Steven Adam Markowitz
(born August 19, 1988), better known by his
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Hoodie Allen, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from
Plainview, New York
Plainview is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located near the North Shore of Long Island in the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population of the CDP was 27,100. The Plainview post office has t ...
.
After graduating from the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, he began working at Google before ultimately quitting to pursue a music career full-time. In 2012, he released his first official EP titled ''
All American'' which debuted at No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In October 2014, Hoodie officially released his debut studio album, ''
People Keep Talking
''People Keep Talking'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Hoodie Allen. It was announced on August 19 with a pre-order date of August 25 and a release date of October 14, 2014. The album features 14 tracks.
Release ...
'' which was successful with first week sales of over 30,000 along with a debut position of No. 8 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Hoodie followed up on his success in January 2016 and released his second studio album, ''Happy Camper.
Early life
Steven Markowitz was born on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
and raised in a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
household in
Plainview along with his brother, Daniel.
He started writing lyrics as a child, and would perform raps for his friends at house parties. Markowitz first attended the
Long Island School for the Gifted in
South Huntington
South Huntington is an affluent hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) within the Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 9,422 at the 2010 census. Residents have a Huntington Stat ...
, and later attended
Plainview – Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School.
While attending the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
, he pledged the
Alpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi (), commonly known as AEPi, is a college fraternity founded at New York University in 1913 by Charles C. Moskowitz and ten other men. The fraternity has more than 150 active chapters across the United States, Canada, United Kingdo ...
fraternity. He also played as defensive back for Penn's
sprint football
Sprint football, formerly called lightweight football, is a varsity sport played by United States colleges and universities, under standard American football rules. As of the 2022 season, the sport is governed by the Collegiate Sprint Football ...
team. After graduating in 2010 with a degree in marketing and finance, he worked at
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
as an AdWords associate in their Standardized AdWords Reseller Training (START) program.
He would leave at 7:00 AM for a bus ride to the
Googleplex
The Googleplex is the corporate headquarters complex of Google and its parent company, Alphabet Inc. It is located at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway in Mountain View, California.
The original complex, with of office space, is the company's second la ...
in
Mountain View, work a full day at Google, return home at 6:00 PM, write songs, answer fan emails, and schedule concerts until 2:00 or 3:00 AM.
[ Reflecting on this, Allen said, "I was moving so fast, and even while I was at Google there was so much going on that I felt like I was doing two full-time jobs."][ His dream and passion was music, so when he got opportunities to do live shows, he decided to leave Google.]
Career
2009–12: Beginnings and ''Leap Year''
Hoodie Allen originally was the duo of Steve Markowitz and Obey City (Samuel Obey, a childhood friend) on vocals and production, respectively. The name came about because Steven's nickname growing up was "Hoodie," and he wanted a name that "would stick in peoples' minds and be a little bit funny and representative of who I am" so a play off of famed filmmaker Woody Allen
Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...
was settled on.[Meet the Artist: Hoodie Allen]
. ''The Kollection''. March 14, 2011. Steve and Obey's first two releases were the ''Bagels & Beats EP'' and ''Making Waves'' mixtape. These earned Hoodie a nomination for MTVU
MTVU (formerly stylized as MtvU and mtvU) is an American digital cable TV channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. The channel was first known as VH1 Uno from 2000 to ...
's Best Music on Campus Award in 2009. The single "UPENN Girls" also received notable attention. However, in 2010 Obey City ceased to produce in Hoodie for unknown reasons, and Steve continued making music with RJ Ferguson (aka RJF), giving himself the name Hoodie Allen.[TGLR Interview with Hoodie Allen]
. ''The Good Life''. October 13, 2010. In June 2010, he released "You Are Not a Robot," which sampled "I Am Not a Robot" by Marina and the Diamonds
Marina Lambrini Diamandis (; el, Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; born 10 October 1985), known mononymously as Marina (often stylised in all caps), and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer and ...
and which hit No. 1 on Hype Machine
Hype Machine is a music blog aggregator created by Anthony Volodkin.
History
Hype Machine was originally a music database created in 2005 by Anthony Volodkin, then a sophomore computer science major at Hunter College.Heilemann, JohCapturing the ...
