Jaime Meline (born March 2, 1975), better known by the stage name El-P (shortened from his previous stage name El Producto), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Starting his career as a member of
Company Flow
Company Flow was an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of Bigg Jus, El-P and Mr. Len.
The group was at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/ producer El-P and DJ/producer ...
, he has been a driving force in
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 ...
since the early 1990s, producing for rappers including
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emer ...
,
Cage
A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...
, and
Mr. Lif
Jeffrey Haynes (born December 28, 1977), better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American rapper from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux and one ...
. He was a member of
The Weathermen and is the co-founder, owner, and CEO of the
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux was a record label based in New York City. It was co-founded in 1999 by El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe.
History
Definitive Jux was initially known as Def Jux. However, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the nam ...
record label.
After releasing four solo studio albums that were critically acclaimed''
Fantastic Damage
''Fantastic Damage'' is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on May 14, 2002. It peaked at number 198 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Music videos were created for "Stepfather Factory ...
'' (2002), ''
High Water
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ca ...
'' (2004), ''
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
''I'll Sleep When You're Dead'' is the second solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on March 20, 2007. It peaked at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling about 11,000 copies in its fi ...
'' (2007), and ''
Cancer 4 Cure
''Cancer 4 Cure'' is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer El-P. It was released through Fat Possum Records on May 22, 2012. It peaked at No. 71 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Background
The album is dedicated to El-P's ...
'' (2012)El-P began experiencing mainstream success in 2013 when he formed the hip hop duo
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip hop super-duo composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut studio album ...
with fellow rapper
Killer Mike
Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP '' Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single "T ...
. They have released four studio albums for free, all of which have received widespread acclaim: ''
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip hop super-duo composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut studio album ...
'' (2013), ''
Run the Jewels 2
''Run the Jewels 2'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of Killer Mike and El-P. The album was released early for free on October 24, 2014, and the following day on iTunes. It was made available on ...
'' (2014), ''
Run the Jewels 3
''Run the Jewels 3'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of rappers El-P and Killer Mike. It was self-released through their Run the Jewels, Inc. imprint via RBC Records digitally on December 24, 201 ...
'' (2016), and ''
RTJ4
''RTJ4'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels. It was released digitally through their own Jewel Runners imprint via BMG Rights Management on June 3, 2020, two days earlier than scheduled, with physical editions rele ...
'' (2020).
Early life
El-P was born Jaime Meline in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, in 1975, the son of Nan Dillon
and jazz pianist Harry Keyes (born Harry Meline). He is of Cajun, Irish, and Lithuanian-Jewish descent.
[URB Magazine 2002 via DanielChamberlin.com](_blank)
Accessed December 2015. While his mother was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and his father was raised
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 ...
, they did not emphasize either faith to him, and he later joked that he "got none of it except a
circumcision at birth".
El-P's parents divorced when he was seven years old, and he later wrote the song "Last Good Sleep" about once hearing his mother being assaulted by his drunken stepfather in the next room and not realizing what had happened until the next day.
Although his mother responded to the beating by splitting up with his stepfather, reporting him to police, and changing their home's locks, El-P had recurring nightmares about the incident and once chased a stranger he mistook for his ex-stepfather through the
New York subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, an affiliate agency of the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Opened on October 2 ...
.
El-P was expelled from two high schools for various issues, including his refusal to stop wearing his baseball cap backwards.
He later got his
GED
The General Educational Development (GED) tests are a group of four subject tests which, when passed, provide certification that the test taker has United States or Canadian high school-level academic skills. It is an alternative to the US high ...
.
He went to musical engineering school at the Center for the Media Arts in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. After graduating, he enrolled at
Hunter College
Hunter College is a public university in New York City. It is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York and offers studies in more than one hundred undergraduate and postgraduate fields across five schools. It also admi ...
, but dropped out because most of his courses did not relate to the career he wanted.
