USHER

"With every album, I try to better myself. I'm a perfectionist and with the success of my last record, I wasn't sure about where my growth should be - as a performer, as a vocalist. I always felt like I held something back on my albums - on every album, I was playing a 'role'. This time, I decided to shake my fears and allow my personality to come through. I've really 'lived' this album: I'm in a healthy place right now. I'm 25-years old and I'm dealing with my responsibilities as a man and I'm not afraid to speak, to be realistic and talk about the issues men deal with [in relationships]."

International superstar Usher is speaking about CONFESSIONS, his fourth album following global multi-platinum sales for 2001's 8701 set – an album which launched his career to superstar status, a true crossover success. CONFESSIONS debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album charts, setting an astonishing seven Soundscan sales records and selling 1.1 Million albums the first week. Usher explains "because I'm telling on myself. If you loved the last record, you'll definitely love this one. I think it's innovative. Life imitates art and I think this is my best work yet. It's a complete picture musically - I feel like when people listen to this record, it's like listening to an audio movie..." Worldwide, Usher has sold twenty-four million albums, both domestically and internationally.

Demonstrating a new level of vocal and creative maturity, CONFESSIONS features several songs co-written by Usher. Fred Bronson of Billboard Magazine adds that Usher is in "extremely rare territory" being the first solo artist to land three hits inside the top 10 in the same week, matching The Beatles in 1964 and The BeeGees in 1978. Those three hits being "Burn" at #1 on the Hot 100 for 2 consecutive weeks, "Yeah" featuring Lil'Jon & Ludacris at #4 (previously spent 12 weeks at #1) and newest single "Confessions II" at #8. Even beyond those singles, lies examples of the lyrical honesty that the multi-talented entertainer brings to his latest work abound. There's "Truth Hurts" (produced and co-written by super hit makers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis) which Usher reveals "is a very personal song. Some men don't have the guts to say what they feel but I'm not that kind of guy - I have to fess up! Basically, the song is the story of a man who knows he's done wrong but he's accusing his woman, figuring that by confronting her for whatever she's done, he can cover up what he's been doing. You know, like the accuser is really the one who should be the accused! But if you have a conscience, it's gonna get you and the truth is going to come out anyway ... "

"Superstar," co-written by Usher and produced by Vidal & Dre has an imaginative lyric, referencing Usher's many female fans worldwide. "It's got lines like, 'you are my superstar, I am your Number One1 fan, I'll be your groupie, baby, give me your autograph, I'll sign it right here on my heart!' I think it's a brilliantly-written song," says Usher, "and honestly, I think it's one of the best vocal performances on this album. I definitely wanted to show my growth vocally and you can hear it on tracks like this one ... "

Co-written with Brian Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri, who also produced the song, Usher's "Burn" is a beautiful slow jam that the multi-talented artist considers "a signature Usher track. After doing this many albums, there's a sound people know me for and you can hear that on ‘Burn.' It's a real 'heartbreak' kind of song in which you know a relationship is falling apart, you know you want to just be friends but it's rough. Every time you talk to her on the phone, you get this feeling in the pit of your stomach, like an ache. There's that feeling of loneliness - it's over and you can't get it back." While he won't say whether the song reflects a specific experience he's been through, he confesses that "Follow Me" (another Vidal & Dre production) is based on real life. "A lot of women see me and they think that my life is just all about videos and shows and making records. But there's more to my life than that and this song is about a woman who treats me like a for-real, regular guy ... "

No Usher album would be complete without at least one or two all-out party songs and "Yeah!" (featuring Ludacris) fits the bill. Produced by Li'l Jon, the track is the first single from CONFESSIONS and is already a bonafide 2004 smash! Notorious for turning out non-stop hits, such as Grammy-winning "U Remind Me," "U Got It Bad" (a single that reached a record-breaking 149 million in audience first week) and "U Don't Have To Call" (a second 2002 Grammy winner), Usher ensures his place as one of today's most successful recording artists with numerous prime cuts from his last four albums. On CONFESSIONS, likely stand-out tracks for instant reaction from Usher's many fans include "Simple Things," another tune produced by and co-written with Jam & Lewis, and two tracks, "Can You Handle It" and "Do It To Me," which leave little to the imagination!

Usher smiles when talking about "Can You Handle It," a tailor-made steamy slow jam: "I heard (producer-turned-artist) Robin Thicke's album and I thought it was pretty profound. I reached out to him and he was very excited about us working together although we didn't know where to start. He played me this song and it had like a double meaning. Yeah, it's very sexual but you could say that it's also about asking a girl if she can handle what you're about to say ... It's the kind of song you put on ... when the time is right! And yes, it could describe some real situations I've been in!"

Produced by Jermaine Dupri, the ballad "Do It To Me" is equally suggestive: "I call that my tribute to Prince because I have always been inspired by his greatness as an artist. The lyrics tell the story from a woman's perspective but it has some double and triple meanings!" Usher laughs. "Sure, it's suggestive but it's real. We both know what's on each other's minds. She wants me and I want her too ... and we're imagining how it's gonna be ... "

Whether he's being playful on tracks like "Yeah!" or serious on the album's title cut, "CONFESSIONS" (a song also co-written with Brian Michael Cox and Jermaine Dupri), Usher has every reason to be confident that the album will follow its predecessors into the upper reaches of the charts the world over. Considering where he's at this juncture, he says, "The mission in my career before now was to 'get' to the party! Now I feel I'm at the party!"

The Usher "party" really began after he and mother and manager Jonnetta Patton moved to Atlanta in 1993 when, at the age of 13, Usher was performing at a local "Star Search" competition. An A&R rep approached him from the Atlanta-based LaFace Records and after an audition with then-LaFace Records label chief Antonio "L.A." Reid, Usher landed his first record deal with the label. Prior to that, the Chattanooga, Tennessee native had been honing his natural talent singing at the St. Elmo's Missionary Baptist Church choir where mom Jonnetta served as choir director. Usher cherished singing so much that eventually he decided to turn his beloved hobby into a career: "I have been building my career since I was a little boy because singing had always been what I wanted to do. At first I thought about playing [professional] football, then I wanted to play basketball, but in the end it was all about the music. It's my biggest passion and my biggest joy."

After signing him to LaFace, Reid commissioned music midas Sean "P. Diddy" Combs to produce Usher's self-titled debut, which was released less than 12 months later. The ambitious project, which spawned the synth-heavy club single "Think of You," written by Arista label mate Donell Jones, provided the youngster with his first Top 10 hit. Teaming up next with hip-hop hit maker Jermaine Dupri and veterans Teddy Riley and Babyface in 1997 to produce his sophomore album, the seven-times platinum My Way, Usher converted a whole new legion of fans with chart-topping monsters like the saucy "You Make Me Wanna" and the romantic groove "Nice & Slow."

After releasing Usher Live in 1999, a compilation of hits and music medleys that he'd performed on the road, the singer, armed with an arsenal of producers, including Philly newcomer Edmund "Eddie Hustle" Clement and Mike City, as well Dupri, The Neptunes, and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, dropped 8701 on August 7, 2001. Quickly heralded by critics as Usher's most definitive work to date, the project not only earned him his first Grammy win but it also helped to cement his role as one of the world's most multi-faceted ambassadors of groove.

Blasting into the new millennium with the eight-times platinum album, Usher hit the top of Billboard's pop charts with the party groove "U Remind Me" (for which he earned a Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance), and the confessional "U Got It Bad." Having already achieved more in his 25 years than most artists accomplish in a lifetime, the Atlanta-bred singer, songwriter, actor and producer has acquired a bevy of awards over the span of his career, including 2 Grammy Awards, 3 Soul Train Music Awards, a BET Award, a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award, 2 Teen Choice Awards, 3 Billboard Music Awards, 3 R&B Hip Hop Conference Awards, 3 ASCAP Awards, a Blockbuster Music Award, not to mention countless other international awards from several countries.

Performing in front of sold-out crowds at the world-renowned Madison Square Garden in New York City to the prestigious Wembley Arena in London, Usher has toured Nigeria, South Africa, Australia and Europe. He has consistently shown that his triple-threat entertainer status is not a fluke. Aside from his four gold and multi-platinum albums, Usher is a dynamic dancer who's shuffled alongside Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson in their respective high-rated television specials—Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary Special and Janet Jackson's "MTV ICON." In addition, Usher is a blossoming actor who has appeared in such films as Light It Up, The Faculty, She's All That, Disney's Geppetto and Texas Rangers. He's appeared in star roles on network television shows like American Dreams, Twlight Zone, The Bold and the Beautiful, Moesha, and Seventh Heaven.

