future of TV and digital comedy,' The Lonely Island (Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) can now add the title music super stars to their growing repertoire of entertainment milestones - their Incredibad debuted as the #1 Comedy Album on the Billboard chart, as well as hitting the #1 spot their first week out on iTunes' coveted album chart, giving them the best debut by a new artist in 2009.

Released February 10th, the CD/DVD has garnered across the board acclaim as it also locks down the # 13 spot on Billboard's Top Album chart. 'The lyrics are hilariously simple and the music wildly catchy,' raved the New York Observer, 'without a doubt one of the funniest albums, music or otherwise in years,' wrote Paste magazine.com - 'good music and pitch-perfect style parodies.'

Incredibad is packed with new parodies and signature musical versions of groundbreaking digital shorts that have transformed sketch comedy and online satirical fare. Among the breakout gems included on Incredibad is the Emmy winning YouTube sensation "D**k In A Box," featuring superstar Justin Timberlake, which snagged a record-breaking 30 million-plus views before being permanently housed at NBCs online destinations NBC.com and Hulu, and the more recent follow-up "J**z In My Pants," which had 15 million views in its first month on YouTube. And don't forget their current SNL/YouTube sensation "I'm On a Boat," a send-up of hip hop's status-seeking obsession featuring T-Pain, which Newteevee.com has hailed as 'the gold standard on how to be both clever and profane.'

The CD features uproarious new surprises such as "Sax Man," featuring Jack Black, "Santana DVX," featuring Bay area rapper and The Click founder E-40, and "Like a Boss," among others. Audio renditions of past webisodes and SNL shorts round out the Universal Republic release, including fan-favorites such as "Lazy Sunday," which first aired on SNL in December of 2005, becoming a YouTube phenomenon and helping to brand the fledgling site as the internet's premiere must-watch online destination.

The trio's inspired new musical creations feature a diverse arsenal of guest-artists including hip hop impresario T-Pain, Grammy winning superstar Norah Jones, comedian Chris Parnell, The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, and others.

The Lonely Island will be celebrating their first release by doing two in store appearances in support of Incredibad - in New York City at Virgin Records Union Square and Newbury Comics in Boston. The "hometown" stop at Virgin will take place Wednesday, February 25th at 7pm with a Q&A and CD signing. The Newbury visit is on Friday, February 27th at 7pm following the same format.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Boyceavenue's Live Performance (Philippines)

 " b o y c e a v e n u e   i n  a s i a "

Are you one of those die hard fans of the most admired acoustic band today the boyceavenue?They had been popular on YOUTUBE doing such amazing covers of songs of various artists.The band is putting a unique touch in every song that they choose to cover.Their unique style & charisma is what bringing them to fame.Alejandro Manzano is really such a hunk....his voice ,his looks,his style everything about him makes him the MAN!I don't want to be unfair or bias i had to admit all of them are good looking but only Alejandro catches my eyes & my heart.He is so manly...ok,ok,i don't want to be sentimental here.This is my blog & i think i've got the authority to write what i had on mind...& it's just Alejandro Manzano I crave for....girls you can choose from the remaining three,i'm getting the vocalist :).

Below are the following performances they had in the Philippines.Filipinos loves boyceavenue i've seen it myself.I've been with the band every step.

Boyce Avenue Live in Philippines

SM North Edsa

SM Mall Of Asia

SM Megamall

Boyceavenue cd signing

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

"Songs brings memories & make an impact in our lives"

Reminiscing the memories of my life by just listening to the songs that had been a piece of me.It brings back the old memories that we had.

I can take my eyes of you - lauryn hill

killing me softly - lauryn hill

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

" jordin sparks " american idol winner

j o r d i n s p a r k s

Jordin Sparks - Biography

Birth name Jordin Brianna Sparks
Born December 22, 1989

Origin Glendale, Arizona

Genre(s) Christian, Gospel, Pop, R&B

Occupation(s) Student, Model, Actress, Singer, Idol

Jordin Brianna Sparks is an aspiring American singer, actress, model and American Idol finalist .

