Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill were notable for being the first Latino hip-hop superstars, but they became notorious for their endorsement of marijuana, which actually isn't a trivial thing. Not only did the group campaign for its legalization, but their slow, rolling bass-and-drum loops pioneered a new, stoned funk that became extraordinary influential in '90s hip-hop — it could be heard in everything from Dr. Dre's G-funk to the chilly layers of English trip-hop. DJ Muggs crafted the sound, and B Real, with his pinched, nasal voice, was responsible for the rhetoric that made them famous. The propot position became a little ridiculous over time, but there was no denying that the actual music had a strange, eerie power, particularly on the band's first two albums. Although B Real remained an effective lyricist and Muggs' musical skills did not diminish, the group's third album, Temples of Boom, was perceived by many critics as self-parodic, and the group appeared to disintegrate shortly afterward, though Muggs and B Real regrouped toward the end of the '90s to issue more material.

DVX, the original incarnation of Cypress Hill, formed in 1986 when Cuban-born brothers Sen Dog (born Senen Reyes, November 20, 1965) and Mellow Man Ace hooked up with fellow Los Angeles residents Muggs (born Lawrence Muggerud, January 28, 1968) and B Real (born Louis Freese, June 2, 1970). The group began pioneering a fusion of Latin and hip-hop slang, developing their own style by the time Mellow Man Ace left the group in 1988. Renaming themselves Cypress Hill after a local street, the group continued to perform around L.A., eventually signing with Ruffhouse/Columbia in 1991.

With its stoned beats, B Real's exaggerated nasal whine, and cartoonish violence, the group's eponymous debut became a sensation in early 1992, several months after its initial release. The singles "How I Could Just Kill a Man" and "The Phuncky Feel One" became underground hits, and the group's public promarijuana stance earned them many fans among the alternative rock community. Cypress Hill followed the album with Black Sunday in the summer of 1993, and while it sounded remarkably similar to the debut, it nevertheless became a hit, entering the album charts at number one and spawning the crossover hit "Insane in the Brain." With Black Sunday, Cypress Hill's audience became predominantly white, collegiate suburbanites, which caused them to lose some support in the hip-hop community. The group didn't help matters much in 1995, when they added a new member, drummer Bobo, and toured with the fifth Lollapalooza prior to the release of their third album, Temples of Boom. A darker, gloomier affair than their first two records, Temples of Boom was greeted with mixed reviews upon its fall 1995 release, and while it initially sold well, it failed to generate a genuine hit single. However, it did perform better on the R&B charts than it did on the pop charts.

Instead of capitalizing on their regained hip-hop credibility, Cypress Hill slowly fell apart. Sen Dog left in early 1996 and Muggs spent most of the year working on his solo album. Muggs Presents the Soul Assassins was released to overwhelmingly positive reviews in early 1997, leaving Cypress Hill's future in much doubt until the release of IV in 1998. Sen Dog had come back for the record. He had left because he felt he did not get enough mic time, but after a few years with a rock band he was more than happy to return. Two years later, the group released the double-disc set Skull & Bones, which featured a disc of hip-hop and a disc of their more rock-inspired material. Appropriately, the album also included rock and rap versions of the single "Superstar," bringing Cypress Hill's quest for credibility and crossover hits full circle. The ensuing videos for both versions featured many famous rap and rock musicians talking about their profession, and the song was a smash on MTV because of it. In the winter of 2001, the group came back with Stoned Raiders, another album to heavily incorporate rock music. Three years later, the band issued Till Death Do Us Part, which incorporated several styles of Jamaican music.

Rob Zombie

For 18 years Rob Zombie has been carving out a strange legacy of music in the world of rock, beginning in 1985 with the formation of his brainchild White Zombie. From the start, White Zombie was a bizarre hybrid of hardcore/punk aggression, Lower East Side art-damage and hard rock thunder. As if that weren't enough, these fixations were filtered through Mr. Zombie's love of classic horror/sci-fi films, trash hot rod culture and generally, all things on the dark side.

