Top Artists:
1. Eminem – As infamous as he is famous, Eminem (a.k. Slim Shady a.k.a Marshall Mathers) is one of the most influential MCs ever. Em put Detroit Rock City back on the map in 1999 with the release of the triple platinum The Slim Shady LP. Featuring heavy production by Dr. Dre and singles “Guilty Conscience”, “’97 Bonnie and Clyde”, and “My Name Is”, this album introduced the world to Eminem’s lyrical skill and his controversial style. The Marshall Mathers LP followed in 2000 and broke records set by Snoop Dogg for fastest selling hip hop album and Britney Spears for fastest selling album by a solo artist. Marshall insulted several celebrities, including Christina Aguilera and NSYNC, in “The Real Slim Shady.” Other songs include “The Way I Am” and “Stan”, featuring a Dido sample and often voted as 1 of the best rap songs ever. The Eminem Show became Eminem’s third straight album to win the Grammy for best rap album, driven by singles “White America”, “Without Me”, and “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” Encore, another platinum album, dropped in 2004 and features “Mockingbird”, “Just Lose It”, and “Mosh.” In 2009, Eminem ended his 5 year hiatus from rap and hip hop with the release of new songs “Crack a Bottle” (with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent) and “We Made You,” the video which again parodied several celebrities such as Bret Michaels and Amy Winehouse. Marshall also is an actor, appearing in 8 Mile and lending his voice to 50 Cent’s video game.
2. Lil’ Wayne – Lil’ Wayne, a.k.a. Weezy F. Baby, has always refused to be ignored. At age 11, he was signed to Cash Money Records after repeatedly leaving freestyle voice messages with Bryan “Baby” Williams, a.k.a Birdman. He would go on to form the southern rap supergroup, The Hot Boys, which also featured Juvenile. In 2004, Weezy dropped his 4th solo album, Tha Carter. It sold over one million copies, driven largely by the hit, “Go DJ.” A year later, Tha Carter II was released. Featuring several strong songs including “Fireman”, “Hustler Music”, and “Grown Man”, it debuted at #2 on the Billboard top 200 chart. 2008’s Tha Carter III sold over one million copies in its first week, the first to do so since 50 Cent’s The Massacre in 2005, and included “Lollipop” and “A Milli”, both of which went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart, as well as “Got Money” with T-Pain and “Mrs. Officer” with Bobby Valentino. In 2009, Wayne surprised everyone by debuting his own rock songs, like “Prom Queen” and “Hot Revolver.” As if he’s not busy enough with his own work, Wayne has also worked with almost everyone in the rap hip hop world, including Jay Z, Swizz Beatz, Chamillionaire, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, and Kanye West to name a few. He’s also branched out to pop and R&B, working with Destiny’s Child, Keri Hilson, and Kevin Rudolf.
3. Jeremih – His single Birthday Sex hit the top of the Flycell Charts in June, fallingonly one spot for July. This up and coming artist is one to watch in the future.
4. Mariah Carey – When she burst on the scene in 1990, there was no mistaking that VOICE. Mariah Carey can probably shatter glass, but thankfully she uses her range and talent to make music for us instead – a steady stream of soulful tunes that, despite some bumps along the way.
5. Drake – Drake has the number one downloaded song in July. Will he hold onto the spot in August?
6. Black Eyed Peas – Believe it or not, the Black Eyed Peas have been together since 1988 when Will.i.am and apl.de.ap first joined forces in a break dancing crew, where they regularly performed at parties. In 1995, the name Black Eyed Peas was first used and only a few years later their songs started to appear on movie soundtracks and the debut album Behind the Front was released. Their second album featured the hit “Request Line” with Macy Gray.
7. Jackson 5
8. Keri Hilson – Keri Hilson has been rockin’ your world, and you don’t even know it. The songstress with the hit single “Turnin’ Me On ”, featuring mega superstar Lil’ Wayne has been writing her own songs since age 12, but spent most of the 2000’s turnin’ out hits for artists like Ludacris and The Pussy Cat Dolls and showing off her model looks in videos with Nelly Furtado, Ne-Yo and Nelly. After being featured all over Timbaland’s solo release, Keri stepped into the spotlight with her own recently released album, In a Perfect World. Along with the hit single, it also includes “Energy” and “Return the Favor.”
9. Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em – He is among the youngest of the new generation of rap stars, and there is still some debate as to whether he will lead a new movement in rap, or will spiral into obscurity following the wild success of his first single, ‘Crank That,’ which reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
10. Twista – Still holding it down as the number 3 most downloaded song in July with “Wetter.”
Top Ringtones:
1. “Best I Ever Had” by Drake
2. “Birthday Sex” by Jeremih
3. “Wetter” by Twista
4. “Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson
5. “Beautiful” by Eminem
6. “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey
7. “ Boom Boom Pow ” by Black Eyed Peas
8. “Day N Nite” by Kid Cudi
9. “Throw It In The Bag” by Fabolous
10. “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
Since its inception in 1973 (thank you Dick Clark!) the American Music Awards (AMAs) has been an enormously popular event for everyone within the music industry. Each year, the AMAs recognize outstanding achievement and highlight the impressive artists who have made some serious waves in the music industry.
But more importantly, they are fun to watch!
This year will be no different. With funny-man host Jimmy Kimmel, this year’s AMAs are sure to deliver a night full of exceptional talent and entertainment, as well as recognition for this year’s popular artists.
But before the official winners are announced on Sunday, Flycell’s members have some predictions of their own. Our customers definitely know what’s hot, and based on their downloads for artists and songs in each category, here are Flycell’s predictions for the 2008 American Music Awards:
Pop/Rock Music: It seems our customers can’t seem to get enough of Coldplay this year!
Country Music: Could Taylor Swift beat out country powerhouses like Reba McEntire? Our members sure think so!
Rap/Hip-Hop Music: Flycell members are experts when it comes to rap and hip-hop. We feel confident that you’ll see these names pop up a lot during the AMAs.
Soul/Rhythm & Blues Music: Will it be Rihanna or Mariah taking home awards? Looks like our members say- both!
Soundtracks: Nothing beats the classic hits of ABBA for this year’s favorite soundtrack from Flycell customers.
Latin Music: With the launch of Flycell’s new Spanish language website , featuring the latest content from Latin artists, customers have shown us who they think will dominate the Latin music category.
T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist: Flycell members choose Colbie Caillatto take home this award, which is known for paving the way to many promising careers.
Artist of the Year: We can’t say we’re surprised to see Lil Wayne picked for the biggest award of the night. Included in every top 10 download list we’ve compiled this year, Lil Wayne is definitely one of Flycell’s favorite artists. We’ll certainly be cheering him on as we watch this year.
So be sure to tune in to this year’s AMAs live on ABC this Sunday, November 23rd at 8/7 central. With killer performances by Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Beyonce, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Pink and Taylor Swift, it’s sure to be an exciting night.
And if you want to deck out your phone with all the hottest AMA musicians and performers, be sure to visit www.flycell.com and get your cell ready for the music industry’s biggest night!
As you sit on the bus or stand in line at the grocery store, are you noticing an increase of Lil Wayne ringtones? Perhaps even hearing more of “Viva la Vida” on your friends’ phones? Well, you haven’t gone crazy and you aren’t hearing things. According to Flycell, here are the top artists and ringtone downloads from the Flycell website for this September:
Top Artists:
10. David Banner – David Banner comes in at number ten for this September’s most popular artists on Flycell.com. His recent album, “The Greatest Story Ever Told” features collaborative songs with fellow artists Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and Akon.
9. Akon – Most known for his collaboration with other popular artists, Akon can be found on the majority of hit songs today. This year he’s been nominated for four Grammy awards, including Best R&B Contemporary Album for “Konvicted”.
8. Mariah Carey – Talk about coming back strong. Mariah Carey was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Time Magazine’s annual list. E=MC2 is Mariah’s 11th studio album and has already made a huge splash on the U.S. charts.
7. Ne-Yo - It’s no surprise to see Ne-Yo on this month’s top artist list. With a Grammy nomination for producing the best album of the year, MTV Video Music Award nomination for Best Dancing in a Video for his song “Closer” and winning the 2007 Soul Train Music Award’s Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist- Ne Yo is popular.
6. The Pussycat Dolls – Originally starting as a burlesque group in 1995, the Pussycat Dolls have endured to become a pop sensation. And with the release of their anticipated second album, “Doll Domination” on September 23, it’s also no surprise to see The Pussycat Dolls rise in popularity this month.
