Greydon Square

Eddie Collins (born September 28, 1981), better known by his stage name Greydon Square, is an American rapper, producer and sound engineer from Compton, California. He is an Iraq War veteran, an outspoken atheist, and the owner/co-founder of Majestic Comics. He uses his creativity to encourage discussion of atheism, critical thinking and rational thought.

Early life

Collins grew up an orphan in Compton, where he was raised in foster homes in the Department of Children and Family Services system. At the age of nine, he taught himself how to play the piano at one of his foster homes. In his teenage years, Collins joined the Tragniew Park Compton Crips, a Compton-based subgroup of the street gang Crips. This led to his arrest and conviction of a weapons-related charge when he was 17. He was incarcerated at Sylmar Juvenile Hall. Of his childhood in the foster care system, he says he "was basically ''watched'', not raised."

Collins enlisted in the United States Army after his release in 2001. He served in the Iraq War attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. He says his time in Iraq has caused him to suffer post-traumatic stress.

After leaving the Army, Collins began studying at Arizona State University, where he focused on computer science. It was during his time at the university Collins began questioning his religious beliefs, leading him to atheism.

Music career

With the exception of his first released album, Collins uses his stage name, Greydon Square, for all his musical projects and other aspects of his professional life. He cites as his influences Rakim, Phil Collins, DJ Quik, Dr. Dre, Quincy Jones, Stanley Clarke, Cedric Williams, and The Bee Gees.

Musical beginnings: 2004–2006

In 2004, under the name Apocalypse, Square released his first album, ''Absolute''. The album was self-published and has since been discontinued. In 2015, Square re-released two songs from the album, ''Absolute'' and ''Reality''.

''The Compton Effect'' and ''The C.P.T. Theorem'': 2007–2009

Square's first major album—as well as his first album under the name Greydon Square—was named '' The Compton Effect'' and was released in 2007. The title refers to both the physical phenomenon of the same name and the city in which he grew up, Compton. He created his own company to distribute the record, declining offers from several record labels. The following year he released ''The C.P.T. Theorem'', named after the CPT theorem, another concept in the field of physics.

His music deals with philosophical and political issues, the war in Iraq and his experiences as a soldier, and his childhood spent in group homes. His atheistic views are dominant in his albums of this period.

The Kardashev Scale Quadrilogy: 2010–2022

In 2010, he released the first of a trilogy of albums, ''Type I : The Kardashev Scale'', named after the method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement. The ''Type I'' prefix refers to the scale classification of civilizations roughly equal to Earth's, and it is also used to identify the album as the first of the trilogy. The album featured the song "War Porn", performed by Square along with hip-hop artist Canibus.

The second album of the trilogy, ''Type II : The Mandelbrot Set'', was released in 2012. In addition to continuing the "Type" naming of the trilogy, the album title references the Mandelbrot set, which is a set of complex numbers used to create fractals. Square added the trilogy in 2015 with the album ''Omniverse : Type 3 : Aum niverse''. The omniverse is the collection of this universe and all other hypothetical "alternate" or "parallel universes".

The latest album of the saga, ''Type 4: City on the Type of Forever'', was released in 2022. In addition to continuing the "Type" naming of the quadrilogy, the album title draws influence from the Star Trek Original Series episode City on the Edge of Forever.

Also during this period, Square collaborated with nerdcore rapper Sai Phi on the album ''LTGU'' as well as Sai Phi's debut solo album '' Dimensions Disassembled'', where he appeared alongside Iyosi Pydas and Scientifik.

''Compton Scattering'': 2017–present

On November 5, 2017, he released the album ''Compton Scattering'', named after a more general version of the Compton effect. The album, which more closely reflects his earlier works, discusses topics such as politics, cryptocurrency, and anti-natalism.

Square was also a featured artist on the album ''LTGU'', released on August 8, 2017, by the Phoenix, Arizona-based group Low Technology, which Square co-founded in 2007.

Related projects

Square is a member of the international secular hip-hop activist movement and The Anti-Injustice Movement, also known as AIM Clika. With others, he founded the Grand Unified Theory organization, which uses creativity to educate people about science and rational thinking.

In 2016, Square and rapper Tombstone da Deadman produced a science-fiction comic named ''Extropy and Entropy'', illustrated by Joseph Arnold. The comic is meant to be accompanied by music tracks by Square and Tombstone.

In 2013, he appeared in the documentary film ''Contradiction'', about Christianity in the black community.

Personal life

Conflict with Brian Sapient

Once an active member of the Rational Response Squad, Square was put on probation in 2008 after he punched leader Brian Sapient at a public event in Washington, D.C. The incident was allegedly sparked by a disagreement over CD sales. During an interview with Phoenix New Times the following year, Square said, "It never ceases to amaze me that when people join a group, they just accept the group position on everything. And I did that, with the Rational Response Squad. I accepted their methods and I accepted their beefs."

Discography

Solo albums

Collaboration albums

See also

*American Atheists
* West Coast hip hop
* List of West Coast hip hop artists

References

External links

GreydonSquare.ComBandcamp websiteExtropy and Entropy Facebook groupMajestic Comics

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greydon Square
1981 births
African-American atheists
African-American male rappers
American male rappers
American atheism activists
Anti-natalists
American critics of creationism
Living people
Musicians from Compton, California
Rappers from Los Angeles
Underground rappers
United States Army soldiers
American critics of Islam
African-American former Christians
20th-century atheists
21st-century atheists
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century African-American musicians
20th-century African-American people