Zombie oversaw every aspect of the band's journey from their early independent releases to their major label albums. He created the band's unique visual style, designing everything Zombie: album art, T-shirts, stage shows and music videos. This was a man obsessed. "I never saw it as work; I love doing everything," insists Zombie. "How else can you realize a complete vision" After five independent releases, Zombie's efforts paid off in 1990 when the band signed with Geffen Records.

White Zombie's major label debut, entitled La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Vol. 1, was issued in 1991. The band toured long and hard, playing more than 350 shows and eventually hitting pay dirt: The album spawned a hit single, the Grammy-nominated "Thunder Kiss '65," and went on to sell two million copies.

In 1995, White Zombie returned with Astro-Creep: 2000. The album rose to Billboard's Top Ten and stayed there for two months, remaining firmly in the Top 200 for 89 weeks. Astro-Creep: 2000 gave the world "More Human Than Human," an infectious, Grammy-nominated hit.

Also in 1995, Rob Zombie won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Hard Rock Video for the self-directed clip for "More Human Than Human." Soon thereafter, Astro-Creep: 2000 was certified triple platinum.

Supersexy Swingin' Sounds, a full album of Astro-Creep remixes by some of the hottest mixers in the field, followed quickly on the heels of that success: The disc went platinum.

As the Astro-Creep tour was winding its way around the world, Zombie somehow found time to indulge in a few special projects. First off was a duet with his childhood idol, Alice Cooper, for the soundtrack to the hit TV series "The X-Files." Zombie remarks of the collaboration: "Working with Alice was a dream come true. The song, entitled "The Hands of Death," was nominated for a Grammy Award. It was up against another Zombie offering, "I'm Your Boogieman," from the platinum soundtrack to "The Crow: City of Angeles."

While on tour, Zombie also began working with "Beavis and Butt-head" creator Mike Judge on a key scene for the film "Beavis and Butt-head Do America." Zombie designed the classic hallucination sequence for the film between gigs. "Mike was looking for an idea for a hallucination for Beavis," he recalls. "He wanted something that was like the ultimate rock video. I suggested that Beavis should go to hell, and Mike loved the idea." For many, this scene of Beavis hallucinating was a highlight of the film.

Zombie was then sought out by none other than The King of All Media - Howard Stern. Stern wanted to duet with Zombie on a song for his upcoming movie, "Private Parts." "I've been a big fan of Howard for about 18 years," says Zombie, "so being able to work with him was an honor and a pleasure." The thumping "The Great American Nightmare" resulted; it became a theme song for both Stern and Zombie. "Private Parts," meanwhile hit #1 at the box office, as did the soundtrack, which has been certified platinum.

Zombie next began work on his most ambitious album to date: Hellbilly Deluxe: 13 Tales of Cadaverous Cavorting Inside the Spookshow International. The disc was produced by Scott Humphrey (Metallica, Motley Crue) and Rob Zombie. Work on the album began in August of 1997 and was completed 10 months later. Hellbilly Deluxe (released Aug. 25, 1998) is a wild musical and visual journey through the mad, mad, mad world of Rob Zombie. "This is no small, self-indulgent album filled with whining about deep feelings," Zombie declares. "This is a full-blown evil raging beast - a total Zombie extravaganza."

Hellbilly Deluxe entered the Billboard charts at #5. Soon after Zombie hit the road in support of the album, boasting one of the largest
stage shows in rock music, incorporating state-of-the-art lights, sound, video and pyrotechnics.

Over the next year Zombie played to over a million fans worldwide and went on to sell over three million copies of Hellbilly Deluxe, certifying the album triple platinum. The song "Superbeast" also chalked up yet another Grammy nomination for best hard rock performance.

Upon returning home, Zombie released an album of remixes from Hellbilly Deluxe called American Made Music To Strip By. This album includes songs featured in the hit movies The Matrix and End of Days.

Soon after the album's release, Zombie was contacted by comic book and toy mogul, Todd McFarlane to create a Rob Zombie action figure. The action figure has become one of the most successful ever released by the company.