Background

Sparks is the daughter of former NFL football player, Phillippi Sparks, and wife Jodi Sparks. She has a younger brother named PJ (Phillippi Sparks, Jr.). As a daughter of a B lack father and a White mother, she is biracial. She is managed by maternal grandmother Pa m Wiedmann. Her aunt Shari is an actress & model.Sparks is currently homes chooled. She is a fan of football, reading, and music. She also attends church. She has been singing since she was 18 months old

Artist Site

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

" All About Jason Mraz "

J a s o n M r a z

Jason Mraz - Biography

Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz hails from Mechanicsville, VA, where he grew up as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and local roots musicians the Agents of Good Roots. But it was Mraz's interest and participation in musical theater that was his first introduction to music. Mraz moved to New York following high school to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy but dropped out a year later when he took up the guitar and began to focus on songwriting. Nonetheless, Mraz's training as a vocalist would show itself on his debut album which is marked by the pure clarity and range of his vocals.

After busking around New York, Mraz eventually returned to Virginia; but, in 1999, he ultimately made his way West, settling in San Diego, CA, known for its coffeehouse scene and support of singer/songwriters, most notably Jewel. Mraz began playing local shops and landed a weekly slot at local hot-spot Java Joe's. At the same time, Mraz met drummer Toca Rivera and the two began performing together — Mraz on acoustic guitar, Rivera on djembe — honing a live show that featured as much comedic banter between the two as music.

Over the next two years, Mraz's following grew outside of San Diego to Los Angeles, garnering the attention of record labels. In early 2002, Mraz signed to Elektra Records and returned to Virginia to write and record his debut album, working with producer John Alagía (the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer) and his high school heroes, the Agents of Good Roots, as his backing band. The resulting effort, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, was released in November of 2002. The album blends Mraz's early influences and coming-of-age by combining country and roots rock with the poeticism of coffeehouse folk, elements of jazz, and the rhythmic charge of hip-hop.

Well, you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but your so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks, now I'm tryin to get back
before the cool done run out I'll be givin it my best test
and nothin's gonna stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait
I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our godforsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So, i won't hesitate no more,
no more, it cannot wait i'm sure
there's no need to complicate our time is short
this is our fate
I'm yours

Scooch on over closer, dear
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spendin' way too long checkin' my tongue in the mirror
and bendin' over backwards just to try to see it clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
and so I drew a new face and I laughed
I guess what I'd be sayin' is there ain't no better reason
to rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
it's what we aim to do
our name is our virtue

But I won't hesitate no more,
no more it cannot wait
I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
open up your plans and damn you're free
look into your heart and you will find that the sky is yours

so please don't, please don't, please don't,
there's no need to complicate,
Cause our time is short
This, this, this is our fate,
I'm yours

" Right Now " by AKON

A K O N

Akon is one of the fastest rising star in the music industry today bec. he has given a nice break by his producers & the songs that he sung are well composed that is why he is gathering so much listeners bec. his songs are quite addictive.I really love his song " Right Now" I fell in love with it the first time i heard it.

Akon

Background information
Birth name	Aliaune Thiam
Born	April 16, 1977 (1977-04-16) (age 31), St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Genre(s)	R&B, hip hop, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	2003–present
Label(s)	Universal, SRC, Konvict Muzik, UpFront
Website	www.akononline.com

Aliaune Thiam (born April 16, 1977),^[1] better known by his stage name Akon (pronounced /ˈeɪkɒn/)^[2], is a Wolof^[3]Senegalese-American hip hop singer-songwriter,and record producer. Akon rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of his single "Locked Up" from his debut album Trouble. His second album, Konvicted, earned him a Grammy Award nomination for the single "Smack That." He is the founder of two record labels, Konvict Muzik and Kon Live Distribution. He is well known for singing hooks and has over 155 guest appearances and 23 Billboard Hot 100 songs to his credit. He is the first solo artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.^[4]

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Career

Early life

As the son of famed jazz musician Mor Thiam, Akon was raised in a musical setting and taught to play several instruments. At the age of 7, he moved to New Jersey. During Akon’s alleged time in jail, he began to understand his music abilities and developed an appreciation for his musical background. When he was released he immediately began recording his music and sending out demo tapes. Akon's unique blend of West African-style vocals and hip-hop lyricism eventually caught the ears of executives at Universal Records.^[5]

