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No other nu-metal band of the rap/rock generation has garnered as much attention and success as Southern Cali's Linkin Park, who actually started out in 1996 as the heavy metal outfit Xero. Featuring high school pals Brad Delson (guitar), Mike Shinoda (vocals), Rob Bourdon (drums), and Darren "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), the group's lineup was later completed by a DJ, Joseph Hahn (whom Shinoda met at a Pasadena art school), and a second vocalist, Chester Bennington.

Due to legal reasons, Xero were forced to switch their moniker to Hybrid Theory, then finally to Linkin Park (a deliberate misspelling of the Santa Monica, California landmark Lincoln Park, thought up by Bennington). Under their new name, Linkin Park soon earned a reputation in L.A.'s local scene, becoming a regular attraction at the legendary Sunset Strip club the Whisky A Go-Go. After being passed over by various record labels several times, they finally caught the attention of Zomba Music Publishing's Jeff Blue, and then landed a recording contract with Warner Bros. in late 1999.

With the finishing touches of producer Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Eve 6, Tracy Bonham, Lit), Linkin Park released their debut album in fall 2000, titling it after their former band name, Hybrid Theory. Debuting in the U.S. top 20 in November 2000, the album received rave reviews for its powerful, eclectic fusion of post-grunge metal, old-school hip-hop, and electronic stylings, and garnered heavy radio rotation for the hit singles "One Step Closer," "Crawling," and "In The End." By this time, founding member Farrell, who had left the group a year earlier, wisely decided to rejoin as its sixth member, and LP's popularity continued to escalate steadily. The group even soon won the favor of MTV's pop-oriented TRL crowd.

Linkin Park toured nonstop after the release of Hybrid Theory, playing a total of 324 shows in 2001, including such major tours as Family Values, Ozzfest, and Projekt Revolution. They moved to headlining status within a year, and by early 2002 had earned three Grammy nominations, for Best Rock Album, Best New Artist, and Best Hard Rock Performance. Hybrid Theory eventually went eight times platinum, becoming the top-selling album of 2001 and the fifth-best-seller of 2002.

Linkin Park quietly released a follow-up remix album, Reanimation, in July 2002, while spending nearly 18 months writing and recording their official sophomore effort, Meteora. Produced by Hybrid Theory's Don Gilmore and mixed by Andy Wallace (At The Drive-In, Disturbed, Foo Fighters, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, System Of A Down), Meteora promises to live up to Linkin Park's past huge accomplishments and continue their meteoric rise.

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Anastacia is a rare talent. She is a songwriter, a producer and a dancer. But the fact that her angelic good looks, charm and 5'3" frame is capable of singing the way that she does has fascinated and delighted fans around the world during her short, relatively new career. So, it should come as no surprise that even her mother has referred to her as a "freak of nature." Enter Freak of Nature, Anastacia's appropriately titled second full-length recording for Epic Records.

Anastacia burst onto the music scene in 1999 with her debut album Not That Kind, and wowed audiences and critics alike, with her powerful vocal range. She promptly conquered Europe and secured her place as an International superstar with gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales status in more than a dozen countries with overall album sales exceeding 5 million copies. Add to that an exuberant personality, a fierce sense of individuality and personal style, a vocal prowess that defies categorization and a long list of awards, including Best New International Artist at the 2001 World Music Awards and a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2001 MTV Europe Music Awards and you've got yourself an artist who is proud of who she is.

"I am a Freak of Nature," says Anastacia. "I've always gotten looks of shock (or horror), depending on how you look at it, because I gather the way that I look doesn't match the way I sound. So this album is basically about those types of people -- freaks. I guess you could say that I'm telling their story as well as mine."

"It was a very liberating record to make," she continues. "I've always liked the idea that some of my favorite artists have been "freaks," or non-conformists, and that gave me courage, a constant reminder in the studio to make the record the way that I wanted."

