Victor Vazquez (musician)
Victor Vazquez (born November 16, 1983), also known by his stage name Kool A.D., is an American rapper, record producer, author, and artist. He is from the San Francisco Bay Area of California. Vazquez is best known for being a member of the New York-based rapping, rap group Das Racist, though he has also been a member of the bands Boy Crisis and Party Animal. Vazquez has also released his own solo material, including numerous mixtapes. ''Mother Jones (magazine), Mother Jones'' magazine described his work as "a thoughtful effort to deconstruct and rearrange cultural objects in ways that challenge our deepest assumptions about society and cultural products". Background Vazquez, who is of Afro-Cuban and Italians, Italian descent, originally hails from the San Francisco Bay area of California. He attended high school at the Alameda Community Learning Center, Arthur Andersen Community Learning Center in Alameda, California, Alameda and college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Con ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Governments to include the nine counties that border the aforementioned estuaries: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sonoma, and San Francisco. Other definitions may be either smaller or larger, and may include neighboring counties that do not border the bay such as Santa Cruz and San Benito (more often included in the Central Coast regions); or San Joaquin, Merced, and Stanislaus (more often included in the Central Valley). The core cities of the Bay Area are San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. Home to approximately 7.76 million people, Northern California's nine-county Bay Area contains many cities, towns, airports, and associated regional, state, and national parks, connected by a comp ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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MGMT
MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists of drummer Will Berman, bassist Simon O'Connor, and guitarist and keyboard James Richardson. Originally signed to Cantora Records by the nascent label's co-founder, NYU undergrad Will Griggs, MGMT later signed with Columbia and RED Ink in 2006 and released their debut album '' Oracular Spectacular'' the next year. After the release of ''Oracular Spectacular'' Richardson, Berman and Matthew Asti joined the core band in the studio for ''Congratulations,'' which was released on April 13, 2010. In January 2011 they began work on their eponymous third studio album. It was released on September 17, 2013, and was released as an early exclusive on Rdio on September 9, 2013. The group's fourth studio album, titled '' Little Dark Age'', was release ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Okayplayer
Okayplayer is an online hip-hop and alternative music website and community, described by ''Rolling Stone'' as a "tastemaker" and "an antidote to dull promotional Web sites used by most artists". The community was founded by The Roots' drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and author Angela Nissel as a loose musical collective in 1987, and evolved into an online community in 1999. In 2004, Questlove launched Okayplayer Records as a spin-off of the community, in partnership with Decon. After a near-decade hiatus, the label was rebooted in 2012 with Danny! as its flagship artist. This community is made up of recording artists (who keep their official internet homes there), visitors to the site, and individuals who post on the site's message board, the most popular feature of the site. All of the artists and staff, as well as those who post to the site's messageboard, are considered "okayplayers," or "OKPs" for short. Okayplayer was one of the first online hubs through which fans ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also reports on related subjects such as technology, communications, science, politics, and law. It is based in Jersey City, New Jersey. Competitors in the national business magazine category include ''Fortune'' and ''Bloomberg Businessweek''. ''Forbes'' has an international edition in Asia as well as editions produced under license in 27 countries and regions worldwide. The magazine is well known for its lists and rankings, including of the richest Americans (the Forbes 400), of the America's Wealthiest Celebrities, of the world's top companies (the Forbes Global 2000), Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People, and The World's Billionaires. The motto of ''Forbes'' magazine is "Change the World". Its chair and editor-in-chief is Steve Fo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records is an American independent record label founded in 1982 by Jon Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula to release the first works of Metallica, and devoted primarily to hard rock and heavy metal. It has offices in New York City (where the corporate office is located) and Philadelphia. The label is distributed in the United States by RED Distribution, having previously been distributed by Atlantic Records while Anthrax's recordings from 1985 to 1991 were marketed by Island Records. Megaforce artists that have appeared on the Billboard Top 200 chart include Metallica, Blue October, Anthrax, Overkill, Testament, Mushroomhead, Ministry, Bad Brains and Meat Puppets. The Black Crowes and Meat Puppets have both received various RIAA certifications in the US. Marsha Zazula, the co-founder of Megaforce Records, died of cancer on January 10, 2021, at the age of 68. Her husband Jon died a year later, on February 1, 2022, at the age of 69. Artists (current and former) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment and managed by the American umbrella division of Sony. It was originally founded in 1929 as American Record Corporation and renamed as Columbia Recording Corporation in 1938, following its acquisition by the Columbia Broadcasting System. In 1966, the company was reorganized to become CBS Records, and Sony Corporation bought the company in 1988, renaming it under its current name in 1991. In 2004, Sony and Bertelsmann established a 50-50 joint venture known as Sony BMG, which transferred the businesses of Sony Music and Bertelsmann Music Group into one entity. However, in 2008, Sony acquired Bertelsmann's stake, and the company reverted to the Sony Music name shortly after; the buyout allowed Sony to acquire all of BMG's labels, which ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Relax (Das Racist Album)
