Music Artists

Rjd2 is Ramble John Krohn, a hip-hop producer. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Until recently, he was part of the Definitive Jux label and produced tracks for many of its artists, as well as having a solo career. In 2006, RJ “ditched hip-hop” for the indie-rock label XL, releasing The Third Hand in March 2007.

From 1998 to 1999, he saw success blossom as DJ/producer for the Columbus-based group the Megahertz, with two twelve-inch singles on Bobbito Garcia’s legendary NY label, Fondle ‘Em Records. This explosive entrance to the underground hip-hop scene gave way to shows from Europe to Japan, not to mention garnering mention in Vibe magazine’s “History of Hip-Hop” historical volume. Opening doors outside of the east coast, the MHz went on to appear on the Bay Area’s ABB records compilation, Always Bigger and Better, Volume 1. Their contribution (entitled “This Year”) was voted best track on the ABB website, while competing against major label heavyweights such as Dilated Peoples and Defari.

In 2000, the praise only continued for RJD2, producing Copywrite’s debut single “Holier Than Thou” on Rawkus Records. The work certainly didn’t stop there; spring of 2001 was RJD2’s formal introduction to hip-hop as a solo artist on Def Jux Presents, a compilation showcasing the roster of his record label, Definitive Jux Records. Having to hold his own next to NYC underground legends such as Company Flow, Cannibal Ox, and Aesop Rock, RJD2 did no less. That summer he followed up this string of releases with his own twelve inch entitled June, which featured fellow MHz member Copywrite laying down two incredible book-end verses. Melding the hip-hop tradition of raw, gritty samples with a more classical approach to song structure, he has concocted a style of production that pleases the most discerning hip-hop scholar without compromising that old dance floor aesthetic.
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She might be the younger sister of superstar Jessica Simpson, but don’t confuse their tastes or style when it comes to music. Waco, Texas-born Ashlee Simpson always loved music. At age 11 she was the youngest person ever admitted into the School of American Ballet. At 14 she moved with her parents and older sister to Los Angeles and spent time dancing in Jessica’s stage show. Appearances on Malcolm in the Middle and The View led to a regular role on the television show Seventh Heaven but Ashlee’s heart was set on a music career. One of her songs, “Just Let Me Cry,” landed on the Freaky Friday soundtrack in 2003, and Ashlee continued work on her rocking and punky demos when Seventh Heaven wasn’t in production. Geffen was impressed and released her debut album, Autobiography, in 2004 as MTV was debuting Ashlee’s own reality show. During its first week of release, Autobiography went to number one on the Billboard album charts with sales of 398,000 copies. Her sophomore effort, I Am Me, which was also produced by John Shanks, was issued in October 2005. After touring to support the album, Simpson appeared as Roxie Hart in the London production of Chicago. In April of 2008 she announced her engagement to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz. That same month her third album, Bittersweet World, landed featuring the singles “Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)” and “Little Miss Obsessive.” ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide
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Billy Ray Cyrus will forever be known for the catchy, lightweight single “Achy Breaky Heart,” which became a line-dancing anthem upon its release in 1992. “Achy Breaky Heart” made Cyrus famous, but it also proved to be his undoing as he failed to replicate its success with future releases. Cyrus’ music was never particularly innovative — it owed as much to the country-rock of the Eagles as it did to the new traditionalism of George Strait and the new country of Clint Black and Garth Brooks — but his musical worth became irrelevant in the wake of the success of “Achy Breaky Heart” and its accompanying album, Some Gave All. The album became a crossover success on the strength of its chief single, spending 17 weeks on the top of the album charts and shining a spotlight on Cyrus, whose handsome, hunky good looks only furthered his appeal. However, both his good looks and the single were soon forgotten, and just two years after Some Gave All ruled the airwaves, Cyrus virtually disappeared from both the pop and country charts. He spent a decade as part of the long history of one-hit wonders, only to return to chart success in the wake of his daughter Miley’s popular TV