With a career that keeps taking him to new heights of achievement and accomplishment, Usher remains - in his own words - "the master of the moment. I feel like I'm in the prime of my life, physically, emotionally, spiritually - and musically. And, knowing there is still love for me in the marketplace, that gives me energy." There is love indeed for Usher and his music the world over and that's one 'confession' he can make without a doubt. He is The Ultimate Entertainer "Usher."

JAY Z

AT millennium's end, the hottest rapper in pop music is Jay-Z. Since the release of his quadruple-platinum Vol. II … Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z has had an incredible string of urban radio hits: "Can I Get a …," "Hard Knock Life," "Jigga What, Jigga Who," "Money, Cash" … the list goes on and on. And unlike many of today's most popular rap artists, he built an extensive catalog of hits before making his mark on the charts and enjoys underground respectability as well as mainstream acceptance.

Longtime rap fans may remember Jay-Z as an associate of the Jaz, who had a minor hit in 1988 with "Hawaiian Sophie." Before that, he was Shawn Carter, a young man from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. Though Carter was a promising student, his wild behavior led him to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, where he met future stars Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) and Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes).

As a young MC, Jay-Z appeared on several underground mix tapes, and his work with the Jaz appeared promising. But with bills to pay, Jay-Z increasingly found himself mired in the criminal underworld, a life he had known since the age of 16. It wasn't until 1992 that he found the courage to leave the life of a drug dealer behind him.

After his retirement from crime, Jay-Z began to look for a record deal as a solo artist, but only had a guest appearance on long-forgotten rap group Original Flavor's 1993 single "Can I Get Open" to show for his efforts. It wasn't until a friend, Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash, convinced him to form a record company with him that Jay-Z's career finally got off the ground. Jay-Z released his first single through Roc-A-Fella in 1995, "In My Lifetime." It proved to be a hit in New York's fickle hip-hop scene, and helped Dash and Jay-Z secure a distribution deal for Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt.

Though it wasn't a huge seller, Reasonable Doubt confirmed Jay-Z's status as one of the most promising lyricists in years, a rapper who vividly portrayed the highs and lows of being a black gangster. It yielded two hits, "Can't Knock the Hustle" (with Mary J. Blige), and "Feelin' It." More importantly, it earned the admiration of veteran rap stars as varied as Ice Cube and the Notorious B.I.G., who joined Jay-Z on "Brooklyn's Finest," a vicious response to 2Pac's "Hit 'Em Up" single. A third hit, "Ain't No N****" (with Foxy Brown) found its way onto The Nutty Professor soundtrack.

The next year, Jay-Z and Dash negotiated a new distribution deal with Def Jam Records for Roc-A-Fella. The ascendant rapper had promised that Reasonable Doubt would be his only album, but he followed it up in 1997 with In My Lifetime, Vol. 1, a somber effort partly influenced by the murder of the Notorious B.I.G. Despite mixed reviews, the album entered the charts at No. 3, went platinum, and spawned two singles, "The City Is Mine" and "Sunshine" (with Babyface and Foxy Brown).

"I think 85 percent of it is solid," Jay-Z told Vibe magazine. "And that 85 percent was better than everybody else's album at the time."

That winter, Jay-Z was one of several opening acts on Puff Daddy's 1997 "No Way Out" tour. But conflicts with the tour's promoters led him to abandon ship soon after it began; instead, he decided to focus his energy on the fledgling Roc-A-Fella label and a straight-to-video film, Streets Is Watching. A short film about a group of hustlers in Brooklyn, Streets also served as a showcase for Roc-A-Fella artists like rapper Memphis Bleek, R&B duo Christion, and mix-tape star DJ Clue.

In the spring, Jay-Z and his growing stable of artists mounted a nationwide tour. Growing commercial and critical acclaim, coupled with the mainstream acceptance of hardcore rappers like DMX and Master P, made the summer of 1998 an excellent time for Jay-Z to achieve crossover success. The buzz began with a guest appearance on Jermaine Dupri's hit single "Money Ain't a Thing." Then, with help from former Cash Money Click member Ja Rule and Amil from Major Coinz, Jay-Z released the bouncy, upbeat "Can I Get a …" which went platinum-plus and made Jay-Z a major star. (It eventually appeared on the Rush Hour soundtrack.) And in the fall, he released his third LP, Vol. II … Hard Knock Life. It opened at the top of the Billboard charts and stayed there for five weeks.

"This whole thing, me reaching the zenith of my fame on my third album, it seems backward to other people, but this is how it's always been," Jay-Z reflected in Vibe. "People are looking for the sensational, and I'm just not that [person]." Despite his modesty, Jay-Z's Hard Knock Life dominated the winter charts, spawning several singles — the aforementioned "Can I Get a …" the platinum-selling title track, "Jigga What, Jigga Who," and "Money, Cash, Hoes." His vocals also graced other hit albums of the season such as DJ Clue's The Professional ("Gangsta S---"), Foxy Brown's Chyna Doll ("Bonnie and Clyde Pt. II"), and Timbaland's My Bio ("Lobster and Scrimp").

In 1999, Jay-Z joined his fellow Def Jam cohorts DMX, Method Man, Redman, and DJ Clue on the "Hard Knock Life" tour. He also drew some attention for threatening a boycott of the 1999 Grammy Awards (he was nominated for three). "I am boycotting the Grammy Awards because too many major rap artists continue to be overlooked," he told the Associated Press. Despite the comments, Jay-Z did accept his Grammy for Best Rap Album. Throughout the year, Jay-Z has continued to make news, whether donating the proceeds from a Denver performance to the families involved in the Columbine, Colo., tragedy; making guest appearances on several of the year's top rap hits (Ja Rule, Memphis Bleek, Ruff Ryders); or launching a fashion line, Rocawear.

The latter half of the year is shaping up to be a busy one for the former Mr. Carter. He sings the lead track "Girl's Best Friend" on the Blue Streak soundtrack (a film starring Martin Lawrence, who makes a cameo appearance in the song's video). Fans can also catch him on new releases by Puff Daddy and Mariah Carey. In September he's in the running for three MTV Video Awards — Best Rap Video, Viewer's Choice, and Best Video From a Film. Finally, the follow-up to Hard Knock Life, with the working title of Vol. III, is scheduled for a December release.

SEAN PAUL

Ever since his impressive single debut "Baby Girl" in the spring of 1996 for producer Jeremy Harding on the 2 Hard Records label, Sean Paul has captured the eyes and ears of the Dancehall community as "...the one to watch". Born to a Portuguese-Jamaican father and a Chinese-Jamaican mother, Sean Paul Henriques grew up known to his friends as the "copper- color Chiney bwoy...", excelling in sports in his teen years. Sean played water polo for the Jamaica National team as well as representing his country in swimming in the 1989 and 1991 Carifta Games. However his love for the arts was fostered at an earlier age by his mother, a well noted Jamaican painter. "When I was 13 years old , my mother got me this little thirty dollar keyboard. I remember thinking that this was all I needed to make dancehall riddims!" Nonetheless, it wasn't until 1993 that the then aspiring dancehall DJ from St. Andrew got his introduction to the music business through musicians Carrot Jarret, Cat Coore and Bunny Rugs from Third World, as well as producers Rupert Bent and Paul Castick.

"I am very grateful to those musicians for giving me my first exposure to the business. But I wasn't really feeling the direction they were going in. Dancehall was really the right avenue for me to express myself, to get people to hear me out about how I saw the world". With a style and voice reminiscent of the great Super Cat, the 26 year old DJ also credits Major Worries, Shabba Ranks, Lt. Stitchie and Papa San as heavy musical influences. After a string of hits such as "Infiltrate" and "Hackle Mi" for producer Jeremy Harding , "Nah get no Bly (One More Try)" for producer Donavon Germain, and "Deport Them" and "Excite Me" for producer Tony Kelly, Sean Paul is currently enjoying the success of "Hot Gal Today" with Mr. Vegas on producers Steely and Clevie's "Streetsweeper" riddim. Sean also appears on the cut "Here Comes the Boom" with Mr.Vegas and rap artiste DMX on the soundtrack to video director Hype Williams' debut film "Belly" on Def Jam Records.

With his debut album for VP Records on the way this fall, Sean Paul says despite his achievements, he still feels like a rookie. "I'm still working on my career, still trying to learn from other artistes and develop my skills and my style. The world still hasn't seen the best of Sean Paul." The DJ has appeared on most of the major music festivals including Sting, Reggae Sunsplash, Reggae Sumfest and Reggae SuperJam, as well as showcases in Great Britain , the Caribbean, and numerous US club and arena venues. Sean has also started his own record label, Bassline Records, to sharpen his production chops and make a greater impact on the reggae industry.

