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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Ashanti" hosted by DJButterrock

Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas (born October 13, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She was discovered as a teenager by record producer Irv Gotti, and signed with his label Murder Inc. Records, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2002.[4] That same year, Ashanti guest appeared on the singles "What's Luv?" by Fat Joe, and "Always on Time" by Ja Rule, which peaked at numbers two and one on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively; the latter, with her 2002 debut single "Foolish", made her the first female artist to occupy the top two positions the chart simultaneously.[a]

"Foolish" served as lead single for Ashanti's eponymous debut album (2002). Despite mixed reviews, it debuted atop the Billboard 200, received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), won Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 singles "Happy" and "Baby".[5] She then co-wrote and provided background vocals for Jennifer Lopez's 2002 single "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)", which peaked the Billboard Hot 100.[6] Her second album, Chapter II (2003), became her second to peak the Billboard 200 and received platinum certification by the RIAA.[7] It received three nominations at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, while its lead singles, "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" and "Rain on Me", peaked at numbers two and seven on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Her third album, Ashanti's Christmas, was released that same year as a Christmas album; it was met with a steep critical and commercial decline.

Ashanti's fourth album, Concrete Rose (2004), debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical response. Its lead single, "Only U", peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart—her most successful song in that country. Its second single, "Don't Let Them", saw limited success due to Def Jam's legal issues with Murder Inc. label head Irv Gotti.[8] Her fifth album, The Declaration (2008), was met with moderate reception and became her final release on a major label; her sixth album, Braveheart (2014), was released independently. Ashanti has sold nearly 30 million records worldwide.[9]

Ashanti has acted in several productions, debuting in the film Coach Carter and starring in the TV special The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (both 2005), the latter of which attracted nearly eight million viewers.[10] She also appeared in John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).[11][12]

Early life
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas[13] was born on October 13, 1980,[14] in Glen Cove, New York.[15] Her mother, Tina Douglas, is African American and a former dance teacher. Her father, Ken-Kaide Thomas Douglas, is also African American and a former singer. She is the oldest of her parents' children, with a younger sister named Kenashia "Shia" Douglas.[16] Ashanti's mother named her after the Ashanti Empire in Ghana; in this nation, women had power and influence, and Tina wanted Ashanti to follow that model.[17] Her grandfather, James, was a civil rights activist who was associated with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s.[18]

Ashanti's mother discovered her full singing potential when she overheard Ashanti singing Mary J. Blige's "Reminisce" at age 12 (after the song was released on Ashanti's birthday).[19] While attending high school,[20] Ashanti began to write songs. As a teenager, she performed in a local talent show and at several small festivals.[21] She got her first taste of acting as a child extra in Spike Lee's Malcolm X (1992) and in Ted Demme's Who's the Man?.[22] She also had a couple of minor appearances in music videos, such as KRS-One's "MC's Act Like They Don't Know" as well as 8-Off's "Ghetto Girl".[23]

Ashanti struggled to find success as a singer after being courted by several record labels, including Bad Boy and Jive. Despite this, she continued to perform in and around New York and began hanging out at the Murder Inc. recording studio, hoping for a big break.[4]

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Monday, July 20, 2Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Megan The Stallion" hosted by DJButterrock  Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion,[a] is an American rapper, songwriter, and actress. She gained recognition when videos of her freestyling went viral on social media, leading her to sign with 1501 Certified Entertainment in 2018. She achieved mainstream success the following year with the release of her commercial mixtape Fever (2019), followed by the extended play Suga (2020), both of which peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart.

Megan had her breakthrough with her 2019 singles "Hot Girl Summer" and "Cash Shit"; her 2020 single "Savage" spawned a remix featuring Beyoncé that won two Grammy Awards, peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100, and was included on her debut studio album Good News (2020). Its single "Body" made her the first female act to release three number-one songs on the Streaming Songs chart within a year. That same year, she guest appeared on Cardi B's single "WAP", which became her second number one song on the Hot 100. Her compilation album Something for Thee Hotties (2021) peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 and included the Grammy Award-nominated top-20 single "Thot Shit".

Following the shooting trial after she was shot in the foot by Tory Lanez, as well as contractual issues with her record label, Megan left both 1501 and 300 Entertainment. Her second studio album, Traumazine (2022), included the single "Sweetest Pie" (with Dua Lipa)—which peaked at number 15 in the US—and served as her final release with the aforementioned labels. She founded her own record label, Hot Girl Productions, in 2023, through which she released her third studio album, Megan (2024). It spawned the single "Hiss", which became Megan's first solo song to top the Billboard Hot 100 and made her the first solo female rapper to debut atop the Billboard Global 200.

