Born Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr., Lil Wayne is a native of New Orleans. Born in 1982, he was in a program for gifted kids, even entering the drama club by middle school. At 11, he met Bryan “Baby” Williams, owner of the then-budding Cash Money Records. After leaving raps on Baby’s answering machine, Wayne was brought into CMR’s fold and quit school at 14.

In 1997, Wayne became part of the then-burgeoning Southern rap movement as the youngest member of the group Hot Boys. He soon appeared on a song by Hot Boys member Juvenile, whereupon he uttered the now ubiquitous phrase “Drop it like it’s hot.” (Not long after, Wayne, along with members of his crew, took to calling jewelry as “bling-bling,” a term now fully ingrained in the American lexicon.) Wayne’s 1999 solo album, the platinum Tha Block Is Hot, was highly regarded, and it shot to #3 on the Billboard 200.

His 2000 follow-up album, Lights Out, went gold, followed by another gold album, 500 Degreez, but it was the release of Tha Carter in 2004 when Lil Wayne began to hit the artistic stride. Experimenting with rhythm, cadence, and a general use of his voice as melodic instrument, Wayne also began perfecting a vivid and often humorous, sometimes stream-of-consciousness narrative style. Soon after, he appeared on “Soldier” by Destiny’s Child, which topped charts. Wayne became a hot commodity, with artists including Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Bobby Valentino, and Kanye West featuring him on their songs.

By 2006, Wayne’s career was moving at warp speed. There was Tha Carter II, also gold, and a blitzkrieg of mixtapes. Somewhere in between, Wayne found time to enroll in college, studying political science at University of Houston in 2005. That interest perhaps influenced his scathing of President Bush on his acclaimed song about Hurricane Katrina, “Georgia…Bush.”

He is said to have made over 800 recordings in 2007, and almost as fast as the songs appeared, so came the praise. Rolling Stone called his “Drought” series among the best albums of 2007; GQ named him one of their men of the year; an MTV poll crowned him emcee of the year; and Blender named him Best Rock Star Alive.

All of this has fueled intense anticipation for his next album, Tha Carter III, due in June. That project’s lead single, “Lollipop,” is his biggest hit to date — landing at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and MTV’s TRL — proof that he has fully cracked the mainstream. Moreover, the song’s success suggests that in spite of everything he’s done already, he’s really just getting started.

Mannie Fresh belongs in the latter camp. He is not quite a household name like some mixmasters, yet he is nonetheless a force, a man responsible for engineering much of the popular Southern rap music of the late 1990s. His productions have moved over 20 million units, and set the tone for an influential style of “street” music that has replicated by countless artists across the country.

A native of New Orleans, Mannie — born Byron O. Thomas — learned to play keyboard as a youngster. By 10, he’d become a DJ for a hip-hop group named New York Incorporated. Spinning records at hot local parties put him in the attention of a rapper named Gregory D, with whom Mannie released the 1992 album The Real Deal on RCA Records. The album didn’t do well outside of the South, but it introduced Mannie to the industry, and of course, made him a local star.

Disenchanted with the big labels’ handling of street music, Mannie parted with Gregory and began producing for local talents, including rapper Mia X. Mannie also fell in the company of Bryan “Baby” Williams (also known as “Birdman”), who hired Mannie Fresh as the in-house producer for artists on his Cash Money Records label. In its heyday, — the late 1990s through 2001 — Cash Money saw phenomenal success, cranking out a number of Top Five Billboard singles as well as platinum and gold albums by artists including Juvenile, Lil Wayne, B.G., and Baby. Much of this is Mannie’s doing; he’d become revered for his bouncy sound, built around thick bass and quirky, often deceptively simple synthesizer strokes.

But Mannie’s success meant more than just selling a lot of records. The stronghold his music created shifted the spotlight away from New York and West Coast rap, generating considerable interest in the South as a new creative center.

In 1998, Mannie Fresh and Birdman formed Big Tymers and released four albums. Mannie branched out a bit in 2004, releasing his first solo album, a 30-track opus called The Mind of Mannie Fresh. In the same year, he also co-produced tracks on the critically praised comeback album for Teena Marie and even opened a car customization shop in Houston called Fresh Rydes. In the following year, Mannie Fresh joined Def Jam South, and in 2006 he appeared alongside singer Frankie J on a pop-r&b song “That Girl.”

Mannie has since been slated to contribute to projects by artists including T.I. and Nas, further proof that his once local “street” style has officially caught on.

