Kung Fu Vampire is a Latin American rapper from

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

. Since 2001, he has been recognized as a "

goth A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were: *Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history *Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history Goth or Goths may also refer to: * Goth (surname) ...

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

", and for being accompanied by a band in his live hip hop performances. He released his debut album, ''Blood Bath Beyond'' in 2003.

History

Kung Fu Vampire began breakdancing at the age of six, and taught himself how to rap and sing while playing drums and bass as a hobby. At the age of 12, his aunt began taking him to see concert performances, and introduced him to a gothic style of dress. At 14 years old he and three friends formed a group which fused

old school hip hop Old-school hip hop (also spelled old skool) is the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music and original style of the genre. It typically refers to the music created around 1979 to 1983, as well as any hip hop that does not adhere to contem ...

with

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...

. In 2001, he adopted the name "Kung Fu Vampire" during a conversation with his friends in which they discussed the idea of a

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expres ...

featuring

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

s. He describes the sense of balance as the "Yin and Yang of Fang". In 2006, the group was voted the best local band by ''

Metro Silicon Valley ''Metro'' is a free weekly newspaper published by the San Jose, California, based Metro Newspapers. Also known as ''Metro Silicon Valley'', as well as ''Metroactive'' online, the paper serves the greater Silicon Valley area. In addition to print ...

'' readers. Director

Darren Lynn Bousman Darren Lynn Bousman (; born January 11, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter, best known for his work in horror films. He has directed four of the ''Saw'' films: ''Saw II'', ''Saw III'', ''Saw IV'', and '' Spiral''. He also direct ...

was impressed by Kung Fu Vampire's performance style, and pushed for the rapper to perform at the release party for ''

Saw III ''Saw III'' is a 2006 horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman from a screenplay by Leigh Whannell and a story by Whannell and James Wan. It is the third installment in the ''Saw'' film series and sequel to 2005's ''Saw II''. The film stars T ...

'' that year,Carnes, Aaron (December 5, 2012
Cover Story: Local Rapper Kung Fu Vampire Sheds Costume to Focus on Music
metroactive.com performing at the release party for Bousman's film ''

Repo! The Genetic Opera ''Repo! The Genetic Opera'' is a 2008 American rock opera horror film directed by Darren Lynn Bousman. Based on the 2002 musical of the same name, written and composed by Darren Smith and Terrance Zdunich, the film stars Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvin ...

'' in 2008, and the rapper's song "Dead Girls Don't Say No" being featured in another Bousman film, ''

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

'', in 2010. In 2009, the

Insane Clown Posse Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989 as a gangsta rap group, ICP's best known lineup consists of rappers Violent J (Joseph Bruce) and Shaggy 2 Dope (originally 2 Dope; Joseph Utsler ...

fan website Faygoluvers featured Kung Fu Vampire's music video "iCount" on the site, attracting the attention of

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 ...

, who invited Kung Fu Vampire to perform as the duo's opening act during their 2010 "Slaughterhouse" tour. In 2012, Kung Fu Vampire appeared in the music video for

E-40 Earl Tywone Stevens Sr. (born November 15, 1967), better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper. He is a founding member of the rap group The Click, and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. He has released 26 studio albums to date, a ...

's song "Zombie" featuring

Brotha Lynch Hung Kevin Danell Mann (born January 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Brotha Lynch Hung, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Sacramento, California who has been described as "the creator of horrorcore rap." He is also ...

and

Tech N9ne Aaron Dontez Yates (born November 8, 1971), better known by his stage name Tech N9ne (pronounced "tech nine"), is an American rapper. In 1999, he and business partner Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. He has sold over two m ...

. In 2016, Kung Fu Vampire released ''Look Alive'', featuring guest appearances by

¡Mayday! ¡Mayday! (stylized in all caps as ¡MAYD∀Y!) is an American hip hop group from Miami, Florida. The group comprises rappers Bernardo "Bernz" Garcia and Ben "Wrekonize" Miller, along with producer and percussionist Andrews "NonMS" Mujica. Unti ...

, Locksmith and

Ces Cru Ces Cru (often stylized as CES Cru) is an American rap duo from Kansas City, Missouri, signed to independent record label Strange Music. The duo currently consists of members Donnie "Godemis" King and Mike "Ubiquitous" Viglione, but has had numer ...

