Shakira
BORN: February 2, 1977
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Shakira, the graceful one, has been sneaking up on you-the Grammys, the MTV Video Awards, those Pepsi spots. She's a child prodigy who wrote her first song at age eight, a blond-locked Colombian who speaks three languages and loves only in Spanish. She's a perfectionist who spends hours in the studio; she needs to be close to nature but her passion is the crackle of electric guitars. She is in the blush of youth, but she's far older than her 24 years. As her countryman, Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote, "Shakira's music has a personal stamp that doesn't look like anyone else's and no one can sing or dance like her, at whatever age, with such an innocent sensuality, one that seems to be of her own invention."
The swift ascent of Shakira's star is the stuff of Latin American legend. At the age of 13, she signed her first recording contract with Sony Music Colombia and released her first album Magia. (Magic). After graduating from secondary school, Shakira decided to dedicate her life to the music, recording Peligro ("Danger") and Pies Descalzos, ("Barefeet") in the years that followed, which broke her in Latin America , Brazil (over one million sales) and Spain.
Her next album, ?Dónde Están Los Ladrones? produced by Shakira and executive produced by Emilio Estefan, established her as the major force behind Latin pop-rock, going multi-platinum in the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Central America, Mexico and platinum in Spain. Then came a Grammy and two Latin Grammys, the key TV appearances, the brave new world of Shakira, the star. Shakira is a walking, living, breathing, singing contradiction. "I was born and raised in Colombia, but I listened to bands like Led Zeppelin, the Cure, the Police, the Beatles and Nirvana," said Shakira. "I was so in love with that rock sound but at the same time because my father is of l00% Lebanese descent, I am devoted to Arabic tastes and sounds. Somehow I'm a fusion of all of those passions and my music is a fusion of elements that I can make coexist in the same place, in one song."
It's the songs that make her new album, LAUNDRY SERVICE, her first with English-language tunes, the kind of breakthrough work that will turn the pop world on its head. From the tango-inflected "Objection (Tango)," to the Middle Eastern flavor of "Eyes Like Yours," to the lyrical innovations of "Underneath Your Clothes", to the richness of the melodies of "The One," to the pop-rock of "Whenever Wherever," Shakira will stand in the ranks of the best singer-songwriters in any language.
"I think I am celebrating life more than ever," said Shakira. "I had a slightly narrow vision of love. Now I am feeling unguarded, and it feels great. I feel washed clean of the way I looked at things in the past, which is why I am calling the album LAUNDRY SERVICE."
The most extraordinary thing about LAUNDRY SERVICE is the way she was able to translate her Latin American sensibility into a new language. The idea to do songs in English first came up during Shakira's partnership with Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Gloria initiated the process by translating "Ojos Así," a song that appeared on Shakira's last album, Dónde Están Los Ladrones? (Where are the Thieves?). "I wanted to have her involved in this somehow because she was one of the people that really believed that I could make a record in English," said Shakira.
But nurturing the belief that she could write songs in English was a strong challenge. "The first song I wrote by myself for this record was "Objection," remembered Shakira. "I prayed and asked God to send me a good song today, and I remember I started writing the song a couple of hours after. I wrote the music and lyrics at the same time, and when that happens it's really magical to me." When she completed "Objection," she knew that she could write ten more, so she packed up her loved ones and set up portable studios in rural Uruguay. Taking in the primordial energy of natural surroundings, Shakira came up with a crop of new songs more introspective, more passionate than any she had written before. "I had to find a way to express my ideas and my feelings, my day to day stories in English. So I bought a couple of rhyming dictionaries, read poetry, and authors like Leonard Cohen and Walt Whitman," she said.
"I would feel love in Spanish but I would think about how to express that love in English. Afterwards that became such a natural process, and if you check the subject of my songs, most of them talk about my own experiences and feelings and what I was actually going through in my life," said Shakira. "Is impossible not to write about love.. It's the great mystery of life. It makes me ask myself new questions every day."
