Afro Pop Remix

Topics: Y2K Bug, Eminem, The Best Man, 90's TV (Bonus Artist: Rocky Mtn. Rhyme Posse)

1999 Notes Snapshots 1. Bill Clinton President 2. Jan – A snowstorm leaves 14 inches (36 cm) of snow in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and 21 inches (53 cm) in Chicago, Illinois, killing 68. 3. Jan – The adult animated sitcom Family Guy debuts on the Fox network after Super Bowl XXXIII. 4. Feb - Impeachment of Bill Clinton: President Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate. 5. Mar - A Michigan jury finds Dr. Jack Kevorkian guilty of second-degree murder for administering a lethal injection to a terminally ill man. 6. Apr - Columbine High School massacre: Two Littleton, Colorado teenagers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, open fire on their teachers and classmates, killing 12 students and one teacher, and then themselves. It would be the deadliest shooting at a high school in U.S. history at the time. The shooting sparks debate on school bullying, gun control and violence in the media. 7. May - The animated children's TV series SpongeBob SquarePants debuts on the cable network Nickelodeon. 8. May - Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is released in theaters. 9. Jun - Texas Governor George W. Bush announces he will seek the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States. 10. Jun - Napster Released. It was mainly used by people who shared MP3 music and digital audio files. As the laws about file sharing and copyright regarding the internet were just newly established, the service soon ran into legal troubles dealing with copyright infringement. 11. Jul - U.S. soccer player Brandi Chastain scores the game winning penalty kick against China in the FIFA Women's World Cup. Briana Scurry, goalkeeper, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2017. She was the first woman goalkeeper and first black woman to be awarded the honor. 12. Jun - Lance Armsrong wins the Tour de France. The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced in August 2012 that they had disqualified Armstrong from all his results since 1998, including his seven consecutive Tour de France wins from 1999 to 2005 (which were, originally, the most wins in the event's history) 13. Sep - The West Nile Virus first appears in the United States. The disease spread quickly through infected birds. Mosquitoes spread the disease to mammals. 14. Dec - Boris Yeltsin resigns as President of Russia, replaced by Vladimir Putin. Yeltsin has been describes as, "Russia's first modern leader" and has been compared to Nelson Mandela. 15. Top 3 Pop Songs 16. #1 "Believe" Cher 17. #2 "No Scrubs" TLC 18. #3 "Angel of Mine" Monica 19. Record of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob Thomas 20. Album of the Year: Supernatural – Santana 21. Song of the Year: "Smooth" – Santana featuring Rob 22. Best New Artist: Christina Aguilera (Note: Beat out Brittney Spears) 23. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "It's Not Right but It's Okay" – Whitney Houston 24. Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Staying Power" – Barry White 25. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "No Scrubs" – TLC 26. Best R&B Song: "No Scrubs" – TLC 27. Best R&B Album: FanMail – TLC 28. Best Rap Solo Performance: "My Name Is" – Eminem 29. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "You Got Me" – The Roots featuring Erykah Badu 30. Best Rap Album: The Slim Shady LP – Eminem 31. Top 3 Moives 32. #1 Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace 33. #2 The Sixth Sense 34. #3 Toy Story 2 35. Notables: Office Space, Analyze This, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, The Matrix (3/31/1999 - 20 days before Columbine), Life, The Mummy, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Wild Wild West, American Pie, The Blair Witch Project, Eyes Wide Shut, The Wood, The Iron Giant, The Sixth Sense, The Thomas Crown Affair, Bowfinger, Three Kings, Fight Club, The Green Mile, Any Given Sunday 36. Top 3 TV Shows 37. #1 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Tuesday 38. #2 Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — Thursday 39. #3 Who Wants to Be a Mill

Topics: Monica Lewinsky Scandal, Jay Z, Beloved (Film), 90's Tech (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound and Luck Pacheco)
1998 General Snapshots 1. Bill Clinton President 2. Jan - Paula Jones accuses U.S. President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment. 3. Jan - Smoking is banned in all California bars and restaurants. 4. Jan - Super Bowl XXXII: The Denver Broncos become the first AFC team in 14 years to win the Super Bowl, as they defeat the Green Bay Packers 5. Jan - Lewinsky scandal: On American television, President Bill Clinton denies he had "sexual relations" with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The next day, Hillary Clinton appears on The Today Show, calling the attacks against her husband part of a "vast right-wing conspiracy". 6. Mar - The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States. 7. Apr - The unemployment rate drops to 4.3%, the lowest level since February 1970. 8. Apr - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 9,000 for the first time. 9. Apr - Teletubbies begins its U.S. television debut on PBS. 10. Apr - Inflight smoking is banned on all commercial passenger flights in the United States, 11. Jun - The Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA title in 8 years when they beat the Utah Jazz. This is also Michael Jordan's last game as a Bull, clinching the game in the final seconds on a fadeaway jumper. 12. Aug - The bombings of the United States embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya kill 224 people and injure over 4,500; they are linked to terrorist Osama bin Laden. Two weeks later. The United States military launches cruise missile attacks against alleged al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and a suspected chemical plant in Sudan. 13. Oct - College student Matthew Shepard is found tied to a fence near Laramie, Wyoming. His death became a symbol of gay-bashing and sparked a national debate on homophobia in the U.S. 14. Nov - Jesse Ventura, former professional wrestler, is elected Governor of Minnesota. 15. Nov - America Online announces it will acquire Netscape Communications for $4.2B as the "Dot.com" bubble heats up. Between 1995 and 2000, the Nasdaq Composite stock market index rose 400%. 16. Dec - Lewinsky scandal: President Bill Clinton is impeached by the United States House of Representatives. (He was later acquitted of any wrongdoing.) 17. Open Comments 18. Top 3 Pop songs 19. #1 "Too Close", Next 20. #2 "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy and Monica 21. #3 "You're Still the One", Shania Twain 22. Record of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion 23. Album of the Year: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 24. Song of the Year: "My Heart Will Go On", Celine Dion 25. Best New Artist: Lauryn Hill 26. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "Doo Wop (That Thing)", Lauryn Hill 27. Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "St. Louis Blues", Stevie Wonder in Herbie Hancock's Gershwin's World 28. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: "The Boy Is Mine", Brandy & Monica 29. Best R&B Song: "Doo Wop (That Thing)", Lauryn Hill 30. Best R&B Album: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 31. Best Traditional R&B Vocal Album: Live! One Night Only, Patti LaBelle 32. Best Rap Solo Performance: "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", Will Smith 33. