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List of people from Los Angeles

The following is a list of notable people who were either born in, lived in, are current residents of, or are otherwise closely associated with the city or county of Los Angeles, California. Those not born in Los Angeles have their places of birth listed instead. Los Angeles natives are also referred to as Angelenos.

F

 * Karen Fukuhara - actress
 * Odd Future - hip-hop collective

I

 * Grant Imahara (1970–2020) – electrical engineer, roboticist, and co-host of MythBusters
 * Joe Inoue – singer
 * Bob Israel (composer) – who works primarily on silent films
 * Ice Cube
 * Ashton Irwin – singer-songwriter, musician, member of 5 Seconds of Summer (born in Australia)
 * Lance Ito – judge (presided over the O. J. Simpson trial)

Q

 * Jack Quaid – actor (The Boys)
 * Anthony Quinn – actor (Originally from Chihuahua City, Mexico)

U

 * Andrew Ullmann – politician
 * Brendon Urie – singer (born in St. George, Utah)
 * Terdema Ussery – CEO of NBA's Dallas Mavericks
 * Cenk Uygur – host of The Young Turks (born in Istanbul, Turkey)

V

 * Laura Vandervoort – actress, martial artists (born in Toronto, Canada)
 * Ritchie Valens – musician, composer
 * Leslie Van Houten – Charles Manson acolyte (Born in Altadena, California)
 * Gwen Verdon – actress, dancer (born in Culver City)
 * Sofia Vergara – actress (Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia)
 * Victoria – professional wrestler (born in San Bernardino, California)
 * Antonio Villaraigosa – former Mayor of Los Angeles
 * Roy Marlin "Butch" Voris – World War II flying ace and founder of the United States Navy Blue Angels

Y

 * Elliott Yamin – singer
 * Zev Yaroslavsky – politician
 * Dwight Yoakam – country music singer and songwriter (Born in Pikeville, Kentucky)
 * Sam Yorty – 37th mayor of Los Angeles (July 1, 1961 – July 1, 1973) – Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska
 * Ace Young – singer (originally from Boulder, Colorado)
 * Nick Young – basketball player
 * Robert Clark Young – novelist and Wikipedia "revenge editor"
 * Lee Thompson Young (1984–2013) – actor (Originally from Columbia, South Carolina)
 * Tony Young – actor (Originally from New York City)

Z

 * Louis Zamperini – Olympian and war hero (born in Olean, New York, raised in Torrance)
 * Richard D. Zanuck – film producer
 * Ahmet Zappa – musician
 * Dweezil Zappa – musician
 * Todd Zeile – baseball player (born in Van Nuys)
 * Lance Zeno – NFL player
 * Stephanie Zimbalist – actress (born in New York City, raised in Los Angeles)
 * Valerie Zimring – rhythmic gymnast

title: List of people from Los Angeles


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C. C. Young

Clement Calhoun Young (April 28, 1869 – December 24, 1947) was an American educator and politician who was affiliated with the original Progressive Party and later the Republican Party. He was elected to five consecutive terms in the California State Assembly, serving from 1909 to 1919, then as the 28th lieutenant governor of California, holding that office from 1919 to 1927. In the 1926 general election, he was elected in a landslide victory as the 26th governor of California and served from 1927 to 1931. Young is considered to have been one of the last governors from the Progressive movement.

Biography
Born in Lisbon, New Hampshire, Young moved to California at an early age, and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1892. After his graduation, Young embarked on a career as a high school teacher, teaching in Santa Rosa from 1892 to 1893 and then at Lowell High School in San Francisco from 1893 to 1906, heading the school's English department. While at Lowell, Young actively participated in the National Education Association, attending and speaking at its conferences, including giving a speech entitled "The Use of a Library" at the association's conference in Los Angeles in 1899, arguing for greater cooperation between public schools and public libraries. Students at Lowell popularly nicknamed Young "C-Square," due to his initializing of his first and middle names, Clement Calhoun. In 1904, Young, along with Charles Mills Gayley, published The Principles and Progress of English Poetry. published and distributed by the Macmillan Company.

While teaching, he established his home in Berkeley, where he lived until his death, except for the years he served as governor.

Young was a close friend of realtor and conservationist Duncan McDuffie, and worked for Mason-McDuffie, a real estate general partnership based in Berkeley. Young would work or consult for Mason-McDuffie until 1944. He also helped McDuffie, who had served as president of the Save the Redwoods League and Sierra Club, establish the State Parks system upon his election as governor.

After his departure from Lowell in 1906, Young became involved in state politics. In 1908, he was elected to the California State Assembly for the district that included Berkeley. In the Assembly, Young became a political ally of governor Hiram Johnson and quickly rose through the chamber's ranks, becoming Assembly Speaker in 1913. In the following year's legislative elections, Young was elected as a member of the Progressive Party. His flirtation with the party lasted for a single term before its dissolution in 1916 and he quickly returned to Republican ranks, though he remained sympathetic to the Progressive movement for much of the rest of his political career.

In the 1918 general elections, Young won the race for Lieutenant Governor of California, a position to which he was re-elected in 1922. In the 1920 U.S. presidential election, Young was a member of the Electoral College.

By 1926, frustration within inner Republican ranks with the fiscally conservative governorship of Friend Richardson had reached its zenith. In the gubernatorial primary election, Progressive Republicans overcame conservative and corporate opposition to win the nomination for Young, knocking Richardson out of the general election. In the 1926 general election campaign, Young earned vocal support from former governor Hiram Johnson and prominent banker Amadeo Giannini. Young won in a landslide, garnering 71.3 percent of the vote and crushing his rivals, who included Democrat Justus S. Wardell and Socialist author Upton Sinclair.

Governor
Beginning his governorship on January 4, 1927, Young's agenda included reorganizing the state's various commissions and departments into his cabinet to better coordinate state governmental affairs. "Some system like this would, I believe, be far more businesslike and effective than such haphazard and infrequent consultations as must otherwise normally take place between a Governor and our numerous unrelated boards and commissions," Young said.

Among his other priorities were: the financing of the state highway system through a fuel tax rather than by state bonds; more clearly defined roles for the State Board of Education and the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction to eliminate conflicting duties; upholding the direct primary; and the creation of penal facilities specifically for convicted females, believing that "San Quentin is no place for our women prisoners."

In his first year of office, Young signed a bill passed by the California State Legislature authorizing the creation of a California State Parks Commission. Headed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., the survey commission investigated lands across the state suitable for state protection and developed plans for their future financing. A year later in a voter initiative supported by Young, state voters approved the creation of the California State Park system.

In late June 1927, Young personally intervened for Charlotte Anita Whitney, a member of the Communist Party of the United States, who had been convicted under the 1919 Criminal Syndicalism Act passed under Governor William Stephens. In 1919, Whitney had been arrested in Oakland after defying civic authorities in making a speech in behalf of John McHugh, a member of the Industrial Workers of the World. The anti-syndicalism law used to prosecute her had recently been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court which held that threats of violence against the state and individuals did not constitute free speech and was not protected by the First Amendment. Following the high court's decision, Young granted Whitney an unconditional pardon, believing that putting her into a cell was "unthinkable." Young added that the law under which she was convicted was undoubtedly constitutional, but that "abnormal conditions attending the trial" greatly influenced the jury and that "under ordinary circumstances" the case never would have been prosecuted.

On November 23, 1927, inmates at Folsom Prison rioted, taking control of a majority of the interior facilities, and took several prison guards as hostages. Young responded by mobilizing the California Army National Guard, ordering commanders to encircle the prison with their units, supported by heavy machine guns and two tanks shipped by train from Salinas. The heavy show of military force in full view of the rioters forced the revolting prisoners to capitulate peacefully.

In 1928, starring alongside British actor Ronald Colman, Young appeared in the film short Governor C.C. Young Hails Greater Talkie Season, appealing to early talking picture audiences to attend family-friendly movies and to ignore films that depicted negative images of society.

In 1929, Young signed the law creating the California Highway Patrol.

In October 1929, Young, along with President Herbert Hoover, established the Hoover-Young San Francisco Bay Bridge Commission to investigate the feasibility of a bridge linking the East Bay to San Francisco, supported by his Director of Public Works, Bert Meek, an engineer and surveyor. The commission submitted its report in August 1930, concluding that not only was the bridge necessary to the development of the area, but that it was "entirely feasible from economic and construction viewpoints." The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge eventually was completed and opened to traffic in late 1936.

Following a strike by Mexican agricultural laborers in the Imperial Valley in 1928, Young commissioned an investigation on the status of working conditions for Mexicans. The investigation's findings, presented to Young in 1930, concluded that Mexican immigrants made up a majority of farm labor, had supplanted other immigrant groups and were now doing the work white European Americans would not do. The report also outlined that many labor contracting practices, including the withholding of 25 percent of immigrant farm labor salaries, were likely to be illegal.

Despite Young's Progressive credentials, Progressive attitudes towards the governor soured in 1929 after Young's appointee as state Superintendent of Banks, Will C. Wood, approved the merger between Amadeo Giannini's Bank of Italy with Orra E. Monnette's Bank of America. While Young denied that Giannini's support of his gubernatorial candidacy in 1926 was the reason for his support of the merger, his decision did not sit well with Progressives, who viewed economic conglomerations with suspicion. In 1930, constitutional restrictions on corporations were repealed.

The loss of support for Young among Progressives, along with the beginning of the Great Depression, severely hurt his chances of being re-nominated for a second term as governor. Despite campaign slogans that included "Re-Elect C.C. Young - He Left $31 Million in the Treasury," Young was defeated by James Rolph, the charismatic Mayor of San Francisco, in the Republican party's primary election in 1930.

Following Rolph's death shortly before the 1934 gubernatorial election, Young again sought the Republican nomination, but lost the primary election to Rolph's successor, Frank Merriam.

Post-governorship
Young attended the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where he met and congratulated several of the athletes. Following his 1934 defeat, Young retired from politics. He served as the president of the Commonwealth Club of California between 1939 and 1940, and returned to writing, publishing The Legislature of California, a study of California legislative politics, in 1943. Until 1944, he devoted much of his working time to Mason-McDuffie, serving as its vice president.

He died on Christmas Eve (December 24), 1947 in Berkeley at the age of 78. His remains are interred at Sunset View Cemetery in El Cerrito.