"Not enough time is put into the full production of Dancehall. The talent is there, but we have to look at the rest of the world as a marketplace as well, not just Jamaica. People should stop just trying to make a quick buck and develop the music. Then reggae can move forward again." Sean Paul standing tall...

METALLICA

FORMED: 1981, Los Angeles, CA

The most consistently innovative metal band of the late 80s and 90s was formed in 1981 in California, USA, by Lars Ulrich (b. 26 December 1963, Copenhagen, Denmark; drums) and James Alan Hetfield (b. 3 August 1963, USA; guitar/vocals) after each separately advertised for fellow musicians in the classified section of American publication The Recycler. They recorded their first demo, No Life Til' Leather, with Lloyd Grand (guitar), who was replaced in January 1982 by David Mustaine (b. 13 September 1961, La Mesa, California, USA), whose relationship with Ulrich and Hetfield proved unsatisfactory. Jef Warner (guitar) and Ron McGovney (bass) each had a brief tenure with the band.

At the end of 1982 Clifford Lee Burton (b. 10 February 1962, USA, d. 27 September 1986; bass, ex-Trauma) joined the band, playing his first live performance on 5 March 1983. Mustaine departed to form Megadeth and was replaced by Kirk Hammett (b. 18 November 1962, San Francisco, California, USA; guitar). Hammett, who came to the attention of Ulrich and Hetfield while playing with rock band Exodus, played his first concert with Metallica on 16 April 1983. The Ulrich, Hetfield, Burton and Hammett combination endured until disaster struck the band in the small hours of 27 September 1986, when Metallica's tour bus overturned in Sweden, killing Cliff Burton. During those four years, the band put thrash metal on the map with the aggression and exuberance of their debut, Kill 'Em All, the album sleeve of which bore the legend "Bang that head that doesn't bang".

This served as a template for a whole new breed of metal, though the originators themselves were quick to dispense with their own rule book. Touring with New Wave Of British Heavy Metal bands Raven and Venom followed, while Music For Nations signed them for European distribution. Although Ride The Lightning was not without distinction, notably on "For Whom The Bell Tolls', it was 1986's Master Of Puppets that offered further evidence of Metallica"s appetite for the epic. Their first album for Elektra Records in the USA (who had also re-released its predecessor), this was a taut, multi-faceted collection that both raged and lamented with equal conviction.

After the death of Burton, the band elected to continue, the remaining three members recruiting Jason Newsted (b. 4 March 1963; bass) of Flotsam And Jetsam. Newsted played his first concert with the band on 8 November 1986. The original partnership of Ulrich and Hetfield, however, remained responsible for Metallica's lyrics and musical direction. The new line-up's first recording together was The $5.98 EP - Garage Days Re-Revisited - a collection of cover versions including material from Budgie, Diamond Head, Killing Joke and the Misfits, which also served as a neat summation of the band's influences to date.

Sessions for ... And Justice For All initially began with Guns 'N' Roses producer Mike Clink at the helm. A long and densely constructed effort, this 1988 opus included an appropriately singular spectacular moment in "One" (a US Top 40/UK Top 20 single), while elsewhere the barrage of riffs somewhat obscured the usual Metallica artistry. The songs on 1991's US/UK chart- topper Metallica continued to deal with large themes - justice and retribution, insanity, war, religion and relationships. Compared to Kill "Em All nearly a decade previously, however, the band had grown from iconoclastic chaos to thoughtful harmony, hallmarked by sudden and unexpected changes of mood and tempo.

The MTV -friendly "Enter Sandman" broke the band on a stadium level and entered the US Top 20. The single also reached the UK Top 10, as did another album track, "Nothing Else Matters". Constant touring in the wake of the album ensued, along with a regular itinerary of awards ceremonies. There could surely be no more deserving recipients, Metallica having dragged mainstream metal, not so much kicking and screaming as whining and complaining, into a bright new dawn when artistic redundancy seemed inevitable. Metallica was certified as having sold nine million copies in the USA by June 1996, and one month later Load entered the US charts at number 1. The album marked a change in image for the band, who began to court the alternative rock audience.

The following year's Reload collected together more tracks recorded at the Load sessions, and featured 60s icon Marianne Faithfull on the first single to be released from the album, "The Memory Remains". Garage Inc. collected assorted cover versions, and broke the band's run of US number 1 albums when it debuted at number 2 in December 1998. The following year's S&M, recorded live with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, evoked the worst excesses of heavy rock icons Deep Purple. In January 2001, Jason Newsted announced he was leaving Metallica after almost fifteen years service with the band. During spring 2001 Metallica entered the studio again, although with no bassist, and began recording the new album which they hoped would be released by christmas that year or early 2002. However, in July 2001 James Hetfield announced that he was in re-hab for alcohol and 'other' addictions. The recording of the new album was put on hold until he recovered.
Robert Trujilo is the new bass player!

EMINEM

Marshall Bruce Mathers III was born in Kansas city, Missouri on October 17 1973 to his mother Debbie Briggs-Mathers and his father Marshall Bruce Mathers II. Debbie was only 15 when Marshall was born. Not long after Marshall was born, his father packed his bags and left the family, never to be seen again. This wasn’t the end of a tough run for Marshall and his family; it was only just the beginning. Marshall got moved around to different houses and because of this he attended many schools. His mom finally settled down in a house in Detroit. Marshall was only 12 years old. The maximum time he spent at the one school was 3 months. He got bullied at every school he attended and later got back at them by dissing them publicly in his songs.

Marshall did pretty well in school considering the circumstances until he got to year 9. He failed for the third year in a row and decided that he had had enough. School just wasn’t for him, so he left to work on what he was most passionate about: rapping. He had been lip-synching to hip hop songs ever since he was 4 and if he wasn’t a comic book shop owner he had this dream to be a rapper. He started getting a name for himself when he was 17, even though he got into the rap game when he was 14. He was using the initials from his first and last names to form his rap name “M & M” which later became “Eminem” because of his race, he got rejected by people all the time, even though he was a really talented rapper. Determined to prove everyone wrong, he forced himself to go on radio shows and participate in freestyle battles. In 1995, Marshall recorded his first album titled Infinite, which only sold about 1000 copies. That same year, his high school sweet heart, now wife, Kim, gave birth to his only child, a little girl named Hailie Jade Scott.

Having nothing to lose, flat broke and in desperate need for money to support Hailie and Kim, Marsh set out to rave about his life in general where he caught ear of hip hops hard to please underground. Out of this came the Slim Shady Ep named after his alter ego. Em, down to his lest dime, participated in the 1997 Rap Olympics in LA aiming to win the $1,500 cash prize he badly needed. He battled for an hour throwing back every diss he was thrown and managed to get into the grand final. Unfortunately for Em, he lost due to a slip up. Furious that he had lost, Marshall didn’t even notice that he had been spotted by a few producers from interscope records, who got hold of his demo, Infinite. Dre eventually tracked him down, and recorded em’s second album, The Slim Shady EP then followed by The Slim shady LP, recorded in 19. Then in May 2000, Eminem worked with Dre again to record em’s third album, The Marshall Mathers LP. It featured artists such as Dre, Snoop Dogg, X-Zibit, Nate Dogg, D-12 and the beautiful Dido, who sings the chorus for “Stan”. This album debuted at number 1 on the US albums chart, and won three Grammys and was the first rap album to ever be nominated “Album Of The Year”, selling more than 8 million records in America alone. He stunned critics by performing his #1 hit single “Stan” with Elton John, shooting down all homophobic remarks.

Marshals’ album sales were skyrocketing but things weren’t going well with his wife Kim. A month after the Marshall Mathers LP was released, Em was involved in a brawl outside a Detroit club, where he allegedly pistol-whipped a man for kissing Kim. In august that same year, Em filed for divorce. In April 2001, Marsh was sentenced to 2 years probation, stemming from the weapons charge. This same year, he reconciled with Kim for his daughter, Hailies’, sake, but it only lasted for a few months, this time it was Kim who filed for divorce, in August.

2002 was a big year for Marshall. He branched out into the world of acting, filming with esteemed director Curtis Hanson. 8 mile was produced. Based on em’s own life, he played lead role of a character very much like himself, Jimmy Smith Jr. Jimmy is nicknamed “Rabbit” by his mother, Stephanie, played by Ems’ wife Kim. While filming 8 mile, he was busy during scenes making up the songs “Lose Yourself” and “8 Mile”. “Lose Yourself” was named the underdog anthem of the year.

