For five days in September, world-class songwriters from the US, UK and Canada converge at Hollywood’s Musicians Institute for the 3rd annual ole Pop/Urban Songwriter camp. Their mission - make hit records. Ole’s West Coast Creative Director Qiana Conley has worked tirelessly with Creative Coordinator Tony Crago, to formulate an efficient and productive environment that generates at least one song per day.
Each morning the masterminds from Ole L.A mix pop, urban and country writers into teams.Shortly after, A&R’s arrive to the song camp to pitch their song requests and discuss the direction of the artists project.Now that writers have been served the song on a platter, they go directly into the studio to make magic with help from engineers and demo vocalists provided by the Musician Institute.
The 2009 cycle invites 24 new and returning writers: Rupert Gayle(Shiloh, Keshia Chante), Steven Lee Olsen(Westlife, Steven Lee), Dru (DRU, In Essence), Rosemarie Tan(Danity Kane), Beau Dozier (Joss Stone, Omarion) and Bluetooth (Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks).
L to R: Nashville writer Steven Lee, Hip-Hop production duo "The Runners"
“This camp is so good because it paired up people who might not normally work together”, said 2008 participant Dru Harr, one half of the production duo The Runners. He continued, “When people don’t branch out they end up writing with the same crews over and over again. At camp, I learned that Nashville writers do a great job of putting substance into records and we can took that with us to future sessions with urban acts.”
Several of these “odd couples” birthed hits, and Ole writer Tebey penned the energetic “Cause A Scene” which was cut by Tierra Marie & Flo Rida.Top line writing crews have an additional advantage from participating in a program like the Ole song camp. When forced to split apart, it often results in multiple song credits and learning techniques from other writers, strengthening the skill and exposure of the group.
This year Ole’s L.A team proudly welcomes Jamie Fox’s Foxx King Publishing as a co-presenter along with momentum from new sponsors Red Bull and Puma. Performing rights organizations SOCAN and American PRO’s have also acted as official sponsors, and in the past the Department of Canadian Heritage assisted with a generous grant to encourage Ole’s support of the Canadian writers involved.
The relationships and networking potential for writers during the song camp are priceless and by weeks end all writers can be sure that the songs created will be in good hands. Ole’s Sean Mulligan (General Manager/Director US Film Television & Media) and David Weitzman (Director of Business Development) take up the task of aggressively pitching the end product to labels, Music Supervisors and licensing personnel for synch licensing for Films, T.V and Video Games.
Last year, Barbara Kane, VP/General Manager of BMI visited the writers and best explained the far-reaching benefits of the annual Ole Songwriters camp. “Without this, the collaboration wouldn’t have existed and the creation wouldn’t have happened and the artist wouldn’t have heard it. This is a very important vehicle to offer to writers.” *
» As far as first glance intimidation goes, Jason Bassels has that department well covered. Shaved head, goatee and a 6ft 2in frame resembling that of a tight end in professional football is exactly how you would want your sensei to appear. His muscular frame is proof of endless hours training in Greco-Roman wrestling, karate, Jiujitsu and kickboxing.
Contrary to his intimidating exterior is the man who resides within.
Bassels is a man of peace who has devoted his life to the study of Eastern medicines, philosophies and classical martial arts under the direction of Sensei Wallace M. Platt. Sensei Platt (Hanshi 9th dan) is chief instructor of Classical Martial Arts Canada (CMAC) and head director of the Honbu Dojo Canada.
Bassels’ commitment to CMAC led to the establishment of his own Yume Dapo Dojo in Mississauga where he acts as the affiliate school’s director and lead instructor, mentoring students from ages six to 60.
I ask Bassels about the influx of adults seeking new methods of fitness or those who come in looking for a quick cardio fix.
“Success is not about finding an easy path and purchasing it. At CMAC, the focus lies on building a solid platform on which to develop skills. It’s hard work, physically and mentally, and those who faithfully practice – young and old – reap rewards.”
Bassels’ refreshingly different approach is also evident when he voices his opposition to the traditional methods of tournament in martial arts. He focuses on an age-appropriate skill set rather than the attitude of cut-throat competition often found in tournament settings.
“The idea is to get them working together in the very nature of what will be their society, to get along, to find where their individual strengths are, and layer them on to another person, and another, and so on.”
He continues, “Everything in society is based on this tournament concept of winning and being better and that seems to be where a lot of our problems are.”
What makes Sensei Bassels stand out from others is his dedication to learning and training. His vast travels, coupled with extensive studying, have led to a unique education which is evident in his understanding and respect of the diverse religious, artistic and healing elements of cultures throughout the world.
By creating an environment of respect and honesty, the Yume Dapo Dojo has become a haven for children who can express their fears of bullies, troubles at home, and learn life lessons on how to deal with negative scenarios. Parents who practice with their children at the dojo have commented on how lines of communication have developed, and perspectives have shifted with their young ones.
“Martial arts is not an extra curricular activity,” says Bassels. “It parallels the very things that are being taught at home, at school, and in society.”
He explains: “Martial arts is like a fire. You can’t expect the fire to continue burning without you fuelling it. You have to feed it something and that’s effort, that’s heart, that’s energy. There will be no heat, no benefit from the fire, without your fuel.”
Always with the safety of his students in mind, the Yume Dapo Dojo has taken a preventative approach to safety by installing a fingerprint scanner in the dojo. The It-Fits scanner ensures every adult picking up a child at the dojo has been approved by their parents in advance. These pro-active safety measures demonstrate Bassels’ genuine concern for his students and their parents.
» Perseverance can be defined as overcoming obstacles in the face of adversity. Mikyla Stewart was forced to persevere when at the age of 19, a doctor told her that she had papillary thyroid cancer. What started as an unknown lump that piqued her curiosity changed to a very real scare within weeks when she was diagnosed.
Initial shock affects some people differently than others. When the fog of disbelief dissipated, Mikyla scraped herself off the kitchen floor, wiped her tears and raised her head from her mother’s lap where she had been sobbing, immediately deciding “this will not get the best of me.” She began doing extensive online research, as well as speaking with health professionals. She soon became comforted by knowledge that this cancer was curable and her bright future would not be snuffed out if she was willing to fight for it. As her disturbing reality set in, this introverted but creative soul realized that to beat cancer her physical and mental resilience would be tested.
Mikyla’s treatment began with surgery. Doctors removed her thyroid and infected lymph nodes. To ensure the cancer had been destroyed, she then underwent radioactive iodine treatments at Princess Margaret Hospital that were so toxic that all visitors were asked to keep their distance, isolating her even further.
The surgery was a success, but when her sensitive skin began to darken and bubble with keloids it added unpredictable emotional stress to her fragile state. Although she was healing internally, her disfiguring scars were a constant reminder that this war was far from over. Putting her health before vanity, she hid behind a collection of turtlenecks and repeated to herself a new mantra, “Whatever it takes.”
Mikyla’s neck bore the wounds of a cancer survivor. The radiation and stitches from surgery left very visible disfigurements and blemishes. “I couldn’t wear turtlenecks all year round, and I was fed up with hiding, because I knew I was growing stronger on the inside,” recalls Mikyla. Despite the hurtful stares from strangers and continuous inquiries from friends, Mikyla persevered, knowing the light at the end of this tunnel was shining bright.
“Regaining confidence was one of the hardest struggles I went through, but I was able to do that with the consistent support of family and friends,” says Mikyla. “My best friends kept talking to me like they always did, like nothing was different. Maybe they didn’t know what to say, but that made me feel normal and grounded. It reminded me that life keeps moving even when you feel like you’re standing still.”
Nearly a decade has passed since Mikyla’s victory over cancer and her scars have healed inside and out. To celebrate her experience, she created LIVE.LOVE.LIFE - an organization for all cancer survivors and their supporters, focusing on health and life’s possibilities.LIVE.LOVE.LIFE is planning a summer 2008 fashion show fundraiser (allowing Mikyla to channel her inner designer) complete with musical performances from Canadian artists. All donations will go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Mikyla is happy to share her motivating message with younger patients, who desperately need proof that there is life after cancer. “I feel like I’m a great spokesperson, because I lived it, and now want to help others feel the same – that this is conquerable, let’s all help to find a cure.”
• For more information on the fundraiser, email Mikyla at livelovelife@email.com.
Anyone who knows me well will say that I am a compassionate person who is sensitive to the human condition. Positive thinking, visualization, following affirmation from the universe are all things I believe strongly in.
When I was approach by Confidence Bound - a motivational magazine with national circulation- I jumped at the chance and did 2 pieces for them. Read more about Mikyla who faced cancer at age 19, and Jason who runs a succesful DoJo and incorporates Eastern philosophy in his classes in order to develop the self esteem of his students.