Freak of Nature was recorded in two months at Sony Music Studios in New York City. It reunited Anastacia with Grammy Award winning producer Rick Wake (Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez and Mariah Carey), Sam Watters of Color Me Badd and Louis Biancaniello, all of whom worked with Anastacia on her debut album. Wake produced seven of the twelve tracks on this new album, including the title track "Freak of Nature," "I Dreamed You," "Paid My Dues," "Over Due Goodbye," "How Come The World Won't Stop," "Why'd You Lie To Me" and "Secrets" while Watters and Biancaniello produced and co-wrote "You'll Never Be Alone," "Don't Stop" "One Day In Your Life" and "Dontcha Wanna." Anastacia also collaborated for the fist time with writer Billy Mann on the uplifting "Overdue Goodbye," "How Come The World Won't Stop" and "Freak of Nature." In addition she collaborated with writers Greg Lawson and Damon Sharpe, who co-wrote "Paid My Dues" and "Why'd You Lie To Me."

"We had two months to make the record," explains Anastacia, "and that was good by me. We had no time to second guess or to get cute, so the writing and recording was spontaneous, raw and direct."

And that's okay with Anastacia. Her talents aside for a moment, this Chicago-born, New York raised talent has always been very spontaneous, raw and direct herself. She has allowed life's lessons to guide her and continues to live by that motto. She credits this outlook to her ongoing battle with Crohn's disease, which she was diagnosed with at 13.

"For those with Crohn's, holding in our emotions or masking her unhappiness fuels the symptoms," said Anastacia. "What is seen as a curse for some, is a gift for me, because it has helped me to discover who I really am as a person. The disease has given me a clear window to my own emotions, which causes me to live each moment and to understand exactly how I'm behaving in a particular situation."

This outlook also gave her the strength she needed when she was coming up in the music business or in other words, paying her dues. Following several jobs as a dancer on "Club MTV" and appearances in numerous hit videos, her dismissal as a receptionist in a Los Angeles hair salon found Anastacia on the unemployment line and completely disenchanted with a business that she had been around all of her life -- her father was a crooner and her mother, an actress who worked in musical theater and on Broadway.

"I was told that I needed to look a certain way, to sound a certain way, to move a certain way and all I wanted to do was just sing. I couldn't understand why this was such an issue."

Anastacia got the break she had been waiting for after she was introduced to her manager who got her a booking on MTV's "The Cut." After a show-stopping performance, she was recognized by the right people, courted by several producers and was finally signed to Epic Records. However, it was also on this show that Anastacia formed a key relationship with Michael Jackson, who encouraged Anastacia to keep singing after he saw her performance on "The Cut." That key relationship has since come full-circle in the evolution of Anastacia's recording career.

Five times platinum under her belt and International stardom to boot, Anastacia has clearly made the "the cut" of another kind. In addition to performing on several of the top award shows around the world, Anastacia was recently reunited with the Michael Jackson when he invited her to sing "What More Can I Give" at his side along with Faith Evans, Mariah Carey, N'SYNC and other top performers at the historic United We Stand benefit concert in Washington DC, which will air on the ABC Network on November 1st.

Anastacia also co-wrote twelve songs on Freak of Nature, which give the listener a birds-eye view of just what makes this talent tick. From "Paid My Dues", which tells of her arduous route to becoming a professional recording artist, to "Secrets," written nearly seven years ago about the importance of encouraging kids to express their thoughts and emotions so that they don't become problematic later in life-an obvious reference to Anastacia's Crohn's disease.

Freak of Nature follows Not That Kind only in the sense that it is part dance, part R&B and part rock. Anastacia credits her recent world travels, due to her rigorous International promotional and performance schedule, for exposing her to new musical influences and sounds that are clearly heard on Freak of Nature. The African-laced drumbeats and the fiddle heard on "Overdue Goodbye." Holding nothing back in her tremendously powerful vocal range, Anastacia also mixes it up on her performance of the scorching power ballad "You'll Never Be Alone."

"It's not just one sound that carries you through Freak of Nature," says Anastacia. "I find it to be a playful recording with attitude. It's strong and powerful to me, but in the end people should make up their own minds."

