Ameritz (Rapper)

Wendell James Randolph (b. February 21, 1980) and better known by his stage name Ameritz or Ameritz The Rapper) is an American rapper, karaoke artist, actor, and humorist best known for starring as himself in Ameritz In California City.

Personal Life
Sometime in his teens, Randolph began a songwriting career himself while in high school, but eventually met Will Beard who suggested him to join Merrill Studios, where he made himself a stage name and named himself Ameritz, though this name was coincidentally used by a karaoke company in the UK. He explained in a 2008 interview that he picked the name because he liked it but had no idea that there was a karaoke company using it.

Legal Issues
Randolph ran into major issues, especially in regard to his stage name. In September 2009, Randolph used a karaoke instrumental of Stronger by Kanye West to rewrite the song and release the song into his 2009 album Nothing Better. Due to a karaoke company in the UK using the name, Randolph did not use his stage name outside of North America and instead used his legal first name in those markets. However, he did not plan on changing his name because he liked it, and he also pronounces his name differently (as if you are pronouncing America, but with the "ca" replaced with "tz"). He also stated that he had picked his name from a spelling error he made in middle school, and he decided to use it.

These issues are among the reasons Ameritz in California City is called Wendell in California City outside of North America.

Notable Works

 * Ameritz In California City (1996)
 * Ameritz In California City: The Movie (2000)
 * Ameritz In California City: The HD Movie (2008)