By Bryant Romero—
There is nothing mainstream about Wasulu Muhammad Jaco, better known as Lupe Fiasco, who was born in Chicago in 1982—one of the most violent cities in the country.
He’s not your typical hip hop star. He doesn’t rant about money, cars, and women like most of his peers. He doesn’t flash much ice; he prefers simplicity, subtlety, and owns a single herringbone chain and a Rolex. If you ever had a chance to listen to Lupe’s music, you know him as a talented rapper whose lyrics have sparked controversy since he released his debut album Food and Liquor in September 2006. After 6 years, he has released his 4th album Food and Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album. Like his predecessors, politics and social commentary will again be his main theme in the album.
“It’s meant to tell the great American experience, touch on ideas, a very rough, very unfinished, very unpolished thoughts and feelings about America: American history, American Culture, American Society, American food. You’ll see that laced throughout the album,” Lupe said, in an interview with CNN.
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Gotye (go-tea-yay), whose real name is Wouter De Baker, was a relatively unknown musician outside of Australia and Belgium until his breakout hit “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The single made him an international superstar, was the number one song on the billboard 100, and currently ranks as the 17th most viewed videos of all time on YouTube with over 300 million views (as of October 2012).
Born in Bruges, Belgium in May of 1982, Gotye is Belgian-Australian. The 32-year-old Indie rock star plays multiple instruments and is a singer-songwriter. Like many artists, Gotye learned from his bumps and setbacks since his decade in the industry.
“I’ve done hundreds of rock ‘n’ roll shows with the Basics, and not all of them were well-attended, one gig we played to zero people….That was eight years ago. Fortunately, it’s been slowly growing since then,” said Gotye in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
Gotye released his third studio album Making Mirrors in December 2011, and was certified Gold in the US, and reached Platinum status in 3 other countries. Despite the album’s success it seems people only know him because of his most popular single. Gotye insists that however long his success may last, he’s enjoying the present time.
“Enjoy the moment, while it lasts…. Things might change very quickly, next year, whenever, and I’ll be alright with that,” said Gotye in his Chicago Tribune interview.
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Kelly Rowland originally rose to fame as a member of Destiny’s Child, one of the highest selling American R&B girl groups of all time (selling 50 million records worldwide). She has since went solo, but not with the same success. Kelly has been in the shadows of her friend Beyoncé since the days of Destiny’s Child, and her journey as solo artist hasn’t been easy. Despite disappointing sales in her last three albums, people in the music industry do recognize her talent.
50 Cent said in an interview with MTV that Kelly Rowland is “the most underrated female soloist in the game.”
Kelly has since taken a gig in the UK’s hit show X-Factor looking to raise her profile internationally. She is currently working on a new project called Fear of a Woman which is slated to be released later this year and is looking to focus on certain themes for the album.
“I made sure that I locked in on a concept”, said Kelly in an MTV interview. “It’s building up beautifully; I can’t wait till my fans hear it.”
She later revealed in an interview with Vegas magazine, the album will be about “female empowerment” and that she was inspired by some of her favorite artists like Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye.