Family
Young was married to Lyla Jeannette Vincent and had two daughters.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: C. C. Young


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Bill Mueller

William Richard Mueller (born March 17, 1971) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mueller's MLB playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants (1996–2000, 2002), Chicago Cubs (2001–2002), Boston Red Sox (2003–2005), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2006). He is currently the assistant hitting coach for the Miami Marlins.

Many of Mueller's accolades came during the 2003 season, when he won the American League batting title and a Silver Slugger Award. A switch hitter, he became the only player in major league history to hit one grand slam from both sides of the plate in the same game on July 29, 2003. Mueller was the starting third baseman for the Red Sox' 2004 World Series championship team that beat the St. Louis Cardinals. Since his playing career, he has served in MLB as a front office assistant and hitting coach.

Playing career
Mueller was born in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and attended De Smet Jesuit High School. He attended Southwest Missouri State University, was a four-year starter for the Bears baseball team, and in 2004 inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame. He was named the MVC Player of the Year in 1993, and inducted into their hall of fame in 2020.

In 1992, Mueller played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Bourne Braves and was named a league all-star. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 15th round of the 1993 MLB draft.

Mueller made his professional debut with the Giants low A team, the Everett Giants, in 1993 and quickly rose through the Giants farm system, with stops in San Jose, Shreveport, and Phoenix before making his major league debut with the Giants as a pinch hitter on April 18, 1996, against the Chicago Cubs. He got his first career hit the following day, also as a pinch hitter, against Terry Adams.

Mueller played third base for the Giants fairly regularly for five seasons, until he was traded to the Chicago Cubs before the 2001 season for pitcher Tim Worrell. (Given that Mueller had by then settled into the Bay Area year-round, the Giants, out of respect for Mueller, delayed the trade several days so that Mueller could attend the Cal-Stanford football game one last time as a local star. ) He returned to San Francisco in September 2002 in a trade for minor league pitcher Jeff Verplancke. Before the 2003 season, Mueller was signed by the Boston Red Sox as a free agent. In his first year in Boston, he won the American League batting title with a .326 average. He also set career highs with 45 doubles and 19 home runs. Before 2003, he had never hit more than 10 home runs or 29 doubles in any season.

He contributed nearly half of his career home runs during his three years with the Red Sox. Mueller developed a reputation for consistency throughout the major leagues. For five of his ten years in the major leagues, his batting average was between .290 and .295. His minor league numbers were very much the same, consistently between .290 and .310.

Mueller joined the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 2006 season and was reunited with former Boston teammate Nomar Garciaparra, but played only 32 games before undergoing his third knee surgery, which would prove to be career-ending. Doctors ruled out all known procedures to repair the deteriorating condition in his right knee.

In 1,216 games over 11 seasons, Mueller posted a .291 batting average (1229-for-4223) with 663 runs, 265 doubles, 22 triples, 85 home runs, 493 RBI, 543 bases on balls, .373 on-base percentage and .425 slugging percentage. He finished his career with a .958 fielding percentage playing at third and second base. In 36 postseason games, he hit .234 (34-for-145) with 14 runs, eight doubles, one home run, four RBI and 13 walks.

Coaching career
On November 17, 2006, the Dodgers announced that Mueller was retiring as a baseball player, and had been hired as a special assistant to the general manager.

On June 15, 2007, Mueller was named Los Angeles Dodgers interim hitting coach when Eddie Murray was fired. After a month on the job, manager Grady Little announced that the Dodgers would be removing the "interim" tag and that Mueller would remain the teams's hitting coach through the end of the season.

After the season, it was announced that Mueller would be giving up his role as hitting coach to return to a front office position.

Mueller served as a special assistant to General Manager Ned Colletti through the 2012 season, when he left that position to become a full-time scout.

On November 22, 2013, Mueller was named hitting coach of the Chicago Cubs under new manager Rick Renteria. On October 7, 2014, he subsequently resigned that position, a week after his assistant, Mike Brumley, was dismissed by the Cubs.

On November 17, 2014, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak announced "We have an upcoming deal with Billy Mueller." on the hiring of a Cardinals new assistant hitting coach.

Mueller was named the first-base coach after third-base coach Jose Oquendo was placed on medical leave of absence on March 27, 2016. After being named assistant hitting coach for the 2017 season, he missed part of the first half after taking a personal leave of absence, but returned on June 27. Mueller was fired by the Cardinals along with manager Mike Matheny on July 14, 2018.

On January 17, 2022, Mueller was hired by the Washington Nationals as part of the team's player development staff.

On January 19, 2024, Mueller was hired as the assistant hitting coach for the Miami Marlins.

Personal life
Mueller became an evangelical Christian in 2000.

Highlights

 * Was the American League batting champion in 2003 with a batting average of .326, mostly batting eighth.
 * Won the American League Silver Slugger Award for third basemen in 2003.
 * On July 29, 2003, visiting the Texas Rangers, he hit three home runs in one game, two of which were grand slams. Mueller became the twelfth player in major league history to hit two grand slams in a single game, but the first ever to hit one from each side of the plate, which has never been repeated. The grand slams also came in consecutive at-bats.
 * Hit a dramatic game-winning walk-off home run on July 24, 2004, against the New York Yankees. The game had been a seesaw battle featuring a bench-clearing brawl in which Boston catcher Jason Varitek and Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez famously clashed after Bronson Arroyo hit Rodríguez with a curveball. The game appeared to be another devastating loss for the then stagnant Red Sox, but in the bottom of the ninth, with the Red Sox down a run and Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound, Mueller hit a 3–1 pitch into the Red Sox bullpen in right field, winning the game for the Red Sox. Many baseball analysts considered this game to be the turning point in the Red Sox 2004 season, in which they went on to win the World Series.
 * Made a significant number of contributions to the Red Sox's World Series win in 2004. The most notable was his critical RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 4 against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series. Down 4–3 in the ninth inning and facing elimination, Kevin Millar drew a walk from closer Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts came in to pinch run for Millar and stole second base. Mueller singled him home and the Red Sox went on to win in 12 innings, beginning their run of eight straight wins, culminating in the title.
 * With his former team, the Boston Red Sox, down three games to two in the 2007 American League Championship Series, Bill Mueller was brought in to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of game six to bring back a little of the magic that his hit against the Yankees in 2004 had brought. The Red Sox went on to win the game 12–2, the ALCS 4–3, and the World Series.
 * Held a .455 career batting average against Mariano Rivera. Was nicknamed "The Rivera Slayer".

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Angel Heart

Angel Heart is a 1987 American neo-noir psychological horror film, an adaptation of William Hjortsberg's 1978 novel Falling Angel. The film was written and directed by Alan Parker, and stars Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, and Charlotte Rampling. Harry Angel (Rourke), a New York City private investigator, is hired to solve the disappearance of a man known as Johnny Favorite. His investigation takes him to New Orleans, where he becomes embroiled in a series of brutal murders.

Following publication of the novel, Hjortsberg began developing the screenplay for a film adaptation, but found that no major studio was willing to produce his script. The project resurfaced in 1985, when producer Elliott Kastner brought the book to Parker's attention. Parker began work on a new script and in doing so made several changes from Hjortsberg's novel. He also met with Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna, who agreed to finance the $18 million production through their independent film studio Carolco Pictures. Filming took place on location in New York and New Orleans, with principal photography lasting from March 1986 to June of that year.

Weeks before its theatrical release, Angel Heart faced censorship issues from the Motion Picture Association of America for one scene of sexual content. Parker was forced to remove ten seconds of footage to avoid an X rating and secure the R rating that the film's distributor Tri-Star Pictures wanted. An unrated version featuring the removed footage was later released on home video.

Angel Heart received a mixed reaction from reviewers, who praised the performances of Rourke and Bonet, as well as the production design, score, and cinematography, but criticized Parker's screenwriting. The film underperformed at the North American box office, grossing $17.2 million during its theatrical run, but has since been regarded as underappreciated and influential.

Plot
In 1955, New York City private investigator Harry Angel is contacted by a man named Louis Cyphre to track down John Liebling, a crooner known professionally as Johnny Favorite who suffered severe neurological trauma, resulting from injuries received in World War II. Favorite's incapacity disrupted a contract with Cyphre regarding unspecified collateral, and Cyphre believes a private hospital where Favorite was receiving radical psychiatric treatment for shell shock has falsified records.

At the hospital, Harry discovers the records showing Favorite's transfer were indeed falsified by a physician named Albert Fowler. After Harry breaks into his home, Fowler admits that years ago he was bribed by a man and woman so that the two could abscond with the disfigured Favorite. Believing that Fowler is still withholding information, Harry locks him in his bedroom, forcing him to suffer withdrawal from a morphine addiction. The next morning, he finds that the doctor has apparently killed himself.

Harry tries to break his contract with Cyphre but agrees to continue the search when Cyphre offers him a lot of money. He discovers that Favorite had a wealthy fiancée named Margaret Krusemark but had also begun a secret affair with a woman named Evangeline Proudfoot. Harry travels to New Orleans and meets with Margaret, who tells him Favorite is dead, or at least dead to her. Evangeline died years before but is survived by her 17-year-old daughter, Epiphany Proudfoot, who was conceived during her mother's affair with Favorite.

When Epiphany is reluctant to speak, Harry tracks down Toots Sweet, a guitarist and former Favorite bandmate. After Harry uses force to try to extract details of Favorite's last known whereabouts, Toots refers him back to Margaret. The following morning, police detectives inform Harry that Toots has been murdered. Harry returns to Margaret's home and finds her murdered, her heart removed with a ceremonial knife. He is later attacked by enforcers of Ethan Krusemark—a powerful Louisiana patriarch and Margaret's father—who tell him to leave town.

At his hotel, Harry finds Epiphany. He invites her into his room, where they have sex during which Harry has visions of blood dripping from the ceiling and splashing around the room. He later confronts Krusemark in a gumbo hut, where the latter reveals that he and Margaret were the ones who took Favorite from the hospital. Favorite was actually a powerful occultist who sold his soul to Satan in exchange for stardom. He got his stardom but then sought to renege on the bargain. To do so, Favorite kidnapped a young soldier who was of the exact same age as Favorite and strongly resembling him from Times Square and performed a Satanic ritual on the boy, murdering him and eating his still-beating heart in order to steal his soul. Favorite planned to assume the identity of the murdered soldier but was drafted and then injured overseas. Suffering severe facial trauma and amnesia, Favorite was sent to the hospital for treatment.

