African-American Record Producers - Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Kanye West, T (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 182. Chapters: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Beyonce Knowles, Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Stevie Wonder, T.I., Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, R. Kelly, Mya, Marvin Gaye, Sean Combs, Mary J. Blige, Soulja Boy. Excerpt: Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Often referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contributions to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller," were credited with breaking down racial barriers and transforming the medium into an art form and promotional tool. The popularity of these videos helped to bring the then relatively new television channel MTV to fame. With videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" he continued to innovate the medium throughout the 1990s, as well as forging a reputation as a touring solo artist. Through stage and video performances, Jackson popularized a number of complicated dance techniques, such as the robot, and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive sound and style has influenced numerous hip hop, post-disco, contemporary R&B, pop, and rock artists. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous...