2Pac was born on June 16, 1971 in the East Harlem section of Manhatten. He is often referred to by his stage names which include 2Pac and Makaveli. Shakur’s professional entertainment career began in the early 1990s, when he debuted his rapping skills on "Same Song" from the Digital Underground album "This is an EP Release". In November of 1991 2Pac released his debut album, 2Pacalypse Now. It never topped higher than the number 34 spot on the Billboard 200. 2Pacalypse Now can be found in the Vinyl Countdown and in the instruction manual for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. From 1993-1996 2Pac released four albums, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z, Me Against the World, All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory. On the night of September 7, 1996, Shakur was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas. He died several days later on September 13,1996. After his death five of his albums were released posthumously. These included Until the End of Time, Better Dayz and Loyal to the Game. Four of these albums went platinum. According to Forbes, in 2008 the estate of 2Pac made $15 million off of Tupac related sales.
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Billy Talent was formed in 1993 in Streetsville, Ontario. It’s members include Ben Kowalewicz on lead vocals, Ian D’Sa on lead guitar, Jon Gallant on bass guitar and Aaron Solowoniuk on drums & percussion. In 2002, the band met with record executives, and ended up signing a co-venture agreement with Atlantic Records and Warner Music Canada. In the fall of 2003, the band released their full-length self-titled album, Billy Talent. The album found a measure of success and was certified three times platinum in Canada in January of 2007. Billy Talent II hit the shelves on June 27, 2006. It fared very well in Canada in its debut week, landing in at number 1 on the Canadian charts. It also enjoyed significant success in Germany, where it also debuted at number 1 in the album charts in its debut week, and was one of the top 10 selling albums in the country. As of June 15, 2007, the album has sold almost 700,000 units worldwide, 215,000 of them in Canada, making it certified double platinum, and with 200,000 shipped units in Germany, it achieved platinum status there as well. Their third album, Billy Talent III is expecting a tentative July 9, 2009 release date.
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Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas, known simply as Ashanti, was born on October 13, 1980 in Glen Cove, New York. When she was six, Ashanti sang in a gospel choir and her mother noticed her singing talents early. By the time Ashanti hit puberty, her mother was sending out demo tapes of her singing and dancing. The family could not afford to go to a studio and record a formal demo, so when labels called, Ashanti would have to sing and dance in front of the record company executives. When Ashanti was fourteen, she was discovered by P.Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. Initially, she went to Bad Boy Records and sang one of Mary J. Blige’s songs in front of P.Diddy and Biggie Smalls. After being impressed by her singing ability, Diddy pulled out a bottle and told her it was his new fragrance, which he said he loved. After one sniff, Ashanti said, "Oh pew, it stinks. I hate it!" Diddy started laughing, later stating that it was a test to judge her character. In the end, due to a bad contract, Ashanti did not sign with Diddy. Ashanti subsequently involved herself in schoolwork, cheerleading, and running on her school’s track team. Then in 2002, she released her debut album Ashanti. The album debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and has sold over five million copies worldwide. Since then, Ashanti has released three more albums, Chapter II(2003), Concrete Rose(2004) and The Declaration (2008). She has also acted in several films including, Bride and Prejudice (2004), Coach Carter (2005) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).
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Jamie Foxx is the stage name of Eric Marlon Bishop. He was born on December 13, 1967 in Terrell, Texas. He is the son of Louise Annette Talley Dixson and Darrell Bishop, a stock broker who changed his name to Shahid Abdula after converting to Islam. Foxx was abandoned seven months after birth and was raised by his mother’s adoptive parents, Estelle and Mark Talley. Foxx joined the cast of In Living Color in 1991 and subsequently had a recurring role in the comedy-drama sitcom Roc. In 1996, Jamie Foxx was given his own sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show. The following year, he made his film debut in the 1997 comedy, Booty Call. In 1994, Jamie Foxx released his debut album, Peep This. The album peaked at seventy-eight and has since sold over a half million copies. After almost an eleven year hiatus, he released his sophomore album, Unpredictable. The album debut at number-one on the US Billboard 200 moving over half a million copies in its first week. Four singles were released from the album, the title-track "Unpredictable", "DJ Play a Love Song", "Can I Take U Home" and "Extravaganza". The album has since broke the two million copy mark in sales. He followed up the success of Unpredictable with the release of his third album, Intuition. The album reached the top three on the U.S. Billboard 200 album charts, and #1 on the Top U.S. R&B/Hip Hop Albums Charts, which it topped for six consecutive weeks. Intuition has since been certified platinum by the RIAA.
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Keyshia Cole was born on October 15, 1981 in Oakland, California. She released her debut album, The Way It Is, on June 21, 2005. The album debuted at number six on the U.S. charts with first week sales of 89,000 and peaked at number six on the U.S. Billboard 200. It spawned five singles, (I Just Want It) To Be Over, I Changed My Mind, I Should Have Cheated, Love and Never. The album eventually sold over a million copies. In 2007, Keyshia Cole released her second studio album, Just Like You. The album was nominated in the Best Contemporary R&B Album category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards and ended up being certified platinum by the RIAA. She followed up the success of Just Like You with her final studio album, A Different Me. It generated two singles, You Complete Me, Playa Cardz Right and Trust and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. The third season of her BET reality series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is premiered on Tuesday, November 12, 2008,and the season finale was aired December 30, 2008. In 2009, Keyshia Cole launched A Different Me Tour to promote the album of the same name.