As well as his first movie 8 Mile, Em released his 4th album, The Eminem Show. He revealed the more mature, slightly subdued side of himself. The Eminem Show fired some of his usual attacks on the likes of lead singer of Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst and Moby as well as fresh attacks on Osama Bin Laden. This one album alone had many hits, including Without Me, Cleanin Out My Closet, Sayin Goodbye to Hollywood, Sing For The Moment, Superman, and Business. He even sings on the album-on a song made especially for his daughter Hailie, the only girl in his life for whom he has respect for.

In 2004 Eminem produced a new CD "Encore". It featured songs such as Just Lose It, Like Toy Soldiers, Encore, and even Mockingbird which hit #1 in MTV's top 20 for over 10 days!

During 2005 there was a rumor that Eminem was retiring but Marshall cleared that up very quickly!! He told everyone that he wuz just taking a break from the mic which led to his newest cd "Curtain Call" released in December of 2005. Curtain Call has all of Em's favorites and also features 2 new songs. "When I'm Gone" and "Shake That (feat. Nate Dogg). When I'm Gone is about Hailie and how things are in her point of view. Shake That is just another typical Eminem song in which we all fell in love with!!! Lets just hope that Eminem returns soon because I know i am going to miss him!!!!! Hurry Back!!!

BOYZONE

FORMED: November 1993

It wasn't the likeliest of pop history moments. If you had been there, you might have chuckled at the crotch-grabbing freestyle dancing and you might also have fancied them rotten. That's ok - you would have been right on both counts, but you would have been missing the main point, because the moment that Boyzone first danced their way on to the late, late show with Gay Byrne, pop history took a turn down a different leg of the trousers of time. Millions of records have been sold since, millions of fans have besieged gigs, millions of words have been written about them and millions of young fans will never be the same again.

If you feel that perchance liberties are being taken with the word 'millions' we beg to differ. Boyzone have sold more than 10 million albums since 1993. They have also completed sell out tours all over the world, had 5 number one records and they have found time to become husbands and fathers in between. That's a packed five years by any standards and deserves a few grandiosities.

This is a record (if you'll pardon the pun) of a growing-up process done in the public eye. Boy bands are no different from real boys in that they all grow up in the end. The only difference is that boy bands do their growing up in front of an audience, not in their bedrooms surrounded by smelly trainers and pots of spot cream. Boyzone have taken a lot of flack as well as fan mail and it hasn't been easy all the way. Pop bands need crocodile thick skin to survive, but the boys have done good. They're still here, they're going strong, they do things the way they want to and they don't mind if you don't want their record in your CD rack. So initially they may have been tarred with the same brush as a stew of anonymous boy bands but they've proved to be more durable than any of them. For the benefit of those of you who have been asleep for the last five years here comes the history bit…

The birth of Boyzone at the end of 1993 saw the Irish music mould well and truly broken. Following the huge success of U2 and the Cranberries, critics gave the five boys from Dublin little hope of ever leaving the Emerald Isle - let alone make it across the water. However, when their debut single 'Love Me For a Reason' crashed into the charts at no.2 in '94 it ensured that Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Mikey Graham became the most promising and exciting Irish export since well... Guinness. They won the Smash Hits award for best new act shortly afterwards but a betting man still would have given you even odds on them going the distance. It's a jungle out there, after all.

But, Boyzone's assault on the charts continued healthily with the singles 'Key To My Life and 'So Good' both of which went to no 3. Their acclaimed cover the of Cat Stevens classic 'Father & Son' proved even more popular, hitting the no.2 spot and showing no immediate inclination to move down. The pin finally dropped when Boyzone scored their first no.1 hit in December 1996 with 'Words' since then Boyzone have become the first act in chart history to reach the top 3 with their first 14 singles. Remember the days when records stayed in the charts for more than the blink of an eye? Stephen Gately does: 'There will always be people trying to knock you down but you just have to rise above that. Boyzone are Boyzone and we enjoy what we do'.

We all know the story from here onwards. While the press have been poring over the band's marriages, babies and the colour of their socks, Boyzone have been busy recording three number one albums. Their last long player 'Where We Belong' saw the boys increasing their share of the creative pie. Much of the album was written by the band and showcases their work with the likes of Ray Hedges, Steve Lipson (most noted for their sterling work with Annie Lennox) and Johnny Douglas who has worked with A11 Saints and George Michael. 'Where We Belong' topped the album chart on two separate occasions. Despite the huge increase in musical respect now afforded to the band, it wasn't until Ronan walked home with the ultra prestigious Ivor Novello award for 'Picture of You' (the lead song from the Mr Bean movie) that Boyzone were noted evolving and were taken seriously by their peers and steadily maturing, but loyal fans.

The very same fans also ensued that Boyzone ran home with the Record of the Year award for 'No Matter What' at the end of '98. From school to cool in a moment. Who says awards don't mean any thing? It has all meant a lot to Ronan: We are really proud of all our work, but especially the last album 'Where We Belong' it is slightly more 'grown-up' than our previous material. We have taken a step away from the boyband thing. We want to bring in an older audience without alienating the younger one'. Shane adds 'boybands usually flop after the first album, but Boyzone are still going strong after three. We never forget where we started from. Here's to the fourth'. So it's all change in the Boyzone camp. When you actually listen to the music, it's not too hard to hear why popular opinion has changed so massively.

For 5 years now Boyzone have been dominating the radio playlists, the TV and, most importantly, the charts. They have been the face and voice of Pepsi. They have 4 Irish music awards under their belts. Ronan has presented the MTV awards, Miss World, the Eurovision Song Contest and the BBC 1 talent show 'Get Your Act Together. Shane races Rally cars for Ford, beating British Rally car champion Alistair Mc rae in his first ever race! Stephen presented the 1998 Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, the Childline show and is currently working on the soundtrack for Watership Down.

Keith is turning down modelling offers from the likes of John Rocha and caused a stir at the '99 Brits by playing drinking games with buddy Robbie Williams, and Mikey has been seen kick boxing in an underground Irish film. Collectively, Boyzone have earned themselves fans including the all important Mr Bean and Israel's Miss World - not to mention Brian Kennedy and Bono who asked the band to appear in U2's 'Sweetest Thing' video, the Bee Gees, Pavarotti and David Bowie, who did a web-chat with Ronan. Pretty good for a band who have never taken their success for granted, aren't constantly surrounded by a fog of controversy and according to Mikey 'still go to the supermarket, sweep the floors and do the washing up'.

As if that little lot isn't enough to make the whole planet realise that Boyzone are in for the duration, they are also the first group from Ireland to have 5 number ones. A TFI Friday appearance (probably the ultimate barometer of late 90's cool) is particularly notable for Chris Evans' public apology to the boys for the past years of sarcastic taunts and put-downs. 'nuff said!

But the ultimate question every boyband must face is; 'can they cut it live?' the answer is yes - from Skegness to the Seychelles Boyzone have silenced critics the world over. Keith says: 'touring is the part that we enjoy best in this business. Looking back at all the tours we have done, the places we have been and the people we have met it is unbelievable how far we have come.'

'By Request' certainly proves how far Boyzone have come, and the album seems to be the perfect way to kick-start the second chapter of this band's shining career. So, as we head speedily towards the millennium, we can rely on Ronan, Stephen, Keith, Shane and Mikey's unique brand of perfect pop not to loose any of its fizz. And while your computer is struggling with its final floppy disk as the clock hits midnight you can rest assured that Boyzone's platinum discs will be occupying wall space well into the 21st century

LINKIN PARK

They're at it again! Chester, Mike and the rest of Linkin Park released another phenomenal album titled Meteora. Sophomore albums are famously tricky affairs. Musicians have their entire lives to pen their debut album, the theory goes, and a relatively short time to follow it up. But what if the debut in question is the biggest selling album in recent memory? And what if the music industry has Hollywood-like expectations for another instant blockbuster? That was the scenario Linkin Park faced when they entered the studio to record Meteora, the follow-up to their multi-platinum debut Hybrid Theory.

To those outside the band, the pressure to follow up that success might have seemed insurmountable. But within Linkin Park, vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, turntablist Joseph Hahn, drummer Rob Bourdon, and bassist Phoenix weren't sweating it in ways you might expect. Instead of dwelling on outside expectations, they set to work, meticulously crafting each moment of each song to their own exacting standards. The bigger picture developed accordingly.

"We don't ever want to have the mindset where we need to sell 10 million albums each time out. That's ridiculous," says Bennington. "It's a blessing to sell that many albums; it doesn't happen very often in this business--even once in your career is an achievement. Our obligation is to our fans. We're not going to get too comfortable and say it's a given that people will run out and buy our albums." "And if you know us, you know the biggest pressure came from within the band," says Shinoda.

