Category: Whats Buzzing in the Streets

Tracy Jamel Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American actor, voice actor and comedian best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live (1996–2003) and 30 Rock (2006–2013). He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2009 for his work on 30 Rock. He has appeared in numerous films as an actor and voice actor.

Morgan was born in the Bronx and raised in Tompkins Houses in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. He is the second of five children of a homemaker, Alicia (née Warden), and Jimmy Morgan, a musician who returned from military duty in the Vietnam War as a recovering heroin addict, causing him to leave the family when Morgan was six years old.

His father named him Tracy in honor of a platoon mate and friend who shipped off to Vietnam with him and was killed in action days later.

The target of bullies as a child, Morgan attended DeWitt Clinton High School. In 1985, at age 17 in his second year, he learned his father had contracted AIDS from hypodermic needle use. His father died in November 1987, at age 39.

Morgan married his girlfriend Sabina that year and dropped out of high school just four credits short of his diploma to care for his ailing father. Already raising their first son and living on welfare, Morgan sold crack cocaine with limited success, but began earning money performing comedy on the streets after his best friend was murdered. He said in 2009: “He would say to me, ‘Yo, Tracy, man, you should be doing comedy.’ A week later, he was murdered. And that for me, that was like my Vietnam. I had my survival [sic] guilt when I started to achieve success. Why I made it out and some guys didn’t.”

Morgan embarked on a stand-up comedy career, successfully enough that he “finally moved to a nice community in [the Bronx neighborhood of] Riverdale, from a run-down apartment next to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx”.

Morgan made his screen debut playing Hustle Man on the television show Martin. The character sold various items from the “hood”, always greeting people with his trademark “What’s happ’n, chief?”, and had a pet dog he dressed as a rapper. In the 2003 Chris Rock film Head of State, Morgan appeared as a man watching television, often questioning why they are not watching Martin.

Morgan was also a regular cast member on Uptown Comedy Club, a sketch-comedy show filmed in Harlem that aired for two seasons, from 1992 to 1994. He was on the HBO series Snaps in 1995.

He appeared twice on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.

Morgan joined the cast of the comedy series Saturday Night Live in 1996 (Lorne Michaels chose him over Stephen Colbert in the final round) and performed as a regular until 2003. He returned to host on March 14, 2009, and reprised his roles as Brian Fellow and Astronaut Jones. He then made a guest appearance on the 2011 Christmas show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and hosted again on October 17, 2015.

On October 20, 2009, Morgan’s autobiography, I Am the New Black, was released. The book includes stories about living in Tompkins Projects in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, to becoming a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Morgan appeared on National Public Radio’s Fresh Air hosted by Terry Gross, at times becoming very emotional about his former life in a New York ghetto.

In 1996, Morgan was diagnosed with diabetes and for years has struggled with alcohol abuse. Morgan has conceded that many of his own troubles were incorporated within 30 Rock episodes. In early December 2010, Morgan received a kidney transplant necessitated by his diabetes and alcohol abuse. Morgan admitted that he initially did not take his diabetes seriously but later realized the care for it would end up being a matter of life and death.

Written by Dianne Washington

Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper and actor, the first Latino rapper to attain Platinum sales status as a solo act. Big Pun emerged from the underground hip hop scene in The Bronx borough of New York City, in the late 1990s. He first appeared on tracks from Fat Joe’s second album “Jealous One’s Envy” in 1995, and The Beatnuts’ second album Stone Crazy in 1997, prior to signing to Loud Records as a solo artist. Pun’s lyrics are notable for technical efficiency, having minimal pauses to take a breath, heavy use of alliteration as well as internal and multi-syllabic rhyming schemes. He is widely revered as one of the all-time rap greats.

About.com ranked him #25 on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of All Time, while MTV2 ranked him #11 on its list of the “22 Greatest MCs.” In 2012, The Source ranked him #19 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. An article from Rolling Stone magazine states, “Pun embodied all of the traits of a master wordsmith: melody, a unique flow, an unforgettable voice, humor, and lyrics that made other MCs go back to their black and white composition notebooks.”

Rios was born on November 10, 1971 in The Bronx, New York City, United States, to parents of Puerto Rican descent. He grew up in the South Bronx neighborhood of the city. At the age of five, Rios broke his leg while playing in a park, which would later lead to a large settlement from the city. By all accounts from Pun’s family, his early years were very difficult, including witnessing his mother’s drug abuse and his father’s death.

During the mid-1980s, he began writing rap lyrics. He later formed the underground rap group called Full-A-Clips which included rappers Lyrical Assassin, Joker Jamz and Toom. Rios made a number of recordings with the group in the early 90’s, which have not been released. At this point Rios was operating under the alias Big Moon Dawg. After changing the alias to Big Punisher, Rios met fellow Puerto Rican and Bronx rapper Fat Joe in 1995 and made his commercial debut on Fat Joe’s second album, Jealous One’s Envy, in addition to appearing on the song, “Watch Out”. He also appeared on The Beatnuts’ song “Off the Books”

Later, “I’m Not a Player” (featuring an O’Jays sample) was supported by a significant advertising campaign and became an underground hit.

In 1996 Big Pun began recording songs for his debut album Capital Punishment. In 1997 producer Knobody’s production partner Sean C took advantage of his new role as A&R at Loud Records to play Knobody’s tracks to Big Pun. Suitably impressed the rapper hired Knobody to remix “I’m Not a Player”. The remixed song, featuring Joe and titled “Still Not a Player”, became Big Pun’s first major mainstream hit and major breakthrough for Knobody. The full-length debut Capital Punishment followed in 1998, and became the first album by a solo Latino rapper to go platinum, peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200. Capital Punishment was also nominated for a Grammy.

Big Pun became a member of Terror Squad, a New York-based group of rappers founded by Fat Joe, with most of the roster supplied by the now-defunct Full-A-Clips who released their debut album The Album in 1999. The album did not fare well commercially but it was well received critically and the album was meant to start the foundation for all other Terror Squad members to release their solo projects.

Pun struggled with a weight problem for all of his adult life. His weight fluctuated in the early 1990s between obese and morbidly obese. Pun later enrolled in a weight-loss program in North Carolina in which he lost 80 pounds (36 kg), but he eventually quit the program before completing it, returning to New York and gaining back the weight he had lost.

On February 7, 2000, Big Pun suffered a fatal heart attack and respiratory failure while temporarily staying with his family at a Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains, New York, during a home renovation. Pun was pronounced dead at the hospital after paramedics could not revive him. Big Pun was at his highest weight at the time of his death: 698 pounds (317 kg). He was cremated a few days later. Big Pun is survived by his wife, Liza, and their three children, Amanda (born 1991), Vanessa (born 1993), and Christopher Jr. (born 1994).

The Three Degrees are an American female vocal group. Formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the group has always been a trio though there have been a number of personnel changes and a total of fourteen women have represented the group so far. The original members were Fayette Pinkney, Shirley Porter and Linda Turner. Their most successful line-up was Fayette with Sheila Ferguson and Valerie Holiday, these being the ladies responsible for recording their 1974 single “When Will I See You Again” which was a huge international hit, peaking at #2 in the US and topping the UK Singles Chart. Shortly afterwards, the trio became known as Prince Charles’s favourite group.