After Krusemark and his daughter took him from the hospital, they left him at Times Square on New Year's Eve 1943 (the date on the falsified hospital records). While hearing Krusemark's story, Harry runs into the bathroom, vomits and continually asks the identity of the soldier. He returns to find Krusemark drowned in a cauldron of boiling gumbo.

At Margaret's home, Harry finds a vase containing the soldier's dog tag—stamped with the name “Angel, Harold”. Harry realizes he and Johnny Favorite are, in fact, the same person. Louis Cyphre, whose name is a homophone for Lucifer, appears. His true nature revealed, Cyphre proclaims that he can at long last claim what is his: Favorite's immortal soul. Harry insists that he knows who he is and has never killed anyone, but as he looks at his reflection in a mirror, his repressed memories showing him killing Fowler, Toots, the Krusemarks, and Epiphany come flooding back.

A frantic Harry returns to his hotel room, where the police have found Epiphany murdered. Harry's dog tags are on her body. A police officer enters the room carrying Epiphany's young son, who Harry realizes is his grandchild. Harry sees the child's eyes glow, just as Cyphre's had at their last meeting, implying that Satan is the mysterious entity that impregnated Epiphany. Harry later is seen standing inside an elevator that is interminably descending, presumably to Hell. Cyphre can be heard whispering, "Harry" and "Johnny", asserting dominion over both their souls.

Development
Following publication of his 1978 novel Falling Angel, William Hjortsberg began work on a film adaptation. His friend, production designer Richard Sylbert, took the book's manuscript to producer Robert Evans. The film rights to the novel had been optioned by Paramount Pictures, with Evans slated to produce the film, John Frankenheimer hired to direct, and Hjortsberg acting as screenwriter. Frankenheimer was later replaced by Dick Richards, and Dustin Hoffman was being considered for the lead role. After Paramount's option expired, Hjortsberg discussed the project with Robert Redford and wrote two drafts. Hjortsberg, however, felt that no film studio was willing to produce his script. He reflected, "Even with [Redford] behind the script, studio executives weren't interested. 'Why can't it have a happy ending?' every bigshot demanded."

In 1985, producer Elliott Kastner met with Alan Parker at Pinewood Studios to discuss a film adaptation of the novel. Parker, who had read the book following its publication, agreed to write the screenplay. He met with Hjortsberg in London before moving to New York, where he wrote most of the script. After completing the first draft in September 1985, Parker traveled to Rome, Italy, where he brought the script to Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna. The two producers agreed to finance the film through their independent film studio, Carolco Pictures, and Parker was given creative control. Pre-production work on Angel Heart began in January 1986 in New York, where Parker selected the creative team, reuniting with several of his past collaborators, including producer Alan Marshall, director of photography Michael Seresin, camera operator Michael Roberts, production designer Brian Morris and editor Gerry Hambling.

Writing
Parker made several changes from the novel. He titled his script Angel Heart as he wanted to distance his film adaptation from the source material. While Falling Angel is set entirely in New York City, Parker had the second half of his script take place in New Orleans, based on the novel's perpetual allusions to voodoo and the occult. He discussed the story-setting change to Hjortsberg, who approved of the decision; the author revealed to Parker that he had also thought of setting his novel in New Orleans. Angel Heart is set in the year 1955, whereas in the book the events take place in 1959. He explained, "The book is set in 1959 and I moved it to 1955 for a small but selfish reason. 1959 was on the way to the 1960s with its changing attitudes as well as environments. 1955 for me still belonged to the 1940s—and, because of the historical pause button of World War II, conceivably the 1930s—so quite simply, setting it in this year allowed me to give an older look to the film."

Other script changes from the novel involved characterization and dialogue. Parker sought to make Harry Angel a character that evoked sympathy. He said, "In the tradition of the down-at-heel gumshoe, his phlegmatic surface disguised an intelligence capable of unraveling a complicated, larger-than-life story with a degree of belief and conciseness. Also he had to be attractive to audiences while enlightening them, little by little, along the way." Parker also established Angel as being born on February 14—Valentine's Day—the same date as his own birthday. He explained that it was "for no particular reason other than Valentine’s Day might be easy to remember in a labyrinthine script and the heart reference seemed to have some resonance". Parker also wanted to create a realistic depiction of Louis Cyphre, as opposed to the character's "larger-than-life" personality in the novel. Another script change involved the ending and the identity of the killer. While Angel is framed for the murders (presumably by Cyphre) in the novel, Parker established the character as the killer for the film's ending.

Casting
Parker originally wanted Robert De Niro to play the role of Harry Angel, but the actor expressed interest in making a cameo appearance as mysterious benefactor Louis Cyphre. De Niro, however, did not fully commit to the role until after frequent discussions with Parker. The director reflected, "I had been courting [De Niro] to play [Cyphre] in Angel Heart for some months and we had met a few times—and he had continued to bombard me with questions examining every dot and comma of my script. I had walked him through the locations we had found, read through the screenplay sitting on the floor of a dank, disused church in Harlem and finally he said ‘yes’."

Jack Nicholson and Mickey Rourke were also considered for the role of Angel. Parker met with Nicholson in Los Angeles to discuss the project. Nicholson ultimately passed on the role. Parker said, "I did my pitch and he was most gracious, although, to be honest, he was quite distracted at the time... my movie and the possibility of him taking part seemed to slip from his immediate area of concentration and interest." Parker then met with Rourke, who expressed a strong interest in playing Angel and secured the leading role after a meeting with Parker in New York.

Various actresses auditioned for the role of Epiphany Proudfoot before Lisa Bonet secured the part. Bonet was then known for her role on the family-oriented sitcom The Cosby Show, and her casting in Angel Heart sparked significant controversy. Before securing the role, Bonet discussed it with Bill Cosby, who encouraged her decision to appear in the film. Parker cast Bonet based on the strength of her audition and was unaware of her role on The Cosby Show. "I didn't hire [Bonet] because of The Cosby Show," he said. "I have never even seen the show. I hired her because she was right for the role." On preparing for the role, Bonet said, "I did a lot of meditation and a lot of self-inquiry. I did some research on voodoo. My earnest endeavor was really to let go of all my inhibitions. It was really necessary for me to be able to let go of Lisa and let Epiphany take over."

Parker had difficulty finding an actress for the role of Margaret Krusemark. "Although it’s a small part in the film, the character is omnipresent in the dialogue and [the actress] had to have the right balance of class and eccentricity," he said. "I read many actresses for the part without much success." Rourke then suggested English actress Charlotte Rampling, who secured the role after Parker contacted her to discuss the part.

In January 1986, Parker held an open casting call at a New York nightclub known as The Kamikaze, with more than 1,400 people auditioning for various roles. "I managed to read a short scene with 600 of them as they were filtered through to me," he said. Actress Elizabeth Whitcraft, who had a small role in Parker's previous film Birdy was cast as Connie, a journalist who aids Angel in his investigation. Parker held another casting call in New Orleans, where he requested that local musicians audition for possible roles in the film. Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Deacon John Moore were among the many musicians who auditioned for roles. Moore was cast as Toots Sweet's bandmate. Parker then returned to New York, where he auditioned other musicians, including Bo Diddley and Dizzy Gillespie. Blues guitarist Brownie McGhee, who plays Toots Sweet, was cast during the film's principal photography.

Filming
During the casting process, Parker and producer Alan Marshall began scouting locations in New York City. The director looked at Harlem, believing that the neighborhood was "as un-photographed as other parts of New York are over-used." On January 20, 1986, he travelled to New Orleans, where he continued writing the script. Parker looked at unused buildings located on Royal Street that would act as a hotel and an abandoned house on Magazine Street that would serve as the home of Margaret Krusemark (Rampling). He returned to New York, where he looked at Staten Island and Coney Island. Parker's script for Angel Heart required that a total of 78 locations be used for filming between New York and New Orleans.

Principal photography for Angel Heart began on March 31, 1986, and concluded on June 20, 1986, on a budget of $18 million. Filming began in Eldridge Street, Manhattan, New York City, which acted as Harry Angel's neighbourhood. Production designer Brian Morris and the set-decorating team spent two months designing the set prior to filming, hoping to recreate 1950s New York. Because of the warm weather conditions, ice trucks were used to create fake snow. Filming then moved to Alphabet City in Manhattan, where several bar scenes and Angel's intimate bedroom scene with Connie (Whitcraft) were filmed.

The production then moved to Harlem to film a chase scene set during a procession before moving to Coney Island, where the cast and crew underwent severely cold weather conditions. The location was used to film a scene in which Angel questions a man, Izzy (George Buck), about the whereabouts of Johnny Favorite while Izzy's wife Bo (Judith Drake) stands waist deep in the ocean. The original actress who was cast as Bo was injured when she was knocked off her feet by a wave while delivering her first line. The actress refused to reshoot the scene, which led to her being replaced by her stand-in, Drake, whom Parker found to be a better actress for the role.

Production returned to Manhattan to film the opening credits sequence. Filming then moved to Harlem, New York, where a hospice was used to film a scene involving the character Spider Simpson (Charles Gordone), and many of the hospice's elderly residents acted as extras for the scene. On April 17, 1986, the production team moved to Staten Island to film exterior and interior scenes involving the character Dr. Fowler (Michael Higgins). Filming then moved to Hoboken, New Jersey, which doubled for a scene set in a New Orleans train station. From April 28 to April 29, 1986, the Angel Heart production team returned to Harlem, where Parker filmed Rourke and De Niro's scene in a Harlem mission. The two actors next filmed a scene at Lanza's, an Italian restaurant located on the Lower East Side.

By May 3, 1986, production had moved to New Orleans. In the town of Thibodaux, Louisiana, Parker and his crew discovered an entire plantation workers' village that would serve as a graveyard. He said, "We had the good fortune to find an entire plantation workers’ village almost intact and, with careful dressing, this became Epiphany's world. The graveyard was a dressed set, but much of what we filmed was already there." An unused Louisiana field was used to create a racetrack where Angel meets the wealthy patriarch Ethan Krusemark (Fontelieu). On May 13, the crew encountered some difficulty filming a chase scene involving Angel, as they had to deal with shying horses, trained dogs, gunshots, two hundred chickens, and a horse specially trained to fall on top of Rourke’s stuntman.

