Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Like Squirrel Nut Zippers, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy revived big band music for the '90s. BBVD concentrated on the swinging days of the '40s and '50s, borrowing some of the Rat Pack lingo in addition to the zoot suits. Formed in Los Angeles in 1992, the group quickly built up a following by playing regularly on the local lounge circuit, playing to Gen-Xers enamored with the kitschy charm of the cocktail nation. This burgeoning lounge scene was captured in the hit 1996 indie comedy film Swingers, which featured a song by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy on the soundtrack. By the end of 1997, the band had self-released two albums -- Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Whatchu' Want for Christmas -- which were local hits and led to a major-label contract with Capitol Records. In February 1998, Capitol released the group's major-label debut, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, which was not the same album the group had previously released on their own. This Beautiful Life followed a year later. By the time the band came together for a follow-up, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy had sold over three million albums, performed at Super Bowl XXXIII with Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan, and had their music used in over 60 film and TV trailers. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were unstoppable. Their fifth album Save My Soul was slated for a July 2003 release, five years after their Interscope debut. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Cantinero

You try and try, and then when you give up, it all falls into place. That's the story behind Cantinero, the left-of-center pop group that's really just multi-instrumentalist Chris Hicken. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Hicken fell in love with America -- especially the American audience -- when he brought his band Bigmouth to the States in 1993. It was only a two-week tour but the positive response to his band made Hicken itchy to return. He got his chance when Bigmouth was offered a support slot on UB40's tour of the States, a support slot of which UB40 was unaware. Nobody ever figured out if it was the promoter or tour managers who were at fault, but after the "we're here"s and "who are you?"s were over with, UB40 let Bigmouth play a show and were impressed enough to take the band with them for the next six dates. The shows went well and energized Hicken, but four years later the band broke up with no record deal. Hicken tended bar in the East Village and basically gave up on a career in music until he started listening to Boards of Canada and the like. When his roommate -- Spacehog drummer Johnny Cragg -- bought a bunch of synths, sequencers, and electronic whatnot, Hicken spent the evenings poking at the machines and experimenting. Hicken felt his cyber music was the way to go until he caught Ken Burns' Jazz series on PBS and remembered how much he loved the warm sound of acoustic instruments. He wasn't going to lose any of the innovative spirit he found in electronica, so recordings of acoustic instruments were chopped, blended, and folded with electronics in Hicken's home studio. The Artemis label liked what it heard and released Cantinero's debut, Championship Boxing, in 2004. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Biffy Clyro

Assembling in the late '90s, in the town of Kilmarnock, near Glasgow, in Scotland, Biffy Clyro comprises a three-piece lineup, fronted by vocalist and guitarist Simon Neil along with James Johnston (bass) and drummer Ben Johnston. Playing loud combinations of pop/rock, inspired by the music of bands like Weezer, Biffy Clyro first started by playing their aggressive pop tunes in the nearby Glasgow club scene, eventually enjoying a stable and enthusiastic response from their audiences. After releasing their first EP, Thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow, via the Electric Honey record label, the band managed to secure some airplay on Scotland's BBC, which opened the way for even more notability within the Scottish music scene. Not long after, the trio signed a recording contract with Beggars Banquet and offered their first single, 27, in October 2000. During the following months, the group played numerous live shows, including one opening slot for their longtime idols Weezer. In February 2002, the crew offered yet another single, simply titled 57, before the release of their long-awaited debut full-length, Blackened Sky, issued in March of that same year. A year later the more elaborate The Vertigo of Bliss appeared. Constant touring to support the album kept the band busy until mid-2004 when they recorded Infinity Land, which was released late in the year. Three years later the successful single "Saturday Superhouse" announced the coming of their fourth album, Puzzle. ~ Mario Mesquita Borges, All Music Guide

Bif Naked

Born in New Delhi, India, to a pair of boarding-school teenagers, Bif Naked was adopted by American missionaries and moved to Minneapolis. Several other moves preceded her eventual settling in Winnipeg where she enrolled at the University of Winnipeg as an aspiring drama major. At this time, she also joined Jungle Milk, an eclectic troupe of musicians, and married the act's drummer. The marriage was short-lived, but it led to her becoming the frontwoman of Gorilla Gorilla, a punk outfit for which her husband also drummed. It was a tumultuous situation and, although she remained with the act as they relocated to Vancouver, Bif Naked eventually quit to join another punk act, Chrome Dog. There was a brief association with Dying to Be Violent before she finally released an independent solo EP, Four Songs and a Poem, in 1994. She inked a deal with Concrete Records and an eponymous, full-length release soon followed. When the label went under, Bif Naked regained the masters and, in 1996, reissued the album through her own Her Royal Majesty's Records imprint. On the strength of that record, and the ferocity of her live performances and ceaseless touring, she snagged a deal with Lava and, in 1998, I Bificus was released. The record was critically well-received and managed to get some attention with the track "Moment of Weakness," aided by a memorable, energetic video clip. Purge followed in 2001, but the American release was delayed as the first single, "I Love Myself Today," became a smash hit in Canada. After over a year's wait, the album finally came out in the US in the fall of 2002. The Essentially Naked retrospective appeared in 2004 before Bif Naked returned with Superbeautifulmonster in September 2005. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide

Nick Cannon

Once Nick Cannon firmly established himself on television and then in Hollywood, he expanded his reach into music, signing to Jive Records. The young multi-talent made his smash debut in late 2001 with a remake of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's 1988 hit, "Parents Just Don't Understand," which appeared on the Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius soundtrack and also featured Lil' Romeo and 3LW. Cannon returned in early 2003 with his self-titled debut album for Jive and its leadoff single, Your Pops Don't Like Me (I Really Don't Like This Dude). The follow-up single, Gigolo, featuring R. Kelly, was a huge smash hit. In 2005 Cannon signed a deal with Motown Records to launch his own imprint, Can I Ball Records. The single Dime Piece set the stage for his 2006 full-length for the label, Stages. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Canibus

