Brand Nubian is an American
hip hop group from
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...
, composed of three emcees (
Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1964), known professionally as Grand Puba, is an American rapper and emcee, best known as one of the members of the group Brand Nubian from New Rochelle, New York.
Biography
He made his debut as Grand Puba Maxw ...
,
Sadat X
Derek Murphy (born December 29, 1968), better known as Sadat X, is an American rapping, rapper, best known as a member of alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president ...
and
Lord Jamar
Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he disco ...
), and formerly three DJs (DJ Alamo, DJ Sincere, and DJ Stud Doogie). Their debut studio album, ''
One for All'' (1990), is one of the most popular and acclaimed
alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop (also known as alternative rap) is a subgenre of hip hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising " hip hop groups that refuse to confor ...
albums of the 1990s, known for socially conscious and political lyrics inspired by the teachings of
The Nation of Gods and Earths
The Five-Percent Nation, sometimes referred to as the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE/NOGE) or the Five Percenters, is a Black nationalist movement influenced by Islam that was founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, N ...
. In 2008,
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...
placed the group on its list of the 25 Greatest Rap Groups of All Time.
History
1989–1992
Brand Nubian formed in 1989 and their first single, "Brand Nubian," was released in 1989. Signed to
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the 1 ...
by A&R man
Dante Ross
Dante Ross (born October 11, 1967) is an American music industry executive, artists and repertoire representative, and record producer. He was named one of the top-25 greatest A&R representatives in hip hop by ''Complex'' magazine. Ross has been ...
, their debut album, ''
One For All'', was released in 1990. Generally acclaimed, the album drew fire for militant
Five-Percenter rhetoric on tracks such as "Drop the Bomb" and "Wake Up". The controversy helped selling in excess of 400,000 copies. A version of the
Fab Five Freddy
Fred Brathwaite (born August 31, 1959), more popularly known as Fab 5 Freddy, is an American visual artist, filmmaker, and hip hop pioneer. He is considered one of the architects of the street art movement. Freddy emerged in New York's downtown ...
-directed video of the single "Wake Up," featuring a black man in white-face makeup, was banned from MTV. On that channel and from official
WEA
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami.
Today, the descendants of the ...
sources, this image was replaced by a Baptist preacher. The singles "
Slow Down
Slow Down or slowdown may refer to:
Music
* ''Slow Down'' (album), by Keb' Mo', 1998
Songs
* "Slow Down" (Bobby Valentino song), 2005
* "Slow Down" (Brand Nubian song), 1991
* "Slow Down" (Douwe Bob song), representing the Netherlands at Euro ...
," "All for One," and "Wake Up" all became hits on ''Billboard’s''
Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Songs (formerly known as Hot Rap Tracks and Hot Rap Singles) is a chart released weekly by ''Billboard'' in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio statio ...
chart in 1991.
Shortly after the group's debut release, Grand Puba quarreled with Sadat X and Lord Jamar, and he left the group, along with DJ Alamo, to pursue a solo career.
Following this, Lord Jamar and Sadat X asked DJ Sincere to join the group in 1992. The same year, Puba released his solo debut, ''
Reel to Reel
Reel-to-reel audio tape recording, also called open-reel recording, is magnetic tape audio recording in which the recording tape is spooled between reels. To prepare for use, the ''supply reel'' (or ''feed reel'') containing the tape is plac ...
''.
At the end of 1992, Brand Nubian released the single "Punks Jump up to Get Beat Down". The track created controversy because of its
homophobic
Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...
content such as Sadat X's line "I can freak, fly, flow, fuck up a faggot/I don't understand their ways; I ain't down with gays". Despite this, the single charted on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 77. Later versions omitted the line and replaced it with different lyrics, including the version on the greatest hits compilation ''The Very Best of Brand Nubian''.
1992–1996
In early 1993, Brand Nubian released their second album, ''
In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...
'',
which included the song "
Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down
"Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" is a song by the American hip hop group Brand Nubian included on their 1993 album ''In God We Trust''. The song was later included on their 2001 greatest hits compilation album, '' The Very Best of Brand Nubian''. ...
" and the number 92 Hot-100 single "Love Me or Leave Me Alone." That same year, the group's song "Lick Dem Muthaphuckas" was released as part of the ''
Menace II Society
''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. The film is set in Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and follows the life of K ...
'' soundtrack.
Brand Nubian's next release, ''
Everything is Everything'', was released in November 1994.
Reviews were mixed and sales mediocre, despite the top-40 Hot Rap Tracks singles "Word is Bond" and "Hold On". In 1995, Brand Nubian broke up and its members started solo careers in music and television. That same year, Grand Puba released his second solo album, ''
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
'', featuring another Billboard Hot 100 single, "I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)," and Sadat X released his first solo album, ''
Wild Cowboys
''Wild Cowboys'' is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Sadat X of Brand Nubian. It was released on July 15, 1996 via Loud Records. Recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios, at D&D Studios, at Platinum Island Studios and at ...
