Title: The Remarkable Journey of Who Is
Kenneth is], the visionary mind behind the prominent blog "Who Is," has become a familiar figure in the blogosphere. With an unwavering commitment to their craft and a strong passion for sharing knowledge, they have created a platform that educates, entertains, and inspires readers from all corners of the globe. This blog post will take you through the incredible journey of Who is, shedding light on their background and their rise
Who is Matthew Thomas Skiba? The music world know himMatt Skiba, Skiba the lead singer and guitarist of Alkaline Trio. He has previously been a member of various bands including Jerkwater (McHenry/Chicago, IL; Dyslexic Records), Blunt, and The Traitors (Johanns Face Records). In 2002, Skiba recorded a split EP with Kevin Seconds. In 2006 Skiba launched a new side project with F-Minus bassist Josiah Steinbrick. The band, named Heavens, debuted the album Patent Pending on September 12, 2006.
Alkaline Trio
Born in Chicago on February 24, 1976, he moved to the suburb of McHenry, Illinois at the age of three. Playing piano at an early age, his first concert was Public image Ltd., but in 1996, while working as a bike messenger, he decided to take up the guitar. Skiba dropped out of Columbia College in Chicago, Illinois to form Alkaline Trio with drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran.
After the group recorded their first compilation and demo, they recorded the For Your Lungs Only EP, during which Rob Doran left the group. Dan Andriano picked up from there and recorded the EP with them. The groups lineup changed again in 2000 when Glenn Porter left until they recruited present member Derek Grant in 2002.
Matt also played drums for The Traitors before forming Alkaline Trio. Their self-titled album, which Skiba played drums on, was released on Johann's Face Records.
Side Projects and Solo
In 2001, he started his first large solo shows with The Plea For Peace Tour. These shows were mostly him performing Alkaline Trio songs on acoustic with backing drums and bass in a few shows.
His first solo release came in 2002 in the form of a split with Kevin Seconds. The songs were performed mostly on acoustic with backing drums, bass, and piano (all of which were played by Matt). The song Good Fucking Bye is sometimes performed live with the Alkaline Trio to this day.
In 2006, Skiba formed a side project called Heavens with Thieves Like Us and Flowers Of Doom guitarist Josiah Steinbeck. They released their debut album Patent Pending on Sept. 12, 2006.
During May 2007, Skiba performed five "special" shows with Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music). On August 18, 2009, Skiba, fellow Alkaline Trio member Derek Grant and Greg Corner and Jonny Radtke of Kill Hannah debuted their new super-group cover band named Them Krocked Vulvas (occasionally played under the name "A Perfect Circus").
On August 10, 2010, he is releasing a debut solo album titled Demos on Asian Man Records.
Personal life
Skiba and Derek Grant (the drummer in his present band Alkaline Trio) have declared themselves card carrying members of the Church of Satan. Matt has previously stated in an interview with Guitar World magazine that he uses his membership card of the Church to "watch people squirm". In an interview with Rock Sound in 2008 he stated that he in fact considers himself an agnostic. He is also a vegetarian and has stated in an interview with AOL Interface that he practices transcendental meditation. He said that it has greatly helped his creative process in writing due to it putting him in a clear and calm state of mind, though initially he didn't agree with this belief and thought that being the "tortured soul" was more beneficial. However, after reading the book Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch, he now believes a calm state of mind and being is more artistically helpful. and In 2003 during the recording of their album, Good Mourning, Skiba had a problem with acid reflux because of his early troubles with alcohol and illicit drug use, diet and not warming up before singing.
He now resides in California He has "Love Song" tattooed on his knuckles. He is a "big Cure fan" and a "huge Damned fan". He is also "an enormous David Lynch fan" and a "really big Nirvana fan". According to an interview with Kerrang, Skiba is no longer married.
In recent interviews, it has been said that Skiba is currently moving to Canada (Vancouver).
Family
His mother, Joan Skiba, is a 4th/5th-grade teacher at Woods Creek Elementary School, and his father, Thomas Skiba, is an oral surgeon, both working in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
In September 2006, his side project Heavens released the album, Patent Pending and started to tour. In late December 2008 Josiah Steinbrick announced on Heaven's Myspace page "This is no longer a Heavens page. Sorry, that's just the way it's going down. Matt will still be doing Trio stuff and last I heard he might be working on a wonderful solo record. I'm not really positive actually but I'm sure it will be great." There was a falling out between Matt Skiba and Josiah Steinbrick that led to the end of Heavens.
