The Game History

Jayceon Terrell Taylor (born November 29, 1979), better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, and his two Grammy nominations. Since then, he is considered to be a driving force in bringing back the West Coast hip hop scene into the mainstream and competing with many of his East Coast counterparts.

Aside from releasing two albums that debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, Game has gained notoriety for involvement in feuds with other rappers. His music falls under the gangsta rap sub genre, a style of hip hop popularized in Compton, California.

Early life

Game was born Jayceon Terrell Taylor in Los Angeles, California to Lynette Baker of African-American descent and George Taylor, Jr. of African- American and Mexican descent. He grew up in Compton, California in a primarily Crip gang neighborhood known as Santana Blocc, although he grew up to become a member of the Bloods.In an October 2006 interview with MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway, Game described his family as "dysfunctional" and claimed that his father molested one of his sisters. After graduating from Compton High School in 1999,Taylor attended Washington State University on a basketball scholarship before being suspended in his first semester because of drug allegations. However, the university's athletic department refutes these claims. It was then that he started fully embracing street life and turned towards selling drugs and running with gangs.At the age of 18, he began to follow his older half brother, George Taylor III, known as Big Fase 100, who was the leader of the Cedar Block Pirus.

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Dr Dre History

André Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), better known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, actor and record executive. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records, also having produced albums for and overseeing the careers of many rappers signed to those record labels. As a producer he is credited as a key figure in the popularization of West Coast G-funk, a style of rap music characterized as synthesizer-based with slow, heavy beats.
Dr. Dre began his career in music as a member of the World Class Wreckin' Cru and he later found fame with the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A, which popularized the use of explicit lyrics in rap to detail the violence of street life. His 1992 solo debut The Chronic, released under Death Row Records, led him to become one of the best-selling American performing artists of 1993 and to win a Grammy Award for the single "Let Me Ride". In 1996 he left Death Row to found his own label Aftermath Entertainment, producing a compilation album, Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath, in 1997 and releasing a solo album titled 2001 in 1999, for which he won the Grammy producer's award the next year.
During the 2000s he focused his career on production for other artists, while occasionally contributing vocals in other artists' songs. Rolling Stone named him among the highest-paid performers of 2001 and 2004. Dr. Dre also had acting roles in the 2001 films The Wash and Training Day. His final solo studio album Detox is set to be released in 2008 following much delay and speculation.
Early life
The first child of Verna and Theodore Young, Dr. Dre was born as André Romelle Young on February 18, 1965. His mother was only 16 years old at the time of his birth, after being impregnated by teenage boyfriend Theodore, whom she later married. Young's middle name, "Romelle", came from Theodore Young's unsigned, amateur R&B singing group The Romells. In 1968 his mother divorced Theodore Young for another man, Curtis Crayon, and had other children with him, including two sons named Jerome and Tyree (both of whom are now deceased) and daughter Shameka. As a young child, Young was fascinated with vinyl records spinning on phonographs; his family's record collection included many popular R&B albums of the 1960s and 1970s, from such singers as Diana Ross, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. According to an interview with the Los Angeles Times, his mother Verna found R&B music to be a relief from the two jobs she had to work daily. Despite economic troubles, she continued to encourage Young not to give up in life. During Verna's second marriage, Young and his step-brother Tyree were raised primarily by their grandmother and Curtis Crayon, as their mother spent much time in search of work.
In 1976 Young began attending Vanguard Junior High School and had a new sister named Shameka. However, due to gang violence around Vanguard, he transferred to nearby Roosevelt Junior High School. Verna later married Warren Griffin, whom she met at her new job in Long Beach, which added three new stepsisters and one new stepbrother to the family. The stepbrother, Warren Griffin III, would eventually become a rapper under the stage name Warren G.
Young attended Centennial High School in Compton during his freshman year in 1979 but transferred to Fremont High School due to poor grades. On December 15, 1981, Young fathered a son with Lisa Johnson, however Curtis Young was not brought up by his father and they only met when Curtis had become rapper Hood Surgeon about 20 years later. He was nearly enrolled to an apprenticeship program at Northrop Aviation Company until poor grades at school made him ineligible. Therefore, he focused on social life and entertainment for most of his high school years.

