Athletes Turned Rappers.

There have been many athletes who have taken a little break from sports to pursue a rap carrer.

William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs and France's national team.

The son of a professional basketball player, Parker played for two years in the French basketball league before entering the 2001 NBA Draft. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 28th overall pick in the draft and quickly became their starting point guard, helping the Spurs win three NBA Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Employing his pace and high field goal percentage to great effect, Parker has been selected as an NBA All-Star three times, an All-NBA Third Team member once, and was the 2007 NBA Finals MVP.





Kobe, and Lebron have also hopped on a few beats.
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a sophomore at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School. At just 18, he was selected with the number one pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers and signed a US$90 million shoe contract with Nike before his professional debut. Listed as a small forward, James has set numerous youngest player records since joining the league. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003–04, NBA Most Valuable Player in 2008–09, and has been both All-NBA and an All-Star every season since 2005. James has led the team to consecutive playoff appearances from 2006 through 2009. In 2007, the Cavaliers advanced to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. James has been a member of the USA national team, winning a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and gold at the 2008 Olympics.


Kobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant and then-teammate Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002. After O'Neal's departure following the 2003–04 season, Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers franchise. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. In 2006, Bryant scored a career high 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second highest number of points scored in a single game in NBA history, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point performance.Bryant was awarded the regular season's MVP in the 2007–08 season and led his team to the 2008 NBA Finals as the first seed in the Western Conference. He won his fourth NBA championship in 2009, leading the Lakers to their fifteenth title. He also won his first Finals MVP award. In 2008, he won a gold medal as a member of the 2008 Summer Olympics U.S. Men's Basketball Team, occasionally referred to as "The Redeem Team," a play on the name of the first Olympic team that featured NBA players, the Dream Team. Since his second year in the league, Bryant has started in every NBA All-Star Game that has been hosted, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2002, 2007, and 2009. In 2009 Bryant had the top-selling jersey in the United States, Europe, and China. Although known by several names throughout his career, Bryant's current nickname is Black Mamba. After having been represented by Arn Tellem, Bryant is now represented by Rob Pelinka. In 2010, Bryant became the all-time leading scorer in Lakers history.

Autotune

Auto-Tune is an audio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise off-key inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed singers to perform perfectly tuned vocal tracks without the need of singing in tune. While its main purpose is to slightly bend sung pitches to the nearest true semitone (to the exact pitch of the nearest tone in traditional equal temperament), Auto-Tune can be used as an effect to distort the human voice when pitch is raised or lowered significantly.

Auto-Tune is available as a plug-in for professional audio multi-tracking suites used in a studio setting, and as a stand-alone, rack-mounted unit for live performance processing. Auto-Tune has become standard equipment in professional recording studios.


Auto-Tune was initially created by Andy Hildebrand, an engineer working for Exxon. Hildebrand developed methods for interpreting seismic data, and subsequently realized that the technology could be used to detect, analyze, and modify pitch. Country stars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have both confessed to using Auto-Tune in performance, claiming it is a safety net that guarantees a good performance. Sara Evans, John Michael Montgomery and Gary LeVox of the group Rascal Flatts also rely on Auto-Tune to compensate for pitch problems. At the 51st Grammy Awards in early 2009, the band Death Cab for Cutie made an appearance wearing blue ribbons to protest the use of Auto-Tune in the music industry. Later that spring, Jay-Z titled the lead single of his album The Blueprint 3 "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)". Jay-Z elaborated that he wrote the song under the personal belief that far too many people had jumped on the Auto-Tune bandwagon and that the trend had become a gimmick. Many other artists like Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, And Snoop Dogg have clearly used it. Kanye West's album "808's and Heartbreak" was mostly done in autotune.

History of Hip-Hop/Rap

Hip-Hop was created by DJ Kool Herc. It is defined by key elements such as rapping, DJing, sampling, scratching and beatboxing. Hip hop began in the South Bronx in the 1970s. Rapping, also called MCing, is a vocal style where the artist speaks lyrically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats, almost always in 4/4 time signature, can be created by looping portions of other songs, usually by a DJ, or sampled from portions of other songs by a producer. Modern beats incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands. Rappers can write, memorize, or freestyle their lyrics and perform their works with or without a beat.