It's nice to mix up my writing now and then, exploring my other interests.
We met on a grey, dreary day at the Sutton Place Hotel, downtown Toronto. I thought to myself, thanks for bringing the nice London weather with you. When I arrived, there were camera crews and photographers setting up their wares. Stylists were buzzing about, explaining that they brought 2 racks of clothes and this UK star wanted to wear her own. hmmmm. diva? was i in for it?
She comes in, SO much smaller then i expected. clear braces and a homegirl down to earth attitude. I instantly like her. To break the ice, i present her a gift. a 1 Litre bottle of RIBENA- a black currant drink that was her dietary staple in the UK, but not available in the US. She squeals and gives me 3 big hugs. Very genuine. We spend the next 20 minutes blabbing about hip hop, boys cheating on you (and taking them back) and moving away from home while managing to squeeze in an interview.
lots of fun, love love love the album and i look forward to a live show!
Estelle Swaray. Let that name marinate, because you will be hearing it from now until Grammy night. By know you know her back story; West African, West Indian, raised in a family of 8 in West London. Her debut album “The 18th Day” goes Gold in the UK, shortly after dropping her record label for lack of support. Keeping it moving, Estelle hooks up with old friend and boy wonder John Legend, as the first artist on his HomeSchool record label. Three years in the making, her new album “Shine” allows Estelle to do just that. Classic hip-hop and reggae samples are infused seamlessly with cameos from will.i.am, Cee-lo, Wyclef and our own Kardinal Offishal. While remaining true to herself, she reminds us of a certain someone. A chocolate fudge, round-the-way beauty. Singer. Rapper. Estelle talked candidly to PEACE about comparisons to ‘you-know-who’, Kanye’s groupie tests and the making of her latest project.
PEACE: There are many similarities between Canada and the UK: a diverse society, being in the shadow of the U.S, and a somewhat unsupportive system when it comes to black music. How can someone in a similar market learn from what you’ve done?
ESTELLE: One challenge was believing that people wanted to buy the record, and not listening to others opinions about that. Everyone has their story of what didn’t happen to them, so why should it happen to you? I’m like ‘Well I’m ME, that’s why it should happen to me.’ The confidence makes a huge difference. I paid more attention to the positive and started to do what I like. Do hip hop and R&B, do reggae, do soul, do what I do. So do you.
P: Tell me how you first heard of Kardinal Offishal, and what is your affiliation with Black Jays?
E: (gun finger in the air...) Boooow! (laughs) Kardinal, I met him in ’98 when he came to London, to do a show with Common. I knew Mister Morgan, Kardi’s manager, because he used to work with the Rascalz and I went to a couple of their shows. Morgan called for me to come see Kardi and we just clicked from there. Years later, Kardi was like ‘We should do Black Jays International, so where ever we are in the world, we take care of each other.’ But on a real level, he’s like my older brother. It really is family, more than just the music affiliation.
P: I understand that you met John Legend before he was signed and Kanye over 6 years ago so you’ve known them for a while too. For a rising star in the U.S what is it like being so close to the ‘heat’ of such popular artists?
E: I can stand it. They put me under pressure since day one, with tests to see if I was a groupie.
P: What are the tests?
E: They throw into me the mixture with a load of guys and I be like ‘For real if you don’t stop touchin’ me, I’ma break your fingers.’ It would be as simple as that. They’d look at me like ‘Who’s this little scrawny bitch? Alright, we wont fuck with you.’ You learn to assert yourself, being around so many guys. We cool. They know what it is.
P: You have called your working relationship with John Legend similar to that of Marvin and Tammy. Explain what that creative energy was like when making this album.
E: I felt like Marvin and Tammy had this psychic connection. That’s the way me and John are. When we were making “More Than Friends”, I was SO mad at this guy I was seeing. I was having it out with him cause he can’t figure out if he’s with me or not! So I’m outside on the phone venting to my friends, and John is in the studio, making up the track. I walk back in, and he goes ‘Why don’t we do a song about how sometimes us guys wanna have you on standby’. (jaw drops) I looked at him like, how did you know?! That had me freaked out! John knows where my head is going to go next with different melodies because he’s studied my shit, as much as I’ve studied his shit. That’s why I say it’s a Marvin and Tammy thing because it meshes. They are 2 different voices, but it sounds good together.
P: You speak a lot about female empowerment and accountability, a rarity in hip-hop today. Tell me how you bypassed the bull in the relationships you speak about on “Shine”?
E: I went through it, that’s how I bypassed it. I went straight through. I was an idiot, I got played, I played people, I did wrong things, I did it all and I just wrote about it. I did the whole being with another girls man, then I was cheated on…its terrible. Now I can say, if that’s what you have to do to grow up, it’s not right but maybe that’s what God planned for you. So go through it, I can’t judge.
P: A lot of people compare you to Lauryn Hill. Are you concerned with being put into a box and pressured to have similar success out the gate?
E: No. I’m more honored that people think I’m even capable of that success! It’s not like it’s a bad comparison so I’m not pressured. My album is going to do what its going to do, people will get it, people will feel it cause it’s real life. Everything that I sing about, I’ve been through.
P: As your star rises, what has been the biggest adjustment for you and those close to you?
E: Not being around. That’s why I’m always on my BlackBerry so I can still connect with my people. But its not the same, not being able to touch them or see them, look at them in their face. But they wouldn’t change it and I wouldn’t for the world. They’re like work hard now so you have time for us later. Believe me, I plan to.
10:12am - I'm at work, internal clock ticking, pacing the room looking for some privacy. i just need to be alone with Will for 20 minutes...
The publicist from MTV just called to say that my phone interview with Will from Making the Band 4 is going to be at 10:30am. The problem is I'm at work and there is NO privacy for this important call. And I mean no privacy as in the only rooms that have doors with locks, are the superintendents office, and the handicapped washroom. sheeeit. (literally. LoL!)
10:22am - With 8 minutes to phone time, I post an OUT OF ORDER sign on the handicapped washroom door, tell the B.O plagued janitor to keep watch, I fling my trusty blackberry, tape recorder, and questions into the sink, and get comfortable on the throne. ugh.
10:57am- After talks new found fame, upcoming tours and 'the good life', I hang up with Puffy's present project and look around a dingy washroom complete with mystery stained tiles and econo size jugs of goo remover. Most important, i got the scoop and Will and MTV had no clue i was speaking to them from an orgy of bacteria.
check the outcome of this effort in the post below.
**lesson learned** work with what you have. when you work it right, you could really have something!
oh oh and a favorite from my favorite group...
"If the dealer dealt a fucked up hand of cards you've gotta play 'em" -Big Boi (Humble Mumble)
No one can deny that Bad Boy and Puff Daddy held a King Kong grip on hip-hop in the 90’s. Since then, a distracting Latina lover, manic multitasking, numerous court cases and a drastically changing industry have contributed to the highs and lows of the man and his music. But when Puff claimed “…and we won’t stop!” 15 years ago, he wasn’t joking.
Diddy is now in full throttle on the reality show train by launching Making the Band: Season 4-Part Two. For our viewing pleasure, his Diddyness ensures the drama by housing Danity Kane, the female platinum artists spawned from Season 3, alongside solo artist Donnie J and Day 26, their Season 4 male counterparts. As expected Brian, Will, Robert, Qwanell, Mike and Donnie quickly create chemistry with the girls, deal with pressure and competition while recording their albums and try to adapt to life on camera.
Far from the amateur attitude that plagued the second season (remember Dyylan?) there are no fistfights or Brooklyn cheesecake treks this time around. The talent in MTB4 has real potential and focus, making it good to watch and, people are buying albums (which is really the point). PEACE was able to talk to Will from Day 26 about the groups new name, his first time with Wendy Williams, past industry experience and how he made it this far.
• PEACE: Recently you announced the name of your group, DAY 26! What were some other options you entertained and why did DAY 26 describe the group the best?
WILL: First we came up with 8/26 since August 26th was the day that we became a band. We knew that we wanted to stick around the date because that was an important day for us, that was the day that changed our lives, and it was the same feeling for all of us, a milestone. We couldn’t get 8/26, we tried Project 26 but we liked Day 26. Diddy liked 26 Days better, but it wasn’t legal so we stuck to Day 26. With the name, this all feels official now!
• P: Speaking of Diddy, how has your perception of Diddy changed through this process; from being a fan, watching him on past seasons of MTB, going through the entire audition process and now as one of his artists?
