Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter who has been a major figure in music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler, and an apparently reluctant figurehead, of social unrest. A number of his songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the US civil right and anti-war movements. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and the performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries. As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2008, a Bob Dylan Pathway was opened in the singer's honor in his birthplace of Duluth, Minnesota. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for "his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."

Kings of Leon is an American rock band that formed in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee in 1999, consisting of brothers Anthony Caleb Followill (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ivan Nathan Followill (drums,percussion, backing vocals) and Michael Jared Followill (bass, backing vocals), with their cousin Cameron Matthew Followill (lead guitar, backing vocals). Each member of the family group is known by his middle name (second given name) as opposed to his first given name. The band's early music was an upbeat blend of Southern rock and blues influences, but it has gradually expanded its sound to include a variety of genres and a more alternative rock or arena rock sound. Kings of Leon achieved initial success in the United Kingdom with nine Top 40 singles, twoBRIT Awards in 2008, and all three of the band's albums at the time peaking in the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their third album Because of the Times also reached the #1 spot. After the release of Only by the Night in September 2008 they achieved chart success in their native United States. The singles "Sex on Fire", "Use Somebody" and "Notion" all peaked at #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks. The album itself was their first ever platinum-selling album in the United States. It was the best-selling album of 2008 in Australia, being certified nine-times Platinum. The band's fifth album, Come Around Sundown, was released on October 18, 2010.

Hip Hop!

ok, here we go with the posts you wanted..HIP HOP DANCE

Hip-hop dance refers to social or choreographed dance styles primarily danced to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. This includes a wide range of styles notablybreaking, locking, and popping which were developed in the 1970s^[1][2] by Black and Latino Americans. What separates hip-hop dance from other forms of dance is that it is often freestyle(improvisational) in nature and hip-hop dancers frequently engage in battles—formal or informal freestyle dance competitions. Informal freestyle sessions and battles are usually performed in acipher, a circular dance space that forms naturally once the dancing begins. These three elements—freestyling, battles, and ciphers—are key components of hip-hop dance.

More than 30 years old, hip-hop dance became widely known after the first professional breaking, locking, and popping crews formed in the 1970s. The most influential groups are the Rock Steady Crew, The Lockers, and the Electric Boogaloos who are responsible for the spread of breaking, locking, and popping respectively. Parallel with the evolution of hip-hop music, hip-hop dancing evolved from breaking and the funk styles into different forms: moves such as the "running man" and the "cabbage patch" hit the mainstream and became fad dances. The dance industry in particular responded with studio/commercial hip-hop, sometimes called new style, and jazz funk. These styles were developed by technically trained dancers who wanted to createchoreography for hip-hop music from the hip-hop dances they saw being performed on the street. Because of this development, hip-hop dance is now practiced at both studios and outside spaces.

Internationally, hip-hop dance has had a particularly strong influence in France and South Korea. France is the birthplace of Tecktonik, a style of house dance from Paris that borrows heavily from popping and breaking. France is also the home of Juste Debout, an international hip-hop dance competition. South Korea is home to the international breaking competition R16 which is sponsored by the government and broadcast every year live on Korean television. The country consistently produces such skillful b-boys that the South Korean government has designated theGamblerz and Rivers b-boy crews official ambassadors of Korean culture.^[3]

To some, hip-hop dance may only be a form of entertainment or a hobby. To others it has become a lifestyle: a way to be active in physical fitness or competitive dance and a way to make a living by dancing professionally.

