Kurtis el Khaleel (Arabic: خليل) (b. September 4, 1965, Jamaica), known by the stage name Kurtis Mantronik, is an American-British hip hop and electronic-music artist, DJ, remixer, and producer. Mantronik was the former leader, DJ, and keyboardist of the influential 1980s hip hop and electro-funk group Mantronix. Currently, Mantronik lives in Britain, where he has produced and remixed house and techno music tracks by artists such as Junior Senior, Kylie Minogue, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, Michael Gray, Victoria Beckham, Liberty X, and Mim.
Early years & Mantronix era (1984–1991)
Mantronik was born in Jamaica to a Syrian father and a Jamaican mother. He emigrated to Canada with his family at age 7, before eventually settling in New York City. It was around this time that his interest in electro music began when he heard "Riot in Lagos" (1980) by Yellow Magic Orchestra's Ryuichi Sakamoto on the radio, inspiring him to experiment with electro music a few years later.
"Sweet Dreams My LA Ex" is the début single by English singer-songwriter Rachel Stevens. It was released on 15 September 2003 as lead single from her first solo album, Funky Dory. Originally written for Britney Spears, the song was produced by Swedish Bloodshy & Avant, and received a mixed reception from contemporary critics. The single is Stevens's most successful single to date, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was the 22nd best-selling single of 2003 in the United Kingdom, selling 210,000 copies. It has sold over 233,000 copies as of 2013.
The name uses a pun on LAX, the IATA airport code for the Los Angeles International Airport.
Composition and inspiration
The lyrics of the song, written by Cathy Dennis, were inspired by Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me a River", which is believed to be aimed at Britney Spears, his ex-girlfriend. The lyrics are a message to the famous ex-lover who has talked about the relationship and break-up in public, with the person in the song now taking the time to deliver their side of the story.