255 definitions by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫
Rhythm and Blues music, or R&B music, was originally termed "race music" and basically included any form of music intended for black audiences. A combination of jazz, gospel, and blues, the term "R&B" was originally coined in the late 1940’s in the United States to be used as a less offensive marketing term. While R&B music has evolved over the years to spawn contemporary genres of R&B sounds, the original genre focused on boogie rhythms and included such famous acts as Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. The end of World War II produced a surprising call for race music, and the R&B music genre took off as a result. Today’s contemporary R&B music has a distinctly different sound than its forebears, focusing on pop beats and culture rather than the blues, gospel and jazz sounds of previous generations (though those elements are still sometimes present). In the late 1940’s and into the fifties, R&B groups consisted of brass instruments and woodwinds, as well as drums, piano and vocals. These elements were common in jazz bands, but R&B musicians produced a heavier sound with a steady beat. As the fifties progressed, the genre became notable for its sexually suggestive lyrics and provocative dancing associated with it.
R&B: Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Earth Wind and Fire, The Five Stairsteps, Lenny Williams, Donny Hathaway, The Isley Brothers, R. Kelly, Nate Dogg, Usher, Dwele, Alicia Keys, Tyrese, Robin Thicke, Joss Stone, Carl Carlton, Bootsy Collins, Chuckii Booker, Kem, Floetry, Sade, Eric Roberson, Gerald Levert, Teena Marie, Silk, Chaka Khan, Jennifer Hudson, Jean Knight, Alfonzo Hunter, After 7, Atlantic Starr, The O' Jays, Percy Sledge, Don Covay, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luther Vandross, Kenny Lattimore, Smokey Robinson, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Brenda Holloway, Ciara, Beyonce, Aaliyah, En Vogue, Ginuwine, TLC, Jagged Edge, Boyz II Men, Shalamar, Ne-Yo, Trey Songz, Sly & The Family Stone, Omarion, J. Holiday, Raheem DeVaughn, Tank, Jon B., Ray Charles, Blackstreet, Joe, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Lyfe Jennings, Raphael Saadiq, Ryan Leslie, Ledisi, Paula Campbell, Adriana Evans, Nneka, Kindred The Family Soul, Keyshia Cole, Lloyd, Musiq Soulchild, Brian McKnight, Keith Sweat, Jodeci, Leon Haywood, Changing Faces, Avant, Brownstone, Barry White, Mario, Curtis Mayfield, The Four Tops, The Supremes, Bell Biv DeVoe, Jamiroquai, The Impressions, Diana Ross, Lauryn Hill, Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, Ben E. King, Bill Withers, Isaac Hayes, Carl Thomas, Dru Hill, The Brothers Johnson, Bobby Valentino, PJ Morton, Steve Arrington, The Dream, Keri Hilson, Erykah Badu, Loose Ends, Montell Jordan, I-15, Ray J, and Gnarls Barkley.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ June 28, 2010
A wide sash fastened in the back with a large flat bow, worn by women in Japan as a part of the traditional dress.
An obi is a type of belt, typically tied together rather than fastened with a buckle. Adapted from traditional Japanese fashion, obis are a popular method of adding Asian flair to modern outfits. An obi can be purchased or easily made with basic sewing skills. The obi, meaning “sash” in Japanese, was traditionally worn by both men and women, beginning around the 16th century. Men's sashes are typically narrow strips of fabric, while women's can be more than 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Obis can be very long, but may be doubled or tied in elaborate, decorative bows. There are dozens of styles of obi, each associated with traditional tying and tucking methods. Traditionally, an obi is made out of silk, cotton, or brocade, and may be plain or feature a decorative pattern on one or both sides. The color of the fabric can be significant to the wearer; modern Japanese brides, for instance, often wear a pure white obi with their wedding dress. An older custom also calls for white obis to be worn as mourning clothes by widows, but in modern times a black sash may be worn instead. Traditional obis are often made to match or complement a specific kimono, thus people may own several different varieties and colors to match a large wardrobe.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 12, 2011
The Abbasid Dynasty was founded on two disaffected Islamic populations: non-Arabic Muslims and Shi'ites. For the most part, the Islamic impetus to the Abassid revolution lay in the secularism of the Umayyad caliphs. The Umayyads had always been outsiders—as a wealthy clan in Mecca, they had opposed Muhammad—and the secularism and sometime degeneracy that accompanied their caliphate delegitimized their rule for many devout Muslims. The Abassids took their name from al-'Abbas, a paternal uncle of Muhammad and early supporter of the Prophet. Their close kinship to Muhammad and the position of al-'Abbas as a Companion of the Prophet served them well in gaining support. As early as 718 AD, during the reign of Umar II, Muhammad ibn 'Ali, a great-grandson of al-'Abbas, began to proselytize in Persia to rally support for returning the caliphate to the family of the Prophet, the Hashimites.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 9, 2010
The Shimabara Rebellion was a peasant revolt (consisting of mostly Japanese Catholics) against Matsukura Katsuie of the Shimabara Domain and Terasawa Katataka of the Karatsu Domain.
Fought between December 17, 1637 and April 15, 1638, the Shimabara Rebellion lasted four months. It lead to a Tokugawa victory and Christianity in Japan was driven underground.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 22, 2011
Blue Submarine No.6 is a pretty badass anime about the once famous and well respected scientist Zorndyke who has bred a new genre of living being, one that thrives on the oceans and lives to destroy humans. Zorndyke believes it is time that the humans were relieved of their rule of the earth. It is up to Blue Submarine No. 6 and the rest of the Blue fleet to put an end to Zorndyke's madness and creations.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 9, 2010
Karl Marx was a German philosopher, political economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, communist, and revolutionary whose ideas are credited as the foundation of modern communism. Marx summarized his approach in the first line of chapter one of The Communist Manifesto, published in 1848: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.” He believed that the roots of human misery lay in class conflict, the exploitation of workers by those who own the means of production. Social change, in the form of the overthrow of the capitalists by the workers (proletariat), was inevitable from Marx’s outlook. Although Marx did not consider himself as a sociologist, his ideas have influenced many sociologists today, especially conflict theorists.
"Capital is dead labor, which, vampire-like, lives only by sucking living labor, and lives the more, the more labor it sucks." - Karl Marx
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ November 24, 2009
Thousands of years ago, the evil emperor Talpa attempted to conquer the Earth. Defeated, he was banished to the Nether Realm and his armor was divided into 9 separate suits. Now, he has returned to conquer Earth, having reclaimed 4 of the suits. The other 5 are in the possesion of those who are the only hope of stopping him: The Ronin Warriors.
Ronin Warriors is a Japanese manga and anime series created by Hajime Yatate. The anime was produced and animated by Sunrise, and aired across Japan on Nagoya Television from April 30, 1988 to March 4, 1989 and has a total of 39 episodes. It first aired on American television during the summer of 1995 and subsequently appeared on the Sci-Fi Channel, Fox, and later, Cartoon Network's Toonami in 1999.
by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 22, 2010