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G Unit History

The Unit (short for Gorilla Unit, not Guerilla nor Gangsta Unit, as often believed) began as a trio comprised of 50, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo (often with the accompaniment of either DJ Whookid or Cutmaster C as their DJ), and this particular lineup resulted in a series of popular mixtapes: 50 Cent Is the Future, God's Plan, No Mercy, No Fear, and Automatic Gunfire.
Practically every East Coast hardcore rapper has a posse to back him, and 50 Cent is no different, with G-Unit as his particular crew. Before the group had a chance to record its debut album for Interscope in the wake of 50's breakthrough with Get Rich or Die Tryin', Yayo was sentenced to prison for a gun-possession charge.
His replacement, Young Buck, stepped up soon afterward, and the group continued its activity, working on yet more mixtape recordings and scoring some big-time success on the "G-Unit Remix" to 50's "P.I.M.P.," which also featured Snoop Dogg and got heavy rotation on MTV.
Meanwhile, G-Unit recorded their debut album, Beg for Mercy, over the course of 2003, and Interscope finally rush-released the album on November 14 (to combat bootlegging), preceding it with a lead single, "Stunt 101."
Several other singles followed, including "Poppin' Them Thangs" and "Wanna Get to Know You."
Recently, The Game was dropped from G-Unit Records by 50 Cent. Although there were a number of reasons for this, the main reason was that 50 Cent claimed that Game had not shown him enough support in his newly instigated feuds with Nas, Jadakiss/D-Block, and Fat Joe. He also claims that 50 Cent has not received the proper credit for his work on The Game's album, The Documentary. During a radio interview with Hot 97's FunkMaster Flex in New York City on March 1, 2005, 50 Cent, while discussing the growing rift between the two rappers, was rushed out of studio as The Game's posse allegedly attempted to gain entrance to the studio to confront 50 Cent. In the process, a man from Compton was shot, an associate of The Game's Black Wall Street company, reportedly by a member of 50 Cent's posse [Although no arrests have been made, and a spokesperson for 50 Cent denies any involvement].
This controversy was put off by 50 Cent, The Game, and their respective companies. A formal announcement was made at a press conference on March 9, 2005.
"It's going to be a positive thing for both sides," said The Game. I think it's so much bigger being that the date is March 9 [The day Biggie Smalls was murdered]. I'm definitely going to do what I got to do...[to be] on a positive note.

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Obie Trice History

Obie Trice III (born November 14, 1977) is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He began rapping at the age of 11, and had a number of underground hits such as "Respect", "My Club", "Dope Jobs Homeless", and "The Well Known Asshole" before he signed to Shady Records in 2000. Obie Trice credits himself for having no "rap name", but instead using his birth name/given name for performing, as also mentioned in one of his songs, "Rap Name".
Biography
Obie Trice was raised on Detroit's West Side by his mother, along with three brothers. He was given a karaoke machine by his mother when he was eleven and he used it to rhyme over instrumentals from artists such as N.W.A. By the age of fourteen, he was attending rap battle spots around Detroit, notably including the Hip Hop Shop, on which Obie commented ,
There was a place called the Hip-hop Shop. We'd go up there on Saturday afternoons for the battles. They were hosted by Proof, from D12. I got a response every time I went. That's when I said, 'OK, I wanna get into this music.' "Really, I didn't have a backup plan...
Obie Trice went by the name of Obie 1 during this time, but when he first met Proof, who was about to introduce him at the Hip Hop Shop, Proof asked him, "What's your name? Your real name, no gimmicks." He was then introduced as Obie Trice, and has kept his real name as his rap name. Obie Trice was introduced to Eminem through D12 member Bizarre. Eminem was impressed when Obie freestyled for him in a car park through a window, whilst Eminem was in a car. Later, Obie received a call from his manager informing him that he would be having dinner with Eminem, and later that night they went to a Kid Rock party.