The Three Degrees were formed around 1963 in Philadelphia. They were discovered by producer and songwriter Richard Barrett. Barrett was responsible for groups of the 1950s such as The Chantels, Little Anthony and the Imperials, and The Valentines. Barrett recorded the original line-up on their first song, entitled “Gee Baby (I’m Sorry)”, for Swan Records, in 1965. Turner and Porter both left the group, leaving Fayette Pinkney the only original member of the group. Both Turner and Porter were replaced by Helen Scott and a variety of other ladies before Janet Harmon joined in the mid 1960s. Barrett also began managing and producing Sheila Ferguson, who was a high school friend of Scott. Barrett also signed Ferguson to Swan Records in 1965. The Three Degrees released a number of singles such as “I’m Gonna Need You” and a cover version of “Maybe” in 1966.

By 1966, with many performances lined up, Scott decided to leave the group to start a family. Ferguson filled in for Scott and would remain in the group for 20 years. Ferguson sang backup on all the group’s Swan recordings as did the Three Degrees for her solo singles. By 1967, Harmon left and was eventually replaced by Valerie Holiday. Barrett signed them to recording contracts over the next three years with Warner Bros., Metromedia, and Neptune record labels; the latter of which was owned by Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff who would work with group five years later. Their close harmony singing made them a popular nightclub act but a hit record still eluded them.

By 1970, they were signed to Roulette Records and they released their first album, Maybe. The title song, this time with Valerie Holiday taking the lead vocals took them to #4 on the US R&B charts. Other singles like “I Do Take You” and “You’re The Fool” followed, as did their second album, So Much Love. This success landed them a cameo appearance in the 1971 film, The French Connection, filmed during one of their appearances at the Copacabana nightclub in New York, and also an engagement at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada with Engelbert Humperdinck.

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, television personality, entrepreneur, and actor. His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre’s solo debut, “Deep Cover”, and then on Dre’s solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre, was released in 1993 by Death Row Records. “Hyped” or influenced by Snoop’s featuring on The Chronic, the album debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts, with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head” as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011) were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009 Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to Rastafarianism and a new alias, Snoop Lion. As Snoop Lion he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, about his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His 13th studio album, Bush, was released in May 2015 and marked a return of the Snoop Dogg name. His 14th solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop has 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV. In 2018, he released his first gospel album, Bible of Love.

Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. was born in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons. He was named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus Sr. His mother is Beverly Broadus (née Tate). His father, Vernell Varnado, was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was frequently absent from his life. As a boy, Broadus’ parents nicknamed him “Snoopy” because of his appearance but usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975. When he was very young, Broadus began singing and playing piano at Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church. In sixth grade, he began rapping. Broadus’s father left the family when he was three months old. A DNA test read by George Lopez on Lopez Tonight revealed Broadus to be of 71% African, 23% Native American, and 6% European descent.

As a teenager, Broadus frequently ran into trouble with the law. He was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in the Eastside area of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and for the next three years was frequently in and out of prison (including Wayside Jail).With his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil’ ½ Dead and friend Warren G, Snoop recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue’s “Hold On” made it to a mixtape that was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who called to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A associate The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks, and chorus.

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre and released in 1993 through Death Row Records, debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”, as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011), were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows, including Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to the Rastafari movement and a new alias, Snoop Lion. Under the new moniker, he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, of his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His fourteenth solo studio album, Coolaid, was released in July 2016. Snoop holds the dubious distinction of having 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, Snoop was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV

Snoop’s debut album, Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records, debuting at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including “What’s My Name?” and “Gin & Juice”. In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. His second album Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts with “Snoop’s Upside Ya Head”, as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.

After leaving Death Row, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin’. Malice ‘n Wonderland (2009) and Doggumentary (2011), were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows including, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. In September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.

In 2012, after a trip to Jamaica, Snoop announced a conversion to the Rastafari movement and a new alias, Snoop Lion. Under the new moniker, he released a reggae album, Reincarnated, and a documentary film of the same name, of his Jamaican experience, in early 2013. His thirteenth solo studio album, Bush, was released in May 2015.

Snoop Dogg was born in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons. He was named Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 – November 9, 1985, Los Angeles). His mother is Beverly Broadus (née Tate; born April 27, 1951, McComb, Mississippi). His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi), was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was said to be frequently absent from his life. As a boy, his parents nicknamed him “Snoopy” because of his appearance, but they usually addressed him as Calvin at home. His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975.

When he was very young, Broadus began singing and playing piano at the Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church. In sixth grade, he began rapping. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School as a member of the class of 1989.

As a teenager, Snoop Dogg frequently ran into trouble with the law. He was a member of the Rollin’ 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach, although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang. Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine, and for the following three years, was frequently in and out of prison (including Wayside Jail). Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil’ ½ Dead, and friend Warren G, recorded homemade tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue’s “Hold On” had made it to a mixtape which was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus.

Broadus has been an active entrepreneur and investor. In 2009, he was appointed creative chairman of Priority Records.

In April 2015, Broadus became a minority investor in his first investment venture Eaze, a California-based weed delivery startup that promises to deliver medical marijuana to persons doorstep in less than 10 minutes.

In October 2015, Broadus launched his new digital media business, Merry Jane, that focuses on news about marijuana. “Merry Jane is cannabis 2.0,” he said in a promotional video for the media source. “A crossroads of pot culture, business, politics, health.”

In November 2015, Broadus announced his new brand of cannabis products Leafs By Snoop. The line of branded products includes marijuana flowers, concentrates and edibles. “Leafs By Snoop is truly the first mainstream cannabis brand in the world and proud to be a pioneer,” Snoop Dogg said. “LBS is blazing a trail for the industry.” In such a way, Broadus became the first major celebrity to brand and market a line of legal marijuana products.

Broadus and his brand manager Nick Adler released an app, Snoopify that lets users plaster stickers of Snoop’s face, joints or a walrus hat on photos. Adler built the app in May after discovering stickers in Japan. The app currently generates $30,000 in weekly sales.

On March 30, 2016, Broadus was reported to purchase the famed soul food restaurant chain Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles out of bankruptcy.

Nicholas Scott “Nick” Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, and radio and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild ‘N Out, and America’s Got Talent. He acted in the films Drumline, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Roll Bounce. As a rapper, he released his debut self-titled album in 2003 with the hit single “Gigolo”, a collaboration with singer R. Kelly. In 2007 he played the role of the fictional footballer TJ Harper in the film Goal 2. In 2006, Cannon recorded singles “Dime Piece” and “My Wife” for a planned album Stages, which was never released. Cannon married American R&B/pop singer Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008.

Cannon was born on October 8, 1980, in San Diego, California, the son of Beth (née Hackett), an accountant, and James Cannon, a motivational televangelist. Growing up, he divided his time between San Diego, where his mother lived, and Charlotte, North Carolina, where his father had worked. At age 11, Cannon received his first break doing stand-up comedy on his father’s local cable access program.

After graduating in 1998 from Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California, Cannon attained a gig as a warm-up comedian for Nickelodeon’s studio audience in Los Angeles, most notably All That, where he also made guest appearances.

As a teenager, Cannon formed the rap group “Da G4 Dope Bomb Squad” with his friend Steve Groves; they opened for the likes of Will Smith, LFO, 98 Degrees, and Montell Jordan.

