Deep Cotton is an American funk duo based in Atlanta, whose members are Chuck Lightning and Nate "Rocket" Wonder. [1] Part of the Wondaland Arts Society, [2] [3] they are also sometimes called the "Punk Prophets". [4]
Lightning and Wonder met in 2002 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. [5] The pair were roommates, and began collaborating when Lightning overheard Wonder playing music and started shouting to his music. Wonder said this became a competition to see who could "out-crazy" the other person, and their musical collaboration is basically a chance to do "whatever the hell we want." [6]
They produce music, including that of Janelle Monáe, another co-founder of the Wondaland collective. [3] They began to gain notoriety of their own after their song "We're Far Enough from Heaven Now We Can Freak Out" was featured in a Sonos commercial featuring Monáe. [7] [8] The single was released in October 2012. [9]
Wonder is the older brother of Roman GianArthur, another member of the Wondaland Arts Collective. [10]
Janelle Monáe Robinson is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. Monáe has also been honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award; as well as the Rising Star Award (2015) and the Trailblazer of the Year Award (2018) from Billboard Women in Music.
Alan Ferguson is an American music video director. He is the son of the late Winifred Hocker Ferguson and the late William Alfred Ferguson Sr. His father was a U.S. Army veteran and a postal worker.
The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe, released on May 18, 2010, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records, and Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place at Wondaland Studios in Atlanta and was primarily handled by Monáe, Nate "Rocket" Wonder, and Chuck Lightning, with only one song without production by Monáe. She also collaborated for certain songs with Saul Williams, Big Boi, of Montreal, and Deep Cotton.
"Cold War" is a song recorded by American musician Janelle Monáe, released as the second single from her debut studio album The ArchAndroid (2010). The song was written and produced by Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III, and Charles Joseph II. It was released via Monáe's website on February 12, 2010, one day after the release of the album's first single, "Tightrope". A fast-paced new wave and Afro-funk track with a futuristic feel, its drum pattern has received several comparisons to that of the 2000 single "B.O.B" by OutKast, whose member Big Boi was one of her mentors and was featured on "Tightrope". Music critics acclaimed the song as one of the best tracks from The ArchAndroid. The music video, consisting of a single shot of Monáe against a black wall and expressing various emotions as the song progresses, has been praised by critics as a unique piece of art.
The Electric Lady is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe, released on September 6, 2013, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. It is the follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (2010), and likewise, received universal acclaim from music critics. This album serves as the fourth and fifth installments of her seven-part Metropolis concept series. Musically, The Electric Lady incorporates influences of hip hop soul, funk, gospel, jazz, rock, pop, and reggae.
Jidenna Theodore Mobisson, known mononymously as Jidenna, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He signed with Janelle Monáe's record label Wondaland Arts Society, an imprint of Epic Records to release his debut single, "Classic Man" in 2015. The song peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was followed up with the single "Yoga" that same year. Both of which preceded the release of Wondaland's debut compilation project, The Eephus (2015). Jidenna's debut studio album, The Chief (2017) peaked at number 38 on the Billboard 200. His second album, 85 to Africa (2019) explored the afro fusion musical style.
"Yoga" is a song by American singer Janelle Monáe and Nigerian-American rapper Jidenna. It was released on March 31, 2015 as the second single from the collective EP, The Eephus. A departure from Monáe's well-known indie funk and psychedelic sound, "Yoga" is a hip hop and trap record with a more mainstream sound and lyrics that can be interpreted as "sexualized". Many music blogs and publications have praised Monáe for her creativity, sense of individuality and boldness on the track as well as Jidenna's relaxed flow. The song was produced by Nate "Rocket" Wonder, Nana Kwabena and Jidenna. In the United States, "Yoga" became Monáe's first single as a lead artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100; the song, "We Are Young" on which she was featured, peaked at number one in 2012.
Wondaland Presents: The Eephus is the second extended play (EP) by the artists signed to Wondaland Records. It was released on August 14, 2015, by Epic Records and Sony Music. The EP includes five tracks, featuring Janelle Monáe, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, Deep Cotton and St. Beauty. The sixth track is the remix to Jidenna's "Classic Man" featuring Kendrick Lamar, and it is included with the EP on iTunes.
"Classic Man" is a song by Nigerian-American rapper Jidenna, released on February 3, 2015, as his commercial debut single by Epic Records. The song, which features vocals from fellow American singer Roman GianArthur, was included on Janelle Monáe's Wondaland Records collective EP, The Eephus, as the lead single. In December 2015, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance. The song was produced by Jidenna, alongside Nana Kwabena and Nate "Rocket" Wonder.
