Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, producer, writer, and actor. With projects spanning film, television, opera, theatre, music, and recording industries, he is regarded by some as a contemporary example of an auteur for his style and deep involvement in the writing, directing, design, and musical components of all his work. He is the most commercially successful Australian director, with four of his films in the top ten highest worldwide grossing Australian films of all time.
American rapper Jay-Z has released thirteen solo studio albums, four collaboration albums, one live album, one compilation album, one soundtrack album, two extended plays, one hundred and fifteen singles, nine promotional singles and eighty-two music videos. As of December 2014, Jay-Z has sold 29,179,000 studio albums in the United States.
James Jason Poyser is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been a member of the hip hop band The Roots since 2009, and plays with The Roots in the house band for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and formerly, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Evan Peter Mast, also known by his stage name E*vax or E.VAX, is an American electronic music artist and record producer. He is one-half of the New York–based electronic rock band Ratatat, alongside Mike Stroud.
Menahan Street Band is an American, Brooklyn, New York–based instrumental band formed in 2007, that plays funk and soul music. The band features musicians from Antibalas, El Michels Affair, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and the Budos Band. The group was founded by Thomas Brenneck while living in an apartment on Menahan Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick. Their debut album, Make the Road by Walking, was released in 2008 on Dunham, a sublabel of Daptone Records and was followed by The Crossing in 2012.
The Blueprint 3 is the eleventh studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released September 8, 2009, on Roc Nation and Roc-A-Fella, through distribution from Asylum Records and Atlantic Records. It is the third album in the Blueprint series, preceded by The Blueprint (2001) and The Blueprint2: The Gift & The Curse (2002). Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at several recording studios and was handled by Kanye West, No I.D., The Neptunes, Jeff Bhasker, Al Shux, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, The Inkredibles, Swizz Beatz, and Timbaland. The album also features guest appearances by Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake, Kid Cudi, Young Jeezy, J. Cole and Alicia Keys among others.
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, also known by his stage name Kid Cudi, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Cudi moved to New York City in pursuit of a musical career, where he first gained recognition for his song "Day 'n' Nite". Initially self-published on his MySpace page, the song became a hit online and served as a catalyst for Cudi to team up with record producers Plain Pat and Emile Haynie to record his first full-length project, a mixtape titled A Kid Named Cudi (2008). Its release helped Cudi rise to prominence and establish a fanbase, catching the attention of rapper Kanye West—who signed Cudi to his GOOD Music label by late 2008.
"Welcome to Heartbreak" is a song by American rapper and record producer Kanye West from his fourth studio album, 808s & Heartbreak (2008). The song features a guest appearance from Kid Cudi on his debut collaboration with West, as well as background vocals by Jeff Bhasker. It was produced by West, with co-production from Bhasker and Plain Pat; the three of them served as the songwriters alongside Kid Cudi. The inspiration behind the song was a conversation West had with Dave Sirulnick, who showed him some pictures of his children. A hip pop number, it has electronic instrumentation that is reliant on piano. In the lyrics of the song, West mentions trying to fill the lack of substance in his life with extravagant materialistic items.
Jason Goldwatch is an American music video director and commercial director and self described "disrupter" who is a co-founder and Executive Creative Director of Decon / Mass Appeal creative agency and record label based in New York.
Jeymes Samuel, also known by his stage name The Bullitts, is a British singer-songwriter, music producer and filmmaker. His debut album, They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories..., was issued in 2013. The Harder They Fall, released in 2021, was his feature film directorial debut, which won him the 2021 BAFTA Award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.
"Soundtrack 2 My Life" is a song by American recording artist Kid Cudi, taken from his debut studio album Man on the Moon: The End of Day (2009). The lyrics were written by Cudi, while the music was written by American record producer Emile Haynie. The song’s music video, directed by Jason Goldwatch, was released in 2010.
"A Star Is Born" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Jay-Z from his eleventh studio album The Blueprint 3 (2009). The song, produced by Kanye West, Kenoe and No I.D., features a verse from American rapper J. Cole, Jay-Z's protege and the first artist to be signed to his Roc Nation label. In the song, Jay-Z recognizes rappers who have risen to fame in the last decade, such as Wu-Tang Clan, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, T.I., Eminem and 50 Cent. Notably, Jay-Z also gives shout-outs to Mobb Deep, Nas and two artists whom he had previously insulted on his 2001 song "Takeover".
The Great Gatsby: Music from Baz Luhrmann's Film is the soundtrack album to the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. Interscope Records released it on May 6, 2013. The album was produced by Baz Luhrmann and Anton Monsted, with Jay-Z serving as the album's executive producer. The soundtrack comprises fourteen songs, including new material and cover versions performed by various artists. It contains a mixture of genre, including hip hop, jazz, and alternative music. Luhrmann specifically selected these styles of music to better immerse the audience into the story of The Great Gatsby.
Entergalactic is a 2022 adult animated music television special created by American musician and actor Kid Cudi, that serves as a visual companion piece to the album of the same name. Initially announced as a television series, in August 2022, Entergalactic was then redeveloped as a TV special. The special premiered on September 30, 2022, exclusively on Netflix, simultaneously with the album.
The Harder They Fall is a 2021 American Western film directed by Jeymes Samuel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Boaz Yakin. The film stars Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, and Deon Cole. It is one of few Westerns whose principal cast members are all Black. Its characters are based on real cowboys, lawmen, and outlaws of the nineteenth-century American West.
Kid Cudi is an American actor, producer, film composer, music video director and musician.
Entergalactic is the eighth studio album by American musician Kid Cudi. The album was issued on September 30, 2022, by Republic Records and Cudi's Wicked Awesome imprint. The album was released alongside its visual component, an adult animated special of the same name, starring Cudi, exclusively on Netflix. This album features guest vocals from Ty Dolla Sign, 2 Chainz, Steve Aoki and Don Toliver.
Elvis (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the biographical film Elvis, based on the life of American singer-actor Elvis Presley. The soundtrack was released by RCA Records on June 24, 2022, the same day as the film's theatrical release. The album is produced by Baz Luhrmann and Anton Monstead who also worked on the soundtrack of The Great Gatsby.
The Book of Clarence is a 2023 American biblical comedy-drama film written and directed by Jeymes Samuel, and produced by Samuel, Jay-Z, James Lassiter, and Tendo Nagenda. The film stars LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Micheal Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. It follows a struggling down-on-his-luck man named Clarence living in A.D. 33 Jerusalem who looks to capitalize on the rise of Jesus Christ, by claiming to be a new Messiah sent by God, in an attempt to free himself of debt and start a life of glory for himself.