In the summer of 2000, Zombie wrote and recorded a new song called "Scum of the Earth," for the Mission Impossible: 2 soundtrack. The soundtrack has sold over three million copies worldwide.

In 2000, Zombie began working on his writing and directing motion picture debut for the film, "House of 1000 Corpses" for Universal Studios. The film features cult stars such as Academy Award Nominee Karen (Five Easy Pieces, Nashville) Black, Sid (Spider Baby, Shaft) Haig and Michael J. (Bonnie and Clyde) Pollard. Production on the film wrapped in April of 2000, but was soon found by Universal Studios to be "too dark and disturbing under their corporate releasing guidelines."

Three years later, the horror film was released by Lions Gate Entertainment and has instantly become a cult classic. The movie has grossed over 13 million dollars since its release and the numbers continue to grow as does the legion of new Zombie film fans.

On the music front, Zombie quickly entered the studio after filming HIK, to begin work on his follow up album, The Sinister Urge. "Getting back into the recording studio was a welcome relief from the grueling movie schedule," Zombie explains. The record was once again co-produced by Scott Humphrey and boasts an impressive list of guest players including: Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Motley Crue drummer, Tommy Lee, Slayer guitarist Kerry King, DJ Lethal and the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike. The album is certified Platinum.

Now in the midst of 2003, Zombie's conquests have reached an all-time high. The DVD for House of 1000 Corpses will be released in August of 2003 along with a line of action figures, Halloween masks, T-shirts and other products based on the film.

Due to the success of the film, Zombie is currently writing the script for House of 1000 Corpses 2 (the sequel) which is set shoot in Spring of 2004
(Zombie will direct the film.)

In addition, Zombie is gearing up for the release of his first horror anthology comic book series entitled "Rob Zombie's Spookshow International", slated to hit stores October 29, 2003 in conjunction with MVCreations and CrossGen Entertainment. Zombie is also collaborating on a graphic novel with Steve (30 Days of Night) Niles for the successful Dark Horse Comic Company.

On the music front, Zombie recently wrote and recorded the song "The Man Without Fear" for the film Dare Devil, as well as the song "ReLoad" for the blockbuster Matrix 2 Reloaded.

September 23, 2003 will be the release of Rob Zombie's first "Best Of" album entitled: "Greatest Hits: Past, Present and Future," which includes a Bonus DVD with 10 music videos directed by Zombie himself. The two disc set (Geffen/UME) was produced by Zombie and features seven Grammy nominated tracks and spans his early days with White Zombie to his successful solo career...also included are soundtrack rarities and two new tracks.

Ice Cube

b. O'Shea Jackson, 15 June 1969, Crenshaw, South Central Los Angeles, California, USA. Controversial hardcore rapper who formerly worked with the equally inflammatory N.W.A. Following a relatively stable background, with both his mother and father working at UCLA, Cube entered the homeboy lifestyle: "One day I was sitting in class with a friend called Kiddo and we had some time on our hands, so he said let's write a rap". At the age of 16 he penned his first important rap, "Boyz 'N The Hood", which was later recorded by Eazy-E. He subsequently spent time with CIA, an embryonic rap outfit produced by Dr. Dre. As guest lyricist, he brought N.W.A. "8 Ball" and "Dopeman', which would comprise their opening salvo. After studying architectural draughtsmanship in Phoenix, Arizona, he returned to the N.W.A. fold in time for 1989"s groundbreaking Straight Outta Compton. He would leave N.W.A. at the tail-end of the year, amid thinly veiled attacks on their Jewish manager Jerry Heller. His debut AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, recorded with Public Enemy producers the Bomb Squad, drew immediate mainstream attention.