Production then moved to Magazine Street, where production designer Brian Morris and the art department attempted to recreate 1950s New Orleans. Parker said of the set, "As in New York, we had dressed and clad every single storefront as far as the eye could see in order to be authentic to the period, and drained everything of all primary colours for our monochromatic look." Filming then moved to Jackson Square where the crew filmed one of the final scenes, in which Angel runs from Margaret's home. The production then filmed a voodoo ceremony scene choreographed by Louis Falco. Falco, who had previously choreographed Parker's 1980 film Fame, based the scene on an actual Haitian ceremony.

The sex scene involving Rourke and Bonet was filmed in one of the unused buildings located on Royal Street and took four hours to shoot. Parker limited the crew to himself, cinematographer Michael Seresin, camera operator Michael Roberts, and the camera assistant. To make the actors more comfortable, Parker played music during the shoot. Production then moved to a corner of New Orleans, which doubled for flashback sequences set in 1943 Times Square, New York. The crew then discovered an unused bus depot, which was used to film scenes set in Ethan Krusemark's gumbo hut. Filming then moved to the St. Alphonsus Church, where the crew filmed a dialogue scene between Angel and Cyphre. Production returned to Royal Street in the French Quarter, where the final confrontation between Angel and Cyphre and the film's ending were shot.

Editing and censorship
After filming concluded in June 1986, Parker spent four months editing the film in Europe, with 400,000 feet of film and 1,100 different shots. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) gave the original cut of Angel Heart an X rating, which is widely associated with pornographic films. The board, composed of industry executives and theater owners, expressed concerns over several seconds of the sex scene involving Rourke and Bonet in which Rourke's buttocks are seen thrusting in a sexual motion. Parker appealed the rating but did not receive the two-thirds vote required to reclassify the film to an R rating.

The film's distributor Tri-Star Pictures refused to release it with an X rating, as the film would have fewer theaters willing to book it and fewer venues for advertising; Steve Randall, executive vice president of marketing for Tri-Star, stated that it was the studio's "firm policy not to release an X-rated film." With only a few weeks before the film's release, the studio was desperate for the less-restrictive R rating, but Parker was reluctant to alter the film. He filed another appeal, on which the board voted 8 to 6 in favor of the X rating. Parker then removed ten seconds of sexual content from the scene. "That scene was very complex, very intricate, and the cutting quite rapid, involving 60 to 80 cuts in the space of about two minutes," he said. "Eventually, I cut only 10 seconds from the scene, or about 14 feet of film." On February 24, 1987, the film was granted an R rating. Parker later stated that the MPAA's concerns led to "a wasteful, pointless and expensive exercise".

Music
The score was produced and composed by Trevor Jones, with saxophone solos by British jazz musician Courtney Pine. Parker hired Jones based on his work for the 1986 film Runaway Train. After meeting with the director, Jones viewed a rough cut version of the film. He stated, "When I sat in the screening room all by myself and began to see those images, I was shaking like a puppy when the movie ended and when I got out of the room I told [Parker] that it was a great picture, but that I didn’t understand what exactly he wanted from me. He told me that he expected me to deliver something special to the picture and… to approach the movie from whenever I chose."

For the score, Jones wanted to explore the concept of evil, explaining, "Evil is the greatest of human fears… I tried to give that feeling to the score using daily ordinary music that would bridge the world of [Harry Angel] to that which he’s getting into, the black magic, his search. It was like a psychological journey for me always trying to relate to the fears and emotions of the audience." He composed the score electronically on a Synclavier. Parker chose Glen Gray's 1937 song "Girl of My Dreams" as a recurring song performed by the unseen character Johnny Favorite. He wanted the song to act as a motif that would haunt viewers as it had haunted Harry Angel. Jones incorporated elements of the song into his score.

In addition to Jones's compositions, the soundtrack features a number of blues and R&B performances, including "Honeyman Blues" by Bessie Smith, and "Soul on Fire" by LaVern Baker. Brownie McGhee performed the songs "The Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole" and "Rainy Rainy Day" for the film, with Lilian Boutte acting as a vocalist. Jones stated, "…the main bulk of the score was worked on with a Synclavier. Basically there were two types of music, one was the electronic stuff from the Synclavier that [Parker] wanted, and the real jazz musicians. The two work very well together in view of the film's intent."

During post-production, Jones mixed the music tracks at Angel Recording Studios, a recording studio built in an abandoned church in Islington, North London, with final mixing taking place at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles. Parker said, "One of the great advantages of working with contemporary recording techniques is that we can mix onto film in a recording studio with all of the various components and options of modern, multi-track recordings. I’ve always been very mistrustful of conventional scoring, whereby a hundred musicians sit in front of the projected film and the conductor strikes up the orchestra." A motion picture soundtrack album was released by the recording labels Antilles Records and Island Records.

Release
In North America, Angel Heart opened in wide release on March 6, 1987, distributed by Tri-Star Pictures. The film debuted at number four at the weekend box office, garnering ticket sales of $3,688,721 from 815 screens, with an average of $4,526 per theatre. The film's overall domestic gross was $17.2 million, against a production budget of $18 million.

Reception
The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave Angel Heart a score of 82% based on a sample of 33 reviews, with an average score of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads: "Angel Heart lures viewers into its disturbing, brutal mystery with authentic noir flair and a palpably hypnotic mood". William Hjortsberg, author of Falling Angel, voiced his support of the film adaptation, stating, "[Alan] Parker wrote an excellent script and went on to make a memorable film. Casting Robert De Niro as Cyphre was a brilliant touch." Although initially supportive of Bonet's decision to appear in the film, Bill Cosby dismissed Angel Heart as "a movie made by white America that cast a black girl, gave her voodoo things to do and have sex".

Initial reactions among film critics were mixed; The Hollywood Reporter indicated that reviewers generally praised Rourke's performance, as well as the score, cinematography, and production design, while criticism was aimed at Parker's screenwriting for being convoluted and exposition-heavy. Vincent Canby of The New York Times praised the cinematography and production design, but criticized Rourke's performance as being "suitably intense, but to such little effect". Rita Kempley of The Washington Post wrote that Angel Heart "is over-stylized, and we're over-stimulated when the soundtrack goes berserk, from a few thumpity-thumps to a visceral, ventricles a-pumping score". Pauline Kael of The New Yorker criticized Parker's direction: "There's no way to separate the occult from the incomprehensible... Parker simply doesn't have the gift of making evil seductive, and he edits like a flasher." Kael also criticized De Niro's cameo appearance, writing, "It’s the sort of guest appearance that lazy big actors delight in—they can show up the local talent."

On the syndicated television program Siskel & Ebert & the Movies, Gene Siskel gave Angel Heart a "thumbs down", while his colleague Roger Ebert praised the film and gave it a "thumbs up". In his review for the Chicago Tribune, Siskel wrote that "Parker seems more concerned with style and with hiding the film's big mystery than with pacing." Siskel also criticized the film's controversial sex scene for not being "as shocking as the rating board would have you believe."

Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film three and a half stars out of four, writing that "Angel Heart is a thriller and a horror movie, but most of all it's an exuberant exercise in style, in which Parker and his actors have fun taking it to the limit". Ian Nathan of Empire called the film "A diabolical treat with Rourke and De Niro in top form." Almar Haflidason of the BBC wrote, "The movie maintains intrigue at every turn and Rourke is spellbinding. Robert De Niro, Charlotte Rampling, and the assembled cast are all excellent. But this is Mickey Rourke's movie, and he puts in a mesmerising performance." Richard Luck, writing for Film4, concluded in his review, "The book's so good it deserves a better movie, but Rourke's performance is such that Angel Heart stands out from the necromancy movie crowd."

Cultural impact
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan stated the film was a major influence on his 2000 film Memento: "In terms of Memento, Alan Parker films such as Angel Heart and The Wall, which use very interesting editing techniques such as a fractured narrative, were a big influence."

In 2010, Wired magazine ranked the film at number 22 on their list of "The 25 Best Horror Films of All Time", and in 2012, Mark Hughes, writing for Forbes, ranked Angel Heart at number nine on his list of the "Top 10 Best Cult Classic Horror Movies of All Time". Den of Geek writer Ryan Lambie ranked the film at number six on his list of "The Top 20 Underappreciated Films of 1987", writing that "Parker brings a wonderfully shadowy quality to his noir thriller, which takes in New York and New Orleans. Some viewers may be able to predict where this twisty, murky thriller's going to take them, but the ride remains one worth taking thanks to the quality of the acting and direction." Film critic Tim Dirks of the film-review website Filmsite.org added the film to his list of films featuring the "Greatest Film Plot Twists, Film Spoilers and Surprise Endings", based on two of the film's major plot twists—Harry Angel being revealed as Johnny Favorite, and Louis Cyphre revealing himself as Lucifer. Screen Rant writer Tim Butters rated Robert De Niro's performance "One of the 10 Best Movie Depictions of the Devil".

Accolades
Angel Heart received several awards and nominations following its release. At the 10th Jupiter Awards, Mickey Rourke won a Jupiter Award for Best International Actor for his performances in both Angel Heart and A Prayer for the Dying (1987). At the 9th Youth in Film Awards, Lisa Bonet won the Young Artist Award for Best Young Female Superstar in Motion Pictures. At the 15th Saturn Awards, Angel Heart received three Saturn Award nominations, though it failed to win any.

Home video
Angel Heart was released on VHS on September 24, 1987, by International Video Entertainment (IVE). The releases included the R-rated theatrical cut and an uncut version which restored the ten seconds of sexual content that was removed to satisfy the MPAA. Ralph King, senior vice president of IVE, said, "The scene cut from Angel Heart is both provocative and shocking, but it is by no means pornographic. We're pleased to give the public the opportunity to see the film as Alan Parker originally meant the film to be viewed."

The film was first released on DVD on June 23, 1998, by Artisan Entertainment. Special features on the DVD included a theatrical trailer, production notes, a making-of featurette, and information on the cast and crew. The DVD release received criticism for its poor video transfer and shortage of special features. Artisan later released the film on laserdisc on August 18, 1998. Lionsgate Home Entertainment re-released Angel Heart with a "Special Edition" DVD on May 18, 2004. The Special Edition features additional material, including an introduction and audio commentary by Parker, a scene-specific commentary by Rourke, a video interview with the actor, and the theatrical trailer. Lionsgate released the film on Blu-ray on November 24, 2009. The Blu-ray presents the film in 1080p high definition and contains all the additional materials found on the Special Edition DVD.

On July 12, 2022, Lionsgate released the film on 4K Ultra HD for the first time in the United States.