Shakira is one of the poetic songwriters of her generation and considered the best female lyricist in Latin America: On the ballad "Underneath Your Clothes," she claims as territory a man she likens to "a song written by the hands of God"; on the blues-rocker "Fool" her "tears make a sea of desert." But she is still as quirky around the edges as she's always been-on "Ready for the Good Times" she remembers close encounters with roaches; on "Poem to a Horse" she scolds a friend dulled by "hydroponic pot," and on "The One," she rewards her true love by shaving her legs and learning how to cook.
"I try to represent only myself, but there are many women that identify with me," said Shakira. "I am definitely not a woman who washes her husband's clothes every day. I hope I don't sound like a feminist leader saying these things. I just try to be honest the way I write."
There's no doubt that Shakira has maintained her creative integrity with her new project. But perhaps more importantly, LAUNDRY SERVICE is a record that reflects her deep love for the basics of rock production. "I felt that I needed to make an organic record with real players in the studio playing live music and doing it like they made records 30 years ago, in the old times," said Shakira. "We used an engineer named Terry Manning, who's worked with ACDC, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz. He's somebody from the old school. I was determined not to depend on too many electronic sounds, and he definitely understood that."
On LAUNDRY SERVICE there is a very strong dedication to old-fashioned rock riffs, to the soulful, bluesy singing styles of a Bonnie Raitt, even the mournful, wailing guitars of Aerosmith. But Shakira can't help being herself, and that means that "Whenever Wherever," will bounce along with some help from Andean pan flutes and Brazilian drums, and "Eyes Like Yours" bursts from your CD player with navel-baring, belly-dancing furor. And for those longing for Shakira in her original language, four new tracks in Spanish are included. "The world has become so small and music is so eclectic now, and our taste is so broad that that's almost predictable that all this crossover from one culture to another was going to happen," she said, then paused for a second, making sure everyone knew she had her priorities straight. "But I know that rock and roll is never going to die."
Eminem
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Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in Kansas city, Missouri on October 17 1973 to his mother Debbie Briggs-Mathers and his father Marshall Bruce Mathers II. Debbie was only 15 when Marshall was born. Not long after Marshall was born, his father packed his bags and left the family, never to be seen again. This wasn’t the end of a tough run for Marshall and his family; it was only just the beginning. Marshall got moved around to different houses and because of this he attended many schools. His mom finally settled down in a house in Detroit. Marshall was only 12 years old. The maximum time he spent at the one school was 3 months. He got bullied at every school he attended and later got back at them by dissing them publicly in his songs.
Marshall did pretty well in school considering the circumstances until he got to year 9. He failed for the third year in a row and decided that he had had enough. School just wasn’t for him, so he left to work on what he was most passionate about: rapping. He had been lip-synching to hip hop songs ever since he was 4 and if he wasn’t a comic book shop owner he had this dream to be a rapper. He started getting a name for himself when he was 17, even though he got into the rap game when he was 14. He was using the initials from his first and last names to form his rap name “M & M” which later became “Eminem” because of his race, he got rejected by people all the time, even though he was a really talented rapper. Determined to prove everyone wrong, he forced himself to go on radio shows and participate in freestyle battles. In 1995, Marshall recorded his first album titled Infinite, which only sold about 1000 copies. That same year, his high school sweet heart, now wife, Kim, gave birth to his only child, a little girl named Hailie Jade Scott.
Having nothing to lose, flat broke and in desperate need for money to support Hailie and Kim, Marsh set out to rave about his life in general where he caught ear of hip hops hard to please underground. Out of this came the Slim Shady Ep named after his alter ego. Em, down to his lest dime, participated in the 1997 Rap Olympics in LA aiming to win the $1,500 cash prize he badly needed. He battled for an hour throwing back every diss he was thrown and managed to get into the grand final. Unfortunately for Em, he lost due to a slip up. Furious that he had lost, Marshall didn’t even notice that he had been spotted by a few producers from interscope records, who got hold of his demo, Infinite. Dre eventually tracked him down, and recorded em’s second album, The Slim Shady EP then followed by The Slim shady LP, recorded in 19. Then in May 2000, Eminem worked with Dre again to record em’s third album, The Marshall Mathers LP. It featured artists such as Dre, Snoop Dogg, X-Zibit, Nate Dogg, D-12 and the beautiful Dido, who sings the chorus for “Stan”. This album debuted at number 1 on the US albums chart, and won three Grammys and was the first rap album to ever be nominated “Album Of The Year”, selling more than 8 million records in America alone. He stunned critics by performing his #1 hit single “Stan” with Elton John, shooting down all homophobic remarks.