. In 2019, Kung Fu Vampire performed on the "Shazam Stage" at Insane Clown Posse's

Gathering of the Juggalos The Gathering of the Juggalos (The Gathering or GOTJ) is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label roster as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by ...

Style and influences

Kung Fu Vampire's musical style fuses hip hop,

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie a ...

and electro. His influences are

Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...

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 ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

the Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...

Whodini Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; Ju ...

, Eric B. & Rakim and

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

. He rejected the classification of

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 ...

, preferring to call his music "gothic hip hop". He generally avoids rapping about graphic violence, and makes little or no reference to

campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting aes ...

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s or smoking

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

. His lyrics have spoken out against drug use, in particular meth and alcohol, and advocated for healthy living. He was initially known for making appearances with a shaved head and pale

face paint Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks (in the case of mehndi or "h ...

. In 2011, he grew his hair out and has stopped using face paint in his performances stating that he would rather spend that time connecting with fans at concert as opposed to preparation.

Live band members

;Current * Kung Fu Vampire —

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

* Jeremy Pollett —

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

* Chris Paxton —

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

Production team

;Current & Past * ProHoezak • TunnA Beatz * Skytzo Beatz • Subliminal Beats * Action Paxton • Nobe of Inf Gang * GodSynth • MOK Beatz * Cruels • Jawsh Crespo * Jazz Mafia • K-Oddic Beats * Duranamo • Michael “Seven” Summers * Charlie Beans • Starkore * MOK Beatz • The Butler

Discography

Studio albums

Compilations

Collaboration albums

Singles

Features

* ''

Twisted Insane Michael Johnson, known by his stage name as Twisted Insane, is an American rapper and songwriter from San Diego, California. He has released eleven studio albums. He founded the record label Brainsick Muzik, signing other rappers. Early life ...

'' track "Voices" featuring Bleezo, Kung Fu Vampire, Bishop, and Poverty's Posterboy from the album ''The Insane Asylum'' (2013) * ''

'' track "Wasted Part 2" featuring Kung Fu Vampire, Chris Webby, RA The Rugged Man and Three Six Mafia from the album ''Get Twiztid'' (2014) * ''Bloodstepp'' track "Rave In My Grave" featuring Koshir and Kung Fu Vampire from the album ''Grand Theft Ufo: Floppy Disk Edition'' (2014) * '' Scum'' track "It Is Not" feat. Kung Fu Vampire from the Album ''One Track Mind'' (2016) * ''

Blaze Ya Dead Homie Chris Rouleau, also known as Blaze Ya Dead Homie or simply Blaze (born April 27, 1976), is an American rapper from Mt. Clemens, Michigan. A representative of the hip hop subgenres gangsta rap and horrorcore, his stage persona is a resurrected g ...

'' track "Ghost" featuring Kung Fu Vampire from the album ''Casket Factory'' (2016) * ''

Whitney Peyton Whitney Peyton is an American rapper from the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early life and influences Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Peyton looked up to artists who had emerged from the area such as Will Smith, Eve, an ...

'' track "Word Of Mouth" featuring Kung Fu Vampire from the album ''Break The Frame'' (2016) * ''Gorilla Voltage'' track "Rocks For Brains" featuring Kung Fu Vampire from the album ''

Ape-X Abomination Absorbing Man Abraxas Abraxas, sometimes called the Dark Man, is a cosmic entity who embodies the destruction of the Marvel multiverse. The existence of Galactus prevents him from emerging. The character, created by Carlos Pach ...

'' (2017) * ''Gorilla Voltage'' track "Lit" featuring Kung Fu Vampire from the album ''

'' (2017) *When They Hear It ( The R.O.C. ft. Kung Fu Vampire &

Prozak Steven T. Shippy, better known by his stage name Prozak, is an American independent rapper and film director from Saginaw, Michigan. He's a member of the group Project:Deadman with Mike E. Clark as well as the group Bedlam with Madness and Stap ...

) on the album ''Digital Voodoo'' (2017)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kung Fu Vampire American hip hop record producers Goth subculture Living people Rappers from the San Francisco Bay Area Underground rappers Year of birth missing (living people)