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "Intergalactic", Beastie Boys 34. Best Rap Album: Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z 35. Top 3 Movies 36. #1 Armageddon 37. #2 Saving Private Ryan 38. #3 Godzilla 39. Notables: Dr. Dolittle, Half Baked, The Wedding Singer, The Big Lebowski, Primary Colors, The Players Club, Suicide Kings, He Got Game, Bulworth, The Truman Show, Mulan, There's Something About Mary, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Blade, Rush Hour, Antz, Beloved, Belly, The Waterboy, A Bug's Life, A Simple Plan, You've Got Mail 40. Open Comments 41. Top 3 TV Shows 42. #1 ER 43. #2 Friends 44. #3 Frasier 45. Debuts: Judge Joe Brown, The Hughleys 46. Open Comments 47. Economic Snapshots 48. Income = 38.1 (Previously 37.5K) 49. House = 129.3 (124k) 50. Car = 17k (17k) 51. Rent = 619 (576) 52. Harvard = 30,080 (28.9) 53. Movie = 4.69 (4.59) 54. Gas = 1.15 (1.22) 55. Stamp = .32 (-) 56. Social Scene: Monica Lewinsky Scandal (Highlights) 57. Born in San Francisco in 1973, Monica Lewinsky was raised in a well-off family in the Los Angeles area. In the summer of 1995 (@ 22 yrs. old), after graduating from Lewis and Clark College, she landed an unpaid internship in the White House chief of staff's office. 58. In November 1995, during a federal government shutdown, Lewinsky flirted with the president and the two had their first sexual encounter. Later that month, she took a paying job in the Office of Legislative Affairs. 59. They had seven more encounters in the White House and her visits started drawing notice from people. In April 1996, a deputy chief of staff had her transferred to a job at the Pentagon. 60. The president and Lewinsky had two more encounters, the last was in spring 1997, and stayed in touch by phone. 61. At the Pentagon, she befriended a coworker, Linda Tripp, and she confided details of her affair with the president. Tripp in turn shared the story with an anti-Clinton conservative literary agent she knew. That person urged Tripp to secretly, and in violation of taping laws, record hours of her phone conversations with Lewinsky. 62. Word of Tripp's tapes made it to lawyers working on behalf of Paula Jones, a former government employee who had filed a lawsuit against the president for alleged sexual misconduct that took place in 1991, when he was governor of Arkansas. 63. In December 1997, Lewinsky was subpoenaed by Jones' attorneys and, after the president allegedly suggested she be evasive, the former intern denied in an affidavit that she had had a sexual relationship with Clinton. 64. Around the same time, independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who had been investigating Clinton and his wife Hillary's involvement in a failed business venture called Whitewater, found out about Tripp's recordings. Soon afterward, FBI agents fitted Tripp with a hidden microphone so she could legally tape her conversations with Lewinsky. 65. Then Starr expanded his investigation to include the president's relationship with Lewinsky and told her that if she did not cooperate with the investigation she would be charged with perjury. 66. When Clinton was deposed in January 1998 by Jones' legal team, he claimed he had never had sexual relations with Lewinsky. (The Big Lie) 67. On January 17, 1998, the Drudge Report, a conservative online news site, published the accusations against the president and the next day revealed Lewinsky's identity. The mainstream media picked up the story a few days later, and a national scandal Erupted. Clinton refuted the allegations against him, famously stating at a press conference, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky." 68. That July, Lewinsky's lawyers announced she had been granted immunity in exchange for her testimony. She also gave Starr's team physical evidence of her affair with Clinton: a blue dress with an incriminating stain containing the president's DNA. At the suggestion of Tripp, Lewinsky had never laundered the garment. 69. On August 17, 1998, Clinton testified before a grand jury and confessed he had engaged in "inappropriate intimate physical contact" with Lewinsky. However, the president contended his actions did not meet the definition of sexual relations used by Jones' attorneys—so he had not perjured himself. That night, he appeared on national TV and apologized for his behavior but maintained he had never asked anyone involved to lie or do anything illegal. 70. In September 1998, Starr gave Congress a 445-page report. The Starr Report was soon made public by Congress and published in book form, becoming a best-seller 71. In December, the House approved two articles of impeachment against him: perjury and obstruction of justice. He was only the second president in U.S. history to be impeached (after President Andrew Johnson in 1868). 72. On February 12, 1999, following a five-week trial in the Senate, Clinton was acquitted. (During his impeachment proceedings, he agreed to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit for $850,000, but admitted no wrongdoing.) 73. Open Comments: 74. Question: Impeach? (Y/N) (Can you imagine if Barack did this to Michelle!) 75. Music Scene: Black Songs from the Top 40 76. #1 "Too Close" - Next 77. #2 "The Boy Is Mine" - Brandy and Monica 78. #6 "Together Again" - Janet 79. #7 "All My Life" - K-Ci & JoJo 80. #9 "Nice & Slow" - Usher 81. #12 "No, No, No" - Destiny's Child 82. #14 "Gettin' Jiggy wit It" - Will Smith 83. #15 "You Make Me Wanna..." - Usher 84. #16 "My Way" - Usher 85. #17 My All" - Mariah Carey 86. #18 "The First Night" - Monica 87. #19 "Been Around the World" - Puff Daddy featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 88. #24 "Body Bumpin' (Yippie-Yi-Yo)" - Public Announcement 89. #26 "I Don't Ever Want to See You Again" - Uncle Sam 90. #27 "Let's Ride" - Montell Jordan featuring Master P and Silkk the Shocker 91. #30 "A Song for Mama" - Boyz II Men 92. #31 "What You Want" - Mase featuring Total 93. #33 "Gone till November" - Wyclef Jean 94. #34 "My Body" - LSG 95. #36 "Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)" - Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz 96. #39 "They Don't Know" - Jon B. 97. #40 "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" - Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X and Mystikal 98. Vote: 99. Top RnB Albums 100. Jan - R U Still Down? (Remember Me), 2Pac 101. Jan - My Way, Usher 102. Jan - Money, Power & Respect, The LOX 103. Feb - My Balls and My Word, Young Bleed 104. Feb - Anytime, Brian McKnight 105. Mar - Charge It 2 da Game, Silkk the Shocker 106. Mar - My Homies, Scarface 107. Mar - Life or Death, C-Murder 108. Apr - The Pillage, Cappadonna 109. Apr - Moment of Truth, Gang Starr 110. May - There's One in Every Family, Fiend 111. Jun - It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, DMX 112. Jun - MP Da Last Don, Master P 113. Jul - El Nino, Def Squad 114. Jul - Am I My Brother's Keeper, Kane & Abel 115. Aug - N.O.R.E., Noreaga 116. Aug - Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life In 1472, Jermaine Dupri 117. Aug - Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told, Snoop Dogg 118. Sep - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill 119. Oct - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z 120. Nov - R., R. Kelly 121. Dec - Tical 2000: Judgement Day, Method Man 122. Dec - Doc's da Name 2000, Redman 123. Vote: 124. Featured Artists: Jay Z 125. Childhood & Early Life: Shawn Corey Carter was born in Brooklyn, New York City in 1969. He is the last of the four children. When he was only 11 years old, his father abandoned the family. They lived in the drug-infested 'Marcy Projects', where violence and gun-culture were also prevalent. He soon became so imbibed the gun-culture that he allegedly shot his elder brother in the shoulder for pocketing his jewelry. His interest in music was sparked from early on when he received a boom box for his birthday from his mother. He began free styling, scripting lyrics and copied the music of many popular artists of the time. He studied at several local high schools, where he was classmates with future performers, Busta Rhymes and The Notorious B.I.G., before ultimately dropping out and selling drugs. 126. Career Highlights 127. 1989 Jaz-O (@19yrs): Hooked up with local star and fellow project inhabitant, Jaz-O, who became his guru and taught him the industry basics. In order to pay homage to his mentor, he changed his name to Jay-Z, since Sean was known as 'Jazzy' in his neighborhood. Jaz-O's "Hawaiian Sophie" is one of Jay-Z's earliest appearances on wax. - Key development: He saw Jaz-O get jerked over by the record business. No record deal and he return to selling drugs. 