Marshals’ album sales were skyrocketing but things weren’t going well with his wife Kim. A month after the Marshall Mathers LP was released, Em was involved in a brawl outside a Detroit club, where he allegedly pistol-whipped a man for kissing Kim. In august that same year, Em filed for divorce. In April 2001, Marsh was sentenced to 2 years probation, stemming from the weapons charge. This same year, he reconciled with Kim for his daughter, Hailies’, sake, but it only lasted for a few months, this time it was Kim who filed for divorce, in August.
2002 was a big year for Marshall. He branched out into the world of acting, filming with esteemed director Curtis Hanson. 8 mile was produced. Based on em’s own life, he played lead role of a character very much like himself, Jimmy Smith Jr. Jimmy is nicknamed “Rabbit” by his mother, Stephanie, played by Ems’ wife Kim. While filming 8 mile, he was busy during scenes making up the songs “Lose Yourself” and “8 Mile”. “Lose Yourself” was named the underdog anthem of the year.
As well as his first movie 8 Mile, Em released his 4th album, The Eminem Show. He revealed the more mature, slightly subdued side of himself. The Eminem Show fired some of his usual attacks on the likes of lead singer of Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst and Moby as well as fresh attacks on Osama Bin Laden. This one album alone had many hits, including Without Me, Cleanin Out My Closet, Sayin Goodbye to Hollywood, Sing For The Moment, Superman, and Business. He even sings on the album-on a song made especially for his daughter Hailie, the only girl in his life for whom he has respect for.
In 2004 Eminem produced a new CD "Encore". It featured songs such as Just Lose It, Like Toy Soldiers, Encore, and even Mockingbird which hit #1 in MTV's top 20 for over 10 days!
During 2005 there was a rumor that Eminem was retiring but Marshall cleared that up very quickly!! He told everyone that he wuz just taking a break from the mic which led to his newest cd "Curtain Call" released in December of 2005. Curtain Call has all of Em's favorites and also features 2 new songs. "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That (feat. Nate Dogg). When I'm Gone is about Hailie and how things are in her point of view. Shake That is just another typical Eminem song in which we all fell in love with!!! Lets just hope that Eminem returns soon because I know i am going to miss him!!!!! Hurry Back!!!
Britney Spears
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Britney Spears may have titled her new single "Me Against The Music," but she has rarely been more creatively in tune than she is right now. "I feel like I've hit a great new stride as an artist," she says with pride. "I've worked hard, and I feel like I've grown on so many levels."
In truth, "Me Against The Music" is hardly about declaring war against grooves. "Actually, it's about the intensity that people approach music with," Britney shares. "It's about getting totally lost in the music and pushing yourself to the edge in every way you can imagine. I love thoroughly immersing myself in music, and I wanted to capture that intensity in a song."
Britney's musical intensity and her evolution from a teen renegade into a provocative young woman are undeniable throughout "In The Zone," her fourth Jive Records collection. First and foremost, the project shows her flexing notably strong and mature songwriting muscles. She co-wrote 7 of the project's 12 sterling new compositions, collaborating with such heavy hitters as Red Zone ("Me Against The Music," "The Hook Up"), The Matrix ("Shadow"), Moby ("Early Mornin'"), and Cathy Dennis ("Toxic," "Showdown"). Also contributing hit worthy material to the album is R. Kelly ("Outrageous"), Ying-Yang Twins on “(I Got That) Boom Boom.”