The album's controversial lyrical platform included homophobia and the glamorization of violence, although his work was attacked primarily for its overt sexism, raps about kicking a pregnant girlfriend ("You Can't Fade Me') notwithstanding. Conversely, Ice Cube overlooked a production empire (Street Knowledge) run for him by a woman, and he also fostered the career of female rapper Yo Yo (who appeared defending her gender on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted"s "It's A Man's World"). The politicization of his solo work should also be noted; in his N.W.A. days he had once written, "Life ain't nothing but bitches and money", but his words since then have incorporated numerous references to black ideology that add up to something approaching a manifesto. His defence against critical discomfort with his rhymes, "I put a mirror to black America", has been hijacked by many other, less worthy cases. Following the mini-album Kill At Will, he released another highly controversial set, Death Certificate, which included outrageous tracks such as the Heller-baiting "No Vaseline" and "Black Korea". Nevertheless, the album was a huge commercial success, reaching US number 2 at the end of 1991. To Ice Cube's credit, he went on to produce two excellent sets, the chart-topping The Predator (including the single "It Was A Good Day", which gave him a massive profile via MTV) and Lethal Injection. The latter, in particular, boasted a much more discursive approach to the problems of the ghetto, including reflections on the Los Angeles riots and the Rodney King beating. Perhaps it was marred by the blunt sexism of tracks such as "Cave Bitch", but it was certainly an advance which demonstrated the influence of his recent conversion to the Nation Of Islam. Musically it was typified by a stirring cover version of "One Nation Under A Groove", retitled "Bop Gun (One Nation)", with a lead vocal by the song's writer, George Clinton. Having completed four million-selling albums, his career had also attracted the attention of those outside the hip-hop fraternity. Like Ice-T, Cube was targeted on right wing assassination lists discovered by the police in 1993.

Following the release of Lethal Injection, which experimented with the G-funk stylings of Dr. Dre's hugely successful The Chronic, Ice Cube elected to concentrate on his commercial interests. Street Knowledge had already provided Da Lench Mob and Kam with successful albums on which Cube acted as executive producer, and he set up a second subsidiary, titled after his posse, Lench Mob. He also consolidated his movie career by moving into writing and production. Cube had already starred in John Singleton's 1991 hit movie, titled after his first rap, Boyz N The Hood, and later appeared in the same director's Higher Learning. The 1992 movie Trespass, retitled after the LA Riots deemed original moniker Looters unsavoury, saw him team up with Ice-T once more. His several screenplays included the 1995 comedy Friday. The soundtrack to his 1998 directorial debut, The Players Club, was a Top 10 success in the USA. The movie itself, set in a strip club had grossed $20 million at the box office only six weeks after its April release. Even more successful was February 2000's Next Friday.

In 1996, Cube returned to recording with Westside Connection, a hip-hop supergroup he formed with rappers Mack 10 and WC. The violent gangsta rap musings on Bow Down may have alienated some critics, but the album helped revive Cube's commercial fortunes, breaking into the US Top 5 shortly after its release. Two years later he released his first solo set in over five years, War & Peace, Vol. 1 (The War Disc), a failed attempt to recapture the intensity and shock value of his earlier albums.

Celldweller

Celldweller – the concept born from experiences of personal and cultural bondage along with the creator’s near 24-7 dwelling in his former basement studio. Klayton, the man behind the machine, originally created the moniker as a producer pseudonym. However, after retiring his previous band, the 90’s cult industrial act Circle of Dust, he adopted Celldweller as his defining outlet.

The Music

Developed as an agent of contrast the New York based Celldweller combines the electronic and the organic, darkness and beauty, aggression against sensuality, with the ability to find its home in the mosh pit as easily as on the dj’s turntable. Celldweller naturally juxtaposes many textures and elements while keeping a unifying theme. The debut album ranges from the guitar-based electronic rock of “Stay With Me (Unlikely)” and “Switchback” to the unique blending of heavily distorted guitars and aggression with drum & bass and trance in “The Last Firstborn” and “One Good Reason.” The styles are further contrasted by the electro-orchestral Depeche Mode-esque “So Sorry to Say” and the hauntingly beautiful down tempo track “Welcome to the End.”

The Live Shows

The Celldweller live show is designed to be a fusion of modern technology, performance art and theatrics combined with key elements of electronic music, rave culture and the raw energy of a rock show. The non-traditional performance is augmented by audio/visual segments, percussive performance pieces and music that is unique to the live show.