Needless to say our minds are made up and why shouldn't they be? Anastacia is an original - her talents are unique, her songwriting honest, her singing passionate, her personality sincere. Is she a freak of nature? Perhaps. But this is one freak of nature that's got the goods.

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Ky file ėshtė shkarkuar 25 herė.

"I don’t think that one really decides to be a singer. It’s decided for you, by the reaction of those around you. Perhaps one shouldn’t say ‘listen to me, I want to sing for you’, but if people say ‘please sing for us’, well...."
A passionate desire for Andrea Bocelli’s voice has spread across the world like wildfire. For Andrea Bocelli possesses a truly remarkable voice. A,voice as palpably powerful, as it is almost ethereal. Not simply an extraordinary voice which displays such power and fragility, but a potent instrument of emotion and sensitivity, which touches the heart, like music itself. Andrea Bocelli’s voice has made him an international phenomenon. Andrea was born in 1958, in Lajatico, rural Tuscany. He cannot remember life without a passion for music. He recalls his early fascination with the great Italian tenors, such talents as Del Monaco, Gigli and especially his idol Franco Corelli. Enflamed by the music of the opera, Andrea’s lifelong dream and ambition was to become a great tenor, and the great operas were learnt by ear and heart. Approaching his teens Andrea won a number of singing competitions. However as adult life approached, youthful ideals of a life devoted to music were to be undermined by doubts and more down-to-earth concerns.
Andrea travelled to Pisa to attend university, taking a degree in Law.
Throughout, he enjoyed playing in local piano bars, performing the classic tunes of such vocal greats as Sinatra, Aznavour and Piaf. Occasionally, Andrea’s deepest musical passions were revealed with the performance of a favourite aria.
Learning that his childhood idol Franco Corelli was to take master classes in Turin, Andrea apprehensively approached the maestro. Remarkably the first aria Andrea sang for the great tenor was from Puccini’s La Bohčme, his favourite opera from his youth and the first complete opera he has now recorded so many years later. Corelli, recognising a natural beauty in the voice, which recalled qualities of several legendary Tuscan tenors, took on the young man as a pupil and his legal career was suspended. Life was now devoted to music studies by day and performing in piano bars by night.
In 1992, Italian rock star Zucchero required a tenor to assist in the preparation of a demo of a unique duet, "Miserere", to be sung with the great Luciano Pavarotti. After fruitless auditions, a young man performing in local piano bars appeared and captured the very essence of the song.
Italian music industry figure Michele Torpedine flew to Philadelphia to play "Miserere" to Pavarotti. The great man was stunned by the way the tenor took to the song.
Back in Italy, Andrea was approached in 1993 by Caterina Caselli Sugar, president of the Sugar label, one of the country’s longest established music companies, when she heard him singing "Nessun dorma" at a private party. She invited Andrea to visit her office, to hear an unpublished composition entitled "Il mare calmo della sera" and insisted that the song must be recorded by his beautiful and powerful voice.
For the following years, Caterina, Michele and others worked hard to introduce this unique talent to the world, including securing an invitation for him to take part in the annual San Remo Song Festival, an event that demands almost universal attention from the Italian media and public.
In 1996, the melody of "Con te partirņ" (written by Francesco Sartori and Lucio Quarantotto) and its duet arrangement "Time To Say Goodbye", with Sarah Brightman, beguiled the European public. In 1997, the debut international album Romanza on Polydor/Sugar, enchanted first Europe, then countries beyond. The passion of Romanza inflamed the world, Andrea’s voice touching hearts unfamiliar with the Italian language, but utterly fluent in the language of emotion.
Alongside his career in popular music, Andrea has pursued his operatic passions with stunning success and remains one of the most successful artists in the Philips catalogue. His first operatic recording Viaggio Italiano (which was made in 1995, but not released, except in a few European territories, until a few years later), was his personal tribute to the musical tradition of the Italian tenor, not just the greats who inspired him, but to the Italian immigrants and local heroes who celebrated and popularised opera in their adopted homelands. The 1998 debut international classical disc, Aria, became one of the most successful classical albums ever, dominating classical charts and sensationally scaling international pop album charts. The success of Aria was surpassed by the follow-up Sacred Arias in 1999, conducted by Myung-Whun Chung, and consisting of various sacred compositions by Bach/Gounod, Mozart, Schubert and Rossini.
In autumn 2000, Andrea added two more classical recordings to his discography, a selection of Verdi Arias (Andrea’s tribute to the great composer whose centenary of his death was commemorated in 2001) and a complete La Bohčme with Barbara Frittoli, both conducted by Zubin Mehta.
Indeed, this was a dream come true for Andrea who fell in love with this opera the very first time he heard it. He went on to record Verdi’s Requiem with Renée Fleming, Olga Borodina and Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev, which was released spring 2001and has since recorded Tosca, Il Trovatore and very recently Pagliacci and Cavelleria Rusticana for future release.
More and more of Andrea’s live performances are devoted to classical music.
Galas and concerts with the world’s greatest operatic stars like Luciano Pavarotti, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras have taken him to France, England and Israel as well as throughout his native Italy and to the Vatican. He has also broadened his stage experience with performances of La Bohčme, Werther, Macbeth, The Merry Widow, L'Amico Fritz, and Verdi’s Requiem. He is currently rehearsing and performing Madama Butterfly in Torre del Lago, Italy.
This year, Andrea was awarded a highly-coveted UK Classical Brit award for Outstanding Contribution, he has performed for President Bush and sung with Pavarotti at the annual Pavarotti & Friends concert.
Despite living in a world of frenetic change, Andrea approaches life with a serene outlook, enjoying life’s simple pleasures and undertaking each challenge with a will. Ever optimistic, Andrea suggests that his philosophy on life might be summed up by a quote by French novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupery; "One only sees clearly with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes".