Cool & Dre met and became friends in high school in the early ’90s, and soon became part of a four-man singing group called Basic Unity. Although the group faded, their friendship and strong interest in music stayed intact. They began writing and producing hooks and beats — with Cool, the technical enforcer producing the beats, and Dre, co-writing and singing the hooks — that caught the attention of rapper Fat Joe, who soon sought out Cool & Dre to write and produce for both himself and the Terror Squad.

By 2004, the duo began gaining attention with such hits as Terror Squad’s “Take Me Home” and Ja Rule’s “New York.” On the list of BMI’s 2005 Top 10 Urban Producers, Cool & Dre have written and produced tracks for Mary J. Blige, Chris Brown, Juvenile, Christina Milian and Busta Rhymes, among others. They are also the production team behind one of the hottest tracks of 2005, “Hate It or Love It,” by the Game featuring 50 Cent, earning them a Billboard #1 Award at BMI’s 2005 Urban Awards and their first Grammy nomination.

Cool & Dre have finally arrived. They formed their own record label, Epidemic Music, through Jive Records, and are set to release Dre’s solo album, The Trunk, featuring the hit single “Chevy Ridin’ High,” this fall. They are also working with upcoming artists in Miami through their label and hope to continue to create good music and produce more No. 1 hits in the years to come.]]> 2006-10-15T18:00:01-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/534256 3 Doors Down, Arnold, Brad, Baby Gerry, Babyface, Batson, Mark, Bell, Thom, Ben-Ari, Miri, Bennett, Michael, Black Eyed Peas, Bock, Jerry, Bowlegged Lou, Busta Rhymes, Carey, Mariah, Counting Crows, Day, Howie, DeGraw, Gavin, DioGuardi, Kara, Edelman, Randy, Fat Joe, Fratantuno, Mike, Gamble, Kenneth, Garrett, Sean, Gessle, Per, Harrison, Rich, Huff, Leon, Hugo, Chad, Jazze Pha, Jerkins, Rodney, Jones, Daron, Juvenile, Lee, Amy, Lifehouse, Lil Flip, Lil Jon, Linkin Park, Los Lonely Boys, Love, Craig D., Lyttle, Kevin, M'Jestie, Maroon 5, McBride, Martina, McGraw, Tim, Milian, Christina, Ne-Yo, Nichols, Tim, Nichols, Tim, Nickelback, Persson, Mats, Rihanna, Roberts, Matt, Seether, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Slater, James, Sloan, Ed, Snoop Dogg, Usher1, Walker, Butch, Weezer, West, Kanye, Williams, Lenny, Williams, Pharrell, Ying Yang Twins, Yoshiaki, Terence, Pop 1, 2 STEP (Internet Song of the Year)
Jazze Pha
Bubba Gee Music
Noontime Tunes
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Ciara featuring Missy Elliott
Sho'Nuff Records

1985
John Allen
Eastside Johnny No Ass Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Bowling For Soup
Silvertone/Jive/Zomba

ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE
David Bryson
Adam Duritz
David Immergluck
Matthew Malley
Daniel Vickrey
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Jones Falls Music
Songs of DWA
Counting Crows
Geffen Records

BEVERLY HILLS (College Song of the Year)
Rivers Cuomo
E. O. Smith Music
Weezer
Geffen Records

BREAKING THE HABIT
Chester Bennington
Rob Bourdon
Brad Delson
Dave Farrell
Joe Hahn
Mike Shinoda
Big Bad Mr. Hahn Music
Chesterchaz Publishing
Kenji Kobayashi Music
Nondisclosure Agreement Music
Pancakey Cakes Music
Rob Bourdon Music
Zomba Songs
Linkin Park
Warner Bros. Records

BROKEN
Shaun Morgan
Dale Stewart
Dwight Frye Music, Inc.
Seether Publishing
Seether featuring Amy Lee
Wind-Up Records

CHARIOT
Gavin DeGraw
G. DeGraw Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Gavin DeGraw
J Records

COLD
Ed Sloan
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Sugarstar Publishing
Crossfade
Columbia Records

COLLIDE
Howie Day
Kevin Griffin
HKD Music
Tentative Music, Inc.
Howie Day
Epic Records

DIP IT LOW
Teedra Moses
Paul Poli
Paul Poli Music
Ras-N-Taj Music
Christina Milian
Def Soul Records

DISCO INFERNO
Phillip Pitts aka "Bangout"
Songs of Universal, Inc.
50 Cent
Aftermath

DON'T CHA
Busta Rhymes
Cee-Lo Green
Sir Mix-A-Lot
Ensign Music LLC
Nottinghill Music, Inc.
Tziah Music
Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes
Interscope Records