W: I’ve always watched him growing up and admired that movement at Bad Boy. I’ve been around a lot of people in the music industry before so meeting him wasn’t something that would make me shake up or anything. That’s why it wasn’t really hard for me to sing in the first season because I was never flustered around him. I think that helped me out a lot. So now, just working with him, he’s cool, he knows what he wants, he’s just ready to work at all times, and he knows how to pull the best out of you. He’s a perfectionist and it’s been a blast working with him on this new project.
• P: I understand you were a writer and arranger for a few other R&B acts?
W: Yeah I did some writing and arranging on Avant’s “Director” and some arranging on Marques Houstons “Naked” album.
• P: Out of the people you have worked with in the past, who did you learn the most from and how did it give you an edge throughout the lengthy MTB elimination process?
W: I think I’ve learned the most from Avant. I had more time around him and I got a lot of training from him, a lot of people say that our voices sound similar and he taught me a lot. Avant is a good friend of mine, so his advice really helped me through a lot of situations, especially when he found out that I was even going to do the Making the Band thing. He thought it was a good look with me going in, and said to let them know exactly who I am. But most of what I learned from him was studio related, since that where we spent most of our time together.
• P: After developing such a close relationship with Mike, Brian, Robert and Que how was the first morning, waking up without everyone around?
W: At first it was cool because I had just left them and I was home with my family and it was so good to see them and to see their reactions, to hear what they had to say and let it all sink in and get back to reality for a minute. But after that, I gave it a week or two and then I was like ok, lets get back to work!
• P: Where do you find yourself pushing the others to step up? Is it in dance rehearsals or maybe in the studio where you have more experience or do those roles shift at different times?
W: Where ever it can be a help. Sometimes it’s in the studio, due to my experience and sometimes it could be with the dancing. Not that I’m the best dancer in the group but if I step back, I know what it’s supposed to look like. That push comes from every aspect cause we all can fall short sometimes, and being a new group we’re allowed to. We try and push each other along so that we can get through this project and be labeled as one of the number one groups in the world instead of a just a reality show group.
• P: Looking back, did you think Diddy was harder on the guys or the girls?
W: Well, I’ve heard them say that he was harder on the girls. I wasn’t in the girls’ situation and I didn’t really watch the girls show, but I do know how hard he was on us!
• P: Who has improved the most since the first round of auditions?
W: Que. Que has always been an amazing singer, Que’s voice is gifted, I think he’s one of the best singers that I’ve heard, but Que has grown so much because he listens so much. He listens, he learns, he knows he’s a great singer but he doesn’t really know exactly what he could be. He’s just learning and learning and he’s like a sponge so I think he’s by far going to be one of the best R&B singers in the world.
• P: I know that some of the other members have had to deal with rumors and gossip and haters, have you had to deal with that?
W: We recently did the Wendy Williams show, and that was a wild experience because I didn’t know who Wendy Williams was until I actually got there. So she came in and the first thing she asks me, is am I gay! That kind of shocked me cause I had never, ever heard anything like that before in my life! I took it, I held it in and I answered the question, but it kind of shocked me that people would even start rumors about you in the first place. But I know it comes with the territory. I know that just because I sing, I’m in an R&B group, people will say whatever they want about you and you just gotta know how to take it, so that was definitely a learning experience for me. I’m open now, I got thicker skin now and I’m ready to handle whatever is put on me.
• P: So it’s dealing with how the people around you are responding to the success of the group?
W: Oh yeah, because people expect more out of you once you get into the spotlight. You can be the same to that person as you were before, but with them expecting more from you, they feel like you’ve changed. Back in the days, if you asked me for a dollar, I’d have given it to you, now you ask me for a hundred-thousand dollars and I don’t give it to you and you say I’ve changed. I haven’t changed it’s just I’m not giving you a hundred-thousand dollars!
• P: What personal trials have you had to overcome in order to adapt to your new success?
W: I had to move away from certain neighborhoods because I really try to be low key. I’m home now, I’m away from the guys and sometimes I walk in the house and there will be a lot of people outside so I try to always walk with a hoodie on. I don’t want anybody to know where me or my family are living. If you see me in the street I always say what’s up but at least in this neighborhood I try to be low because I actually live here. (sighs) This grind for me was so long and so deep. Sometimes I was broke, I’d be praying, asking God “Why?” and “Is this for me?”. I want to be clear and tell people that if you believe it in your heart, than you can achieve it. I’m an example of that cause I tried this for a long time. Before you ever saw me on Making the Band, I’ve been trying to be an artist and entertainer/writer so for me to get this opportunity, I’m definitely going to use it to the fullest and let nobody stand in the way of it.
Motown. Hard to believe that an independent, African-American owned record company could have such a profound impact on pop culture; its name would not only define an era, but also come to symbolize the sound of popular black music. Started in 1959 by Berry Gordy, the enterprising songwriter wanted to break the negative stereotype associated with black music, by creating a clean-cut, sophisticated image, that would be accepted by the mainstream audience of the 60’s. From Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, to Diana Ross and The Supremes, Motown, as its slogan said, literally became “The Sound of Young America” (clips).
But seasons change, and as Motown’s fresh sound became a hit-making cookie-cutter formula, one man single-handedly ushered in a new movement that would bring social, political and self-awareness to the forefront of popular black music (mos def clip). Marvin Gaye was born in Washington D.C on April 2nd 1939, a date that would later prove to be eerily symbolic. The second of four children, his mother Alberta was a hard-working maid and his father, Marvin Sr., was a minister whose strict and abusive relationship with his family greatly shaped Marvin’s life. Marvin started his musical career singing and playing drums in his father’s church choir. In his later years he would add an “E” to the end of the “G-A-Y” as a nod to his idol Sam Cooke (clip). After an honourable discharge from the army, Marvin would pursue a career in music, his first love. His role in the Doo Wop group The Marquees caught the eye of Harvey Fuqua, who enlisted him as a drummer in his group The Moonglows. This stint would lead him to Motown records and Berry Gordy, who saw the potential in Marvin to be a great romantic solo-singer in the likes of Jackie Wilson (clip).
In 1960 Marvin signed to Berry Gordy’s Motown Records and began his career as a session drummer and songwriter. He also ended up marrying Gordy’s sister Anna, who was 18 years his senior, a relationship that would later end on a very sour note. Before picking up a microphone, Marvin played drums on hits for Smokey Robinson and a then Little Stevie Wonder, and wrote timeless songs like “Dancin’ in the Streets” (clip). Now, as a solo singer, Marvin started with some moderate success (clip), but it would be his duets that would turn him into a full-fledged heartthrob. Motown paired him with Kim Weston and his collaboration with Mary Wells earned him his first charting album, but neither project held a candle to the chemistry he would have with Philly-born singer, Tammi Terrell (clips). With songs penned by Ashford & Simpson, Marvin and Tammi had a chemistry on record that at the time was unrivalled. But with all the success the duo was having, tragedy was about to change everything. While performing in Virginia, Tammi collapsed in Marvin’s arms and was later diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. She died in 1970, at the age of 24. Her death was a hard blow to Marvin who had developed a special bond with the singer.
This, coupled with his crumbling marriage sent Marvin into a deep depression. His world was falling apart and he was so depressed that he barely acknowledged his first #1 Pop hit, and one of the biggest selling singles in Motown’s history, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” (change beat). Now, “Grapevine” had been big for Gladys Knight and The Pips the year before, but Marvin actually recorded his version first. Berry Gordy however, thought the song lacked pop-appeal, that is, until he saw how well it did for Gladys Knight. That being said, Marvin’s version of Grapevine eclipsed the original release by becoming the biggest selling Motown record of the 60’s. It also made “Grapevine” the only song recorded by separate artists, to top the charts at the beginning, and the end of the same year. Berry’s inadvertent second-guessing of Marvin’s songs would be a recurring theme during the singer’s time with the label, and even though Marvin had his first number one pop hit, it didn’t cure his depression. His bittersweet success tormented him, and the whirlwind of emotions would later inspire him to record a song that would totally change the path of mainstream rhythm and blues. You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Marvin Gaye. From his album “In The Groove”, here’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”.
UBX – Marvin Gaye (Segment 02)
With the loss of Tammi Terrell in 1970 and the deterioration of his marriage, Marvin Gaye was suffering from a deep depression, and to make things worse, he used drugs and alcohol to self-medicate, instead of getting professional help. Also, he and Berry Gordy would often lock horns on creative issues, and sadly, Marvin would spend the darkest time in his life alone. In comparison to Marvin’s harsh realities, the success of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” meant nothing. The Civil Rights movement had just lost 2 of their leaders in Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, the US was in the midst of the ugly Vietnam War, and his views on the love songs that had made him famous were drastically changing, as was the world around him.