128. 1992 Big Daddy Kane (@22): BDK records a mixtape with Jaz-O and Jay-Z. Eventually, BDK and Jay start working together and during BDK's time with the Patti LaBelle tour he had Jay-Z performing for him while was in the back changing clothes. Key Development: Exposure and experience, but no deal. Back to the streets. 129. 1994 Original Flavor/Clark Kent/Damon Dash (@24): Original Flavor was one of rap's middle school crews headed by Ski, an MC/producer. They were also the first group managed by future recording industry executive Damon Dash. Although Ski worked with legendary New York DJ Clark Kent for the groups debut project, the album fizzled. For their follow-up, Ski enlisted the aid of a few more MCs including a young Brooklynite with some experience in the rap field, Jay-Z. Original Flavor was Jay-Z's training ground and it served as a catapult for his future endeavors. Flavor's sophomore release was released in 1994 and again fizzled. However, the lead single "Can I Get Open" features Jay-Z in impeccable pre-Jayhova form. Jay-Z's skills far surpassed those of the rest of the crew and his solo career would begin soon. Key Development: Local buzz, regional tours, several singles and videos but no deal. Starts transition from the streets. 130. 1995-96 Roc-A-Fella Records (@25): Frustrated with being turned down by several major labels Carter, Dash and Kareem Burke started their own label, Roc-A-Fella, as an independent outlet for Jay-Z's music. After becoming a local sensation, Jay-Z turned into Jigga and adopted the Tony Montana-styled persona. He would continue to work with his Original Flavor partner Ski after the group disbanded, making him a member/producer of his Roc-a-Fella staff. Jay-Z was also supported by The Notorious B.I.G.'s producer DJ Clark Kent. Key Development: Debut album, 'Reasonable Doubt' released in 1996. It did not immediately attain commercial success, but it spawned several hits, and established Jay-Z in the hip-hop community. No more streets. 131. 1997 Def Jam (@27): Roc-A-Fella Records agreed to a 50/50 partnership and distribution deal with Def Jam. His second studio album, In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. Is released. The album debuted at #3 and most of the production is handled by Puff Daddy's production team giving the album a glossier sound than its predecessor. It was a shift from the mafioso rap themes of his first effort to a more popular sound. Critical reviews: "Though the productions are just a bit flashier and more commercial than on his debut, Jay-Z remained the tough street rapper, and even improved a bit on his flow...he struts the line between project poet and up-and-coming player" while balancing "both personas with the best rapping heard in the rap game since the deaths of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G." (Also, in response to the sellout charge, Roc-A-Fella Records released the movie Streets Is Watching.) 132. 1998 Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: The third studio album was released on September 29, 1998, by Roc-A-Fella Records and Def Jam Recordings. Key Development: He cracks the code. This album went on to become his most commercially successful album to date, selling over 5 million copies. Critics review:

Topics: Biggie death, Erykah Badu, Eve's Bayou, Miss Evers' Boys (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)
Notes 1997 1. President: Bill Clinton 2. Feb -A Santa Monica jury finds former football legend O.J. Simpson is liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. 3. Feb - North Hollywood shootout: Two heavily armed bank robbers conflict with officers from the Los Angeles Police Department in a mass shootout. 4. Feb - Miss Evers' Boys airs on HBO. It is a made-for-TV adaptation of David Feldshuh's eponymous 1992 stage play, and was nominated for eleven Emmy Awards and won four, Outstanding Made for Television Movie / Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie – Alfre Woodard / Editing / Cinematography 5. Mar - Brooklyn rapper The Notorious B.I.G. is killed in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles at age 24 before the release of his second album Life After Death. The album was released on March 25. 6. Mar - In San Diego, California, 39 members of Heaven's Gate, a UFO religious cult, commit mass suicide. 7. Apr - The Ellen episode, "The Puppy Episode" is broadcast on ABC, showing for the first time the revelation of a main character as a homosexual. 8. May - U.S. President Bill Clinton issues a formal apology to the surviving victims of the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male and their families. 9. Jun - During the Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II boxing match in Las Vegas, Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear. 10. Jun - The base version of the standard WiFi was released 11. Aug - Diana, Princess of Wales died in hospital after being injured in a motor vehicle accident in a road tunnel in Paris. 12. Sep - www.google.com is registered by Google. 13. Nov - Mary Kay Letourneau is sentenced to six months imprisonment in Washington after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree child rape. Letourneau gave birth to her victims' child and the leniency of her sentence was widely criticized.[3] 14. Nov - The Emergency Broadcast System is replaced by the Emergency Alert System and it continues to this day. - "This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test." 15. Open Comments: 16. Top 3 Pop Songs 17. #1-"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" / "Candle in the Wind 1997", Elton John 18. #2-"Foolish Games" / "You Were Meant for Me", Jewel 19. #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 20. Record Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin 21. Album Of The Year, Time Out Of Mind - Bob Dylan 22. Song Of The Year, Sunny Came Home - Shawn Colvin Colvin) 23. Best New Artist, Paula Cole 24. Best Female R&B, On & On - Erykah Badu 25. Best Male R&B, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly 26. Best R&B Duo Or Group, No Diggity - Blackstreet 27. Best R&B Song, I Believe I Can Fly - R. Kelly 28. Best R&B Album, Baduizm - Erykah Badu 29. Best Rap Solo, Men In Black - Will Smith 30. Best Rap Duo Or Group, I'll Be Missing You - Puff Daddy & Faith Evans Featuring 112 31. Best Rap Album, No Way Out - Puff Daddy & The Family 32. Top 3 Movies 33. #1-Titanic 34. #2-The Lost World: Jurassic Park 35. #3-Men in Black 36. Notables: Rhyme & Reason, Gridlock'd, Rosewood, Good Burger, Def Jam's How to Be a Player, Hoodlum, Kiss the Girls, Gang Related, Boogie Nights, The Devil's Advocate, Good Will Hunting, Jackie Brown, Love Jones, B*A*P*S, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Booty Call, Donnie Brasco, Soul Food, Gang Related, 37. Open Comments: 38. Top TV Shows 39. #1-Seinfeld 40. #2-ER 41. #3-Veronica's Closet 42. Debuts, The Chris Rock Show 43. Open Comments: 44. Economic Snapshots 45. Income = 37.5 (Previously 36.3K) 46. House = 124k (118.2) 47. Car = 17k (16.3) 48. Rent = 576 (554) 49. Harvard = 28.9 (27.5) 50. Movie = 4.59 (4.42) 51. Gas = 1.22 (-) 52. Stamp = .32 (-) 53. Social Scene: Death of Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka 'Biggie Smalls,' 'The Notorious B.I.G,' or 'Biggie,' 54. Childhood & Early Life: Born on May 21, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York, to Voletta Wallace and Selwyn George Latore. His mother was a Jamaican preschool teacher and his father was a politician and welder. His father left the family when he was two years old. He attended the 'Queen of All Saints Middle School' where he excelled in English, won many awards, and was given the nickname 'Big.' because of his weight, around the age of 10 (1982). He started dealing drugs as early as 12 while his mother went out for work, and she says he adapted a 'smart-ass' attitude, while attending high school, but he was still a good student. He dropped out of school at 17 (1989) and gradually got involved in criminal activities. Shortly after dropping out, he was arrested on weapon charges and was sentenced for probation of five years. He was again arrested in 1990 for violating his probation and again a year later for drug dealing in North Carolina. He stayed in jail for nine months. 