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Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, is an R&B singer from the Caribbean island of Barbados. Rihanna was first discovered in Barbados by music producer, Evan Rogers, who along with his partner Carl Sturken, assisted Rihanna in recording a demo to be sent to record labels like Def Jam.

Upon auditioning for CEO Jay-Z, Rihanna was signed right there on the spot. In August 2005, she released her debut album, Music of the Sun, which she co-wrote. The album peaked within the top ten in the U.S., Canada, and the top forty in the U.K., propelled by the hit single Pon de Replay, which climbed to #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. That year, Rihanna also toured with Gwen Stefani, which undoubtedly helped promote the album.

In April 2006, Rihanna released her sophomore album, A Girl Like Me, which would peak at #5 in the U.S. and #6 in the U.K. The lead single, SOS (Rescue Me), climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Pop 100, Hot Dance Music/Club Play, and became the biggest first week digital single ever, selling over 169,000 copies in its first week.

Her second single, Unfaithful, written by Ne-Yo, became her third top 10 hit in the U.S. Rihanna has several endorsement deals under her belt, including ones for Nike and J.C. Penney. She also had a cameo role in Bring It On 3.

Rihanna Ringtones

Rythm & Blues is obviously ruling the musical scene again, after it had experienced several peaks of its popularity in the past, however, unfortunately, not everyone is aware of this.

R&B was initially used to identify upbeat popular music, performed by African-American artists, which later on developed into rock and roll and posed as predecessor of rockabilly style. It comprises elements of jazz, gospel music and blues as well as hip-hop and beat since 1986. It claims to replace the term race music, which was deemed offensive. Its considered to be introduced by Jerry Wexler in 1846 in the United States. Hard bop appears to be product of the influence of R&B.

1950s are considered as the genuine classical epoch of the R&B trend. Its regional subgenres Louisiana and New Orleans, comprising mixes of R&B, jazz and rock-n-roll, achieved great mainstream success in early 1960s with artists like the Rolling Stones and the Manfred Mann in entire Europe. It was, however, replaced in middle 1960s by soul.
In 1980s R&B re-established its popularity, ruling the musical world alongside disco and even long further after discos demise. Its not until 1980s that the acronym R&B was introduced and used to denote the Rhythm & Blues term. Notably, it has caught on, containing elements of soul and pop music. Original arrangements and strong vocal, however, bared it from turning into a regular pop cultures product.

Irrespective a large number of its subgenres, Presently, R&B continues to be popular worldwide with artists like Black Eyed Peas, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Omarion and Bow Wow, leading world music charts. Tracing the periodical ups, one can notice its numerous rises with the break of 25 to 30 years. Thus, R&Bs another golden age in 2030 shouldnt even be brought into question. Hopefully, this period will bring us some new music twinkling stars.

The Devils Rejects (2005)

Tagline: A Tale of Murder, Mayhem, and Revenge.

Sequels are a tricky proposition for most filmmakers. Often, whatever magic existed in the first film is lost by the time the second hits the screen. This is not the case with The Devils Rejects, a follow-up to the 2003 low-budget House of 1000 Corpses. Instead of simply regurgitating his first film, director Rob Zombie (of White Zombie fame) takes the legend of the Firefly clan in a whole new direction, and, in the process, he turns out a film which is actually superior to the original.

And in case you missed it, heres a quick summary of House of 1000 Corpses: Four teens stop off at the clown-faced Captain Spauldings gas station and museum of terror. They become fascinated with the local legend of Dr. Satan and set out to find the tree from which he was hung, but they quickly run afoul of the insane Firefly family. After that, its not a case of will they die, but rather how theyll die.

Rejects picks up sometime after the events in House, as an early morning raid on the Firefly family compound is led by a vengeful Sheriff Wydell (William Forsythe), the brother of a law officer murdered in the first film. In the ensuing shootout, Rufus Firefly (Tyler Mane) is killed and Mother Firefly (Leslie Easterbrook) is captured. Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon) and Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley) escape and contact their father, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig). As the trio cut a bloody swath across Texas, Sheriff Wydell becomes increasingly obsessed with their capture and resorts to more and more questionable methods. The movie culminates in a shootout that is equal parts Thelma and Louise, The Wild Bunch, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, not to mention the fact that its all in slow-motion and set to Lynrd Skynrds Freebird.

The first film was more of a monster movie with the strange Dr. Satan and his hoard of traumatized zombies, not to mention an albino Otis, subterranean caverns, and satanic Halloween ceremonies. For the sequel, Zombie sets much of the film in the light of day and transforms it into something closer resembling an on-the-road crime movie. Think Natural Born Killers but with more madmen to choose from (and thats saying something). Dr. Satan is gone from the film, and Otis is strangely no longer an albino. This time our killers are more sadist and less supernatural.