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Abs was born Richard Abidin Breen on Friday 29 June, 1979 at home in the town of Enfield, Middlesex (Greater London) in the United Kingdom to Kathleen McDaid Breen of Ireland and Turan Sanvaren, a Turkish immigrant, who weren't married so his mum Kaye raised him by herself and sent Abs to the local Catholic schools because they didn't have a lot of money and the regular schools in his area were a bit rough since they moved to London's Eastend in an area called Hackney which wasn't really too bad since Abs' Turkish relatives lived nearby and he saw them a lot besides taking trips to County Derry in Ireland & Australia to visit his mum's extended family who were quite a musical bunch...

... And even his dad was a former musician, though he now ran an automotive garage where Abs would hang out and work on cars as a teen, so it was only natural that he and a few of his cousins started a little band when he was only 8 years old as he loved to perform in front of people, imitating pop star Michael Jackson in the costumes his mother made for him which got Abs a lot of attention even though he was picked on a lot by the other kids for being half Turkish and kind of small for his age, not that Abs let it bother him too much as he dreamed of being famous some day and sat in his little room listening to all the great underground music flowing out of London and practiced being a DJ because it seemed a good way of getting started in the music business and making a little money while he auditioned to get into the Italia Conti Performing Arts School and began attending on weekends...

... Which was a strange time for Abs as he had all these dreams and goals and so much hard work that he knew laid ahead of him just as the dreaded teenage puberty kicked in and he got a bit distracted by girls and also began hanging around with a tough street crowd which made his school grades take a nosedive even though Abs' interest in music and performing stayed strong enough that one of his stage school teachers recommended that he would be right for a new edgy lad group being put together by Bob and Chris Herbert, the guys who 'invented' the Spice Girls, so Abs went to the auditions in London and sang R. Kelly's "I Like the Crotch on You", making up some of his own lyrics along the way which obviously impressed the Herbert's because he was chosen along with four other lads...

... J, Ritchie, Scott and Sean... to be part of a group they would call FIVE, who then traveled the world for the next 5 years, singing and performing their way into the hearts of millions and becoming almost as famous for their cheeky devil-may-care personalities while racking up one top ten single after another for BMG/RCA Records and 3 top five albums as well until Five suddenly decided to call it a day in September 2001 while they were still sane, friends & at the top of the music charts and Abs found himself out of a job, so he sat around brooding for a few weeks until Chris Herbert & Simon Cowell, Five's former executive producer, asked Abs to consider a solo career and he was sent off to Australia to host a huge music festival and realized that performing was still what he wanted to do so Abs embarked upon a solo career in the fall of 2001, releasing his first single 'What You Got' in the summer of 2002...

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Alizée was not even 16 when her first track, "Moi Lolita" was released. The day the young Corsican met the Mylčne Farmer - Laurent Boutonnat duo marked a real turning point in her life and the result of this meeting was "Gourmandises", her first album.

2 years later, over 4 million records were sold throughout the world and Alizée also received several awards - NRJ awards, World Music Awards, M6 awards, and other European awards.

Her songs reached the top of the Italian, Spanish, German, British, Polish, Dutch and Russian charts….and often held the No. 1 slot for many weeks.

Her second album "Mes Courants Électriques", featuring the single, "I’m fed up", is also written and produced by Mylčne Farmer and Laurent Boutonnat. "Mes Courants Électriques" will be released in France on 18th March 2003.


Her story

Alizée was born on the coast of Corsica on 21st August. Hailing from Ajaccio, her childhood on the island was a happy one. Early on, Alizée sought to express her artistic streak.

Passionate about dance, she began lessons at the age of 4 and became increasingly drawn to show business through her acting and singing lessons.

At the age of 11, she entered a drawing competition by colouring in an airplane and won first prize. Not only did she win a marvellous trip to the Maldives, but a life-size reproduction of her drawing was also featured on the cockpit of an airplane which was to be named “Alizée”. This marked the beginning of a wonderful, artistic career.

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Anything but ordinary. That's putting it mildly when describing Avril Lavigne. A skater-punk, a dynamic spirit, a true wild child. One of those rare creatures who started wowing people with her voice and character at around age 2. A small-town kid who couldn't sit still in class but had the confidence and determination to take off, virtually on her own, to hone her songwriting skills in New York City and Los Angeles. A startlingly up-front and outrageous 17-year-old with everything it takes to reach stardom-completely on her own terms. "I'm just coming out and I'm going to clearly be myself-I write what I feel, I never worry what others think, " Avril avows. "I'm gonna dress what's me, I'm gonna act what's me and I'm gonna sing what's me."

Avril does exactly that on her debut CD, Let Go, flaunting sassy vocals, a crystal clear voice with real-girl lyrical style. "Anything But Ordinary" is a rockin' ode to individuality, while guitar-driven first single, "Complicated," is a simple song that kicks pretenders to the curb. The string-inflected "I'm With You" reaches out for connection to reflect Avril's more mellower side, but tracks like "Losing Grip" and "Unwanted" courageously confront rejection and betrayal with all the heaviness such subjects demand. Then there's "My World" and the metaphoric "Mobile," which perfectly articulate the Avril experience. "I have this awesome opportunity to fulfill my dream. I am all over the place, flying here and there, going through different stuff every day," she explains. "This is my lifestyle, but I wouldn't want a normal life or I'd get bored."

Apparently, Avril was born for such insanity. A middle child who "always wanted to be the center of attention," she was bound to bust out of Napanee, Ontario, population 5,000. "I always knew this was what I had to do," she says. "I remember when I was really young, standing on my bed like it was a stage, singing at the top of my lungs and visualizing thousands of people surrounding me." She segued from her bedroom to singing, well, whenever and wherever she could-starting in church singing gospel music, and on to festivals, then singing country music at fairs and talent contests-until she was discovered by Arista Records.

On a writing trip to NYC, Avril caught the attention of Antonio "LA" Reid, who snapped her up and signed her to Arista. At 16, she moved to Manhattan and began work on her debut CD. Avril plunged into the creative process. "I love writing," she explains. "When I get upset and really need to get it out of me I go to my guitar. Sometimes I feel like my guitar is my therapist."