55. Career: As a teen, he began exploring music and performed with local groups, such as 'Techniques' and 'Old Gold Brothers.' He made a casual demo tape titled 'Microphone Murder' under the name 'Biggie Smalls.' The name was inspired from his own stature as well as from a character of a 1975 film 'Let's Do it Again.' The tape was promoted by Mister Cee, a New York based DJ and was heard by the editor of 'The Source.' In March 1992 (@19), he was featured in the 'Unsigned Hype' column of 'The Source,' magazine. Shortly thereafter, he was signed by 'Uptown Records'. In 1993, when Sean 'Puffy' Combs, a producer/A&R with 'Uptown Records' was fired, Biggie Smalls signed with Combs' 'Bad Boy Records.' In August, 1993 (@21), he had his first child T'yanna. To financially support his daughter, he continued to deal drugs. Also in 1993, he worked on the remix of Mary J. Blige's 'Real Love.' While working for 'Real Love,' he used the pseudonym 'The Notorious B.I.G.,' the name he used for the rest of his career. He followed up with another remix of Blige's 'What's the 411'. He debuted as a solo artist in the 1993 film 'Who's the Man?' with the single 'Party and Bullshit.' 56. As a solo artist he hit the pop chart in August 1994 (@22) with 'Juicy/Unbelievable.' His debut album 'Ready to Die' was released in September, 1994, peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and was subject to critical acclaim and soon a commercial success. Three singles were released from the album: "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "One More Chance". "Big Poppa" was a hit on multiple charts, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and also being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 1996 Grammy Awards. At a time when West Coast hip hop was dominating the mainstream, this album became a huge success, making him a prominent figure in the East Coast hip hop scene. [Side Note: 2 months later in November, Tupac was shot five times in a NYC recording studio]. In July 1995 (@23), the cover of 'The Source' magazine featured him along with the caption 'The King of New York Takes Over.' 57. Recording of his second album, 'Life After Death,' began in September 1995 but was interrupted due to injuries, hip hop disputes, and legal squabbles (much like his friend Tupac). He was in a car accident which hospitalized him for three months. He had to complete rehabilitation and was confined to a wheelchair for a period. The car accident had shattered his left leg and made him dependent on a cane. He was arrested outside a nightclub in Manhattan in March, 1996 (24), for manhandling and threatening to kill two of his fans who were seeking autographs, and again in the middle of the year, he was arrested from his home at Teaneck, New Jersey, for possessing weapons and drugs. On September 7, 1996, Tupac Shakur was shot in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he died six days later. Rumors of Biggie Smalls' involvement in Shakur's murder were doing the rounds and were reported immediately. In January 1997, he faced an order to pay 41k for a dispute that occurred in May 1995 where a concert promoter's friend accused him and his entourage of beating him up. 58. Death: In February 1997, he went to Los Angeles to promote his upcoming album 'Life After Death' which was scheduled for March 25th release. On March 7, 1997, he attended the 1997 'Soul Train Music Awards' and presented an award to Toni Braxton. On March 8, he attended the after party at 'Peterson Automotive Museum,' hosted by 'Quest Records' and 'Vibe' magazine. While leaving the party, his truck stopped at a red light, and a black Chevy Impala pulled up alongside it. The Impala's driver, an unidentified African-American man dressed in a blue suit and bow tie, rolled down his window, drew a 9 mm blue-steel pistol, and fired at Wallace's car. Four bullets hit Wallace, and his entourage subsequently rushed him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where doctors performed emergency procedures, but he was pronounced dead at 1:15 a.m. He was 24 years old. 59. 16 days after his murder, his double disc album 'Life After Death' was released. The album peaked at No. 1 spot on the U.S. charts, ultimately went 11× Platinum, was nominated for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for its first single "Hypnotize", and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for its second single "Mo Money Mo Problems" at the 1998 Grammy Awards. In 2012, the album was ranked at No. 476 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Biggie has been described as 'the savior of East Coast hip hop' by some and 'greatest rapper of all time' by others. 60. Tupac and Biggie Best Frenemies: Biggie's first single, "Party and Bulls**t" came out in 1993. By that year, Tupac was already a platinum-selling artist, so Biggie asked a drug dealer to introduce him to Tupac at a Los Angeles party, according to the book 'Original Gangstas...' by Ben Westhoff. An intern who worked with Biggie recalled the meeting. "'Pac walks into the kitchen and starts cooking for us. He's in the kitchen cooking some steaks,". "We were drinking and smoking and all of a sudden 'Pac was like, 'Yo, come get it.' And we go into the kitchen and he had steaks, and French fries, and bread, and Kool Aid and we just sittin' there eating and drinking and laughing...that's truly where Big and 'Pac's friendship started." There was mutual respect between the two and Biggie would crash on Tupac's couch when he was in California and Tupac would always stop by Biggie's neighborhood when he was in New York. In essence, they were like any other pair of friends and both of them respected the other's talent. At the 1993 Budweiser Superfest at New York City's Madison Square Garden, they freestyled together. Biggie often turned to Tupac for advice in the business, and even asked him to manage his career. But Tupac advised him to, "stay with Puff. He will make you a star." 61. The first big fallout happened when they were scheduled to work on a project together for another rapper, Little Shawn. Tupac arrived at Times Square's Quad Recording Studios on November 30, 1994, and was getting ready to head upstairs to where Biggie and Combs were. But instead, Tupac was gunned down in the lobby and shot five times. Tupac reportedly believed that Biggie had prior knowledge of the attack and that he also knew who was behind it. "He really thought when he got shot the first time, not that Big set it up or anything, just Big didn't tell him who did it," Tupac's friend and Naughty by Nature frontman Treach told MTV News in June 2010. "In his heart, he was like, 'The homie knows who did it.' Biggie might have wanted to just stay out of it, like, 'I don't know nothing.' [Tupac] was like, 'Yo, man, just put your ear to the street. Let me know who hit me up.'" Despite Tupac's claims, Biggie remained adamant that he had been loyal to his friend. "Honestly, I didn't have no problem with [Tupac]," Biggie previously said. "I saw situations and how sh*t was going, and I tried to school [Tupac]. I was there when he bought his first Rolex, but I wasn't in the position to be rolling like that. I think Tupac felt more comfortable with the dudes he was hanging with because they had just as much money as him." 62. Still, Tupac's suspicions were only heightened when Biggie released "Who Shot Ya?" a month after Tupac's attack. Biggie claimed that he wrote the song "way before Tupac got shot," but the rapper took it as Biggie's confession. "Even if that song ain't about it, you should be, like, 'I'm not putting it out, 'cause he might think it's about him,'" Tupac said in an interview with Vibe while incarcerated for an unrelated charge. 