"We just wanted to make another great album that we're proud of," says Bourdon. "We focused on that, and worked hard to create songs we love. We're our own harshest critics." If you doubt that, consider this: Shinoda and Bennington wrote 40 unique choruses for Meteora's poignant first single, "Somewhere I Belong," before arriving at the best possible version.

The entire band, in fact, sounds more fully realized on Meteora. It's a rare achievement: A full integration of six members that still retains the unique qualities of each individual. The end result is the thumbprint style known as Linkin Park. "We don't really analyze the chemistry," says Bourdon. "We're just lucky and grateful that we found each other and that we work so well together."

"The collaborations are more seamless now," agrees Bennington. "Mike, for instance, knows more about me as a person, and I know more about him, so it's easier to write lyrics together. It's not possible to have secrecy in our relationship. You have to open up, because you want the other person to be on the same page. We're all that way with each other."

IRON MADIEN

Formed in London, England, in 1976, Iron Maiden was from the start the brainchild of Steve Harris (b. 12 March 1957, Leytonstone, London, England; bass), formerly a member of pub rockers Smiler. Named after a medieval torture device, the music was suitably heavy and hard on the senses.

The heavy metal scene of the late 70s was widely regarded as stagnant, with only a handful of bands proving their ability to survive and produce music of quality. It was at this time that a new breed of young British bands began to emerge. This movement, which began to break cover in 1979 and 1980, was known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or N.W.O.B.*.M.. Iron Maiden were one of the foremost bands in the genre, and many would say its definitive example. Younger and meaner, the N.W.O.B.*.M. bands dealt in faster, more energetic heavy metal than any of their forefathers (punk being an obvious influence).

There were several line-up changes in the Iron Maiden ranks in the very early days, and come the release of their debut EP, the band featured Harris, Dave Murray (b. 23 December 1958, London, England; guitar), Paul Di'Anno (b. 17 May 1959, Chingford, London, England; vocals) and Doug Sampson (drums).

The band made its live debut at the Cart & Horses Pub in Stratford, east London, in 1977, before honing its sound on the local pub circuit over the ensuing two years. Unable to solicit a response from record companies, the band sent a three-track tape, featuring Iron Maiden, Prowler and Strange World, to Neal Kay, DJ at north London's hard rock disco, the Kingsbury Bandwagon Soundhouse. Kay's patronage of Iron Maiden won them an instant welcome, which prompted the release of The Soundhouse Tapes on the band's own label.

In November 1979 the band added second guitarist Tony Parsons to the line-up for two tracks on the Metal For Muthas compilation, but by the time the band embarked on sessions for their debut album, he had been replaced by Dennis Stratton (b. 9 November 1954, London, England), and Sampson by Clive Burr (b. 8 March 1957; drums, ex- Samson ). A promotional single, Running Free, reached number 34 on the UK charts and brought an appearance on BBC Television's Top Of The Pops. Refusing to mime, they became the first band since the Who in 1973 to play live on the show.

Iron Maiden was a roughly produced album, but reached number 4 in the UK album listings on the back of touring stints with Judas Priest and enduringly popular material such as Phantom Of The Opera . Killers boasted production superior to that of the first album, and saw Dennis Stratton replaced by guitarist Adrian Smith ( b. 27 February 1957).

In its wake, Iron Maiden became immensely popular among heavy metal fans, inspiring fanatical devotion, aided by blustering manager Rod Smallwood and apocalyptic mascot Eddie (the latter had been depicted on the cover of Sanctuary standing over Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decapitated body).

The release of Number Of The Beast was crucial to the development of the band. Without it, Iron Maiden might never have gone on to be such a force in the heavy metal arena. The album was a spectacular success, the sound of a band on the crest of a wave.

It was also the debut of former infantryman and new vocalist Bruce Dickinson (b. Paul Bruce Dickinson, 7 August 1958, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England), replacing Paul Di'Anno (who went on to front Dianno , Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone and Killers ). Formerly of Samson , history graduate Bruce Dickinson made his live debut with Maiden on 15 November 1981.

Singles such as Run To The Hills and The Number Of The Beast were big UK chart hits, Iron Maiden leaving behind their N.W.O.B.*.M. counterparts in terms of success, just as the movement itself was beginning to peter out.

Piece Of Mind continued their success and was a major hit in the UK (number 3) and USA (number 14). Clive Burr was replaced by Nicko McBrain on the sessions, formerly drummer with French metal band Trust , who had supported Maiden on their 1981 UK tour (he had also played in Streetwalkers ). Piece Of Mind was not dissimilar to the previous album, showcasing the strong twin-guitar bite of Murray and Smith, coupled with memorable vocal lines and a sound that perfectly suited their air-punching dynamic.

Single offerings, Flight Of Icarus and The Trooper , were instant hits, as the band undertook two massive tours, the four-month World Piece jaunt in 1983, and a World Slavery retinue, which included four sell-out dates at London's Hammersmith Odeon a year later.

With the arrival of Powerslave in November, some critics accused Iron Maiden of conforming to a self-imposed writing formula, and playing safe with tried and tested ideas. Certainly, there was no significant departure from the two previous albums, but it was nonetheless happily consumed by the band's core supporters, who also purchased in sufficient quantities to ensure UK chart hits for Aces High and Two Minutes To Midnight . Live After Death was a double-album package of all their best-loved material, recorded live on their gargantuan 11-month world tour.

By this time, Iron Maiden had secured themselves an unassailable position within the metal hierarchy, their vast popularity spanning all continents. Somewhere In Time was a slight departure: it featured more melody than previously, and heralded the use of guitar synthesizers. Their songwriting still shone through and the now obligatory hit singles were easily attained in the shape of Wasted Years and Stranger In A Strange Land . Reaching number 11 in the USA, this was another million-plus seller.

Since the mid-80s Maiden had been staging increasingly spectacular live shows, with elaborate lighting effects and stage sets. The Somewhere In Time tour (seven months) was no exception, ensuring their continued fame as a live band, which had been the basis for much of their success.

A period of comparative inactivity preceded the release of Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son , which was very much in the same vein as its predecessor. A concept album, it retained its commercial edge (giving the band their second UK number 1 album) and yielded hit singles in Can I Play With Madness , the surprisingly sensitive The Evil That Men Do and The Clairvoyant .

After another exhausting mammoth world trek, the band announced their intention to take a well-earned break of at least a year. Speculation abounded that this signalled the dissolution of the band, exacerbated by Bruce Dickinson 's solo project, Tattooed Millionaire , his book, The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace , and EMI Records ' policy of re-releasing Iron Maiden 's single catalogue in its entirety (on 12-inch).

After a considerable hiatus, news of the band surfaced again. Steve Harris felt that the direction pursued on the last two albums had been taken as far as possible, and a return to the style of old was planned. Unhappy with this game plan, Adrian Smith left to be replaced by Janick Gers ( b. Hartlepool, Lancashire, England), previously guitarist with White Spirit and Ian Gillan (he had also contributed to Bruce Dickinson 's solo release).

The live show was also scaled down in a return to much smaller venues. No Prayer For The Dying was indeed much more like mid-period Iron Maiden , and was predictably well-received, bringing enormous UK hit singles with Holy Smoke and Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter . The latter, previously released in 1989 on the soundtrack to A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 , had already been awarded the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Song that year. Nevertheless, it gave Iron Maiden their first ever UK number 1.

The obligatory world tour followed. Despite being denounced as Satanists in Chile, 1992 also saw the band debut at number 1 in the UK charts with Fear Of The Dark , which housed another major single success in Be Quick Or Be Dead (number 2). However, it was Bruce Dickinson 's swan-song with the band, who invited demo tapes from new vocalists following the lead singer's announcement that he would depart following current touring engagements.

His eventual replacement was Blaze Bayley (b. 1963, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) from Wolfsbane . His debut album was The X-Factor , and on this and at live gigs (which they only resumed in November 1995), he easily proved his worth. This was a daunting task, having had to learn Maiden 's whole catalogue and win over patriotic Dickinson followers. Adrian Smith resurfaced in a new band, Psycho Motel , in 1996.

MAROON 5

Sometimes Plan B can put Plan A to shame. Singer/guitarist Adam Levine, guitarist Jesse Carmichael, bass player Mickey Madden and drummer Ryan Dusick would second that emotion, seeing as how their first shot at the big time got them some rave notices, but not much else. Now, their second shot, in the form of neo-soul rock outfit Maroon 5, thanks to 2 songs, "Harder To Breathe" and "This Love", has the LA-based Maroon 5 looking like the Cinderella story for 2005.