During this time he tried repeatedly to pull himself out of his depression - he even attempted a pro-football career. Finally, Marvin found himself in the studio working on a song with writer Al Cleveland and Four Tops member Obie Benson. Marvin was hoping to produce the song for Motown act, The Originals, but as fate would have it, Marvin was persuaded to sing the song himself, and the wheels began turning on one of the pivotal moments in R&B history. On June 1st 1970, Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On”. The song reinvigorated Marvin and he took the song, along with the self-penned “God Is Love” to Berry Gordy as a double single he intended to release. Again Gordy doubted the songs commercial viability and thought the lyrics were too politically charged for the mainstream audience. Marvin, in another key moment, stood his ground and refused to record anymore music until Berry gave in. Berry finally relinquished and the song was released on January 21st 1971. It was the number one single for five weeks in a row on the R&B charts and became the fastest selling single for Berry and the Motown label.
The success of “What’s Going On” naturally prompted Berry to request an entire album with a similar theme, but Marvin was hesitant, and this is where the artist/label relationship gets complicated, because if Marvin Gaye hadn’t stood his ground, we wouldn’t have “What’s Goin On”, the single, but, if Berry Gordy hadn’t stood his ground, we wouldn’t have “What’s Going On”, the album (clips). Recorded in 10 days and released in May of 1971, the album “What’s Going On” truly revolutionized R&B. It was a “concept album”, something that at the time was unheard of in rhythm and blues. See, most albums of the day were usually a collection of un-related songs with themes based around the many nuances of love; a concept album on the other hand, has a more specific and common theme that is explored throughout the entire album. Influenced by his brother who was a soldier in Vietnam, “What’s Goin On” was a commentary on the futility of war and society’s lack of respect for the environment it thrived on, and would open the creative door for the visions of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Michael Jackson. Even contemporary albums like R.Kelly’s “Trapped In The Closet” take their lineage from “What’s Going On’s” groundbreaking blueprint. You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Marvin Gaye. From the album of the same name, here’s the song that inspired a soul revolution, “What’s Goin On”.
UBX – Marvin Gaye (Segment 03)
After taking a huge chance with “What’s Going On” in ‘71, the album’s critical and commercial success gave Marvin more freedom to express himself musically. He was a tormented soul, dealing with a deep depression and his albums had become a therapeutic way to work out his personal demons. A year after “What’s Going On”, Marvin was enlisted to do the soundtrack for a movie called “Trouble Man”. In the likes of great soundtrack composers like Isaac Hayes and Curtis Mayfield, Marvin put together a masterpiece (clip). The musical therapy continued. In ‘73, Marvin put out his follow-up album to “What’s Going On”. Feeling the pressure to live up to the incredible standard he set with “What’s Going On”, Marvin was desperately looking for inspiration. The song was called “Let’s Get It On”, and was originally based on political themes – but that would soon change.
See, Marvin was in love with 17-year-old Janis Hunter, and when she came into the studio to watch him sing, he scrapped the political themes, and re-wrote the lyrics on the spot, turning “Let’s Get It On” into one of music’s most sexually charged and passionate recordings (clip). From the sensuality of “Let’s Get it On”, to the deeper “I Want You”, to the #1 smash “Got To Give It Up” Pt. 1”, to “Here My Dear”, which was made to cover alimony expenses owed to his then ex-wife Ana, Marvin’s music was always a direct reflection of his personal state of mind. The album “Here My Dear” was so personal in fact, that Ana was ready to sue Marvin for invasion of privacy (clip). The albums may have been therapeutic but they did little to alleviate his drug dependency, and after remarrying to Janis Hunter, Marvin ran into financial problems with the IRS and fled to Hawaii. He later relocated to Belgium where he recorded ‘81’s “In Our Lifetime”, another concept album, but Motown altered the album and its artwork without Marvin’s consent and this would prove to be his final straw.
In ‘82, after two decades with Motown, Marvin Gaye severed ties with Berry Gordy and signed to Columbia records. He released the album “Midnite Love”, that same year and the lead-off single, “Sexual Healing” was unlike any other song released at the time. With an infectious rhythm that perfectly fit the tone and suggestiveness of the track, “Sexual Healing” went to #1 on the R&B charts and became the longest running #1 R&B single of the ‘80’s by holding the top spot for 10 straight weeks; and after 11 previous nominations, the song also earned Marvin his first 2 Grammies (clip). With new competition from rising stars like Prince, Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye proved he was still relevant as a singer. He performed on the Motown 25th Anniversary special, a memorable night where he showed the world he was back after his publicized problems, and where he also made up with Berry Gordy and the Motown family. This night of course will also always be remembered as the night where Michael Jackson performed the Moonwalk for the first time (clip).
“Midnite Love” would be Marvin’s last album. He was having premonitions that someone was going to kill him, and developed a severe paranoia. So severe in fact, that he would even wear a bulletproof vest on stage. In an attempt to isolate himself, he moved back home with his parents, but sadly, on April 1st, 1984, one day before his 45th birthday, he was shot and killed by his father. He had always had a turbulent and often violent relationship with his dad, and although his father did pull the trigger, the darkest theory surrounding the shooting is that Marvin, who had vocally contemplated killing himself several times, provoked his father enough to do it, as a form of suicide (shot).
Andre Young was born in South Central L.A. on February 18th 1965. His family moved to Compton while he was in grade school, and by the time he reached his teens, music was consuming most of his life. Growing up with Motown, the young DJ would mix the classics with groups of the day like Funkadelic and Zapp. (clip: Zapp) DJ’ing at Skateland, the local roller rink and Compton hot spot, Dre was making a name for himself with his blend of old Soul and Funk.
Alonzo Williams, owner of the legendary Compton club Eve After Dark, hired the 17-year-old DJ and his partner Yella in 1982, and his popularity landed Dre a mix show on the pioneering LA Rap station K-DAY FM. With Rap officially on the airwaves, and a star DJ on his hands, Alonzo decided to form a group, The World Class Wrecking Cru. The squad consisted of Dre, DJ Yella, their pal Cli-N-Tel and Alonzo aka Grandmaster Lonz. (clip) With influences like L.A Dream Team, and Afrika Bambatta, The World Class Wrecking Cru was an example of the era’s fusion of Rap and Electro and became one of Southern Cali’s most popular acts. Although the music wasn’t cutting edge, it established Dre as an MC and producer. (montage)
By ‘87, Dre was looking for other production opportunities, and signed on to produce for Ruthless Records, formed by Jerry Heller and his partner Eric “Eazy-E” Wright. (clip) Eazy wanted the track Boyz–N-The Hood, produced by Dre and written by his friend Ice Cube, for Ruthless artist HBO, but they kept it for themselves, put Eazy on the vocals and NWA was born. (clip)
The track was featured on ‘87’s compilation album “NWA and The Posse”. Sonically, there were traces on the album of the west-coast hip hop sound that Dre would make famous in the 90’s, but there was still a heavy Electro influence from his World Class Wrecking Cru days. (clip). 2 years later, NWA was now a 5 man unit: Dre as producer, DJ Yella, Ice Cube as the main writer, MC Ren and Eazy-E, the charismatic lead man. Their next album, produced by Dre in six weeks, the classic “Straight Outta Compton”, transformed Rap music with its politically charged tales of street life and introduced Gangsta Rap to the world. (montage) The album cemented Dre as a groundbreaking producer, basically leaving the Electro behind and blending his funk with the intense sounds of New York’s Bomb Squad production team, who were responsible for Public Enemy’s revolutionary records. (clip) With financial tensions running high, Ice Cube left N.W.A in 1989, on bad terms. Later that year, the EP “100 Miles and Runnin’” was released, leading up to NWA’s 3rd full-length album “Efil4zaggin”. With Cube gone, NWA was less political and even though the album hit Number 1 on the Pop charts, Dre was having financial problems with Ruthless Records, and left the group in ‘91. (clip)
8 years into his career, Dr. Dre had already played a major role in the World Class Wrecking Cru and changed Hip Hop forever with NWA. (clip) Along with the Bomb Squad, Dr. Dre was one of the biggest producers in the game. He was responsible for putting artists like Michel’le and Above The Law on the map and created a classic album with The D.O.C. (clip) You’re inside The Unauthorized Biography of Dr. Dre. Here’s one of his earliest tracks, it’s the song that gave him his name, The World Class Wrecking Cru “Surgery”.