63. When Tupac joined Death Row Records, the East Coast-West Coast rivalry was cemented. While Tupac was incarcerated for another incident, he came to believe Biggie knew about the attack ahead of time. The west coast rapper reached out to Suge Knight, who offered him a place on his Death Row Records roster. Tupac accepted, cementing the rivalry between Knight's label and Combs' Bad Boy Records. "Any artist out there that wanna be an artist, stay a star, and won't have to worry about the executive producer trying to be all in the videos, all on the records, dancing—come to Death Row!" Knight proclaimed at that 1995 Source awards show. 64. There was never proof that Biggie or Combs knew about the incident. But a couple of months later, Biggie's B-side single was a track called "Who Shot Ya?" which led to Tupac's response with the song, "Hit 'Em Up." In it, Tupac claimed he slept with Biggie's wife, Faith Evans. According to Vibe, Evans denied the claim, saying, "That ain't how I do business." 65. Open Comments: 66. Question: What Notable deaths hit you pretty hard? [Aaliyh/Al Jarreau/Andre Harrell/Areatha Franklin/Bernie Mack/Bill Withers/Bob Marley/Chadwick Boseman/Diahann Carroll/Donny Hathaway/Eazy-E/Florence Ballard/Florence Griffith Joyner/Fred "Curly" Neal/Heavy D/Jam Master Jay/Jimi Hendrix/John Lewis/John Singleton/John Thompson/Kobe Bryant/Left Eye/Little Richard/Malcolm X/Martin Luther King, Jr./Micgael Jackson/Muhammad Ali/Mya Angelou/Ol' Dirty Bastard/Otis Redding/Prince/Sam Cooke/The Notorious B.I.G./Toni Morrrison/Tupac/Walter Payton/Whitney Houston] 67. Music Scene: Black Songs from the top 40 68. #3-"I'll Be Missing You", Puff Daddy featuring Faith Evans and 112 69. #4-"Un-Break My Heart", Toni Braxton 70. #5- "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", Puff Daddy featuring Mase 71. #6-"I Believe I Can Fly", R. Kelly 72. #7-"Don't Let Go (Love)", En Vogue 73. #8-"Return of the Mack", Mark Morrison 74. #13- "For You I Will", Monica 75. #14-"You Make Me Wanna...", Usher 76. #16-"Nobody", Keith Sweat featuring Athena Cage 77. #20- "Mo Money Mo Problems", The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy and Mase 78. #23-"No Diggity", Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 79. #24-"I Belong to You (Every Time I See Your Face)", Rome 80. #25-"Hypnotize", The Notorious B.I.G. 81. #26-"Every Time I Close My Eyes", Babyface 82. #27-"In My Bed", Dru Hill 83. #30-"4

Topics: Tupac death, Fugees, Set It Off, Moesha (Bonus Artist: hidingtobefound)
http://afropopremix.com
1996 Snapshots
1. President: Bill Clinton 2. Jan - Whitewater scandal: U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton testifies before a grand jury. 3. Feb - Daniel Green is convicted of the murder of James Jordan, the father of basketball star Michael Jordan. 4. Mar - Lyle and Erik Menendez are found guilty of first-degree murder for the shotgun killing of their parents. 5. Apr - Chicago Bulls set a new NBA record for the most wins in a season, 70. 6. May -? 7. Jun - The Colorado Avalanche wins their first Stanley Cup in their first season based out of Denver and The Chicago Bulls win their fourth NBA Championship by defeating the Seattle Supersonics. 8. July - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics kills 2 and injures 111. 9. Aug - Tiger Woods makes his professional PGA Tour debut. 10. Sep - Tupac Shakur dies. 11. Oct - The Fox News Channel is launched. 12. Nov - Bill Clinton defeats Republican challenger Bob Dole to win his second term. 13. Dec - Death of JonBenét Ramsey: A six-year-old beauty queen is beaten and strangled in the basement of her family's home in Boulder, Colorado; her body is found the following day. 14. Open Comments: 15. Music Snapshots 16. #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 17. #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 18. #3 Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion 19. Record of the Year: Change the World – Eric Clapton 20. Album of the Year: Falling Into You – Celine Dion 21. Song of the Year: Change the World 22. Best New Artist: LeAnn Rimes 23. Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: You're Makin' Me High – Toni Braxton 24. Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Your Secret Love – Luther Vandross 25. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: Killing Me Softly – Fugees 26. Best R&B Song: Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Babyface, songwriter (Whitney Houston) 27. Best R&B Album: Words – The Tony Rich Project 28. Best Rap Solo Performance: Hey Lover – LL Cool J 29. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: Tha Crossroads – Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 30. Best Rap Album: The Score – Fugees 31. Movie Snapshots 32. #1 Independence Day 33. #2 Twister 34. #3 Mission: Impossible 35. Notables: Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, The Birdcage, Fargo, A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, The Nutty Professor, Kazaam, Set It Off, Space Jam, Jerry Maguire. 36. TV Snapshots 37. #1 - ER 38. #2 - Seinfeld 39. #3 - Suddenly Susan 40. Debuts: Moesha, The Daily Show, Kenan & Kel, The Steve Harvey Show, In The House, Malcolm & Eddie, Homeboys in Outer Space, The Jamie Foxx Show 41. Economic Snapshots 42. Income = 36.3k (Previously 36K) 43. House = 118.2K (113) 44. Car = 16.3k (15.5) 45. Rent = 554(550) 46. Harvard = 27.5k (26k) 47. Movie = 4.42 (4.35) 48. Gas = 1.22 (1.12) 49. Stamp = .32 (-) 50. Social Scene: Tupac Killed 51. Childhood: Tupac Shakur, born Parish Crooks, was born on June 16, 1971, to Black Panther activist parents in New York City. Thirteen days later, his mother, Alice Faye Walker (Afeni Shakur), changed his name. The parents wanted to avoid him being targeted by Black Panther-affiliated enemies. His mother was imprisoned while she was pregnant with him. Tupac's father, Billy Garland, was also a Panther but lost contact with Afeni when Tupac was five years old. The rapper would not see his father again until he was 23 - I thought my father was dead all my life. 52. Early Life: He had a difficult childhood, as he grew up in the company of criminals, militant activist, violence, and a drugged addicted mother with a transient lifestyle. Art became a constructive and safe escape. His first acting stint was in 1983 (@12 yrs. old) with the Harlem's 127th StreetRepertory Ensemble when he performed in a play 'A Raisin in the Sun' at the Apollo Theater. In 1984, Tupac's family moved from New York City to Baltimore, Maryland.There he studied poetry, jazz, acting, and ballet at the Baltimore School for the Arts and befriended Jada Pinkett. The family later moved to Marin City, California, across the bay from Oakland, in 1988 (@17 yrs. old). They went to the home of a woman Afeni had been close to during her Black Panther days and lived in a poor housing complex, referred to as 'the Jungle.' 53. Early Career: While attending high school he participated in a poetry workshop known as The Microphone Sessions, organized by Leila Steinberg, who would eventually become his first manager. She introduced 19-year-old Tupac to Atron Gregory, a manager for the World Class Wrekin Cru' and tour manager for NWA, who had just returned to the Bay Area, started TNT Records, and quickly gained attention by signing Digital Underground. Gregory matched Tupac with Digital Underground as a roadie and backup dancer. Tupac's talent was soon recognized by the group, and he began rapping in some of their songs. He debuted on 'Same Song,' which was featured in the 1991 film Nothing But Trouble. (@20 yrs. old) 54. Solo Career: He released his debut solo album '2Pacalypse Now' in 1991. (Big hit - 'Brenda's Got a Baby') Also in 1991, Shakur filed a $10-million lawsuit against the Oakland Police Department for allegedly brutalizing him over jaywalking. The case was settled for about $43,000. (1992 - Juice, first starring role) His second album, 'Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z' came out in 1993. It was more successful than its predecessor and contained the hits 'Keep Ya Head Up' and 'I Get Around'. (1993 - Poetic Justice, co-starred with Janet Jackson) In 1994, he formed a group Thug Life and they released one album 'Thug Life: Volume 1. (1994 - Above the Rim, Co-starred with Duane Martin) During this period he had several brushes with the law (he was associated with the shooting of a 6 yr. old Qa'id Walker-Teal in Marin City / shooting two policemen / various physical assaults) and was shot in an armed robbery case. After recovering from the shooting, he was sent to prison on a sexual assault charge. He released the album 'Me Against the World' in 1995 (@24) while serving his prison term. The album was an immediate hit and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. 