Career
Early career
Getting involved with the
hip hop culture
Hip hop or hip-hop is a culture and art movement that was created by African Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans in the Bronx, New York City. Hip hop culture is characterized by four key elements: rapping, DJing and turntablis ...
of New York City at an early age, El-P met
Mr. Len
Mr. Len (Leonard "Lenny" Smythe) is a hip hop DJ born in the Bronx, New York. He moved to Hillside, NJ when he was 12 years old. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the la ...
when he hired Len as the DJ for his 17th birthday party. The two became friends and formed
Company Flow
Company Flow was an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York City, consisting of Bigg Jus, El-P and Mr. Len.
The group was at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/ producer El-P and DJ/producer ...
in 1992. They released their first
vinyl
Vinyl may refer to:
Chemistry
* Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer
* Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation
* Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry
* Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...
single, "Juvenile Technique", in 1994.
Bigg Jus
Justin Ingleton, better known by his stage name Bigg Jus, is an American alternative hip hop artist from Jamaica, Queens. He was a member of Company Flow along with El-P and Mr. Len. He is also one half of the duo Nephlim Modulation Systems w ...
later joined the group and in 1996 the trio released its debut EP, ''
Funcrusher
''Funcrusher'' is the debut EP/album by New York City underground hip hop group Company Flow, released in 1995 on the group's own label Official Recordings. It sold well for an entirely independently released record, and was ranked sixth by album ...
''. Subject to a major-label bidding war after the success of the EP, Company Flow waited until it could get a contract on its own terms. The group eventually signed with
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records was an American hip hop record label known for starting the careers of many rappers. Rawkus started in 1995 with releases in hip-hop, drum and bass and fun-dustrial (Dystopia One).
Label heads Brian Brater and Jarret Myer then s ...
, and released its debut full-length album, ''
Funcrusher Plus
''Funcrusher Plus'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Company Flow. It was released by Rawkus Records in 1997. In 2009, it was re-released on Definitive Jux. The album has been recognized as "a landmark independent hip-hop releas ...
'' (1997).
After an
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
album titled ''
Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1'' (1999), also on
Rawkus, disagreements between El-P and the label led to Company Flow leaving Rawkus. El-P decided to start his own
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
,
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux was a record label based in New York City. It was co-founded in 1999 by El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe.
History
Definitive Jux was initially known as Def Jux. However, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the nam ...
(known informally as Def Jux, and extra-formally as Definitive Juxtapositions), and because of critically acclaimed albums such as
Cannibal Ox's ''
The Cold Vein
''The Cold Vein'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. It was produced by El-P and released on his Definitive Jux label on May 15, 2001. The album has since been reissued by iHipHop Distribution.
Release
''The Cold Vei ...
'' (produced by El-P) and
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emer ...
's ''
Labor Days
''Labor Days'' is the third studio album by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock. It was released by Definitive Jux on September 18, 2001. It is a concept album about work. The album's production was handled by Aesop Rock, Blockhead, and Omega One.
...
'', the label rose to prominence.
Company Flow dissolved amicably in 2001 and the following year El-P released his debut
solo album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
''
Fantastic Damage
''Fantastic Damage'' is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on May 14, 2002. It peaked at number 198 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Music videos were created for "Stepfather Factory ...
'', to critical acclaim. In 2004, El-P collaborated with the Blue Series Continuum for a
jazz-fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...
album titled ''
High Water
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ca ...
'', which received favorable reviews from both hip hop and jazz critics, as well as from more mainstream critics independent of both scenes. 2005 saw the release of ''
Collecting the Kid'', an odds-and-ends assortment including work from ''High Water'' and ''Bomb the System'', in addition to several songs of unknown provenance. El-P's second proper studio album, ''
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
''I'll Sleep When You're Dead'' is the second solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on March 20, 2007. It peaked at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling about 11,000 copies in its fi ...
'', was released on March 20, 2007. It generally received very favorable reviews and became El-P's most commercially successful album as a solo artist to date, peaking at No. 78 on the U.S.
''Billboard'' 200. In an interview about ''I'll Sleep When You're Dead'', he identifies himself as an atheist.