UBX – DR. DRE: Segment 02
Despite his professional success in the 80’s and early 90’s, Dre was going through personal problems. On top of splitting with NWA, he was arrested for breaking the jaw of a LA producer and again for assaulting a cop in New Orleans, his house burned down, he was shot four times in the leg, and a multi-million dollar lawsuit was filed against him by MTV host Dee Barnes for allegedly assaulting her. Dre was on his own for the first time and needed to get out of his deal with Ruthless. Enter Suge Knight, former publicist for then superstar Vanilla Ice. Suge allegedly held Eazy-E at gunpoint threatening to kill him if he wouldn’t let Dre out of his contract, an offer he couldn’t refuse. Eazy later sued Dre for breach of contract, a lawsuit that would remain unresolved because of Eazy’s death from AIDS in 1995. Free from Ruthless Records, Dre and Suge formed Death Row Records under Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope label. (clip)
Dre had big plans and Suge saw the vision. Along with The D.O.C. and a fresh group of artists like RBX, Rage, Nate Dogg, Daz, Jewelle and Kurupt, Dre had once again surrounded himself with an all-star crew. The MVP was Snoop Doggy Dogg from Long Beach California, a friend of Dre’s stepbrother Warren G. In the spring of ‘92, Dre released his first solo single “Deep Cover” introducing us to an 18-year-old Snoop! (clip). Off the Deep Cover movie soundtrack, the single had a huge buzz and the streets were waiting to hear what Dre would come with next. (sample)
“The Chronic”, Dre’s 1st solo album, was released December 15th 1992 and immediately marked a new period in Hip Hop. Combining the gangsta lyrics his fans were used to with a new smoked out funk and live instrumentation, Dre once again provided an alternative to what was going on in the mainstream. Inspired by George Clinton’s P-Funk movement, and the sound of the 70’s in general, Dre created a genre that he could finally call his own - G-Funk! Going multi-platinum, “The Chronic” spent 8 months on Billboard’s Top Ten and peaked at #3 on the pop charts. (montage)
“The Chronic” was an instant classic, paving the way for Rap’s commercial explosion in the mid 90’s. Snoop was all over the album, and its success was the perfect launching pad for his solo career. “Doggystyle” in ‘93, produced by Dre and featuring Snoop’s signature laidback flow, went 4x’s platinum and was the first debut album to enter the Billboard pop charts at #1. (montage)
Death Row was flourishing, G-Funk had taken over the airwaves and Dr. Dre was in high demand. In 1994 he was supervising producer for the Above the Rim soundtrack, which launched the careers of Warren G and Nate Dogg, and later that year he produced the Murder Was the Case soundtrack. Regarded as The Chronic Pt II, Murder Was the Case reunited Dre with Ice Cube on the track “Natural Born Killaz” after their highly publicized NWA-related beef. (clip) The year after, Dre dropped “Keep Their Heads Ringing” from the Friday soundtrack before having to spend 5 months in jail for a parole violation. Probably the biggest year for Death Row, in 1996, 2Pac’s monumental label debut “All Eyez on Me” hit the stores led by Dre’s #1 Pop classic “California Love”. (clip). You’re inside The Unauthorized Biography of Dr. Dre. From “The Chronic” here’s “Lil’ Ghetto Boy” featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg.
UBX – DR. DRE: Segment 03
By summer 1996, the infamous EC/WC beef was in full effect. Dr. Dre had grown tired of Suge Knight’s hostile techniques and sour reputation plus they were having financial disagreements. Death Row was at the top of the rap game but despite it all he, declared “gangsta rap dead”, formed Aftermath and walked away. It was the beginning of the end for Death Row. Long story short, ‘Pac was murdered that September, compared to Doggystyle, Snoop’s 2nd album was a disappointment without Dre’s production, and Suge was imprisoned for racketeering a year later.
Dre completely abandoned the G-Funk sound he made famous, but still kept pumpin’ out hits, proving that he couldn’t be pigeonholed. Scoring another #1 pop hit in late ‘96, Dre produced “No Diggety” with BlackStreet. (clip) He also dropped “Dr. Dre presents The Aftermath” his first release on his new label. Although the album is considered a flop by many, the singles “Been There Done That” and “EC/WC Killaz” with KRS-1, Nas, Cypress Hill’s B-Real and RBX showed Dre’s desire for peace in hip hop and laid the foundation for Aftermath to blow up. (clip)
With ‘Pac gone and Biggie’s death in ‘97, the EC/WC beef was officially over and the focus was back on the music. In ’98 Dre hooked up with Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ and Nature for The Firm project, which on paper looked unstoppable. The album was over-hyped though, with Dre’s “Phone Tap” being the only standout track (clip).
In 1999 Dre’s fate would take a turn for the better. Always hungry for new talent, Dre discovered the demo of young white Detroit rapper Marshall Mathers aka Eminem (ch-ching) An hour into their first meeting they had already begun recording the controversial, quirky and catchy "My Name Is”. With the lead single from the #2 pop album, “The Slim Shady LP”, Dre opened the door for suburbia to embrace Hip Hop like never before, all while keeping his street credibility. This delicate balance would provide the blueprint for multiple Eminem albums, the launch of 50 Cent’s commercial career and the now famous G-Unit, Shady/Aftermath dynasty. (montage)
Seven years after “The Chronic”, Dre’s highly anticipated 2nd LP, “The Chronic 2001” hit the stores. Featuring everyone from Snoop to Eminem to Mary J. Blige, Dre resurrected and renewed G-Funk, hitting #2 on the pop charts and giving him 3 Grammies! (montage) Keeping up with the album’s momentum, The Up in Smoke Tour hit the road with an all-star line up, resulting in sold out shows coast to coast. While in Detroit, police threatened to arrest Dre if he aired the graphic video that introduced the show. The result? Dre sued the Motorcity for $25 million claiming his right to free speech was violated. Now that’s gangsta (change)!
Dr. Dre’s music is part of the soundtrack to our lives, making timeless classics that bang in the car, the club and the crib. The chances he took and trends he set, paved the way for countless artists to achieve critical acclaim and reach multi-platinum success - something that was unheard of when he started in the rap game over 20 years ago. Showing discipline in the studio, and an uncanny ear for detail in his work, Dre’s reputation for being a perfectionist is the reason why he stays at the top of the game and is in constant demand from the best in the business. (clip) You’ve been listening to The Unauthorized Biography of Dr. Dre. From “The Chronic: 2001” here’s Still D.R.E.
When we think about Hip Hop music in a geographical sense, New York is usually the first place we think about - of course, it spawned the movement in the late 70’s and early 80’s, and was the defining sound for much of Hip Hop’s young life (clip). Then we think about Los Angeles and Oakland in California, and their significant contributions (clip) as well as cities like Atlanta that have taken the sound to a whole other level in the new millennium (clip). One state that is hardly mentioned though, is Virginia. With producers like DeVante Swing (clip), Timbaland (clip) and The Neptunes (clip) all coming out of the big VA, Virginia’s contribution to Hip Hop and R&B is undeniable. Also out of Virginia, the one and only, Melissa “Misdemeanor” Elliott (clip) Missy Elliott was born on July 1st, 1972 in Portsmouth, VA. A child genius, using words instead of posters, she would cover her walls, and floors, with song lyrics. The family was poor, living in a house at times with no running water or heat. They slept in sleeping bags and it wasn’t uncommon to see Missy’s father beating rats off of them. Her father was also abusive to her mother and her parents split up when Missy was young. Music would prove to be her escape from all the hard times. In her teens she was one of her area’s best MC’s. She was in a group called 2 True MC’s, and then one called Fayze, where they independently released the single “First Move” (clip). Soon after, she hooked up with friends LaShawn Shellman, Chonita Coleman and Radiah Scott to form a group called Sista. Missy’s neighborhood friend Timothy Mosley, then DJ Timmy Tim, would be recruited as their producer and the group started recording tracks for a demo. In 1991, Sista got the attention of Jodeci member and producer DeVante Swing, by singing acapella for him backstage after a Jodeci show. DeVante was so impressed that he signed them to his new Swing Mob label under Elektra records. With backing from DeVante, Sista, Tim, and their friends Magoo, Ginuwine, Playa and Tweet all moved from Virginia to New York with dreams of a career in music. With DeVante’s vision of a Motown’esque artist collective, the 20+ crew, then known as “Da Bassment”, all moved into one house and were constantly working on music. Missy and Tim, both have credited and uncredited work on the last two Jodeci albums and by 1994, Tim and DeVante had produced a Sista album called “All The Sistas Around the World” (montage).
A promo version of the Sista album was released, as well as a single and video for “Brand New”, but DeVante’s Swing Mob records folded and the album never actually came out. “Da Bassment” project wasn’t going well either. There were acusations of abuse and jealousy, Missy was unhappy with the lack of productivity coming out of the crew, and was having major personal and creative differences with DeVante; the whole project was scrapped and Missy returned to VA. Understandably disappointed, she decided to stay away from the performing side of things and focused on writing and producing with partner Timbaland. In 1996, they made hits for acts like MC Lyte, Ginuwine and 702 but would really make a name for themselves by writing and producing most of Aaliyah’s second album, “One In A Million”. With distinct drums loops and innovative samples, like using cricket and bird noises in the title track, the classic album introduced their unique sound to the mainstream and changed the tone of R&B music in the process (clip). You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Missy Elliott. From the unreleased Sista album, here’s the Timbaland remix of “Brand New”.