Breaking/B-boying

Main article: B-boying

Breaking was created in the Bronx, New York during the early 1970s. While African Americans are responsible for creating breaking^[4] it was the Latinos that kept the momentum of breaking alive when it was considered "played out" in the late '70s.^[5][6] It was Afrika Bambaataa that classified breaking as one of the five pillars of hip-hop culture along with MCing, DJing, graffiti writing, and knowledge.^[7][8][9]Due to this status, it is considered the purest form of hip-hop dance. Breaking includes four foundational dances: toprock, footwork oriented steps performed while standing up; downrock, footwork performed on the floor using the hands to support your weight;^{[note 1]} freezes, stylish poses done on your hands;^{[note 2]} and power moves, difficult and impressive acrobatic moves.^{[note 3]} In breaking, a variation to the traditional cipher is the Apache line. Ciphers work well for one-on-one b-boy (break-boy) battles; however, Apache lines are more appropriate when it is crew versus crew. In contrast to a cipher, opposing crews can face each other in this line formation and execute their burns (a move intended to embarrass the opponent, i.e. crotch grabbing, during a battle). In 1981, the Lincoln Center in New York City hosted a breaking battle between the Rock Steady Crew and The Dynamic Rockers.^[13] "This event, which was covered by the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Daily News,National Geographic, and local news stations helped b-boying gain the world’s attention."^[14]

Dance crews

A dance crew is a group of street dancers who get together and create dance routines. As hip-hop culture spread throughout New York, the more breaking crews got together to practice and battle against each other. It was during this time that the different dance moves within breaking would develop organically.^{[45][note 7]} The same can be said about different dance moves within the funk styles – popping and locking – and decades later with krumping. Being a part of a crew was the only way to learn when these styles began. Forming and participating in a dance crew is how you practiced, improved, made friends, and built relationships. In the beginning, crews were neighborhood-based and would engage in battles in their respective cities. Today, crews can battle in organized competitions with other crews from around the country and around the world.

Crews still form based on friendships and neighborhoods (ex: Diversity). They also form for a variety of other reasons such as theme (JabbaWockeeZ), gender (Beat Freaks), ethnicity (Kaba Modern), and dance style (Poreotics). Crews are not exclusive. It is common for dancers to be involved in more than one crew, especially if one particular group is style specific (popping only for example) and a dancer wants to stay well-rounded.^{[note 8]} Furthermore, dance crews are not just formed within the hip-hop context anymore. The FootworKINGz is a dance crew that performs footwork, a style of house dance, and Fanny Pak does contemporary.

Although dance crews are more prevalent in hip-hop, dance companies do exist in both the United States and abroad. Examples include Culture Shock (USA), Lux Aeterna (USA),^{[note 9]} Boy Blue Entertainment (UK), Bounce Streetdance Company (Sweden), 2Faced Dance (UK), Funkbrella Dance Company (USA), Blaze Streetdance Company (Netherlands), and Zoo Nation (UK).^{[note 10]}

Entertainment

See also: Hip-hop theater

Breaking started to become a form of entertainment shortly after its birth in the '70s. The first hip-hop films Wild Style and Beat Street were made in the early '80s. Wild Style was the first movie centered around hip-hop culture; however,Flashdance was the first Hollywood film to feature breaking.^{[note 14]} The movies Breakin and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, also released in the '80s, introduced the funk styles to the big screen. The new millennium produced several hip-hop dance films. The Freshest Kids, B-girl, and Planet B-Boy all showcased breaking. Films such as Honey, You Got Served, How She Move, Step Up, Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D, and StreetDance 3D showcased all forms of hip-hop dance especially studio/new style hip-hop. Rize, The Heart of Krump, and Shake City 101 are documentaries about krumping and the street dancers who developed it. These movies/documentaries are all examples of films where the plot and theme surround hip-hop dance and how it affects the characters' lives.

The JabbaWockeez, winners of the first season of America's Best Dance Crew.