Released as a single way back in the summer of 2002, seventeen months later "Harder To Breathe" hit #4 at top 40 radio. Over 500 live shows, including opening stints for John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Train, and Counting Crows, and now a consistent headline act in its own right, has helped to underscore a list of reasons why Maroon 5's debut CD, Songs About Jane, had already sold more than 3,000,000 records and gotten the guys on the Tonight Show twice, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly and the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The next single, "This Love" was #1 at top 40, VH1 and MTV, simultaneously! It was also the first song ever to be certified as a platinum download.

But perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves. What about Plan A?

Known as Kara's Flowers, Levine, Carmichael and Madden were the toast of their West LA high school (Dusick, who’d known Levine since they were nine and seven, respectively, had already graduated). Here they were, 17 years old and making a CD with legendary producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch). Life was grand.

This is where the good news ends. Following a disappointing run with their debut, The Fourth World, Kara's Flowers were granted their release from the label. Plan A had gone awry, leaving the quartet to consider their future. "We were like, Okay, what do we do now?" recalls Levine. "So we ran away to college to figure it out." Leaving Dusick and Madden behind to study at UCLA, Levine and Carmichael ran smack dab into Plan B in the dorms at the State University of New York.

"The halls would be blasting Gospel music and people would be listening to stuff that we’d never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The Aaliyah record had come out around then, and we were just blown away. When I think of songwriting, I think of The Beatles, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the stuff that I grew up on, but then I was like, 'I want to do this.' Stevie Wonder came into my life at that point," Levine mentions, "and I just found a knack for doing it."

"I started singing differently," he told VH1, "and Jesse started playing keyboards; that's what changed it." When the duo hooked back up with Madden and Dusick in LA they were summarily reinvigorated by adding an R&B, groove-based tint to their explosive rock & roll. With the new musical frame-of-mind came a new name, Maroon 5, and a fifth member: guitarist James Valentine. "James came along right as we were deciding on the name," says Levine. "We clearly weren't Kara's Flowers anymore, with the addition of James and an entirely new approach to music. Also, if you name a band when you're 15, by the time you're 23 you're probably not gonna like it very much."

Fortified with a new attitude, a new sound and a new name, Maroon 5 quickly attracted attention from labels. Octone Records, a new independent label based in New York (Octone is a marketing co-venture partner of J Records/RCA Music Group), signed the group, and in 2001 Maroon 5 entered the studio with producer Matt Wallace (The Replacements, Faith No More, Blues Traveler). "I was all about making a hardcore, straight-up, funk R&B record," Levine remembers. "I have to give the people at Octone credit because they were really trying to push us to do this. Matt Wallace also thought we had so much chemistry as a rock & roll band that it would be a shame to lose that element. We went back and recorded live drums over loops, and wound up making more of a rock record, which I think makes it stand out way better."

The resulting album, Songs About Jane, was released in June 2002. Funky rhythms and classic soul melodies co-habiting with searing guitars and a powerful rock bottom end. On top of it all, Levine's expressive voice belts out tale after tale of an ex-girlfriend. You can probably guess her name.

"Harder To Breathe"” a powerhouse guitar workout, is ironically not a song about Jane. "There was a lot of pressure to write," Levine offers. "I just want to make music when I feel like making music, and when I feel forced it’s kind of frustrating. Granted, I don't have much to complain about, but I thought that I was done with the album. It turned out to be for the best because it pissed me off so much I wrote 'This Love' and 'Harder To Breathe', which are the first two songs on the record."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN

Not long ago, accepted sonic belief held that rock music, certainly hard rock music, had been stretched, manipulated and tinkered with to its logical end. With no new forms looming, the genre would slip into malaise and the kids would look elsewhere for an outlet. Enter Los Angeles quartet System of a Down, who, over seven years and two albums have revived and revitalized heavy music with their manic brand of post-everything hardcore. Millions of records on, they charge into the new century as living proof that for those brave enough to snub convention, greatness follows.

“I think we're ahead of the game,” says guitarist/songwriter Daron Malakian. “I just feel like this band will be more respected ten years from now when people finally figure out what we’re really doing.”

Malakian, singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan, bonded quickly as friends but also shared Armenian ancestry and mutual disdain for perceived limitations. Their disparate tastes – Jaco Pastorious, Slayer, The Beatles, Faith No More, traditional Armenian folk music – assured from the onset that this would be a band less ordinary.

Malakian says,“We started this band to show people, ‘Look, not everything has been done before.’”

Tankian says, “Humans have been on the earth for millions of years, yet we don’t believe man began thinking until he started building walls. And what good have these walls ever done us?”

System’s 1998 self-titled debut, produced by bearded board whiz Rick Rubin (Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy), was an achievement in pastiche overdrive, a dark carnival of moods punctuated by breakneck tempo shifts and progressive structures. That year, radios rung to the visceral fury of “Sugar” and the spooky tension of “Spiders,” each a fiery baptism for listeners weaned on predictability and rote rhyme schemes.

Serj favors abstract, existential poetry, peppered with politics and personal religion. He says, “No one ultimately knows what they’re saying anyway. Are we really making art? Art doesn’t belong to us. It doesn’t belong to people, it belongs to the universe. It comes FROM the universe. It comes THROUGH us. When I write something, I think I know what I’m saying, but I never pretend to know the full meaning of the words.”

The singer’s quaking wails were the perfect compliment to Daron’s schizoid noodling, Shavo’s inventive lines and John’s potent jazz-cum-thrash rumble. Their first salvo found an instant cult and was heralded as a revolutionary diamond in the homogenous crush of Nü Metal…a label that clearly didn’t (and still doesn’t) fit this foursome.

John says, “I don’t think we sound like anybody else. I consider us System of a Down.”

Shavo says, “You can compare us to whoever you want. I don’t care. Comparisons and labels have no effect on this band. Fact is fact: We are who we are and they are who they are.”

Two years of hard touring followed (OzzFest et al) before the band re-immersed themselves in the studio in late 2000. With Rubin again at the helm, they set about crafting a sprawling blitzkrieg of sounds, one that invited an even wider array of influence and experimentation to the table. Melodies expanded. Riffage went mad. Structure and timing were eviscerated. Deeper lyrical levels were mined and the resulting gems were strewn onto thrashing anthems and careening frenzies of fuzz.

Rubin says, “They really set out to reinvent themselves, to be bigger and better than they were last time. I think they're very proud of their first album and all the touring they did. They wanted to grow from those experiences and expand. They really wanted to write lots and lots of songs and reach in all different directions.”

In August of 2001, System of a Down emerged with their second album, “Toxicity.” As critics scoured their thesauri for ample superlatives, radio and MTV heavily rotated the first single, a harmony-drenched slab of whiplash rock called “Chop Suey.” With the cult of System exploding nationwide, the foursome took to the road where manic throngs of Systemites old and new awaited.

In May of 2002, with the title track from Toxicity in heavy rotation and a third single, “Aerials” fast gaining steam, System accepted the coveted headlining slot on the annual OzzFest circus. The thinking man’s metal troupe aim to give Ozzy’s mobile headbangathon an intellectual facelift.

Shavo says, “It’s time for the bands these kids are listening to to deliver something deeper than just ‘let’s party.’”

Now one year after the triumph of “Toxicity,” System of a Down find themselves in an elite class of rock acts who’ve managed commercial hugeness with dignity in spades and nary a compromise on their resume. They’ve engendered a sound transcendent of trends or labels, a propulsive hybrid destined to flourish in any radio climate from here to forever. What sonic twists await us only they know, but we can rest assured knowing that their next offering, like those that have proceeded, will be born from a primal need to evade classification and emote loudly.

Daron says, “Everyone who knows me knows my music comes before anything. It comes before me. If someone said, "your music will live forever but you won't wake up tomorrow morning, I'd be like, 'Okay.' That's very fair to me.”

Thanks to Tim Hoogland for submitting the biography.




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Would you please submit the latest System of a Down biography to me? Thank You.




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Review about System of a Down

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AHHHHHHH!!!! | Reviewer: Emily
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down are amazing! I have all there albums and listen to them constantly. They are by far the best rock band out their, there music ranges from slow, harmonious songs like Lonely Day right to just plain crazy, loud songs like Darts. If you haven't listened to them do it NOW!


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my god... | Reviewer: Cheeser
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

These guys are consistantly amazing but my girlfriend finds them annoying. System Of A Down are head and shoulders above ANY other band going at the moment in my opinion. They are not your run of the mill nu-metal band. They are so much more, and further more, NO ONE sounds like System Of A Down.