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Garth Brooks is an American country music artist who was born Troyal Garth Brooks on February 7, 1962 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In high school he played football and baseball and ran track. He received a track scholarship to Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, where he competed in the javelin. Garth Brooks graduated in 1984 with a degree in advertising. Later that year, Brooks began his professional music career, singing and playing guitar in Oklahoma clubs and bars. In 1985, noted entertainment attorney Rod Phelps drove from Dallas to listen to Garth Brooks play. Phelps liked what he heard and offered to produce Garth’s first demo. In 1989 Garth Brooks would release his self titled debut album. It peaked at #2 in the U.S. Country chart and made #13 on the Billboard 200. It went on to sell close to 10 million copies worldwide. Garth Brooks has since gone on to release eight more studio albums, four compilation albums, one live album and fifty three singles. He has also released twenty three music videos. The RIAA have certified Garth Brooks’ albums at one hundred and twenty eight times Multi-Platinum. Six of his albums have achieved Diamond status in the U.S.. His total world-wide sales are estimated at 140 million.
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Staind formed on November 24, 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The band met through friends and started performing cover songs from bands they admired such as Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Tool, and Alice in Chains in small neighborhood bars and clubs. Staind self-released their debut album, Tormented, in November 1996. The band’s big break came in October 1998 after Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst witnessed the band open up for them at a Hartford, Connecticut show, eventually signed them to his Flip record label, and co-produced their 1999 breakthrough Dysfunction with Terry Date. Staind toured with Limp Bizkit for the Family Values Tour during the fall of 1999, where Aaron Lewis performed their first mainstream hit "Outside" with Fred Durst. That set the stage for Staind’s 2001 album "Break the Cycle", which brought them international success. The album went to number one both in the United States and the United Kingdom. It sold more than 7 million copies, and had first week sales of over seven hundred thousand in the U.S. alone. Staind has gone on to release three more albums; 14 Shades of Grey in 2003, Chapter V in 2005 and The Illusion of Progress in 2008.
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The Pussycat Dolls originated in 1995 in Los Angeles, California. The group originated as a burlesque troupe but after receiving national attention, the troupe was re-cast as a music group, comprising lead singer Nicole Scherzinger alongside Melody Thornton, Jessica Sutta, Ashley Roberts, Kimberly Wyatt and Carmit Bachar. Their debut album, PCD, was released by A&M Records on September 13, 2005 in the United States. The album was a critical hit and has gone on to sell over seven million units worldwide and spawning 7 singles including "Don’t Cha", "I Don’t Need a Man" and "Right Now". From November 2006 - January 2007, the Pussycat Dolls embarked on their PCD World Tour with Rihanna as the opening act. Then in September of 2008 they released their second studio album, Doll Domination. The debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, with 79,000 in first week sales. The Pussycat Dolls have won several Billboard awards including Top-selling R&B/Hip-Hop Single of the Year 2005 and Top Dance/Club Play Single of the Year 2005. They have also received a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal but didn’t win.
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Kellie Pickler was born in Albemarle, North Carolina on June 28, 1986. Kellie Pickler graduated in 2004 from North Stanly High School in New London, North Carolina. She was a cheerleader and beauty queen. At her high-school commencement, she sang "On the Side of Angels" by LeAnn Rimes. The 19-year-old Pickler auditioned for American Idol in the fall of 2005 in Greensboro, North Carolina. She sang both Kelly Clarkson’s "Since U Been Gone" and Martina McBride’s "A Broken Wing". The judges sent her to Hollywood. Kellie Pickler advanced through the semi-final rounds in February. On March 9, she reached the Top 12. After her elimination, she appeared in numerous shows promoting the TV show and performed the song "Walkin’ After Midnight" in some of her appearances. On July 17, 2006, she signed a record deal with 19 Recordings/BNA Records. On October 31, 2006 she released her debut album, Small Town Girl. The album produced three Top 20 singles in "Red High Heels", "I Wonder", and "Things That Never Cross a Man’s Mind". Her current album entitled "Kellie Pickler" was released in September of 2008. The lead-off single, "Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful", reached #21 on the Hot Country Songs charts.
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Jordin Sparks was born on December 22, 1989 in Phoenix, Arizona to Jodi Weidmann and former NFL defensive back Phillippi Sparks. Before appearing on American Idol, Sparks participated in and won such talent competitions as Sprite Rising Star, Gospel Music Association GMA Academy, The Proof Is In The Pudding Contest, NBC/PAX America’s Most Talented Kids and the Colgate Country Showdown. In the summer of 2006, Sparks auditioned twice for American Idol once in Los Angeles, CA (only auditioned for producers) and again in Seattle, Washington. On May 23, 2007, Sparks was crowned the winner of the sixth season of American Idol having never been in the bottom three. She remains the youngest winner in American Idol history. After her stint on American Idol, Jordin Sparks made appearance on television shows such as The View. The Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. On November 20, 2007 she released her self titled debut through Jive Records. It has produced four top twenty singles and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. Jordin Sparks is currently working on her second album entitled "Battlefield".It has a tentative release date of July 2009. The first single is also called "Battlefield" and was released in North America on May 12, 2009 with further releases scheduled in June 2009.
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