The History

The artist, performer, producer, songwriter, programmer and re-mixer Klayton has an extensive musical history beginning in the early nineties. His original band Circle of Dust released three albums (Circle of Dust, Brainchild, Disengage), sold nearly 40,000 units and brought the energy of the music to the stage as they toured to support each release. Klayton has also worked on numerous projects (Argyle Park, Prong, Criss Angel, Chatterbox, Level, Klank, etc.) He co-wrote, programmed and re-mixed tracks from the Prong Rude Awakening album and co-produced “London Dungeon,” the Prong track for the Misfits tribute album.

Film/TV

Klayton has also garnered the interest of the Film/TV industry having licensed tracks for "Kart Racer," (Starring Randy Quad), "Takedown" (Miramax), "Cutaway" (Artisan), "Repli-Kate" (Starring Ali Landry), "Veritas" (ABC), "21," "Rubbernecking," "Higher Ground" (Fox), "Python," "Beggars & Choosers" (Showtime), "Wrecked" (ESPN), The Surf Channel, "The Chris Isaak Show" (Showtime), "The Bum Hunter," Rossignal Ski video, Divinci Bicycles video and the Sony Playstation video games "Road Rash ­Jailbreak" (Electronic Arts), "Test Drive Off Road: Wide Open" (Infogrames) and "NHL Hockey 2003" (Electronic Arts).

Other credits include writing the MTV Sports theme and licenses in numerous MTV shows ("Tough Enough 3," "MTV Cribs How To Live Like a Rock Star," "Making the Video," "Undressed," "Rodman World Tour," "The Road Home" and "Live Through This"). Klayton has also appeared on MTV's "Headbanger's Ball," "Lunch with Jesse" and "Xposed Video Secrets Revealed," as well as the Howard Stern Show.

With the release of the debut record, the accompanying tour schedule and the support of the "Cellmates" street team, Klayton unshackles and unleashes his vision, the concept Celldweller.

Ill Nino

Cristian Machado - Vocals
Ahrue Luster - Guitar
Jardel Paisante - Guitar
Lazaro Pina - Bass
Dave Chavarri - Drums
Danny Couto - Percussion

"The first record is the foundation," says drummer Dave Chavarri. "The second record is where we built the house." It's a rather simple analogy, but it sums up the last two years of ILL NINO's career effectively.

For ILL NINO, first there was Revolution, Revolucion, which introduced the Latin-flavored sextet to the rock world. ILL NINO was something new, something different, and something spicy. With their explosive percussive elements and Spanish-guitar undertones, the band lent a much-needed 'worldly' element to their aggressive rock assault. From the get-go, Ill Nino was something new, something different their first single from Revolution, Revolucion, "What Comes Around", was added early at K-ROCK New York, and with a video directed by Marcos Siega, the band was off and running. Now there is Confession, the next logical step in the band's burgeoning career. Once Confession hits the streets, there will be no looking back for ILL NINO, as they have struck an artful balance between memorable and menacing.

In the past two years ILL NINO's debut has exceeded 350,000 units worldwide in sales and the band has enjoyed highly successful stints on both the US and European 2002 Ozzfests, the 2002 Jagermeister Tour as well as touring with the likes of P.O.D., Drowning Pool and Static X. But it wasn't all smooth sailing, as the New Jersey group weathered some rather intense storms, including some member changes. Whereas lesser bands might have had a hard time with the adjustment, ILL NINO is a better band because of it, with their unique chemistry fully in tact.

Ultimately, through Confession, the real ILL NINO emerges. The heavily, percussive album is fuelled by the band's patented tropical percussion, soaring riffs, alternate English and Spanish language lyrics, and an appreciation for melody. Regarding its telling, open title, singer Cristian Machado says, the album is "about coming clean with your thoughts, your past experiences, and within yourself. It's about telling the truth, not only to others, but also to yourself."

By their own admission, Confession takes ILL NINO to the next level. After spending two years on the road in support of Revolution, Revolucion, the band was exhausted, yet extremely motivated, to dive into the writing and recording processes for Confession. The band immediately started writing their new record in January 2003, hit the studio in April, and wrapped up in July, with barely any time off in between their last 2002 tour date and the recording process. It's clear that dedication to its craft is one of ILL NINO's strongest qualities.