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From Armenia With Love | Reviewer: fxzero
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

As a first time entrant, well sort of.. in the heavy metal music I went out and bought toxicity by System. I thought the songs they kept playing on the radio of em were preety sweet. Man was i blown away by what i had discovered. That CD is pure sweet honey... or gold on your preffecence. I enjoyed every single song and will now go out to buy more SOD albums. Every song has a unique theme and feel, it is all so revolutionary i hope System keeps going like the Beastie boys. Also, being half armenian and half russian i can say now that i am awesomely proud of my armenian side. Not that i was not before, now i just love it and so should you. System rules.


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SOAD are the bomb!! | Reviewer: Anonymous
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

SOADs album Toxicity is one of the best albums i have ever listened to in a while. I just started getting interested in them about 4 months ago, decided to buy it and havent stopped listening to it since. The first song Prison song is so true to talk about the American prison system, and title track toxicity is almost like a warning of what our world will come to if we dont fix the pollution etc. The Lyrics in Mr Jack "Little men, big guns, pointed at our heads", subtely remind me of George Bush. when i told my friends that i like SOAD, i was asked 'why do u like them? Their music is so angry!' to which i replied, no they arent. have u ever heard aerials? The lyrics in this song are so meaningful, how can they be angry?
I saw SOAD perfom at Big Day Out in Australia early this year. They were sooo good, I would definetly pay to go see them perform again. Im eagerly awaiting their next CD.


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SOAD's Got My Vote!! | Reviewer: DeadlyBeauty
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down is really a respectable, awesome group. With four extremely creative & witty minds, their writing is arguably some of the greatest work ever. I personally think that anyone who hates abuse of power should listen to their music. And people who love fun, fast rock can listen too. They're not just about politics, but they're not just about fun. They're perfect for an aspiring artist of any and all creativity to listen to.


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The ALMIGHTY gods!!! | Reviewer: system-freak
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

the reason why i love SOAD, is because they have always been political, and i agree with everything they say. The president is too much of a little bitch to go and help our troops in the war.


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System of a Down | Reviewer: NightWalkers ~|-itachi-|~
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down are a revolutionary band. The music they make is so different that everybody (and i mean everybody) has a favorite song. And it does not matter of they hate the actual band. This band still have great potential and they have already published 5 albums. They are great. Besides that, they are the ONLY band where i can say they have not published a bad album. That is something special. Yea, sure the new album are different but it is SOAD who made them. They are meant to be different. Personally i think Toxicity is the best album they have made (even though Bounce is there worst song). So i you are thinking about some SOAD, you should probaly go for this (also because it cost around 15 bucks) and if you like it (wich you probaly should) go for Hypnotize/Mezmerize.

All in all fantastic band with the sound of the new millenium. They will never die


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SYSTEM | Reviewer: Anonymous
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

SOAD toxicity is the best album made in 2004.The opening sont prison song is the best song to have started the album with.Every song in the album is mad and i hope the system makes a new album soon


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w00p | Reviewer: TOM!
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

these guys are very good and just so refreshing, cant wait until the new ablum comes out, i gotta pick it up and so should you!! B.Y.O.B. is an amazing song!


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For geniuses only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Reviewer: Kudro
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

soad is amazing. thye are everything a hall of famer is. intelligent , correct, musically correct (souds good) origonal, innovative, passsionate, exciting and enthusiastic. they dont just bitch about our govt, they are attempting to fight the power as well. its amazing how right they are. they even when to college so god speed for soad. they worked hard for what they have and there music is aimed for the intelligent. cuz most ppl are to stupid to think forthemselves and see through anothers eyes. U have to be pretty smart to do that and understand everything.. They are so perfect. they talk about religion although to they dont believe in any.. If you dont like or love system of a down, you should die because ur stupid and stupid ppl should be beheaded.. because they ruin our nation with arrogance, hate greed and evil.... like Bush. as a musician myself, I look up to them for creative ideas for my music adn lyrical content i realize the lyrics and sounds i had for my muusic before i ever discovered soad was like that of system of a down's so its like woah... great Minds Do Think Alike!!! anbd free thinkers are dangerous. fuck the system

MARILYN MANSON

Love him or hate him, the self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson was indisputably among the most notorious and controversial entertainers of the 1990s.


Celebrated by supporters as a crusader for free speech and denounced by detractors as little more than a poor man's Alice Cooper, Manson was the latest in a long line of shock rockers, rising to the top of the charts on a platform of sex, drugs and Satanism. Though widely dismissed by critics, his brand of metal nevertheless struck a major chord with the youth market -- on the strength of a masterfully orchestrated marketing campaign, he became a mainstream anti-hero, much to the chagrin of conservative politicians and concerned parents. Manson was born Brian Warner in Canton, Ohio; at the age of 18, he relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida, working there as a music journalist. In 1989, he became friends with guitarist and fellow outsider Scott Mitchell; they decided to form a band, with Mitchell rechristening himself Daisy Berkowitz and Warner adopting the name Marilyn Manson.


With the addition of bassist Gidget Gein and keyboardist Madonna Wayne-Gacy, the group -- originally dubbed Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids -- begin self-releasing cassettes and playing gigs, their Gothic stage show notable for Manson's elaborate make-up and homemade special effects. Jettisoning their drum machine in favor of one Sara Lee Lucas, the band's sound began taking on a harder edge, and by 1992 they were among the most popular acts in the South Florida area. In 1993, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor came calling, offering both a contract with his Nothing Records label as well as the chance to open for NIN the following spring; Manson accepted both offers, and the group's debut LP, Portrait of an American Family, appeared during the summer of 1994. With new bassist Twiggy Ramirez replacing Gein, the group's notoriety began to soar -- most infamously, during an appearance in Salt Lake City, Manson ripped apart a copy of the Book of Mormon while on-stage. The Church of Satan's founder Anton LaVey also bestowed upon him the title of "Reverend."


While some onlookers dismissed Manson's behavior as crass audience manipulation, his cult following -- comprised almost entirely of disaffected white suburban teens -- continued to swell, and with the release of the 1995's Smells Like Children EP the band broke into the mainstream, propelled by their hit cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Berkowitz quit a short time later, and was replaced by guitarist Zim Zum; their next LP, 1996's Antichrist Superstar, debuted at the number three spot on the pop album charts. As Manson's popularity grew, so did the furor surrounding him -- his concerts were regularly picketed by civic groups, and his music was the subject of widespread attacks from the right-wing and religious fronts. Again, however, his quick embrace of the media spotlight called into question the true sincerity of his revolutionary aims -- with a cover story in Rolling Stone and a best-selling autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, some onlookers doubted whether Manson had sold his soul to Satan, or just sold his soul, period. The glam-inspired Mechanical Animals followed in 1998, with the resulting tour yielding the live Last Tour on Earth a year later.

Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) came out at the end of 2000. The band toured to support the album in 2001 and during a July show in Michigan, Manson was charged with criminal sexual conduct after performing an alleged offensive act on a security guard. December saw Manson's version of "Tainted Love" appear on the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack while another security guard filed a civil suit alleging Manson had rubbed his pelvis on the guard's head. The July 2001 sexual conduct charges were lowered to a misdemeanor in January of 2002 and the civil suit was dropped soon after. May of 2003 saw the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque, which spent a week on top of the album charts and ended up on more than a few critics' year-end Top Ten lists. In April of 2004 the album Lunch Boxes and Choklit Cows appeared, credited to Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids -- Spooky Kids being the name of Manson's earliest band. Manson fought the release and court-ordered some artwork removed that was too close to the art to which the singer owned the copyright. At the end of September the Lest We Forget collection was released, covering the highlights of Manson's career and including a new cover version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus."

After his marriage with model Dita Von Teese went downhill, Von Teese effectively left Marilyn and moved out of his house. Manson sunk into a bit of depression, and was subject to "the classic rock and roll scenario of people robbing me behind my back", as Manson himself put it. Marilyn left his studio environment and got a fully-furnished studio home, where he could literally "write a song, walk down two doors and record it." Commenting on the new creative environment, Manson feels "liberated." Marilyn plans on releasing a new album, "Eat Me, Drink Me" and has released a song from it titled "If I Was Your Vampire". Marilyn's full intention thru-out the album is to seduce someone, but he hasn't mentioned who. Marilyn and his band will be performing a World Tour upon the release of the new album.

CREED

It's not easy to find a success story as genuine as Creed’s in popular culture these days, with all the carefully scripted rises to glory and the falls that inevitably follow careers built on hype. If any late-'90s band can claim to have ascended strictly on its own merits, it's Creed, a Florida-bred foursome that went from zero to sixty (or, more accurately, zero to nearly 4x Platinum) by virtue of a combination of finger-on-the-pulse songs and powerful live performances, rather than a raft of hype.