After signing with Jive Records in 2001, he was featured alongside Romeo Miller and 3LW on the Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius soundtrack with a cover of the 1988 hit song “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. His debut self titled album was released in 2003 and included the single “Your Pops Don’t Like Me”.

In 2005, Cannon formed his own record label, Can I Ball Records, with plans to release his second studio album, entitled Stages, later that year.The album’s first single, “Can I Live?”, a pro-life song, was released in July 2005 followed by the second single “Dime Piece” in March 2006. But it was never released because of Nick Cannon’s acting career.

In 2009 Nick Cannon formed a new label after cancelling his old label Can-I-Ball Records entitled N’Credible Entertainment. In 2010, Cannon created a parody of hip hop pioneer Slick Rick entitled “Slick Nick”. He released two songs of the character such as “I’m A Slick Rick” in which he attempted to diss Hip-Hop mega-star Eminem, it was a freestyle of Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie” & “Nick’s Story” which was a Freestyle rap version of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”. On December 6, 2010 Nick Cannon released his debut mixtape entitled Child Of The Corn.

On July 26, 2013 Nick Cannon premiered his new single “Me Sexy” & announced after 7 years from the shelving of his album Stages he was working on a new second studio album entitled White People Party Music, and will feature collaborations with Afrojack, Pitbull, Future & Polow da Don.

The album’s second single “Looking for a Dream” was released on February 11, 2014. The song features Afrojack. The music video was released on VEVO February 13

In 2005, Cannon produced and hosted the MTV improv comedy series Wild ‘N Out. That same year he hosted the so-called slime stunt on Nickelodeon’s 2005 Kids’ Choice Awards in which a human cannonball was shot into slime. He hosted the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons, and is currently hosting the ninth season, of America’s Got Talent. He also hosted the first and only season of Nickelodeon’s Friday Night Slimetime. In addition, he was the DJ on Ellen DeGeneres’s Bigger, Longer, And Wider show. On December 11, 2009, Cannon hosted the HALO Awards along with Justin Timberlake, Hayden Panettiere, LeBron James, Kelly Rowland and Alicia Keys.

On July 4, 2011, Cannon hosted the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual American competitive eating competition.

On November 4, 2013, Cannon was the master of ceremonies as well as an honoree at the annual Ebony Magazine Power 100 Awards.

In spring 2014, Cannon will be one of the three hosts of World’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

The former Nickelodeon star and MTV Networks persona is now the Chairman of TeenNick and the development and creative consultant of the network since (2009-). In 2012, Nick Cannon created a sketch-comedy series, Incredible Crew starring six teenagers as Cannon wrote and produced the theme song. The show is being produced by Cartoon Network Studios, in association with N’Credible Entertainment.

On November 12, 2012, MTV2 announced that they will be reviving Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out, the revived show will be produced by Nick’s N’Credible Entertainment, the series will premiere in 2013 a few returning faces joined by a roster of fresh talents. When asked about the show coming back, Nick said “With our show’s original cast, everyone from Kevin Hart to Katt Williams, Affion Crockett and Taran Killam becoming household names, I am looking forward to working with MTV2 as we work to introduce the biggest comedic stars of tomorrow with the return of Wild ‘N Out.” Rapper Big Boi of Outkast has confirmed in a tweet on Twitter he is shooting an episode on January 29, 2013 in NYC and for people to join in the audience.

On November 30, 2012, A picture of Nick was posted on the N’Credible Entertainment website, which reported that Nick signed a deal with NBCUniversal to produce scripted and unscripted material for the network.

On January 19, 2010, Cannon started hosting the morning show (6-10AM) with co-hosts Nikki and Southern Sarah Lee at 92.3 NOW FM (WXRK-FM) in New York.

Cannon has a weekly chart program called Cannon’s Countdown that is syndicated by CBS Radio.

On February 17, 2012, Cannon stepped down from 92.3 NOW citing health issues.

On July 13, 2010, Cannon announced that he was going on a comedy tour in fall 2010, beginning at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal.

In early 2011, Cannon recorded his first stand-up comedy special titled Mr. Showbiz at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The special premiered on Showtime on May 14, 2011. A digital release of Mr. Showbiz became available on iTunes beginning May 16, 2011, with a physical release of the album on May 31, 2011.

With no prior announcement on April 30, 2008, Cannon married singer Mariah Carey at her private estate on Windermere Island in The Bahamas.

In April 2011, Carey gave birth to fraternal twins. The daughter is named Monroe Cannon (after Marilyn Monroe), the son, Moroccan Scott Cannon (because Cannon proposed to Carey in her Moroccan-style room; Scott is Cannon’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name). Monroe, like her mother, has no middle name.

On January 4, 2012, Cannon was hospitalized after suffering from mild kidney failure. He was then hospitalized on February 17, 2012, for blood clots in his lungs. On March 5, 2012, he announced that he had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, lupus nephritis, which was the cause of his recent kidney problems.

In 2011, Cannon filmed a public service announcement for Do Something encouraging teens to find a cause about which they are passionate and take action in their communities.

Since 2011, Cannon has served as the celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual national food drive, which is held throughout the United States on the second Saturday in May

On May 1, 2013, Cannon and Carey lived out a fairy-tale “Fantasy” wedding at the Disneyland Resort, where they marked their fifth wedding anniversary with a renewal of vows and celebrated their twins’ second birthday.

In August 2014 Cannon confirmed after much speculation that he and Carey had separated a few months earlier.

September 2014, via his twitter account He posted: I love @MariahCarey and that will never change!!! (sic) Nick also defended Mariah, 44, insisting the criticism she has received in the wake of their separation is completely uncalled for. He added in a series of tweets: What infuriates me most is to hear people slander @MariahCarey .

“I will forever be in debted to her for blessing me with our children … I will always love her unconditionally for this and so much more. @MariahCarey is an amazing Mother and I trust her wholeheartedly.

Cannon married singer Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008, at her private estate on Windermere Island in The Bahamas. On April 30, 2011, their third wedding anniversary, Carey gave birth to fraternal twins: daughter Monroe (after Marilyn Monroe) and son Moroccan Scott, because Cannon proposed to Carey in her Moroccan-style room; Scott is Cannon’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name. Monroe, like her mother, has no middle name. After six years of marriage, the pair separated, and Cannon filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized in 2016. Following a brief relationship, Cannon had another child, son Golden “Sagon” Cannon, with Brittany Bell on February 21, 2017.

Cannon was hospitalized on January 4, 2012, for treatment of “mild kidney failure”, and again on February 17 after a pulmonary embolism. On March 5 he announced that his kidney problems were due to lupus nephritis. Cannon enrolled at Howard University in 2016.

On June 2, 2016, Cannon had an interview with Tim Westwood. Westwood said, “Last time I saw you, you were getting ready to battle Eminem.” Cannon responded, “I’m still ready! I’m trying to find him. Where is he? … We gonna be out in the States for the BET Awards. I’m holding a $100,000 battle — whoever wants it — but it has to be someone who can put up 100 grand … I done reached out to Tyga, he didn’t want it. I went to all Slaughterhouse. I did it like Mortal Kombat, I said I’ll take all of them out to get to the boss.” Throughout the interview, Westwood goads Cannon along, saying, “Nick, you’re the best fam. I don’t think you’d win against Eminem, but you are the best in many other ways.” Cannon plays along with everything and says, “At least tell him to show up to the match. I can’t win by default.”