Although Avril virtually lived in the studio during that New York stint, her efforts didn't pay off at first. "I started working with these really talented people, but I just wasn't feeling it; the songs weren't representative of me," she admits. "Then they started talking about having people write for me, but I had to write myself. I had to do my music. It was a really stressful time, but I never considered giving up." Instead, she flipped coasts. Los Angeles gave Avril the fresh start she needed.

It was there that she hooked up with producer/songwriter Clif Magness, and "I was like, 'Yeah! I've found my guy!'" she enthuses. "We totally clicked, because he just let me guide; he really understood me and let me do my thing." The songs for Let Go began pouring out, with Magness at the helm as well as up-and-coming production team the Matrix. Soon after Avril hooked up with Nettwerk Management who've steered the careers of Sarah McLachlan, Dido, Coldplay, Barenaked Ladies and Sum 41.

Avril couldn't be happier with the way the album turned out. "In this past year I've really grown as a writer. 'Complicated' wasn't written about anyone in particular. It is basically about life, people being fake and relationships." As to one of her favorite tracks, "Losing Grip," she says, "That is definitely one of my ex-boys-he didn't give me what I needed emotionally." Avril laughs, "It doesn't matter now, and plus I got a good song out of it."

Now that her album is done, Avril can't wait to get out and play. She jokes, pointing out that touring with her own sk8er punk band of rocker boys probably won't be all that different from her childhood, "I was always a tomboy and I guess I still am. I played hockey during the fall /winter and baseball in the summer. I loved playing with the boys.

But Avril's music is capable of reaching the girls and the guys, and more than a few adventurous adults too-and she's chomping at the bit to bring it to 'em. "I can't wait to be out there; I want to rock the world! I want people to know that my music is real and honest -it came from my heart. I was just being true to myself."

Avril's real, all right. And ordinary? Anything but.

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Ever since they were a fledgling group in the environs of Los Angeles, The Black Eyed Peas have flaunted a passionate, energetic hip-hop spirit people have always been drawn to. They've earned fans worldwide with their inventive approach to hip-hop music, inspiring people with loose rhymes, and a positive spirit and funkafied vibe. On Elephunk, the group's third album, that spirit seems to course through their beings even more than ever.

The Black Eyed Peas _ will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and newcomer Fergie _ named the album Elephunk to conjure up a big, deep funk sound. Produced in its entirety by will.i.am and apl, the album boasts a mix of live instruments and traditional hip-hop samples and beats. It also mixes the group's breathless verbal acrobatics with a very conscious view of the world.

BEP's music has always been firmly entrenched in hip-hop but also with an eye to other musical forms. Elephunk, more than previous albums, seems to transcend the simple genre categorization, something will.i.am admits was intentional, both lyrically and musically. "This is a hip-hop record but we didn't go into this with hip-hop on our mind," says will.i.am. "We were just thinking of good songs, good music. We didn't want to say anything typical, like 'My style is this, and my rhymes are like that.' A couple might have slipped in but we were really tired of saying things like that."

Elephunk was recorded in three different spurts over the last two years, beginning in 2001. "We would record about eight songs each time," remembers will.i.am. "Then each time we went back, I felt I'd changed and grown as a producer. So we'd do eight more songs, and those eight would be better than the previous eight. It kept going until we were done."

will.i.am's rhymes are clever and irreverent but it's his work as a producer on Elephunk that he's most proud of. Songs like "Where Is The Love," with Justin Timberlake, the quickstepping fast-rap of "Hands Up," and the Louis Armstrong growl of "Smells Like Funk," demonstrate not just a sophisticated ear for new sounds but a head for interesting arrangements and tight songwriting. will.i.am's talent lies in his ability to mold live instruments, samples and drum machines into a uniform sound. He's always taken a musically broad perspective and on this album, it shows more than ever.

"My volition as a producer has definitely grown," he says. "I think my understanding of music has grown, I've discovered new ways of manifesting my thoughts into reality, and I know my equipment better."

Elephunk also welcomes a new member into the BEP fold _ Los Angeles native Fergie. The singer met will.i.am at BEP shows around town and was invited to join in on a recording session. In the studio, one song turned to three turned to five turned to an invitation to join the group. Says Fergie about her experience, "This group is just totally open to new ideas and directions."