Trice was officially signed in 2000. He first received public attention via a freestyle skit on the Devil's Night album, followed by the deliverance of the opening line "Obie Trice-real name, no gimmicks", off Eminem's The Eminem Show lead single, "Without Me", as well as the song "Drips".Later in 2002, Obie rapped on songs for the 8 Mile soundtrack, and also got a cameo appearance in the film as a rapper in a parking-lot.
Trice's debut album, Cheers, was released on September 23, 2003 with its first single "Got Some Teeth" being well received on radio in a number of countries. He also released the singles "The Set Up" and "Don't Come Down". The album consists of 17 tracks with production from Eminem, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Mike Elizondo, Emile, Fredwreck and Mr. Porter. Artists featuring on Cheers include Busta Rhymes, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Dr. Dre, Nate Dogg and D12. The album was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA.
In 2005, he began work on his second album, entitled Second Round's on Me. The album was finally released on August 15, 2006. Following the release of Second Round's on Me, he released a mixtape called Bar Shots with G-Unit's DJ Whoo Kid.
In June 2008, Obie Trice departed from Shady Records. A misunderstanding was made where it was believed he was attacking the label and Eminem on a single titled "The Giant" but they were quickly dismissed.
Shooting
On December 31, 2005, Trice was shot twice while driving on the Lodge Expressway by Wyoming Avenue in Detroit. One of the bullets entered his head. Trice was able to drive off the expressway, where his girlfriend waved down the police. He was taken to Providence Hospital and released later that day. Doctors are still contemplating whether or not to remove the bullet, as it may be too dangerous to operate.
Shortly after his label-mate Proof was shot to death in a Detroit nightclub, a song emerged on the mixtape circuit called "Ride Wit Me". The song was dedicated to Proof. Trice made a speech at Proof's funeral, addressing the problem of black-on-black violence:
In the single "Cry Now" from his second album, Trice addresses his shooting, as well as Eminem's rumored retirement, referenced with the following line, "Rock City is my voice / The white boy has stepped down / So I will accept the crown." Obie Trice has since given insight as to why he feels the shooting occurred, and has labeled it "haterism", as well as a bad mind state by saying, "it’s a lot of do-or-die type individuals. They want to get that plug and there’s really more to the game then they think it is [...] it’s competition on a real vicious level." As of July 2007, the bullet is still lodged in Obie's skull.
Leaving Shady Records
Obie Trice left Shady/Interscope on June 26th, 2008. This news was first put in to circulation by Hip-Hop blog Urban Lookout; a few days after they broke the news, a track leaked confirming the rumor.
Obie Trice is now signed to his own independent label named Worldwide Hustle.

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D12 History

D12 (also known as D-12, The Dirty Dozen, D-Twizzy and Detroit-Twelve) is an American hip-hop group from Detroit, Michigan. D12 has had chart-topping albums in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. D12 was formed in 1996, but only achieved mainstream success when one of its members, Eminem, rose to international fame and notoriety.
History
Early career
Proof formed D12 as a rap collective of local Detroit MCs including Bizarre, Eminem, Eye-Kyu, Killa Hawk, Fuzz and himself. The group was a loose collective in the vein of Wu-Tang Clan. The original concept of D12 was to have 12 of Detroit's most talented Rappers. However, when Eminem, Proof, Eye-Kyu, Bizarre and a few others who were members at the time, were unable to find 12 Rappers who were good enough, Proof decided in order to have 12, the then 6 members would create an alter-ego. Proof chose Dirty Harry. When Eminem found out Proof took that name, he decided on Billy The Kid. This was Eminem's first Dirty Dozen alter-ego. Eminem and Proof eventually decided to "fall-back" on the wild-west concept. At some point afterwards, most-likely early 1997, Eminem created the Slim Shady concept. Bizarre became Peter S. Bizarre. Kuniva became Hannz G., which later became Rondell Beene. Denaun became Kon Artis. Bugz became Robert Beck. During 1997, and continuing throughout 1998, several members began making names for themselves in Detroit. Bizarre was named Inner City Entertainment's "Flava of the Week". He went on to release an album called Attack Of The Weirdos and become an honorary member of The Outsidaz with Eminem, Rah Digga and Young Zee. Proof won a freestyling competition run by The Source in 1998.

