N.W.A was an American hip hop group from Compton, California. They were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and are widely considered one of the greatest and most influential groups in the history of hip hop music.
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American singer, songwriter, composer, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, author and visual artist.
Anthony Frank Hawk is an American retired professional skateboarder. He is also an actor, stuntman, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. Hawk completed the first documented 900, licensed a video game series published by Activision, and is one of the pioneers of modern vertical skateboarding.
O'Shea Jackson, known commonly by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper, actor, producer, director and writer. Ice Cube initially gained recognition in 1986 as a member of the hip hop group N.W.A., which gained commercial success prior to disbanding around the time N.W.A formed. Ice Cube, alongside Dr. Dre and Eazy E, formed the group N.W.A, where he gained extreme notoriety as the group's primary songwriter and performer, noted for becoming one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and pushing the boundaries of lyrical content in mainstream popular music, as well as visual imagery in music videos.
Yo-Yo is a Grammy nominated American rapper, actress and entrepreneur. Much of her music has advocated female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop music. She is the protégé of gangsta rapper Ice Cube. Yo-Yo dubbed her crew the IBWC, which stood for the Intelligent Black Woman's Coalition.
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper from Queens. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, and a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana", but on other occasions he has stated that it stands for "Genius".
Solange Piaget Knowles, also known mononymously as Solange, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, performance artist, and actress. Expressing an interest in music from an early age, Knowles had several temporary stints as a backup dancer for Destiny's Child, which featured her elder sister, Beyoncé, among its members, before signing with her father Mathew Knowles's Music World Entertainment label. At age 16, Knowles released her first studio album Solo Star (2002). Between 2005 and 2007, Knowles had several minor acting roles, including the direct-to-video Bring It On: All or Nothing (2006) and continued writing music for Beyoncé and for former Destiny's Child group members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 American comedy film produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt, Sean Covel and Jory Weitz, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the title character, for which he was paid $1,000. After the film's runaway success, Heder re-negotiated his compensation and received a cut of the profits. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca. Napoleon Dynamite was acquired at the Sundance Film Festival by Fox Searchlight Pictures, who partnered up with MTV Films and Paramount Pictures for the release. It was filmed in and near Franklin County, Idaho in the summer of 2003. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. Most of the situations in the movie are loosely based on Hess' life. The film's total worldwide gross revenue was $46,122,713. The film has since developed a cult following. The film has since been voted at number 14 on Bravo's 100 funniest movies.
Mates of State are an American indie pop duo, active since 1997. The group consists of the husband-and-wife team of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel.
Jonathan Joseph Heder is an American actor and producer. His feature film debut came in 2004 best known as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite. He has also acted in the films The Benchwarmers, School for Scoundrels, Blades of Glory, Mama's Boy, When in Rome, and Walt Before Mickey as Roy Disney, and provided voice talents in the animated films Monster House, Surf's Up, and Pinocchio, as well as the Napoleon Dynamite animated series.
Gleaming the Cube is an American film released in 1989. It featured Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder investigating the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.
"Gabba Gabba Hey" is a catchphrase associated with the punk rock band the Ramones. The phrase is included in the song "Pinhead" (1977), which contains the lyrics: "Gabba gabba, we accept you, we accept you, one of us." The song ends with: "Gabba gabba hey, gabba gabba hey!..."
Christian Richards Jacobs is an American musician, television producer, voice actor and former child actor. He is perhaps most recognized as the co-creator of the award-winning Nick Jr. children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba!, on which he additionally serves as a writer, director, composer and voice actor.
Yo Gabba Gabba! is an American-Canadian live action/puppet educational, musical children's television series starring five costumed toys coming to life and their friend DJ Lance Rock. The series premiered on Nick Jr. August 20, 2007 and ended on November 12, 2015. A single theme is addressed in each episode, e.g. "Adventure", "Friends", and "Dance", through songs and short storylines in the half-hour program. Additionally, the show teaches children life and social skills, such as sharing and trying different foods. It also encourages viewers to move along with and dance with the characters in the program. The show is noted for its indie-culture guest stars and bands, and for drawing visual inspiration from 8-bit video games and H.R. Pufnstuf, among other television shows. Created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, the show's learning process has parents, older siblings, and younger chlidren watch the show together rather than letting it act as a babysitter. The television program has spawned a touring live stage show, several toys and branded clothing. Trademarks relating to Yo Gabba Gabba! and its characters are held by GabbaCaDabra, LLC in partnership with The Magic Store and WildBrain.
Blades of Glory is a 2007 American sports comedy film directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck and starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as a mismatched pair of banned figure skaters who become teammates upon discovering a loophole that will allow them to compete in the sport again. The film's story was conceived by Busy Philipps, who "fleshed out the screenplay"; co-writers Jeff and Craig Cox, however, dropped her name from the script. The film was produced by MTV Films, Red Hour, and Smart Entertainment and released on March 30, 2007, by DreamWorks Pictures.
Linda Porter was an American character actress. She appeared in numerous feature films, television programs, advertisements and music videos—most prominently in the series Superstore and Twin Peaks and the film Dude, Where's My Car? She died of cancer on September 25, 2019.
Kim Hyun-ah, better known by the mononym Hyuna, is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper and model. She debuted as a member of the girl group Wonder Girls in February 2007. After leaving the ensemble shortly after, Hyuna subsequently left JYP Entertainment and joined the girl group 4Minute, under Cube Entertainment. 4Minute debuted in June 2009 and went on to become one of the most popular girl groups in the country.
I Am the West is the ninth studio album by American rapper Ice Cube. It was released on September 28, 2010 by Lench Mob Records and EMI.
Parker LeGrand Jacobs is an American artist, musician and former child actor. He is known for his work as an art director on the children's television series Yo Gabba Gabba!, for which he has been nominated for four Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as for his involvement with the Californian bands GOGO13, The Aquabats and The Sandfleas.
Dead Grandma is a 10-episode comedy Web series created by Will Kindrick. It is written by Kindrick, Courtney Branning, Matt Heder and is produced by Mummy Space Island Productions. The series follows the life of a hapless young college student Andy, whose grandma comes back from the dead to help him find love. The series is hosted by Jon Heder who begins each episode with a campy intro reminiscent of the openings of nostalgic shows such as Masterpiece Theater and The Wonderful World of Disney.