DON'T PHUNK WITH MY HEART
Paul Anthony
Baby Gerry
Cleveland Bell IV
B-Fine
Bowlegged Lou
Curt-T-T
Indeewar (IPRS)
Victor May
George Pajon, Jr.
Printz Board
Anandji V. Shah (IPRS)
Kalyanji V. Shah (IPRS)
Shy-Shy
will.i.am
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Cherry River Music Co.
El Cubano Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Forceful Music
Henstone Publishing
Musicworks
Printz Polar Publishing
Saregama Music, United States
Songs of Universal, Inc.
will.i.am music, inc.
Zomba Songs
Black Eyed Peas
Interscope Records

DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT
Chad Hugo
Snoop Dogg
Pharrell Williams
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
My Own Chit Publishing
Raynchaser Music
Waters of Nazareth Publishing
Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell
Star Trak/Geffen/Interscope Records

FEELIN' WAY TOO DAMN GOOD
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)
Mike Kroeger (SOCAN)
Ryan Peake (SOCAN)
Ryan Vikedal (SOCAN)
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nickelback
Roadrunner/IDJMG Records

GOODIES
Sean Garrett
Lil Jon
Craig D. Love
Zachary Wallace
C'Amore Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ishmoot Music
Songs of TVT
Swizole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Ciara featuring Petey Pablo
Sho'Nuff Records

HEAVEN (2nd Award)
Henry Garza
Jojo Garza
Ringo Garza
Either Or Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Garza Bros. Music
Los Lonely Boys
Epic Records

HOLLABACK GIRL
Pharrell Williams
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Waters of Nazareth Publishing
Gwen Stefani
Interscope Records

I DON'T WANT TO BE
Gavin DeGraw
G. DeGraw Music, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Gavin DeGraw
J Records

I'LL BE AROUND (2nd Award)
Thom Bell
Phil Hurtt
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Hall and Oates
DKE/U-WATCH

IN MY DAUGHTER'S EYES
James Slater
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
Diversion Music
Martina McBride
RCA Records

LADY
Craig Ross
Wigged Music
Lenny Kravitz
Virgin Records
LEAN BACK
Fat Joe
Joey And Ryan Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Terror Squad
SRC/Universal Records

LEAVE (GET OUT)
Alex Cantrall
Kenneth Karlin
Soulshock
Phillip "Whitey" White
Alley Gadfly Music
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Full of Soul Music
Soulvang Music
JoJo
Blackground/Universal

LET ME GO
Brad Arnold
Todd Harrell
Chris Henderson
Matt Roberts
Escatawpa Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
3 Doors Down
Republic/Universal Records

LET ME LOVE YOU
Shaffer "Ne-Yo" Smith
Bridge Apartments Music
Super Sayin' Publishing
Zomba Songs
Mario
3rd Street Records

LET'S GET IT STARTED
Apl.de.ap
Mike Fratantuno
Terence Yoshiaki Graves
George Pajon, Jr.
Taboo
will.i.am
Cherry River Music Co.
El Cubano Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Hisako Songs
Jeepney Music, Inc.
Nawasha Networks Publishing
Tuono Music
will.i.am music, inc.
Black Eyed Peas
A & M/Interscope Records

LISTEN TO YOUR HEART (2nd Award)
Per Gessle (STIM)
Mats Persson (STIM)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
D. H. T.

LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING
Tim Nichols
Nichols Worth Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Tim McGraw
Curb Records

LOSE MY BREATH
Sean Garrett
Fred Jerkins
Rodney Jerkins
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Ensign Music LLC
Fred Jerkins Publishing
Rodney Jerkins Productions, Inc.
Destiny's Child
Columbia Records

LOVERS AND FRIENDS
Lil Jon
Michael Sterling
Irving Music
Persevere Publishing
Songs of TVT
Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz feat Usher & Ludaris
TVT Records

MOVE YA BODY
Paul Anthony
Baby Gerry
B-Fine
Bowlegged Lou
Curt-T-T
Shy-Shy
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Mokojumbi Music
Zomba Songs
Nina Sky featuring Jabba
J Time/Next Plateau

MY HAPPY ENDING
Butch Walker
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Sonotrock Music, Inc.
Avril Lavigne
Arista Records

MY PLACE
Randy Edelman
Kenneth Gamble
Leon Huff
Dorian (Doe) Moore
EMI-Hastings Catalog, Inc.
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Nelly featuring Jaheim
Derrty/Fo Reel/Universal Records

OVERNIGHT CELEBRITY
Miri Ben-Ari
Michael Bennett
Kanye West
Lenny Williams
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
EMI-Stone Diamond Music Corporation
Len-Lon Music Publishing
Mirimode Music
Please Gimme My Publishing, Inc.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Twista
Atlantic Records

PIECES OF ME
Kara DioGuardi
K'Stuff Publishing
Ashlee Simpson
Geffen Records

PON DE REPLAY
Alisha "M'Jestie" Brooks
Evan Rogers
Carl Sturken
AMP Group Publishing LLC
Bayjun Beat Music
Below Da Belt Music
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Rihanna
SRP/Def Jam/ID Jmg

RICH GIRL
Mark Batson
Jerry Bock
Kara DioGuardi
Sheldon M. Harnick
Bat Future Music
Jerry Bock Enterprises
K'Stuff Publishing
Mayerling Productions Ltd.
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Gwen Stefani featuring Eve
Interscope Records

SALT SHAKER
D-Roc (Ying Yang Twins)
Kaine (Ying Yang Twins)
Lil Jon
Collipark Music
Da Crippler Publishing
E W C Publishing Co.
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Songs of TVT
Ying Yang Twins featuring Lil Jon
Collipark/TVT Records

SHE WILL BE LOVED (Song of the Year)
Jesse Carmichael
Ryan Dusick
Adam Levine
Mickey Madden
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
February Twenty-Second Music
Maroon 5
Octone/J Records

SLOW MOTION
Juvenile
Breka Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Money Mack Music
Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim
Cash Money Records

SOLDIER
Sean Garrett
Rich Harrison
Dam Rich Music
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Destiny's Child
Columbia Records

SUNDAY MORNING
Jesse Carmichael
Ryan Dusick
Adam Levine
Mickey Madden
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
February Twenty-Second Music
Maroon 5
Octone/J Records

SUNSHINE
Carlos Hassan of The Synphony
Sandy Lal of The Synphony
Lil Flip
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
Carlos Hassan Publishing
Clover G Music
Reach Global Songs
Sandy Lal Music Publishing
Lil Flip featuring Leá
Sucka Free/Loud/Columbia Records

SWITCH
L. Bennett aka Kel Spencer
Kwamé
Irving Music
Kwamétheboygenius Music
Love-N-Loyalty Music
Will Smith
Interscope Records

THIS LOVE (2nd Award)
Jesse Carmichael
Ryan Dusick
Adam Levine
Mickey Madden
Careers-BMG Music Publishing
February Twenty-Second Music
Maroon 5
Octone/J Records

TRUE
Sheppard Solomon
Jumbo Boom Boom Publishing
Ryan Cabrera
Evla/Atlantic

TURN ME ON
Daron Jones
Kevin Lyttle
Raeon Primus (COTT)
EMI-Blackwood Music, Inc.
Kevin Lyttle
Atlantic Records

WE BELONG TOGETHER
Darnell Bristol
Mariah Carey
Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds
Sid "Uncle Jamz" Johnson
Patrick L. Moten
Sandra Sully
Bobby Womack
ABKCO Music, Inc.
Ballads By Design Publishing
Hip Chic Music
Mister Johnson's Jams Music
Rye Songs
Songs of Universal, Inc.
Sony/ATV Songs LLC
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Mariah Carey
Island Records

YOU AND ME
Jude Cole
Jason Wade
Dimensional Songs of the Knoll
G-Chills Music
Jude Cole Music
Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Lifehouse
Geffen Records

Pictured after an Atlantic Records showcase are artist/songwriter Trey Songz, BMI's Wardell Malloy and producer Troy Taylor

A talented R&B artist and accomplished songwriter, Trey Songz got his start in Petersburg, VA at age 15, when he met his producer and mentor, Troy Taylor. Impressed by an a cappella version of "All The Things I Do," a song Trey himself had written, Taylor urged Trey to get serious. To date, Trey has written and co-produced for labelmate Kevin Lyttle's self-titled debut, sings solo on "About The Game" from Coach Carter: Music From The Motion Picture, and is featured on "Ain't A Thug," on Trick Daddy's latest album, Thug Matrimony. Trey co-wrote and guests on the tracks "I Know" and "Line of Fire" from Juvenile's upcoming album, and will collaborate with Lil Kim, Trina, and Snoop Dogg on their forthcoming projects.

Taylor was born and bred in suburban New Haven, Connecticut, into a family of talented musicians, resulting in his exposure to music at a very early age. He started by singing in local talent shows and then moved on to playing keyboards and learning how to listen and understand music. Taylor's ear for music and his natural ability to gain people's attention enabled him to make great strides in his career. As an entrepreneur, Taylor formed his own production company, Songbook Entertainment, several years ago. With a discography full of platinum hits, he has worked with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, B2K, Ginuwine, Patti Labelle, Omarion, Kevin Lyttle, Glenn Lewis, The Mighty O-Jay's, Take 6, SWV, 702, Brownstone, Johnny Gill, and Stevie Wonder to name a few.