, an aggregator that collects the most-blogged about music in the world.[ After seeing the response, he spent the summer working, and finished his mixtape ]
Pep Rally
' by September.[ The album was largely produced by RJF, and sampled songs from ]Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboar ...
, Flight Facilities
Flight Facilities is an Australian electronic producer duo that also performs as Hugo & Jimmy. In 2009, they began mixing songs by other artists before crafting their own original material. The duo consists of Hugo Gruzman and James Lyell. The ...
, Marina and the Diamonds
Marina Lambrini Diamandis (; el, Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; born 10 October 1985), known mononymously as Marina (often stylised in all caps), and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer and ...
, Ellie Goulding
Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and Artists and ...
, and Two Door Cinema Club
Two Door Cinema Club are a band from Bangor, County Down, Bangor, Northern Ireland. The band formed in 2007 and is composed of three members: Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths), Sam Halliday (lead guitar, backing vocals), and Ke ...
. He picked the name "Pep Rally" because he said that it "captured the energy of the record" and something "new and exciting."[Joseph, Matt]
Interview With Hoodie Allen
February 27, 2011. He self-financed a video for the lead single "You Are Not A Robot," which helped the mixtape get downloaded over 200,000 times.
In July 2011, Hoodie released his third mixtape, ''Leap Year''. It reached 250,000 SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
plays in its first week of release.[Blistein, Jon]
Uncharted Territory: Hoodie Allen Breaks Into The Top 5, Dionne Bromfield Holds Strong
''Billboard''. August 5, 2011. In support of the album, Hoodie headlined a 15-city tour across North America, including stops in San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, with supporting act Fortune Family opening on several venues. Previously, he had toured with The Cataracs
The Cataracs were an American hip hop record production project and duo formed in Berkeley, California, United States, consisting of David Benjamin Singer-Vine (born March 9, 1988) and Niles Hollowell-Dhar (born October 6, 1988). The duo starte ...
, Das Racist
Das Racist was an American alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, composed of MCs Heems and Kool A.D. and hype man Ashok Kondabolu (a.k.a. Dapwell or Dap). Known for their use of humor, academic references, foreign allusions, and unconven ...
, Chiddy Bang
Chidera Anamege, now known by his stage name Chiddy Bang, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its breakup, Chiddy Bang was an American hip hop duo consisting of Anamege, under the stage name Chiddy, and Noah Beresin, ...
, Mike Posner
Michael Robert Henrion Posner ( ; born February 12, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer.For Posner's full name, see He released his debut album, '' 31 Minutes to Takeoff'', in 2010. The album includes the US ''Billboa ...
, and RJD2
Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as Soul Position, MHz Lega ...
.
2012: ''All American''
On March 4, 2012, Hoodie announced via Twitter that he would be releasing his first EP, titled ''All American''. He decided on this title because he credited his rise to the American Dream, because he felt the songs showcased his best music to date, and because of a hometown restaurant with the same title. Hoodie spent five months developing the album, building tracks from scratch with his producer, RJF, rather than using sampled beats.[Cubarrubia, R.J]
Hoodie Allen Goes Pro With Debut EP, 'All American'
''Billboard''. April 10, 2012. Regarding the writing process, Hoodie stated that, "I would describe it as liberating... It was like, 'Okay, I hear this idea in my head, I hear these original ideas, ndI'm putting them and piecing them together.'"[ On March 29, 2012, Hoodie released the first single from ''All American'' entitled "No Interruption," as well as its music video. The music video for his second single on ''All American'', titled "No Faith In Brooklyn (feat. Jhameel)," was released on April 9. ''All American'' was released on April 10, 2012, and debuted as the No. 1 album on ]iTunes
iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and at No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Over the months of April and May, Hoodie made a 22-stop tour across the US in support of ''All American'', featuring rapper Wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds that are lipophilic, malleable solids near ambient temperatures. They include higher alkanes and lipids, typically with melting points above about 40 °C (104 °F), melting to giv ...
, Jared Evan
Jared Evan Siegel is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and rapper. He was signed to Zone 4 under Interscope Records. The song "Frozen", which Evan wrote and produced, appeared on the LeBron James documentary soundtrack entitled ...