Hip-hop dance later moved from cinemas to the television. Soul Train, which premiered in the 1970s, was the earliest dance show that showcased the funk styles on a consistent basis. Other hip-hop dance shows that came about in 1990s and 2000s were Dance Fever, Dance 360, MTV's The Grind, The Wade Robson Project, and Nickolodean's Dance on Sunset. America's Best Dance Crew(ABDC) is a reality hip-hop dance competition on MTV created in 2008 by Howard and Karen Schwartz, founders of Hip Hop International the organization that runs the USA and World Hip Hop Dance Championships.^[34] On the show different crews from across the country compete in dance challenges and battle against each other each week. ABDC has contributed to the exposure ofJabbawockeez, Quest, Kaba Modern, Beat Freaks, We Are Heroes, Fanny Pak, and Poreotics. These crews now have official websites, make club appearances, perform in different locations/competitions, and appear as guests on news programs.

The reality dance competition So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) encourages dancers from all backgrounds, including hip-hop, to compete. It has a similar premise to the American Idol series of singing competitions, with nationwide auditions leading to the discovery of the next big star. "Bringing these styles together in a competition that also features ballroom, ballet, and jazz helps to legitimize hip-hop dance as a serious form of expression."^[8] In 2008 poppers Robert "Mr. Fantastic" Muraine and Phillip "Pacman" Chbeeb auditioned during season four. Neither made it to the final "top 20", but the judges were so impressed with their dancing that both were invited back to participate in a popping battle against each other on the show's live finale.^[72] Dancing to Kanye West's StrongerMuraine impressed the judges with his fluid mime and contortionist style while Chbeeb responded with quick transformer-like moves. According to Muraine this was the first popping battle that was nationally televised.^[72] After the battle Joshua Allen, a hip-hop dancer, was declared the winner of season four of the competition.^[73] The same year Mona-Jeanette Berntsen, a hip-hop dancer from Norway, was crowned the winner of the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia.^[74]

The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers (or The LXD) is a good versus evil themed web series about a group of dancers who discover they have super powers through their dance moves.^{[75][note 15]} Each character has a specific dance talent ranging from krumping, tutting, breaking, locking, boogaloo, and popping.^[75][76] The mojority of the dancing shown in the series is hip-hop; however, other styles have been showcased as well including tap dance, stepping, contemporary, andballet. Advertising Age gave the series good reviews stating "...each episode of 'LXD' packs a wealth of narrative sophistication into its eight or nine minutes. Combine this with the theater-worthy production values and a cast that exerts itself to an ungodly extent, and the end result is -- pun time! -- extraordinary."^[77] The LXD premiered July 7, 2010 on Hulu.

Though hip-hop dancing has managed to establish itself on film and television, it has not gained the same momentum in theater. Two of the earliest hip-hop stage shows were 1991's off Broadway musical So! What Happens Now? and 1995'sJam on the Groove both performed by the Rock Steady Crew, Magnificent Force, and the Rhythm Technicians.^[78][79][80] Aside from the pioneers in New York was Rennie Harris' Puremovement hip-hop theater company founded in 1992 inPhiladelphia.^[81] The company is still active and has toured all over the world showcasing its original works such as March of the Antmen, P-Funk, Endangered Species, Facing Mekka, and Rome & Jewels.^[82]

This man is called ((Rick ross)) and he is one of the most high-classed wealthy rappers ,I hope you enjoy the info:

Music career

After being signed to Suave House Records, former label for rap duo 8Ball & MJG, he eventually signed a deal with Slip-n-Slide Records, which has been under the Def Jam umbrella since 2006. While signed to Slip-n-Slide, Ross toured with fellow rapper Trick Daddy and made guest performances on other Slip-n-Slide rap albums.^[3]

Port of Miami (2006)

Main article: Port of Miami (album)

His debut album Port of Miami, was released in August 2006 and debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart with sales at 187,000 units its first week out.^[4][5] Christian Hoard ofRolling Stone magazine predicted that it would be "the summer's biggest rap record".^[6] The second single was "Push It", which samples "Scarface (Push It to the Limit)", the theme song off the gangster film Scarface.^[7] The music video for "Push It" was modeled after the film.^[8] During that time, Ross made guest performances on two singles from DJ Khaled's debut Listennn... the Album: "Born-N-Raised" and "Holla at Me". Port of Miami received Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America on November 8, 2006.