In October 2009, El-P announced that he was working on his third studio album, titled ''
Cancer 4 Cure
''Cancer 4 Cure'' is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer El-P. It was released through Fat Possum Records on May 22, 2012. It peaked at No. 71 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Background
The album is dedicated to El-P's ...
''. El-P was a part of a group called Central Services, which consisted of El-P,
Camu Tao
Tero Smith (June 26, 1977 – May 25, 2008), better known by his stage name Camu Tao, was an American rapper, singer, and producer.
Early life
Tao was born Tero Smith in Columbus, Ohio, on June 26, 1977.
Career
Tao was signed to Definitive Jux ...
, and Allysin Baker. In the fall of 2010, the EP ''Forever Frozen in Television Time'', was released exclusively on the Def Jux digital download service. In August 2011, it was announced that El-P signed with Fat Possum Records, which would release ''Cancer 4 Cure''. Later that month, El-P released a single off the upcoming album, via the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
Singles program, titled "Drones Over BKLYN". On February 22, 2012, El-P announced on his Facebook page that ''Cancer 4 Cure'' was complete. The album was released to music retailers on May 22.
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels
Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip hop super-duo composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed self-titled debut studio album ...
, a collaboration of El-P with
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
-based rapper
Killer Mike
Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP '' Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single "T ...
, was formed in 2013. The two rappers were introduced to each other by
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
executive Jason DeMarco in 2011.
The meeting led to several collaborations, including Killer Mike being featured on the song "Tougher Colder Killer" from ''Cancer 4 Cure'' while El-P produced the entirety of
Killer Mike
Michael Santiago Render (born April 20, 1975), better known by his stage name Killer Mike, is an American rapper, actor, and activist. Mike made his debut on Outkast's 2000 LP '' Stankonia'', and later appeared on their Grammy-winning single "T ...
's sixth album ''
R.A.P. Music
''R.A.P. Music'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Killer Mike. It was released through Williams Street Records on May 15, 2012. The "R.A.P." in the album's title is a backronym for "Rebellious African People". Production was handled b ...
''. When ''R.A.P. Music'' and ''Cancer 4 Cure'' were released within weeks of each other, a joint tour was planned. The success of the tour eventually led to the formation of Run the Jewels.
The duo released
their self-titled debut album on June 26, 2013.
They released ''
Run the Jewels 2
''Run the Jewels 2'' is the second studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of Killer Mike and El-P. The album was released early for free on October 24, 2014, and the following day on iTunes. It was made available on ...
'' on October 28, 2014. ''
Run the Jewels 3
''Run the Jewels 3'' is the third studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels, which consists of rappers El-P and Killer Mike. It was self-released through their Run the Jewels, Inc. imprint via RBC Records digitally on December 24, 201 ...
'' was released on December 24, 2016,
three weeks prior to the previously announced release date of January 13, 2017. Fourth album ''
RTJ4
''RTJ4'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels. It was released digitally through their own Jewel Runners imprint via BMG Rights Management on June 3, 2020, two days earlier than scheduled, with physical editions rele ...
'' was released on June 3, 2020. All of their albums to date have been released for free.
Production and featured appearances
El-P has contributed productions and guest rhymes to albums by
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz (born June 5, 1976), better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American rapper and producer from Long Island, New York. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emer ...
,
Evil Nine
Evil Nine are an English electronic music duo comprising members Tom Beaufoy and Patrick Pardy. Their musical style is primarily classified as breakbeat, although it additionally encompasses other influences.
Biography
The duo first came t ...
,
DJ Krush
, better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.
Early life
Ishi was born i ...
,
Murs
Murs may refer to:
People
* Marc Athanase Parfait Œillet des Murs (1804-1878), French ornithologist
* Olly Murs (born 1984), English singer-songwriter
* Murs (rapper) (born 1978), American rapper
Places
* Murs, Indre, France
* Murs, Vaucluse, ...
,
Cage
A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...
,
Mr. Lif
Jeffrey Haynes (born December 28, 1977), better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American rapper from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux and one ...