But dont think for a moment that this franchise has lost its bite. Its every bit as horrifying as the original, mainly due to the unsettling events which occur when Otis and Baby run across the members of the musical act Banjo and Sullivan at an out-of-the-way motel. If watching Threes Company vet Priscilla Barnes get raped with a pistol or Eastwood favorite Geoffrey Lewis get beaten to a bloody pulp doesnt bother you, then youre obviously made of sterner stuff than the majority of the American viewing audience. This is not a film for the squeamish, as evidenced by the fact that many theaters simply refused to show the movie. Of course, the fact that they managed to work in the F-word over 500 times in 100 minutes probably didnt help their cause either.

But fans of the genre will not be disappointed. From a killer soundtrack by such southern rock icons as Greg Allman and Lynrd Skynrd, to cameos by such notables as Michael Berryman, Ginger Lynn Allen, and Mary Woronov, Rejects has a lot to offer beyond gore and cursing. And Zombie continues to demonstrate a real eye for casting–getting excellent character actors instead of high-priced talent. In the hands of lesser actors, many of the roles would seem just plain absurd, but this cast is able make it work and even make us feel a degree of empathy in the process.

And thats Zombies most impressive accomplishment in Rejects–his ability to make us recoil in horror at the deeds of the Firefly family one moment and then laugh along with them the next. There are several moments when you cant help but like the characters despite the horrors that theyve inflicted on others. A few standout moments are an argument over ice cream between Otis, Baby, and Spaulding, and several scenes involving the trio hiding out at a brothel owned by Spauldings brother, Charlie Altamount (Ken Foree). It also helps that Bill Moseley and Sid Haig give excellent, nuanced performances. Sheri Moon also does an adequate job, although Zombie (her real-life husband) often spends more time getting close-ups of her attractive backside. One can only hope that this movie leads to even bigger opportunities for this deserving threesome.

On the flipside, Sheriff Wydell goes from sympathetic to demonic and back again. While seeking revenge for his brothers death, he is driven to fight as dirty as the Firefly family, even going so far as to disembowel a prisoner, hire bounty hunters (wonderfully portrayed by Danny Trejo and Diamond Dallas Page), and torture his prisoners with a staple gun and hammer and nails. William Forsythe portrays Wydell as a star-wearing force of nature, and there are many similarities with Detective Scagnetti from Natural Born Killers. Both men slowly become what they pursue until it consumes them. But while Scagnetti could be playful one moment and lethal the next, Wydell is portrayed as constantly intense. The performance, while perfectly enjoyable, might have been a bit better if Forsythe had backed off from time to time. But thats just nit-picking on my part.

The one performance I didnt care for was Leslie Easterbrook as Mother Firefly. Karen Black portrayed the character in the first film, but reportedly wanted more money for the sequel and was dropped (like shes got people beating down her door). In the hands of Black, Mother Firefly was a wily old hag who used her fading looks to ensnare men. Easterbrook gives her an outrageous southern accent and plays her as a screaming madwoman. Personally, I was overjoyed when she finally.(OOPS, dont want to give anything away).

I imagine weve seen the last of the Firefly clan, but Rob Zombie has certainly carved out a niche for himself in the horror landscape. Whether he moves on to more commercially appealing projects or continues to make daring low-budget films, audiences can be certain that his imagery and stories will stick with them long after they leave the theater.

And, in the end, what more could you ask for?

more could you ask for?

Its hard to think of a sadder commentary about Hollywoods sequel fetish than the existence of Rush Hour 3. Dull, uninspired, and redundant, this third pointless movie in an action/comedy franchise that defines mediocrity doesnt even try to disguise the fact that its existence is a money-grab. I wasnt a fan of either previous Rush Hour film, but neither felt as tired and obligatory as this one. Aside from some amusing scenes with Chris Tucker and a nice d?j? vu dance routine to War performed by Tucker and Jackie Chan, this movie offers nothing that wasnt done better in the other outings featuring these mismatched buddy cops.

The wafer-thin plot has Chief Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) protecting a Chinese diplomat during his stay in Los Angeles. He has top-secret information about the Triad crime syndicate but, before he can divulge it, he is shot. Lee, reunited with his former partner, Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker), vows to the consuls daughter, Soo Yung (Zhang Jingchu), that he will find the man who attacked her father. To do this, Lee and Carter must pursue Triad assassin Kenji (Hiroyuki Sanada) to Paris, where they are aided by an anti-American cab driver named George (Yvan Attal), who discovers that he has a taste for car chases and gunplay.