Though heralded as a prospective talent at the time of his major-label debut in 1998, Canibus nonetheless became little more than a momentary phenomenon as his subsequent work failed to match the hype surrounding him. Following some underground work and cameo appearances, most notably on Wyclef Jean's "Gone Till November" remix in 1997, Canibus feuded famously with LL Cool J. The resulting exchanges -- Canibus' "Second Round K.O." and LL's "The Ripper Strikes Back," both spirited battle tracks -- garnered significant attention and, of course, promotion as well. Expectations were therefore high when Canibus unleashed his Wyclef-produced debut full-length, Can-I-Bus (1998), shortly afterward on Universal. Critics unfortunately panned the album and listeners did so as well, so Canibus receded from the spotlight quickly. He returned two years later with his follow-up for Universal, 2000 B.C., but it too found little embrace, and Canibus soon found himself returning to the underground circuit from which he came. He interestingly sought to battle his way back into the spotlight as he originally had, ultimately confronting Eminem of all rappers. The tactic proved fruitless, though, and alienated Canibus even further from the mass market. Even so, he retained a cultish following and continued to release albums independently of the majors, occasionally firing off more of the battle raps he remains most known for.
Born Germaine Williams in 1974 in Jamaica, Canibus moved to the United States with his mother at a young age. Because his mother's career required constant relocation, the family moved frequently and the soon-to-be rapper found solace within himself. His rhetorical abilities blossomed later, once hip-hop became the guiding force in his life. He began rhyming and in the mid-'90s joined a group called T.H.E.M. (The Heralds of Extreme Metaphors), which consisted also of his partner Webb. Following a fallout with his partner, Canibus pursued a solo career and began infiltrating the mix-tape circuit. By 1997, he had approached the brink of the major-label rap game, guesting regularly on high-profile releases: He contributed to "Uni-4-orm," an inclusion on the Rhyme & Reason soundtrack also featuring Heltah Skeltah and Rass Kass; "Love, Peace & Nappiness," an inclusion on the Lost Boyz's Love, Peace & Nappiness also featuring Redman and A+; "Making a Name for Ourselves," an inclusion on Common's One Day It'll All Make Sense; the non-album remix of Wyclef Jean's "Gone Till November"; and most famously, "4, 3, 2, 1," an inclusion on LL Cool J's Phenomenon also featuring Redman, DMX, and Method Man.
Of the several guest appearances, "4, 3, 2, 1" certainly meant the most, as it brought together many of New York's preeminent hardcore rappers and thus ushered Canibus into that same elite class. At the same time, however, Canibus lashed out shortly afterward with the Mike Tyson-featuring "Second Round K.O.," where he rhymed, "So I'ma let the world know the truth, you don't want me to shine/You studied my rhyme, then you laid your vocals after mine." In fact, the entirety of the song directed barbed rhymes at LL: "You walk around showin' off your body cause it sells/Plus to avoid the fact that you ain't got skills/Mad at me 'cause I kick that sh*t real niggaz feel/While 99 percent of your fans wear high heels," and so on. Shortly thereafter, LL sought his revenge, releasing "The Ripper Strikes Back" on the Survival of the Illest soundtrack (1998) and thus channeling even more attention toward Canibus. From the track's chorus ("Can-I-bus? Yes you can!") to practically every line of the verses ("You soft as a newborn baby takin' a nap/Make my dick hard with that bitch-ass track/Where you at? smokin' in some one-room flat/Suckin' on Clef's dick hopin' to come back"), LL unleashed a fury of insults and threats. The media, of course, elevated the battle to grand heights, as even MTV gave the story headlines. In the aftermath of 2Pac's and Biggie's deaths, such confrontations fascinated the rap community, and Canibus certainly capitalized on his newfound publicity.
As for his debut full-length, Can-i-bus (1998), though, the response was sobering. Critics expressed little support, and sales quickly dropped as listeners also felt genuinely disappointed. Executive produced by Wyclef, the album suffered on many levels, both production-wise and rhetorically as well (critics targeting Canibus' delivery more than his lyrics or themes). The momentum that "Second Round K.O." had generated simmered almost immediately, and it didn't help that LL's "Ripper Strikes Back" found substantial acceptance at the time as well. In the two years following the release of Can-i-bus, the rapper maintained an extremely low profile, much in contrast to the regular guest appearances he had made leading up to his debut. As a result, when he finally did return with his follow-up album, 2000 B.C. (2000), few noticed, it came and went generally unheard, and Canibus returned to the underground after parting ways with Universal. He continued to record albums and release them on the independent circuit (including 2002's Mic Club, 2003's Rip the Jacker, and 2005's Mind Control); furthermore, he retained a small base of fans as well, yet his days as the next-big-thing had clearly come and gone, as they similarly had for so many other talented rappers. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Beyoncé

Born in Houston in the fall of 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles started performing at age seven. From dance classes to singing in the church choir, Beyoncé was a natural. She and cousin Kelly Rowland met Latavia Roberson during this time, and the trio formed a group with Letoya Luckett. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager. This situation would ultimately lead to the formation of one of the most popular female R&B groups of all time -- Destiny's Child.

Destiny's Child made its debut 1990 and within ten years, the vocal act had experienced personal and political highs and lows that fueled the group's desire to make it big. Destiny's Child sold 33 million albums worldwide by 2002 and earned a slew of Grammys and additional music awards. "Jumpin' Jumpin'," "Bills, Bills, Bills," "Say My Name," and "Survivor" were smash hits, and the group appeared unstoppable.

In 2001, Beyoncé, Rowland, and Michelle Williams allowed themselves a break from the singing group and tried their hands at individual solo careers. Before landing several movie roles, Beyoncé became the first African-American female artist and second woman ever to win the annual ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year Award. An appearance in the MTV drama Carmen: A Hip Hopera quickly followed, but it was her role as Foxxy Cleopatra in Austin Powers in Goldmember in 2002 that eventually moved Beyoncé from the stage to the screen.

Her first single, "Work It Out," coincided with the release of the Mike Myers comedy and cemented her celebrity status. A guest spot on Jay-Z's "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" was equally popular when it appeared in October. In 2003, she rejoined Jay-Z for her proper debut single, the funkadelic "Crazy in Love," as the press and fans christened her a bona fide star. Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love, which appeared in June 2003, featured collaborations with Sean Paul, Missy Elliott, and OutKast's Big Boi. The multi-platinum album spawned a total of four Top Ten singles. Nearly two years after another Destiny's Child album (Destiny Fulfilled), Beyoncé released her second album, B'day. Its biggest single, "Irreplaceable," went to number one. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Candy Butchers

Throughout the '90s the U.K. music scene was filled to the brim with nerdy cockney types sporting messy threads and even messier hair. Fresh faced Sophie Ellis-Bextor was amongst the first Brit-pop stars to break with this trend. She made it onto the stage in 1997 as the teenage vocalist behind new wave outfit Theaudience. Smartly dressed (often in black) and boasting a sexy, posh voice, she caused quite a stir on London's alternative circuit. Theaudience became known the world over as a groundbreaking pop act and even enjoyed success on the crowded U.K. singles chart with such imaginatively titled numbers as "I've Got the Wherewithal." Due to internal conflicts, however, the group split up and Ellis-Bextor went searching for success on her own. The solo thing wasn't really working out and it took her a while to re-emerge on the scene. But when she did, it was in late 2000 as a major star alongside Italian DJ/producer Spiller. The 6'9" Venetian had just put together a disco house number, titled "Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)," and was looking for a female vocalist to add spice to the work. Though very popular in the clubs as an instrumental, the track started selling like mad after Ellis-Bextor strutted her stuff over its deep grooves. It was a number one hit on singles charts around the world. Spiller and Ellis-Bextor both starred in the now famous film clip to the track, in which the Londoner's eye-popping set of cheekbones vied for supremacy with the Venetian's imposing stature. A year on, Ellis-Bextor was again making waves with the pop single "Take Me Home." Thanks to that effort, she beat the likes of Five to the number one spot on the U.K. singles chart. In their ongoing search for controversy, the British press even touted her as the main competitor to enormously popular Victoria Beckham, previously known as Posh Spice. That same year, Ellis-Bextor served up another chart-topper in the ultra-cool disco tune "Murder on the Dancefloor." ~ David Peter Wesolowski, All Music Guide

Paula Campbell

Isobel Campbell

After vaulting to fame as a founding member of the beloved indie pop collective Belle & Sebastian, Isobel Campbell later enjoyed success as a solo artist, recording lush and elegiac chamber pop under her given name and as the Gentle Waves. Born April 27, 1976, in Glasgow, Scotland, Campbell studied classical cello as an adolescent. At the age of 19, she met aspiring singer/songwriter Stuart Murdoch at a New Year's party and although their romance proved brief, she nevertheless agreed to participate in a planned recording session sponsored by Stow College's Music Business Administration curriculum. Dubbed Belle & Sebastian in honor of a beloved children's book and attendant animated series, the group issued just 1,000 copies of its 1996 debut LP, Tigermilk. Its shimmering, literate folk-pop immediately earned a worldwide cult following that further expanded with the release of If You're Feeling Sinister later that same year. On 1998's The Boy with the Arab Strap, Campbell delivered her first lead vocal, "Is It Wicked Not to Care?" With her ethereal voice and striking, Jean Seberg-inspired looks, it was inevitable that she earned much attention from fans and media alike, and in the spring of 1999 she released her first full-length solo project, the Gentle Waves' The Green Fields of Foreverland... A second and final Gentle Waves release, Swansong for You, followed a year later, but Campbell nevertheless remained a full-time member of Belle & Sebastian through mid-2002, co-writing the Top 20 U.K. hit "Legal Man" before finally exiting just prior to the release of Ghost of Yesterday, a collection of Billie Holiday covers recorded in collaboration with jazz musician Bill Wells. After 2003's Amorino, Campbell kept a low profile for several years, finally resurfacing in the spring of 2006 with Ballad of the Broken Seas, a collection of duets with former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Beulah