Trilla (2008)

Main article: Trilla

In March 2008, his second album Trilla was released and, as its predecessor Port of Miami had, debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.^[9] Its lead single "Speedin'" featuring R. Kelly peaked at #121 on the Billboard Hot 100; the next one, "The Boss" featuring T-Pain peaked at #17 on the Hot 100. The third single "Here I Am" featured Nelly and Avery Storm.^[10] MTV News ranked Ross on the fourth spot in its 2008 "Hottest MCs In The Game" list among ten rappers.^[11] The fourth Single "This Is The Life" featured Trey Songz and was released in July.

Feud with 50 Cent

In January 2009, Ross started a feud with rapper 50 Cent because he supposedly looked at him the wrong way at the BET Awards. 50 Cent told news sources that he did not remember seeing Ross there.^[12] In late January, "Mafia Music", by Ross, leaked onto the Internet. There were several lines that seem to diss 50 Cent. Days later, 50 Cent released "Officer Ricky (Go Head, Try Me)" in response to Ross's disparaging remarks on his "Mafia Music" song.

Before going to Venezuela, 50 Cent uploaded a video entitled "Warning Shot". where he states "Rick Ross, I'm a fuck your life up for fun". In addition, 50 Cent released the first of a series of "Officer Ricky" cartoons. Early February, 50 Cent once again made a video which he uploaded to YouTube where he interviews "Tia", the mother of one of Ross's children. She verifies his being a correctional officer and claims his whole persona is fake and fraudulent.^[13] On Thursday, February 5, 2009, Game, who 50 Cent has a long-standing "beef" with, called up Seattle R&B station KUBE. When asked about the beef between 50 Cent and Ross, Game sided with 50 Cent and said that things are not looking good for Ross. He offered to help, stating "Rick Ross, holla at your boy, man", and, "50 eating you, boy".^[14] On his album Deeper Than Rap, Ross references 50 Cent in the song "In Cold Blood". A video for the song was released that portrayed 50 Cent's mock funeral. Upon release, Ross stated that he has ended 50 Cent's career.^[15] The same day Ross released a new diss track called "Push 'Em Over The Edge". The next day 50 Cent released the controversial video "A Psychic Told Me" dissing DJ Khaled. On February 12, 50 Cent responded with "Tia Told Me", along with Lloyd Banks' response "Officer Down" and Tony Yayo's "Somebody Snitched".

In an interview, 50 Cent said Ross is "Albert From CB4. You ever seen the movie? He's Albert," he added. "It never gets worse than this. You get a guy that was a correctional officer come out and base his entire career on writing material from a drug dealer's perspective."^[16]

Deeper Than Rap (2009)

Main article: Deeper Than Rap

"I look at the game and the business and all different aspects, it's a lot of great lyricists on the corner that will never properly understand the business and know how to market themselves and get in a position where they can gain capital. I look at all the strategies people use and what made them successful. What made Birdman just as relevant today after selling 50 million records? That intrigues me. To see the class of Jay-Z, his accomplishments and see how he sits backs and accurately makes his moves."^[17]

A track from the album called "Valley of Death" was what stood out to MTV reporters. In the song, Ross speaks briefly on his controversial stint as a prison guard. "Keep it trilla, nigga, never had a gun and badge," which he stresses, leaving the word that he was indeed an officer of the law. "Kept a nice watch, smoking on a hundred sack/ Back in the day I sold crack for some nice kicks/ Skippin' school, I saw my friend stabbed with an ice pick/ Can't criticize niggas trying to get jobs/ Better get smart, young brother, live yours." Later, he implies that while he was working as a corrections officer, he was on the streets. "Only lived once and I got two kids/ And for me to feed them, I'll get two gigs," he raps. "I'll shovel shit, I'll C.O./ So we can bow our heads and pray over the meatloaf." Although, he still provided no explanation for lying about being a C.O. to begin with, nor did he explain why he failed to pay child support for his children.^[18][19]

