Synth-pop is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic, art rock, disco, and particularly the Krautrock of bands like Kraftwerk. It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of the new wave movement of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record executive, entrepreneur, and actor. He is regarded by many contemporaries as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and often cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. For many years, Lil Wayne was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records, before ending his association with the company in June 2018.
Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, songwriter and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, Jones would freestyle rap, influenced by fellow female hip hop artists like MC Lyte and The Lady of Rage. In 1994, she was discovered by fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
VNV Nation is an Irish alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris in the roles of singer, songwriter, and producer.
Xiu Xiu is an American experimental band, formed in 2002 by singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart in San Jose, California. Currently, the line-up consists of Stewart and Angela Seo. The band's name comes from the film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl and has influenced the sound of their music according to Stewart.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is an American instrumental music group started in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1994. The band has had 16 different members in 20 years and put out 25 albums under the leadership of keyboardist/composer Brian Haas. The current lineup is Haas on piano, Fender Rhodes and synthesizers, Josh Raymer on drums and Chris Combs on electric guitar, lap steel, and synthesizer.
The Works is the eleventh studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 27 February 1984 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and it is the band's first studio album to be released by Capitol Records in the United States. After the synth-heavy Hot Space (1982), the album saw the re-emergence of Brian May and Roger Taylor's rock sound, while still incorporating the early 80s retro futuristic electronic music and New York funk scenes. Recorded at the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California and Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany from August 1983 to January 1984, the album's title comes from a comment Taylor made as recording began – "Let's give them the works!".
Terrence LeVarr Thornton, better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record executive. He initially gained major recognition as half of hip hop duo Clipse, alongside his brother and fellow rapper No Malice, with whom he founded Re-Up Records. In September 2010, Thornton announced his signing to Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings. Later that year, he was notably featured on West's single "Runaway," which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Along Comes a Woman" is a song written by Peter Cetera and Mark Goldenberg for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago 17 (1984), with Cetera singing lead vocals. The fourth single released from that album, it reached a peak of No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 25 Adult Contemporary. It is the last Chicago single released with original singer/bassist Cetera, who left the band in the summer of 1985.
"Lock U Down" is a song by American singer Mýa on her fourth studio album Liberation (2007). It was written by Harrison along with Jason Boyd, Dwayne Carter, and Scott Storch, with production handled by the latter, and featured Young Money rapper Lil Wayne. The song was released as the album's official leading single after "Ayo!" failed to find success on the charts or at radio and eventually deemed a promotional single only. The lyrics of the R&B-collaboration speak of a woman locking her man down when she has found the right one.
Out of Ashes is the only studio album by American rock band Dead by Sunrise, which consisted of Linkin Park lead vocalist Chester Bennington and Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Anthony 'Fu' Valcic, Brandon Belsky, and Elias Andra of Julien-K. It was released on October 13, 2009 through Warner Bros. Records, to mixed to positive reception. The album was produced by Howard Benson. The album charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at No. 29. The album spawned three singles, "Crawl Back In", "Let Down", and "Fire". The album achieved moderate success in the US charts.
Brandon Christopher McCartney, professionally known as Lil B and as his alter ego The BasedGod, is an American rapper, motivational speaker, and activist. Lil B has recorded both solo and with Bay Area group The Pack. His solo work spans several genres, including hip hop, new age, indie rock and choral music. He describes his work as "based", a term which denotes a lifestyle of positivity and tolerance; and is noted for his extensive use of social media to build an online cult following. He has released a variety of albums and mixtapes, most recently Bruno Wit Da Pruno (2020).
Unknown Mortal Orchestra (UMO) is a New Zealand psychedelic rock band formed in Auckland, primarily composed of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Ruban Nielson, and bassist Jake Portrait. The band is currently based in Portland, Oregon, America. Nielson started the band in 2010. The band's first album was released in 2011 on Fat Possum Records; four subsequent studio albums have been released on Jagjaguwar, the most recent being IC-01 Hanoi (2018).
Michael Volpe, known professionally as Clams Casino, is an American record producer and songwriter from Nutley, New Jersey. Volpe is currently signed to Columbia Records and Sony Music. He has produced tracks for artists such as ASAP Rocky, Lil B, Vince Staples, Joji, and Mac Miller and has also remixed works by Big K.R.I.T., Washed Out, and Lana Del Rey.
"Ice" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland, featuring American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on August 24, 2012. It was originally the lead single from Rowland's fourth studio album, Talk a Good Game (2013), however it did not make the album's final cut. The song was written by Rowland, Sean Garrett, Noel Fisher and Wayne, while the production was helmed by Garrett and Fisher. "Ice" is the third collaboration between Rowland and Wayne, following the Destiny's Child collaboration "Soldier" (2004), and her solo single "Motivation" (2011).
Trap is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the early 1990s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap," which refers to a place in which drugs are sold illegally. Trap music uses synthesized drums and is characterized by complicated hi-hat patterns, tuned kick drums with a long decay, atmospheric synths, and lyrical content that often focuses on drug use and urban violence. It utilizes very few instruments and focuses almost exclusively on snare drums and double- or triple-timed hi-hats. This is the signature sound of trap music.
Tauheed Epps, known professionally as 2 Chainz, is an American rapper, songwriter, media personality, and basketball player. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he initially gained recognition for being one-half of the Southern hip hop duo Playaz Circle, alongside his longtime friend and fellow rapper Earl "Dolla Boy" Conyers. The duo was signed to fellow Georgia-based rapper Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace label, and are best known for their debut single "Duffle Bag Boy".
Rain in England is the second studio album by American rapper Lil B, released through Weird Forest on September 21, 2010. Produced by Lil B under his persona "The Based God", Rain in England is unusual for the hip hop genre because it has no percussive beats. Instead, Lil B raps over new-age-style synthesizer music. The lyrical style, which finds Lil B speaking on topics like family, love and death, has been noted for its sincerity and reflectiveness.
05 Fuck Em is a mixtape by American rapper Lil B. It was independently released on December 24, 2013, through Lil B's own record label, BasedWorld Records. Intended to be spread across six discs, the mixtape is the longest mixtape release by Lil B which is not a compilation - longer compilation mixtapes include the 676-track Free Music: The Complete MySpace Collection (2011) and 855 Song Based Freestyle Mixtape (2012). The mixtape verges on nearly six hours with 101 tracks.
"California Boy" is a song by American rapper Lil B. It was released for digital download on September 16, 2012, through Lil B's own record label, BasedWorld Records. "California Boy" marks as Lil B's debut rock music release and wias intended to be the title track of an upcoming rock album. The accompanying music video for the song was also released on September 17, 2012.