TV version
An edited TV version was produced which removed the more graphic elements of the sex scenes. In particular the sex scene between Mickey Rourke and Lisa Bonet was completely re-edited and featured additional footage that was not included in either the R or Unrated versions. The additional footage features flashbacks of a drunken party with several scantily clad women at the barracks where Johnny Favorite was stationed just prior to it being hit by a series of explosions. The sequence ends with a brief shot of Epiphany Proudfoot's (presumably dead) body burning amongst a pile of charred rubble.

Deleted scenes

 * A graphic sequence in which Herman Winesap is decapitated by the blades of a rotary fan was shot but not used in the final cut.
 * When Harry murders Toots Sweet there was additional footage of Harry writing the words "TELOCA" on the wall in the victims blood. The word is taken from the Enochian book of magic, meaning "Damned".
 * Harry's girlfriend, the New York Times secretary Connie, was originally revealed to have also been murdered, presumably by Harry shortly after their brief encounter, with her corpse being found burned to death.

Remake
In 2008, it was announced that producers Michael De Luca, Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta were developing a planned remake of Angel Heart that would be produced by De Luca's production banner, Michael De Luca Productions. The producers had optioned the rights to both the film and the novel Falling Angel. De Luca expressed that he was a fan of the novel, stating, "It’s a great blend of genres with a great Faustian bargain, compelling, universal themes and a rare combination of literary and commercial appeal." However, nothing has been heard of this project since a brief Filmstalker article in May 2009.

title: Angel Heart


text:
Jim Edgar

James Edgar (born July 22, 1946) is an American politician who was the 38th governor of Illinois from 1991 to 1999. A moderate Republican, he also served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives from 1976 to 1979 and as Illinois Secretary of State from 1981 to 1991.

Early life and education
Edgar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma, in 1946 to Cecil and Betty Edgar and grew up in Charleston, Illinois.

Edgar's parents were Democrats. He had an interest in politics from a young age.

In 1953, Edgar's father Cecil was killed in an automobile accident.

He attended Eastern Illinois University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history in 1968 and served as student body president.

Despite his mother's wish for him to attend law school instead, Edgar was a legislative intern for Illinois Senate Republican leader W. Russell Arrington and later worked for House Speaker W. Robert Blair.

Illinois House of Representatives
In 1974, Edgar ran unsuccessfully in the Republican nomination for state representative from the 53rd district, coming in third place. After the campaign, Edgar worked as an insurance and cosmetics salesperson and also for the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver.

He ran for the same seat again two years later in 1976, winning, and was re-elected in 1978.

Illinois Secretary of State
In April 1979, Edgar resigned his state House seat to accept an appointment from Governor Jim Thompson as his legislative liaison. In early 1981, when then-Secretary of State Alan Dixon moved to the U.S. Senate, Thompson named Edgar to fill the vacancy. He won the office on his own in 1982 and 1986 and served until 1991.

As secretary of state, Edgar toughened drunk driving penalties and instituted mandatory automobile insurance for Illinois motorists.

Governor of Illinois
Edgar was a popular governor, buoyed by a strong economy during his two terms.

While pro-choice, Edgar signed into law the Parental Notification of Abortion Act.

Edgar was seen as a good and even-keeled negotiator.

On August 20, 1997, Edgar announced he would retire from politics at the end of his second term. If he sought a third term, he was seen by his supporters as likely to win it. He was also encouraged by Republican officials to run for U.S. Senate that year, which he also declined to do.

Edgar supported Secretary of State George Ryan to succeed him. Ryan was elected governor in 1998.

Elections
When longtime Governor Thompson declined to seek re-election in 1990, Edgar was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to succeed him. He defeated conservative businessman Steven Baer in the primary and Democrat Neil Hartigan in the general election.

In the general election, which Edgar won by just 1.6%, he focused on fiscal responsibility and was criticized for his support of making a 20% income tax increase permanent. He also struggled to overcome a general sense of a desire for change among the electorate.

In 1994, Edgar easily defeated Democratic comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch to win re-election.

Second Term
During his second term, the relationship between his re-election campaign and Management Systems of Illinois (MSI) came under federal scrutiny. MSI, Edgar's largest campaign contributor, was granted a contract that cost an estimated $20 million in overcharges. Edgar was never accused of wrongdoing, but he testified twice, once in court and once by videotape, becoming the first sitting Illinois governor to take the witness stand in a criminal case in 75 years. In those appearances, the governor insisted political donations played no role in who received state contracts. Convictions were obtained against Management Services of Illinois; Michael Martin, who had been a partner of Management Services of Illinois; and Ronald Lowder, who had been a state welfare administrator and later worked for Management Services of Illinois.

"Edgar Ramp"
Prior to 1981, the State of Illinois funded pensions on an "as-you-go" basis, making benefit payouts as they came due, with employee contributions and investment income funding a reserve to cover future payouts. This approach was stopped in 1982 due to strains on the Illinois budget, and state contributions remained flat between 1982 and 1995, resulting in underfunding of pensions by approximately $20 billion. To address this shortfall, the Illinois legislature, in 1994, passed and then-Governor Edgar signed Public Act 88-593, which set payments by the State of Illinois into the pension funds at only 90 percent of liabilities, stretched this funding level over 50 years until 2045, and back-loaded payments with a 15-year ramp. The underfunding of pension reserves over the first fifteen years was not fiscally sound, and was the major cause of a large gap between the State's obligations to pay pension benefits and the funds available to pay those benefits. As Governor, Edgar signed the pension legislation into law, and for this reason, the initial underfunding of pensions became known as the "Edgar Ramp." The US Federal Securities and Exchange Commission described this analysis in a report. Despite claims to the contrary, the gap in pension funding created by the Edgar Ramp had not been corrected as of June 2023, with Illinois' public pensions being the worst-funded in the nation.

Post-governorship
Edgar is a distinguished fellow of the Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

In 1999, Edgar was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Edgar was named the honorary chairman of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration at Eureka College, President Reagan's alma mater. To open the Reagan Centennial year in January 2011, Governor Edgar delivered the keynote speech at the concluding dinner of the "Reagan and the Midwest" academic conference held at Eureka College. In September 2011, Edgar helped dedicate the Mark R. Shenkman Reagan Research Center housed in the Eureka College library.

As former chairman of the board of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, Edgar underwrote the costs of the traveling trophy for the annual Lincoln Bowl tradition started in 2012. The Lincoln Bowl celebrates the Lincoln connection with Knox College and Eureka College, two Illinois colleges where Lincoln spoke, and is awarded to the winning team each time the two schools play each other in football.

In July 2016, the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Illinois Financing Partners, a firm for which Edgar served as chairman, won approval by the state to advance money to state vendors who had been waiting for payments by the state. In turn, the firm would get to keep late payment fees when Illinois finally pays.

Edgar was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 1999 in the area of Government.

He is a resident fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Political opinions
A moderate Republican, Edgar supports abortion rights.

In February 2008, Edgar endorsed Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona for President of the United States.

Edgar supported Mitt Romney in 2012. When Donald Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016, Edgar publicly announced that he would not be voting for the candidate. After the President's second nomination, Edgar, along with other Illinois GOP moderates, announced their support of former United States Vice President and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Edgar told Peoria-area newspaper Peoria Journal Star, "I have been very disappointed. We’ve had chaos for four years we didn’t need to have. I mean, there’s always going to be some turmoil, but he stirs it up. He bullies. You can’t believe what he says because he’ll do the different thing the next day. ... He’s bungled the virus, there’s no doubt about that. He continued to stir up division in the country, (when) a president should be trying to bring people together. I mean, the list goes on and on."

In the spring of 2016, Edgar said that he believed Governor Bruce Rauner should sign the Democratic budget and support the Democratic pension plan. Edgar pushed for a pension bill to save $15 billion back in 1994. "We had a time bomb in our retirement system that was going to go off in the first part of the 21st century," Edgar told The State Journal-Register in 1994. "This legislation defuses that time bomb." The legislature passed Edgar's bill unanimously.

Personal life
Edgar is married to Brenda Smith Edgar. They have two children, Brad and Elizabeth.

Edgar is Baptist.

In 1994, Edgar underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery and was hospitalized in 1998 for chest pains.

title: Jim Edgar


text:
James Edgar

James Edgar may refer to:

 * James Edgar (Jacobite) (1688–1764), Scottish Jacobite official
 * James David Edgar (1841–1899), Canadian politician
 * James Edgar (entrepreneur) (1843–1909), Scottish-American founder of Edgar Department Stores and the first department store Santa Claus
 * James Douglas Edgar (1884–1921), English professional golfer
 * Jim Edgar (born 1946), American politician
 * Jimmy Edgar (born 1983), American electronic music artist
 * James Edgar (footballer) (1882–?), English footballer

title: James Edgar


text:
Talk:Ivan Illich

History of Pain
several web pages refer to a "history of pain" that Illich was about to publish in 2003 in France. Was this ever published? by whom?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,856395,00.html

 * He was able to finish a history of pain which will be published in French next year, as will his complete works

http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-illic.htm

 * He was able to finish a history of pain (which will be published in French in 2003).

http://webs.lanset.com/aeolusaero/Articles/Mayday%20Cafe--Apr%2004--Ivan%20Illich.htm

 * The last 10 years of his life were spent coping with a very painful cancerous condition, from which he managed to distill a treatise on the 'history of pain' (published last year in France) before his death. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Vernier (talk • contribs) (02:50, 23 May 2004)

'Worldwide notoriety:' POV or what!?
Whether Ivan Illich's views are globally 'notorious' or evocative of a lone, prophetic voice crying in the wilderness surely depends on POV? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.1.99.42 (talk • contribs) (10:35, 16 August 2007)

Ivan Illich:Hero/Guiding Light of Wikipedia?
Rather than being dismissed as someone of global 'notoriety,' shouldn't Ivan Illich have special, Hero of Wikipedia status? After all, his general contention that various authorities and professions should be closely and sceptically examined and questioned is surely at one with the revolutionary founding principle of encyclopedias in general, and Wikipedia in particular? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.86.123.67 (talk • contribs) (16:16, 16 August 2007)

Deschooling Society 'dated?'
The Deschooling Society section says, 'Full of detail on then-current programs and concerns, the book can seem dated.' This is a POV non sequitur, in the sense that some readers might actually want and appreciate the contemporaneous historical detail in support of Illich's contentions. I suggest instead: '...is of its time.' —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.170.16.108 (talk • contribs) (19:08, 18 August 2007)

Can anyone clear up the personal-history enigmas?
Illich, at some point in his life, comes to espouse ideas of informal learning, face-to-face community, decentralization, ad hoc & creative dealing with circumstance. These sorts of ideas are central to his critique and are abundant in his well-known writings.