Name and age

The full name of Akon is, Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam, as announced by himself.^[6] Other sources say his given name is Aliaune Thiam.^[7] Some sources have written his name as Aliaune Badara Thiam or Alioune Badara Thiam.^[8] However, About.com claims that this middle name has never been independently verified.^[9] In addition, some media institutions have incorrectly reported that he was born in 1981. Sources such as the AP have indicated he was born in 1973. Legal documents released by The Smoking Gun list his name as Aliaune Damala Thiam and date of birth as 1973-04-30^[10] or 1973-04-16.^[11] According to the Smoking Gun article, "By all indications, he was born April 16, 1973."^[12] When asked his age during an interview with VIBE, Akon reportedly responded, "The only thing I hide is my age... before I lie to you, I'd rather say nothing."^[12]

Background

He is the son of the Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam. He then spent split time between Senegal and America until he was 15, and then permanently moved to Jersey City, New Jersey.^[13] He recorded his first song, "Operations of Nature", at the age of fifteen.^{[citation needed]} Akon began writing and recording tracks in his home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which released Akon's debut LP Trouble in June 2004. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell with him uttering the word "Convict".

2004–2005: Breakout with Trouble

Akon's solo debut album, Trouble was released on June 29, 2004. It spawned the hit singles "Locked Up" and "Lonely", as well as "Belly Dancer (Bananza)", "Pot Of Gold", and "Ghetto." Akon allegedly served a three-year jail sentence for grand theft auto, an experience that supposedly inspired his "Locked Up."^[7] "Locked Up" reached the top 10 in the U.S. and the top five in the UK. His manager Robert Montanez was shot to death following a dispute in New Jersey in December 2005. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was remixed by Green Lantern to include verses from legendary rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. In 2005, he released the single "Lonely" (which samples Bobby Vinton's "Mr. Lonely"). The song reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100, and topped the charts in Australia, the UK and Germany. His album also climbed to number one in the UK in April, 2005. When music channel The Box had a top ten weekly chart, which was calculated by the amount of video requests, Akon's "Lonely" became the longest running single on the top of the chart, spanning over fifteen weeks. Akon then released another single featuring with a New Zealand rapper, Savage with the single Moonshine, which had become a success in both New Zealand and Australia, becoming number one in the New Zealand charts. In 2005, Akon gained more popularity after being featured on Young Jeezy's debut album, Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, on the song "Soul Survivor."

2006–2008: Konvicted and Freedom

Akon performing with Gwen Stefani on The Sweet Escape Tour.

In 2006-2007 Akon has had one of the most successful spans any singer has ever enjoyed with eleven songs in the Billboard Hot 100. Akon's second album, entitled Konvicted, was released on November 14, 2006. Konvicted included collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Styles P. Late August 2006, Akon released the single "Smack That" featuring Eminem, from the album. This single peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks. The music video for "Smack That" was directed by Raymond Garced. "I Wanna Love You," the second single off Konvicted, was released in September 2006. It is a collaboration between Akon and Snoop Dogg. This single earned Akon his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and Snoop's second. "I Wanna Love You" topped the U.S. charts for two consecutive weeks. In January 2007, Akon released his third single "Don't Matter" which earned him his first solo number one and second consecutive Hot 100 chart topper. "Mama Africa" was released as a European single in July 2007, making it the fourth single. It debuted in the UK at number 47. "Sorry, Blame It on Me" is the album's fifth single which debuted in August 2007, on the Hot 100 at number seven, which also happened to be a career best. The song is not available on the original album, but instead part of the Deluxe Edition of Konvicted, which came out August 28, 2007. The sixth and final single was confirmed in an interview by Akon to be "Never Took the Time."^[14] Konvicted debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 286,000 copies in its first week. After only six weeks, Konvicted sold more than one million records in the U.S. and more than 1.3 million worldwide. The album was certified platinum after seven weeks, and after sixteen weeks it was certified double platinum. Konvicted was able to stay in the top twenty of the Billboard 200 for 28 consecutive weeks, where it peaked at number two on four different occasions. On November 19, 2007, the RIAA has certified the Konvicted album triple platinum status with 3 million units sold in th United States. Currently it has sold more than 4 million worldwide.