Megan is the recipient of various accolades, including six BET Awards, five BET Hip Hop Awards, four American Music Awards, four MTV Video Music Awards, a Billboard Women in Music Award, and three Grammy Awards. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, she became the second female rapper to win Best New Artist (after Lauryn Hill in 1999). Time included her on its list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Outside of music, she has ventured into television, film and theatre, starring in the 2026 Broadway production of Moulin Rouge! The Musical and headlining the documentary film titled Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (2024).026

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Punkinfoot the Panty Girl We Can Tell The Story 

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DJ Butter Rock   Certified Killer Out Now

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Bossman Dlow" hosted by DJButterrock Devante Milan McCreary[1] (born August 31, 1998), known professionally as BossMan Dlow, is an American rapper. He started rapping while serving time in county jail in 2019 and soon became popular in the Florida rap scene. After releasing the mixtape Too Slippery and its Alamo Records re-release 2 Slippery in 2023, his 2024 breakout single "Get in with Me" became popular on TikTok and Instagram and marked his debut on the Billboard Hot 100. He also released his debut studio album, Dlow Curry, in 2024.

Life and career
Devante Milan McCreary was born on August 31, 1998[2] in Port Salerno, Florida, where he was also raised.[3] His father works as a truck driver and he has one brother named Tory, whom McCreary has stated inspired him to pursue music.[4] He began rapping in 2019 as BossMan Dlow before briefly serving time in county jail on charges of selling and possessing cocaine.[5] His music first gained popularity in Tallahassee before spreading to other parts of Florida.[6]

BossMan Dlow released his debut mixtape Too Slippery in January 2023, which gained traction on TikTok. He signed a record deal with Alamo Records in the summer of 2023, who re-released Too Slippery as 2 Slippery in December 2023.[7][3][6]

His single "Get in with Me", originally performed as a freestyle on the Jacksonville–based series Kreepin Through the Streetz, was released through Alamo Records in January 2024. It soon became popular on Instagram and TikTok—particularly due to a feud between Rick Ross's ex-partner, Tia Kemp, and his daughter, Toie Roberts, during which Kemp posted a video using the song—and subsequently debuted on Billboard's Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts the following month.[8][9] It peaked at number 49 on the Hot 100 after spending five weeks on the chart.[6] His single "Mr Pot Scraper" was released in February of that year and also became popular.[10] BossMan Dlow's third mixtape, Mr Beat the Road, was released on March 15, 2024, with "Get in with Me", "Mr Pot Scraper", and "Piss Me Off" as its singles.[11][12][13] A remix of his song "Finesse", from his mixtape 2 Slippery, with rapper GloRilla was released later that month.[14] In August 2024, BossMan Dlow featured on Ciara's single "Run It Up".[15][16]

BossMan Dlow's debut studio album, Dlow Curry, was released on December 13, 2024.[17] The album features guest appearances by Babyface Ray, French Montana, GloRilla, Ice Spice, Lil Baby, and NoCap. It received positive reviews and debuted at number 36 on the US Billboard 200. The album's deluxe edition was released on May 23, 2025, featuring an additional guest appearance from Gucci Mane.[18] His second studio album, Chicken Talkin Bastard, was released on April 10, 2026.

Musical style
BossMan Dlow has listed Wiz Khalifa, Babyface Ray, Yo Gotti, Jeezy, Lil Wayne, Plies, and Future as his musical influences.[5] He has described his songs as "motivation music".[19] Alphonse Pierre of Pitchfork wrote that his "dope-dealing motivation rap" was backed by "Michigan-meets-the-South party beats".[12] For Uproxx, Aaron Williams wrote that BossMan Dlow had a "choppy, unconventional delivery and [a] Florida twang" in his raps.[7] Joey Ech of XXL wrote that BossMan Dlow had "impeccable swagger, [a] conversational cadence and [a] booming baritone voice".[5]

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 Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of GloRilla" hosted by DJButterrock

Gloria Hallelujah Woods[1] (born July 28, 1999), known professionally as GloRilla, is an American rapper from Memphis, Tennessee. She first became known for her 2022 single "F.N.F. (Let's Go)" (with Hitkidd), which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Its success led her to sign with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group, in July of that year.

Her follow-up single, "Tomorrow", spawned a remixed sequel (with Cardi B) that became her first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both songs, along with the gold-certified single "Blessed", preceded the release of her debut extended play (EP), Anyways, Life's Great in November, which entered the Billboard 200 at number 11. She won Best New Hip-Hop Artist at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards, and won in a similar category at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards.