Also in 2006 Skiba contributed to the "Rock 'n' Roll High School" track that appears on the Brats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids tribute album released on Go-Kart Records.
He is referenced in the NOFX song, Creeping out Sara on their 2009 album Coaster.
Skiba is set to release a solo album in Summer 2010.
Who is Aubrey Drake Graham? Th music and hip hop world knows him as Drake. He is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing character Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation.
In June 2009 Graham signed a recording contract with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. In November 2009, Lil Wayne released a statement announcing that Drake's first studio album, Thank Me Later, had been completed. The album was released on June 15, 2010, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album has since gone platinum. He will release his second studio album in March or April 2011 titled Take Care. Drake will release an R&B mixtape sometime in the future and will release a collaboration album with Lil Wayne.
Graham has worked with several other hip-hop artists such as Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Kanye West, Eminem, and Jay-Z. With the success of his mixtape turned EPSo Far Gone, Graham has been nominated for several awards including Grammys, even being selected to perform at the 2010 Grammy award ceremony. Graham has also won several awards, including two Juno Awards in 2010 for Best New Artist, and Rap Recording of the Year.
Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario. He is the son of Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sandi Graham, an educator. Two of his uncles, Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges, are also musicians. Graham's father is an African American from Memphis, Tennessee, while Graham's mother is a white Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah. His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighbourhood. Graham attended high school at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where he began acting, but did not graduate. He spent most summers with his father in Memphis. Graham stated that his parents' divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying, “I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother."
Music career
Early beginnings (2006–08)
In February 2006, Graham released his first mixtape Room for Improvement. It was made available via his website and official MySpace page. In 2007, he released another mixtape, Comeback Season, spawning a single and a music video for "Replacement Girl" featuring Trey Songz. Also in 2007, Graham became the first unsigned Canadian rapper to have his music video featured on BET when his first single, "Replacement Girl" was featured as the "New Joint of the Day" on April 30, 2007. It also contained a freestyle over a song with Lil Wayne, a remix of "Man of the Year" originally by Brisco and Flo Rida. In 2008, Lil Wayne was given some of Drake's music from Rap-A-Lot founder, J. Prince's son, Jas Prince, and he immediately called Graham to invite him to fly to Houston and tour with him. Graham and Wayne recorded a couple of songs during this time, including "Ransom", the original version of "I Want This Forever", and the remix to Drake's song, "Brand New". Though now part of Lil Wayne's crew, Young Money, Drake was not signed.
So Far Gone (2009)
On February 13, 2009, Graham released his third official mixtape, So Far Gone, for free download on his blog site which included Graham's mentor Lil Wayne, Bun B, Omarion, Lloyd and his friend, Trey Songz. It received over 2,000 downloads in the first 2 hours of release. It was extremely successful in the underground and eventually made its way to radio. Due to the success of the mixtape's two singles, "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful", it was released as an EP featuring only five songs from the mix tape and one new song. MTV named it "The Hottest Mixtape of 2009 (So Far)". Since So Far Gone, Graham worked with DJ Khaled, Young Money, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, Birdman, Trey Songz, and Jamie Foxx. Drake has also written for Jazz Cartier, Bishop Brigante, Alicia Keys, and Dr. Dre.
He achieved success before signing to a major record label, according to his management Hip Hop Since 1978. In June 2009, it was revealed that an unauthorized album entitled The Girls Love Drake and credited to Graham was up for sale on iTunes. A lawsuit was planned against the label.
by Young Money Entertainment entered the top ten at positions 3 and 10 respectively. Graham is only the second artist to have his first two top ten hits in the same week. The first was fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado who entered the top ten in 2001 with "I'm Like A Bird" the same week as Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On", a remix of which included a credited contribution from Furtado. On June 29, 2009, it was confirmed, that Graham signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment. This followed what Billboard purported to be "one of the biggest bidding wars ever". Graham toured with Wayne and other rap artists on the America's Most Wanted Tour. Did you know that on July 31, 2009, Graham, who was performing on an already injured knee, fell on stage while performing "Best I Ever Had", with Lil Wayne in Camden, New Jersey. Graham underwent surgery on September 8, 2009 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee? He was currently undergoing rehabilitation and was able to walk.