55. Final Album: During 1995, while imprisoned, impoverished, and with his mother about to lose her house, Tupac had his wife get word to Marion Suge Knight, in Los Angeles, boss of the Death Row Records, at the time a verry successful company, and asked for a meeting. Tupac's mother received $15k, Suge paid Tupac's $1.4m bail, signed the rapper, and went to work on the album 'All Eyez on Me'. The album was recorded in two weeks! In a matter of two weeks, Tupac recorded and completed the double-disc album, completing two out of three albums he owed Death Row. (The third release would end up being the posthumously released The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory) Released in February of 1996, the album featured five singles and went multi-Platinum in just a few months after its release. 56. Death: Seven months later, in September 1996, Tupac was killed in a drive-by shooting. He was 25 years old. 57. Open Comments: 58. Question: Confused young man or someone to be taken seriously? (What did he represent?) 59. Music Scene: 60. Black Songs in the Top 40 61. #1 Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los del Río 62. #2 One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men 63. #4 Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project 64. #5 Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey 65. #6 Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman 66. #7 Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 67. #9 You're Makin' Me High / Let It Flow, Toni Braxton 68. #10 Twisted, Keith Sweat 69. #11 C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City DJ's 70. #14 Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston 71. #16 Sittin' Up in My Room, Brandy 72. #17 How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac featuring K-Ci and JoJo 73. #20 Hey Lover, LL Cool J 74. #21 Loungin, LL Cool J 75. #23 Be My Lover, La Bouche 76. #27 I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly 77. #32 Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige 78. #33 Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio featuring L.V. 79. #34 Only You, 112 featuring The Notorious B.I.G. and Mase 80. #35 Down Low (Nobody Has to Know), R. Kelly featuring The Isley Brothers 81. #36 You're the One, SWV 82. #37 Sweet Dreams, La Bouche 83. #38 Before You Walk Out of My Life / Like This and Like That, Monica 84. #40 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio 85. #42 No Diggity, Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre 86. Vote: 87. Top RnB Albums 88. Jan - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack / Various artists 89. Feb - Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton, Eazy-E 90. Mar - All Eyez on Me, 2Pac 91. Mar - The Score, Fugees 92. Apr - The Coming, Busta Rhymes 93. Apr - The Resurrection, Geto Boys 94. Jun - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten), Too Short 95. Jun - Legal Drug Money, Lost Boyz 96. Jun - The Nutty Professor, Soundtrack / Various artists 97. Jul - Secrets, Toni Braxton 98. Jul - Keith Sweat, Keith Sweat 99. Jul - It Was Written, Nas 100. Aug - Beats, Rhymes and Life, A Tribe Called Quest 101. Sep - ATLiens, Outkast 102. Sep - Home Again, New Edition 103. Oct - Another Level, Blackstreet 104. Nov - Bow Down, Westside Connection 105. Nov - Ironman, Ghostface Killah 106. Nov - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, Makaveli 107. Nov - Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg 108. Dec - Hell on Earth, Mobb Deep 109. Dec - Muddy Waters, Redman 110. Vote: 111. Featured Artist: The Fugees 112. Lauryn Hill (@21 yrs. old in 1996) was born in 1975 to a high school teacher and computer expert in New Jersey. Her mother played piano and her father sang in nightclubs. Young Lauryn sang in church choirs, gospel groups and showed a strong voice. She loved '60s and '70s soul and by age thirteen, she was playing the amateur night showtime at the Apollo, doing a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Who's Loving You". Hill nabbed minor roles on television's As the World Turns and in the film Sister Act II: Back in the Habit. Her work with the Fugees began in 1987 in high school with friend Prakazrel Samuel Michel. 113. "Pras" (@23 in 1996) was born in Brooklyn in 1972 and raised in New Jersey. He showed an early interest in music and attended Rutgers University and Yale University, pursuing a double major in Philosophy and Psychology. 114. Wyclef Jean (@27 yrs. old) was born in 1969 in Haiti, the son of a minister. When he was nine, he moved to the projects of Brooklyn, and later New Jersey, where he took up guitar and the study of music. 115. The trio formed in the late '80s, named themselves the Tranzlator Crew and used Hill's soap opera acting proceeds to pay for equipment. They toured the tri-state area and were signed to major label Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1993. Hill was still a minor. Shortly thereafter, they renamed themselves Fugees, a derisive slang term for refugees, and released a debut 12-inch Fugees (Tranzlator Crew) "Boof Baf" to no notable sales. 116. Their 1994 debut LP Blunted on Reality, stylized in a fashion like A Tribe Called Quest, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Digable Planets, did better. However, it was the remixed versions of "Nappy Head (Mona Lisa)" and "Vocab" that earned the group another budget for a follow-up album. (Also, notable, in later interviews Pras would say that a married Wyclef and the underage Hill were having a clandestine relationship at the time) 117. Combining a mix of conscious hip hp, soul, and reggae, with a homemade basement studio, sampled melodies, live guitars, bass, keys, "The Score" arrived in 1996, filling the void between gangsta and glitter. It became an instant classic, ultimately selling over 18 million copies. 118. Open Comments: 119. Internal "Affairs": In the summer of 1996, on the Smoking Grooves Tour, Hill met Rohan Marley, (one of Bob Marley's kids) and even though the former University of Miami football player was initially rebuffed, because Hill was still seeing Jean, , no one knew who the child really belonged to. 120. In the summer of 1996 Hill had met Rohan Marley, a son of Bob Marley and a former University of Miami football player. Hill subsequently began a relationship with him, while still also involved with the married Wyclef. She soon became visibly pregnant. Marley and Hill's first child was born the following summer. 121. Soon after Zion was born, she learned that Marley already had a wife and two children from another marriage. 122. Amid newfound international fame and baby Daddy drama, Wyclef did not support Hill's solo desires (she had made appearances on Wyclef's solo project), thus leading to the group splitting up. 123. Hill started work on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill; blocking out Wyclef Jean from any type of production help after he had snubbed her. Her old-school takes on "Doo Wop (That Thing)" helped it rule the charts in 1998 and win five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album -- the most ever for a woman. 124. Meanwhile, Hill was having more of Marley's children and becoming close with Brother Anthony, a spiritual adviser who studied the Bible with her several times per week. In 2001, she recorded an MTV Unplugged session where she broke down in tears and admitted to being deranged and emotionally unstable. Rolling Stone called the session "a public breakdown", though it debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went platinum. 125. She has been a sporadic and reluctant public figure ever since. 126. Question: Have you ever had an affair with a co-worker? How did it turn out? 127. Movie Scene: Set It Off. [Directed by F. Gary Gray Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller. Starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett, and Vivica A. Fox] 128. Rotten Tomatoes, Critics Consensus: It may not boast an original plot, but Set It Off is a satisfying, socially conscious heist film thanks largely to fine performances from its leads. 129. Emanuel Levy, Variety 11-1996: Influenced by "Thelma & Louise" and "Waiting to Exhale," F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" is a well-crafted girls-n-the-hood actioner, with an acute social conscience and plenty of soul. A tale of female bonding and empowerment, this relevant film boasts a terrific cast, headed by Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah in career-making p