Clive Campbell, also known as Kool Herc, DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Herc, is a Jamaican-born DJ who is credited with originating hip hop music, in the Bronx, New York City. His playing of hard funk records of the sort typified by James Brown was an alternative both to the violent gang culture of the Bronx and to the nascent popularity of disco in the 1970s. In response to the reactions of his dancers, Campbell began to isolate the instrumental portion of the record which emphasized the drum beat—the break—and switch from one break to another to yet another. Using the two turntable set-up of the disco DJs, Campbell's style led to the use of two copies of the same record to elongate the break. This breakbeat DJing, using hard funk, rock, and records with Latin percussion, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbell's announcements to dancers helped lead to the rhymed spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He called his dancers "break-boys" and "break-girls", or simply b-boys and b-girls. Campbell's DJ style was quickly taken up by figures such as Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. Unlike them, he never made the move into commercially recorded hip hop in its earliest years.

DJ Kool Herc



Breakdancing

The "b-boys" and "b-girls" were the dancers to Herc's breaks, who were said by him to be "breaking". The obvious connection is to the breakbeat, but Herc has noted that "breaking" was also street slang of the time meaning "getting excited", "acting energetically" or "causing a disturbance". Herc's terms "b-boy", "b-girl" and "breaking" became part of the lexicon of hip hop culture even before that culture itself had a name. B-boying , commonly referred to as breakdancing, is a style of dance that was created, and developed as part of hip-hop culture among African Americans, and later on Latino American youths in New York City. Breaking includes four primary moves: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes/suicides. It is danced to both hip-hop and other genres of music that are often remixed to prolong the musical breaks. The musical selection for breaking is not restricted to hip-hop music, as long as the tempo and beat pattern conditions are met. One who practices this style of dance is called a b-boy, b-girl, or breaker. These dancers often participate in battles, formal or informal dance competitions between two individuals or two crews. Although "breakdance" is a common term, "b-boying" and "breaking" are preferred by the majority of the art form’s pioneers and most notable practitioners.



Hip-Hop has evolved so much in its short history. There has been sub genres like Gangsta Rap, East Coast Rap, Alternative, and West Coast to name a few. Hip-Hop is growing so much it is universal.

Which Dance Craze Will Happen Next?

Dances in hip-hop have made people from all over the world go crazy! It began long ago and just became popular again not long ago. It all started with Kid N' Play.


Kid N' Play (Kid N' Play)


Kid N' Play is a hip-hop group from New York City. They were popular in the late 80's and early 90's. The members are Chris "Kid" Reid and Chris "Play" Martin. They also had a decent acting career such as the House Party franchise.

Soulja Boy (Crank That)


19 year old DeAndre Cortez Way, better known by his stage name Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, or Soulja Boy, is a rapper and record producer. In September of 2007, his single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The single was initially self-published on the Internet, and it became a number-one hit in the United States for seven non-consecutive weeks starting in September 2007. It makes him the youngest person (16 years, 10 months) to write, perform, and produce a number one song on the Hot 100, a title that was previously held by Deborah Gibson (17 years, 11 months) for almost 20 years. Soulja Boy was born in Chicago and moved to Atlanta at age six, where he became interested in rap music. At age 14, he moved to Batesville, Mississippi, with his father, who provided a recording studio for him to explore his musical ambitions. Way founded the record label "Stacks on Deck Entertainment" in 2004. While Way is signed under Interscope and Collipark Music, he claims that his label has distribution deals with Interscope, Universal Records, and Koch. Other artists on the roster include Arab, JBar, and the S.O.D. Money Gang which consists of the three rappers. Though it was originally reported that rapper White Tee was signed to the label, Way himself later confirmed it was a joke.