, and others varied from show to show. The I Work Better In The UK Tour was his first time performing overseas. The Excellent Adventure Tour, which featured G-Eazy
Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. His first major-label album, '' These Things Happen'', was released on June 23, 2014, and peaked at number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 ...
, began on September 7, 2012.
2013: ''Crew Cuts'' and ''Americoustic''
On February 11, 2013, ''XXL'' premiered the music video for "Cake Boy," the first single off of Hoodie's upcoming mixtape. The single was later released on iTunes for purchase. A week later, the music video for "Fame Is For Assholes" (abbreviated FIFA) premiered on YouTube which features rapper Chiddy Bang
Chidera Anamege, now known by his stage name Chiddy Bang, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its breakup, Chiddy Bang was an American hip hop duo consisting of Anamege, under the stage name Chiddy, and Noah Beresin, ...
. Hoodie commented, "I wanted to write a track that mixed a classic doo-wop vibe with the more upbeat hip-hop style that my fans have come to love."
Hoodie embarked on his Cruisin' USA Tour with Aer and Jared Evan
Jared Evan Siegel is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and rapper. He was signed to Zone 4 under Interscope Records. The song "Frozen", which Evan wrote and produced, appeared on the LeBron James documentary soundtrack entitled ...
which began on March 5, 2013. G-Eazy
Gerald Earl Gillum (born May 24, 1989), better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper. His first major-label album, '' These Things Happen'', was released on June 23, 2014, and peaked at number 3 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 ...
, instead of Aer, accompanied Hoodie on his Boston, Philly, and NYC shows. During the Cruisin' USA Tour, Hoodie directed the audience to chant that they wanted to see him on ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
''. Leading up to Roseland Ballroom
The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's theater district, on West 52nd Street in Manhattan.
The venue, according to its website, accommodated ...
, Hoodie started the hashtag "#GetHoodieAllenOnFallon" on Twitter to rally his fans. After trending worldwide, Fallon asked to speak with Hoodie.
Hoodie performed his new single "Make It Home" on Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
alongside Kina Grannis
Kina Kasuya Grannis (born August 4, 1985) is an American guitarist, singer and Internet personalities, YouTuber. Grannis was the winner of the 2008 Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest, earning a recording contract with Interscope Records and ha ...
which was released on April 30. The studio version of the single was released onto iTunes on May 15, 2013, where it reached the top ten of the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap charts.
On July 30, 2013, Hoodie released the music video for "No Interruption (Acoustic)". His acoustic EP ''Americoustic'' was released on August 13, 2013, and reached No. 1 on the iTunes Hip-Hop/Rap album chart and No. 4 on the iTunes overall albums chart. The EP's guitar work was composed, recorded and produced by Our Last Night
Our Last Night is an American post-hardcore band formed in 2004, consisting of brothers Trevor (vocals) and Matthew (guitar, vocals) Wentworth and Timothy Molloy (drums). The band is known for its post-hardcore and alternative metal renditions ...
guitarist Matt Wentworth.
2014: ''People Keep Talking''
The lead single off of Hoodie's debut studio album, ''People Keep Talking
''People Keep Talking'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Hoodie Allen. It was announced on August 19 with a pre-order date of August 25 and a release date of October 14, 2014. The album features 14 tracks.
Release ...
'', was released on May 7, 2014, titled "Show Me What You're Made Of." It premiered along with its music video, which parodied the film ''Happy Gilmore
''Happy Gilmore'' is a 1996 American sports comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and produced by Robert Simonds. It stars Adam Sandler as the title character, an unsuccessful ice hockey player who discovers a newfound talent for golf. The screenp ...
'', and featured fellow rapper D-WHY and Tommy Lee
Thomas Lee Bass (born October 3, 1962) is an American musician and founding member of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap metal band Methods of Mayhem and has pursued solo musical ...
from Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...
. The single was made available for purchase on iTunes and debuted as the No. 2 song overall. Hoodie then made his television debut on ''Good Day Philadelphia
WTXF-TV (channel 29) is a television station in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, airing programming from the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network. owned-and-operated station, Owned and operated by the network's Fox Te ...
