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Testify (Common Song)
"Testify" is the fourth single from rapper Common's 2005 album '' Be''. Clocking in at just above two and a half minutes, it is the second shortest track on ''Be'' (after the album's intro). It is produced by Kanye West, whose beat heavily utilizes vocal samples from "Innocent Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone. Spence D. of IGN.com comments on this saying: "'Testify' ..features an intricate layering of vocals which provide such an hypnotic backdrop that you almost forget to listen to Common's compelling storytelling." The song's story is about a woman who manipulates a judge and jury to find her partner guilty of a crime ''she'' committed. After the case is settled, she starts laughing that she is the criminal. Sean Malcolm of AllHipHop.com considers Common to have "paint dpictures of extravagant court trials" on "Testify." The song was a critical hit garnering a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards. A remix featuring soul singer Darien Brockington ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Common (rapper)
Lonnie Rashid Lynn (born March 13, 1972), known by his stage name Common (formerly known as Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. He debuted in 1992 with the album ''Can I Borrow a Dollar?,'' and gained critical acclaim with his 1994 album ''Resurrection.'' He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s. He achieved mainstream success through his work with the Soulquarians. His first major-label album, '' Like Water for Chocolate'' (2000), received commercial success. In 2003, he won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for the Erykah Badu single " Love of My Life". His 2005 album '' Be'' was also successful and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2006 Grammy Awards. He received his second Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Southside" (featuring Kanye West), from his 2007 album ''Finding Forever''. His best-of album, '' Thisisme Then: The Best of Common'', was released in late 2007. In 2011, he launched Think Common Entertainmen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grammy Award For Best Rap Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance was awarded from 1991 to 2011, alongside the Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. Previously, a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance. In 2003, this award was split into separate awards for Best Female Rap Solo Performance and Best Male Rap Solo Performance. In 2005, it was again presented as a single award. As of 2012, The award was permanently discontinued due to a major overhaul of Grammy categories. Since 2012, all solo and duo/group rap performances has been shifted to the revived Best Rap Performance category. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released from October a year and a half prior to September the previous year. Recipients Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year. Category facts *Most wins in this category (including male & female solo wins) **1. Eminem – 4 wins **2. Missy Elliott- 3 wins **3. LL Cool J, Will Smith, Jay- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Dawson (record Producer)
Andrew Dawson (born March 12, 1980) is an American music producer, audio engineer, engineer, mix engineer, mixer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Dawson is a three-time Grammy award winner and six-time Grammy nominee, having won for his work as engineer and mixer on Kanye West's ''Late Registration'' (2005), ''Graduation (album), Graduation'' (2007), and ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy'' (2010) - each winning the Best Rap Album category. Dawson is also credited with additional production on ''My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy''. Although Dawson made his initial breakthrough with hip hop artists including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Common (rapper), Common, Tyler The Creator, and P.O.S (rapper), P.O.S, Dawson has also moved on to produce and work on records for pop, indie and rock bands including Fun (band), fun., The Rolling Stones, Pet Shop Boys, Sleigh Bells (band), Sleigh Bells, Baskery and Night Terrors of 1927. Life and career Personal life Dawson began playing p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Usual Suspects
''The Usual Suspects'' is a 1995 neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie. It stars Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, and Kevin Spacey. The plot follows the interrogation of Roger "Verbal" Kint, a small-time con man, who is one of only two survivors of a massacre and fire on a ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles. Through flashback and narration, Kint tells an interrogator a convoluted story of events that led him and his criminal companions to the boat, and of a mysterious crime lord—known as Keyser Söze—who controlled them. The film was shot on a $6 million budget and began as a title taken from a column in ''Spy'' magazine called ''The Usual Suspects'', after one of Claude Rains' most memorable lines in the classic film ''Casablanca'', and Singer thought that it would make a good title for a film. The film was shown out of competition at the 19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, and was first aired November 15, hosted by comedian Katt Williams. The second ceremony was held on October 13, 2007 and aired on October 17 of the same year. Like its predecessor, the ceremony was also held at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, and was hosted by Katt Williams. The third ceremony premiered on October 23, 2008. This ceremony was hosted by popular R&B and hip hop artist T-Pain. The fourth ceremony was held on October 10, 2009 and was hosted by Mike Epps and aired on October 27. The fifth ceremony was held on October 2, 2010 (aired October 12) and was also by hosted Mike Epps. Epps hosted two additional years (2011 & 2012), and Snoop Dogg hosted in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Ceremony Most Wins * Kendrick Lamar — 25 wins * Jay Z ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel launched initially as an all-music video service, once the original MTV had started to shift its programming. As with its parent network, MTV2's focus on music programming would gradually be downplayed during the 2000s. By 2011, MTV2 would primarily target young adult men with original and acquired lifestyle and reality programming, reruns of male-targeting shows from MTV, acquired sitcoms and movies, and a daily block of Hip hop music, hip hop and Rock music, rock genre videos in the early mornings. Due to Viacom's 2017 restructuring plan, MTV2's original programs were eventually moved over to the flagship MTV network, while the former network would drop its music video blocks in November of that year. In February 2015, approximately 79,416,000 American households (68.2% of households with television) received MTV2. History ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anthony Mandler