Before the group had any success, Killa Hawk and Fuzz left the group due to various reasons. Fuzz in particular did not get along well with Proof (as stated by Eminem in his book Angry Blond). D12 went through many changes during its beginning stages - leaving only four official members: Proof, Bizarre, Eminem and Eye Kyu for a long while. Eminem then later left to pursue his solo career after being heard by Dr. Dre. D12 temporarily was over. Right about when Eminem got a deal, Proof decided to start D12 up again. Proof was set to find other local rappers to join the group. Proof managed to pick up local Detroit hip hop duo Da Brigade to join. Da Brigade featured longtime Eminem and Proof friend Kon Artis, who also produced Eminem's first album Infinite. The other half of Da Brigade was formed by local MC Kuniva. Kon Artis was just the producer for D12 at the time, but was later convinced to join D12 as an artist after his partner Kuniva decided to join the Dirty Dozen. Kuniva then introduced Bugz to Proof who later joined the group. Bizarre again joined, but Eye Kyu had decided not to. D12 were in need of one more member, until Bugz asked to have his long time friend Swift, who at the time was already a member of the rap duo Da Rabeez to join.

Rise to fame
The first member of the group to achieve solo success was Eminem. After he recorded an independent EP called The Slim Shady EP in 1997 that caught the attention of famed rap producer Dr. Dre and Interscope CEO Jimmy Iovine, and he was quickly signed to Aftermath/Interscope records. Eminem stuck to his pact, and Dr. Dre once stated that while making The Slim Shady LP, his debut album, he kept insisting that he go back to sign the others. Dr. Dre told him to first establish himself as a solo artist, then go back for his friends.
In 1999 he released his hit debut The Slim Shady LP and quickly rose to super stardom as The Slim Shady LP went on to sell four million copies in the United States. Having taken Dre's advice, he had established himself as a solo artist and decided it was time to gather his friends. As a way to establish D12, he created Shady Records under the Interscope imprint. He then made D12 the first act to be signed to Shady/Interscope Records.
Death of Bugz
The group toured with Eminem after they signed with Shady Records. Before a show in Detroit, D12 member Bugz attended a picnic which would end with his death. Bugz argued with a man over a water-pistol fight. As the argument escalated, the man went to his SUV and retrieved a firearm which he then fired in Bugz's direction. Bugz was shot three times and hit by the assailant's vehicle as he fled the scene. The attack was caught on tape and shown on the local news later that night.
D12 was shaken by the incident, darkening the light mood of the rap collective. One of the last things Bugz had asked Proof was to allow Swift to join D12. Unfortunately, a few weeks after Swift joined, Bugz was killed, and the rest of D12 couldn't cope and started to believe it was over. After Bugz's death, Eminem asked if he could substitute for Bugz to help them out and do some shows with them which they were booked for prior to Bugz's death. This eventually led to Eminem becoming a member of D12 again.
In memory of Bugz, the group recorded the track "Good Die Young" on their second album D12 World. The album also included a song titled "Bugz '97", which was a 1997 recording of Bugz, originally from the song 'Desperados'. All five members of D12 bear a tattoo of his name somewhere on their bodies in remembrance of him. The group recorded their first LP Devil's Night in his memory. Eminem's second album The Marshall Mathers LP was also dedicated to Bugz.