On June 16, 2016, Cannon pours out his heart in a track titled “Divorce Papers.” He recently refused to sign divorce papers with his ex-wife Mariah Carey. He also mentioned his father passing away. Cannon used some lines in the track as a response for the hate comments he had from Eminem’s fans, who are known as “Stans”. He mentions Eminem in a few lines. He said that he can relate to the drug life Eminem had. “Em, right now I could really relate to him. Drug habits, all the pain that he was in.” The last thing he mentioned in the track, he talks about himself finally signing the divorce papers. “It’s been over two years and I’m the one that’s been waitin’. It’s fucked up that the time that you spend with your own kids is called ‘visitation’? Man, fuck it, let’s sign these papers.”Y’all can sleep on Nick Cannon if y’all want to, I got mad respect for the brother. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICK!!

Nicholas Scott “Nick” Cannon (born October 8, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, and radio and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenager on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild ‘N Out, and America’s Got Talent. He acted in the films Drumline, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and Roll Bounce. As a rapper, he released his debut self-titled album in 2003 with the hit single “Gigolo”, a collaboration with singer R. Kelly. In 2007 he played the role of the fictional footballer TJ Harper in the film Goal 2. In 2006, Cannon recorded singles “Dime Piece” and “My Wife” for a planned album Stages, which was never released. Cannon married American R&B/pop singer Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008.

Cannon was born on October 8, 1980, in San Diego, California, the son of Beth (née Hackett), an accountant, and James Cannon, a motivational televangelist. Growing up, he divided his time between San Diego, where his mother lived, and Charlotte, North Carolina, where his father had worked. At age 11, Cannon received his first break doing stand-up comedy on his father’s local cable access program.

After graduating in 1998 from Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California, Cannon attained a gig as a warm-up comedian for Nickelodeon’s studio audience in Los Angeles, most notably All That, where he also made guest appearances.

As a teenager, Cannon formed the rap group “Da G4 Dope Bomb Squad” with his friend Steve Groves; they opened for the likes of Will Smith, LFO, 98 Degrees, and Montell Jordan.

After signing with Jive Records in 2001, he was featured alongside Romeo Miller and 3LW on the Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius soundtrack with a cover of the 1988 hit song “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. His debut self titled album was released in 2003 and included the single “Your Pops Don’t Like Me”.

In 2005, Cannon formed his own record label, Can I Ball Records, with plans to release his second studio album, entitled Stages, later that year.The album’s first single, “Can I Live?”, a pro-life song, was released in July 2005 followed by the second single “Dime Piece” in March 2006. But it was never released because of Nick Cannon’s acting career.

In 2009 Nick Cannon formed a new label after cancelling his old label Can-I-Ball Records entitled N’Credible Entertainment. In 2010, Cannon created a parody of hip hop pioneer Slick Rick entitled “Slick Nick”. He released two songs of the character such as “I’m A Slick Rick” in which he attempted to diss Hip-Hop mega-star Eminem, it was a freestyle of Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie” & “Nick’s Story” which was a Freestyle rap version of Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”. On December 6, 2010 Nick Cannon released his debut mixtape entitled Child Of The Corn.

On July 26, 2013 Nick Cannon premiered his new single “Me Sexy” & announced after 7 years from the shelving of his album Stages he was working on a new second studio album entitled White People Party Music, and will feature collaborations with Afrojack, Pitbull, Future & Polow da Don.

The album’s second single “Looking for a Dream” was released on February 11, 2014. The song features Afrojack. The music video was released on VEVO February 13

In 2005, Cannon produced and hosted the MTV improv comedy series Wild ‘N Out. That same year he hosted the so-called slime stunt on Nickelodeon’s 2005 Kids’ Choice Awards in which a human cannonball was shot into slime. He hosted the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth seasons, and is currently hosting the ninth season, of America’s Got Talent. He also hosted the first and only season of Nickelodeon’s Friday Night Slimetime. In addition, he was the DJ on Ellen DeGeneres’s Bigger, Longer, And Wider show. On December 11, 2009, Cannon hosted the HALO Awards along with Justin Timberlake, Hayden Panettiere, LeBron James, Kelly Rowland and Alicia Keys.

On July 4, 2011, Cannon hosted the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, an annual American competitive eating competition.

On November 4, 2013, Cannon was the master of ceremonies as well as an honoree at the annual Ebony Magazine Power 100 Awards.

In spring 2014, Cannon will be one of the three hosts of World’s Got Talent with Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

The former Nickelodeon star and MTV Networks persona is now the Chairman of TeenNick and the development and creative consultant of the network since (2009-). In 2012, Nick Cannon created a sketch-comedy series, Incredible Crew starring six teenagers as Cannon wrote and produced the theme song. The show is being produced by Cartoon Network Studios, in association with N’Credible Entertainment.

On November 12, 2012, MTV2 announced that they will be reviving Nick Cannon’s Wild ‘n Out, the revived show will be produced by Nick’s N’Credible Entertainment, the series will premiere in 2013 a few returning faces joined by a roster of fresh talents. When asked about the show coming back, Nick said “With our show’s original cast, everyone from Kevin Hart to Katt Williams, Affion Crockett and Taran Killam becoming household names, I am looking forward to working with MTV2 as we work to introduce the biggest comedic stars of tomorrow with the return of Wild ‘N Out.” Rapper Big Boi of Outkast has confirmed in a tweet on Twitter he is shooting an episode on January 29, 2013 in NYC and for people to join in the audience.

On November 30, 2012, A picture of Nick was posted on the N’Credible Entertainment website, which reported that Nick signed a deal with NBCUniversal to produce scripted and unscripted material for the network.

On January 19, 2010, Cannon started hosting the morning show (6-10AM) with co-hosts Nikki and Southern Sarah Lee at 92.3 NOW FM (WXRK-FM) in New York.

Cannon has a weekly chart program called Cannon’s Countdown that is syndicated by CBS Radio.

On February 17, 2012, Cannon stepped down from 92.3 NOW citing health issues.

On July 13, 2010, Cannon announced that he was going on a comedy tour in fall 2010, beginning at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal.

In early 2011, Cannon recorded his first stand-up comedy special titled Mr. Showbiz at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The special premiered on Showtime on May 14, 2011. A digital release of Mr. Showbiz became available on iTunes beginning May 16, 2011, with a physical release of the album on May 31, 2011.

With no prior announcement on April 30, 2008, Cannon married singer Mariah Carey at her private estate on Windermere Island in The Bahamas.

In April 2011, Carey gave birth to fraternal twins. The daughter is named Monroe Cannon (after Marilyn Monroe), the son, Moroccan Scott Cannon (because Cannon proposed to Carey in her Moroccan-style room; Scott is Cannon’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name). Monroe, like her mother, has no middle name.

On January 4, 2012, Cannon was hospitalized after suffering from mild kidney failure. He was then hospitalized on February 17, 2012, for blood clots in his lungs. On March 5, 2012, he announced that he had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, lupus nephritis, which was the cause of his recent kidney problems.

In 2011, Cannon filmed a public service announcement for Do Something encouraging teens to find a cause about which they are passionate and take action in their communities.