Anthony Mandler (born April 18, 1973) is an American film director, music video director, television commercial director and photographer. As a music video director, his most notable and frequent collaborator is Rihanna. The two have worked on sixteen music videos together throughout her career, beginning with " Unfaithful" in 2006 and most recently "Diamonds" in 2012. He has also written and directed music videos for many other prominent artists including the Spice Girls, Jay Z, Beyoncé, Eminem, Usher, Shakira, Taylor Swift, The Killers, Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Christina Aguilera, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Snoop Dogg, Lenny Kravitz, Cheryl Cole, M.I.A., Mary J. Blige, fun. and Lana Del Rey. Beginning his career as a photographer, Mandler's work has been featured on the covers of major magazines such as ''Entertainment Weekly'', '' GQ'', ''Esquire'', ''Men's Health'', and ''ESPN The Magazine''. His celebrity portraits include, among others, David Beckham, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wood Harris
Sherwin David "Wood" Harris (born October 17, 1969) is an American actor. He has portrayed the drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the HBO crime drama ''The Wire'', cocaine dealer Ace in '' Paid in Full'' and high school football player Julius Campbell in the 2000 film ''Remember the Titans''. He is also known for playing Brooke Payne on the BET miniseries ''The New Edition Story'' in 2017. From 2016 to 2017, he played Barry Fouray on VH1 miniseries '' The Breaks''. Most recently, Harris portrayed Damon Cross on the Fox series ''Empire'' for its fifth and final sixth season. Currently, Wood Harris is starring as drug lord "Pat" in the Starz series '' BMF'' alongside Demetrius Flenory Jr. and his older brother, Steve Harris. Early life and education Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of seamstress Mattie and bus driver John Harris. He was given the nickname "Wood" by friends in his neighborhood, because "Sherwin" was too difficult for some to pronounce. He holds a Bachelo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steve Harris (actor)
Steve Harris (born December 3, 1965) is an American actor. He has played Eugene Young on the legal drama ''The Practice'', Detective Isaiah "Bird" Freeman on the NBC drama ''Awake'' and Charles McCarter in Tyler Perry’s ''Diary of a Mad Black Woman''. Early life Harris was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of John Harris, a bus driver and Mattie Harris, a housewife. He is the older brother of actor Wood Harris. He attended St. Joseph High School in Westchester, IL, a private school with a reputation for developing star athletes. Harris was a running back, and later played linebacker for Northern Illinois University, where he studied drama. His athletic career was cut short due to a torn ligament in his ankle. After graduating from Northern Illinois University in 1989, Harris obtained a master's degree in acting at the University of Delaware. Career Harris appeared on ''Law & Order'' and earlier had a role in '' Homicide: Life on the Street's'' pilot. In 2006, he appe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Duke
William Henry Duke Jr. (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke works primarily in the action and crime drama genres often as a character related to law enforcement. Frequently a character actor, he has starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in ''Commando'' and ''Predator'', and has appeared in films like ''American Gigolo'', ''No Man's Land'', '' Bird on a Wire'', ''Menace II Society'', ''Exit Wounds'', ''Payback'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Mandy''. In television, he is best known as Agent Percy Odell in ''Black Lightning''. He has directed episodes of numerous television series including ''Cagney & Lacey'', ''Dallas'', ''Hill Street Blues'', ''Miami Vice'', ''The Twilight Zone,'' and ''American Playhouse''. He has also directed the crime films ''Deep Cover'' and '' A Rage in Harlem'', for which he was nominated for a Palme d'Or, as well as the comedy ''Sister Act 2''. Early life and education Duke w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taraji P
Taraji Penda Henson ( ; born September 11, 1970) is an American actress. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in '' Baby Boy'' (2001). She played a prostitute in ''Hustle & Flow'' (2005), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination; and a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's '' The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008), for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy '' Date Night'', and co-starred in the remake of ''The Karate Kid'' alongside Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. Henson has also had an extensive and successful career in television, including series such as '' The Division'', ''Boston Legal'' and '' Eli Stone''. In 2011, she starred in the Lifetime Television fil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a four-decade career, his contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with his publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture. Jackson influenced artists across many music genres; through stage and video performances, he popularized complicated dance moves such as the moonwalk, to which he gave the name, as well as the robot. He is the most awarded musician in history. The eighth child of the Jackson family, Jackson made his public debut in 1964 with his older brothers Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon as a member of the Jackson 5 (later known as the Jacksons). Jackson began his solo career in 1971 while at Motown Records. He became a solo star with his 1979 album '' Off the Wall''. His music videos, incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