Beulah's Miles Kurosky and Bill Swan first started off as officemates, working the mail room at a security firm in their native San Francisco in 1994. While having a small dislike for one another, Kurosky and Swan did share a fondness for music. They two put their animosity aside in 1996 and spent the next year and a half mastering a lo-fi, indie rock style and recording songs. This resulted in the release of the A Small Cattle Drive in a Snow Storm 7" in 1997. Anne Mellinger joined the group in time to record the Handsome Western States EP for the celebrated Elephant 6 label that same year. By 1998, Beulah's rotating roster comprised Kurosky, Swan, Steve LaFolette, Pat Noel, Steve St. Cin, Bill Evans, and Ana Pitchon. Tours with Neutral Milk Hotel and Apples in Stereo brought Beulah to the indie forefront in both the U.S. and the U.K. Before the year's end, Beulah and eighteen additional musicians came together to record the band's second album. When Your Heartstrings Break, which was issued on Sugar Free to critical acclaim, featured strings, horns, and organs for the some of the band's brightest material. Two years later, The Coast Is Never Clear appeared and marked their first for Velocette. St. Cin and Pitchon departed by the beginning of the new millennium, and drummer Danny Sullivan, bass player Eli Crews, and keyboardist Pat Abernathy completed the Beulah line-up. Yoko, which showcased Kurosky's darkest work to date, arrived in September 2003. It was rumored at the time that Beulah would call it quits if sales didn't fare better than their previous releases combined, however they were quick to squash such gossip. The band moved ahead with successful tour runs through North America and Europe while critics touted Yoko as Beulah's best. Sadly, it wasn't enough for the family men of the band to keep it going. Beulah called it a day with a slew of stateside shows before closing the curtain August 5, 2004 at a free show at New York City's Battery Park. Their first ever concert DVD A Good Band is Easy to Kill was released the following summer. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide

Jeremy Camp

His testimony has touched countless listeners, his songs have shot straight to the top of the charts, while his debut CD Stay and worship project Carried Me consistently resonate with fans across the country. Indeed, the last two years in Jeremy Camp's life have been replete with blessings, starting professionally with a phenomenal run of six number one smashes from Stay plus 2004 Dove Awards for "Male Vocalist of the Year" and "New Artist of the Year." The singer/songwriter has also been rewarded richly, especially in light of the initial turmoil derived from losing his first wife Melissa to cancer. Aside from finding solace for himself and providing comfort to others by sharing her story, the worship leader has discovered a new love in his life- recent bride Adrienne (familiar to music fans as former front woman for The Benjamin Gate) followed by the birth of their brand new baby girl, Isabella Rose.
"There's been so much that's happened," admits Camp, as he sits back and assesses the whirlwind surrounding his life and career as of late. "I've dealt with a lot of pain and met so many people that have experienced the same. People have accepted the music, I've met Adrienne, [Isabella's been born] and [I've] just been totally consumed by God's goodness."
Following a steady stream of travels- both literally in the touring sense and internally as the recovery process hit full stride- Camp has penned his most personal record to date, appropriately titled Restored to vulnerably expose his challenging past and rejoice in his peaceful present. The official sophomore project encompasses the emotions of being put back together, carrying on with his desire to minister, while providing an expository account of God's unconditional faithfulness.
"Even with all the pain surrounding Melissa's passing, it blows my mind to think of how many people have been strengthened by her story and how it has led me to lean on the Lord," Camp recalls. "To have that hurt find healing and me meeting Adrienne confirms that God has a perfect plan for our lives. Adrienne has been so blown away by Melissa's testimony and I've been so moved by how genuinely excited and interested she is in serving the Lord. It helps me see that our faithfulness also means He'll never leave your side no matter how deep your sense of struggle may get."
Such sentiments are further etched in the lyrical framework of Restored, which is sure to lend a calming presence to those in the midst of a trial period and hopefully cause them to emerge with a new sense of purpose. Take for instance Camp's candidness on the title cut where he speaks of his once feeble and almost broken soul, citing both the joy over salvation and a new romantic relationship as lifelines from the pit of despair. Setting that triumphant stage paves the way for fellow nuggets of revitalization like "My Desire," which oozes with its writer's craving to wholeheartedly be used by the Lord as a lifelong offering of appreciation.
"All the writing for this record has come from reflections as I've spent time with the Lord, growing and maturing with my walk," Camp contends. "He would teach me different things at different times and a lot of the concepts revolved around wrestling with God and then being brought to my knees."
One such reflection that specifically addresses that spiritual combat is "Take You Back," which will be supported by a short form music video (from the makers of Sixpence None the Richer's "Kiss Me"). The song's stature is two fold, taking the side of either one submerged in anguish that's later settled by grace or a backslidden sinner who returns with Prodigal Son styled sincerity.
Besides surging with relatable and encouraging antidotes, Restored also carries Camp toward fresh musical territory that still stays germane to his signature sound. Included on the menu are stadium filling anthems, rock and roll pile drivers, swelling power ballads and delicately orchestrated reflections. Such a vast cross section stems from production work with indie icon Aaron Sprinkle (Poor Old Lu, Pedro the Lion) plus past collaborators Andy Dodd and Adam Watts. Additional credits of prominence include mixing by Chris Lord-Alge (Hole, Green Day) and mastering by Brian "Big Bass" Gardner (Outkast, No Doubt).
"The most amazing thing creatively was that all my original ideas matched up literally on the exact same track as what Aaron was thinking," Camp confirms. "In getting to work together and become friends throughout the course of the project, we really got an idea where each was coming from musically and it came together with all sorts of cool twists. This record is sonically very full sounding and I didn't listen to anybody in particular to say 'let's get it to sound like this.' Restored is just an honest reflection of how it all came out from those sessions."
Results include the mellow momentum build of "Lay Down My Pride," the empowering cries of "Nothing Else I Need" and the towering crescendos of "My Desire." Add some colorful contrasts, like the gritty rocker "Breathe" and the lushly arranged string swells of "Even When," and there's plenty for fans of all palettes to sink their teeth into.
"This is a really fresh and exciting album to listen to," continues Camp. "There's a consistent evolution that takes the old consistency and adds some new curves. I try some different tones with my voice and tried out a lot of different chord progressions. It's all coming straight from my heart, so there's passion in every detail."
Even greater than such artistic ardor is Camp's insatiable commitment to ministry, which still parallels his days of leading college Bible studies and touring with merely an acoustic guitar. "One thing God's taught me is to be an approachable, Godly man that seeks to live like Christ both on and off the stage," he sums up. "In no matter what way you're meeting me- in public, private or through Restored- you're going to see me letting it all hang out. I really want to comfort the believers who are hurting, exonerate the ones who need exonerating and see the ones who aren't saved come to know Jesus."