'', in 1996.
1997–2000
Brand Nubian's original members reunited in 1997 and contributed "A Child is Born" to the ''
Soul in the Hole'' soundtrack. In 1997, "Keep It Bubblin'" appeared on the ''
Money Talks'' soundtrack. In 1998, Brand Nubian released the album ''
Foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
'' on
Arista/
BMG Records
Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008. Although it was established in 1987, the music com ...
.
It featured contributions from producers such as
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He is considered one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time. He was half of the hip hop duo ...
,
Buckwild,
Lord Finesse
Lord Finesse (born Robert Hall Jr., February 19, 1970) is an American rapper and hip-hop record producer from The Bronx, New York best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of the Top-50 Hip-Hop Pro ...
, and
Diamond D
Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), better known by his stage name Diamond D, is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew, abbreviated as D.I.T. ...
. The lead single "
Don't Let It Go to Your Head" became, at number 54, the group's highest-charting single on the
Hot 100
The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. In 1999, Grand Puba and Sadat X were featured on "Once Again", from the first
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip hop producers Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030) and Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz). The collaboration originally lasted from ...
record. In 2000, Brand Nubian once again teamed up with Buckwild of
D.I.T.C.
The Diggin' in the Crates Crew, commonly known as D.I.T.C., is an American hip hop collective formed in 1992 in New York City. The collective's name derives from the act of seeking out LP record, records to Sampling (music), sample for Hip hop ...
, releasing the single "Rockin' It," after which the members, once again, pursued their solo projects. Sadat X released a solo EP in 2000, ''The State of New York vs. Derek Murphy''.
2001–present
Grand Puba released his third solo effort, ''Understand This'', in 2001, which received little attention. Brand Nubian reunited once again in 2004 for their fifth album, ''
Fire in the Hole
"Fire in the hole" is an expression indicating that an explosive detonation in a confined space is imminent. It originated from American miners, who needed to warn their fellows that a charge had been set. The phrase appears in this sense in Ame ...
'', released by
Babygrande Records
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
History
Babygrande Records was ...
. Sadat X released another solo effort in 2005, titled ''Experience & Education'', to mostly positive reviews. Jamar pursued his acting career, appearing on an episode of ''
The Sopranos
''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...
'', as well as episodes of ''
Oz'', ''
Third Watch
''Third Watch'' is an American crime drama television series created by John Wells and Edward Allen Bernero that aired on NBC from September 26, 1999, to May 6, 2005, with a total of 132 episodes spanning over six seasons. It was produced by ...
'', and ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
''. Lord Jamar released his first solo album, ''
The 5% Album'', in June 2006, on
Babygrande Records
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
History
Babygrande Records was ...
. Sadat X's third full-length album ''
Black October'' came out in October 2006. In 2007, the group released an album titled ''
Time's Runnin' Out
''Time's Runnin' Out'' is the sixth album by Brand Nubian. It was released on August 21, 2007, on Traffic Entertainment and featured production from Grand Puba, Lord Jamar, DJ Alamo, and Lord Finesse.
The material on the album was recorded in 19 ...
'', containing material recorded ten years earlier during the sessions for the 1998 ''Foundation'' album.
Members
*
Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon (born March 4, 1964), known professionally as Grand Puba, is an American rapper and emcee, best known as one of the members of the group Brand Nubian from New Rochelle, New York.
Biography
He made his debut as Grand Puba Maxw ...
(1989–1991, 1997–2000, 2003–present)
*
Sadat X
Derek Murphy (born December 29, 1968), better known as Sadat X, is an American rapping, rapper, best known as a member of alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president ...
(1989–1995, 1997–2000, 2003–present)
*
Lord Jamar
Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989. In 1996, he disco ...
(1989–1995, 1997–2000, 2003–present)
* DJ Alamo (1989–1991, 1997–2000)
* DJ Sincere (1989–1995)
* DJ Stud Doogie
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
One for All'' (1990)
* ''
In God We Trust
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Everything Is Everything'' (1994)
* ''
Foundation
Foundation may refer to:
* Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization
** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S.
** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
'' (1998)
* ''
Fire in the Hole
"Fire in the hole" is an expression indicating that an explosive detonation in a confined space is imminent. It originated from American miners, who needed to warn their fellows that a charge had been set. The phrase appears in this sense in Ame ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Time's Runnin' Out
''Time's Runnin' Out'' is the sixth album by Brand Nubian. It was released on August 21, 2007, on Traffic Entertainment and featured production from Grand Puba, Lord Jamar, DJ Alamo, and Lord Finesse.
The material on the album was recorded in 19 ...
'' (2007)
References
External links
Brand Nubian interview with Scion BroadbandHip Hop Icon Series: Brand Nubian
{{Authority control
Arista Records artists
East Coast hip hop groups
Elektra Records artists
Five percenters
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups from New York (state)