On October 5, 2006, Akon broke a record on the Hot 100, as he achieved the largest climb in the chart's 48-year-history with "Smack That" jumping from number 95 to 7. The leap is fueled by its number six debut on Hot Digital Songs with 67,000 downloads. The record was broken on April 7, 2007 by Beyoncé and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar" when it jumped from 94 to 3 on the Hot 100, because of their 150,000 digital downloads on the Hot Digital Songs.

In December 2006, Akon's "Smack That" was nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards, but lost to Justin Timberlake and T.I.'s "My Love".

Akon released his new album Freedom on December 2, which spawned three singles: "Right Now (Na Na Na)", "I'm So Paid" (featuring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy) and "Beautiful" (featuring Kardinal Offishall). Akon is also confirmed to feature in Flo Rida's upcomingalbum with the song Guarentee.

Other ventures

Akon at Live Earth.

In 2006, Akon started his new record label Kon Live Distribution under Interscope Records. His first signed artist was Ray Lavender.

He was featured on Gwen Stefani's latest album, The Sweet Escape. He made an appearance on the title track and second single, "The Sweet Escape." Akon produced the song. On December 10, 2006, Akon and Stefani appeared as musical guests on Saturday Night Live, however they did not perform the song as Stefani had not yet learned the lyrics. He performed the song live, however, on American Idol on March 28, 2007 due to Gwen Stefani's appearance as a coach the night before. "The Sweet Escape" has reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Akon collaborated with Chamillionaire on his mixtape, Mixtape Messiah 2. He is featured on "Ridin' Overseas," which he also produced. The mixtape became available for download on Chamillionaire's website on December 24, 2006.

Akon and Young Jeezy are doing a collaborative album together. In 2006, after their 2005 Akon-produced single, "Soul Survivor," the duo said that there is a lot more to expect from them in the future.^[15]^[16]

Akon also appeared on Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's album Strength and Loyalty and Three 6 Mafia's eighth studio album, Last 2 Walk, We The Best by DJ Khaled, Fabolous's album, From Nothin' to Somethin', with 50 Cent on some tracks for Curtis,^[17] T.I.'s 5th album, T.I. vs. T.I.P.,^[18] Mario's third solo album Go!,^[19] and produced for Daddy Yankee's El Cartel: The Big Boss which was released on June 5, 2007.^[20]

In November 2007, Akon recorded a remix of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Michael Jackson. In February 2008, the remix was released on the Thriller 25 of Michael Jackson's Thriller. The remix was released as a single and charted in the top 10 in most countries. Akon has mentioned in various interviews that he is also working with Jackson on his upcoming studio album. In July of 2008, a song was leaked on the internet, which is a duet of Michael Jackson and Akon. Entitled "Hold My Hand," the song features both artists singing together over a R&B/Hip-Hop style backing track, more similar to Akon's songs rather than Jackson's. It is not known whether it will be released as a single or as part of Akon's upcoming album or Jackson's rumoured new album. However it has already caused a comotion with websites such as Youtube; many videos have either been muted or deleted due to copyright issues with the song. There is also no official mention of the recording on either artist websites, and it is not included in the tracklist of Akon's upcoming album Freedom.

Akon holds the record for most guest performances on popular television show American Idol with two. He once sang "The Sweet Escape" with Gwen Stefani and three weeks later he sang "Don't Matter" on the show while it was number one on the Billboard charts.

Akon is also credited with producing the track entitled "Echo" on Latin Boy band Menudo's latest album, released in the spring of 2008.

Akon has been featured in Kat Deluna's "Am I Dreaming."

Akon has recorded a song with E-40 titled "Wake It Up" for E-40's album, The Ball Street Journal. Akon experiments with the auto-tune effect in the song.

On July 7, 2007 Akon performed at the American leg of Live Earth.

Akon co-wrote and recorded "Put It on My Tab" with New Kids on the Block for their 2008 reunion album The Block.^[21]

From April to July 2007 Akon performed in The Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani. From July to September he embarked on his worldwide Konvicted Tour, and in September, he toured with Rihanna on the Canadian leg of her Good Girl Gone Bad Tour.