Between The Buried & Me

Between the Buried and Me is a thinking man's hardcore unit hailing from Raleigh, NC. The band began in 2000 after the dissolution of vocalist Tommy Rogers and guitarist Paul Waggoner's previous group, Prayer for Cleansing. Rogers and Waggoner completed their new lineup with the addition of guitarist Nick Fletcher, bassist Jason King (ex-Azazel), and drummer Mark Castillo, formerly of Bury Your Dead. An eponymous debut soon appeared, issued through the German indie Lifeforce, and the band supported it with an avid tour schedule. Between the Buried and Me signed with Chicago hardcore powerhouse Victory in the summer of 2002 and began work on their debut for the label. The Silent Circus appeared in late October of the following year; it showcased a more focused fusion of the group's math rock, heavy metal, and post-hardcore influences. Several lineup changes ensued that saw Rogers and Waggoner being rounded out by guitarist Dusty Waring, bassist Dan Briggs, and drummer Blake Richardson. Joining forces with producer Jamie King, who had recorded their self-titled effort, Between the Buried and Me released Alaska in September 2005. Various tour dates with the Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Bleeding Through, and Haste the Day followed. The band next paid tribute to many of their influences -- from Pantera to Queen to Pink Floyd -- on the covers album The Anatomy Of, which surfaced in June 2006, before hitting the road on a subsequent headlining tour. That fall, Victory reissued The Silent Circus with an additional bonus DVD of material. In 2007, they went to the studio with producer Jamie King and recorded Colors, which was released that September through Victory Records and described as "new wave polka grunge" by the band. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide

Camera Obscura (UK)

Hailing from Glasgow, Scotland, Camera Obscura formed in 1996, when Tracyanne Campbell (vocals), John Henderson (percussion, vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and guitarist David started playing together. They went on to release a number of singles, one of them including the contribution of Richard Colburn, Belle & Sebastian's drummer. Three years after the band's first releases, Lee Thompson joined the band as a permanent drummer while David abandoned the crew, and was later replaced by Kenny McKeeve. Keyboardist Lindsay Boyd joined the band not long afterward, defining the band as a six-piece. In 2002, after being referred as one of the promising bands of the year 2001 on John Peel's playlist, Camera Obscura presented their first full-length, Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi, through the AndMoreSound Records catalog, with production help from Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch. Trumpeter and percussionist Nigel Baile joined the band soon afterward, swelling their ranks to seven. The group's next effort, the luminescent Underachievers Please Try Harder, was released by Spanish label Elefant in 2003 and by American indie rock stalwart Merge in 2004. (Merge also reissued Biggest Bluest Hi-Fi in 2004.) For the band's third John Peel session in early 2004, they were asked to put music to the words of Scottish poet Robert Burns, a task the band enjoyed so much they ended up recording studio versions of two of the songs: "I Love My Jean" and "Red, Red Rose." After touring the world and reaping critical success, the band returned to Scotland and suffered two losses -- the death of Peel, one of their biggest supporters, and the defection of John Henderson. The band released the I Love My Jean single as a tribute to Peel in early 2005 and decamped as a six-piece to Sweden to record with noted producer Jari Haapalainen. The resulting album, Let's Get Out of This Country, was released in June of 2006 on Merge and Elefant. ~ Mario Mesquita Borges & Tim Sendra, All Music Guide

Better Than Ezra

Along with such similarly styled outfits as the Goo Goo Dolls, the New Orleans trio Better Than Ezra helped open the floodgates for countless chart-topping mainstream alt-pop acts of the late '90s (Sugar Ray, Semisonic, Matchbox Twenty, Third Eye Blind, etc.) by merging rock with melody and creating a more easily digestible form of alternative music for the masses. Better Than Ezra began as a roots rock outfit with slight elements of both country and punk; originally formed in 1988, the band consisted of members Kevin Griffin (vocals, guitar), Joel Rundell (guitar), Tom Drummond (bass), and Cary Bonnecaze (drums) while all were attending Louisiana State University. Their first gigs were expectedly at college bars and fraternity houses, which was followed by a debut cassette-only release in 1990, Surprise, which received positive press and comparisons to such alt-punk stalwarts as the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. But despite the accolades, the group's future was suddenly thrust into doubt when Rundell committed suicide on August 8, 1990.

Immediately following Rundell's passing, the remaining members opted to go their separate ways, but by the end of the same year had reunited as a trio. Deciding that a change of scenery would be a good idea, Better Than Ezra relocated to Los Angeles shortly thereafter, where they laid down tracks at a friend's home studio, resulting in the 1993 independent release Deluxe. The album continued to raise the band's profile further, resulting in several major labels vying to sign up the band. Signing on with Elektra, Better Than Ezra's new label reissued Deluxe two years after its original release, which spawned a sizeable radio hit with the track "Good," helping push the album to platinum status by the end of 1995. But despite enjoying a hit right off the bat, Bonnecaze opted to leave the group in early 1996 and was replaced by a fellow New Orleans native (who at the time was living in San Francisco), Travis McNabb.

The latest lineup of Better Than Ezra entered the recording studio shortly after welcoming their new member into the fold and issued their second major-label release, Friction, Baby, in 1996. Although the album was comparable musically to its predecessor, it failed to match the commercial success of Deluxe, as the album came and went rather quickly on the charts. The group proceeded to create their own recording studio in their hometown of New Orleans (called Fudge Studios), where they recorded their fourth release overall, 1998's How Does Your Garden Grow? The album failed to re-establish the group back to their heady Deluxe days, resulting in Better Than Ezra parting ways with Elektra and issuing a compilation of rare tracks, Artifakt, via their official website. Undeterred, the trio signed on with the independent Beyond Music label, issuing their next release, Closer, in 2001. BTE took a break before resurfacing in 2004 with a live album for Sanctuary. A greatest hits collection came along the following year, but to the delight of their devoted fanbase (the "Ezralites"), Better than Ezra were not finished. Before the Robots (Artemis) appeared in May that same year, and the band headed out to tour through the summer. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Cam'ron

Rapper Cam'ron was born and raised in Harlem, attending Manhattan Center High School, where one of his basketball teammates was Mason "Mase" Betha, who also became a successful rapper. Though his playing earned him scholarship offers from top colleges, Cam'ron was unable to take advantage of them because of his poor academic record, and he enrolled at a small college in Texas instead. He quickly dropped out and returned to Harlem, where he became a drug dealer before turning to rap.
Hooking up with the Bad Boy posse, he developed a pop-rap style similar to chief Bad Boy Puff Daddy. But Cam'ron didn't sign with Bad Boy; Mase introduced him to the Notorious B.I.G., who in turn brought in his partner Lance "Un" Rivera. Un signed Cam'ron to his Untertainment label, distributed by Epic Records. Cam'ron first attracted attention with "Pull It," which earned airplay in May 1998. "3-5-7" was featured in the movie Woo and became his first R&B chart entry in June. Then in July came "Horse & Carriage," featuring Mase. It made the R&B Top Ten and just missed hitting the pop Top 40, setting up Cam'ron's debut album, Confessions of Fire, which went gold and made the Top Ten of both the pop and R&B charts. "Feels Good" featuring Usher was another R&B chart entry in December. "Let Me Know" made the pop and R&B charts in June 1999.
A year later, "What Means the World to You" heralded the release of Cam'ron's biographical sophomore album, S.D.E. (the acronym standing for Sports, Drugs, and Entertainment). Cam'ron worked with Ol' Dirty Bastard, Mobb Deep's Prodigy, and producer Digga to complete the album, which was released in September 2000. After moving to Jay-Z's Roc-a-Fella label, his single "Oh Boy" became a big hit on urban radio in 2002, and the album Come Home with Me performed well, too. Early the following year, his protégés the Diplomats debuted with the two-disc set Diplomatic Immunity. Diplomatic Immunity, Vol. 2 appeared a year later, and Cam'ron's own follow-up, Purple Haze, dropped late in 2004.
On October 23, 2005, Cam'ron made news when he escaped an attempted carjacking in Washington, D.C., with only a bullet wound on his arm. The next year he directed the straight-to-DVD film Killa Season and released an album of the same name. Message boards blew up right before the album's release when his Jay-Z dis track, "You Gotta Love It," began appearing on mixtapes, and Killa Season reached number two on the album charts. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Bette Midler

Bette Midler counts singing as only one of her talents; at times, since 1972, when she first came to national recognition, it has seemed to be the least of her talents. Still, she has managed to score a number of major hits in a roller-coaster career as a recording artist. Born in Paterson, NJ, and raised in Hawaii, Midler early on showed an interest in singing and acting, and by the '60s she had moved to New York and gotten a role in the long-running Broadway hit Fiddler on the Roof. Midler developed a nightclub act that included comedy and singing of a variety of kinds of material, including show tunes, pop hits, and even a takeoff on the Andrews Sisters, and appeared with increasing frequency in New York with her accompanist, Barry Manilow. She was signed to Atlantic Records and released The Divine Miss M (1972), which went gold and included a Top Ten single cover of the Andrews Sisters' "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Bette Midler (1973) was similarly successful.