"Being on the road for two years helped the band gel musically and as friends," says Confession co-producer Chavarri. "We were ready to come up with a brand new record that would take us to a new level." Machado finishes, "This is definitely a more defined ILL NINO sound." The band is extremely confident that Confession will appeal to all audiences, including heavy metal headbangers and rock radio fans. Machado explains, "The record is heavy and is everything ILL NINO fans want to hear."

It's also got everything a non ILL NINO fan would want to hear in a band: attitude, emotion, and aggression." Not every rock band out there can lay such a claim, but one listen to "How Can I Live" deftly illustrates ILL NINO's ability to stretch itself across many rock genres without ever spreading itself too thin.

During pre-production for Confession, ILL NINO parted ways with two members, but was blessed to hook up with former Machine Head guitarist Ahrue Luster, who was a friend of the band, to fill the vacant guitar spot, and Danny Couto, who jammed with guitarist Jardel Paisante in his pre-ILL NINO days, to fill the percussionist slot. But this departure had an even greater positive effect for both bassist Laz Pina and guitarist Jardel Paisante as it allowed them to grow and expand their position as the backbone of ILL NINO. While it might seem frightening to incorporate new members into the band on the eve of a new album, Chavarri admits that the new members "bring a new fire, new energy to the band in every aspect. They are the perfect fit for ILL NINO."

Confession was produced by Bob Marlette (Saliva, Black Sabbath) and is "everything we want it to be, musically and spiritually," reveals Chavarri. The ferocious first single, "How Can I Live," which was also the lead single from the Freddy Vs. Jason soundtrack, burrows its fangs into your memory with its unforgettable melody. "Te Amo, I Hate You," says Machado, "is about bipolar personalities in everyday life. Sometimes you don't always have the answers and the best decision is no decision. Life always balances itself out somehow." The tense "Lifeless Life" is ILL NINO's song about that safe refuge place in life that everyone has where they can run to get away from things bringing them down.

With Confession, ILL NINO are baring all for their fans. It is a telling and open musical statement from a band that is not afraid to expand the boundaries – both sonically and geographically – of heavy music. The band plans to bring their unique "Revolution" to even further corners of the world this time around. With an album as fine as Confession, that shouldn't be a problem.

The Game

The Game is from the birthplace of Gangsta’ Rap, Compton, CA. But this is a new, different Westside story, one that joins with the Eastside while paying respects to rap’s hardcore pioneers of the ‘80s, NWA. The Game, a former gangbanger who turned to rap after being shot five times and left for dead, is about peace not war. Working closely with Dr. Dre on his debut album; This Game is for real.

The Documentary, (Aftermath/G Unit/Interscope), the debut album from The Game (a/k/a Jayceon Taylor), announces the arrival of the most significant West Coast gangsta rapper since Snoop Dogg more than a decade earlier. With guest spots from 50 Cent, Nate Dogg and several others, as well as producers from Dr. Dre to Kanye West to Just Blaze and tracks such as “Like Father Like Son,” “Church For Thugs,” “Dreams,” “Where I’m From” and “Westside Story,” The Documentary resurrects the truth, spirit and hope of hardcore rap.

“A lot of rap today is bubblegum bullshit that says nothing and means nothing to anybody living in the ‘hood,” says the 24-year-old with a tattoo of NWA’s Eazy-E on his right forearm. “I’m not knocking anybody’s hustle but I can’t feel what’s in hip-hop today. Everybody’s rapping but they’re not saying anything. NWA, Biggie, 2Pac, Snoop and Jay-Z all had something to say then Biggie, Pac and Eazy died and it was devastating. We almost let rap die until the Great White Hype (Eminem) saved hip-hop and 50 dropped the gangsta wake-up call. I feel like it’s my turn now and I can fill the shoes.”