New Boyz(Jerkin')


New Boyz is a jerkin crew and hip-hop/rap group made up of rappers Earl "Ben J" Benjamin and Dominic "Legacy" Thomas from Hesperia, California. They first appeared in summer 2009 with their hit, "You're a Jerk", taken from their debut studio album Skinny Jeanz and a Mic, released in September 2009. The song peaked in the top thirty of the Billboard Hot 100, and it was the first song to bring the jerkin' style to the national forefront. A second single, "Tie Me Down" featuring Ray J, was also successful and peaked in the top thirty. I didn't even know what jerkin' was until i heard Your a Jerk. Ben J and Legacy met as freshmen at Hesperia High School. With Earl being "Ben J" and Dominic being "Legacy", they began performing together as the Swagger Boyz on July 4, 2008 and created a MySpace page to promote their self-published single "Colorz".



There has been so many new dances after Crank Dat Soulja Boy like Spider Man, Batman, Jackie Chan, Homeless Man, anything you can think of. But you haven't heard the last of dance crazes yet....




If you want to learn some dance moves of some types, click this link.-------> http://dance.about.com/od/stepsandmoves/Dance_Moves.htm

Females in Hip-Hop

Alot of females in the game have made hip-hop fresher and flyer. Here are some female rappers from the past and present.


Missy Elliott


Melissa Arnette Elliott's stage name is Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, is an American recording artist, producer, actress and former member of the R&B band Sista as well as the Swing Mob collective. With record sales of over seven million in the United States, she is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction. She was also on MTV Cribs.





Nicki Minaj


Nicki Minaj, is an American rapper and singer. Her birth name is Onika Tanya Miraj. Nicki Minaj began her career in 2004 singing background vocals and hooks for local rappers. She was discovered on MySpace by Dirty Money CEO Fendi, who signed her to that label In August 2009, Minaj signed to Young Money Entertainment with distribution from Universal Motown, who will release her debut studio album in 2010. She has done alot of collabs with popular artists and she is rising in fame herself.




Queen Latifah


Dana Elaine Owens better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress and singer. Queen Latifah's work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy Award nomination and an Academy Award nomination. She began her rapping career in 1989 and ended briefly in 2002. She focused more on her acting career after that. She started her singing career in 2003 and ended in 2007. She went back to hip-hip in 2008. She had alot of success in her acting career from a long time ago.

There are many other female rappers like MC Lyte, Lil Mama, and others. Thanks for reading this blog.

Fashion Icons in Hip-Hop/ Rap

There are some trend setting rappers that have style. I will talk about a few fashion designers that rap and wear their own stuff. The first rapper I will talk about is Pharrell Williams.

Pharrell


He is a recording artist, producer, musician and fashion designer. Along with Chad Hugo, they make the record production duo The Neptunes, where they produce pop, hip hop and R&B music. He is also the lead vocalist and drummer of rock band N.E.R.D, which he formed with Hugo and childhood friend Shay Haley. He is also the co-founder of the clothing brands Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Clothing.



Nigo


Tomoaki Nagao aka Nigo is a Japanese music producer, DJ and the creator of the urban clothing line A Bathing Ape, otherwise known as Bape. Nigo's venture into fashion started in a small store selling a few Bape t-shirts and camouflage print hoodies, which became very popular among the teen demographic. Nigo then released the Bapesta, which is a sneaker. The Bapesta logo on the side of the shoe resembles the Nike swoosh but has a lightning zap and a star instead. The clothing line is considered by many to be difficult to acquire, considering the fact that the only stores in the United States are in New York and Los Angeles. Along with Pharrell Williams, Nigo is also responsible for helping produce the Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream Footwear brands.




Andre 3000


André Benjamin aka Andre 3000 is a rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and actor, best known for his work in the group OutKast. He launched the "Benjamin Bixby" clothing line in spring of 2008, inspired by college football circa 1935.


Russell Simmons

Russell Wendell Simmons is an entrepreneur, the co-founder, with Rick Rubin, of the pioneering hip-hop label Def Jam, and creator of the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm.

Diddy


Sean John Combs aka Diddy, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Puffy,and Sean John currently known by his stage name Diddy, is an record producer, rapper, actor, men's fashion designer, entrepreneur and dancer. He won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. His business interests under the umbrella of Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide include Bad Boy Records; the clothing lines Sean John; Sean by Sean Combs, a movie production company; and two restaurants. He has taken the roles of recording executive, performer, producer of MTV's Making the Band, writer, arranger, clothing designer, and Broadway actor. Combs' net worth was estimated at US $346 million in 2006.