Some of those new directions on Elephunk include songs like "Anxiety," which matches The Black Eyed Peas with popular platinum rock band Papa Roach, whom they met and bonded with on tour. The group's are really similar says will.i.am. "The energy between us was thick. When we started talking to them, it was a real conversation, like we were 60 and just hangin' out at a bus stop."

The song itself relates the tension of the world today with personal struggles the members of the different groups have gone through into one, hard-hitting rhythmic jam. "These last couple of years haven't been easy," says will.i.am. "Is it guilt? Stress? Uncertainty over what's going to happen in the next five years? Is it rap? Hip-hop? The fact that everyone is clubbin' and gun totin' and we're thought of as just some fashionable motherfuckers? It's a whole bunch of stuff going on."

Overall, will.i.am couldn't be happier with the way the album's turned out, and he feels people will be open to the new directions The Black Eyed Peas are going in. "The audience is smarter than they've ever been," he says. "Maybe ten years ago, they were run-of-the-mill, but these kids today aren't the same. They've got it together."

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BORN: 23rd June 1981 - 12.20pm
ANT'S ASCENDANT:
Ant's ascending sign is Virgo which means that Ant is a bit of a purist who likes a lot of structure in his life. He's the picture of cool - an observer who picks up on all the little details in life and relationships but could often do with injecting a bit of spice to liven things up. Ant tends to attract the hippy dreamer sort of gal who's looking for someone to take care of her, when he could actually do with a bit of a bright spark to come and shake him up a bit!

THE ELEMENTS:
According to ancient traditions, the four elements guiding Ant (and hey, all of us) are : Fire for action Water for emotions Air for brainpower Earth for practical and creative stuff

WHAT MAKES ANT TICK? (How the planets have shaped Ant's personality)

Looking at the Sun in Ant's charts, he's definitely the sensitive, loving type, blessed with a unique sweetness. But, watch out cos just when you think you've got to grips with him he can come over with the blues, big time and when Ant's feeling sad he's going to run somewhere he feels safe and secure - possibly back to his family.

Although he might be the nerviest of the band, Ant's also an ambitious guy - some might even say hungry for power. But Ant doesn't shirk from responsibility and with a mind like a magpie picking up treasures everywhere it goes, he'll keep you fascinated with a store of trivia and obscure facts.

People bring their problems to Ant cos, not only is he a good listener, but he can be a right old softie too. He has to make sure that he doesn't spread his emotional energy too thinly. Ant's sharp mind also means he can be a bit on the snippy side too, but don't worry cos his temper doesn't last long.

Ant often over analyses cos he's blessed with a huge and colourful imagination. He's also great to have around the house - and could become a great cook with enough practice. He'll like to entertain you at home cos that's not only where he can shine but he also feels secure there. Whatever Ant's feeling, he'll be passionate about it and he needs to make sure he doesn't over think situations too much - he should go with the flow!

He's likely to be the most sensitive one in any relationship and can be easily hurt; he may too be looking for a partner that he can not only lavish attention on but someone who'll make him feel secure too. You can bet that he'll want to spend long sensual evenings in front of a roaring fire swapping dreams.

Luck is well starred throughout Ant's chart and this means that lots of people are attracted to him, hoping that this'll rub off on them. Things have a habit of going Ant's way due to a lot of good karma built up in his previous lives. He should guard against the temptation to ever get complacent.

YOUR AT A GLANCE GUIDE:
Ant's key words:
Home loving
Spiritual
Sensitive
Organised


PROFILE: Full name: Antony Daniel Costa
Nickname(s): Ant
Hair colour: Dark Brown / Black
Eye colour: Dark Brown
Height: 5'9"
Date of Birth: 23 / 06 / 81
Starsign: Cancer
Place of Birth: Edgware, Middlesex
Favourite band/artist: George Michael
Favourite song: Father Figure
Favourite album: 'Faith' George Michael
What's in your Walkman?: Craig David
Favourite book: Of Mice and Men
Favourite film: The Commitments
Favourite TV show: 'Only Fools and Horses'
Favourite actor: Al Pacino
Favourite meal: Pasta
Favourite drink: Pepsi
Favourite smell: "My Mum's cooking!"
Favourite football team: Spurs
Favourite clothes store: Diesel
Favourite colour: Blue ("of course")