show, Hannah Montana, in 2007.Enamored of baseball, Cyrus intended to become another Johnny Bench as he grew up in Flatwoods, KY. While attending Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship, he bought a guitar and began to question his intended career path. Switching gears, he formed a band called Sly Dog with his brother and gave himself a ten-month deadline for finding a place to play. One week prior to that cutoff date, the group secured work as the house band for a club in Ironton, OH, where they remained for two years. When a 1984 fire destroyed the bar — along with Cyrus’ equipment — the burgeoning musician moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Eventually, he decided to return to Kentucky and commuted regularly from there to Nashville in search of a record deal. Grand Ole Opry star Del Reeves convinced Mercury Records to take a look, and division head Harold Shedd signed him in the summer of 1990. When his first album arrived mid-1992, Cyrus — with his good looks, sculpted body, and the infectious “Achy Breaky Heart” — became an instant groundbreaking sensation. Spending five weeks at the top of the country charts, “Achy Breaky Heart” helped make its accompanying debut album, Some Gave All, a blockbuster success. By the time it fell off the charts, it had sold over nine million copies and spent 17 weeks on the top of the pop charts.Despite his attempts, Cyrus wasn’t able to replicate the success of Some Gave All. He quickly followed the album with It Won’t Be the Last in the summer of 1993. The album initially sold well and entered the pop charts at number three, but it fell far short of expectations by only reaching platinum status. Storm in the Heartland, delivered in the fall of 1994, managed to go gold, but it was largely ignored by country radio and only contributed to the decline of Cyrus’ profile. When he returned in 1996 with the harder-edged, introspective Trail of Tears, his audience had virtually disappeared — the album only spent four weeks on the charts and didn’t even go gold. Nevertheless, Cyrus continued to release records, issuing Shot Full of Love in 1998 and Southern Rain in 2000. In March 2001, Cyrus made his first foray into television by playing a country doctor in the sitcom Doc. He then returned to music world with 2003′s Time Flies and the gospel-inspired Other Side. Wanna Be Your Joe arrived in 2006, the same year that Cyrus appeared on the Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, a popular show starring his real-life daughter Miley. While the album failed to spawn a successful single, it nevertheless went gold — Cyrus’ first album in eight years to do so — and demonstrated the commercial power of his status as Miley’s father. Riding on the wave of Hannah Montana’s popularity, Cyrus released his tenth studio album, Home at Last, in 2007 on the Disney label. The album debuted at number 20 on the U.S. Billboard charts, both reestablishing Cyrus as a presence in country music and highlighting the popularity (not to mention influence) of his daughter’s show. Love Songs, a collection drawn from his peak years with Mercury, was released early in 2008, followed in 2009 by a new studio project, Back to Tennessee, on Hollywood Records. ~ Tom Roland & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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Los Angeles resident Steven Ellison a.k.a. Juno Leed a.k.a. Flying Lotus is a hip-hop producer and beat maker, occasionally linked to artists such as Madlib and fellow LA resident the Gaslamp Killer for his more abstract and sometimes jazz tinted style. Flying Lotus , often abbreviated to FlyLo, is currently signed to Warp Records, although he released his first album, 1983 on Plug Research Records, the label to which he belonged from 2006-2007. His June 2008 release, Los Angeles, with cover art designed by Timothy Saccenti, was released to positive critical reviews. As well as serious album work, remixes and production for artists such as Oddisee and John Robinson, FlyLo is also responsible for many of the musical loops heard during the ‘bumps’ on Adult Swim, as well as being a casual filmmaker.

Being the great-nephew of Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane’s wife, Ellison comes from a musical heritage about which he says: “My greatest influences are my family, I’m lucky to have been around so many accomplished musicians.” When discussing the sources of his imagination and inspiration, he explains that : “I see these tracks as little short films that play in my head… I have this beautiful lemon tree in my backyard, and on a sunny day the light shines through. Little things like that inspire me.”