Midler's album sales fell off during the rest of the '70s, though her records always reached the Top 100 in the album chart. But in 1979 she starred in the film The Rose, a fictional account of the life of Janis Joplin, and the title track became a Top Ten hit. 1980 saw the release of Midler's concert film, Divine Madness, and her best-selling book, A View from a Broad. Her next film, Jinxed (1982), however, was a major flop, and subsequent records didn't fare well. Midler made a cinematic comeback with Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), but it wasn't until 1989 that she had another pop hit, when her version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" from her film Beaches became a number one hit. This rejuvenated her singing career, and 1990's Some People's Lives became a Top Ten, million-selling album, with the song "From a Distance" hitting number two. Midler's soundtrack album to her 1991 film For the Boys was also a gold-selling hit.

Midler appeared in a television production of the Broadway musical Gypsy that produced a charting soundtrack album in 1993 following the release of her million-selling hits collection Experience the Divine. The gold-selling Bette of Roses (1995) was her first regular album release in five years. Her 1996 film The First Wives Club was a major box office success. In 1998, she switched to Warner Bros. Records and released Bathhouse Betty, which went gold. With film opportunities drying up, the 54-year-old singer/actress turned to television, developing a half-hour network comedy series based on her own life. Though it didn't last long, Bette premiered on CBS on October 11, 2000; six days later, she released a second Warner Bros. album, also called Bette. During the next five years, Midler covered two seminal artists' songbooks, Rosemary Clooney and Peggy Lee, coming out with her first-ever Christmas record, which included a duet with Johnny Mathis, Cool Yule, in 2006. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Beth Orton

Singer/songwriter Beth Orton combined the passionate beauty of the acoustic folk tradition with the electronic beats of trip-hop to create a fresh, distinct fusion of roots and rhythm. Born in Norwich, England in December 1970, Orton debuted as one half of the duo Spill, a one-off project with William Orbit which released a cover of John Martyn's "Don't Wanna Know About Evil." She continued working with Orbit on his 1993 LP Strange Cargo 3, co-writing and singing the track "Water From a Vine Leaf" before appearing with the group Red Snapper on their first singles "Snapper" and "In Deep." In 1995 Orton teamed with the Chemical Brothers for "Alive: Alone," the ultimate track on their Exit Planet Dust LP. After assembling a backing band comprised of double bassist Ali Friend, guitarist Ted Barnes, keyboardist Lee Spencer and drummer Wildcat Will, she finally issued her 1996 debut EP She Cries Your Name; her stunning full-length bow Trailer Park, produced in part by Andrew Weatherall, followed later in the year. In 1997, Orton released the superb Best Bit EP, a move towards a more organic, soulful sound highlighted by a pair of duets with folk-jazz legend Terry Callier; the full-length Central Reservation followed in 1999. "Stolen Car" was a moderate hit among college radio and tours across the U.S. were also successful. Three years later, Orton emerged refreshed with her third album Daybreaker. This time around, she collaborated with ex-Whiskeytown frontman Ryan Adams and the Chemical Brothers. In early 2006, Orton released her fourth album, Comfort of Strangers. The 14-song set was recorded in two weeks with producer Jim O'Rourke. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Calvin Harris

Favoring a naughty schoolboy look that makes him seem even younger than his already tender years (22 when his first major-label album was released), Scottish artist, producer, and remixer Calvin Harris has a similarly youthful and forward-looking approach to his music. Skipping the usual apprenticeship in the clubs or on indie labels, Harris went from posting his own D.I.Y. electroclash music online through MySpace and similar sites to signing with the multinational giant EMI almost in a single step. Born on January 17, 1984, in the southern Scotland city of Dumfries, Harris was first attracted to electronic music in his teens and was recording bedroom demos by 1999. Two of these songs, "Da Bongos" and "Brighter Days," were released as a 12" club single and CD-EP by the Prima Facie label in early 2002 under the artist name Stouffer. With that single to his credit, the still teenaged Harris moved from Scotland to London, but as a very small fish in one of the world's largest and most competitive ponds, Harris floundered; only one of his songs was released during his time in London, "Let Me Know" with vocalist Ayah on the Unabombers' 2004 live-mix CD Electric Soul 2. Returning home to Dumfries, Harris began posting homemade solo recordings to his MySpace page. An A&R representative from EMI liked what he heard and signed Harris to the label in 2006. Following a pair of successful singles, "Vegas" and "Acceptable in the 80s," Harris released his debut album, I Created Disco, in the summer of 2007. Along with his work as a solo artist, which includes touring in front of a full live band, Harris has become an in-demand remixer -- working on singles by Jamiroquai, Groove Armada, All Saints, and CSS -- and wrote and produced a song for Kylie Minogue's 2007 comeback album. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide

The Beta Band

Their sound veering from post-grunge balladry to funk and ambient breakbeat to Madchester acid house, the Beta Band emerged on the British scene as (nominally) a pop group with few similarities to any other act going. Formed around three friends originally from Edinburgh -- vocalist Stephen Mason, drummer Robin Jones, and DJ/sampler John Maclean -- the group later drafted bassist Richard Greentree. Scant months after forming, the Beta Band added a formidable ally in gaining exposure: manager Brian Cannon, the designer responsible for virtually every Oasis sleeve released to that point. The group's first EP, 1997's Champion Versions, featured mixing by the Verve's Nick McCabe. Two additional EPs followed in early 1998, The Patty Patty Sound and Los Amigos del Beta Bandidos. After collecting all three EPs on an album, the Beta Band began recording for their proper debut, a self-titled effort released in 1999. While prepping for the release of their sophomore effort, Hot Shots II in summer 2001, the Beta Band scored the opening slot on Radiohead's monumental summer tour of the United States. Initial recordings for their next LP began around the same time; after self-producing the record and subsequently passing it over to Nigel Godrich for a final mix, the group released Heroes to Zeros in spring 2004. Just a few months later, the Beta Band announced they would disband at the end of 2004, citing the frustration of much critical praise but no commercial impact. The Best of the Beta Band -- a two-disc package containing one of their last performances -- was released in 2005. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

The Calling

Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, the rock quintet the Calling (Alex Band [vocals], Aaron Kamin and Sean Woolstenhulme [guitars], Billy Mohler [bass], and Nate Wood [drums]) fit in well with such ready-for-radio rock acts of the early 21st century as Matchbox Twenty, Train, and the Wallflowers. Kamin and Band began the group after the pair became friends as teenagers (Kamin was dating Band's sister at the time), which lead to them being signed to a development deal with RCA. Instrumental role players were recruited, and an album was recorded. Issued in July 2001, Camino Palmero became a hit on the strength of its single, the inescapable Hot AC chart topper "Wherever You Will Go". Band and Kamin returned in June '04 with Two. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Obie Bermudez