Akon will be making a guest appearance on singer Ciara's new album "Fantasy Ride" due out in early 2009.^[22]

Akon is the executive producer of Not 4 Sale, Kardinal Offishall's fourth solo album, which was released on September 9, 2008. The street single "Graveyard Shift" features Akon rapping,^[23] and Akon also appears on the first official single "Dangerous."

Akon co-wrote and produced Leona Lewis' hit record Forgive Me, off her debut album Spirit.

Television and film

Akon has confirmed that a reality television show is in the works. It will be called "My Brother's Keeper" and the point is that Akon's two nearly identical brothers will go around in Atlanta posing as him fooling people into thinking that it is in fact Akon. They will try to get VIP treatment, girls and free things. Akon has claimed that people have mistaken his brothers for him many times in Atlanta which is what the show is based on.^[24]

Akon is planning to work on a full-length movie titled Illegal Alien. The film is based on some of the events of his life and actor Mekhi Phifer is set to play him. Besides Akon confirmed in August 2007, in the interview with Polish website INTERIA.PL, that he works on a movie "Cocaine Cowboys," which tells the story of Jon Roberts, the main pilot of Medellin Cartel (Colombian drug traffickers).^[25] He was also featured on a Verizon Wireless commercial and singing Snitch along with Obie Trice on a CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode named "Poppin' Tags."

On November 30, 2007, Akon entered the Big Brother house in Pinoy Big Brother Celebrity Edition 2 as a guest so the housemates can meet him for only 100 seconds.

He also appeared on November 17, 2008 edition of WWE Raw, with Santino Marella citing him in his speech.

Fashion

In February 2007, Akon launched his clothing line, Konvict Clothing. It features urban streetwear including denim jeans, hoodies, t-shirts and hats. Aliaune is the upscale version, or high-end line, for males and females, which includes blazers, denim jeans and other items. Timothy Hodge appeared on MTV's Direct Effect along side Akon while promotioning the Konvict clothing line.^[26]

Personal life

Akon has been rumored to have three wives, but recently has said to only have one.^[27] Akon nominally belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam. Both his parents are Muslim.^{[citation needed]} Polygamy is illegal in the United States of America and in many Muslim countries^{[citation needed]}. He claims to have five children with three different women in an interview with Blender.^[28]

He also has his own charity for underprivileged children in Africa called Konfidence Foundation.^[29] Akon owns a diamond mine in South Africa and denies the existence of conflict diamonds (Otherwise casually referred to as 'blood diamonds'), saying, "I don't even believe in conflict diamonds. That's just a movie. Think about it. Ain't nobody thought about nothing about no conflict diamonds until the movie came out."^[30] He also allegedly had a previous occupation as a drug dealer but has stated in interviews that he's never used drugs, though some of his lyrics would suggest otherwise. Despite his alleged criminal history, he proclaims that he has turned his life around.

In 2006, he ventured to Africa to play a concert in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.^[31]

Controversy

This article's Criticism or Controversy section(s) may mean the article does not present a neutral point of view of the subject. It may be better to integrate the material in such sections into the article as a whole.

Trinidad and Tobago incident

In April 2007, Akon drew criticism for having on-stage simulated sex with Danah (Deena) Alleyne, a preacher's [at the time] fifteen-year-old daughter, at a club in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of a fake contest, despite the club's claim to have a 21 years and over age limit.^[32]^[33] The incident was filmed by Akon's crew and later uploaded to the Internet. On April 20, 2007 local media, channel TV6, aired the video clip publicly. Amid criticism on the radio, television, and from the blogosphere, Verizon Wireless removed ringtones featuring Akon's songs. Verizon also decided not to sponsor The Sweet Escape Tour where Akon was to be the opening act for Gwen Stefani.^[34] However, Universal Music Group did not take action against Akon, but rather simply ordered the video clip be removed from video-sharing site YouTube due to copyright infringement. Conservative commentator and Parents Television Council founder Brent Bozell called this "corporate irresponsibility."^[35]

In one song from his album, "Sorry, Blame It On Me," Akon apologizes to the young girl for the incident at the club, though citing the club for admitting the girl because she was under 21 and her parents for letting her go out dressed like an adult. He also tells how Verizon dropped promoting him and Gwen's tour, and stopped sale of his ringtones. He also makes several other apologies to his children, wife, and mother as well. The song is available to listen to on Akon's MySpace page and was released onto iTunes (U.S.) on July 17, 2007.