UBX – Missy Elliott (Segment 02)
Bouncing back from the disappointment of Sista’s album not coming out, Missy produced several hit singles with Timbaland, and forever changed the sound of R&B with Tim and Aaliyah with the “One In A Million” album. She would also contribute memorable verses in ’96 and early ’97 to tracks by MC Lyte, SWV, 702 and Gina Thompson (montage).
With an original flow and creative lyrics, mixed with the success of her production and writing work, Missy was suddenly in high demand and was courted by several labels, including Sean “Puffy” Combs who wanted to sign her to Bad Boy (clip). Showing her business savvy, Missy turned everyone down except Elektra Records who agreed to having her set up her own label, Gold Mind, that they would distribute. Proving everyone wrong who said she didn’t have the image to be a star, her first album “Supa Dupa Fly” was launched with the groundbreaking single “The Rain” in 1997. After being replaced by a skinny model in the one Sista video, Missy redefined what the image of a female artist should be with “The Rain’s” trend-setting video, directed by Hype Williams. Truly innovative, no one had ever seen a video like “The Rain” before, and Missy established herself as a stereotype bashing hip hop heroine. The album was sonically refreshing and “Supa Dupa Fly” went all the way to #3 on the Pop charts (montage).
Despite some criticism over her simple content and often non-sensical rhymes, Missy had a smash album. A successful singer, writer, producer, rapper and record executive by her first release, Missy had a huge following but was only getting started. She continued crafting hits with Timbaland for people like Playa, Total and Nicole Wray, and received national exposure on Lil’ Kim’s hit remix for “Not Tonight”, also featuring Angie Martinez, Da Brat and Left Eye (clip).
After collaborating with Mel B of the Spice Girls for the UK #1 hit “I Want You Back” in 1998, Missy’s sophomore album was ready to go. An international superstar at that point, she didn’t disappoint. The album featured an all-star group of collaborators and of course, her and Timbaland’s incomparable production. The single “Hot Boys” was #1 on the Billboard Rap charts for a record 18 weeks and “Da Real World” was another hit record (montage).
Complimenting her exceptional sound, her futuristic videos are what really had people talking. Even if you weren’t the biggest Missy fan, you had to love the out-of-this-world sets, the amazing dance sequences, the extreme makeup and imaginative outfits. Missy was larger than life. She would become the first rapper to perform on the all-female Lilith Fair tour, and presented a new non-typical image of woman to the mainstream, that represented ladies everywhere. Despite her success, rumors began questioning her sexuality, fashion sense, and party habits, namely her fascination with the drug ecstasy. Fittingly titled, her next album, “Miss E…So Addictive” was released in 2001. Again taking her sound to the next level, the huge lead single “Get Your Freak On” had influences ranging from drum & bass to jungle to middle eastern and Japanese samples. Once again offering an alternative to what was popular at the time, Miss E…So Addicitve was her most successful album yet, hitting #2 on the Pop charts and winning her 2 Grammy’s (montage). Another huge year for her, ‘01 ended with Missy’s cameo in the smash #1 Pop single, “Lady Marmalade” with Mya, Lil’ Kim, Christina Aguilera and Pink. You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Missy Elliott. From 1999’s “Da Real World” here’s “Hot Boys”
UBX – Missy Elliott (Segment 03)
Although 2001 was a huge year for Missy professionally, it ended in personal hardship. Her close friend and music collaborator, Aaliyah, tragically died in a plane crash on August 25 (clip). A couple weeks later, the World Trade Centre towers collapsed in the Sept. 11 attacks and Missy slid into depression. Losing Aaliyah was one of the hardest things Missy’s ever had to deal with, and she marks it as a turning point in her life. Realizing how delicate life is, the sudden loss of Aaliyah helped Missy put her life into perspective and she eventually got out of her depression and transformed her life for the better. After her doctor said her weight was becoming a health issue, she went on a strict diet and started exercising religiously. She kept busy with music as well, helping to launch Tweet’s career in ‘02 with her highly slept-on album “Southern…” (clip).
Later in ‘02, Missy introduced her new slim figure with the video to her next track “Work It”, her biggest single yet. Another club banger, the single tied Foreigner’s ‘81 hit “Waiting For a Girl Like You”, for the record of 10 consecutive weeks at #2 on the Pop charts without ever hitting #1. The album “Under Construction” was her way to let fans know that she was working hard to make herself a better person, and that she was able to musically persevere through her depression and physical transformation. She also used the album to address her haters and people that started rumors about her sexuality and weight loss. “Under Construction” was her biggest seller yet, going 2x platinum and winning her another Grammy for Best Female Solo Rap performance (montage).
Hotter than ever in 2003, Missy produced the remix for Madonna’s “American Life” and was featured with the Material Girl in a huge national ad campaign for The Gap. She also continued making hits with artists like Monica, Ghostface and Wyclef Jean (clip). She also made her film debut in the movie “Honey” starring Jessica Alba, and building off all her media attention, dropped her 5th album “This Is Not A Test” in late 2003. Only a year after the release of “Under Construction”, many feel the record was rushed. Even though the video for “Pass That Dutch” was incredible, as always, “This Is Not A Test” was her least well-received album (montage). In ‘04, Missy would bless new artist Ciara on the single 1,2 Step, and hopped into the world of TV for a minute with her Reality TV show, “Road To Stardom”. A moderate success, Missy showed her starpower by being able to host a TV show similar to music icons like Puffy. In ‘05, Missy blessed Tweet with another banger and was also ready with her 6th solo album, “The Cookbook”. With Timbaland only helping out on 2 tracks, it would be her first album with heavy production from outside their camp, but changing her formula didn’t affect her success. In typical Missy fashion, the first single, “Lose Control” featuring Fatman Scoop and Ciara, was a huge club and radio hit, taking the album to #2 on the Billboard Pop charts (montage).
Taking a break after the album, Missy disappeared for a minute, only to resurface in 2007 in a big way producing another hit for Keyshia Cole (clip). Growing up in poverty, battling through domestic abuse and criticism about her weight and look, Missy persevered and eventually re-invented the sound of hip hop music, and the image of what a female superstar should be. With simple lyrics, she’s never really taken a strong political or social stance, but empowers women by making creative, clever and fun music from a female perspective. A successful writer, singer, producer, and rapper, Missy has blessed countless hits and her positive contribution to music is indisputable. You’ve been listening to the Unauthorized Biography of Missy Elliott. Taking you back to Supa Dupa Fly here’s “Best Friend” featuring Aaliyah.
In the late 80’s, R&B music was going through a drastic makeover. “New Jack Swing”, a genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley that blended hip hop beats with R&B melodies, totally changed the sound of the music and gave R&B an edge that was sorely needed. Moving away from dance and pop influences, early 90’s R&B was harder and related to the hip-hop generation, but still kept the soulful sensibilities of the 70’s. The 90’s also re-introduced us to the R&B “girl group”. Not since the days of the Supremes had we seen groups like En Vogue, SWV and TLC ruling the charts and airwaves. With a deadly combination of talent, sex appeal and street savvy, 90’s girl groups had huge crossover appeal and enjoyed some of the biggest hits of the decade (montage).
Enter Matthew Knowles. The visionary from Houston TX, watched his eldest daughter Beyonce, originally her mother Tina’s maiden name, sing around the house and put on small shows at Tina’s hair salon. Seeing that she was a natural performer, Matthew started developing her talent and paired her up with LaTavia Roberson, a friend Beyonce met at a local audition. In ‘90 they formed a group called GirlTyme, focusing on dancing, singing, and even rapping. Two years later, Matthew became the guardian of his niece Kelendria Rowland when her mother moved out of state to find work. Kelly moved in and it wasn’t long until she became the 3rd member of GirlTyme. With Matthew’s solid work ethic and the girls’ countless hours of practice, they landed a spot on Star Search. GirlTyme was the first rap group ever on the show but they didn’t do well and Matthew decided to make some changes. He thankfully cut out the rap and added the girls’ school friend LeToya Luckett to balance the harmonies and dancing. The final piece of the puzzle, Beyonce’s mom re-named them “Destiny’s Child” after a passage in the Bible (clip).