Born in the mountain town of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, singer/songwriter Obie Bermúdez moved with his family to the agriculturally rich Vineland, NJ, at the age of 12. An interest in poetry came first, but soon Bermúdez became obsessed with music and composition. A demo was recorded in 1996 and two years later RCA International issued his debut album, Locales. The pop album drew some attention, but not enough to turn him into a superstar. The self-proclaimed bohemian took a break from music and opted to work in a South Bronx laundromat for the next five years. The customers and co-workers and their day-to-day lives inspired nearly all the songs on his second album, Confesiones, released by EMI International in 2004. The more alternative-sounding album was an instant hit with the kickoff single, "Antes," reaching number one on numerous Latin music charts. Todo el Año followed in 2004 and Lo Que Trajo el Barco in 2006. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide

Calle 13

It took the Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 about a year to catch on, after quietly debuting stateside in 2005 on White Lion, a small reggaeton label in partnership with Sony BMG, but catch on they certainly did. By the end of the following year, Calle 13 had become the hottest new artist in popular Latin music, garnering Grammy attention as well as widespread critical notices and steadily mounting album sales. Comprised of vocalist Residente (born René Pérez Joglar) and producer Visitante (Eduardo José Cabra Martínez), the duo isn't a standard reggaeton act, which partly explains why they went unnoticed for a while. Make no mistake, though. To a degree their music is reggaeton -- the unmistakable "dem bow" rhythm often achors their songs, and Residente does rap over the beats as you might expect -- but there's much more to it than that. For one, the beats of Visitante are inventive, incorporating aspects of hip-hop and characteristics of electronica, and are a world apart from the norm (e.g., Luny Tunes). Secondly, the raps of Residente eschew reggaeton clichés, showcasing a healthy sense of humor and an almost clownish approach to sarcasm (à la Eminem) -- again, a world apart from the kingly bravado of most reggaeton vocalists, and the obligatory glimmers of misogyny and violence that accompany such streetwise swaggering. Moreover, no doubt he does flirt with sex a lot, albeit playfully, if not outright jokingly, rather than commandingly or, worse, violently. All of this, along with some creative and fun-filled videos, made Calle 13 a refreshing alternative to the onslaught of reggaeton overtaking Latin music in 2005. In essence, Residente and Visitante offered a style of reggaeton that was both hip and unique -- one that was OK for women to embrace without a guilty conscious, one that critics (as well as the Grammys) could uphold as trailblazing, and one that was just plain fun.
Pérez and Cabra first met at the tender age of two, when the former's mother married the latter's father. The parents would later divorce, yet the step brothers remained close over the years. Their moniker, Calle 13 (13th Street en inglés), arose from their living situation: because Cabra came to visit his brother regularly at his residence (i.e., 13th Street), rather than vice versa, he was the "visitor" whereas Pérez was the "resident." The brothers were always artistic; Residente even went so far as to earn a master's degree in fine arts stateside, while Visitante studied music formally since age six. They began recording music together in 2004, with the idea of hosting their work on a website, beginning with two demos ("La Tripleta" and "La Aguacatona"). Within a year's time, they began shopping for a record label to release their music commercially. White Lion was a logical choice, for it was the home of Tego Calderón, whom the two admired. Elias de León, the owner of White Lion, was forwarded the tape and realized immediately that there was something special about the music. He called Residente, who was working as an architectural draftsman at the time, and the two men met the following day.
White Lion signed Calle 13 soon afterward, and the label financed the duo's first video, for "Se Vale To-To," which Residente shot and edited himself with the help of his cousin at the cost of $14,000. Furthermore, de León hooked up Residente with established reggaeton vocalist Julio Voltio, who was also signed to White Lion, and the two collaborated on the song "Chulín Culín Chunlfy," which became a sizable hit. After generating some buzz on Puerto Rico radio with lead single "Se Vale To-To," White Lion released Calle 13 in November 2005. The album opened well, at number six on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart; however, the sales were heavily Puerto Rican in basis (the self-governing island is a U.S. commonwealth and therefore eligible for Soundscan computation) and subsequently languished until late summer 2006, when a second single, "¡Atrévete Te, Te!," began getting stateside airplay, beginning in southern California. Another boost came when Nelly Furtado, concurrently riding high on the chart-topping success of "Promiscuous Girl," invited Residente to collaborate with her on a new version of "No Hay Igual" that would be released to Latino markets as a single and video.
The buzz continued to build month by month, partly fueled the September 2006 announcement of three Latin Grammy nominations, for Best New Artist, Best Short-Form Video, and Best Urban Album (all of which would be won). In addition, there was the announcement of three nominations for MTV Latin America Awards; the duo was invited to perform with Furtado on the awards show, too. In fact, the Furtado affiliation proved quite fortuitous, as MTV also invited Calle 13 to accompany the pop singer for the world premiere of the new MTV Tr3s channel targeting Latinos and acculturated Americans in the age 13-25 demographic. By this point, toward the end of 2006, Calle 13 was the hottest new artist in popular Latin music. The duo's year-old debut album had become a Top Ten success, as the pace of its sales grew week by week, and their videos were exceptionally popular Internet streams. All the while, Calle 13 continued to gain notoriety in additional Latin markets such as Mexico and Spain.
Residente and Visitante released their second album, Residente o Visitante, in 2007. It garnered a lot of attention upon its release, dethroning Jennifer Lopez from the number one spot on the Latin album chart. By this point, critics were well attuned to the group, and on another front, MTV Tr3s supported Calle 13 passionately, continuously airing the video for lead single "Tango del Pecado," among other promotional spots. In effect, the release of Residente o Visitante became an event, one that was observed closely by many in the Latin music industry. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Benzino

Benzino may be a rapper, but he's far better known for his disrepute, in particular the discredit he brought to The Source, once the leading rap music magazine. No stranger to controversy, Benzino was long plagued by scandal, from a 1992 incident with the Boston police that drove Tommy Boy Records to drop his group the Almighty RSO from its recording contract on account of "One in the Chamba" (a "Cop Killer" knockoff); to his partnership with David Mays, co-owner of The Source, which he used to promote himself and his music associates in the pages of the magazine; to his relentless attack on Eminem and, by extension, Interscope Records in the name of racism; to his eventual termination from The Source by its board of directors in 2006 and the lawsuits that followed. Given all of the controversy associated with Benzino, his rap career was often written off as irrelevant, a mere byproduct of the power he held as an executive at The Source. Yet while his disrepute did in fact inflict irreversible harm upon his music career, especially his credibility, Benzino was a persistent rapper: no matter how many times his recordings failed to inspire a viable following, and consequently a major label that would continue to support him in the face of anemic sales and mounting controversy, he doggedly kept rapping and kept recording new albums, regardless of whether or not they fell upon deaf ears.

Originally known as Raydog (aka Ray Dogg), the Boston rapper/producer (born Ray Scott on October 24, 1965) began his rap career as part of the group Almighty RSO (i.e., Roxbury Street Organization, Real Strong Organization, Rock Sh*t On, Ray Scott Organization -- take your pick). Comprised also of DJ Deff Jeff, Tony Rhome, and E-Devious, the Almighty RSO made their recording debut in 1986 on Boot Records with the The Greatest Show on Earth 12" single. The group's second release, the We'll Remember You 12" (1987), also on Boot, credited Raydog with production. The Almighty RSO was eventually signed in 1991 by Tommy Boy Records, which released the group's single "One in the Chamba" the following year. The song advocated self-defense in the face of police brutality; needless to say, the Boston police department and local law enforcement advocacy groups didn't appreciate the song, and in turn mounted a public relations campaign in opposition. Around this same time, in 1992, a nation-wide controversy had broken out over the Body Count song "Cop Killer," written and sung by rapper Ice-T. Warner Brothers, which had released "Cop Killer," responded to public pressure by pulling the song from the album on which it originated, Body Count, and dropping the group from the label. Tommy Boy, which was distributed by Warner Brothers, responded to the controversy in a similar fashion, dropping the Almighty RSO like a hot potato because of "One in tha Chamba."