Yet he starts out in life with a lot of schooling, becomes an assistant Roman-Catholic priest, and is given a role of responsibility within the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico!

How does his personal evolution occur? How does Illich succeed within "schooling" culture, yet come to be convinced of the crucial importance of a high ratio of informal to formal learning (in the lives of individuals and communities)? Perhaps of even greater curiosity: how does he shift from carrying out an assigned role within the enormous, hierarchical, top-down, dogmatic Roman-Catholic system to his adherence to the folksy, poetic-imaginative, decentralized, localist position—for which he was one of the most influential spokespersons of recent decades?

title: Talk:Ivan Illich


text:
Australian hip hop

Australian Hip-Hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and was initially largely inspired by Hip-Hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of music that is no longer restricted to the creative underground, with artists such as The Kid Laroi, Manu Crooks, Onefour, Iggy Azalea, Hilltop Hoods, Bliss n Eso and Youngn Lipz, having achieved notable fame. Australian Hip-Hop is still primarily released through independent record labels, which are often owned and operated by the artists themselves. Despite its genesis as an offshoot of American hip-hop, Australian hip hop has developed a distinct personality that reflects its evolution as an Australian musical style.

Early years (1980s)
In 1982, the music video for Malcolm McLaren's track, "Buffalo Gals", was shown on the Australian television music show Sound Unlimited. The music show was broadcast on Network Seven. The clip was staged in a Manhattan basketball court and featured images of graffiti and break dancers. The video left an impression on Australian teenagers, who began to copy the dancers' moves.

The first Australian hip hop record released was "16 Tons" / "Humber Mania Time" by Mighty Big Crime via Virgin Records and Criteria Productions in 1987 (Catalogue number VOZC 026). The Melbourne-based duo (Gumpy Phillips and Tricky J a.k.a. Justin Lodge) soon disbanded. In 1991, both were members of flower power group, Freaked Out Flower Children.

Gerry Bloustein wrote in the book Musical Visions that Blaze claimed the first "true hip hop" release was, "Combined Talent" / "My Destiny" in 1988 by Just Us (consisting of Maltese DJ Case and Mentor).

In 1988, the first compilation of Australian rap, Down Under by Law (Virgin), was released. It included tracks by Westside Posse, Mighty Big Crime, Swoop, Sharline and Fly Girl 3.

Two Western Australian hip hop bands, Def Threat and Gangstarr, both released recordings in 1987. The Def Threat's EP, Girls Never learn, reached No. 4 in the WA Independent music charts. Def Threat played a number of gigs over the next 12 months, and then disbanded. Gangstarr survived for a few more years.

Major label releases (1990s)
In the late 1980s, Sound Unlimited Posse signed with Sony Music, thereby becoming the first Australian hip hop group signed on to a major record label. In 1992, they released the first major-label Australian hip hop album titled A Postcard from the Edge of the Under-side.

In 1991, a 16-year-old Sydney-based solo artist named KIC was signed to Columbia/SME Records. His first single, "Bring Me On", was popular in Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Also in 1992, independent label company Random Records released Def Wish Cast's album Knights of the Underground Table. After 1992, independent CDs and tapes were released by various artists, primarily from the western suburbs of Sydney, a largely immigrant-populated area largely known as a working class, underprivileged, and crime-ridden area.

MC Opi (a.k.a. Opi Nelson) was an underground hip hop and dancehall artist who rose to national success after her performance on Christine Anu and Paul Kelly's 1994 ARIA-nominated single "Last Train", released by Mushroom/EMI (White Label). Prior to this, MC Opi co-produced Women on the Rhyme, the first national radio documentary about Australian female hip hop artists, created at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

MC Opi contributed to Anu's debut album Stylin' Up, which attained platinum status in Australia and won the ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Album. Following the winning of the award, Anu invited MC Opi to perform with her on the first "Australian Jail Tour" as part of NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week in 1993 in order to raise awareness about indigenous deaths in custody.

Millennial era (2000s)
The Melbourne hip hop group 1200 Techniques was formed in 1997 by "old-school" 1980s B-boy/aerosol artist DJ Peril (founding member of Melbourne hip hop crew Island Boys).The group consisted of DJ Peril on production, turntables, and percussion; his brother Kem(Kemstar) on guitar; and N'fa on vocals. They released an EP in 2001 called Infinite Styles with the independent label company Rubber Records. 1200 Techniques later released one of the first hip hop crossover hits, a track called "Karma" (from the album Choose One). The song spawned the first ARIA Award for a hip hop act in Australia even before there was a hip hop category. Additionally "Karma" won Michael Gracey an ARIA in the same year for Best Video. In 2003, the band released the first Australian hip hop DVD titled One Time Live, which featured the band's music videos, live footage and two short documentaries. Their second album, Consistency Theory, was released in 2004.

The first Australian hip hop label was Obese Records in Melbourne, whose first release was Reason's Solid in 2000.

By the early 2000s, the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) began to recognise the growing interest in hip-hop in Australia. In 2004, ARIA introduced a new category in its annual awards: Best Urban Album (R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, reggae and dancehall). The inaugural award was won by Koolism for their album, Random Thoughts. Koolism DJ Danielsan dedicated the award to the "Australian hip-hop community" and exclaimed: "Be yourselves, keep it real, enough of that American wannabe trash".

At the 2006 and 2007 ARIA Awards, the Urban award was won by Hilltop Hoods for its albums The Hard Road and The Hard Road: Restrung, respectively. The Hard Road also became the first Australian hip hop album to rank number 1 on the ARIA Charts in 2006. Other artists who have won the award include Bliss n Eso, for their album Flying Colours, and Melbourne artist Illy, for his album Bring it Back, released on the Obese Records label.

Australian hip-hop artists have also received international recognition. Australians have been featured on albums by artists from the US and Europe. In October 2014, Australian artist K21 appeared on a song, titled "Pas rentable", by French hip hop artist LinkRust.

Women in Australian hip-hop have largely been under-developed; however, many underground emcees have existed and thrived. Notable artists such as Sampa the Great are on the rise.

For the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, new categories of awards were created for Best Hip Hop Release and Best Soul/R&B Release, which were previously combined in the Best Urban Release category.

Style and influences
Australian hip hop artists are strongly influenced by African American and Latino rappers from the US, and continue to incorporate such influences into their music. Australian artists, however, still utilise an authentic and unique style in their own music. Like many hip hop scenes outside the US, some Australian hip hop artists have also been influenced by funk, jazz and dembow. Indigenous Australian culture is also a strong influence for many hip hop artists.

While hip hop artists in the US are predominantly African American, many Australian hip hop artists are of Anglo heritage. Numerous Australian hip hop artists, including N'fa, Remi, Sampa the Great, Diafrix, Tkay Maidza, Miracle, Vida Sunshyne, KillaQueenz, are of African descent, which has influenced their music.

Indigenous Australian Hip-Hop

Since the early 1980s, many indigenous crews have used hip hop as an outlet to vent their frustration against racial injustice and discrimination. Though not at the forefront of the Australian hip hop scene, Aboriginal rappers such as Brothablack, the South West Syndicate, Local Knowledge, Lez Beckett and the Native Ryme Syndicate produce songs that address the cultural situation of Indigenous Australians. One of their musical influences is the American hip hop group, Public Enemy.

Munkimuk works on community-based educational hip hop projects around Australia, such as 1999's Desert Rap, conducted with Brothablack from South West Syndicate and Morganics. The Desert Rap project was organised with Tony Collins from Triple J, which made an ABC TV documentary. Munkimuk also hosts a nationally syndicated weekly radio program called "Indij Hip Hop Show", which is produced by Koori Radio in Sydney.

Briggs, a Yorta Yorta man from the rural location of Shepparton, became a prominent feature of the Australian hip hop scene since he began his career as an independent artist in 2005. In August 2014, he released his sophomore studio album, Sheplife, on the Golden Era Records label, owned by Hilltop Hoods. As of 2012, Briggs has been the recipient of two Deadly Awards nominations and received the "Best New Talent" award at the 2014 National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA).

Indigenous producer and MC Daniel Rankine (Trials), of the Adelaide trio Funkoars and Golden Era Records, also releases his own work, including occasional solo work. Rankine's production credits include Drapht, Vents, Reason, Cross Bred Mongrels and K21, while he has provided guest verses for Purpose, Hilltop Hoods, and the Golden Era mixtapes. Trials and Briggs performed together at the "Beat The Drum" event for the Triple J Radio station on 16 January 2015, and released their debut album as the group A.B. Original, titled Reclaim Australia, in 2016.

American influence
U.S. artists cited as key inspirations of Australian hip-hop artists include Public Enemy, A Tribe Called Quest, and Nas. Following the release of Drinking From The Sun in 2012, Hilltop Hoods included Organized Konfusion, Kraz, and De La Soul in its ideal festival line-up.

In Australia, dance moves associated with hip hop, such as krumping, footworking, locking, and popping, have drawn public interest to hip hop, and contributed to its dynamic popularity. However, these dance moves have been criticised as not being original and a sign that Australia suffers from a lack of its own hip hop identity.

United Kingdom influence
In more recent years (2000s onwards), Australian Hip Hop has seen a strong emergence of UK genres such as Grime and Afrobeats. Although these genres have been around for years, their worldwide popularity and acceptance in the mainstream is relatively new. The genre of "Australian grime" has been marked by viral artists like HAZRD. Adelaide-based producer Strict Face hosted his own show on the now-defunct London's Radar Radio.

Drill music
An off-shoot of the drill music scene developed in Australia in the late 2010s, but didn't catch 'mainstream' attention until 2017-2018. Inspired by UK drill, Onefour quickly rose in prominence in 2019 after a series of singles, The Samoan Australian group from Mount Druitt was recognised as the first Drill group in Australia according to Vice.