The cover of the May 2009 issue of XXL magazine, titled "Rick Ross Up in Smoke", featured Ross wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton sunglasses. After publication, a spokesperson for the luxury-goods maker contacted XXL to inform them that Ross was sporting fake sunglasses in the cover image.^[20] It was later revealed that the rapper was wearing authentic Louis Vuitton sunglasses which were altered by Jacob Bernstein, known as "The Sunglass Pimp". Bernstein defended his customizations despite Louis Vuitton's insistence that such modification and resale of trademarked property is not legal.^[21]

Teflon Don and other works (2010–present)

Main article: Teflon Don (album)

Rick Ross released his fourth studio album entitled Teflon Don, which was released on July 6, 2010. The lead is "Super High" featuring Ne-Yo. Actress Stacey Dash made an appearance in the music video. A second official single was released titled "Live Fast, Die Young" which features and is produced by Kanye West. The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 176,000 copies in its first week.

In November, 2010, rapper and freqient collabourator, Diddy announced from his YouTube account, that him and Ross are working on an EP together, which is going to be released in 2011. A single has been released for the project, called "Another One".^[22] The song is produced by Diddy and Lex Luger.

Personal life

William Leonard Roberts II was born in Coahoma County, Mississippi.^[1] and raised in Carol City, Florida, near Miami.^[3] After graduating from Carol City Senior High School, he later attended the historically black college Albany State University in Albany, Georgia.^[23]

Corrections officer photos

In July 2008, The Smoking Gun produced details linking Ross' social security number to an eighteen month stint as a correctional officer in a Florida prison facility, along with a photograph purporting to be Ross in his correctional officeruniform.^[24] Ross initially denied that the photograph was of him;^[25] after overwhelming evidence of his past came into the public's eye, Ross later admitted that he did work as a corrections officer in Florida during the early 90's.^[26] In a 2008 interview with AllHipHop.com,^[27] "Freeway" Ricky Ross, claimed offense that Roberts used his name and identity when he learned that The Smoking Gun posted documents revealing Roberts' previous employment as a Florida corrections officer.^[28]

Legal issues

During a deposition of Officer Rey Hernandez, a Miami Beach cop who arrested Ross in January 2008 on gun and marijuana charges, Ross's lawyer, Allan Zamren, asked Hernandez why Ross’s case was assigned to the gang task force. The officer stated that it was because Ross claimed affiliation with Carol City Cartel and other known gang members. Zamren then pressed Hernandez for a personal link between Ross and the gang members, but ultimately one could not be established.^[29]

In August 2008, YouTube entertainer DJ Vlad filed a lawsuit against Ross for assault. Vlad claimed Ross organized an ambush on him at the 2008 Ozone Awards in Houston, Texas for asking questions about his past as a correctional officer.^[30]

On June 18, 2010, Freeway Ricky Ross sued Rick Ross for using his name.^[31] Freeway Ricky Ross filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Ross in a California Federal Court.^[31] Jay-Z had been called to testify in the lawsuit, as he was CEO of Def Jam when Ross was signed.^[31] The reformed drug kingpin was looking for 10 million dollars in the lawsuit.^[31] Also, the release of his album, Teflon Don, was threatened to be blocked by Freeway Ricky Ross. A week after the filing of the lawsuit, Rick Ross responded to the charges: "It’s like owning a restaurant, you’re gonna have a few slip and falls. You get lawsuits, you deal with them, and get them out your way…sometimes you lose." ^[32] He then denied rumours that he would change his name to "Ricky Rozay" as a consequence of the lawsuit. The lawsuit was thrown out of court on July 3, 2010 ^[33] and his album, Teflon Don, was released on July 20 as scheduled.