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50 Cent History

Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003) and The Massacre (2005). Both albums achieved multi-platinum success, selling over twenty-one million copies combined.
Born in South Jamaica, Queens, 50 Cent began drug dealing at the age of twelve during the 1980s' crack epidemic. After leaving drug dealing to pursue a rap career, he was shot nine times in 2000. After releasing his album Guess Who's Back? in 2002, 50 Cent was discovered by rapper Eminem and signed to Interscope Records. With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre who produced his first major commercial successes—he became one of the world's highest selling rappers. In 2003, he founded the record label G-Unit Records, which signed successful rappers such as Young Buck, Lloyd Banks, and Tony Yayo.
50 Cent has engaged in feuds with other rappers including Ja Rule, The Game, and Fat Joe. He has also pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' in 2005 and the Iraq War film Home of the Brave in 2006.

Life and Music Career
Early life
50 Cent, born Curtis James Jackson III, grew up in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens in New York City. He grew up without a father and was raised by his mother Sabrina Jackson, who gave birth to him at the age of fifteen. Sabrina, a cocaine dealer, raised Jackson until the age of eight, when she was murdered. Twenty-three at the time, she became unconscious after someone drugged her drink. She was then left for dead after the gas in her apartment was turned on and the windows shut closed. After her death, Jackson moved into his grandparents' house with his eight aunts and uncles. He recalls, "My grandmother told me, 'Your mother's not coming home. She's not gonna come back to pick you up. You're gonna stay with us now.' That's when I started adjusting to the streets a little bit". Jackson grew up with his younger cousin, Michael Francis, who earned the nickname "25 Cent" for being his younger counterpart. Francis raps under the stage name "Two Five".
50 Cent's mug shot, August 23, 1994
Jackson began boxing around the age of eleven. At fourteen, a neighbor opened a boxing gym for local kids. "When I wasn't killing time in school, I was sparring in the gym or selling crack on the strip", he recalled. In the mid 1980s, he competed in the Junior Olympics as an amateur boxer. He recounts, "I was competitive in the ring and hip-hop is competitive too... I think rappers condition themselves like boxers, so they all kind of feel like they're the champ". At the age of twelve, Jackson began dealing narcotics when his grandparents thought he was at after-school programs. He also took guns and drug money to school. In the tenth grade, he was caught by metal detectors at Andrew Jackson High School. He later stated, "I was embarrassed that I got arrested like that... After I got arrested I stopped hiding it. I was telling my grandmother [openly], 'I sell drugs.'"
On June 29, 1994, Jackson was arrested for helping to sell four vials of cocaine to an undercover police officer. He was arrested again three weeks later when police searched his home and found heroin, ten ounces of crack cocaine, and a starter gun. He was sentenced to three to nine years in prison, but managed to serve six months in a shock incarceration boot camp where he earned his GED. Jackson said that he did not use cocaine himself, he only sold it. He adopted the nickname "50 Cent" as a metaphor for "change". The name was derived from Kelvin Martin, a 1980s Brooklyn robber known as "50 Cent". Jackson chose the name "because it says everything I want it to say. I'm the same kind of person 50 Cent was. I provide for myself by any means"

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Snoop Dogg History

Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1972), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, singer, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. His catch phrase is "-izzle," a slang term developed by Oakland, California rap group 3X Krazy in the mid-1990s and popularized primarily by fellow Bay Area rapper E-40.
His mother nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of the way he dressed and because of his love of the cartoon Peanuts; he took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg when he began recording. He changed his name to Snoop Dogg in 1998, when he left his original record label Death Row Records and signed with No Limit Records.