Political commentators Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, and Bill O'Reilly criticized Akon for "degrading women."^[36]^[37] Malkin uploaded commentary about Akon to YouTube, using footage from music videos and the Trinidad concert, and Universal Music Group then forced its removal by issuing a DMCA takedown notice.^[38] The Electronic Frontier Foundation joined Malkin in contesting the removal as a misuse of copyright law, citing fair use.^[39] In May 2007, UMG rescinded its claim to the video, and the video returned to YouTube.

Fishkill incident

On June 3, 2007, at WSPK's KFEST concert at the Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill, New York, a concert attendee threw an object towards Akon on stage. Akon asked the crowd to identify who threw the object and that he be brought on stage. Security staff grabbed the young man and took him up to the stage. Akon then pulled him up from the crowd and hoisted him across his shoulders. The singer then tossed the attendee back into the crowd from his shoulders. Video of the incident was reviewed by Fishkill police.^[40] Akon has claimed that the incident was staged and that he in fact used the act to set up for the next record.^[24] Charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, were filed, according to police Chief Donald F. Williams, and Akon was arraigned the two charges on December 3, 2007 in the town of Fishkill Court.^[41]

In December 2008, Akon pleaded guilty to the charge of harassment in the second degree; he was sentenced to 65 hours community service and $350 in fines. ^[42]

Biographical fabrications

The Smoking Gun reported in April 2008 that much of Akon's purported criminal and incarceration history has been dramatically embellished.^[43]^[44]^[45] In particular, Akon's claims to be part of an auto-theft ring and his claim to have spent three years in prison were challenged with court records and interviews with detectives involved in Akon's case.

Akon has only been convicted of a single felony, that of gun possession in 1998. He received 3 years probation after pleading guilty. He ended up spending several months in jail on remand following the theft of a BMW, but the charges against him were dropped.

According to The Smoking Gun's article, Akon was not convicted of any crime and did not serve any time in prison from 1999 to 2002 as previously claimed.

Akon stated that The Smoking Gun's attempt to "discredit" him "makes no sense" to him, and that he benefits from it because that part of his past is something he has been "trying to forget."^[46]

rigth now ( na na na )
akon
[Verse 1]:
It's been so long
That I haven't seen your face
I'm tryna be strong
But the strength I have is washing away
It won't be long before I get you by my side
And just hold you, tease you, squeeze you
Tell you what's been on my mind

[Chorus]:
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now

[Verse 2]:
Girl I know mistakes were made between us two
And we show our eyes that night even said somethings weren't true
Why'd you go
I haven't seen my girl since then
Why can't it be the way it was
Cause you were my homie, lover, friend

[Chorus]:
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now

[Bridge 1]:
I can't lie
(I miss you much)
Watching everyday that goes by
(I miss you much)
Till i get you back I'm gonna try
(Yes I miss you much)
You are the apple of my eye
(Girl I miss you much)
(I miss you much)
I can't lie
(I miss you much)
Watching everyday that goes by
(I miss you much)
Tell I get you back I'm gonna try
(Yes I miss you much)
You are the apple of my eye
(Girl I miss you much)
(I miss you much)

[Chorus]:
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now

[Bridge 2]:
I want you to fly with me
(want you to fly)
I miss how you lie with me
(miss how you lie)
Just wish you could dine with me
(wish you could dine with me)
One that would grind with me
(one that would grind with me)
I want you to fly with me
(want you to fly)
I miss how you lie with me
(miss how you lie)
Just wish you could dine with me
(wish you could dine)
One that would grind with me
(one that would grind)

[Chorus]:
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now
We need to link up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
I wanna make up right now now now
Wish we never broke up right now now now

We need to link up right now now now

Tuesday, May 26, 2009