Gutter rap
Completely distinguishing itself from most Australian hip-hop at the time, that rap about Middle-class lifestyle and issues (such as breakups, skating, going to the RSL), a new scene originating from Australia's infamous Housing Commission estates began emerging in the late 2000s called Gutter rap (sometimes known as Lad rap). Gutter rap artists such as Campbelltown's Kerser, Hurstville's Skeamo and Nter, and Blacktown's Fortay, Primarily rap about Australian Lower-class lifestyle and issues (such as crime, drug addictions, financial struggles), similar to traditional American Gangsta rap, which resulted it in being branded an Australian version of the American music genre. Unlike most other Australian hip hop scenes, which have proper mainstream presence and support, gutter rap remains underground on the internet, but that didn't stop artists from the genre gaining mainstream recognition and success, an example being Kerser's second album No Rest for the Sickest reaching No. 15 on the ARIA albums chart.

Australian identity
Although hip hop originated in the US, some Australian rappers see their hip hop scene as having its own unique character. Dialectrix has described it as a "mongrel mutation" of Afrocentric and Australian culture. According to the lyrics of Def Wish Cast, it is "down under, comin' up".

Australian hip hop has been localised with the introduction of aspects such as the Australian accent, Australian slang, political views, and references to localities and matters of Australian cultural identity. The lyrics of early Western Sydney artists like 046, Def Wish Cast, and the White Boys represent the process of localising Australian hip hop. Additionally, the non-Anglo immigrants of these areas were attracted to hip hop because it tackles the theme of racial opposition, as in African American and Chicano hip hop. Australian hip hop has been described as rich with Australian character, but also as inspirational for immigrants, providing "a voice and a purpose for those making their home anew in Australia". For example, Diafrix use migrant experiences in some of their songs, although this is not their main focus.

Numerous Australian hip-hop artists have expressed concern that sections of Australia's hip hop fan base seem to espouse a "redneck" mentality that is ignorant of the culture's international influences. In a 2009 interview, Cross Bred Mongrels member Flak explained: "I don't go for that. [Only listening to Australian hip hop] I think that is a little narrow-minded. If it is dope hip hop, it is dope hip hop. If it is from Germany, Japan or Compton, and it is dope, I go for it." Over time, Australian hip hop diversified, absorbing influences from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean. For example, Def Wish described his style as influenced by reggae from London, rather than North American rap, while also acknowledging Afro-Caribbean roots of that scene.

Kamaludeen Mohamed Nasir's book, Globalized Muslim Youth in the Asia Pacific: Popular Culture in Singapore and Sydney discusses how Muslim hip-hoppers like Matuse and The Brothahood have added their voices to what it means to be Australian. In their songs, The Brothahood talks about "their piety in the face of everyday life in Australia post-September 11", while in Matuse's track, "Sydney vs Everybody", he raps about "being singled out by a section of white Australia for his ethnic background rather than his lyrical skills".

Record labels

 * House of Beige – Melbourne based label founded by artist Remi and producer Sensible J; other artists include Nfa Jones, Syreneyiscreamy and Man Made Mountain
 * Obese Records—their CEO is MC Pegz; artists include Thundamentals, Illy, Dialectrix, Kerser and M-Phazes
 * CMDG—their CEO is Jelal Edmonds (Lazy J); artists include Lazy J & Big Guy, and producers include Rockstarr Mechnnix
 * Basic Equipment—co-run by Sereck of Def Wish Cast; artists include Def Wish Cast
 * Crookneck Records—Melbourne-based label; artists include A-Love, Mnemonic Ascent, Lazy Grey and DJ Ransom
 * Elefant Traks—run by members of The Herd; artists include Urthboy, Astronomy Class, Hermitude, The Herd and Horrorshow
 * Golden Era Records—a label established by Hilltop Hoods in 2008; artists include Hilltop Hoods, Vents, Funkoars and Briggs.
 * Hydrofunk Records—run by members of the Resin Dogs; artists include Resin Dogs and Def Wish Cast.
 * IF? Records—originally Melbourne-based, now in Tokyo; artists include Zen Paradox and Little Nobody.
 * I Forget, Sorry!—established in Sydney, the roster includes Mind Over Matter, Chris Romeo, Chance Waters (formerly known as Phatchance), Coptic Soldier, Johnny Utah and Smiles Again.
 * Inavada Records—established in Sydney in 2002; artists include Fdel, Koolism, Katalyst and Flow Dynamics.
 * Illusive Sounds—Melbourne-based recording label formed in February 2003; artists include Bliss n Eso, Downsyde, Diafrix, Weapon X and Ken Hell.
 * Krosswerdz Recordings—artists include Mistery and Wizdm from Brethren also includes Dean DVS G. and Oakbridge.
 * Marlin Records—Melbourne-based recording label; artists include Phrase and Daniel Merriweather.
 * Method Recordings—Melbourne label, part of the Shock Records group; artists include Illzilla, The Last Kinection, Elf Tranzporter, Hykoo, Infallible.
 * Nurcha Records (now defunct) —founded by Shrekk in 2005, the label was based in Sydney until it closed in January 2009. The artist roster included Mind Over Matter, Last Credit, Phatchance, Coptic Soldier, Double & Big Lu, and Natural Causes.
 * Nuffsaid Records—Prowla, Mc Que, Menace, Dedlee, Raise, and Delta.
 * Payback Records—Melbourne-based label founded by Nathan Lovett-Murray and Cappa Atkinson. Artists include Tjimba and the Yung Warriors, Little G and Mr Morggs.
 * Soulmate Records—Melbourne-based label with a roster consisting of emcee's: 360, Pez, Syntax and producers: Stat D and Ante Escobar.
 * Unda K9 Records—established in Sydney, founded by Lui in 2002; artists include Bukkcity, Tycotic, 13th Son, Syntax, DirtBox Kings, Herb and DJ Crusador.

Radio
Radio, particularly community radio, plays a significant role in the dissemination of hip hop within Australia. Additionally, the Australian Government funds projects, such as the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP), which seeks to promote Australian music nationwide. 3RRR was the first radio station to present an international hip-hop act to the city—Run-D.M.C.'s 1987 Australian tour—and it highlighted international hip hop culture as well as the local scene.

 * 3MDR (97.1FM): "The Bourne Collective" hosted by Bastian Killjoy
 * 3RRR: "Hood Pass" hosted by Carlos Turner and Rob Steezy
 * 106.7 3PBSFM: "Hippopotamus rex" hosted by Ronin Hamill; "Fresh Produce" hosted by Cosi; "B.P.M." hosted by PBS DJs and guests; "tHE bLEND" hosted by Bevin Campbell
 * Triple J: "Hip Hop Show" hosted by Hau Latukefu
 * Edge 96.1 (96.1 FM): "K-Sera & The Dirty Dozen" hosted by K-Sera
 * 2SER (107.3FM): "Hardcore Classic" hosted by Thomas Rock, Ran-Dee and Raine Supreme
 * 4ZZZ (102.1 FM): "Phat Tape" hosted by DJ Katch, DJ Fib, Frenzie, Chubba Dubbed, Complex, Dj Dcide and Seany B. Just 2 Def hosted by Jigzaw and Busy B
 * Three D Radio (93.7FM): "Hazy Tones" hosted by Anders; "Episodes in Space" hosted by Sam & TimeSpace
 * Kiss FM Australia (87.6–88.0FM): "StrictlyOZ HipHop Show" hosted by DJ Cook & Big Dip + Lil Marc.
 * Fresh FM (92.7FM): "The Lesson" hosted by DJ Sanchez & Lotek1200 + (Lesson Crew) Sam, Dan, DJ Cal Haslam, Apollo & Ckur. Currently Hosted By Rockbiz and Baelz.
 * RTRFM (92.1FM): "Down Underground" hosted by Nick Sweepah; "Full Frequency" (Monday and Friday) hosted by Micah and Philly Blunt (Monday) and Rok Riley (Friday)
 * Radio Skid Row (88.9FM): "Local Flows" hosted by riverkid
 * Community Radio Network: "BRL" hosted by Gavin Crossley;
 * SYN (90.7FM): "Hip Hop Night" hosted by Christopher Palmer which included "StrictlyOZ HopHop show" from 2009 to 2010
 * 2GLF: "Shots and Hits" hosted by Adam Spinz
 * 2RRR (88.5FM): "The Funk Soul Brother Show" hosted by DJ Swanrock and "Hippa To Da Hoppa" hosted by Lachie Hilder

Television
The first appearance of an Australian hip hop act on Australian television was in November 1988, when Skippy The Butcher performed live on the ABC's "The Factory" during the Run DMC tour. The first Australian hip hop documentary, Basic Equipment, was made in 1996 and released in 1997. Narrated by Paul Westgate (a.k.a. Sereck) from Def Wish Cast, the documentary examined the Sydney hip hop culture. It was created by Paul Fenech (creator of SBS' Pizza series) and featured artists such as MC Trey, Def Wish Cast, DJ Bonez, DJ Ask.

During the 1990s, SBS TV's MC Tee Vee, the first Australian dance music show became a hit. In 1992, following an invitation from Annette Shun Wah from the alternative arts show, The Noise, MC Opi became the first hip hop artist to become a reporter and assistant producer for MC Tee Vee. MC Tee Vee is notable for being the first national Australian music program dedicated to dance, rap and house music.

In August 2006, the ABC program Compass showed a documentary entitled The Mistery of Hip Hop, which explored the cultural movement and popularity of hip hop in Australia. The film followed one of the "founding fathers" of the Sydney hip hop scene Matthew "Mistery" Peet. Mistery works full-time as graffiti artist and is also emcee/rapper in the group Brethren. The 28-minute documentary looked at the "four elements of hip hop": breakdancing, DJing, rapping, and graffiti. It features interviews with the then-host of Triple J's hip hop show Maya Jupiter, and the other half of Brethren: Wizdm and DJ Kool Herc.

In December 2007, ABC Television aired the documentary Words from the City, which includes interviews with a number of high-profile Australian hip hop artists, including: Hilltop Hoods, Koolism, Downsyde, TZU, MC Layla, Bliss n Eso, MC Trey, Wire MC, and Jupiter.

Starting in 2018 "The Lesson TV" or "LSN TV" was an Australian Hip-Hop music TV show akin to MTV, that aired on C44, C31 & WTV. The show was derived from The Lesson 92.7 Radio show, Aiming to showcase Australia's diversity and cultural significance. With its mix of interviews, performances and discussions. The show provided insight into various aspects of hip-hop, from established artists to emerging talents. While it may no longer be on the air, The Lesson TV left a lasting impact on the Australian Hip-Hop community at its ground level.

Film
In 2004, independent film-maker Oriel Guthrie debuted her documentary "Skip Hop" at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF). The film includes live footage of freestyle battles and prominent gigs around Australia, as well as interviews with Def Wish Cast, DJ Peril, Hilltop Hoods, Koolism, Blades of Hades, Maya Jupiter, The Herd and Wicked Force Breakers.