Perhaps most significant is the appearance of pop icon Madonna, who lends her voice to the single "Me Against The Music." Collaborating with one of her all-time greatest musical influences was a dream come true for Britney. "The experience was beyond words or description." she says. The two forged what has become a powerful bond while rehearsing for their now-notorious performance on the MTV Video Music Awards this fall. "As we were working together, there were moments when I simply could not believe that I was standing there on stage next to her. It was never even in the realm of fantasy for me."
The musical union of Britney and Madonna within the taut, classic-funk groove of "Me Against The Music" is quite real, though, and it reveals each of them at their most kinetic and soulful. The song's accompanying video clip, directed by Paul Hunter, shows Madonna enticing Britney through a maze-like underground club, only to disappear into thin air when Britney gets close enough to touch her. The clip is rife with symbolic gestures of Madonna passing the baton pop power to Britney --- an image that the young artist finds exciting, humbling, and perhaps a bit premature.
"There is only one Madonna --- and there will always only be one," she says. "My goal is to have a career that is equally as special, but one that is completely unique to who I am. I'm honored by all that Madonna brought to this song. I really love the flow we share --- both on the track and as friends. I think you can feel the chemistry and positive energy we shared. It's completely natural and relaxed."
The natural and relaxed vibe of "Me Against The Music" is indicative of every note and beat comprises "In The Zone," an album that runs the stylistic gamut from streetwise hip-hop and electro-trance to new-wave-etched rock and well-crafted pop. From top to bottom, Britney effectively expands the parameters of mainstream musical consciousness with songs that lure listeners with infectious hooks, and then captivates them with layers of clever lyrics and deft instrumentation.
"Putting this record together was an incredible journey for me," Britney says. "I had the freedom to explore and experiment with some of the most exciting people in music. In the end, that allowed me to make a record that is a pure reflection of where I am right now."
What we learn from album highlights like the rambunctious "(I Got That) Boom Boom," which features the Ying Yang Twins, and "Everytime," a stark, delicate collaboration with Guy Sigsworth, is that Britney has grown into a fearless artist. "Those songs are particularly special to me, because neither of them sounds like anything I've ever done before," she says. "'Boom Boom' is so rough and edgy and fun, while 'Everytime' is so raw and spare. It's me stripped to my core as a singer and as a songwriter. It's as honest as I've ever been in my music. I loved working with Guy on that track. He made me feel comfortable and safe enough to go the full distance, emotionally and as a performer." Britney also has high praise for Moby, who worked with her on the mid-tempo "Early Mornin.'" "He's such a pure-hearted guy," she says. "He's so cool. He played me a really cool track, and I thought it was brilliant. It's turned out to be one of my favorite songs on the album."
She describes "Early Mornin,'" which unfolds with a deceptively insistent, easy-paced dance groove as a day-after-the-party jam, which balances some of the more assertive, dance floor-friendly cuts on "In The Zone." "Some songs are generally about going out and wanting to have a good time," she says. "One of the things I did while working on this album was write about a lot things like going out with my girlfriends, everyday experiences that I was going through. 'Early Morning' is about just going out and feeling bad the next day." Elsewhere on "In The Zone," Britney shows her sultry side, particularly on the steamy, turntable-ready "Breathe On Me," a Mark Taylor production that she characterizes as being "very vibe-y, trance-y. It's about being with a guy and not even having to really be with each other, but just the intensity and the anxiety between not saying anything. You don't even have to touch me, just breathe on me."