Topics: Million Man March, TLC, Friday, UPN (Bonus Artist: Luck Pacheco)
http://afropopremix.com

1995 Notes 1. Snapshots 2. President: Bill Clinton 3. Jan - The WB Television Network and The United Paramount Network (UPN) launches. 4. Mar - Yahoo! was incorporated and soon became the first popular online directory and search engine on the World Wide Web. 5. Mar - Mississippi ratifies the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The amendment was nationally ratified in 1865. Until February 7, 2013, the state of Mississippi had never submitted the required documentation to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, meaning it never officially abolished slavery. 6. Mar - Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E is suddenly hospitalized, diagnosed with AIDS, and dies due to its complications. 7. Apr - Oklahoma City bombing: 168 people, including 8 Federal Marshals and 19 children, are killed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Timothy McVeigh and one of his accomplices, Terry Nichols, set off the bomb. 8. May - In Culpeper, Virginia, actor Christopher Reeve is paralyzed from the neck down after falling from his horse in a riding competition. [See - "Superman Curse"] 9. Sep - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens. 10. Oct - The Million Man March is held in Washington, D.C. The event was conceived by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. 11. Dec - The presidents of Bosnia, Serbia, and Croatia sign a peace treaty in Paris, ending a three-and-a-half-year war. 12. Music Snapshots 13. #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V. 14. #2 "Waterfalls", TLC 15. #3 "Creep", TLC 16. Record of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal 17. Album of the Year: Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette 18. Song of the Year: "Kiss From a Rose", Seal 19. Best New Artist: Hootie & the Blowfish 20. Best Female R&B: Anita Baker for "I Apologize" 21. Best Male R&B: Stevie Wonder for "For Your Love" 22. Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group: TLC for "Creep" 23. Best R&B Song: Stevie Wonder (songwriter) for "For Your Love" 24. Best R&B Album: TLC for CrazySexyCool 25. Best Rap Solo: "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio 26. Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group: "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By", Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige 27. Best Rap Album: Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature 28. Movie Snapshots 29. #1 Die Hard with a Vengeance 30. #2 Toy Story 31. #3 Apollo 13 32. Notables: Higher Learning, Major Payne, Bad Boys, New Jersey Drive, Friday, Braveheart, Batman Forever, Pocahontas, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Clueless, Waterworld, Mortal Kombat, The Tuskegee Airmen, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Dead Presidents, The American President, Casino, Money Train, Heat, Waiting to Exhale. 33. TV Snapshots 34. Top TV Shows 35. #1 ER 36. #2 Seinfeld 37. #3 Friends 38. Debuts: The Wayans Bros. (WB), The Parent 'Hood (WB), Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (still airing), In the House 39. Economic Snapshots 40. Income = 35.9k (Previously 37K) 41. House = 113.1K (119) 42. Car = 15.5k (12.5) 43. Rent = 550 (533) 44. Harvard = 26.2k (24.9) 45. Movie = 4.35 (4) 46. Gas = 1.12 (1.09) 47. Stamp .32 (.29) 48. Social Scene: Million Man March 49. A political demonstration in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 16, 1995, to promote African American unity and family values. Estimates of the number of marchers, most of whom were African American men, ranged from 400,000 to nearly 1.1 million, ranking it among the largest gatherings of its kind in American history. 50. Several African American leaders did not support the march, including Mary Frances Berry, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Rep. John Lewis, the latter of whom saw Farrakhan's message as an effort to "resegregate America." 51. Comments: 52. Featured Speaker: Louis Farrakhan, @62 yrs old 53. Born Louis Eugene Wolcott on May 11, 1933, in New York City, New York, to Sarah Mae Manning and Percival Clark. His parents separated even before he was born. 54. He did not know his biological father and was brought up by his stepfather Louis Wolcott. The death of his stepfather in 1936 led to the relocation of his family to Boston, Massachusetts. 55. From an early age, he received rigorous training in violin, so much so that by the time he turned 13 he had mastered the instrument and was playing along with the 'Boston College Orchestra' and 'Boston Civic Symphony.' 56. In his first year as a teenager, he became one of the first black performers to appear on the 'Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour. 'The following year, he had two national level victories under his belt. 57. He attended the prestigious 'Boston Latin School' after which he was admitted to 'English High School. 'After graduating from 'English High School,' he enrolled for a three-year course at the 'Winston-Salem Teachers College' on a track scholarship. 58. Starting from the 1950s, he pursued a career in music. He recorded several calypso albums under the pseudonym 'The Charmer. 'He toured frequently since the release of his first album. In 1955, he organized a show titled 'Calypso Follies' in Chicago. 59. Interestingly, one of his songs remained a chartbuster and on top of the 'Billboard Chart' for five years in a row. 60. It was while pursuing his professional music career that he was first exposed to the teachings of 'Nation of Islam' through his friend and saxophonist Rodney Smith. 61. Later, Elijah Muhammad invited him to attend the Nation of Islam's annual 'Saviours' Day' address. Inspired by the discourse, he resolved to be a member of 'Nation of Islam' (NOI) in 1955. (@22) 62. He fulfilled all the requirements to become a registered Muslim/ registered believer/ registered laborer of NOI. Subsequently, he received an approval by the NOI headquarter in July 1955. 63. Initially known by the name Louis X, his name was later changed to the 'holy name' Louis Farrakhan. A derivative of the Arabic word furqan, which means "The Criterion". He gave up on a music career and dedicated his life to the 'Nation of Islam.' 64. Within a span of nine months, he worked his way up and started serving as the assistant minister to Malcolm X, who was heading the Muhammad's Temple of Islam in Boston at that time. 65. He was soon made the minister as Malcom X was shifted to the Temple of Muhammad in Harlem, New York. Farrakhan replaced Malcom X as the minister at the Boston Temple. 66. Malcolm X was assassinated on 21 February 1965 and Farrakhan profited from it as he was appointed to two prominent positions in NOI. (@32) 67. He was appointed to the chair of the minister of the influential Harlem Mosque in 1965, a position which he held until 1975. Furthermore, he became the national spokesman and representative of NOI and served in this position until Elijah Muhammad's death in 1975. 68. In 1975, the Nation's leadership chose Wallace Muhammad, also known as Warith Deen Mohammad, the fifth of Elijah Muhammad's sons, not Farrakhan, as the new Supreme Minister. 