Since 2011, Cannon has served as the celebrity spokesperson for the National Association of Letter Carriers’ annual national food drive, which is held throughout the United States on the second Saturday in May

On May 1, 2013, Cannon and Carey lived out a fairy-tale “Fantasy” wedding at the Disneyland Resort, where they marked their fifth wedding anniversary with a renewal of vows and celebrated their twins’ second birthday.

In August 2014 Cannon confirmed after much speculation that he and Carey had separated a few months earlier.

September 2014, via his twitter account He posted: I love @MariahCarey and that will never change!!! (sic) Nick also defended Mariah, 44, insisting the criticism she has received in the wake of their separation is completely uncalled for. He added in a series of tweets: What infuriates me most is to hear people slander @MariahCarey .

“I will forever be in debted to her for blessing me with our children … I will always love her unconditionally for this and so much more. @MariahCarey is an amazing Mother and I trust her wholeheartedly.

Cannon married singer Mariah Carey on April 30, 2008, at her private estate on Windermere Island in The Bahamas. On April 30, 2011, their third wedding anniversary, Carey gave birth to fraternal twins: daughter Monroe (after Marilyn Monroe) and son Moroccan Scott, because Cannon proposed to Carey in her Moroccan-style room; Scott is Cannon’s middle name and his grandmother’s maiden name. Monroe, like her mother, has no middle name. After six years of marriage, the pair separated, and Cannon filed for divorce in 2014, which was finalized in 2016. Following a brief relationship, Cannon had another child, son Golden “Sagon” Cannon, with Brittany Bell on February 21, 2017.

Cannon was hospitalized on January 4, 2012, for treatment of “mild kidney failure”, and again on February 17 after a pulmonary embolism. On March 5 he announced that his kidney problems were due to lupus nephritis. Cannon enrolled at Howard University in 2016.

On June 2, 2016, Cannon had an interview with Tim Westwood. Westwood said, “Last time I saw you, you were getting ready to battle Eminem.” Cannon responded, “I’m still ready! I’m trying to find him. Where is he? … We gonna be out in the States for the BET Awards. I’m holding a $100,000 battle — whoever wants it — but it has to be someone who can put up 100 grand … I done reached out to Tyga, he didn’t want it. I went to all Slaughterhouse. I did it like Mortal Kombat, I said I’ll take all of them out to get to the boss.” Throughout the interview, Westwood goads Cannon along, saying, “Nick, you’re the best fam. I don’t think you’d win against Eminem, but you are the best in many other ways.” Cannon plays along with everything and says, “At least tell him to show up to the match. I can’t win by default.”

On June 16, 2016, Cannon pours out his heart in a track titled “Divorce Papers.” He recently refused to sign divorce papers with his ex-wife Mariah Carey. He also mentioned his father passing away. Cannon used some lines in the track as a response for the hate comments he had from Eminem’s fans, who are known as “Stans”. He mentions Eminem in a few lines. He said that he can relate to the drug life Eminem had. “Em, right now I could really relate to him. Drug habits, all the pain that he was in.” The last thing he mentioned in the track, he talks about himself finally signing the divorce papers. “It’s been over two years and I’m the one that’s been waitin’. It’s fucked up that the time that you spend with your own kids is called ‘visitation’? Man, fuck it, let’s sign these papers.”

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and dancer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical styles, including Pop, R&B, funk, soul, reggae, hip hop, and rock. Mars is accompanied by his band, The Hooligans, who play a variety of instruments, such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums, and horns, and also serve as backup singers and dancers.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Mars moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to pursue a musical career. After being dropped by Motown Records, Mars signed a recording contract with Atlantic Records in 2009. In the same year, he co-founded the production team The Smeezingtons, responsible for various successful singles for Mars himself and other artists. Mars rose to fame in 2010 with the release of the successful singles “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy, both of which featured his vocals on the hooks. His debut studio album Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 chart in the United States and reached number one in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It spawned the international number-one singles “Just the Way You Are”, “Grenade”, and “The Lazy Song”. The former won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. In 2011, Mars recorded the single “It Will Rain” for the film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011).

Mars’ second album, Unorthodox Jukebox (2012), peaked at number one in the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, and the UK, winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Its singles “Locked Out of Heaven” and “When I Was Your Man”, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2014, Mars collaborated with Mark Ronson on “Uptown Funk”, which topped many music charts worldwide, including the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. The song won Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the Grammys. In 2016, Shampoo Press & Curl replaced The Smeezingtons on the composition of Mars’ third studio album, the R&B-focused, 24K Magic. The record debuted at number two in the United States, Canada, France, and New Zealand and received seven Grammy Awards, winning the major categories of Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. The album yielded the successful singles “24K Magic”, “That’s What I Like”, and “Finesse”.

Mars has sold over 200 million singles and 26 million albums worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has released seven number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since his career launched in 2010, attaining his first five faster than any male artist since Elvis Presley. As a songwriter, he was included in Music Week and Billboard magazine as one of the best songwriters of 2011 and 2013, respectively. Mars has received several awards and nominations, including 11 Grammy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine American Music Awards, 10 Soul Train Awards and holds three Guinness World Records. He has appeared in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2011 and Forbes magazine’s lists of ’30 under 30′ in 2013, the world’s most powerful celebrities in 2014, and Celebrity 100 in 2018 and 2019.

Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), professionally known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, voice actor and choreographer. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age and performed in various musical venues in his hometown throughout his childhood. He graduated from high school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a musical career. Mars produced songs for other artists, co-founding the production team The Smeezingtons.

Mars had an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, but then signed with Atlantic in 2009. He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals to the songs “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B, and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy, which were worldwide successes, and for which he co-wrote the hooks. His debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), was anchored by the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles “Just the Way You Are” and “Grenade”, as well as the number-five single “The Lazy Song”. His second album, Unorthodox Jukebox, was released in 2012, peaked at number one in the United States. The album spawned the international singles “Locked Out of Heaven”, “When I Was Your Man” and “Treasure”.

Mars has received many awards and nominations, including two Grammy Awards and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world, in 2011. In December 2013, he was named “Artist of the Year” by Billboard and ranked number one on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. Throughout his singing career, he has sold over 100 million singles and albums, making him one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time. However, as a performer, writer and producer his total sales surpass 130 million singles. Five of his singles are counted among the best-selling singles of all time. Mars is now regarded as one of the most successful solo artists in the world, landing 5 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since his career launched in 2010, faster than any male singer since Elvis Presley. In total, he has had six number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100.

Mars is known for his stage performances and retro showmanship. He is accompanied by his band, The Hooligans, which besides playing a variety of instruments such as electric guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, drums and horns, also serves as dancers and background singers. On stage, Mars is able to sing, dance and play a wild range of musical styles, including R&B, reggae, soul and funk music.

Bruno Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez on October 8, 1985, in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was raised in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu. He is the son of Peter Hernandez and Bernadette “Bernie” San Pedro Bayot (b. August 14, 1957, Manila, d. June 1, 2013, Honolulu). His father is of half Puerto Rican and half Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and is originally from Brooklyn, New York. Mars’ mother emigrated to Hawaii from the Philippines as a child, and was of Filipino descent. His parents met while performing in a show, where his mother was a hula dancer and his father played percussion. At the age of two, he was nicknamed “Bruno” by his father, because of his resemblance to professional wrestler Bruno Sammartino.