Kanyé West	Sheryl Crow	Norah Jones

Also crossing genres were double nominees Sheryl Crow, up for Favorite Artist in both the pop/rock and adult contemporary fields, and Norah Jones, who will compete with Crow for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist, while her sophomore release Feels Like Home got a bid for Favorite Pop/Rock Album.

Toby Keith	Martina McBride	Josh Groban

Country superstar Toby Keith also received two mentions, earning the Favorite Male Artist nod for the second year in a row. His triple platinum smash, Shock'n Y'All, is up for Favorite Country Album, which he won last year for Unleashed. Keith faces fellow BMI country artist Martina McBride, herself a double AMA nominee, in the favorite album category; she is also vying for the Favorite Female Country Artist crown.

Nominations for the American Music Awards are based on sales figures and radio play, and winners are selected by a survey of about 20,000 listeners. The 2004 American Music Awards will take place on November 14 in Los Angeles.

Harry Connick, Jr.	Maroon 5

BMI's 2004 American Music Award nominees:

POP/ROCK
Favorite Male Artist
Josh Groban

Favorite Female Artist
Sheryl Crow

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Evanescence
Nickelback

R. Kelly	Evanescence

Favorite Album
Feels Like Home
Norah Jones

SOUL/R&B
Favorite Male Artist
R. Kelly

Favorite Female Artist
Janet Jackson

Tim McGraw	Nickelback

COUNTRY
Favorite Male Artist
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw

Favorite Female Artist
Martina McBride

Favorite Band, Duo or Group
Brooks & Dunn
Lonestar
Rascal Flatts

Favorite Album
Shock'n Y'All
Toby Keith
Martina
Martina McBride

RAP/HIP-HOP
Favorite Male Artist
Juvenile
Lil' Flip
Kanyé West

Favorite Album
The College Dropout
Kanyé West

ALTERNATIVE
Favorite Artist
Linkin Park

ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Favorite Artist
Harry Connick, Jr.
Sheryl Crow
Norah Jones

LATIN
Favorite Artist
Intocable

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Favorite Artist
Steven Curtis Chapman

BREAKTHROUGH/FAVORITE NEW ARTIST (all genres)
Maroon 5
Kanyé West

Their debut succeeded despite scant airtime. Notes Francisco, "Radio is always afraid of something brand new that's going to change their programming, right?" Akwid's follow-up, KOMP 104.9 Radio Compa , delivers a thunderous retort to narrow-casting, wherein the duo invents an imaginary station that broadcasts their music exclusively.

The brothers are veterans of a DJ crew, Juvenile Style, and fused their two nicknames, "Wicked" (Sergio) and "AK" (Francisco) into "Akwid." Says Sergio, "We didn't know how to sing, but we could rap, and could express ourselves without being so vulgar about it. Rap is categorized as violent, but we took it and turned it into something else, a new genre: Regional Mexican."

This fusion follows a thriving bicultural/bilingual through line that extends from the streets of Los Angeles to the centers of emerging urban culture in other cities, but the brothers are modest about their roles as originators. "I didn't know if you can call our music an invention," qualifies Francisco, "it was something that was very natural for us. No one had actually connected to the generation who came to the U.S. from Mexico. It's been cool for the kids."

All of these releases come on the coattails of the platinum-plus CD from the label’s co-CEO, Bryan “Baby” Williams. His debut solo release, Birdman, was released in November of 2002 and has generated three top 10 hip-hop/r&b singles. Baby’s videos have remained in heavy rotation and feature various superstar guest spots, including P. Diddy on the first single, “Do That”; The Clipse on the follow-up, “Whatever Happened To That Boy”; and Toni Braxton on the SOS Band-inspired rendition of “Baby We Can Do It.”

Cash Money was founded in 1991 by brothers Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Baby” Williams. Natives of the New Orleans area, the pair inked a much-publicized multi-million dollar deal with Universal Records in 1997 and have sold more than ten million albums from its relatively tight clique of artists, which also includes titles from B.G., the Hot Boys, and Mack 10.

At the core of the company’s success is the label’s resident producer, Mannie Fresh, who has placed his signature sound on nearly all of Cash Money’s hits.

Cash Money has more recently diversified its business interests. Earlier this year, the label teamed up with urban fashion mogul Karl Kani to design a new line of street-wear called “Life.”

So, to any of the non-believers, who thought that Cash Money, like so many hip-hop camps, was going to be a flash in the pan -- think again, because Cash Money has positioned itself for long-term success.]]> 2003-07-01T18:00:00-05:00