"Hell You Talmbout" is a 2015 protest song by Janelle Monáe and the members of her Wondaland artist collective, including Deep Cotton, George 2.0, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, and St. Beauty.
St. Beauty was an American musical duo consisting of singers Alexe Belle and Isis Valentino. The duo was affiliated with a larger artistic collective called Wondaland Art Society, a group of musicians that also includes Janelle Monáe, Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, and Deep Cotton. Both the duo and the collective are based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Roman GianArthur is an American R&B musician, singer, songwriter and record producer known for his collaborations with artists Janelle Monáe and Jidenna. He is a member of Monae's Wondaland Arts Collective, and was featured on Jidenna's Grammy-nominated single "Classic Man". He has also contributed to Monae's albums The ArchAndroid and The Electric Lady. His single "iKnow" was featured on the EP Wondaland Presents: The Eephus. In September 2015, Rolling Stone named GianArthur to a list of "10 New Artists You Need to Know."
The 2015 Soul Train Music Awards was held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Centric and BET on November 29, 2015. Jill Scott was honored with Soul Train Awards' first ever Lady of Soul Award. The ceremony, hosted by Erykah Badu, honored artists in 12 different categories. American singer, songwriter and poet Jill Scott was honored with the Lady of Soul Award for her contributions to the music industry.
Nana Kwabena Tuffuor is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ and sound engineer. He is most noted for co-producing Jidenna's certified platinum single, "Classic Man." In 2015, the song was nominated for a Grammy at the 58th annual Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Tuffuor also co-produced "Made To Love" by John Legend and "Yoga," featuring Jidenna and Janelle Monáe.
The Chief is the debut studio album by Nigerian-American hip hop recording artist Jidenna, released on February 17, 2017, by Wondaland and Epic Records. It features guest appearances from fellow labelmates Roman GianArthur, Nana Kwabena, Janelle Monáe and St. Beauty. The album's artwork pays homage to Boz Scaggs' 1980 album Middle Man. It garnered positive reviews from critics for its globe-trotting, genre-hopping production and showcasing Jidenna's charismatic delivery and knack for narrative storytelling. The Chief debuted at number 38 on the Billboard 200 and spawned four singles: "Long Live the Chief", "Chief Don't Run", "Little Bit More" and "The Let Out".
Dirty Computer is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe, released on April 27, 2018, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records. It is the follow-up to her studio albums The ArchAndroid (2010) and The Electric Lady (2013) and her first album not to continue the Cindi Mayweather Metropolis narrative.
"Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" is a song by American singer Janelle Monáe. It was released as a free digital download in September 2009 as a promotional song for Kia Motors' Kia Soul Collective project, and was the first song announced from Monáe's debut studio album The ArchAndroid (2010). Critics praised Monáe's vocal range and delivery of the song, as well as a mix of genres such as rock and roll and new wave. Monáe often performs the song as the closer to her live performances.
The Hooligans in Wondaland Tour was a concert tour that was headlined by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe to support Mars' and Monáe's 2010 debut studio albums, Doo-Wops & Hooligans and The ArchAndroid, respectively. The co-headlining concerts were announced in February 2011; it coincided with their performances at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. In April 2011, a promotional trailer was released through Mars's YouTube channel and a dedicated website, which was designed to further promote the tour. The concerts took place in North America in May and June of that year.
Dirty Computer is a 2018 dystopian musical science fiction film. It serves as a visual companion to Dirty Computer, the third studio album by Janelle Monáe. Billed as an "emotion picture", Dirty Computer tells the story of android Jane 57821 and her struggles as she "attempts to break free from the constraints of a totalitarian society that forcibly makes [her] comply with its homophobic beliefs". The film was produced by Wondaland, Monáe's multimedia production company, and was directed by Andrew Donoho and Chuck Lightning, with the music video portions of the film directed by Donoho, Lacey Duke, Alan Ferguson, and Emma Westenberg.
Lady and the Tramp (Original Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album for the 2019 film of the same name, produced by Walt Disney Pictures, which itself adapted from Disney's 1955 animated film. The original songs from the 1955 film written by Sonny Burke and Peggy Lee were included, alongside two new songs written by Nate "Rocket" Wonder and Roman GianArthur of Wondaland, and Janelle Monáe: a re-worked version of the Siamese Cat song, titled "What a Shame" and an original song titled "That's Enough" (performed by Monáe) being curated for the film. All the tracks were produced by Joseph Trapanese, who also composed the film's score. The album containing both the songs and score, were released on November 12, 2019 alongside the film.