Genre: Hip Hop, Pop
Region: Brisbane, QLD
Members: Kel on Earth, The Optimen "Featuring the powerful and emotive vocals of Brisbane diva/MC Kel on Earth (Kafka, Laneous, Kelly Gang, Coalition Crew) backed by internationally renowned producers Sammsonite and Datsun (The Optimen) and featuring a host of special guests including crunk crooner Mr Laneous, Bankrupt Billionaires is a merger between some of Brisbane's most promising talent." - Triple j Unearthed
Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, Texas) is an American R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. She is best known for her singles "You Got Me" her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs "Tyrone", "Love Of My Life", "On & On", "Bag Lady", "The Healer", "Honey" and "Soldier". Her lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound.
Andwele Gardner (born February 14, 1978 in Detroit, Michigan), better known simply as Dwele, is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and producer known for his work with Slum Village, J Dilla and Kanye West. After self-releasing the demo tape Rize in 2000, he released his debut studio album Subject in 2003 through Virgin Records, his second album Some Kinda followed in 2005 and his third studio album Sketches of a Man was released in 2008. His fourth studio album W.W.W. (W.ants. W.orld. W.omen) was released in 2010.
Tower of Power is a horn-based funk/soul band from Oakland, California. In the mid-1960s, 17-year-old tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo moved from Detroit, Michigan, to Fremont, California. He started a band called the Motowns, specializing in soul music. In 1968, Castillo teamed up with baritone saxophonist Stephen "The Funky Doctor" Kupka and trumpet/trombone player Mic Gillette, moved to Oakland, and began writing original material. They changed the band's name to Tower of Power and began playing frequently in the Bay Area.
John Stephens (born December 28, 1978 in Springfield, Ohio), better known as John Legend, is a Grammy award winning R&B singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet and actor signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label. Prior to the release of his debut album Get Lifted in 2004, Legend's career gained momentum through a series of successful collaborations with multiple established artists such as Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. He released his second album, Once Again in 2006, and his latest release, 2008's Evolver showcased a more experimental and upbeat side of Legend.
There are several artists named Black Coffee: 1) <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/%D0%A7%D1%91%D1%80%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B... class="bbcode_artist">Чёрный кофе</a> (Cherniy Kofe/Black Coffee) a Russian heavy metal band, singing both in Russian and in English. 2) A Swedish band (<a href="http://www.blackcoffee.se/" rel="nofollow">http://www.blackcoffee.se/</a>)
(<a href="http://www.myspace.com/blackcoffeebluesrock" rel="nofollow">http://www.myspace.com/blackcoffeebluesrock</a>) 3)Durban-born (South Africa) Nkosinathi Maphumulo has been on the music scene for over a decade but only got his break a few years ago. Nkosinathi, otherwise known as Black Coffee, is popular for his smash hit remixes, most of which have dominated the airwaves in the past couple of years.
Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and five-time Grammy award winner who rose to fame as one of the founding members of the very successful R&B girl group Destiny's Child. After a series of commercially successful releases with the group and a worldwide number-one success with rapper Nelly and their Grammy-winning single "Dilemma", Rowland released her debut solo album Simply Deep in 2002.
Macy Gray (born Natalie McIntyre September 6, 1967) is a Grammy Award winning neo soul/R&B singer, songwriter, record producer and actress. To date, Macy has released five studio albums, one compilation album and a live album. She has acted in a number of movies including Training Day, Idlewild, and Lackawanna Blues, Gray is best known for her international hit single "I Try", taken from her multi-platinum debut album On How Life Is. Other hits include "Sweet Baby," "Do Something," "When I See You," and "Beauty in the World."
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III (born 1979 in Orange County, California), better known by the stage name Aloe Blacc, is an American soul singer, rapper and musician. He began his recording career as an MC back in 1995 when he joined up with hip-hop producer Exile to form the mainstay indie rap group Emanon. Aloe released his debut solo album Shine Through on Stonethrow Records in 2006 and followed this up in 2010 with Good Things.
Jimmy Barnes (b. 1956) is an Australian rock singer.
Barnes was born James Dixon Swan on the 28th April 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, and moved to Australia with his family when he was six years old.
He first came to public attention as the lead singer with popular Australian pub-rock band Cold Chisel, which he joined in 1973 and with whom he recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1983. When the band split up in 1983 he launched a solo career almost immediately; his first album, Bodyswerve, entered the Australian charts at number one. It was the first of a remarkable run of top charting albums for Barnes, as each of his first six solo albums entered the charts at number one, a feat that no other Australian artist is likely to match.
In 1986 Barnes recorded two singles with INXS, duetting with that band's singer Michael Hutchence on a cover of The Easybeats' "Good Times", and "Laying Down the Law", which was co-written by Barnes with INXS members Andrew Farriss and Hutchence. "Good Times" was used as the theme song for the Australia Made series of concerts that toured the country in the summer of 1986-1987. Both songs later appeared on the soundtrack of the 1980s teen vampire film The Lost Boys.
Following Hutchence's death in 1997, Barnes appeared live on stage with INXS at shows throughout Australia between 1999 and 2001.
His album Double Happiness, released in July 2005, reaffirmed his popularity, entering the ARIAnet albums chart at number one, his seventh album to do so. Barnes was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on the 23rd October 2005 for his solo career efforts. Coupled with Cold Chisel's previous induction, Barnes is the only artist to be entered into the Hall of Fame twice.
Barnes is also the father of singer David Campbell, who recently starred in the Australian production of the musical Sunset Boulevard, and was a contestant on the Australian television programme Dancing with the Stars. The two perform the duet "Wichita Lineman" on Double Happiness. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.