What all three have in common is the guiding hand of Dr. Dre, Compton’s own and one of the founding members of NWA. “The best moment I’ve had in rap was walking into his studio in 2002 and Dre saying he heard a mix tape of my freestyles and wanted to sign me,” says Game. “Trying to act cool? I was frozen. I’m still starstruck with Dre. He’s been almost 20 years at the top. That I get to soak up the game from a musical genius like him gives me a 20-year head start on everybody else. He’s like the father I never had. Everything about a father throwing a baseball to his son in the suburbs, that’s what NWA was to me. They were the only role models I had besides Michael Jordan. Eazy was the father of hardcore and I don’t understand why he only gets honorable mention when people talk about rap.”

Game’s beloved grandmother nicknamed him Game because he was always game for anything--basketball, running track, riding bikes, playing in the streets. Family problems related to his father caused him to be placed in a foster home from the third grade to the ninth grade. “My childhood was fucked up but it wasn’t really that different from anyone else who lived in the ‘hood,” he says. Soon after he was returned to his mother, one of his older brothers, Jevon, was shot and killed. The Game then started running behind another older brother, Big Fase 100, who had been taken in by the Cedar Block Piru Bloods, even though they grew up in a Crip neighborhood called Santana Block on Compton’s East Side.

Fase tried to keep him away from thuggin’ but, once it became clear that Game was going to be there, his brother was determined to teach him how to survive on the streets. Then, after graduating high school in 1999, an older adopted brother, Charles, was shot and killed. “People don’t know what type of toll that takes on your life,” he says. “Especially being young and just fresh out in the world.” A one-time star shooting guard for Compton High School who was offered scholarships to various colleges, the 6-foot-4 Game now started gangbangin’ hard--car thefts, drug dealing and shootings. Finding him too much to handle, his mother kicked him out of her house.

In 2000, The Game and his brother moved into the projects in a nearby city and took over its drug trade. Their success attracted rivals. Late on the night of October 1, 2001, Game was alone in their apartment when there was a knock on the door. Game became victim to a home invasion. “That was the biggest learning experience ever in my life. This sounds crazy but I appreciate that happening to me, because I’d probably be dead if it didn’t. Anybody who gets shot and survives feels lucky. On the other hand I went through so much already that I felt somebody owed me. Now I could live out my dreams.”

He sent his brother to buy new copies of all the classic rap albums, East Coast and West Coast – Dre’s The Chronic, Big’s Ready To Die, Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Ice Cube’s Death Certificate, Snoop’s Doggystyle, 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me, every Kool G Rap record, and anything from NWA. He studied them carefully over the next five months. In December 2001, he rapped for the first time. “I mixed everybody’s style into one. That’s why some people feel that I sound like I’m from the East Coast even though I rap about the West Coast.”

He also hopes the purpose of the graphic nature of The Documentary doesn’t get twisted. “I’m telling my story. I’m out to please no one but myself. I’m not telling anybody to sell drugs or pick up guns. When I sold drugs it was because it was my last resort, because I had four sisters and an older brother and we were eating Cheerios on Thanksgiving. When I picked up a gun it was because my life was threatened. If you don’t want to hear that; then don’t listen. I’m not glorifying the life I lived because I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. I’m just one human being raised in the ‘hood who wanted nothing more than to get out.”

His sole regret is that his grandmother--the only person who ever believed he could make it out--passed away before she could see his success not just in rap but in life: In summer 2003, Game became a father for the first time with son Harlem Caron Taylor. He says the best moment he’s ever experienced was watching his son’s mother give birth: “That was some next level shit. I’ve never been so happy. I wanted to bring him into the world so much that I was going, ‘Come on!’”

There’s more than anger in this next generation NWA. There’s pride and even optimism for the future. “I gave all I could to this album, it’s me. Enjoy it because it’s the last time I’m living it. As humans we grow and the next album will be about how I’m living now--and I’m loving life.”