,
Prefuse 73
Guillermo Scott Herren is an American producer who has been based in Atlanta, Barcelona and New York City. Herren releases music under the aliases Prefuse 73, Delarosa & Asora, Ahmad Szabo, and Piano Overlord, and is also part of the groups S ...
,
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Teren Delvon Jones (born August 12, 1972), better known by his stage name Del the Funky Homosapien (sometimes stylized as Del tha Funkee Homosapien) or Sir DZL, is an American rapper.
Music career 1988–1997: Early life and beginnings
Born in O ...
,
Mike Ladd
Mike Ladd is an American hip hop musician from Boston, Massachusetts. He is based in Paris, France. ''The Guardian'' described him as "the king of the hip-hop concept."
Early life
Mike Ladd was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As a child, he live ...
,
The High and Mighty,
Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks (JMT) are an American underground hip hop group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1996 by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz (Vincenzo Luvineri) and producer Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind (Kevin Baldwin). In ...
,
Aceyalone
Edwin Maximilian "Eddie" Hayes, Jr. (born September 30, 1970), better known by his stage name Aceyalone, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California, United States. He is a member of Freestyle Fellowship, Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team. He is ...
,
Atmosphere
An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...
,
Techno Animal
Techno Animal is an electronic duo formed in 1990 in London, England by British musicians Justin Broadrick (of the band Godflesh) and Kevin Martin (aka the Bug, of the band God). The duo released six LPs beginning with their 1991 debut '' Ghost ...
, and
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 ...
.
He collaborated with
Alec Empire
Alec or Aleck is a Scottish form of the given name Alex. It may be a diminutive of the name Alexander or a given name in its own right. Notable people with the name include:
People
* Alec Aalto (1942–2018), Finnish diplomat
*Alec Acton (1938 ...
on 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 ...
album and with
Cage
A cage is an enclosure often made of mesh, bars, or wires, used to confine, contain or protect something or someone. A cage can serve many purposes, including keeping an animal or person in captivity, capturing an animal or person, and displayin ...
and
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno (born Camillo Wong Moreno, June 20, 1973) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist and contributing guitarist of the metal band Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project groups Team Sl ...
on the second. He was selected, along with
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ, songwriter and record producer. His debut studio album, '' Endtroducing.....'' was released in 1996.
Biography Early years (1989–1995)
DJ Sha ...
, to work on
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to simply Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerfor ...
frontman
Zack de la Rocha
Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Agains ...
's solo album (which never materialized). He has provided remixes for the likes of
Beans
A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...
(of
Anti-Pop Consortium
Antipop Consortium is an American alternative hip hop group. The group formed in 1997, when Beans, High Priest, M. Sayyid, and producer Earl Blaize met at a poetry slam in New York City. They are notable for their stream-of-consciousness lyric ...
),
Beck
Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his Experimental music, experimental and Lo-fi music, lo-fi style, and became ...
,
Blackalicious
Blackalicious was an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California, made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel. They are noted for Gift of Gab's often tongue-twisting, multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's soulful pr ...
,
Head Automatica
Head Automatica was an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York fronted by Daryl Palumbo (also of Glassjaw).
History
The beginnings of the band stemmed from singer Daryl Palumbo's interests in the hip hop and Britpop genres. Palumbo fe ...
,
Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 1999. The band was signed by Seattle label Sub Pop in 2001 and released its first EP, ''Knock Knock Knock'', and first full-length album, '' Make Up the Break ...
,
Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B.
D ...
,
Syd Matters
Syd Matters is a French band fronted by composer Jonathan Morali. The other band members are Jean-Yves Lozac'h, Olivier Marguerit, Remi Alexandre and Clement Carle. The name Syd Matters comes from the slight modification of the names of two Pi ...
,
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
,
Push Button Objects
Edgar Farinas, (born December 7, 1974), better known by his stage name Push Button Objects (abbreviated PBO), is an American hip hop producer from Miami, Florida. He is one half of Ko-Wreck Technique along with DJ Craze. Push Button Objects has r ...
,
Rob Sonic
Robert Smith, better known by his stage name Rob Sonic, is an American rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He has been a member of the groups Sonic Sum and Hail Mary Mallon. He is a founder of the record label Skypimps Music.