Soon, Destiny’s Child became a full time project for Matthew. With unquestionable faith in the girls, he quit his six-figure salary and sold their house to have money to continue developing the group! The major change put strain on the family, and for a while the Knowles separated. Feeling the pressure the girls worked even harder! Soon, they were building a fan base in Houston and opened for R&B stars like SWV and Dru Hill. In ‘97, after being turned down by other labels, Destiny’s Child signed with Columbia Records and their first appearance was “Killing Time” from the Men in Black soundtrack (clip).
Their first official single “No, No, No” dropped in 1997 as well. With production on the remix by Wyclef Jean from the Fugees, who had just had huge success with their album “The Score” in 1996, the single definitely put “Destiny’s Child” on the map. “No, No, No” parts 1 & 2 both hit #3 on the Billboard pop charts and the single went platinum (clip)!
Building on the momentum, Matthew Knowles made sure that their debut album was completed that year. Self-titled and released February 17 1998, “Destiny’s Child” showed the girls’ potential but ultimately got lost in the sea of other girl groups. With production from Jermaine Dupri, Wyclef, and Dwayne Wiggins of Toni Tony Tone, the album had a few stand out tracks, but not enough to separate them from other girl groups at the time like Allure and Brownstone. Although it wasn’t a huge success, “Destiny’s Child” does capture the essence of 90’s R&B, and hit the Top 20 on the R&B charts (montage). You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Destiny’s Child. From their self-titled debut album, here’s “No, No, No Pt. 1”.
UBX – Destiny’s Child (Segment 02)
Destiny’s Child was just another R&B girl group in 1998. Their debut self-titled album showed their potential but was similar to so many other albums at the time. R&B fans knew the girls were special though, thanks to the solid single “No No No” and “Get On The Bus” from the “Why Do Fools Fall in Love” soundtrack (clip). Refusing to be labeled one-hit-wonders, they regrouped and started work on their 2nd album “The Writing’s On The Wall”. Similar to their first effort, Mathew put together a crop of phenomenal R&B producers. Again, Dwayne Wiggins from Tony Toni Tone, Kevin She’kspere Briggs, Rodney Jerkins and Missy Elliot were all on board. The main difference this time around though was that all 4 members played key roles in song writing, and what a difference it made. It was like night and day compared to their first album. The girls sounded refreshed and Beyonce’s signature vocal style shone through. Basically, they sounded like they were having fun and with an independent girl-power “do-it-yourself” type attitude, Destiny’s Child had legions of female fans and the album skyrocketed to success (montage).
“The Writing’s on the Wall” was released July 27, ’99. It debuted at #6 on the Billboard pop charts and was in the Top 40 or better for most of the year! “Bills, Bills, Bills” was their first #1 Pop single and the track “Jumpin’ Jumpin’”, that Beyonce actually produced, hit #3 (clip).
With all the success, while promoting the album, the group however became seriously divided. LeToya and LaTavia felt that the focus was on Kelly and Beyonce and more importantly, that the profits were being split unfairly by Matthew, since he was Beyonce’s father and Kelly’s uncle. Tension ran high for months until Matthew dropped a bomb and let everyone know what was going on. In February 2000, the video for “Say My Name” was released and LaToya and LaTavia were not only stunned to find themselves not in it, but replaced by two new girls who obviously didn’t even sing on the track, Farrah Franklin, a former backup dancer, and Tenitra Michelle Williams an extra on the “Bills Bills Bills” video. Understandably enraged, they filed suit for breach of partnership against Mathew, Beyonce and Kelly! The drama had everyone talking about Destiny’s Child, and all lawsuits would be settled out of court. In a strange turn of events, only 5 months after the initial switch, Farrah Franklin would also be let go. She missed important promotional stops and performances and complained about things like her hairdressers and all the travelling. Losing Farrah would prove to be irrelevant. Despite all the drama, “Say My Name” climbed to #1 on the Pop charts and would later win Destiny’s Child 2 Grammies, while “The Writing’s on the Wall” was a smash album, going 8x platinum (clip).
International superstars, Destiny’s Child were a phenomenon but they were about to get even bigger in 2000. High in demand, the girls were recruited for the soundtrack to “Charlie’s Angels”. The track “Independent Women Pt 1.” would prove to be the ladies anthem of the year, ruling the #1 spot on the pop charts for 11 consecutive weeks (clip). The media still doubted the staying power of the girls though, and Beyonce was perceived as a difficult diva instead of a multi-talented writer and performer (clip). Jokes even started about which member of the group would be next to be voted out, a reference to the popular TV show, Survivor. The negative energy would just inspire the girls to start work on their third and most successful album. You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of Destiny’s Child, from “The Writings On the Wall” here’s “So Good”.
UBX – Destiny’s Child (Segment 03)
Despite all their drama, in 2000, Destiny’s Child re-defined the “girl group”. “The Writing’s on the Wall” was a huge success, and introduced us to their brand of R&B. Differentiating themselves from the girl groups of the 90’s, Destiny’s Child finally came into their own, lead by Beyonce’s distinct vocal arrangements. “Independent Women”, their biggest single to date, was their 3rd #1 hit of 2000. It also debuted at #1 on the UK charts, making them the first female group to do so! People couldn’t get enough of them, and there was plenty more to come. “Survivor”, released May 1st ‘01, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Pop charts. The single aimed at the former members, satisfying drama-hungry fans while encouraging females in general to be confident and to have self-esteem, continuing with their “Independent Women” themes. More of a Pop album than an R&B album with Pop success, “Survivor” sold an amazing 12 million copies (montage).
Writing, arranging and producing most of the record, Beyonce was emerging as the leader of the group, a responsibility that she shied away from in the past. At the top of their game, the trio announced that they would split up for a bit to work on solo projects. Fans feared this would be the end of Destiny’s Child so to tide them over, a holiday album “The 8 Days of Christmas” was released along with “This is the Remix”, a remix album in early 2002 (clip).
In April 2002, Michelle hit #1 on the Gospel charts with her debut album “Heart to Yours”, and proved her talent as an actress in the lead role of Aida on Broadway! Not the only actress in the group, Kelly made her debut in “Freddy vs. Jason”, while Beyonce appeared in “MTV’s Carmen”, “Fighting Temptations” and the famous “Austin Powers in Goldmember” (clip). Back on the music side of things, Kelly surprised everyone with her solo album “Simply Deep”. Refusing to be in Beyonce’s shadow, “Simply Deep” went 2x platinum and featured the huge Grammy award winning single “Dilemma” with Nelly (clip). But it was Beyonce’s “Dangerously in Love” album that would eclipse all expectations. Going 9x platinum, winning 5 Grammies and birthing 4 smash hits, Beyonce left the realm of R&B and became an international Pop icon. (clip)
While enjoying their professional successes, the ladies also found time to maintain personal relationships. Kelly got engaged to Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams and Beyonce started her then hush-hush relationship with one Shawn Carter (clip). Done proving to themselves that they could stand alone as solo artists, they thrilled their faithful fans and re-united for a fourth album, “Destiny Fulfilled” in 2004. The album relied less on forced Pop hits like “Survivor”, so naturally didn’t have the same commercial success. A solid album none-the-less, Destiny Fulfilled gave us a more mature Destiny’s Child and hit #2 on the Pop charts (montage).
While on their next massive world tour, Destiny’s Child announced again that they would split up, this time permanently. Influenced heavily by ‘90’s groups like SWV, Destiny’s Child took the R&B “girl-group” to the next level in the new millennium. By balancing international pop success on the level of the Spice Girls, with grass-roots street respect, Destiny’s Child have created their own place in history (clip). They’ve sold out world tours, made millions in endorsement deals for companies like Pepsi, The Gap and L’Oreal, have received countless awards, and have sold over 50 million albums combined. You’ve been listening to the Unauthorized Biography of Destiny’s Child. From “Destiny Fulfilled” here’s “Is She The Reason”.
Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years, you already know these gangsta funkin’, space alien, so fresh so clean, hip-hop legends from Stankonia! Antione “Big Boi” Patton and Andre “3000” Benjamin both hail from the state of Georgia. Growing up, their strong family values molded their very distinct personalities. Andre, a shy only child, grew up in Atlanta with his single mother, while the outgoing Antione, who was raised in Savannah, grew up in a busy home. The future partners met in 1990 while attending East Point’s Tri-Cities High School (ATL).
Outcasts in their own right, they noticed each other’s odd fashion sense before even meeting! While sportswear was the trend at the time, Andre once told Details Magazine that “we would be wearing flower print shorts” (VO). Battling each other in lunchtime ciphers at school, Andre and ‘Twan realized that they had an undeniable chemistry and decided to form a group called 2 Shades Deep, and hooked up with a local production team called Organized Noize, comprised of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Pat “Sleepy” Brown. The young producers were often found crafting their sound in the red dirt basement of Rico’s home, lovingly called The Dungeon. With creative juices flowing, The Dungeon was their second home and along with MC’s T-Mo, Khujo, Big Gipp and Cee-Lo, also known as GooDiE MoB, the crew became known as “The Dungeon Family” (clip).