5. Katy Perry – Never has proclaiming that you enjoyed kissing a girl become such a popular statement until Katy Perry did so on her official mainstream debut album “One of the Boys” in the popular single titled “I Kissed a Girl”. Since the debut, Perry has appeared on the View, Last Call with Carson Daly, and even performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
4. Kanye West – No top list would be complete without ten-time Grammy winner Kanye West. His latest album “808s and Heartbreak” is set to be released in November and the popular single “Love Lockdown” is already a rising chart topper.
3. Rihanna – Rihanna’s latest album “Good Girl Gone Bad” has been topping the charts since its release in 2007. Rihanna, like Akon, is recognized for her collaborative works- most notable with Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z and Maroon 5. But it’s her recent single, “Take a Bow” that has helped her jet to the top of the list this month.
2. Young Jeezy – Young Jeezy rises to the top of this list thanks to his September 2 release of his latest album “The Recession” and has even risen to number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, Top Rap Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
And coming in as the number one most downloaded ringtone artist is…
1. Lil Wayne – Thanks to his enormously popular latest album (it sold more than one million copies in its first week of sales) “The Carter III”, and such songs as “Lollipop” and “Got Money”, Lil Wayne claims this month’s number one spot.
Top Ringtones:
10. “Closer” by Ne-Yo
9. “Put On [chorus]” by Young Jeezy & Kanye West
8. “I’ll be Lovin’U Long Time” by Mariah Carey & T.I.
7. “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay
6. “Lollipop” by Lil Wayne
5. “A Milli” by Lil Wayne
4. “Take a Bow” by Rihanna
3. “When I Grow Up” by The Pussycat Dolls
2. “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry
1. “Got Money” by Lil Wayne
Stay tuned next month when we announce the top 10 ringtone downloads for October.
“Stand Up To Cancer” campaign to receive $1 for each benefit ringtone downloaded from Flycell
Flycell is supporting the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) charitable organization by donating $1 for each download of the benefit ringtone based on the unprecedented star-studded charity song “Just Stand Up!”
SU2C is a new initiative to raise philanthropic dollars for accelerating groundbreaking cancer research. SU2C was established by a group of media, entertainment and philanthropic leaders whose lives have all been affected by cancer in significant ways. ABC, CBS and NBC’s simultaneous broadcast of the Stand Up To Cancer nationwide fundraising event aired on Friday, September 5, 2008 with 100 percent of publicly donated funds going directly to cancer research. Over 50 of the most renowned personalities in TV, film, sports and music came together to make history in this unprecedented television event, raising more than $100 million to accelerate groundbreaking research and bring new therapies to cancer patients more quickly.
“On behalf of the Stand Up To Cancer leadership team, we are tremendously grateful to everyone who contributed to make this historic event a success,” said Lisa Paulsen, President & CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the 501(c)(3) charitable organization for the television and film business that serves as the fiduciary behind Stand Up To Cancer. “This money will go directly to funding the research programs necessary to defeat this insidious disease. This remarkable achievement was made possible by the generosity of ABC, CBS and NBC; performers who volunteered their time to participate in the broadcast; viewers who phoned in; the substantial contributions from corporations like Flycell; philanthropists; and the thousands of people who donated through our website. The Stand Up To Cancer movement has only just begun. Together, we can make the difference in this fight.”
The single “Just Stand Up!” was produced by L.A. Reid and Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds exclusively for SU2C. The song features today’s top female artists including: Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Ethridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, Leann Rimes and Carrie Underwood. The song’s debut performance was on the SU2C telethon on Friday, Sept 5th and received a 10-minute standing ovation.
Flycell subscribers can download the benefit ringtone as part of their monthly ringtone subscription and Flycell will give $1 to the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.
“Flycell’s participation in the SU2C campaign strives to continue the positive buzz for this song following its debut in the nationwide telethon,” said Lindsey Weinger, vice president of web experience at Flycell. “By donating $1 for each ‘Just Stand Up!’ mobile ringtone downloaded, we hope to continue to draw attention to a worthy cause among our subscribers, giving them a way to personally express their support and give back to cancer research. Customers can feel good about downloading this ringtone not just because it features their favorite artists, but because it is also making a difference.”
Flycell has featured the benefit ringtone as its “Pick of the Week” and promoted it on the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) site homepage and mobile subscriber newsletter. To download the ringtone, visit www.flycell.com.