Her 2024 singles, "Yeah Glo!" and "Wanna Be" (with Megan Thee Stallion), both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded her debut commercial mixtape, Ehhthang Ehhthang (2024), which peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200. Her third top 40-single of that year, "TGIF", preceded her debut studio album Glorious (2024), which peaked at number five.[2]

Early life
Woods was born on July 28, 1999, in Memphis, Tennessee.[3] She was homeschooled until fifth grade, and later attended Melrose High School.[4] She started rapping when she was 16.[4]

Growing up, she was a part of her church's choir; as a result, Woods initially wanted to be a singer, but after losing her voice, she decided to switch to rap.[5][6] She is the eighth out of 10 children.[7] Woods has stated she is cousins with Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert.[8][9]

Career
Woods released her mixtape Most Likely Up Next in 2019 and her EP P Status in 2020.

In April 2022, Woods found increased fame and popularity with the release of "F.N.F. (Let's Go)" with producer Hitkidd. The song went viral and led to a #FNFChallenge on TikTok.[5] A remix of the song featuring Latto and JT was released in September, with the announcement that a remix with Saweetie would follow. The song led her to be nominated for two awards at the 2022 BET Hip Hop Awards,[10][11] where she also performed in October.[12]

In June 2022, Woods and Duke Deuce released the song "Just Say That."[13][14] In July, she signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label Collective Music Group.[3] She was featured on the compilation album Gangsta Art. In September, she released the song "Tomorrow 2" featuring Cardi B.[15][16][17] In November, she dropped her EP Anyways, Life's Great.[18][19] She was featured along with rapper Gangsta Boo on the Latto single "FTCU".[20]

In January 2023, she and labelmate Moneybagg Yo collaborated on the single "On Wat U On".[21] In February, a stampede at a concert at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, New York resulted in 3 deaths and 7 people injured. The stampede started after audience members thought they heard gunshots while people were leaving the venue.[22] In June, she was selected as 2023 XXL Freshmen Class.[23]

In 2024, GloRilla released the top-40 songs "Yeah Glo!" and "Wanna Be" (with Megan Thee Stallion) as singles from her debut commercial mixtape, Ehhthang Ehhthang, which was released on April 5.[24] She released her debut studio album Glorious on October 13. It peaked at number five on the Billboard 200, and had highest first-week sales of any album released by a female rapper in 2024.[25] Its singles—"TGIF", "Hollon", and "Whatchu Kno About Me"— all charted in the top 50 in the US.[26] She was also featured on "Sticky" by Tyler, the Creator, a song from the album Chromakopia which was released on October 28. In support of Glorious, GloRilla embarked on the Glorious Tour in March 2025, which concluded in July.[27]

In August 2025, Woods partnered with the fast-food chain Checkers & Rally’s to launch a promotional $4 "Unbeatable Meal Deal", which included limited-edition items such as "Glo’s BBQ Jacked Burger". The collaboration was described as a "full-circle moment", as she had previously worked a

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 Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of MoneyBagg Yo" hosted by DJButterrock DeMario DeWayne White Jr. (born September 22, 1991[2]), known professionally as Moneybagg Yo, is an American rapper. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, he is noted for his melodic trap and Southern hip-hop style.[3][4]

White signed with fellow Memphis rapper Yo Gotti's record label, Collective Music Group in 2016, later in a joint venture with Interscope Records.[5] His commercial mixtape, Federal 3X (2017), peaked at numbers five on the Billboard 200, becoming his mainstream breakthrough.[6] His first four studio albums—Reset (2018), 43va Heartless (2019), Time Served (2020), and A Gangsta's Pain (2021)—were each met with critical and commercial success; the latter became his first to debut atop the chart and spawned the Billboard Hot 100-top 20 single "Wockesha."

White is the recipient of multiple accolades, and has received a Grammy Award nomination, in addition to American Music Award, MTV Music Video Award, Hollywood Music in Media Award, and iHeartRadio Music Award nominations; for the latter of which, he received four.[7][8][9][10] He won the 2021 "Trapper of the Year" Award by genre progenitor T.I.[11][12][13]

Early life
Moneybagg Yo was born on September 22, 1991, in Memphis, Tennessee,[2] to a single mother. He is the oldest of three siblings and was raised in the West Junction-Walker Homes neighborhood of South Memphis. According to Moneybagg Yo, he had a difficult childhood where his mother served the role of both parents and they often struggled with financial issues, including not having lights, furniture or running water at times. Despite his mother's best efforts to provide for her children and keep them safe, the struggles at home and strict rules she imposed would often lead Moneybagg to run away from home and seek refuge with friends or on the streets from a young age.[14][15]

White attended Mitchell High School.[16] He later dropped out in the 12th grade,[17] describing himself as "terrible" during that time. Additionally, he explained that he felt that staying in school was not providing him with any financial benefits and saw no future in it. He was motivated by seeing his mother struggle to provide for him and his siblings, and having to sleep in unfurnished apartments.[18][19][20][16]

Career
2011–2013: Early life and career
Growing up in South Memphis, Moneybagg had a love for hip hop music from a young age and was heavily influenced by artists such as Boosie, Yo Gotti, Juvenile, and Future. According to him, he was captivated by everything about their lives and aspirations. "Everything about their life, I just fell in love with," he said in an interview reflecting on his childhood.[21] In an effort to escape the struggles of life in the hood, Moneybagg turned to rapping as a means of making a living. He began his career in 2011 with the release of his first single "F U Pay Me".[22] Over the following years, he released several mixtapes, including From Da Block 2 Da Booth in 2012. In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, Moneybagg spoke about how during the early stages of his career he had to sacrifice important moments in his life and his children's lives such as birthdays, holidays, football games and even simple things like doughnuts with his dad, as he was focused on providing for his children and making a name for himself in the industry.[23]

2016–2018: Release of several mixtapes and Moneybagg's debut studio album, Reset

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of French Montana" hosted by DJButterrock  Karim Kharbouch (Arabic: كريم خربوش [kæɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ]; born 9 November 1984), known professionally as French Montana, is a Moroccan and American rapper.[1] Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York City with his family at the age of 13 and began his career as a battle rapper in the early 2000s — under the name Young French.[2][3][4] He first gained recognition hosting the locally-tailored DVD series Cocaine City during the 2000s, which centered around interviews of hip hop figures. He pursued a recording career while doing so, releasing several underground projects before signing with Sean Combs's Bad Boy Records and Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group, in a triple-joint venture with Interscope Records in 2012.

Kharbouch's debut studio album, Excuse My French (2013), peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 despite critical failure; its lead single, "Pop That" (featuring Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne), peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.[5] His 2017 single, "Unforgettable" (featuring Swae Lee), peaked within the chart's top 10, and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It preceded his second studio album Jungle Rules (2017), which was met with similar commercial success—peaking at number three on the Billboard 200—and a critical incline. His third and fourth albums, Montana (2019) and They Got Amnesia (2021), were both met with lukewarm critical and commercial reception; the latter served as his final release on a major label.[6]

Kharbouch founded the record label Coke Boys Records (previously known as Cocaine City Records) in 2008, which has signed Chicago rapper Lil Durk, as well as fellow New York artists including Velous, Chinx, and record producer Harry Fraud.[7] He is the most streamed African-born musical artist,[8][9] and is the first African-born artist to have a diamond-certified song by the RIAA.[10][11][12] In 2024, "Unforgettable" became the most-streamed song from New York.[13][14] Outside of music, Kharbouch has been prolific in charitable and philanthropic endeavors.[15][16][17]

Early life
Karim Kharbouch was born on November 9, 1984, in Casablanca, Morocco.[2] He grew up at the family estate outside Casablanca where he lived for the first 13 years of his life.[2] Kharbouch has claimed that he has Moroccan, Ethiopian, and Somali ancestry.[18][1] Growing up, he was consumed with soccer and rap, describing them as his two favorite childhood hobbies,[3] before getting into basketball in his later teens.[19]

In the mid-1990s, Kharbouch left Morocco with his parents and younger brother for New York City, where they settled in the South Bronx.[2] Kharbouch spoke only his native languages of Moroccan Darija Arabic and French when he first arrived, and learned English in the streets and in the Bronx high schools of Roosevelt and Lehman.[2] After struggling for two years, his father decided they would move back to Casablanca, but his mother opted to stay back with their children citing lack of opportunities back home.[2] His mother was pregnant with his youngest brother at the time, who was born in the United States shortly after his father departed for Morocco. With three children, his mother was dependent on welfare for financial support. Kharbouch eventually found himself the primary breadwinner for the family.[2]

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Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Stephanie Mills" hosted by DJButterrock   Mills began her professional career at age nine, appearing in the Broadway musical Maggie Flynn.[10] After winning Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater six weeks straight at age eleven, Mills went on to become the opening act for the Isley Brothers.[10] In 1973, Mills was signed to Paramount Records by Michael Barbiero, and her first single "I Knew It Was Love" was released. Mills was later signed to Motown after being suggested by Suzanne de Passe. Her first two albums there failed to produce a hit, and Mills left the label in 1976.

Mills's career took a rise when she portrayed Dorothy in the seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway musical The Wiz, an African-American adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[14] The song "Home" was first performed by Mills in the stage production and was covered later by Diana Ross for the movie adaptation three years later.[15][16] Mills’s commercial success in the music industry remained elusive until 1979, when she signed to the 20th Century Fox Records label. There, Mills found her niche in mainly disco music, recording songs such as "Put Your Body In It", "You Can Get Over", and "What Cha Gonna Do with My Lovin'". The resulting album, What Cha' Gonna Do with My Lovin', being Mills's first gold record.[17][18]

She quickly followed the success with 1980's Sweet Sensation, which featured Mills's hit "Never Knew Love Like This Before". The single became a number 12 R&B and number 6 Pop hit in 1980, as well as reaching number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.[19] 1981's Stephanie featured a top hit for her and Teddy Pendergrass entitled "Two Hearts".

Her 1983 album, Merciless, featured her hit cover of Prince's "How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore?", as well as the number 3 dance chart hit "Pilot Error", which was her first dance hit in the U.S. In 1984, Mills had her third UK hit with "The Medicine Song" (number 29),[19] which also reached number 1 on the U.S. dance chart and number 8 on the R&B chart. On May 24, 1984, Mills returned to theater to star in a short-lived touring revival of The Wiz.

In 1985, Mills's recording of "Bit by Bit (Theme from Fletch)" was featured in the Chevy Chase film, Fletch, and reached number 52 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, number 78 on The Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the Dance Chart.[20]

Success for Mills had peaked until 1986, when her version of the Angela Winbush-penned "I Have Learned to Respect the Power of Love", hit number 1 on the R&B singles chart. She truly returned with her next release, If I Were Your Woman in 1987 under MCA Records, which she was now signed. The hits from the album include the title track, originally a hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1971, a three-week number 1 R&B hit, "I Feel Good All Over", and "You're Puttin' a Rush on Me", to name a few of the songs released. The album reached platinum status. That same year, she appeared in the NBC TV special, Motown: Merry Christmas along with other musical artists and actors, performing the song, "Christmas Everyday", which was written by actor/comedian Redd Foxx.

Mills's success continued with 1989's Home album. The hits from that album include "The Comfort of a Man", the title track, a cover of her old standard from The Wiz and another song penned by Winbush titled "Something in the Way You Make Me Feel", which became another platinum record for Mills.

Mills recorded one more album (1992's Something Real) and a Christmas album before being released from her contract with MCA in 1992. In 1993, she once again starred in the role of Dorothy in The Wiz. This revival was also short lived, closing after 28 performances. Mills released a live gospel recording in 1994 on GospoCentric Records entitled Personal Inspirations. The set was produced by Donald Lawrence and featured a spiritualized retooling of her hit "I Have Learned To Respect The Power Of Love". Thereafter, Mills took a break from recording to care for her son.

In 1997, Mills played the lead in a major production of Stephen Schwartz's Children of Eden in New Jersey, which Schwartz has called "the definitive production" of the show.[citation needed] She made an appearance in the 2007 gospel TV series Sunday Best and was featured in a live interview on The Yolanda Adams Morning Show, where she mentioned that she has her own record label (JM Records). In 2008, she began a comeback with singles recorded with BeBe Winans and rapper DMX to name a few. She made a comeback in independently-releasing Born For This (released on Expansion Records in the UK) on August 3, 2004. Her first single in over a decade, "Can't Let Him Go", was released. A twin-disc, career-spanning greatest hits compilation entitled Gold was released by Hip-O/Universal Music earlier last year

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 Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Anita Baker" hosted by DJButterrock  Anita Baker was born on January 26, 1958, in Toledo, Ohio. When she was two, her mother abandoned her and Baker was raised by a foster family in Detroit, Michigan.[9] When Baker was 12, her foster parents died and her foster sister raised her afterwards.[9] By the time Baker was 16, she began singing R&B at Detroit nightclubs. After one performance, she was discovered by bandleader David Washington, who gave her a card to audition for the funk band, Chapter 8.[citation needed]

Baker joined Chapter 8 in 1975 and the group toured until securing a deal with Ariola Records in 1979.[10] The group's first album, Chapter 8, was released that year and featured the singles "Ready for Your Love", a duet between Baker and bandmate Gerald Lyles, and the Baker-led "I Just Want to Be Your Girl."[11] After Ariola was bought out by Arista Records in 1979, Chapter 8 was dropped by the label who were convinced that Baker, as the group's lead singer, did not have "star potential."[12] Baker returned to Detroit, working as a waitress and a receptionist until, in 1982, Otis Smith, a former associate of Ariola, convinced Baker to start a solo career under his Beverly Glen label.[13] 

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