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Violator Management
Violator is a company, record label, marketing group, and multi-media entertainment conglomerate founded and operated by Chris Lighty and Mona Scott-Young until Lighty's death on August 30, 2012.Violator - The Company Violator. Accessed August 25, 2007. History In 1989, Lighty partnered with manager Scott-Young to launch Violator management. The company specialized in managing the careers of hip hop and R&B performers and is also a record label. Included among Violator's past and present clients are |
Chris Lighty
Darrel Steven "Chris" Lighty (May 8, 1968 – August 30, 2012) was an American music industry executive. He co-founded Violator, a record label, management and marketing company, which represented hip hop and R&B artists such as Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J, Noreaga, Uncle Murda, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey and Sean "Diddy" Combs. ''The New York Times'' called him "one of the most powerful figures in the hip-hop business." Early life Lighty was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York and raised in the Bronx River Housing Projects. His mother was single. He had five siblings, including a brother, Dave. He attended Samuel Gompers High School, and did not attend college, and he stated that he "got isMBA in hell," in reference to growing up on the streets of a dangerous neighborhood. Career Lighty began working in the music industry by carrying vinyl record crates for DJ Red Alert. Later, Russell Simmons' company, Rush Artist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whistle register. Carey rose to fame in 1990 with her debut album '' Mariah Carey''. She was the first artist to have their first five singles reach number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, from "Vision of Love" to "Emotions". For the enduring popularity of her holiday music, particularly the 1994 Christmas song " All I Want for Christmas Is You", she has also been dubbed the "Queen of Christmas". Carey's self-titled debut album was released under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, who married her three years later. She gained further worldwide success with the albums ''Music Box'' (1993) and ''Daydream'' (1995), with singles including "Hero", " Without You", "Fantasy", "Always Be My Baby", and "One Sweet Day", which ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper from New York City. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a solo career and set up his own label, Terror Squad, to which he signed Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, Cuban Link, Armageddon, Prospect, Triple Seis, and a then-unknown DJ Khaled, as well as discover producers Cool & Dre. Fat Joe's debut solo album, ''Represent'', was released in 1993 and spawned the single "Flow Joe", which reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rap Songs chart. His most commercially successful album to date was ''Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.)'' (2001); it was certified platinum by the RIAA and internationally certified silver by the BPI, as well as reaching the top 100 on multiple music charts. He is best known for the songs "Lean Back" (2004; with Terror Squad), "What's Luv?" (2002; featuring Ashanti and J ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ''Power of the Dollar'' for Columbia Records; however, days before the planned release, he was shot, and the album was never released. In 2002, after 50 Cent released the mixtape ''Guess Who's Back?'' he was discovered by Eminem and signed to Shady Records, under the aegis of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. His first major-label album ''Get Rich or Die Tryin''' (2003), was a huge commercial success. The album spawned the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one singles "In da Club" and " 21 Questions", and was certified 9× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That same year, he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo; prior to becoming the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
JoJo Pellegrino
Joseph Edwards (born September 13, 1977), professionally known as Jojo Pellegrino, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor from Staten Island, NY. Known for his lyrical abilities and versatility, Pellegrino was formally managed by Chris Lighty as a member of the legendary Violator imprint. Pellegrino made his name in the New York Hip hop scene with his debut singles “Fogedaboudid” and “Where I'm from”, "Fogedaboudid" becoming popular on local radio stations. Early life Joseph Edwards (JoJo Pellegrino) was raised in a loving household, in Staten Island New York, by both parents along with his younger sister Jennifer. Throughout most of his childhood and teenage years, Edwards studied various styles of martial arts and also played baseball and basketball. He began writing and recording at the age of 15 years old and through his father's relationship with a colleague, who was managing a few artists at the time, Edwards formed a close bond with local hip-hop sensation Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nas (rapper)
Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (Saudi Arabia), a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary of National Air Services * National Airports System, an organization system of larger or important airports in Canada * National Airspace System, an aviation control system in the United States * Naval air squadron, an aircraft-focused unit associated with a navy * Naval air station, a military air base associated with a navy * Norwegian Air Shuttle, an airline in Norway * National Aviation Services, an aviation services provider headquartered in Kuwait Commerce * Nihon Ad Systems, a Japanese anime company * No age statement, for a Scotch whisky Organizations * Nationaal Arbeids-Secretariaat, a trade union federation in the Netherlands 1893-1940 * National Academy of Songwriters * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip hop acts Beastie Boys and Run-DMC. Signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, LL Cool J's breakthrough came with his single "I Need a Beat" and his landmark debut album, ''Radio'' (1985). He achieved further commercial and critical success with the albums ''Bigger and Deffer'' (1987), ''Walking with a Panther'' (1989), ''Mama Said Knock You Out'' (1990), '' Mr. Smith'' (1995), and ''Phenomenon'' (1997). His twelfth album, ''Exit 13'' (2008), was his last in his long-tenured deal with Def Jam. LL Cool J has appeared in numerous films, including ''Halloween H20'', '' In Too Deep'', ''Any Given Sunday'', '' Deep Blue Sea'', ''S.W.A.T.'', ''Mindhunters'', ''Last Holiday'', and '' Edison''. He currently plays NCIS Spec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep was an American hip hop duo from New York City. The duo consisted of rappers Prodigy and Havoc. They are considered to be among the principal progenitors of hardcore East Coast hip hopEdwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 323. and hip hop in the mid-1990s. Mobb Deep became one of the most successful rap duos of all time, having sold over three million records. Their best-known albums are ''The Infamous'' (1995), '' Hell on Earth'' (1996) and ''Murda Muzik'' (1999), and their most successful singles were "Shook Ones (Part II)" and " Survival of the Fittest." They were known for their dark and hardcore delivery. The duo disbanded in 2012, but reunited the following year. Prodigy died in June 2017. Havoc is currently working on a new Mobb Deep album. Biography Early career Havoc and Prodigy met while both were students at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan—a school that produced creatives like C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cormega
Cory McKay (born December 3, 1970), better known by his stage name Cormega, is an American rapper who attained notice when he was shouted out by Nas on his song "One Love", from the critically acclaimed 1994 album ''Illmatic''. The album was released during Cormega's time in prison, but the mention sparked his career and created anticipation for his own rapping. Early life Cormega was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and raised in Queens. He was childhood friends with Nas, Havoc and Capone, who all went on to become successful rappers. A frequent theme of his music is the countless number of his friends and family that have been killed by violence. Career 1990s He was featured on Hot Day's "Going Straight Up" from his album ''It's My Turn''. He was also featured on Blaq Poet and DJ Hot Day's track "Set It Off" from their album ''Without Warning'' in 1991. During a period of incarceration, Cormega gained some attention following a shout-out from Nas on his song "One Love", ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diggy Simmons
Daniel Dwayne "Diggy" Simmons III (born March 21, 1995) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, model, and actor and the fourth child of Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons of Run DMC. He is currently acting on the hit show ''Grown-ish'' as Doug Edwards, a student at Cal U. He, along with his parents and five siblings, were the primary subjects of the MTV reality television show ''Run's House''. Diggy was also the youngest member of Lupe Fiasco's short-lived rap collective, All City Chess Club. Music career Music beginnings Diggy Simmons released his debut mixtape, ''The First Flight'', in 2009. More than 100,000 people downloaded the album from Simmons' blog. Following the mixtape release, according to Simmons, five record labels showed interest in signing him; he chose Atlantic Records. Early in 2010, Simmons uploaded a video of himself freestyling over the Nas song, " Made You Look". The video became a viral hit and garnered praise from Kanye West, who responded on Twitter: "I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mýa
Mya Marie Harrison (; born October 10, 1979), (stylized as Mýa), is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. Born into a musical family, she studied ballet, jazz, and tap dance as a child. Initially, Mýa began her career as a VJ and dance posse member on BET's ''Teen Summit''. During her stint at BET, she developed an interest in music which lead to independent deal from the guidance of CEO Haqq Islam. Signed in 1996 to Interscope Records, she released her eponymous debut album in April 1998. A critical and commercial success, the album produced her first top ten single "It's All About Me". Subsequent singles, "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)" and " Take Me There", continued to raise her profile and attained chart success worldwide, with the former garnering her first Grammy nomination. ''Fear of Flying'', her second album, was released in April 2000 and became a worldwide success, boosted by the success of its singles " Case of the Ex" and " Free". Harris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fantasia Barrino
Fantasia Monique Barrino-Taylor (born June 30, 1984), known professionally by her mononym Fantasia, is an American R&B singer and actress. She rose to fame as the winner of the third season of the reality television series ''American Idol'' in 2004. Following her victory, she released her debut single, " I Believe", which debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Subsequently, she released her debut album, ''Free Yourself'', which went on to be certified Platinum by the RIAA and earned Barrino three Grammy nominations in 2006. In 2006, she released her second album, ''Fantasia'', which featured the single "When I See U" which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight weeks. This album was certified Gold by the RIAA and received three Grammy nominations in 2008. She then played the part of Celie in the Broadway musical ''The Color Purple'', for which she won a 2007 Theatre World Award. Her third studio album, '' Back to Me'', was released worldwid ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