'' playing an acoustic version of "Show Me What You're Made Of" after a short interview on May 15.
To promote the album, Hoodie went on a world tour titled ''People Keeping Talking World Tour'', this included shows in the US, Europe, Canada, and Australia, featuring artists Chiddy Bang
Chidera Anamege, now known by his stage name Chiddy Bang, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Prior to its breakup, Chiddy Bang was an American hip hop duo consisting of Anamege, under the stage name Chiddy, and Noah Beresin, ...
and MAX. The tour began on October 29, 2014, at the Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236.
Royal Oak is located along th ...
, and ran into June 2015.
After tweeting to bassist Pete Wentz
Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician best known as the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy since 2001. Before Fall Out Boy, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lea ...
about touring together, it was announced that Hoodie would be a special guest on the Boys of Zummer Tour with co-headliners Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
and Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. He released his debut album, ''Show and Prove'', in 2006 and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 200 ...
.
2016–2017: ''Happy Camper'' and ''The Hype''
On January 22, 2016, Hoodie released his second studio album, ''Happy Camper''. Leading up to its release, the eighth track, "Champagne and Pools" (featuring blackbear and KYLE
Kyle or Kyles may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Kyle, Saskatchewan, Canada
Ireland
* Kyle, County Laois
* Kyle, County Wexford
Scotland
* Kyle, Ayrshire, area of Scotland which stretched across parts of modern-day East Ayrshire and South Ayrshir ...
), and the album's lead single, "Are U Having Any Fun?" (featuring Meghan Tonjes), were released. The lead single was also accompanied by its music video which followed the style of a video game similar to ''Grand Theft Auto V
''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
''. ''Happy Camper'' was also made available for download on iTunes peaking at No. 2 on the overall albums chart.
On September 29, 2017, he released his third studio album, ''The Hype''.
2019: ''Whatever USA''
On August 16, 2019, Hoodie released his fourth studio album ''Whatever USA''.
Leading up to its release, the ninth track "Never Going Back" was released on March 1, 2019. He then released "Come Around“, the second single on the album, with Christian French on June 21, 2019. The third track released before the album released was "Hell of a Time" which was released on August 2, 2019.
2020: Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
Numerous allegations of sexual misconduct with minors and grooming by Hoodie Allen, a band member, and his road manager surfaced on Twitter in 2020. The allegations include Hoodie and a band member inappropriately messaging and flirting with often underage fans, groping fans, soliciting images from minors, and both manipulating and gaslighting underaged fans. Hoodie responded on Twitter saying that he had fired a band member.
Acting career
Hoodie has appeared in four episodes of the CollegeHumor
CollegeHumor is an Internet comedy company based in Los Angeles. Aside from producing content for release on YouTube, it was also a former humor website owned by InterActiveCorp ( IAC) until January 2020, when IAC withdrew funding and the websi ...
series ''Jake and Amir'' since March 3, 2011. He made his CollegeHumor debut as Amir's rap teacher in "Jake and Amir / Rap Teacher (With Hoodie Allen)" and returned to that role three more times in videos titled "Jake and Amir / Rap Teacher 2 (with Hoodie Allen)", "Jake and Amir / Rap Teacher 3 (with Hoodie Allen)", and "Jake and Amir / Jake and Amir Finale Part 5: The Auditions".
Reception
In July 2011, Hoodie cracked the Top 10 of ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
s Uncharted Territory. For the week of August 5, 2011, he was No. 2 on ''Billboards'' Uncharted Territory, with ''Billboard'' noting that his "growing popularity is undeniable."[
On April 10, 2012, Hoodie's ''All American'' EP went to No. 1 on the iTunes charts within hours of its release. ''All American'' also debuted at No. 10 on ]Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
's Top Albums and was featured on its hip-hop and R&B column, The Juice.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Hoodie
Living people
American hip hop singers
East Coast hip hop musicians
Google employees
Jewish American musicians
Jewish rappers
People from Old Bethpage, New York
Rappers from New York (state)
Underground rappers
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni
1988 births
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American Jews