Mars is one of six children and came from a musical family who exposed him to a diverse mix of reggae, rock, hip hop, and R&B. In addition to being a dancer, his mother was a singer and his father used his musical ability to perform Little Richard rock and roll music. Mars’ uncle was an Elvis impersonator, and encouraged three-year-old Mars to perform on stage as well. Mars also performed songs by artists such as Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, and The Temptations. At age four, Mars began performing five days a week with his family’s band, The Love Notes, in which he became known on the island for his impersonation of Presley. In 1990, Mars was featured in MidWeek as “Little Elvis”, going on to have a cameo in the film Honeymoon in Vegas in 1992.

His time spent impersonating Presley had a major impact on Mars’ musical evolution and performing techniques. He later began playing guitar after drawing inspiration from Jimi Hendrix. In 2010, he also acknowledged his Hawaiian roots and musical family as an influence, explaining, “Growing up in Hawaii made me the man I am. I used to do a lot of shows in Hawaii with my father’s band. Everybody in my family sings, everyone plays instruments…I’ve just been surrounded by it.” When he attended at President Theodore Roosevelt High School he performed in a group called The School Boys. In 2003, shortly after graduating from President Theodore Roosevelt High School at the age of 17, Mars moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a musical career. He adopted his stage name from the nickname his father gave him, adding “Mars” at the end because “I felt like I didn’t have [any] pizzazz, and a lot of girls say I’m out of this world, so I was like I guess I’m from Mars.”

Shortly after moving to Los Angeles, Mars signed to Motown Records in 2004, in a deal that “went nowhere” and a conversation with Will.i.am’s management which turned out fruitless. However, Mars’ experience with Motown proved to be beneficial to his career when he met songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence, who was also signed to the label. After Mars was dropped by Universal Motown, less than a year of being signed, he stayed in Los Angeles and landed a music publishing deal in 2005 with Steve Lindsey and Cameron Strang at Westside Independent.

During Mars’ career beginnings, Lindsey, who showed Jeff Bhasker and Mars the ins and outs of writing pop music, acted as a mentor to Mars and helped him to hone his craft. Bhasker, who had met Mars through Mike Lynn (the A&R at Dr Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment who first heard Mars’ demo tape through his sister and flew him to LA), explained: “He’d mentor us, and kind of give us lectures as to what a hit pop song is, because you can have talent and music ability, but understanding what makes a hit pop song is a whole other discipline.” Steve Lindsey was responsible for “[holding] Bruno Mars back for five years while they learned an extensive catalog of hit music.” Meanwhile, Mars played cover songs in a band, around Los Angeles, with Bhasker and Eric Hernandez, Mars’ brother, who is now the drummer of “The Hooligans”.

When Lawrence was first told he should meet Mars he was reluctant to do so, since he didn’t even have money for bus fare. Keith Harris, drummer for The Black Eyed Peas, told him, “Whatever it costs you to get out here, I’ll reimburse you.” Lawrence responded, “Just give me five dollars back for the bus.” The pair began collaborating, writing songs for Mars, but they received many rejections from labels. On the verge of giving up, they received a call from Brandon Creed, then seeking songs for a reunited Menudo. He liked their song “Lost”, which was written for Mars. The duo didn’t want to give the song away, but when they were offered $20,000 for the song they agreed. The sale of this song allowed them to continue working, and Mars and Lawrence decided that they would write and produce songs together for other artists.

In 2006, Lawrence introduced Mars to his future A&R manager at Atlantic Records, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After hearing him play a couple of songs on the guitar, Bay-Schuck wanted to sign him immediately, but it took about three years for Atlantic records to finally sign Mars to the label, because Atlantic felt that it was too early and that Mars still needed development as an artist.

Before becoming a successful solo artist, Mars was an acknowledged music producer, writing songs for Alexandra Burke, Travie McCoy, Adam Levine, Brandy, Sean Kingston, and Flo Rida. He also co-wrote the Sugababes’ hit song “Get Sexy” and provided backing vocals on their album Sweet 7. His first musical appearance as a singer was in Far East Movement’s second studio album Animal, featured on the track “3D”. He was also featured on pastor and hip hop artist Jaeson Ma’s debut single “Love” in August 2009. He reached prominence as a solo artist after being featured on and co-writing B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” and Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire”; both songs peaked within the top ten of many charts worldwide.He spoken of them, “I think those songs weren’t meant to be full-sung songs. If I’d sung all of “Nothin’ on You”, it might’ve sounded like some ’90s R&B.” Following this success, Mars released his debut extended play (EP), titled It’s Better If You Don’t Understand, on May 11, 2010. The EP peaked at the 99th position on the Billboard 200 and produced one single, “The Other Side”, featuring singers Cee Lo Green and B.o.B. Mars collaborated with Green once more in August 2010 by co-writing his single “Fuck You”.

After serving as guest vocalist on B.o.B’s and Travies McCoy’s singles, Mars released “Just the Way You Are” on July 19, 2010. The song was the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in September as well as several other charts worldwide. The song holds the record of the longest-reigning debut format, spending twenty weeks atop Adult Contemporary. He also released two digital singles—”Liquor Store Blues” featuring Damian Marley and “Grenade” to promote the album, before confirming “Grenade” as the album’s second single, in September 28, 2010. “Grenade” reached number one on Billboard in December and has also seen successful international chart performance.Released digitally on October 4 and physically on October 5, 2010, the album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 55,000 copies. It received generally positive reviews from music critics, and has since sold six million copies globally. In February 2012, “The Lazy Song” was released as the album’s third single. It became the album’s third consecutive top five on the Hot 100, peaking on number four on October 23, 2010.

“Marry You” followed as the fourth single from Doo-Wops & Hooligans on August 22, 2011. Although it wasn’t released as a single in the United States, it peaked at number 85 on the Hot 100 on January 15, 2011 due to strong digital sales, since then it has sold 2,2 million digital copies. In November, “Count On Me” was released as the album’s fifth single in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, it was announced on Mars’ website, he recorded and co-wrote a new song titled “It Will Rain” for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The song was released for purchase via iTunes on September 27, 2011. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. During this period, he appeared on a number of collaborative singles, including “Lighters”, a duet with Bad Meets Evil released on July 5, 2011. “Mirror”, released on September 13, 2011, with Lil Wayne and “Young, Wild & Free” with Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, from the Mac & Devin Go to High School soundtrack, was available for purchase on October 11, 2011. The songs peaked at number four, sixteen and seven at the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.

On September 19, 2010, Mars was arrested in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Casino for possession of cocaine. When talking to a police officer, Mars reportedly declared that what he did was “foolish” and that “he has never used drugs before”. Mars pled guilty to felony drug possession, and in return for his plea, he was told that the charges would be erased from his criminal record as long as he stayed out of trouble for a year, paid a $2,000 fine, did 200 hours of community service and completed a drug counseling course. Nevertheless, during a cover story for GQ magazine in 2013, Mars said “I was young, man! I was in f—ing Vegas…I wasn’t thinking”, he further added “I was given a number one record and I’m out doing dumb sh–“. Mars confessed that he lied to the authorities about having done cocaine before, saying “I don’t know where that came from”, adding “I was really intoxicated. I was really drunk. So a lot of that is a big blur, and I try every day to forget and keep pushing.”