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As one of the most popular Californian pop/rock bands of the ’70s, The Doobie Brothers evolved from a mellow, post-hippie boogie band to a slick, soul-inflected pop band by the end of the decade. Along the way, the group racked up a string of gold and platinum albums in the U.S., along with a number of radio hits like “Listen to the Music,” “Black Water,” and “China Grove.” The roots of The Doobie Brothers lie in Pud, a short-lived Californian country-rock band in the vein of Moby Grape featuring guitarist/vocalist Tom Johnston and drummer John Hartman. After Pud collapsed in 1969, the pair began jamming with bassist Dave Shogren and guitarist Patrick Simmons. Eventually, the quartet decided to form a group, naming themselves The Doobie Brothers after a slang term for marijuana. Soon, the Doobies earned a strong following throughout Southern California, especially among Hell’s Angels, and they were signed to Warner Bros. in 1970. The band’s eponymous debut was ignored upon its 1971 release. Following its release, Shogren was replaced by Tiran Porter and the group added a second drummer, Michael Hossack, for 1972′s Toulouse Street. Driven by the singles “Listen to the Music” and “Jesus Is Just Alright,” Toulouse Street became the group’s breakthrough. The Captain and Me (1973) was even more successful, spawning the Top Ten hit “Long Train Runnin’” and “China Grove.” Keith Knudsen replaced Hossack as the group’s second drummer for 1974′s What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits, which launched their first number one single, “Black Water,” and featured heavy contributions from former Steely Dan member Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Baxter officially joined The Doobie Brothers for 1975′s Stampede. Prior to the album’s spring release, Johnston was hospitalized with a stomach ailment and was replaced for the supporting tour by keyboardist/vocalist Michael McDonald, who had also worked with Steely Dan. Although it peaked at number four, Stampede wasn’t as commercially successful as its three predecessors, and the group decided to let McDonald and Baxter, who were now official Doobies, revamp the band’s light country-rock and boogie. The new sound was showcased on 1976′s Takin’ It to the Streets, a collection of light funk and jazzy pop that resulted in a platinum album. Later that year, the group released the hits compilation The Best of the Doobies. In 1977, the group released Livin’ on the Fault Line, which was successful without producing any big hits. Johnston left the band after the album’s release to pursue an unsuccessful solo career. Following his departure, the Doobies released their most successful album, Minute by Minute (1978), which spent five weeks at number one on the strength of the number one single “What a Fool Believes.” Hartman and Baxter left the group after the album’s supporting tour, leaving the Doobie Brothers as McDonald’s backing band.Following a year of audition, the Doobies hired ex-Clover guitarist John McFee, session drummer Chet McCracken, and former Moby Grape saxophonist Cornelius Bumpus and released One Step Closer (1980), a platinum album that produced the Top Ten hit “Real Love.” During the tour for One Step Closer, McCracken was replaced by Andy Newmark. Early in 1982, the Doobie Brothers announced they were breaking up after a farewell tour, which was documented on the 1983 live album Farewell Tour. After the band’s split, McDonald pursued a successful solo career, while Simmons released one unsuccessful solo record. In 1987, the Doobies reunited for a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, which quickly became a brief reunion tour; McDonald declined to participate in the tour. By 1989, the early-’70s lineup of Johnston, Simmons, Hartman, Porter, and Hossack, augmented by percussionist and former Doobies roadie Bobby LaKind, had signed a contract with Capitol Records. Their reunion album, Cycles, went gold upon its summer release in 1989, spawning the Top Ten hit “The Doctor.” Brotherhood followed two years later, but it failed to generate much interest. For the remainder of the ’90s, the group toured the U.S., playing the oldies circuit and ’70s revival concerts. By 1995, McDonald had joined the group again, and the following year saw the release of Rockin’ Down the Highway. But the lineup had once again shifted by the turn of the new millennium. 2000 saw the band — Hossack, Johnston, Knudsen, McFee, and Simmons — issue Sibling Rivalry, which featured touring members Guy Allison on keyboards, Marc Russo on saxophone, and Skylark on bass. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
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