Dead broke, Dre and Big Boi were practically living in the Dungeon. Often sleeping on the couch, on the floor, in the dirt - just waiting in line to get a chance to get in the booth and spit. Making music with Organized Noize was soon all consuming and surprisingly, Dre dropped out of school in the 10th grade. Right on the fine line between getting succumbed by street life and a chance at fame and fortune, the two remained positive and focused on their music. In 1992, the group, now known as OutKast, took their demo out of The Dungeon and to the boardrooms of Atlanta based LaFace Records. Headed by Babyface and Antonio “LA” Reid, LaFace was a new label and was making a name for itself. Babyface was already an international superstar, and with releases by Damian Dame and albums by new acts TLC and Toni Braxton ready to go, LaFace was soon to be a legitimate force in the music business. LaFace loved the demo, especially the cut “Player’s Ball” that was already getting love in the streets. After having to wait a year to turn 18 (an order by their parents) OutKast officially signed with LaFace. In 1993, “Player’s Ball” was released as their first single, strangely enough, on the “A LaFace Family Christmas” album. The track, with its street tales of drug dealing and pimping had nothing to do with Christmas, except for a reference to there being no chimneys in the ghetto, so they re-did the chorus to give it some holiday spirit (clip).
Regardless, the single got a huge buzz going about OutKast. They repped Atlanta like no one before them and had everybody singing to a contagious hook. Building on the buzz from the successful single, LaFace released OutKast’s first album “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” on April 26th 1994. With hardcore tracks from the East (Wu) and West (Snoop) ruling Rap, the boys from ATL brought some southern style to the airwaves. With music by Organized Noize, Big Boi and Dre gave us a delicate balance of socially conscious, political and straight street lyrics, complimented by some unforgettable production. OutKast’s debut album went platinum and hit the top 20 on the pop charts (montage). You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of OutKast. From “Southernplayalisticadillacmusic”, with Sleepy Brown on the hook, here’s “Crumblin’ Erb ”.
UBX – OutKast (Segment 02)
With the release of their debut album, OutKast were the newest representatives of the Dirty South. Texas was held down by the Geto Boyz & UGK, Memphis had 8Ball & MJG, Florida had the 2 Live Crew, but other than Kriss Kross, Atlanta hadn’t had any major representation! All that was about to change, and a full-fledged movement out of Atlanta was about to kick off. OutKast won Best New Rap Group at The Source awards in 1995, and after being booed by the crowd, they let everybody know in their speech that while the East and West coasts were busy bickering. the Dirty South had something to say! Still teenagers, the dynamic duo were riding high with their success and with new management from Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit camp, OutKast were in good hands. Dre was featured on TLC’s defining album “Crazysexycool” and they appeared on the “New Jersey Drive” soundtrack. Keeping with the momentum, work began on their second full-length album (clip).
ATLiens in 1996, saw OutKast get behind the boards and share production credits with Organized Noize. Together they would produce a futuristic sound machine, complete with bangin’ beats and space age instrumentation! The streets erupted when the haunting single “Elevators” was released and the album went all the way to #2 on the Pop charts (montage)! Critically acclaimed, ATLiens was literally “out-of-this world” and sounded like no other hip-hop album before it. Despite the success however, some fans didn’t know what to think about their drastic change in sound and content. With less playa talk, the album was intelligent & introspective and set them lightyears ahead of club bangin’ radio joints of the time (13). It was the outward appearance of Dre though, that really had people talking! The outrageous style that he is now famous for began when he returned home from a trip to Jamacia. He grew dreads, began wrapping them in silk turbans and traded in jerseys, sneakers and the thug life for dashikis and a vegan diet. People speculated everything from drug use to homosexuality to his relationship with Erykah Badu as the cause for his drastic change from thug to thespian (VO).
With some time to themselves after another successful album, Big Boi started Pitfall kennels, a Pitbull breeding company that services high profile clients. Dre started painting, and had a son named Seven with girlfriend Erykah Badu, and after OutKast appeared on the “Soul Food” soundtrack in ‘97, the poet and the playa would regroup and start work on their next album. In 1998, back when the record reviews in The Source actually meant something, Dre and Big Boi put out their 3rd album, Aquemini. Receiving a coveted 5 mic rating, the album was nothing short of spectacular and took their sound to another level once again. It was pimped out enough for the streets and experimental enough for their new, more diverse fanbase! The title, derived from Dre and Big Boi’s astrological signs, was a reference to them embracing their differences, only making them stronger in the process. Their production skills were getting tighter, and by staying true to their own musical vision, their fanbase and album sales were steadily climbing! Aquemini featured Goodie Mob, and other members of the Dungeon Family, the chef Raekwon, and the legendary funk hero George Clinton! The eclectic album was an instant success thanks in part to the single “Rosa Parks” and debuted at #2 on the Pop charts (montage). You’re inside the Unauthorized Biography of OutKast. From “Aquemini”, here’s “SpottieOttieDopalisious”.
UBX – OutKast (Segment 03)
With the success of Aquemini’s first single “Rosa Parks”, the civil rights pioneer who refused to sit at the back of the bus, actually sued the group for allegedly wrongfully using her name to help sell records. Feeling disrespected, she was also unhappy with some of the groups content and the use of foul language in their music. The suit would last 7 years and they finally settled their differences by agreeing to become partners in developing programs for kids educating them about Rosa Parks’ role in the civil-rights movement (clip).
After 3 groundbreaking and critically acclaimed albums under their belts, numerous cameo and soundtrack appearances and millions of records sold worldwide, Dre and Big Boi could basically do whatever they wanted and had no plans to conform to hip hop boundaries any time soon. With a new millennium upon us, OutKast dropped their fourth album “Stankonia” in the year 2000, and brought a whole new funk with them. The duo hooked up with producer Mr. DJ to form a production team called Earthtone III, and handled work on most of the album. Named after their studio, “Stankonia” featured crazy programmed drums and psychedelic instrumentation. It was definitely still hip hop, and somehow the most innovative group in hip hop history had found a way to push the boundaries even more (montage). “Stankonia” completely crossed over to the mainstream thanks to their first #1 pop hit “Mrs. Jackson”, an ode to Erykah Badu’s mother after her and Andre split up (clip).
Contrary to mainstream belief, “Stankonia” is not the beginning of OutKast’s career and even though it gave them two Grammy’s, many fans wouldn’t put it close to “Aqemini” or “ATLiens” as their favorite OutKast album. In 2001, the duo put out a ‘best of’ album “Big Boi & Dre present…OutKast” to let their new fans know about some of their classic material. “The Whole World” was one of 3 new songs on the album and won them another Grammy (clip). The album was great to keep their name in the public eye while they worked on other things. Dre seriously got into acting, and together they formed a label called Aquemini Records that closed soon after (clip). Their personal projects didn’t stop any creative juices from flowing however, and in 2003 OutKast released the phenomenal double-album “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below”. Essentially two solo albums, the release showed fans that Big Boi and Dre wanted to realize their own musical visions but still remain under the OutKast umbrella, diminishing any thought that they were breaking up. Both albums were innovative in their own right, Big Boi staying raw and funky and Andre went Prince on us and created a masterpiece concept album with hardly any rapping on it. The album moved over 10 million CD’s, making it one of the few hip hop albums to be certified Diamond and for the first time in Hip Hop, won Album of the Year at the Grammy’s (montage).
It was official. 11 years into their career, groundbreaking album after groundbreaking album, OutKast was arguably the biggest group in the world. Changing their sound with each album, Dre and Big Boi refuse to conform to trends and they continue to push the musical envelope (VO). In ’06 after battling more rumours that the duo was breaking up, they finally released the long awaited OutKast movie Idlewild with the accompanying soundtrack, OutKast’s 6th album (clips). Although the ambitious project was creatively realized and critically acclaimed some felt it was over the heads of many but before Andre specifically completely lost touch with the younger generation he appeared on two of the biggest remixes of that year (clips). It’s safe to say that we are blessed to have experienced the musical genius that is OutKast. Arguably the greatest group in hip hop history and with no signs of the duo breaking up, we can be sure that OutKast will continue to create timeless material that fans of any musical genre can appreciate. You’ve been listening to The Unauthorized Biography of OutKast. From Idlewild, here’s “Hollywood Divorce” feat. Lil’ Wayne & Snoop Dogg.