He opened for Maroon 5 on the fall leg of the Hands All Over Tour starting October 6, 2010 and co-headlined with McCoy on a European tour starting October 18, 2010. From November 16, 2010, to January 28, 2012, Mars embarked on the The Doo-Wops & Hooligans Tour in support of Doo-Wops & Hooligans, after turning down multiple offers to open for famous pop artists on arena tours, since the goal was to build a fan base by performing gigs at smaller, more intimate venues.

On February 13, 2011, Mars won his first Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, having received six nominations; Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Nothin’ on You”, Record of the Year for “Nothin’ on You” and “Fuck You”, Song of the Year for “Fuck You”, and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical at the 53rd Grammy Awards. At the 54th Grammy Awards, Mars was nominated in six different categories; Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for “Grenade”, and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical. However, Adele won all the categories he was nominated and ended up by losing to Paul Epworth for Producer of the Year.

On March 22, 2012, it was announced that Mars had signed a worldwide publishing deal with BMG Chrysalis US. In September 2012, when interviewed by Billboard, Mars stated that the album would be more musically varied and refused to “pick a lane”, adding “I listen to a lot of music, and I want to have the freedom and luxury to walk into a studio and say, ‘Today I want to do a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'” He announced the album title Unorthodox Jukebox along with the ten songs which would make the final cut of the album and the title of the first single, “Locked out of Heaven”, which was released on October 1, 2012. The lead single from Unorthodox Jukebox reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and Canada and charted in the top ten in several countries worldwide.

Unorthodox Jukebox was released on December 11, 2012, and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with sales of 192,000. The album eventually peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, almost three months after its release. The album also charted number one in Switzerland and in United Kingdom, becoming the fastest selling album by a solo artist in 2012 in the UK. “When I Was Your Man”, was released as the second single from Unorthodox Jukebox on January 15, 2013, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Elvis Presley the only male who has reached five number one singles on the Hot 100 more quickly than Mars, and reached the top ten of fifteen countries. The third single “Treasure” peaked at number 5 in the United States and had less commercial success worldwide than the previous two. On May 24, 2013, Major Lazer released “Bubble Butt” as the fourth single from their album Free the Universe which featured Tyga, Mystic and Mars on the vocals, becoming Major Lazer’s most successful single to date in the US. In late 2013, “Gorilla” and “Young Girls” followed as the album’s fourth and fifth singles, and reached the top 35 on the Hot 100.

Mars began his second headlining tour, The Moonshine Jungle Tour, on June 22, 2013. It started in North America, and continued through Europe and Oceania, before concluding it in North America on October 18, 2014, as part of the eight shows at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to perform between December 2013 and October 2014. On September 8, 2013, NFL announced that Mars would headline the performance at the Super Bowl XLVIII halftime show on February 2, 2014. During the performance he was joined by Red Hot Chili Peppers as a musical guest on the platform. It was the first Super Bowl halftime headlined by a performer under 30 and of Puerto Rican descent. The show is now the second most watched halftime show in the history of the Super Bowl, drawing a record rating of 115.3 million viewers, only surpassed by Katy Perry’s Halftime Show, who had 3.2 million more viewers.

At the 56th Grammy Awards, Mars won the award of Best Pop Vocal Album for Unorthodox Jukebox and his single “Locked out of Heaven” was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while “When I Was Your Man” earned a nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance. Aside from his music career, Mars reprised his role as Roberto in Rio 2, which was released in theaters on March 20, 2014. Like its predecessor, Rio 2 was a financial success and panned by critics. In October 2014, Mark Ronson announced that he would release a new single on November 10, 2014, titled “Uptown Funk”, featuring Mars’ vocals. The song was a commercial success reaching number one in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and Billboard Hot 100 along with several other countries. According to Billboard Mars was the twelfth richest musician of 2013, with earnings of $18,839,681. In December 2013, he was named “Artist of the Year” by Billboard and ranked number one on the 2014 Forbes list “30 under 30”, a tally of the brightest stars in 15 different fields under the age of 30. In addition, he was thirteenth on the 2014 list for “The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities” with estimated earnings of $60 million.

After ending the Moonshine Jungle Tour, Mars began working on his third studio album. He wrote on his Facebook “Now it’s time to start writing chapter 3”. The artist hadn’t come up with a date for the release, stating “Until it’s done”, adding “It’s gotta be just as good if not better”. Previously, the singer-songwriter was interviewed by that’s Shanghai and gave some details of the new album, confirming Mark Ronson and Jeff Bhasker as producers. He further added, “I want to write better songs, I want to put on better shows, I want to make better music videos. I want my next album to be better than the first and the second”, explaining the writing process of his songs “I don’t sit down and think, ‘I’m going to write a song’, Inspiration hits me always unexpectedly: on a plane, when I’m out or just before I go to bed. An idea will suddenly come to my mind, and sometimes I manage to turn it into lyrics the next day. Sometimes it’ll take me one year to get something real out of it. You can’t force creativeness”. Ronson, in an interview granted to Digital Spy, confessed he and Mars haven’t reunited in the studio since working on “Uptown Funk”.

After ending the Moonshine Jungle Tour, Mars began working on his third studio album, 24K Magic. He wrote on his Facebook page: “Now it’s time to start writing chapter 3”. The artist had not come up with a date for the release, stating: “Until it’s done … It’s gotta be just as good if not better”. On March 25, 2015, the singer-songwriter was interviewed by that’s Shanghai magazine and provided some details of the new album, confirming Mark Ronson and Jeff Bhasker as producers. He added: “I want to write better songs, I want to put on better shows, I want to make better music videos. I want my next album to be better than the first and the second”. In the same year, Mars was involved in the composition of “All I Ask”, a track from Adele’s third studio album, 25.

On December 2, 2015, it was announced that Coldplay would be headlining the Super Bowl 50 halftime show on February 7, 2016. Mars and Beyoncé were guest acts, tying with Justin Timberlake and Nelly for appearing twice on the Super Bowl halftime. They are only surpassed by Gloria Estefan, with three appearances. Nielsen ratings confirmed the halftime show was watched by 111.9 million viewers, becoming one of the most watched in its history. At the 2016 Grammy Awards, Ronson and Mars’ single, “Uptown Funk”, won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Collaboration and Record of the Year. In the same year, the singer was in the studio with his band’s bass player Jamareo Artis, engineer Charles Moniz, singer-songwriter Andrew Wyatt and EDM DJ Skrillex. Moniz confirmed the album was close to being finished and Artis claimed it was set to be released in 2016. The album was to be issued in March, but Mars’ appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show led the release to be postponed several months. At that time seven songs were already recorded. On May, it was reported that Mars and his manager, Brendon Creed, had split after nine years working together, on the same month the singer starred in the second season of Jane the Virgin as a musical guest.

“24K Magic” was released as the lead single from 24K Magic on October 7, 2016. It was promoted with his performance on Saturday Night Live and peaked at number four in the United States. In addition, it reached the top spot in Belgium, France and New Zealand. On 17 November, CBS announced an interview segment on “60 Minutes”, presented by Lara Logan, in which Mars talked about his new album and humble roots. This was his first television appearance in four years and went for broadcast on 20 November, coinciding with the release of 24K Magic, on November 18, 2016. The album received positive reviews from critics and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. “That’s What I Like” was released as the second single on January 30, 2017 and reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it was less successful in international markets than the previous single. “Versace on the Floor” was chosen as the third single from 24K Magic. The album version was issued to American radios, while a remix version with David Guetta was released internationally. It reached the top 35 of the Hot 100.

