Category Archives: Biographies

Sean Paul – Who Is He? (A Biography)

Origin:

Decades: 2000′s

Dancehall superstar Sean Paul began scoring hit singles in Jamaica starting in 1996 and thereafter steadily began attracting international attention, eventual breaking into the pop mainstream in 2002 with Dutty Rock. Born Sean Paul Henriques Continue reading →

Whitney Houston – Who Is She? (A Biography)

Origin: Newark, NJ

Decades: 1980′s, 1990′s, and 2000′s

Whitney Houston is inarguably one of the of the biggest female pop stars of all time. Her accomplishments as a hitmaker are extraordinary; just to scratch the surface, she became the first artist ever to have seven consecutive singles hit number one, and her 1993 Dolly Parton cover Continue reading →

Ludacris – Who Is He? (A Biography)

Origin: Champaign, IL

Decades: 2000′s

When the Dirty South movement broke nationwide at the turn of the century, Ludacris rode it to immediate widespread popularity, becoming arguably the most commercially successful Southern rapper of the time. In 2000 the Atlanta-based rapper signed to Def Jam’s Continue reading →

Avril Lavigne – Who Is She? (A Biography)

Origin: Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Decades: 2000′s

Avril Lavigne first appeared in summer 2002, touting an addictive debut single (the spunky pop/rock gem “Complicated”) and a skatepunk image that purposely clashed with the polished glamour of mainstream pop. Lavigne, who was 17 at the time, quickly rose to Continue reading →

Akon – Who Is He? (A Biography)

Origin: St. Louis, MO

Decades: 2000′s

Although he was born in St. Louis, Aliaune Thiam — aka Akon — grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam) returned to the United States Continue reading →

Mary J. Blige – Who Is She? (A Biography)

Trey Songz – Who Is He? (A Biography)

Origin: Petersburg, VA

Decades: 2000′s

He loved hip-hop growing up, but the only R&B he could get into was R. Kelly. But when his friends heard his perfect tenor voice, they pushed Trey Songz to drop rap Continue reading →

Alicia Keys – Who Is She? (A Biography)

Origin: New York, NY [Manhattan]

Decades: 1990′s and 2000′s

Alicia Keys helped redefine the term “overnight sensation” when her 2001 debut effort, Songs in A Minor, sold more than 50,000 copies during its first day of release. Mixing R&B songcraft with a sultry dose of neo-soul, the album went on to move more than ten million units worldwide Continue reading →

Kanye West – Who Is He? (A Biography)

Origin: Atlanta, GA

Decades: 1990′s and 2000′s

In the span of a few years, from 2001 to 2004, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z Continue reading →

Mariah Carey – Who Is She? (A Biography)

Origin: Hunington, Long Island, NY

Decades: 1990′s and 2000′s

The best-selling female performer of the 1990s, Mariah Carey rose to superstardom on the strength of her stunning five-octave voice; an elastic talent who Continue reading →