Biography
Early life
Snoop Dogg was born in Long Beach, California, the son of Beverly Tate and Vernell Varnado, who was a singer and postal worker. Snoop Dogg began performing at an early age in Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church church and began rapping in sixth grade. He was playing piano at age five and doing plays. He credits this experience with helping him be comfortable performing in front of people and losing stage fright. Snoop Dogg attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, then changed to Lindhberg High School and was later convicted for cocaine trafficking and served six month at the Wayside County Jail, (Snoop mentioned in his reality show, "Snoop Dogg's Father Hood", that his uncle was influential in his family moving to Los Angeles from Southern Mississippi, proving the rarely mentioned rumor that he was originally from there). Snoop Dogg was a member of a local Crips gang in Long Beach. Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop thus followed up on the homemade rap tapes that he had made with his cousin Nate Dogg and best friend Warren G (stepbrother of Dr. Dre of N.W.A). Originally, Snoop's and Nate's cousin Lil' 1/2 Dead was also part of the group, called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. This was largely in homage to Richie Rich's group 415, which was named for the (then) area code of Oakland, California (now the area code of San Francisco and its northern neighbor Marin County). One of his early solo freestyle over En Vogue's "Hold on" had made it to a mixtape, which was heard by Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus. Several of his cousins also became hip hop artists and Aftermath collaborators, including RBX, Joe Cool, and his cousins, Nate Dogg and Daz Dillinger. He's also the nephew of Soul/Gospel singer Willie Norwood and cousin of his R&B singing children Ray J and Brandy and he recently released "Smokin Trees" with Ray J and a duet with Brandy was pre-recorded for Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, but was not part of the album.


Legal issues
• On August 25, 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested on suspicion of being an accomplice in the killing of reputed gang member Philip Woldemariam in Woodbine Park in the Palms district of West Los Angeles. Broadus' bodyguard actually pulled the trigger and claimed self-defense at the trial. Both were acquitted.
• A woman named Kylie Bell claimed that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Broadus and four others. In December 2004, one month before Bell filed her suit against him, Snoop sued her, accusing her of extortion. Bell eventually dropped her lawsuit, and Snoop dropped his US$5 million countersuit against her. Snoop's publicist said "absolutely no money" was paid by the rapper in reaching a settlement.
• On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge at Heathrow Airport. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because some of the entourage were flying first class, other members of the party were flying economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whiskey bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the midst of the disturbance. After a night in prison, Snoop Dogg and the other men were released on bail on April 27, but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he had to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future."
• On May 11, when Snoop Dogg appeared at a London police station, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behavior. On May 15, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the UK for the foreseeable future due to the incident at Heathrow as well as his previous convictions in the United States for drugs and firearms offenses.
• Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game have been sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 Auburn concert at the White River Amphitheatre. The accuser claims he was beaten by the artists' entourage while he was running up to touch Snoop. He alleges that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop’s bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crew people, including the rapper and producer Soopafly. Snoop and The Game were included in the suit for not intervening to hold the fight. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
• On September 27, 2006, Snoop Dogg was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security, after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop's carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He has been charged with various weapons violations stemming from this incident. When arrested, he told deputies the baton was a prop for a movie. Bail was set at $150,000, which Snoop has paid.
• Snoop Dogg was arrested again on October 26, 2006 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California while parked in a passenger loading zone. Approached by airport security for a traffic infraction, he was found in possession of marijuana and a firearm, according to a police statement. He was transported to Burbank Police Department Jail, booked, and released on $35,000 bond. He faced firearm and drug possession charges on 12 December at Burbank Superior Court.
• He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana and a firearm.
• Snoop Dogg was arrested again on March 12, 2007 at 1:25 a.m CET after performing in a concert with P.Diddy in Stockholm's Globe Arena, Sweden. Snoop Dogg was arrested along with a woman after the pair reportedly "reeked" of marijuana. They were arrested and released 4 hours later after providing a urine sample. Pending results on urine will determine whether charges will be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.
• Snoop Dogg's visa request to enter the United Kingdom was rejected by local authorities because of the Heathrow incident on March 24, 2007. A concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 27 went ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe) and the rest of the show. However the decision affected four more British performances in Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham and Glasgow and Budapest (due to rescheduling)
• On April 12, 2007, Snoop Dogg was sentenced to five years of probation for gun and drug charges. He is expected to continue touring.
• On April 26, 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship banned him from entering the country on character grounds, citing his prior criminal convictions. He had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on April 29, 2007. The ban was not lifted and Snoop Dogg was not able to attend. MTV Australia currently has a petition going to get him Australian citizenship.
• Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.

