IN: MxPx is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. The band has skate punk leanings, with connections to the pop punk scene. Current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead guitar and backing vocals and Chris Adkins on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. The band's discography includes nine studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and 20 singles.

MxPx received a major distribution deal with A&M Records. This deal first saw a re-release of Life in General. MxPx then released two more studio albums jointly distributed by Tooth & Nail and A&M: Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo was the first in 1998. It ranked at No. 99 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold on January 27, 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America. At the Show is a live album recorded by MxPx, released in 1999. At the time of the recording, the band was touring in support of Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo as well as the B-sides collection Let it Happen, also released in 1998.  This was followed by The Ever Passing Moment in 2000. MxPx gained critical recognition for this album and landed a slot supporting for The Offspring and Cypress Hill on the Conspiracy of One tour. "Responsibility" proved to be a minor radio hit, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The video, which is directed by The Malloys, features the band messing around and causing mayhem while caddying at a golf course, and also includes an appearance by Cheers star George Wendt. The song was featured in the Daria Television Movie Is It Fall Yet?. After The Ever Passing Moment, the group had then fulfilled its contract obligations with Tooth & Nail and decided to part ways.  The band's version of the song "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" is in the soundtrack of the 2002 movie Scooby-Doo. The group's studio album Before Everything & After was released by A&M in 2003. The album achieved the band's highest ever chart position on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 51.  The group provided the song "The Empire" for The Passion of the Christ: Songs, which won the Gospel Music Association 2005 Dove Award for Special Event Album of the Year.

Did the song end up on the charts?

OUT: won the Gospel Music Association 2005 Dove Award for Special Event Album of the Year.


IN: Lopes was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Wanda Denise (nee Andino), a seamstress, and Ronald Lopes Sr., a US Army staff sergeant, of Portuguese background. She had a younger brother, Ronald Jr., and a younger sister, Raina Anitra (who professionally goes by Reigndrop). Lopes said her father was "very strict, very domineering" and that he treated the family like they were in "boot camp". He was a "talented musician" and played the harmonica, clarinet, piano, and saxophone.

In 1998, Lopes hosted the short-lived MTV series, The Cut, in which a handful of aspiring pop stars, rappers, and rock bands competed against each other in front of judges. The show's winner, which ended up being a male-female rap duo named Silky, was promised a record deal and funding to produce a music video, which would then enter MTV's heavy rotation. A then-unknown Anastacia finished in third place, but ended up securing a record deal after Lopes and the show's three judges were impressed by her performance.  After the release of FanMail, Lopes began to expand her solo career. She became a featured rapper on several singles, including Spice Girl Melanie C's "Never Be the Same Again", which topped the charts in 35 countries, including the United Kingdom. She was also featured on "U Know What's Up", the first single from Donell Jones' second album, Where I Wanna Be, and she rapped a verse in "Space Cowboy" with NSYNC on their 2000 album, No Strings Attached. On October 4, 2000, Lopes co-hosted the UK's MOBO Awards with Trevor Nelson, where she also performed "U Know What's Up" with Jones. She also collaborated on "Gimme Some" by Toni Braxton for her 2000 album The Heat. She had previously featured on Keith Sweat's song "How Do You Like It". In 2001, she appeared in a commercial for Gap. In July 2001, Lopes appeared on the singers' edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire along with Joey McIntyre, Tyrese, Nick Lachey, and Lee Ann Womack. She dropped the $125,000 question and won $32,000 for her charity. After her death in 2002, the episode she appeared in was shown and was dedicated to her.  Lopes created "Left Eye Productions" to discover new talent. She mentored the R&B trio Blaque, and helped them secure a record deal with Columbia Records. Their self-titled debut album was executive-produced by Lopes, who also made a cameo appearance in their music video "808" and also rapped in their second music video "I Do". Lopes was also developing and promoting another new band called Egypt. They worked with Lopes on her second album under her new nickname, N.I.N.A., meaning New Identity Not Applicable.  In 1996, Lopes created the UNI Studios for the purpose of recording solo projects. Lopes' family opened the studio to the public. Her brother Ronald is the general manager of the studio. Lopes had a dream of making new artists able to record music at a low cost, in a high-end studio at her house. Her family continues to operate it and fill it with new equipment.

What did she do first to pursue her solo career?

OUT:
After the release of FanMail, Lopes began to expand her solo career. She