On September 15, 2009, So Far Gone was released as a seven-track EP in which five of the tracks were from the original mixtape. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Since then the album was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold in the United States. On April 18, 2010, the album won Rap Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.
Thank Me Later (2010)
Drake performing on May 24, 2010 at the Walmart Soundcheck.
Graham planned to release his official debut album, Thank Me Later, in late 2009, but the album's release date was postponed, first to March 2010, then May 25, 2010. Universal Motown then stated the album had been pushed back three weeks for a June 15, 2010 release. The album has confirmed collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z and Lil Wayne. On March 9, 2010, Graham released the first single from his Thank Me Later album, also known as "Over".
"Find Your Love" was released as the second single on May 5, 2010, and has become the most successful single from the album, as it has peaked at number 5 on the Hot 100.
The third single from the album, "Miss Me", featuring Lil Wayne, was released on June 1, 2010. It has reached No. 15 on the Hot 100.
Thank Me Later was finally released on June 15, 2010. On that day, 25,000 fans gathered at New York's South Street Seaport for a free concert by Drake and Hanson. A near riot ensued after police canceled the show due to over-flowing crowds.
The record sold 447,000 records in its first week, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200, his first release to do so. Due to his first week sales, Graham had sold the most records for any hip hop artist in one week in 2010, until Eminem easily passed that mark a week later.
Drake hosted the first annual Ovo (October's Very Own) Festival. In that festival he brought out the VIP list of rap stars including Jay-Z, Eminem, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Bun B and Fabolous. Drake kicked off his "Lights Dreams and Nightmares Tour" on September 20, 2010 in Miami, Florida. The tour traveled to major cities in the United States, winding down on November 6 in Las Vegas.
Take Care, It's Never Enough, & Lil Wayne Collaboration (2010–2011)
Lil Wayne and Drake will release a collaboration album in the future. On November 17, 2010, Drake revealed the title of his next studio album to be Take Care . Birdman stated that Drake's second studio album will be released around March–April 2011. Drake is working with underground producer 9th Wonder and now seeking beats from DJ Premier for his sophomore album. In a recent interview, Rapper/Producer Q-Tip said that he's "cheffing up some stuff for him right now". It is unclear whether the tracks Q-Tip have produced will be on Take Care.
Acting career
Did you know that In 2001, Graham began his acting career, playing the role of Jimmy Brooks, a character on Degrassi: The Next Generation? In the show, Brooks is a basketball star who became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate. His role on the show ended in 2009, when his character graduated from Degrassi. Did you know that he appeared in 138 episodes? He also appeared in the 2008 television movie Degrassi Spring Break Movie. Drake is mentioned in the 2010 television movie Degrassi Takes Manhattan, making him one of two Degrassi actors (along with Shenae Grimes) who exist within the series' fictional universe independently of their characters.
In June 2010 it was announced that Aubrey would have a prominent role in the video game Gears of War 3. He will play the part of Jace Stratton.
Image and personal life
In 2008, Graham spoke about his past relationships on a song called "Deceiving" using each verse to address different women. In Verse 1, he spoke about video-girl Dia Edwards. In Verse 3, he spoke about classmate Alisha Phillips.
Graham is a fan of the Kentucky Wildcats and a friend to head coach John Calipari. On October 16, 2009, Graham made an appearance at the University of Kentucky men's basketball event, "Big Blue Madness" at Rupp Arena. On January 2, 2009, Graham also attended Kentucky's game against the University of Louisville and accompanied Calipari to his post game radio show. Graham returned to the University of Kentucky on April 27, 2010, to perform a concert.
He is featured on Complex Magazine first issue of 2010. In the February–March issue he discusses his relationship with Lil Wayne, competition with new coming artist, getting inspired by ex-girlfriends, and the details on his debut studio album, Thank Me Later.
In July 2010, Drake postponed his entire European tour due to his mother's illness.
One of thirteen children, Waters was born ; August 15, 1938 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Remus and Velma Lee Carr Moore. She graduated from Vashon High School in St. Louis, and moved with her family to Los Angeles, California, in 1961. She worked in a garment factory and as a telephone operator before being hired as an assistant teacher with the Head Start program at Watts in 1966.