Jay-Z


Shawn Corey Carter, better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is a rapper and businessman. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America having had a net worth of over $500 million in 2009. He has sold 40 million albums worldwide while receiving ten Grammy Awards for his musical work.He is the founder of the urban clothing brand Rocawear along with Damon Dash. Rocawear has clothing lines and accessories for men, women and children. The line was taken over by Jay-Z in early 2006 following a falling out with co-founder Damon Dash. In March 2007, Jay-Z sold the rights to the Rocawear brand to Iconix Brand Group, for $204 million. Jay-Z will retain his stake in the company and will continue to oversee the marketing, licensing and product development.

Battle Rap

Battle Rapping is is a type of rapping that includes a lot of bragging, disses, insults, put-downs of real or imaginary opponents. Battles are mostly freestyled in live battles in front of people. They perform on the same stage and find out who has the better verses. Battling is generally believed to have originated in the East Coast hip hop scene in the late 1970s. It has become famous in the 21st century. It has been featured on 8 Mile and 106 & Park Freestyle Friday.


Eminem Battling:









There are alot of battle rappers and rappers that battle. One present rap battler is Jonathan Park aka Dumbfoundead. He is from L.A. and he is known for doing Westcoast Grindtime Battles and Jumpoff's 2007 World Rap Championships. He is a member of the hip-hip group Thirsty Fish and the L.A. battle crew the Swim Team. Another battle rapper is Jin Au-Yeung aka [MC]Jin. He is from Miami. His big break was in BET's 106 & Park Freestyle Friday doing battles. The last battle rapper I will discuss is Germaine Williams aka Canibus. He rose to fame in the early nineties. He is from Kingston, Jamaica. He has beef with Eminem and LL Cool J. He was in the army for a while but got discharged.

Top 5 Rookies.

Number 5. Wale



Olubowale Folarin aka Wale is a hip-hop artist from Washington D.C. In 2008, he signed to Interscope Records, and his first album, Attension Deficit, was released in 2009. The first song I recognized was Nike Boots, from 2007. He gained alot of his fame from the song, Chillin', featuring Lady Gaga. Then came Pretty Girls featuring Gucci Mane and Weensey. His style of hip-hop is hip-hop and go-go which was originated in D.C..





Number 4.B.o.B.

Bobby Ray Simmons aka B.o.b. is a rap artist from Atlanta. He is signed to Grand Hustle, Atlantic, and Rebel Rock Records. He has made many mixtapes from 2007-2010. His first studio album, B.o.b. presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray. B.o.b.'s first single, I'll Be In The Sky, was released in 2008. His hit song Nothin' On You featuring Bruno Mars was a big success reaching number two on Billboard Hot 100.



Number 3. Asher Roth

Asher Roth is a rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. He is signed to Schoolboy Music, SRC, and Universal Records. His first studio album, Asleep In The Bread Aisle, was released April 20, 2009. His first hit, I Love College, lead him to the mainstream status. He was nominated for best new artist and best hip-hop video in the MTV Video Music Awards.


Number 2. Kid Cudi

Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi aka Kid Cudi is a rapper from Cleveland. He is signed to Dream On, GOOD Music, and Universal Motown Records. His first mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi, was released in 2008. His first studio album, Man On The Moon: End of Day, was released in 2009. He has won two awards for his hit song, Day n' Nite. He began his acting carrer with his character Domingo Brown on the HBO comedy series, How To Make It In America.


Number 1. Drake

Aubrey Drake Graham aka Drake is a rapper/actor from Toronto. He is signed to Universal Records and Young Money Entertainment. He started off as an actor playing Jimmy Brooks on the TV show, Degrassi: The Next Generation. After his carrer in acting, he became a rapper and signed with Lil Wayne's label, Young Money. He and and Young Money won track of the year on BET's hip-hop awards for Every Girl and he got Rookie of The Year in 2009.