"With My Own Prison, I knew we had the talent to get a record deal and I knew we had songs good enough to get played on the radio, but I never had any expectations of reaching this many people," says Creed's dynamic frontman, Scott Stapp. "But when I think back, I can remember that Mark Tremonti definitely did. The very first time we went into a meeting at Wind-up, he said he'd be totally disappointed if the album didn't go triple platinum." Tremonti didn't have to suffer any pangs of regret. Creed was the first band in history to have four Number One Rock Radio singles from a debut album -- a feat even more impressive in these days of love-'em-and-leave-'em, one-hit wonders.

On the strength of their singles, including the crushing title track and the more pensive "What's This Life For," Creed topped countless year-end charts and was recognized as the Rock Artist of the Year at Billboard’s 1998 Music Awards. Their debut album was also the #1-selling Hard Music album for 1998 on SoundScan’s Hard Music chart. Now, with the release of their second album, Human Clay, Creed is poised to up the ante yet again. "We're the type of band that functions really well under pressure, and there was definitely a pressure to try to top ourselves this time," says Stapp. "Not so much what we sell, because we don't really care about that. We wanted to make a really great record.

The band’s goal has always been to make records that are solid from start to finish; records that take you through an entire range of emotions." Those sentiments come across loud and clear during stretches of Human Clay. On "What If," Stapp's baritone turns fierce when addressing those he feels have judged him unfairly over the years -- a pitch that's matched by the searing guitar lines that Tremonti turns out. The intensity comes through in more subtle ways as well, as in the plaintive tone of the album’s first single, "Higher," which finds Stapp seeking refuge from the rigors of the outside world, as his bandmates erect a majestic wall of riffs to ring his discourse. Throughout Human Clay, the entire band sounds to be on a quest to explore different sonic territories, ranging from the Led Zeppelin-styled eastern modalities of the album’s first track "Are You Ready?" to the lush balladry of "Wash Away Those Years." While Stapp grants that the band's increased resources had some impact on the structure

of Human Clay - the first album was recorded for a mere $6,000 -- it's clear that Creed's evolution is far more than just a matter of dollars and cents.

For Human Clay, Creed once again turned to longtime friend and producer John Kurzweg to ensure that they captured the anthemic guitars, dramatic vocals and bold lyrics that made Creed's brawny-yet-intimate sound a radio staple for two solid years. Together with Kurzweg, the band recorded the new album in a studio they constructed in a house just outside of Tallahassee. On Human Clay, Stapp contemplates how responsibilities, choices and actions impact people. The album’s songs explore fears of growing up and letting go of youth ("Never Die") conscience ("Faceless Man") and betrayal ("Beautiful") among other topics. Creed challenges their listeners to think without preaching or pretending to have all the answers. Balancing Human Clay’s hard rock sensibilities is "With Arms Wide Open," a deeply personal song that Stapp wrote when he learned he was going to become a father. "I think my songwriting is very direct and understandable," says Stapp. "People can relate to that, so that's something I didn't want to

move away from.

At the same time, we're a little bit older and more mature now and we’ve been through a lot in the past two years, so we were looking to put things across in a way that reflected that." In many ways, Creed has been evolving gradually since the band played its first dates together four years ago. After high school, teenage acquaintances Stapp and fellow songwriter Tremonti took different routes, but both ended up in Tallahassee, where they recruited bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips to form Creed. Within a few months, they had meshed their wide-ranging influences to create the band’s rich musical texture. Creed’s reputation for dynamic, passionate live performances has led to consistently sold-out shows. During the past two years the band has played to more than two million fans worldwide, not including the huge crowd who witnessed their awesome performance at Woodstock ’99.

Creed gave fans something special to remember the festival by when they invited Robby Krieger, guitarist for The Doors, to join them during their performance on the main stage. When Stapp introduced Krieger, the crowd of approximately 200,000 erupted in cheers and shouted along to Doors favorites "Roadhouse Blues" and "Riders On The Storm." Krieger also stayed on to play slide guitar on Creed's "What's This Life For." "We were out on tour for a long time, and wherever we went, there were people telling me how much certain songs meant to them and how they felt so close to them," says Stapp. "That means more to me than any other kind of attention. It’s important to feel as if you're doing something worthwhile, and in this band, I feel like I am." It will only take a few listens to Human Clay to see that they are. DISCOGRAPHY Albums My Own Prison -- August 1997 Human Clay -- September 1999 Singles "My Own Prison" - August 1997 "Torn" - January 1998 "What’s This Life For" - May 1998 "One" - December 1998 "Hi

gher" - August 1999 Soundtracks "Bound & Tied" (from the Dead Man On Campus soundtrack) - August 1998 "I’m Eighteen" (from The Faculty soundtrack) - December 1998 - "Is this the End" (from the Scream 3 soundtrack) -January 2000

Just for the record Creed no longer has 4 band members, they don't have a bass gutair player, the members still there are: Scott Stapp(lead vocals), Mark Tremonti(gutarist), Scott Phillips(drummer)!!!!

AEROSMITH

Aerosmith was formed in 1970, when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at an ice cream parlor. Bassist Tom Hamilton and guitarist Ray Tabano, joined the group, but Ray was replaced by Brad Whitford and they added drummer Joey Kramer.

In 1972 they landed a record contract with Columbia Records. As a result, Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973.

Areosmith spent time touring the U.S. and working on their secound album Get Your Wings, it spent a total of 86 weeks on the charts.

Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, was their breakthrough album their sound was pure rock n roll, and the the album hit number 11. Its success prompted the re-release of the power ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.

In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies.

Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes."

Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years which fulfilled their contract with the label; it went double platinum shortly after its release.

They are recognised as the biggest pop group in the world of music today having dominated the charts throughout the world since 1996. In just four years BACKSTREET BOYS Nick Carter Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson) have accomplished this global domination by achieving Gold and Platinum awards in 45 countries, including 11-times platinum in the USA for their debut album "Backstreet Back" and have sold over 51 million albums world-wide. The group have recently been hailed as one of the fastest selling ...

MUSIK ENCYCLOPEDIA

The Backstreet BoysSingers
Born: 1993
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida
Best known as: The pop singers of "All I Have to Give" and "I Want It That Way"
The Backstreet Boys' self-titled debut album won them a 1998 Grammy as the year's best new artists. They quickly became one of the hottest pop groups of the late 1990s. The quintet's members were Alexander "A.J." McLean (b. 9 January 1978), Brian Littrell (b. 20 February 1975), Howard "Howie D." Dorough (b. 22 August 1973), Kevin Richardson (b. 3 October 1972), and Nick Carter (b. 28 January 1980). In their early days the Backstreets were especially popular with young girls and were rivals to a similar teen group,'N Sync. In 2001 the band announced delayed a world tour while McLean entered a New York clinic for treatment of depression and alcohol abuse. McLean came back, and in later years the band continued to tour with a more grown-up sound. Their albums include Millennium (1999), Black and Blue (2000), and Never Gone (2005).
Extra credit: Carter's younger brother Aaron Carter has performed with the band and became a pop star in his own right... Aspiring model Angel Carter is Nick's younger sister and Aaron's twin.










April 1993: Tates Creek High junior Brian Littrell joins cousin Kevin Richardson and singers Nick Carter, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough to form Backstreet Boys, an Orlando-based group that got its name from a local teen hangout called the Backstreet Market.
1994: Backstreet Boys sign a recording contract with Jive Records.
October 1995: We've Got It Goin' On, the band's first single, is released in England and the United States. It peaks at No. 69 in the United States, No. 54 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 in Germany.
September 1996: Backstreet Boys, the group's first album, is released in England and peaks at No. 12, selling millions. The band develops a fervent European following.
June 1997: Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart), the group's first U.S. hit single, is released. It peaks at No. 2.
August 1997: The group releases its second album, Backstreet's Back, in the United Kingdom and a debut album in the United States, Backstreet Boys, that includes hits from the European debut plus material from Backstreet's Back. It becomes the third-best-selling album of 1998 and has sold 8.8 million copies.
May 1998: Brian undergoes successful open-heart surgery for a congenital hole in his heart.
May 1999: Backstreet Boys' second U.S. CD, Millennium, sets a first-week sales record: 1.1 million copies. It's sold 6.8 million copies in the U.S.
Aug. 14: Backstreet Boys sell out all dates on their North American tour in one day, including a Nov. 26 show at Rupp Arena.
Sept. 25: The group sells out an added-on Nov. 27 concert at Rupp in 24 minutes, breaking the old sell-out record of 31 minutes, set by Garth Brooks in April 1998