69. Though Farrakhan remained a loyalist of the Muhammad clan for some time, in 1977 he withdrew his support from the organization and rebuilt the original 'Nation of Islam' which had been established by its founders. 70. Soon after its foundation, he started a weekly newspaper by the name 'The Final Call, Inc.' The objective of this initiation was to communicate his views and thoughts to the supporters and members. 71. Two years later, along with his supporters, he organized the first 'Saviours' Day' convention in Chicago. His group promised to walk by the principles of Elijah Muhammad. 72. Throughout his leadership, he blamed the Jewish community and other ethnic and racial groups for the sufferings endured by African Americans. 73. In October of 1995, he planned a broad coalition, intending to assemble about one million men in Washington DC for the 'Million Man March.' 74. At the convention, he was the keynote speaker along with distinguished African American intellectuals, such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King III, Cornel West, Jesse Jackson, and Benjamin Chavis. 75. Question: Who else could pull this off today? Where have our leaders gone? (Besides Obama) 76. Music Scene 77. #1 "Gangsta's Paradise", Coolio featuring L.V. 78. #2 "Waterfalls", TLC 79. #3 "Creep", TLC 80. #4 "Kiss from a Rose", Seal 81. #5 "On Bended Knee", Boyz II Men 82. #6 "Another Night", Real McCoy 83. #7 "Fantasy", Mariah Carey 84. #9 "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)", Monica 85. #10 "This Is How We Do It", Montell Jordan 86. #11 "I Know", Dionne Farris 87. #12 "Water Runs Dry", Boyz II Men 88. #13 "Freak Like Me", Adina Howard 89. #15 "I Can Love You Like That", All-4-One 90. #18 "Boombastic" / "In the Summertime", Shaggy 91. #20 "You Gotta Be", Des'ree 92. #21 "You Are Not Alone", Michael Jackson 93. #23 "One More Chance", The Notorious B.I.G. 94. #24 "Here Comes the Hotstepper", Ini Kamoze 95. #25 "Candy Rain", Soul for Real 96. #27 "I Believe", Blessid Union of Souls 97. #28 "Red Light Special", TLC 98. #29 "Runaway", Janet Jackson 99. #31 "Colors of the Wind", Vanessa Williams 100. #32 "Someone to Love", Jon B. 101. #34 "If You Love Me", Brownstone 102. #36 "I Got 5 on It", Luniz 103. #37 "Baby", Brandy 104. #40 "He's Mine", MoKenStef 105. Vote: 106. Jan - My Life, Mary J. Blige 107. Feb - Cocktails, Too Short 108. Mar - Safe + Sound, DJ Quik 109. Apr - Me Against the World, 2Pac 110. Apr - Friday, Soundtrack 111. Jun - Poverty's Paradise, Naughty by Nature 112. Jul - HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I, Michael Jackson 113. Jul - Operation Stackola, Luniz 114. Aug - The Show, the After Party, the Hotel, Jodeci 115. Aug - E. 1999 Eternal, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony 116. Sep - The Show, Soundtrack 117. Oct - 4,5,6, Kool G Rap 118. Oct - Daydream, Mariah Carey 119. Oct - Doe or Die, AZ 120. Nov - Dogg Food, Tha Dogg Pound 121. Dec - R. Kelly, R. Kelly 122. Dec - Waiting to Exhale, Soundtrack 123. Vote: 124. Featured Artists: TLC 125. Tionne Tenese Watkins (@25) was born on April 26, 1970, in Des Moines, Iowa, into a family of African American, Native American and Irish descent. Both her parents, James and Gayle Watkins, were musicians and singers. 126. Her parents divorced when she was three years old. Thereafter, she was raised by her mother, who taught her to be "confident and independent". At the age of nine, they moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where her maternal grandmother used to live. 127. As a child, she was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia (SCA), as a result of which, she had to spend a lot of time in hospitals. 128. As a teenager, she began working as a hair model, eventually serving as a manicurist and shampoo girl at a popular Atlanta hair salon. 129. In 1990, (@20) Tionne Watkins heard that a teenager named Crystal Clear was planning to open an all-girls group like Bell Biv DeVoe, having a tomboyish, hip-hop image. Eventually, she appeared for an audition and joined the three-member band, the third one being Lisa Lopes. 130. Calling themselves '2nd Nature', they soon started working with Jermaine Dupri and Rico Wade on demo tape material. 131. Meanwhile, Watkins met Perri "Pebbles" Reid, the owner of the management and production company, Pebbitone, and managed to arrange an audition with her. 132. Impressed by the girls, Reid arranged an audition with the local record label, LaFace Records, co-founded by her then husband Antonio Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmund. She also changed the group's name to TLC with 'T' representing Tionne, 'L' Lisa, and 'C' Crystal. 133. Although Antonio Reid was impressed by Watkins and Lopes, he did not approve of Clear, who was eventually replaced by Rozonda Thomas in April 1991. Very soon, Watkins became "T-Boz", Lopes became "Left-Eye", and Thomas became "Chilli", so that 'TLC' continued to be the acronym of their names. 134. Their debut album, 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' was released on February 25, 1992, by LaFace Records. It peaked at number 14 on the US Billboard 200, selling six million copies worldwide, and was certified quadruple platinum RIAA. 135. 'Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip' scored three top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Baby-Baby-Baby' peaking at number two, 'Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg' at number six and 'What About Your Friends' at number seven. Moreover, 'Baby-Baby-Baby' also peaked at number one at Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. 136. In 1993, the group started working on their second album, 'CrazySexyCool'. But because of Lisa's personal problems, it took time to complete and was ultimately released on September 15, 1994. 137. Certified Diamond, the album was a huge success, peaking at the 3rd position on the US Billboard 200. It sold over 11 million copies in the United States alone. The album was nominated for six Grammy Awards, out of which it won two and helped TLC to become the second-best selling girl group of all time. 138. Billboard named them the 'Artist of the Year' at the Billboard Music Awards. The album also appeared on Rolling Stone Magazine's '500 Greatest Albums of All Time'. 139. Despite the success, TLC was forced to file for bankruptcy because of poor contracts they had signed in 1991. Eventually, the group signed a new contract with the same company and went back to work. 140. Rozonda Ocelian Thomas (@24) was born on 27th February 1971 in Atlanta, Georgia to Abdul Ali and Ava Thomas. Her mother is of African American as well as Native American descent, while her father is of East Indian and Middle Eastern Background. She was raised by a single mother and did not meet her father until she was 25. 141. Thomas studied at Benjamin E. Mays High School, from where she graduated in 1989. Soon she started working as a back-up dancer for the R&B group Damian Dame. 142. In 1991, (@20) Rozonda Thomas joined the pop group TLC. 143. Lisa Nicole Lopes (@24) was born on May 27, 1971, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her father was Ronald Lopes Sr., a staff sergeant in the US Army, and her mother was Wanda Denise, a seamstress. She was of Cape Verdean, Mexican, American, African and Portuguese descent. She was the eldest of three siblings. Her parents divorced when she was in school. Following this, she was raised by her paternal grandmother. 144. At the age of five, she began playing the piano and eventually started composing songs over the next few years. She studied at the Philadelphia School for Girls. 145. In late 1990, having heard of an open casting call for a new girl group through her then-boyfriend, Lopes moved to Atlanta to audition. 146. Lopes' personal life, though, was marred by her rocky relationship with football great Andre Rison, and in 1994, she was arrested for burning down his home. 147. In 2000, she began her solo-project 'Supernova' which was set to be released in August 2001. However, the date was postponed repeatedly. It was eventually broadcast