She later enrolled at Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles), and graduated with a sociology degree in 1970. In 1973, she went to work as chief deputy to newly-elected City Councilman David S. Cunningham, Jr..
Political career
Waters entered the California State Assembly in 1976. While in the assembly she worked for divestment of state pension funds from any businesses active in South Africa, a country then operating under the policy of apartheid. Waters ultimately helped frame successful legislation within the guidelines of the divestment campaign's Sullivan Principles. Waters eventually ascended to the position of Democratic Caucus Chair for the Assembly.
Upon the retirement of Augustus F. Hawkins in 1990, Waters was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for California's 29th congressional district with over 79% of the popular vote; she has been re-elected each time (now in the California's 35th congressional district), with at least 70% of the popular vote. (Significant parts of the pre-1990 29th California Congressional District were folded into the newly defined 35th California Congressional District after California gained seven additional seats in the House following the 1990 United States Census.)
Following a 1996 San Jose Mercury article alleging the complicity of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the Los Angeles crack epidemic of the 1980s, Waters called for an investigation into the matter. In her request, Waters asked whether "U.S.-government paid or organized operatives smuggled, transported and sold it to American citizens." The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it had failed to find any evidence to support the original story. The Los Angeles Times also concluded after its own extensive investigation that the allegations were not supported by evidence. The author of the original story was eventually transferred to a different beat and removed from investigative reporting. Following these post-publication investigations, Waters read into the Congressional Record a memorandum of understanding in which former President Ronald Reagan's CIA director rejected any duty by the CIA to report illegal narcotics trafficking to the Department of Justice.
As a Democratic representative in Congress, Waters was a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She endorsed Democratic SenatorHillary Clinton for the party's nomination in late January 2008, granting the New York Senator nationally-recognized support that some suggested would "make big waves." Subsequently, however, Waters switched her endorsement to Sen. Barack Obama, by then insurmountably ahead in the pledged delegate count, on the final day of primary voting.
Policy positions
Iraq War
Waters voted against the Iraq War Resolution, the 2002 resolution that funded and granted Congressional approval to possible military action against the regime of Saddam Hussein. She has remained a consistent critic of the subsequent war and has supported an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. Waters asserted in 2007 that President George W. Bush was trying to "set [Congress] up" by continually requesting funds for an "occupation" that is "draining" the country of capital, soldier's lives, and other resources. In particular, she argued that the very economic resources being "wasted" in Iraq were those that might provide universal health care or fully fund President Bush's own "No Child Left Behind" education bill. Additionally, Waters, representing a congressional district whose median income falls far below the national average, argued that patriotism alone had not been the sole driving force for those U.S. service personnel serving in Iraq. Rather, "many of them needed jobs, they needed resources, they needed money, so they're there." In a subsequent floor speech, Waters told her colleagues that Congress, lacking the votes to override the "inevitable Bush veto on any Iraq-related legislation," needed to "better [challenge] the administration's false rhetoric about the Iraq war" and "educate our constituents [about] the connection between the problems in Pakistan, Turkey, and Iran with the problems we have created in Iraq." A few months prior to these speeches Waters became a cosponsor of the House resolution to impeach Vice PresidentDick Cheney for making allegedly "false statements" about the war.
Nationalizing the United States' petroleum industry
In May 2008, Waters told Shell Oil Company president John Hofmeister at the House Judiciary Committee's Task Force on Competition Policy and Antitrust law that if he did not guarantee reduced gasoline prices in exchange for reduction by Congress of oil drilling restrictions, she would favor nationalization of the American petroleum industry. She misspoke in a widely reported gaffe: "And guess what this liberal will be all about? This liberal will be all about socializing, uh, um...would be about, basically, taking over and the government running all of your companies."
The Stop VULTURE Funds Act
In August 2008, Waters introduced HR 6796, or the "Stop Very Unscrupulous Loan Transfers from Underprivileged countries from Rich Exploitive Funds Act," also known as the Stop VULTURE Funds Act. This would limit the ability of investors in sovereign debt to use U.S. courts to enforce those instruments against a defaulting country. The bill, which died in committee, was evidently inspired by litigation in the late 1990s and early years of the new century brought by Elliot Associates against the Republic of Peru.