As was true of Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2, this movie combines hit-and-miss comedy with lackluster action. The film doesnt have much of a pulse, and the excitement comes across as pallid when compared to last weeks The Bourne Ultimatum (although at least the camera isnt afflicted with the shakes). This movie is probably no more amusing than its predecessors, although its hard to be sure. Nothing in any of the Rush Hour products has been roll-on-the-floor funny, and this one is no different. Especially lame is a riff on Whos on First that proves the stars of this movie have nothing on Abbot and Costello. Theres also a parody of emotional moments in buddy movies featuring Elton Johns Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word. Maybe thats supposed to be an apology to the audience by Brett Ratner. Also consider a scene featuring a lot of raw sewage that may on some level be a comment about where the franchise is headed.

On of the many areas in which the movie disappoints (although, all things considered, it isnt unexpected), its in the lack of physicality displayed by Jackie Chan. At age 53, he can no longer perform the kinds of stunts that made him an international star. Putting life and limb at risk in the line of duty are things for younger men. Most of Chans most daring work has been passed on to stunt-men and there are hints of CGI (although not to the point where its distracting). The end-credit outtakes, which are typically a horror show of Chans muffed stunts, are limited here to verbal bloopers, messed-up lines, and the occasional minor pratfall. Chans gift for comedy appears as muted as his martial arts derring-do. At no time during Rush Hour 3 is he especially funny. My assumption has been that as Chan aged, he would gravitate more toward comedy, but this isnt a good start.

Chris Tucker picks up a nice paycheck but none of the slack. However, while its a stretch to call him likable, at least hes not as irritating as he was in Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2. Both Chan and Tucker are outmaneuvered in the comedy department by Yvan Attal, whose characters love/hate relationship with American culture leads to some of the films wittiest (and I use that word loosely) scenes. Max von Sydow, in concealed bad guy mode, is on hand to do what he does best with that glorious bass voice. (Now that Bergman is officially in his grave, he can turn over.) And Roman Polanksi has a cameo as a French policeman who anally rapes Lee and Carter. (Yes, you read that correctly. A PG-13 movie features anal rape although, of course, its only implied and is used to get a laugh.) Why Polanski would agree to play this part is anyones guess; its not the kind of thing that will help his less-than-sterling reputation. I kept waiting for Jean Reno to show up, since he always seems on hand in these English-speaking films set in France.

Does Rush Hour 3 deliver what audiences expect of it? Only its most devoted fans will say yes. The formula is in place but the performers are going through the motions. Its a stale version of the previous movies, and they werent all that great to begin with. One could argue that director Brett Ratner at least invested Rush Hour with some energy. Even during the climactic battle at the Eiffel Tower, theres nothing resembling that here. This is just another disposable summer movie so lackluster that its not even worth searching out when it plays on television. The Rush Hour experience, which never attained anything resembling full speed, has come to a crashing halt.

Track listing:

88 AKA Come Down On Me
68 AKA Only Time
93 AKA Dont Stop Now
95 AKA Make Things Right
79 AKA The Shouty Track
75 AKA Stay With You
76 AKA The Slow Train
90 AKA Man Like Me
64 AKA Go

North London duo Fred Deakin and Nick Franglen AKA Lemon Jelly return with their unique brand of downbeat madness, melody and whimsical humour.

Theyve come a long way since 2000s debut album KY, a compilation of their first three limited 10 vinyl EPs. A rapidly expanding fanbase and the release of 2002s Lost Horizons were quickly followed by a Brit and Mercury Music Prize nominations. All of this would have undoubtedly piled the pressure on for their next album release, 64-95, built around a selection of samples spanning those very dates.

The boys appear to have been up for the challenge delivering a wholly traditional Lemon Jelly album but unlike one weve seen before. Whilst there is still the abundance of annoyingly catchy piano loops, samples and simplistic melodies that have served them so well in the past, 64-95 immediately appears more mature. Whilst not as instantly likeable as Lost Horizons this ensures greater longevity and is probably all the better for it.

Long, slow-building tracks like Only Time, Dont Stop Now and the aptly titled The Slow Train are interspersed with Lemon Jellys own guitar anthems, The Shouty Track which samples Scottish punks The Scars and the Chemical Brother tribute track Come Down On Me which uses samples from the now defunct heavy-metallers Master of Reality. Additional contributions from Terri Walker and Star Treks very own William Shatner ensure that the boys deliver the kind of eclectic album weve now come to expect and love.

This is the first album theyve made with an accompanying DVD, lovingly created by Airside, the design company consisting of 50% Deakin. All very incestuous but it really does work well. Now, in addition to the previously unique Jelly packaging & artwork, we are given visuals to enhance each track. How nice of them!