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Eminem History

Eminem Biography
Rapper, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, on October 17, 1972, in Kansas City, Missouri. Eminem spent a good deal of his childhood moving back and forth between Kansas City and Detroit, Michigan; when he was 12, he and his mother moved permanently to Detroit. A fan of rap music from a young age, Eminem began performing at age 14. Although he dropped out of high school and worked at odd jobs for a number of years, his focus remained on his music.
Eminem first recorded as half of the Detroit rap duo Soul Intent, and made his solo debut in 1996 with the independent release Infinite. The album was soon followed by The Slim Shady EP—both releases made quite a splash in the hip-hop underground, and soon Eminem was being praised both for his exaggerated, nasal-voiced rapping style and the bluntly controversial nature of his lyrics. Not in the least, he gained notice because of his skin color, and was soon hailed as rap music’s next “great white hope.”

After performing in a freestyle rap competition on a Los Angeles radio station, Eminem came to the attention of Dr. Dre, a powerful player on the rap music scene. Dr. Dre signed Eminem to his Aftermath label and began working with the young rapper on a full-length CD that would include many of the tracks from the previously released Slim Shady EP. Eminem’s debut with Aftermath, The Slim Shady LP, was released on February 23, 1999. Driven by the success of the hit single “My Name Is,” the album shot to No. 2 on the Billboard chart within a few weeks. It eventually went triple platinum, and earned Eminem two Grammy Awards, for Best Best Rap Solo Performance ("My Name Is") and Best Rap Album.

Eminem had similar critical and commercial success with his second major release, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), which sold close to two million copies in its first week of release and became the fastest-selling rap album of all time. Critics almost universally praised the album as smart, ironic, and edgy, but as an inevitable result of such wide exposure (especially among young rap fans), the album generated a good deal of controversy for its content, which included graphic violence, explicit sexual references, and antihomosexual slurs. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organized a protest of the Music Television (MTV) network’s support of Eminem during the MTV Video Music Awards, held in September 2000. Eminem, performing at the head of a swarm of bleached-blonde, look-alike Slim Shadies, took home MTV awards for both Video Of The Year and Best Male Video categories for his smash hit single, "The Real Slim Shady". The top-selling solo artist of that year, Eminem won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Solo Performance ("The Real Slim Shady").

The controversial rapper’s tumultuous personal life and legal struggles made headlines beginning in June 1999, less than a week after the platinum debut of The Marshall Mathers LP, when he was arrested after a brawl outside a Detroit nightclub. In a preliminary hearing in late August 2000, a judge ordered Eminem to stand trial on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a concealed weapon. On February 14, 2001, Eminem pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon after prosecutors agreed to drop the felony assault charge. A Michigan judge sentenced the rapper to two year's probation and ordered him to undergo counseling and drug testing.

In September 1999, Eminem's mother, Debbie Mathers-Briggs, filed a $10 million lawsuit against her son. Mathers-Briggs alleged that Eminem had slandered her on The Slim Shady LP, implying she was an unstable drug user. Though she offered to settle for $2 million, Eminem rejected the settlement and the case will go to trial.

Eminem’s tempestuous relationship with his wife, Kim, whom he married in 1999 but had lived with for years before that, served as the subject of several of his songs, including “Kim,” which portrayed a violent argument between the couple. In July 2000, Kim Mathers was hospitalized after attempting suicide. A month later, Eminem filed for divorce; Kim Mathers sought $10 million and full custody of their daughter, Hailie Jade Scott, born in 1995. In a settlement, Eminem agreed not to seek custody of the young girl and Kim Mathers dropped her lawsuit. Though the couple reconciled in December of that year, their truce was shortlived, as Kim Mathers filed for divorce in early March 2001.

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