Among the more sensual songs on the album is "Touch of My Hand," on which Britney seductively floats her voice atop an arrangement of pillowy strings and languid, Middle-Eastern-kissed guitar lines. "It's tastefully done," she says of the track. "And I think it's real. It's nice and it's real. It's whatever your take is. Some people may think it's a little much, but that's where I'm at with my life. ... It's not freaky freaky, it's just a little freaky." Stepping out on a creative limb has been the basis for Britney's entire career. Dubbed by MTV as "one of the last teenage pop superstars of the 20th century," Spears enjoyed her breakthrough success at the end of 1998. She appeared in local dance revues and church choirs as a young girl, and at the age of eight auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club. Although she was too young to join the series, a producer on the show gave her an introduction to a New York agent. She subsequently spent three summers at the Professional Performing Arts School Center. She also appeared in a number of off-Broadway productions as a child actor, including 1991's "Ruthless." She returned to the Disney Channel for a spot on The Mickey Mouse Club, where she was featured for two years between the ages of 11 and 13. Her demo tape eventually landed in the hands of a Jive Records executive who quickly signed her to the label. She toured American venues for a series of concerts sponsored by U.S. teen magazines, eventually joining "N Sync on tour. It all added up to 1999's wildly infectious "...Baby One More Time" album to make its bow on the charts at No. 1. The set not only spawned a smash hit with the title tune, but also scored with the charming ballad "Sometimes" and the funky "(You Drive Me) Crazy." Before the album finished its impressive worldwide attack of the charts, it garnered Britney 4 MTV Europe Awards, including best pop performer, and 4 Billboard Music Awards, most notably female artist of the year.
The massive demand for new Britney material was satisfied when her 2000 sophomore collection, "Oops! ... I Did It Again," was released to a Spears-starved world in May. Once again, the title cut flooded radio airwaves, as did the anthemic "Stronger" and lovely "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know." She also racked up more awards that year by taking home an American Music Award as favorite new artist, a Billboard Music Award as album artist of the year, and 2 Teen Choice Awards. Britney would later earn Teen Choice Award honors in 2001 and 2003. Ever-prolific, the artist returned in 2001 with "Britney," a spirited, assertive collection on which she began to reveal her mettle as a tunesmith, not to mention as a vocalist of increasingly soulful depth. She earned high praise for the wickedly sultry "Slave 4 U," as well as for the forceful "Overprotected" and the gentle "I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman." The album's was quickly followed by Britney's motion picture debut, "Crossroads," which proved that she has the talent and box-office pull to be a multifaceted superstar. "One of the true joys of my life and career has been trying out new things," Britney says. "I've loved every step of this journey I'm on. I love singing and dancing and acting and songwriting... it all energizes and inspires me." It's that philosophy that has sent Britney "In The Zone," a project that shows this ever-growing and ever-exciting at her absolute best... or as she would say, "for now." "I can't imagine ever reaching the point where I've hit the wall," she concludes. "There's always something new and challenging to tackle. I can't wait to see what happens next."
Justin Timberlake
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Justin Randall Timberlake was born on 31th January 1981in Memphis,Tennessee. This musically historical place had already produced musical idols like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. This cute boy was given the nickname " Curly ". Justin gained his first stage experience through various talent shows. When he was twelve he was discovered at an audition for the " Mickey Mouse Club " kids show. He moved with his mother to Orlando, where he not only gained more showbiz experience but also got to know JC.
Curly is the natural comic in the group and he takes enormous pleasure in making others laugh. This skill is only aided by his ability to act goofily. As well as being an excellent dancer and talented musician Justin is also very sporty. His favourite sport is basketball but, because of his hectic schedule with 'N SYNC he has admittedly little time to devote to his hobby.
Advanced for his age, Justin is a purposeful and ambitious young man, who knows exactly what he wants. This must explain why, despite all the stress, he still has enough energy to successfully continue his schooling through a special correspondence course for young artists. His favourite subjects are maths and physics.
At the beginning of 'N SYNC's career, on those rare occasions when he made a mistake during the dance routines, this smart young man, being the perfectionist that he is, often reacted by pulling sweet, tormented faces. As frontman alongside JC, he carries a heavy load on his young ( albeit broad ) shoulders being the main focus for the cameras. His likeable, friendly smile has captured the hearts of the majority of 'N SYNC fans. Despite his great success Justin remains modest and can't quite come to terms with his effect on girls. He simply can't understand why the fans become speechless when he looks at them.
IDEAL WOMAN : " She definitely has to have a sense of humor. But she has to be intelligent. I want to be able to talk to her. I guess I want just an all - over picture. Everyone deserves the best and everyone has somebody out there for them. The first thing I notice is the way she presents herself and carriers herself. If she's confident, then she's true to herself, and that's something that attracts me to a girl. "
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