Three Days Grace

Adam Gontier - lead vocals, guitar
Neil Sanderson - drums
Brad Walst - bass, vocals
Barry Stock - lead guitar

"At one point when we were on the road, I felt like I had a target on my back. I felt like there were a lot of things getting thrown at me that I had to deal with and I felt alone� I was the only one who could really understand myself." - Adam Gontier

On One-X, the follow up to Three Days Grace's 2003 self-titled debut, the band explores that sentiment with alarming honesty. A raw, confessional album, One-X finds frontman Adam Gontier delving into a sense of utter loneliness that ironically comes from being constantly surrounded by other people. One-X is simultaneously the story of Gontier's personal destruction on the road, and a universal tale of feeling like an outsider.

"From front to back, the lyrics of One-X explore the different problems I had. I felt singled out. I wanted to be normal and I just wanted someone, anyone to help me. At a point, I finally came to realize that no matter how singled out I felt, there were so many others out there like me. I realized, 'okay, I'm not alone'." - Adam Gontier

Part of learning he was not alone came from learning his band mates felt similarly isolated, dismayed with the falseness of life on the road.

"Being on tour can be strange sometimes," said bassist Brad Walst. "All these people around you seem to know you, but they really don't and you don't know them either, but you carry on as if you do. It's weird how you can still feel alone in a crowd of people. In fact the only ones we could really relate to were the true fans. They know what's going on inside your head because they are the ones that are hearing it in your music."

After two years on the road, the band was coming to terms with what they experienced. "The whole process tuned us into the phenomenon of urban isolation - being in a big city, where people are inches away, but you feel miles apart" said drummer Neil Sanderson. "We're used to the opposite, being from rural Ontario, where you're miles away physically, but you feel inches apart."

Oddly enough, the band escaped by isolating themselves again. Packing up, getting out of the city and moving into Ontario cottage country, the band eliminated all outside distractions to write One-X. "We basically wrote the record around a fire with acoustic guitars," said Walst. "It was all about getting back to our roots."

When the band emerged, they had a heavy, highly emotional album in hand. One-X is rife with anguish-fueled vocals, heavy beats and rough chords. Backed by the thunderous rhythm section of Neil Sanderson on drums and Brad Walst on bass, and the thrashing, urgent riffs of Barry Stock on guitar, One-X is a roller coaster ride through Gontier's psyche. Intensely honest, Gontier leaves nothing out; it sounds as if he's ripping pages from his journal.

"Pain" finds Gontier stubbornly adhering to the vices that hurt him, while letting in the voice trying to heal him. The almost sweetly melodic verses come from "someone telling me there's something wrong and you have to do something about it," says Gontier, while the grizzled choruses find him clinging to the pain.

"Animal I Have Become," the first single off One-X, is Adam's "realization that a change has to happen and you have to ask for help." With stomping bass lines backing him up, Gontier pleads, "Somebody get me through this nightmare / I can't control myself." It's also startlingly open, as he realizes the impact of revealing his lyrics: "So what if you can see / the darkest side of me."

"The road definitely got the better of us at times," said Sanderson, echoing the sentiment of "Animal I Have Become." "I know from my own point of view that you can kind of lose yourself out there and get caught up in the moment. It's just the lifestyle. I know Adam went through times when he would do anything to distance himself from the strangers around him. We were on a bit of a downward spiral out there but we pulled out of it."

While all of the tracks explore painfully personal struggles, "Never Too Late" was the hardest track for Gontier to write. Opening with a solitary guitar, which could easily signify loneliness, the track is instead the album's most optimistic song.

Adam admits, "It's the one that touches me the most when we play it live and when I listen to it now that the record's done, it still gives me shivers because it has so much to do with me. There's a sliver of hope in that song as well."

With lyrics like "Do you think there's no one like you / We are," "One X," the album's final song, is the one that Three Days Grace fans connect to the most. "It says you're not alone and there are lots of people out there like you," Gontier explains. "Having gone through these struggles, we are able to re-introduce ourselves and our music to our fans�It's time to let everyone else in on our lives over the last two years."

As we hear Gontier sing with his world-weary vocals at the end of the album, the band has developed a new sense of purpose; what started out as fear and pain has led to confidence and triumph.

"I need to figure out who's behind me," Adam sings in the album's final lines. "We are / We stand above the crowd."