Mars’ third headlining tour, the 24K Magic World Tour, began in March 2017. On September 10, 2017, Us Weekly announced plans for a TV special by Mars at the Apollo Theater in New York. Later, on September 12, Mars confirmed that he would be starring in his first primetime TV special concert titled Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo, a one-hour special, to be aired by CBS on November 29 2017. The show was produced by Fulwell 73 Productions, alongside with Ben Winston and Mars as co-producers.

On February 26, 2014, it was announced that Mars had partnered with the Hawai’i Community Foundation and the GRAMMY Foundation to establish a GRAMMY Camp Scholarship Fund, in order to support the next generation of music makers with funds to provide financial assistance for qualified needs-based applicants from Hawaii. On September 27, 2017, Mars expanded his camp scholarship in order to include applicants from all over the United States. The singer established the partnership in honor of his mother.

Mars’ donated $100,000 (US) to the orphans of Bantay Bata, who were among the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, in order to raise the morale of those who lost their families and homes. Mars performed at the Make It Right gala, whose campaign goal is to “help build homes for people in need.” He also performed at the Robin Hood Foundation’s 2014 annual benefit in New York, whose goal is to “fight poverty in New York City by supporting more than 200 nonprofits with financial and technical assistance.” A day before a concert in the Philippines the singer donated $100,000 (US) to the “Typhoon Yolanda” survivors.

In 2017, Mars donated 1 million dollars from the show at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan to help the victims of the Flint water crisis. The singer participated in the “Somos Una Voz” relief initiative, created by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, in order to help survivors of the Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Mexico’s 7.1 earthquake.

Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., was born on this date in 1937. He was an African American attorney and entrepreneur.

Cochran was born at Charity Hospital in Shreveport, LA to Johnnie L. Cochran, Sr., the son of Alonzo Cochran, and the late Hattie Bass Cochran, who was the daughter of Eugene Bass. He was raised in Los Angeles, attended UCLA, and received his law degree from Loyola Marymount University.

In 1966, he founded the law firm of Cochran, Atkins and Evans, and earned a reputation as an outstanding trial lawyer. In 1981, he returned to private practice of law under the firm name, “Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., Inc.”

He is the only attorney, ever, in Los Angeles, to receive both the “Criminal Trial Lawyer of the Year” Award and the “Civil Trial Lawyer of the Year” Award. In 1992, he was named one of the 10 most successful litigators in the country, in the National Law Journal. In 1993, he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an organization whose membership consists of the top 1% of trial lawyers in the United States. Although best known to the general public as a criminal defense lawyer, Cochran’s practice consisted primarily of representing plaintiffs in tort actions. Cochran was best known for his role in the “dream team” of legal defense for O.J. Simpson during his highly-publicized murder trial. During his closing arguments in the Simpson trial, he uttered the now famous enthymeme, “If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.” Cochran was also an attorney in the defense of Sean P. Diddy Combs.

In 1995, he was named one of the 10 most important people in TV, by TV Guide magazine. Time magazine designated him, “Headliner for 1995.” In January 1996, he received the prestigious “Trumpet Award” from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Four months later he was elected to membership in the exclusive Inner Circle of Advocates, the top 100 Plaintiff’s Lawyers in the United States. In October 1996, he published his autobiography, “Journey to Justice,” and it was a fixture on a number of Best Seller Lists, including the New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

He also represented former Black Panther Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt, who spent 27 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. When Cochran helped Pratt win his freedom in 1997, he called the moment “the happiest day of my life practicing law.”

In January 1999, he became the Senior Partner in the National Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Law Firm, Cochran, Cherry, Givens and Smith, which has offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Dothan, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Mobile, AL, Atlanta, and Chicago.

His practice, The Cochran Firm, was formed through a series of mergers, office expansions, and regional partnerships, which all specialized in personal injury cases. In February 1999, he was honored at a special reception as one of the top 50 trial lawyers of 1999, by the Los Angeles Business Journal. In 2003 he was the recipient of the BLACK HISTORY MAKER award from the Associated Black Charities. He lived in Los Angeles and New York City with his wife, Dr. Dale Mason Cochran, and his father, Johnnie L. Cochran, Sr. He had three children: Melodie, Tiffany, and Jonathan.

Johnny Cochran, Jr., died on March 29, 2005, at his home in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles of an inoperable brain tumor, according to his brother-in-law Bill Baker. His wife and his two sisters were with him at the time of his death.

Moses Gunn (October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993) was an American actor of stage and screen. An Obie Award-winning stage player, he co-founded the Negro Ensemble Company in the 1960s. His 1962 Off-Broadway debut was in Jean Genet’s The Blacks, and his Broadway debut was in A Hand is on the Gate, an evening of African-American poetry. He was nominated for a 1976 Tony Award as Best Actor (Play) for The Poison Tree and played Othello on Broadway in 1970.

He was the eldest of seven children from a St. Louis family that splintered when his mother died. He left home and rode the railroad at just 12 years old. He returned to St. Louis, and attended school while living at the home of Jewel Richie, his English and diction teacher.

In 1954, Gunn began a three-year service in the Army. He received his B.A. degree from Tennessee State University in 1959. After that, he studied at the University of Kansas in its graduate program for speech and drama. He was belatedly awarded his M. A. degree in 1989. An authoritative black character actor of film and TV, Gunn also enjoyed a successful career on stage. He made his New York stage debut in the original off-Broadway production of Jean Genet’s “The Blacks” (1962).

A co-founder of the celebrated Negro Ensemble Company, he distinguished himself in many of its productions, notably “The First Breeze of Summer” (1975). Gunn was also known for his Shakespearean performances with the Yale Repertory Theatre and the New York Shakespeare Festival.

Gunn rarely had comparable roles to showcase his talents in films, but his large, regal features and booming yet somewhat raspy voice stood out during his 25-year film career. Gunn may be best remembered as Bumpy Jonas, the powerful Harlem gangster whose daughter is kidnapped in Gordon Parks’ “Shaft” (1971). He enhanced that role in Parks’ “Shafts Big Score” (1972). Gunn was also memorable as Booker T. Washington in “Ragtime” (1981). His last major film was Clint Eastwood’s “Heartbreak Ridge” (1986), in which he played aging vet Sergeant Webster.

Gunn also worked extensively in TV. He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of African chief “Kintang” in the first installment of “Roots” (ABC, 1977). Gunn joined the cast of the hit CBS sitcom “Good Times” in 1977 as Carl Dixon, the appliance store owner who marries the widowed Esther Rolle and whisks her away from the projects.

He was also a guest star on numerous series, including “The Cosby Show,” “Equal Justice,” and “Homicide.” Moses Gunn co-starred in South African playwright Athol Fugard’s “Blood Knot” and “My Children, My Africa” in 1993. 

He died from complications of asthma in Guilford, Connecticut on December 16, 1993. He was survived by his wife Gwendolyn, a son, Justin, of Guilford; a daughter, Kirsten Landes Mudd of Philadelphia, as well as a brother and three sisters