''Relax'' is the only studio album by American hip hop trio Das Racist. It was released by Greedhead Music on September 13, 2011. It peaked at number 111 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Production The album is produced by Diplo, El-P, Rostam Batmanglij, and Anand Wilder, among others. It includes guest appearances from El-P, Danny Brown, and Despot. Release On August 2, 2011, Das Racist released "Michael Jackson", the lead single from the album. The music video for the song was premiered on September 9, 2011. Directed by Weird Days, the video references Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video, featuring the morphing faces of El-P, Despot, Lakutis, Hari Kondabolu, Mike Finito, Anand Wilder, Rostam Batmanglij, and Ben Schecter, among others. The album was released by Greedhead Music on September 13, 2011. Music videos were also created for "Brand New Dance" and "Girl". Critical reception At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from main ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pitchfork (website)
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working at a record store in suburban Minneapolis, and the website earned a reputation for its extensive coverage of indie rock music. It has since expanded and covers all kinds of music, including pop. Pitchfork was sold to Condé Nast in 2015, although Schreiber remained its editor-in-chief until he left the website in 2019. Initially based in Minneapolis, Pitchfork later moved to Chicago, and then Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Its offices are currently located in One World Trade Center alongside other Condé Nast publications. The site is best known for its daily output of music reviews but also regularly reviews reissues and box sets. Since 2016, it has published retrospective reviews of classics, and other albums that it had not previously review ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sit Down, Man
''Sit Down, Man'' is the second mixtape by American hip hop trio Das Racist. It was released as a free download by Greedhead Music, Mishka, and Mad Decent on September 14, 2010. It gained over 40,000 downloads in its first week of release. An album release show was held at Santos Party House on September 16, 2010. Production The mixtape is produced by Teengirl Fantasy, Chairlift, Diplo, Keepaway, and Boi-1da, among others. It includes guest appearances from Fat Tony, El-P, Kassa Overall, Roc Marciano, and Lakutis. Critical reception ''Pitchfork'' placed the mixtape at number 23 on the "Top 50 Albums of 2010" list. "Hahahaha JK?" was placed at number 44 on ''Pitchfork''s "Top 100 Tracks of 2010" list, as well as number 48 on ''Rolling Stone''s "50 Best Songs of 2010" list. Track listing Personnel Credits adapted from the liner notes. * Sabzi – production (2) * Gordon Voidwell – production, mixing (3) * Alex Kestner – production, mixing (3) * Boi-1da – production (4) ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shut Up, Dude
''Shut Up, Dude'' is the first mixtape by American hip hop trio Das Racist. It was released as a free download by Greedhead Music and Mishka on March 29, 2010. Music videos A music video was created for "Who's That? Brooown!". The video linked to a playable online game. ''Pitchfork'' included it on the "Top Music Videos of 2010" list, while ''Rolling Stone'' included it on the "Best Videos of 2010" list. It was selected to screen at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. A music video was also created for "Rainbow in the Dark". Critical reception Nate Patrin of ''Pitchfork'' gave the mixtape a 7.8 out of 10, saying, "Das Racist's Brooklyn-buzz affiliations and humorous bent might mislead you into thinking it's an exercise in cheap laffs for people who don't take rap seriously, but this album feels a lot more like the irreverent hip-hop fanboy mania of '' ego trip'' magazine than smarmy genre tourism." Chris Molnar of ''Cokemachineglow'' wrote: "Maybe the most refreshing thing about ''S ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ashok Kondabolu
Ashok Kumar Kondabolu (born 1985), also known by his stage name Dapwell (or Dap), is an American actor, writer, and internet personality from Queens, New York City. A graduate of Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, Kondabolu was first known for being a member of and hype man for the influential New York-based rap group Das Racist. Kondabolu announced that he will eventually release his own solo material. ''Rolling Stone India'' described Ashok as "New York's stock Joe Gould-like character injected with the creative adrenaline of gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson and the uncouth coarseness of writer Charles Bukowski." With the breakup of Das Racist in December 2012, Kondabolu stated that he would be focusing his attention on his television and radio show, co-created with Despot, called ''Chillin' Island''. He is the younger brother of comedian Hari Kondabolu, with whom he conducts the semi-regular live show ''Untitled Kondabolu Brothers Project'' as well as the Untitled Kondab ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Caravan
''The Caravan'' is an Indian English-language, long-form narrative journalism magazine covering politics and culture. History In 1940, Vishwa Nath launched ''Caravan'' as the first magazine from the Delhi Press; it went on to establish itself as a leading monthly for the elites but closed in 1988. It was again revived in 2009 by Anant Nath, the grand son of Vishwa Nath; Nath was deeply impressed by publications like The Atlantic, Mother Jones etc. during his graduation from Columbia University and sought for ''The Caravan'' to be a home for S. Asia's rich literary talents. In Nath's words, "the idea was [] to have a magazine on politics, art, and culture, with a liberal bend of mind." A few months later, Vinod Jose was roped in as the executive editor; drawing inspiration from long-form American magazines such as '' Harper's'' and ''The New Yorker'', he designed the magazine as the home for New Journalism in India. The establishment was successful and its earliest issues f ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |