Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France. Bach’s compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions and over 300 sacred cantatas (of which nearly 200 survive). His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty and intellectual depth. Bach’s abilities as an organist were respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. Bach was born on March 31, 1685 and died on July 28, 1750.
M.C. Hammer – No. 852
Stanley Burrell, known professionally as M.C. Hammer, is an American rapper, dancer and entrepreneur. Widely considered the first “mainstream” rapper, he has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. Hammer had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. Remembered for his rapid rise to fame, Hammer is known for hit records (such as “U Can’t Touch This” and “2 Legit 2 Quit“), flashy dance movements, choreography and parachute-like Hammer pants. Hammer’s superstar-status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip-hop icon. In 1995, Hammer signed with Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, but filed for bankruptcy one year later due to dwindling album sales and a lavish lifestyle. In 1997, Hammer became an ordained minister and hosted a Christian ministry program called M.C. Hammer and Friends. He was born on March 30, 1962.
Elton John – No. 851
Elton John (born Reginald Dwight) is an English singer, songwriter, composer, pianist and record producer. He has worked with lyricist Bernie Taupin as his songwriter partner since 1967; they have collaborated on more than 30 albums to date. In his five-decade career Elton John has sold more than 300 million records, making him one of the bestselling music artists in the world. He released seven consecutive No. 1 U.S. albums and 58 Billboard Top 40 singles. For 31 consecutive years (1970-2000) John had at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100. He has been heavily involved in the fight against AIDS since the late 1980s. John champions LGBT social movements worldwide and same-sex marriage. John was born on March 25, 1947.
Note: The flamboyant, sparkly pink outfit I selected for 8-bit Elton John is based on his October 1977 appearance on The Muppet Show, when he sang “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Miss Piggy.
Peyton Manning – No. 850
Peyton Manning is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A five-time NFL MVP, he played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 seasons (1998-2011). Manning was chosen by the Colts with the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. His playing career and statistics have ranked him among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. From 1998 to 2010, Manning led the Colts to eight division championships, two AFC championships and one Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XLI). Manning’s pre-snap routine has earned him the nickname “The Sheriff,” and he is one of the most recognizable and parodied NFL players (e.g., Manning Face). He was born on March 24, 1976.
Kyrie Irving – No. 849
Kyrie Irving is an American professional basketball point guard for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He was born in Melbourne, Australia but grew up in New Jersey. He played collegiately at Duke University and was selected first in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers. In the NBA, Irving has achieved a number of accolades including being the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year and the 2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP. In the ongoing 2014-15 NBA season, Irving owns the top two highest-scoring games. On January 28, he scored 55 points against Portland, including 11 three-pointers. On March 12, he scored a career-high 57 points against San Antonio. Irving was born on March 23, 1992.
Providence Friar – No. 848
The Providence Friars mascot, the wide-eyed, big-headed Friar, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #109 of 351. (View reference images.)
Note: This is NCAA Division I mascot #5 of 5 in celebration of the first week of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The No. 6-seeded Friars play the No. 11-seeded Dayton Flyers (last year’s Cinderella team) today.
Creighton Bluejay – No. 847
The Creighton Bluejays mascot, Billy Bluejay, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #108 of 351. (View reference images.)
Note: This is NCAA Division I mascot #4 of 5 in celebration of the first week of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Pepperdine Wave – No. 846
The Pepperdine Waves mascot, Willie the Wave, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #107 of 351. (View reference images.)
Note: This is NCAA Division I mascot #3 of 5 in celebration of the first week of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Akron Zip – No. 845
The Akron Zips mascot, a kangaroo named Zippy, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #106 of 351. (View reference images.)
Note: This is NCAA Division I mascot #2 of 5 in celebration of the first week of the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Dayton Flyer – No. 844
The Dayton Flyers mascot, an early aviator named Rudy Flyer, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #105 of 351. Last year Dayton became the Cinderella story of the 2014 NCAA Tournament when they advanced to the Elite 8 as a No. 11 seed. (View reference images.)
Note: This is NCAA Division I mascot #1 of 5 in celebration of the first week of the 2015 NCAA Tournament. The No. 11-seeded Dayton Flyers play the Boise State Broncos tomorrow, in Dayton, in one of the “First Four” play-in games. Can Dayton do it again?
Anthony Davis – No. 843
Anthony Davis, Jr., nicknamed “The Brow” for his trademark unibrow, is an American professional basketball power forward/center for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. In his one season of college basketball at the University of Kentucky, Davis was the consensus national player of the year. He was selected first overall in the 2012 NBA Draft by New Orleans, and is a two-time NBA All-Star. Davis won a gold medal on the U.S. national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was born in Chicago on March 11, 1993.
Note: Along with James Harden, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, Davis has made a strong case for the NBA MVP award during this 2014-15 season. Also, here’s a fun unibrow matchup: Anthony Davis vs. Frida Kahlo.
Russell Westbrook – No. 842
Russell Westbrook Jr. is an American professional basketball point guard for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. He has established himself as one of the most athletic players in NBA history and attacks the basket relentlessly. Westbrook played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins and was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics who then relocated to Oklahoma City six days later. Westbrook is a four-time NBA All-Star, and he was named the 2015 NBA All-Star Game MVP. He won a gold medal on the U.S. national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Note: Along with former OKC teammate James Harden, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Westbrook has made a strong case for the NBA MVP award during this 2014-15 season. Last night Westbrook collected his fifth triple-double in six games.
Kwaku Anansi – No. 841
Kwaku Anansi is the West African spider god. He often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be the spirit of all stories, as well as the god of lies and mischief. Anansi is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore. He is the first spider, but often acts and appears as a man. The Anansi tales originated from the Ashanti people of present-day Ghana. The word Ananse is Akan and means “spider.” Anansi is depicted in many different forms. Sometimes he appears as an ordinary spider, sometimes he is a spider wearing clothes or with a human face, and sometimes he looks much more like a human with spider elements, such as eight legs.
Note: My 8-bit depiction of Anansi is based on Kwaku Anansi, an alternate-universe Spider-Man based on the West African legend, from Marvel’s Earth-7082 universe. He first appeared in a 2007 Spider-Man Fairy Tales comic book. There can be only one: Kwaku Anansi vs. Spider-Man.
El-P – No. 840
Jaime Meline, better known by his stage name El-P (originally El Producto), is an American hip-hop recording artist, record producer, rapper and entrepreneur from Brooklyn. Originally a member of Company Flow, El-P has been a major driving force in alternative hip-hop for more than two decades. He is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label. His solo albums include Fantastic Damage (2002) and I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (2007). El-P is also a member of The Weathermen and art collective Cardboard City (along with Cage, Shia LaBoeuf, Aesop Rock, Yak Ballz and others). In 2013, he formed the hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, with frequent collaborator Killer Mike, and has released two RTJ albums. El-P was born on March 2, 1975.
My favorite song from Run the Jewels 2 (2014) is the excellent final track, “Angel Duster.” Also, five years ago, I uploaded a 12-song Definitive Jux 2010 playlist to 8tracks. It’s a 2001-2009 retrospective of some favorite Def Jux tracks in response to El-P’s announcement that the label was going on hiatus and he was stepping down as artistic director. Feel free to listen to the playlist in honor of El-P’s 40th birthday. Or in honor of my 36th birthday, which is tomorrow.