On July 29, 1994 Waters was challenged for making inappropriate remarks during a one-minute speech. She then ignored the Chair’s request to suspend speaking until the point of order was settled. Rep. Robert Walker (R-PA) rose and called out "get the Mace," to restore order. The Chair kept pounding the gavel and finally stated, "the Chair is about to direct the Sgt-at-Arms to present the Mace!" Waters then suspended, and the Chair was able to rule on the point of order without having to resort to the Mace.
Opposed KTLA license renewal
After the Los Angeles Times published allegations of nepotism against her and an expose of the King Drew Medical Center, Waters asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny a waiver of the crossownership ban, and hence license renewal, for KTLA-TV, a station the newspaper owned. Claiming that "The Los Angeles Times has had an inordinate effect on public opinion and has used it to harm the local community in specific instances," Waters requested that the FCC force the paper to either sell its station or risk losing that station's broadcast rights. Such challenges, according to Broadcasting & Cable, "raise the specter of costly legal battles to defend station holdings.... At a minimum, defending against one would cost tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers' fees and probably delay license renewal about three months." Waters' petition was ultimately unsuccessful; the station's license next expires in 2014.
Los Angeles riots of 1992
During the Los Angeles riots of 1992, Waters said "If you call it a riot it sounds like it was just a bunch of crazy people who went out and did bad things for no reason. I maintain it was somewhat understandable, if not acceptable. So I call it a rebellion."
Relatives' business interests
In December 2004 Los Angeles Times showed that Maxine Water's relatives had made more than $1 million during the preceding eight years by doing business with companies, candidates and causes that Waters had helped. Her reply was: "They do their business and I do mine."
Involvement with OneUnited Bank
Waters' husband is a stockholder and former director of OneUnited Bank, and the bank's executives were major contributors to her campaigns. In September 2008, Waters arranged meetings between U.S. Treasury Department officials and OneUnited Bank, so that the bank could plead for federal cash. It had been heavily invested in Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and its capital was "all but wiped out" after the U.S. government took them over. The bank did secure $12 million in Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) money. The matter is currently being investigated by the House Ethics Committee
Confrontation with Dave Obey
On June 25, 2009, Waters got into a fight on the House floor with fellow Democratic Congressman and Appropriations Committee Chairman Dave Obey of Wisconsin. After the House floor had largely cleared following a series of votes, Waters and Obey split apart from a heated conversation about an earmark requested by Waters for a public school employment training center in Los Angeles that was named after herself. Obey rejected the earmark as violating policies against so-called "monuments to me." Waters revised her request to go to the school district's whole adult employment training program, so the district could decide whether the money would go to the school named after herself. Nonetheless, Obey let it be known that the earmark would be denied. She approached him and complained, shouting, "You’re out of line!" while walking down toward the well in the House chambers. Obey shouted back, "You’re out of line!" before turning and walking away, but stopped, turned back toward Waters, and shouted, "I'm not going to approve that earmark!" He again turned away while Waters huddled with members of the Congressional Black Caucus and was overheard saying, "He touched me first." before being escorted into the cloakroom. Obey went to talk with House Majority LeaderSteny Hoyer when Waters briefly returned again, telling her colleagues, "He touched me." before returning to the cloakroom. An aide to Waters said that Obey had pushed her while Obey's spokesperson, Ellis Brachman, placed the blame on Waters for escalating the situation.
Alleged gaffes
On February 24, 2010, in congressional hearings with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, Waters, despite serving on the Financial Services Committee, revealed she is completely unaware of the difference between the Federal Reserve 'discount rate' and 'federal funds rate'.
Earmarks
Citizens Against Government Waste named her the June 2009 Porker of the Month due to her intention to obtain an earmark for the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center.
which Rob Doran left the group. Dan Andriano picked up from there and recorded the EP with them. The groups lineup changed again in 2000 when Glenn Porter left until they recruited present member Derek Grant in 2002.
On August 18, 2009, Skiba, fellow Alkaline Trio member Derek Grant and Greg Corner and Jonny Radtke of Kill Hannah debuted their new super-group cover band named Them Krocked Vulvas (occasionally played under the name "A Perfect Circus").
now believes a calm state of mind and being is more artistically helpful. and In 2003 during the recording of their album, Good Mourning, Skiba had a problem with acid reflux because of his early troubles with alcohol and illicit drug use, diet and not warming up before singing.