Epic Records subsidiary Flavor Unit next signed the group, and the Almighty RSO flaunted their newfound infamy on their debut single for the label, "Badd Boyz," which appeared on the compilation Roll wit tha Flava (1993). The deal with Epic didn't last much past that one song, however, and RCA was the next label to give the group a shot, releasing the Revenge of da Badd Boyz EP in 1994. This deal was short-lived, too, and the Almighty RSO moved on to Rap-a-Lot Records for Doomsday: Forever RSO (1996). The full-length album, the group's first, boasted the single "You Could Be My Boo," featuring Faith Evans, and is notable for crediting David Mays, the group's manager, as one of the album's executive producers. At the time, Mays was publisher of The Source, a magazine he'd co-founded in 1988 with Jon Shecter, his dorm mate at Harvard University. In 1994 Mays had personally authored a three-age profile of the Almighty RSO that, against the wishes of his editorial staff -- for obvious ethical reasons, as Mays was not only the group's manager but a close friend of Benzino -- was printed under a false byline in The Source. To make a long, many-sided story short, much of the magazine's editorial staff quit in protest. (Benzino had allegedly told staffers that he would "put niggas in body bags" if his group wasn't given favorable coverage.)

Doomsday marked the end of the Almighty RSO, after which point Benzino formed the group Made Men (comprised of himself, Antonio Twice Thou, and Mr. Gzus) and the production team Hangmen 3 (comprised of himself, Jeff Two Times, and Johnny Bananas, the team had technically made their debut on Doomsday). Made Men debuted in 1998 on Restless Records with the single "Is It You? (Déjà Vu)," featuring Master P, and they also were featured on DJ Clue?'s The Professional (1998) shortly thereafter, with "Made Men." The full-length album Classic Limited Edition (1999) followed, along with a second single, "Just You and I." Whereas the Almighty RSO had been a group effort, Made Men was clearly a Benzino-helmed project: he was credited as executive producer, co-produced many of the tracks with Hangmen 3, and opened the album with "Benzino's Thoughts (Interlude)." Classic Limited Edition was met with critical praise from some corners, most notably The Source, which awarded the album four and a half (out of five) "mics" -- a near-perfect rating. A Hangmen 3 album, No Skits, Vol. 1 (2000), was the next Benzino project unveiled, this one on Surrender Records; featuring a variety of Boston rappers from the Made Men and Wiseguys collectives, the album was highlighted by the song "Holla Back (Holla Boston)." As part of Hangmen 3, Benzino also earned credits on albums by Prodigy (producing the song "What U Rep" from H.N.I.C., 2000), Nas ("Stillmatic [The Intro]," Stillmatic, 2001), Cormega ("Verbal Graffiti," The True Meaning, 2002), and Raekwon ("Planet of the Apes," The Lex Diamond Story, 2003).

In 2001, Benzino was added to The Source's masthead as a co-owner and, signed to Motown, made his solo debut with The Benzino Project. The album spawned a pair of singles, "Boottee" and "Bang ta This," and featured a long list of high-profile guests, among them P. Diddy, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Brown, Pink, and Teddy Riley. The Source, of course, was supportive, though even the magazine's self-promotion couldn't compel consumers to purchase The Benzino Project, which sold only 75,000 copies total. Motown dropped Benzino months after the album's release. An article published in the December 2001 issue of GQ by Maximillian Potter may have had something to do with Motown's decision. In the article, titled "Getting to the Source," Potter detailed the magazine's lack of editorial integrity, drawing from accounts of former Source executives such as former music editor Reginald Dennis and co-founder John Shecter. In particular, Potter detailed Mays' longtime relationship with Benzino, including brushes with the law. The article presented a unfavorable view of both The Source and Benzino, thereby giving Motown all the more incentive beyond unsatisfactory sales to drop the suspect rapper (and request that the unrecouped balance of $773,000 be compensated with advertising space in the magazine). The master tapes to The Benzino Project went to Surrender Records, which re-released the album as The Benzino Remix Project in 2002. Though tagged as a "remix" album, it differed only slightly from the original Motown release: most notably, different versions of "Bang ta Dis," "Figadoh," and "Boottee" that featured different guests but the same beats.

With his reputation now in question, Benzino decided to attack Eminem. Truth be told, The Source had never been friendly to the white rapper; for instance, it gave his 2000 album The Marshall Mathers LP a measely two mics (out of five), which was such an outrage that the magazine had to re-rate the album at four mics after an avalanche of reader complaints. But Benzino made it personal with "Pull Up Your Skirt" (as in, "I'm gonna pull your skirt up, expose your true sex"; other choice lyrics including "The 2003 Vanilla Ice how you playin' it" as well as "You was Unsigned Hype [a Source accolade awarded to Eminem years prior] before you ever met Dre/I birthed your little career, now you owe your life to Ray/The five-mic giver, the Marshall Maggot ripper"). The song was included on Benzino's second album, Redemption (2002), which was released by a major label (Elektra) and spawned a pair of singles ("Rock the Party," "Would You") yet sold a mere 20,000 copies. Consequently, Elektra dropped the rapper with no delay. Meanwhile, The Source was publishing articles critical of Eminem (e.g., "The Unbearable Whiteness of Emceeing: What the Eminence of Eminem Says About Race"); in one issue, the magazine even included a pullout poster of Benzino holding up Eminem's severed head. Finally, Eminem responded with two songs, "The Sauce" and "Nail in the Coffin," the former attacking the credibility of The Source and the latter ridiculing Benzino as a rapper (e.g., "This motherf*cker, man, just won't shut up, will you?/Talk about I owe you; bitch, you owe me!/I'm promoting you right now/Man, let's put the nail in his coffin"). Not to be outdone, Benzino released the song "Die Another Day," where he compared Eminem to David Duke and Hitler; compared himself to Malcolm X; and warned Eminem's daughter that she might end up dead. The feud continued to escalate, to the point where Eminem finally sued The Source for defamation and copyright infringement.

The Eminem saga aside, Benzino released his third album, Arch Nemesis (2005), independently on ZNO Records. Mays, who supported the tarnished rapper through thick and thin, was credited as co-executive producer. The album featured contributions from Lil Jon, Scott Storch, and even 2Pac; the latest attack on Eminem ("Look Into My Eyes"); and the single "Wide Body." Still, the album sold roughly 10,000 copies, charting a further decline in Benzino's popularity and commercial appeal. Also in 2005, the downturn in advertising at The Source -- as Interscope, Def Jam, Tommy Boy, Virgin, Motown, and Universal, among others, staged a boycott -- was so damaging that Benzino announced that he would be stepping down from his post at the magazine. For a few days, that is, as Benzino returned to The Source within a week's time and offered a convoluted explanation for his actions. Upheaval at the magazine continued as Joshua "Fahiym" Ratcliffe, who had been appointed editor-in-chief in March, resigned in August after Mays and Benzino alledgedly directed him to downgrade the rating for Little Brother's The Minstrel Show. Also in 2005, former Editor-in-Chief Kimberly Osorio (i.e., Ratcliffe's predecessor) filed a lawsuit against The Source alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination, defamation, retaliatory discharge, and maintaining a hostile work environment; she was ultimately awarded a judgment for $7.5 million, and The Source was forced to file for bankruptcy protection. Benzino was threatened with removal from the courtroom during the eight-day trail. In 2006 The Source's board of directors voted to remove Mays and Benzino from the magazine due to all the damage they'd wrought over the course of their tenure.

