Flatlinerz is a

horrorcore Horrorcore, also called horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, or death rap, is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from certain hardcore hip h ...

group from New York City. They are responsible for introducing the term "horrorcore" with their 1994 release '' U.S.A. (Under Satan's Authority)''.Hess, Mickey. ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Volume 2'', p. 369. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007

Biography

The group is Redrum (Jamel Simmons, son of Danny Simmons, nephew of

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

and

Rev Run Joseph Ward Simmons (born November 14, 1964), better known by the stage name Run, Rev. Run or DJ Run, is an American rapper, producer, DJ and television personality. Simmons is one of the founding members of the influential hip hop group Ru ...

) and two other emcees:

Gravedigger A gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Description If the grave is in a cemetery on the property of a church or other religious organization (part of, or called, a churchyard), g ...

and

Tempest Tempest is a synonym for a storm. '' The Tempest'' is a play by William Shakespeare. Tempest or The Tempest may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''The Tempest'' (1908 film), a British silent film * ''The Tempest'' (1911 film), a ...

. FLM was an extension of the Flatlinerz (Flatline Massive) which included artists Butter, Mayhem, and OMN999 (Omen).

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

targeted the Flatlinerz as an alternative to

gangsta rap Gangsta rap or gangster rap, initially called reality rap, emerged in the mid- to late 1980s as a controversial hip-hop subgenre whose lyrics assert the culture and values typical of American street gangs and street hustlers. Many gangsta rappe ...

, which was dominating hip hop music at that time. The term "

" is a fusion of

hardcore hip hop Hardcore hip hop (also hardcore rap) is a genre of hip hop music that developed through the East Coast hip hop scene in the 1980s. Pioneered by such artists as Run-DMC, Schoolly D, Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy, it is generally cha ...

and horror. The video for " Live Evil" featured Redrum rhyming while hanging from a noose. The second and last video ("

Satanic Verses The Satanic Verses are words of "satanic suggestion" which the Islamic prophet Muhammad is alleged to have mistaken for divine revelation. The verses praise the three pagan Meccan goddesses: al-Lāt, al-'Uzzá, and Manāt and can be read in ear ...

"), features

eating guts from a body, Redrum restrained with rats crawling on him, and

rhyming on a crucifix. In June 2014, The Flatlinerz announced via

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

, that it reformed and are working on a new project. In September 2014 it was announced that a 20th-anniversary release of

U.S.A. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

The Definitive Creepy Collection which included new and lost tracks from the Flatlinerz. On October 27, 2014, The Flatlinerz performed its first live performance in 20 years at

Twiztid Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan, known for both their horror-themed lyrics and rock influenced sound. Formed in 1997, Twiztid is composed of rappers Jamie "Madrox" Spaniolo and Paul "Monoxide" Methric. Spaniolo and ...

Fright Fest Fright Fest or FrightFest may refer to: *Six Flags Fright Fest, a Halloween event at Six Flags parks. * FrightFest (film festival), a British film festival, also known as Film4 Fright Fest. *"FrightFest", a Halloween event at the Elitch Gardens Th ...

show at the Town Ballroom in

Buffalo, NY Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

with

Kamp Crystal Lake Kamp or KAMP may refer to: __NOTOC__ Geography * Kamp (river), Austria * Kamp (Bad Doberan), a park in the German town of Bad Doberan * Kamp, a district of the German municipality Kamp-Bornhofen * Kamp, a district of the German municipality Kamp- ...

and

Kung Fu Vampire Kung Fu Vampire is a Latin American rapper from San Jose, California. Since 2001, he has been recognized as a "goth rapper", and for being accompanied by a band in his live hip hop performances. He released his debut album, ''Blood Bath Beyond' ...

. On June 6, 2016, The Flatlinerz released the first of a three part EP trilogy set titled " 6ix: Chapter 1" via its Web site through the group's own newly formed independent label Horror House Entertainment. The album is a ten track EP of all brand-new Flatlinerz music. On June 6, 2017, The Flatlinerz released the second installment of the 6ix trilogy titled " 66ix: Chapter 2" on Horror House Entertainment. The EP has 7 brand new tracks and a bonus remix track of "Down Here" from Chapter 1. The first single off the album was "Da Linerz Iz Attackin" produced by

Rockwilder Dana Stinson (born February 2, 1971), better known by his stage name Rockwilder, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper. A long term friend of Def Jam rapper Redman, Rockwilder got his start producing for East Coast hip hop artists ...

. On June 6, 2018, The Flatlinerz released the final installment of the 6ix trilogy titled " 666ix: Chapter 3" on Horror House Entertainment. The EP has 10 brand new tracks completing the 6ix saga. The first single off the album was the controversial "Gucci's Different".

Discography

Albums

EPs

Compilation albums

Singles

*''

'' *'' Live Evil'' (#35

Hot Rap Singles 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 stat ...

) *'' Rivaz of Red'' *Bring Pain *'' Give Me Room'' *'' Trained To Kill'' *'' Da Linerz Iz Attackin'' *'' Sinema'' *'' Gucci's Different''

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control African-American musical groups Hip hop groups from New York City Horrorcore groups Musical groups from Brooklyn American musical trios Def Jam Recordings artists Obscenity controversies in music Underground hip hop groups