"Out4Fame presents 2003 MC Battle For Supremacy" was the first (documented) national MC tournament and was responsible for supporting the careers of many MCs across Australia. The following year, MCs were invited to enter the tournament for the chance to compete in New Zealand. MCs who have competed in Battle For Supremacy tournaments include Weapon X, 360, Anecdote, Nfa, Justice, Dragonfly, Robby Bal Boa, Kaos, Tyna, Surreal, Cyphanetics, Delta. Guthrie also documented the 2004 and 2005 events and released them on DVDs. MC Justice went on to win 2005 "Scribble Jam MC Battle" in the US and is the first Australian to win the competition.

In 2007 "Words from the City", a feature documentary on Australian Hip Hop culture from Writers/Directors Natasha Gadd and Rhys Graham was released by The Australian Film Commission and ABC TV. Focusing on the lyrical artistry of Australian Hip Hop, the film documented some of the countries foremost crews such as Hilltop Hoods, Bliss and Eso, and Koolism, as well up and coming artists TZU, Downsyde, Layla, Maya Jupiter, MC Trey, Nick Toth, and Wire MC. Words From The City was nominated for five AFI Awards for Best Documentary, Best Direction in Documentary, Best Cinematography in Documentary, Best Editing in Documentary, and Best Sound in Documentary.

Publications
One of the oldest hip hop magazines in the world, Vapors, is an Australian publication and is produced by Blaze. Stealth Magazine debuted in 1999 and was distributed worldwide via Tower Records. Notable zines include Hype, Zest, Raptanite, Arfek, Damn Kids, Artillery, Blitzkrieg and Slingshot.

Following the popular Out4Fame: Battle For Supremacy tournaments, Out4Fame Magazine was launched as a free publication. Out4Fame Magazine was later relaunched as Out4Fame presents ACCLAIM Magazine, which then became ACCLAIM Magazine. ACCLAIM Magazine is distributed throughout Australia, as well as other countries including New Zealand, Singapore and the UK.

Stores & Venues
Stores

 * Clinic 116 - South Australian Hip-Hop Shop
 * OZHIPHOPSHOP - Australian Online Retailer
 * Cold Krush Store & Gallery - South Australian Hip-Hop Shop
 * Union Heights - Melbourne Hip-Hop Shop
 * Villan - Melbourne Hip-Hop Shop
 * 1Line - Melbourne Hip-Hop Shop
 * Da Klinic - South Australian Skate/Hip-Hop Shop

Venues TBA

Fashion

 * Souflyfe - South Australian Clothing Brand
 * Phatcap. - South Australian Clothing Brand
 * THC.tv - Tasmanian Production Company/Brand
 * Ironlak
 * Geedup

Other
(Insert Hip-Hop Misc here)
 * Giant - Graffiti Shop, Melbourne (Now Closed)

Rap in Australian politics
The earliest political discussion of hip hop in Australia questioned whether controversial rappers from overseas should be permitted to enter and perform in the country, as was the case with Eminem in 2001. Australian hip hop artists have since used their platform to make political statements and drive political change; Urthboy and Thundamentals are among those whose lyrics often highlight and denounce inequality. TZU and Quro both released music critical of the Howard government, self-evident in the lyrics of "Recoil" and "Goodnight Mr. Howard" respectively. The latter release also featured the then Prime Minister on the cover. A.B. Original, the collaboration between Indigenous rappers Briggs and Trials, was crucial to initiating debate on changing the date of Australia Day, particularly with their critical 2016 single "26 January". While professional musicians have gone on to enter Australian politics, most notably Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett, no hip hop artist has done so, although Briggs appeared to launch a campaign to enter Parliament in 2018, and has been since referred to himself as Senator Briggs in jest. In a notable event that stirred headlines, rapper Snoop Dogg faced a significant setback upon his planned visit to Australia. The incident which unfolded in 2007, Attracted widespread attention and sparked debates within both the entertainment industry and public sphere, with opinions divided on whether the decision was fair or not. Kevin Andrews is quoted as saying, “He doesn't seem the sort of bloke we want in this country”. However Snoop was granted a full visa in 2008.

Elected politicians in Australia have also attempted to utilise rapping to reach a younger audience. In 2012, two Labor Party cabinet members in the Gillard government briefly delivered original policy-related lyrics backed by music: Trade Minister Craig Emerson commented on the carbon tax by performing an adapted version of the chorus of rock song "Horror Movie", referred to by some as the "No Whyalla Wipeout" rap; while Arts Minister Simon Crean marked a visit to a Parramatta arts centre by recording rhyming lines in a duet with sound artist Tokyo Love-In over the beat of "Ice Ice Baby". Greens Senator Scott Ludlam appeared in the 2014 G20 Brisbane summit episode of Juice Rap News, rapping ten lines criticising the Abbott government's mandatory data retention law.

The performance of American rapper Macklemore at the October 2017 NRL Grand Final became a topic of political discussion, due to its inclusion of "Same Love" at a time when Australians were voting on whether same-sex marriage should be legalised. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was interviewed on The Project several days before the performance. When asked about his favourite hip hop artist, Prime Minister Turnbull initially claimed that he was "still grieving for Tupac", later confessing that he finds much of hip hop music to sound the same. He then surprised the hosts by offering to rap, reciting two sport-related lines without backing music: "Waleed, you're the man, you're the Tigers fan / You can talk, the Crows can squawk". A few days later, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten appeared on Fitzy and Wippa in a rap battle segment, rapping twelve lines over the instrumental of 50 Cent's "In da Club" and concluding his verse by dabbing. While Shorten's opponents at the rap battle were radio hosts Ryan Fitzgerald and Ray Hadley, several of his lines were directed at Turnbull, such as "Our economy's in debt but Malcolm's just chillin' / Hey Malcolm, can you lend us a couple of million?".

In the 2018 South Australian state election campaign, former Senator Nick Xenophon released a two-minute musical advertisement for his newly formed SA-Best party, centred upon himself rapping his party's concerns and policies for South Australia.

In 2021, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack briefly accepted an invitation to rap by David Koch on Sunrise. Having been made aware of a hip-hop music video promoting COVID-19 vaccines in Sichuan, McCormack stated "You know, you know, make sure you get the jab, you know" whilst dancing awkwardly.

title: Australian hip hop


text:
Eliyahu Rips

Eliyahu Rips (אליהו ריפס; Илья Рипс; Iļja Ripss; 12 December 1948 – 19 July 2024) was an Israeli mathematician of Latvian origin known for his research in geometric group theory. He became known to the general public following his co-authoring a paper on what is popularly known as Bible code, the supposed coded messaging in the Hebrew text of the Torah.

Biography
Ilya (Eliyahu) Rips grew up in Latvia (then part of the Soviet Union). His mother was Jewish and from Riga, the only of nine siblings that survived the war; the others were killed in Rumbula and other places. His father Aaron was a Jewish mathematician from Belarus; his wife, children, and all of his relatives were killed during the Holocaust.

Rips was the first high school student from Latvia to participate in the International Mathematical Olympiad. In January 1969, he learnt from listening to Western radio broadcast — then illegal in the USSR — of the self-immolation of Czechoslovak student Jan Palach. On 13 April 1969, Rips, then a graduate student at the University of Latvia, attempted self-immolation in a protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. After unwrapping a self-made slogan condemning the occupation of Czechoslovakia he lit a candle and set his gasoline-soaked clothes ablaze. A group of bystanders was able to quickly put the fire out, resulting only in burns to Rips' neck and hands. Though injured, he was first taken to the local KGB office and interrogated. He was incarcerated by the Soviet government for two years. After his story spread among Western mathematical circles and a wave of petitions, Rips was freed in 1971. The following year, he was allowed to immigrate to Israel.

Rips joined the Department of Mathematics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and in 1975 completed his Ph.D. in mathematics there. His topic was the dimensional subgroup problem. He was awarded the Aharon Katzir Prize. In 1979, Rips received the Erdős Prize from the Israel Mathematical Society, and was a sectional speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians in 1994.

Rips died on 19 July 2024, at the age of 75.

Academic career
Rips was a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Hebrew University. His research interests were geometric and combinatorial methods in infinite group theory. This includes small cancellation theory and its generalizations, (Gromov) hyperbolic group theory, Bass-Serre theory and the actions of groups on $$\mathbb R$$-trees.

Rips' work on group actions on $$\mathbb R$$-trees is mostly unpublished. The Rips machine, in the hands of Rips and his student Zlil Sela, has proven to be effective in obtaining classification results such as a solution to the isomorphism problem for hyperbolic groups.

The Bible Code controversy
In the late 1970s, Rips began looking with the help of a computer for codes in the Torah. In 1994, Rips, together with Doron Witztum and Yoav Rosenberg, published in the journal Statistical Science an article, "Equidistant Letter Sequences in the Book of Genesis", which claimed the discovery of encoded messages in the Hebrew text of the Book of Genesis. This, in turn, was the inspiration for the 1997 book The Bible Code by journalist Michael Drosnin. While Rips originally claimed that he agreed with Drosnin's findings, in 1997 Rips described Drosnin's book as "on very shaky ground" and "of no value." Since Drosnin's book, Bible codes have been a subject of controversy, with the claims being criticized by Brendan McKay and others. An early supporter of Rips' theories was Robert Aumann, Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics 2005, who headed a commission overseeing Rips' experiments attempting to prove the existence of a secret code from God in the Torah. Eventually, Aumann abandoned the idea and withdrew his support from Rips.

The Bible Code treats the text of the Bible as a word search puzzle: for example, a word may be spelled diagonally moving in a north west direction, or perhaps left-to-right taking every second letter. The more patterns that are allowed, the more words that can be found. Elementary statistics can be used to estimate the probabilities of finding certain hidden messages. The statistician Jeffrey S. Rosenthal shows in his book Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities that "hidden messages" are statistically expected and hence should not be seen as divine messages, much less as predictions of the future. Mathematician Brendan McKay illustrated this point by finding messages in the English text of Moby Dick that supposedly "predicted" famous assassinations of the past, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

The 1997 "Ig Nobel Prize for Literature" was awarded to Eliyahu Rips, Doron Witztum, Yoav Rosenberg, and Michael Drosnin, for their work on Bible codes.

title: Eliyahu Rips