As dogged as ever, Benzino returned in 2007 with The Antidote, his attempt to re-establish his rap career. The album was independently released and featured the 1st 48, his new posse. Benzino also made his return to media, establishing the tabloid Hip Hop Weekly with Mays. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Calla

Calla was formed in New York City in 1997 by Aurelio Valle (guitar, vocals), Sean Donovan (bass, keyboards, programming), and Wayne B. Magruder (percussion, programming). However, the band's origins can be traced to Texas in 1993, where Valle and Magruder began performing together in the Denton band the Factory Press. The band relocated to New York in 1995, recording The Smoky Ends of a Burnt out Day with producers Kid Congo Powers and Matt Verta-Ray. The group split in 1997 and the album was not released until early 1998, by which time Valle and Magruder were pursuing new musical ventures. Most notably, Magruder worked with Bowery Electric, Main, and Windsor for the Derby.
In 1997, former Factory Press studio collaborator Sean Donovan arrived from Texas and took up residence in Brooklyn with Valle and Magruder. The trio set about writing and recording and Calla was born. Donovan and Magruder -- who had previously worked together as the Fallen Vlods -- shaped Calla's creative process around sampling and programming, marking a shift away from the approach taken by the Factory Press. A four-track demo was completed in 1998, generating interest from the Brussels label Sub Rosa, which released the band's first album to critical acclaim in 1999. Calla's self-titled debut prized apart traditional song structures and reconfigured the components into subtly apocalyptic, cinematic pieces, at times evoking electronically processed Ennio Morricone soundscapes.
Calla subsequently made the transition to performance, a process that gave Valle, Magruder, and Donovan their first taste of playing together outside a studio environment. Playing live had a significant impact on the band's sound and direction. Having been excited by the debut album, Michael Gira was particularly impressed by the way Calla's music had been changed by live performance, and signed the group to his label, Young God Records. The band's first album on Young God, Scavengers (January 2001), marked a subtle change in orientation. Scavengers was less reliant on studio processing and although it displayed a familiar atmospheric minimalist sensibility, its textures coalesced into more conventional song formats. Understanding the mixture of indie rock and high-concept art that their music represented, Televise (January 2003) solidified their jagged indie pop sound. Collisions followed two years later. Calla went on tour in Europe the following year. Their fifth album, Strength in Numbers, was released in 2007. ~ Wilson Neate, All Music Guide

Bent Fabric & His Piano

Although pianist Bent Fabric (born Bent Fabricius-Bjerre) formed his own jazz combo after WWII and his own label (Metronome) in 1950, it wasn't until 1961, when Fabric's Alley Cat single hit his native Denmark's airwaves, that he really became known in the music world. The song proved infectious, and was released worldwide in 1962, even garnering an American Grammy Award for Best Rock & Roll Record. Though Atlantic issued some more of his work in the years that followed, Fabric never had another hit like "Alley Cat." In 2006, however, the Dane received a bit of attention again after Jukebox, a remixed album of some of his work, was released. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

caliban

German deathcore band Caliban was formed in 1997, and signed almost immediately with Lifeforce Records, which released their eponymous EP the very next year. A hard-working bunch, the band then embarked on a relentless touring and recording schedule, traveling as far as America and Japan while intermittently putting out records like 1999's Small Boy and a Grey Heaven, 2000's split CD with labelmates Heaven Shall Burn, 2001's Vent, and 2003's Shadow Hearts. All of this hard work gradually built Caliban's following and certified them as one of the leading European purveyors of metallic hardcore, which, by then, had also made incredible strides across the pond thanks to bands they had influenced such as Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage. In fact and rather ironically, Caliban's next effort, The Opposite from Within (2004), was wisely panned by critics for succumbing to parody of those very same bands they'd inspired; but the band recovered in time for 2006's The Undying Darkness, which saw longtime members Andy Dörner (vocals), Denis Schmidt (guitar/vocals), and Marc Görtz (guitar) joined by the former Six Reasons to Kill rhythm section of bassist Marco Schaller and drummer Patrick Grün. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide

Slimm Calhoun

Hailing from College Park, GA, rapper Slimm Calhoun grew up listening to the groundbreaking hip-hop sounds of Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, and Grandmaster Flash. In 1994 he hooked up with Outkast and the Dungeon Family crew, who took Calhoun under their wing. Calhoun signed to Outkast's own label, Aquemini (via Elektra), in the late '90s. His Aquemini debut, The Skinny, was originally supposed to be issued in mid-2000, but its release date kept getting pushed back until April 2001. Despite the delay, Calhoun kept himself busy by guesting on Outkast's breakthrough album, Stankonia (the track "Gangsta Shit"), and toured with Outkast as part of the rapper's Stank Love tour, joining in on a medley of three songs from The Skinny each night. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide

Rhian Benson

Born in Ghana to a British mother and Ghanaian father, Rhian Benson had a globetrotting childhood moving from her birthplace to India and eventually settling in the U.K. She began playing piano at an early age, writing her first song at age nine. It wasn't until after college that she began to take her music seriously and began performing her smooth, jazzy soul songs in small clubs in London. Eventually Benson was signed and released her first album, Gold Coast, in 2003. ~ Wade Kergan, All Music Guide

Calexico

Calexico, a Tucson collective of musicians focused around Joey Burns and John Convertino, forged an eclectic identity through their exploration of Southwestern culture. Composer Ennio Morricone's spaghetti Westerns as well as Portuguese fado, Afro-Peruvian music, and '50s and '60s jazz, country, and surf music all factored into Calexico's music.
Burns studied classical music at the University of California, Irvine, before starting his rock career, and Calexico formed after Burns met John Convertino in Los Angeles in 1990. At the time, Convertino had been playing with Howe Gelb's experimental rock group Giant Sand after serving as their upright bassist for a European tour. Burns and Convertino found their voice as a duo during a Giant Sand break, moved to Tucson in 1994, and began collecting instruments from the Chicago Store. First, they worked with Tucson's neo-lounge combo Friends of Dean Martinez, playing marimba, cello, accordion, and vibraphone in addition to their usual work on bass, guitar, and drums. After a split with Friends of Dean Martinez founder Bill Elm in 1996, the duo began to get session work with Barbara Manning, Richard Buckner, Victoria Williams, Michael Hurley, Bill Janovitz, Vic Chesnutt, and Lisa Germano (as the trio OP8). Burns and Convertino also experimented on their own with their new instruments in a home recording studio in 1996, releasing their debut CD, Spoke, on Germany's Haus Musik Records. After signing with Quarterstick/Touch and Go Records in Chicago, they released The Black Light in 1998 and The Hot Rail in 2000.
For their 2001 EP Even My Sure Things Fall Through, Calexico enlisted the support of soon-to-be members Martin Wenk, Volker Zander, and Jacob Valenzuela, as well as members of Mariachi Luz de Luna. In 2003, the band issued their most cohesive material to date with Feast of Wire. An EP of covers, Convict Pool, followed a year later. The concert DVD World Drifts In: Live at the Barbican London was also released in 2004, and the group spent the rest of that year and 2005 collaborating with artists such as Nancy Sinatra, Neko Case, Laura Cantrell, and Iron & Wine's Sam Beam, with whom they recorded In the Reins. Along with touring with Iron & Wine in support of that album and appearing in a cameo in Michael Mann's film Collateral, Calexico found time to record with producer J.D. Foster. The results were the band's 2006 album Garden Ruin, Calexico's most song-oriented release to date. ~ Robert Hick, All Music Guide