...
,
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and ...
,
Lorde
Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...
, and Yasushilde, among others. El-P provided the soundtrack for the graffiti film ''
Bomb the System
''Bomb the System'' is a drama film written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough, which was released to film festivals in 2002 and American theaters in 2005. It revolves around a group of graffiti artists living in New York City who decide to make a m ...
''.
Film scoring
El-P was the principal composer for the 2005 film ''
Bomb the System
''Bomb the System'' is a drama film written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough, which was released to film festivals in 2002 and American theaters in 2005. It revolves around a group of graffiti artists living in New York City who decide to make a m ...
''; he was one of the candidates to score a trailer for 2017's ''
Blade Runner 2049
''Blade Runner 2049'' is a 2017 American neo-noir science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. A sequel to the 1982 film ''Blade Runner'', the film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, w ...
'', but his score was "rejected or ignored". He created the score for the 2020 biopic ''
Capone''.
Style
El-P's rapping style is characterized by dense, aggressive, and verbose attacks that include heavy use of metaphors, sci-fi fantasy themes, pop culture references, and
associative wordplay. His lyrics often feature themes found in the works of sci-fi author
Philip K. Dick, such as paranoia and questions about the nature of reality.
Reviewing his 2002 album ''
Fantastic Damage
''Fantastic Damage'' is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on May 14, 2002. It peaked at number 198 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Music videos were created for "Stepfather Factory ...
'', critic Steve Huey described El-P as "one of the most technically gifted MCs of his time, spitting out near-impossible phrases and rhythmic variations that simply leave the listener's head spinning".
El-P's 2004 album ''
High Water
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ca ...
'' was a radical departure, pitting his beats and production against a jazz band under the direction of pianist
Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp (born December 7, 1960) is an American pianist, composer, and bandleader.
Early life and education
Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford B ...
, a fan of El-P's music. In a 2003 interview with Shipp for ''
Bomb
A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the Exothermic process, exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-t ...
'' magazine, El-P stated, "First and foremost, I wanted to
ake a different albumbecause it scared the shit out of me. And when I get offered the chance to be involved with something that scares me, I usually do it, because I'm trying to learn, I'm trying to understand music as much as I can, to become a better musician in general and work in different capacities."
Personal life
El-P began dating comedian and musician Emily Panic in 2010; they married in October 2018. She is twelve years his junior. Panic featured on Killer Mike’s 2012 album ''
R.A.P. Music
''R.A.P. Music'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Killer Mike. It was released through Williams Street Records on May 15, 2012. The "R.A.P." in the album's title is a backronym for "Rebellious African People". Production was handled b ...
'', which El-P produced in its entirety.
Discography
;Studio albums
*''
Fantastic Damage
''Fantastic Damage'' is the first solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on May 14, 2002. It peaked at number 198 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart. Music videos were created for "Stepfather Factory ...
'' (2002)
*''
High Water
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another.
Tide tables ca ...
'' (2004)
*''
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
''I'll Sleep When You're Dead'' is the second solo studio album by American hip hop artist El-P. It was released through Definitive Jux on March 20, 2007. It peaked at number 78 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling about 11,000 copies in its fi ...
'' (2007)
*''
Cancer 4 Cure
''Cancer 4 Cure'' is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer El-P. It was released through Fat Possum Records on May 22, 2012. It peaked at No. 71 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart.
Background
The album is dedicated to El-P's ...
'' (2012)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
1975 births
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American rappers
Alternative hip hop musicians
American atheists
American hip hop record producers
American male rappers
American music industry executives
American people of French-Canadian descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent
Definitive Jux artists
East Coast hip hop musicians
Fat Possum Records artists
Jewish rappers
Living people
Rappers from Brooklyn
Record producers from New York (state)
Science fiction fans
Songwriters from New York (state)
Thirsty Ear Recordings artists
Underground rappers
Run the Jewels members
Company Flow members
The Weathermen (hip hop group) members
American male songwriters
American male film score composers
American film score composers