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BORN: 7th April 1979 - 4:55am
DUNCAN'S ASCENDANT:
This is the star sign that was rising over the eastern horizon the day Duncan said "yo baby" to the world. In many ways, your ascending sign can be just as important as your main star sign and holds the key to what you can become. Duncan's ascendant is in Aquarius which means that he's attracted to any new ideas, innovations and trends and is extremely sensitive as well as being a great communicator.
While religion and politics might not be his greatest turn on, Duncan will always strive to be one step ahead of his peers and might well be helped on his way by the sparkling originality that his rising sign bestows upon him!
When it comes to relationships, many might think Dunc a bit too much of an idealist to really get it on, but, surprise, surprise, he attracts some of the most hot blooded and fun loving star signs in the galaxy and being the sensitive dude he is, he goes out of his way to understand each and every one of them! And, once Dunc's in love, Venus in Taurus guarantees he'll stick with his love through thick and thin... although it might take him ages to make the first move!

THE ELEMENTS:
According to ancient traditions, the four elements guiding Duncan (and hey, all of us) are :
Fire for action
Water for emotions
Air for brainpower
Earth for practical and creative stuff
Here's how Duncan rates:
Fire is strong in his profile making him an all action, dynamic kind of bloke who likes to sort out obstacles by action not words. Depending on your view you could either say he was hot headed or just a natural enthusiast.
Watch out though, cos Duncan's a bit weak on the old Earth front which means he's not the most practical guy you're ever going to meet and he might also need the occasional nudge to remind him to take care of number one and eat, drink and exercise properly!

WHAT MAKES DUNCAN TICK?
(How the planets have shaped Duncan's personality)
We've taken a fast track through Duncan's star chart to reveal just what it is that makes him do what he does, what turns him on, makes him laugh, or sparks off World War 3 in that hot head of his.
Our Duncan's got a competitive streak a mile wide and this is because of the Sun in Aries (yeah right!). This guy's so completely fixated on fame, he doesn't really care two hoots about the fortune that might come along with it. Failure just doesn't figure in Duncan's vocab!
He's also got tremendous leadership qualities (that's the Sun in his first house!), bags of energy, but the downside to this is that he might teeter on the brink of being a bit of a control freak at times. Duncan loves structure and order and can get a tad edgy if he feels things are slipping from his control.
Meanwhile, if you were wondering what effect the star might have on Duncan's career, his Sun in Neptune means that his mission's always going to be to share his creative visions with as many other peeps as possible.
Duncan adores life and just can't get enough of it. The position of the Moon in his chart reinforces his leadership qualities (and indicates he might even like to dabble in politics later in life), as well as highlighting Duncan's directness. When this guy's feeling something, he lets you know pronto. He's not the subtlest bloke on earth but all in all he's looking for a happy emotional world to put his heart and soul into.

YOUR AT A GLANCE GUIDE:
Brainy
Energetic
Emotional
Sincere


PROFILE: Full name: Duncan Mathew James
Nickname(s): 'Dunk'
Hair colour: Light Brown / Blonde
Eye colour: Blue
Height: 5'11"
Date of Birth: 07 / 04 / 79
Star sign: Aries
Place of Birth: Salisbury, Wilts
Favourite band/artist: Marvin Gaye
Favourite song: 'What's Goin On' by Marvin Gaye
Favourite album: 'Left of the Middle' by Natalie Imbruglia
What's in your Walkman?: 'Reservoir Dogs' film soundtrack
Favourite book: Catcher In The Rye
Favourite film: The Fifth Element
Favourite meal: Any seafood
Favourite drink: Cranberry juice
Favourite smell: Cool water
Favourite TV show: Friends
Favourite actor: Brad Pitt
Favourite football team: Arsenal
Favourite clothes store: Levis
Favourite colour: Red

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