Vince Edwards (September 9, 1963 – January 12, 2022) professionally known by his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

CPO Boss Hogg, was an American rapper from

Compton, California Compton is a city located in the Gateway Cities region of southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, situated south of downtown Los Angeles. Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county, and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth ci ...

. He began his career as a founding member of the hip hop group

Capital Punishment Organization CPO (an abbreviation of Capital Punishment Organization) was an American hip hop group from Compton, California, founded in 1989 by rapper Vince "Lil' Nation" Edwards and DJ Clarence "D.J. Train" Lars, and enlisted producer Daron "Young D" Sapp ...

in 1989 under the moniker Lil' Nation. The group released their only album before splitting up in 1991. Afterwards Edwards continued his career as a solo artist, featuring on several high-profile albums.

Career

In a 2016 interview, Edwards stated George Clinton,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Barry White Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003) was an American singer and songwriter. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

(and

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

Chuck D Carlton Douglas Ridenhour (born August 1, 1960), known professionally as Chuck D, is an American rapper, best known as the leader and frontman of the hip hop group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Flavor Flav. Chuck D is also a me ...

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...

MC Ren Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), known professionally by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the independent record label Villain ...

Ice Cube O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...

, and

The D.O.C. Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known by his stage name the D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Along with his solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew, and later co-wr ...

as his favorite and influential musicians. Edwards was discovered by

, who helped him to make a deal with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

. Ren also produced

C.P.O. The Congregation of Pious Workers Rural Catechists or Ardorini Missionaries (in Latin ''Congregatio Piorum Operariorum Catechistarum Ruralium'') are a Roman Catholic religious order. They use the post-nominal initials P.O.C.R.''Ann. Pont. 2010'', ...

's debut album ''

To Hell and Black ''To Hell and Black'' is the only studio album by American hip hop group Capital Punishment Organization. It was released through Capitol Records on August 7, 1990, and featured its two lead singles "Ballad of a Menace" and "This Beat Is Funky" ...

'' and got Eazy and

Dre DRE may refer to: * ''Dre'' (album), 2010 by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, 2010 * Dre (given name) **Dr. Dre Andre Romell Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper, record producer, recor ...

featured in the music video for its lead single "

Ballad Of A Menace "Ballad of a Menace" is a single by American hip hop group Capital Punishment Organization, released in 1990 as the lead single from their debut studio album '' To Hell and Black'', by Capitol Records. The song later appeared in the ''Grand Theft ...

". Edwards made his guest appearance on the song "Findum. Fuckem, And Flee" from

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip-hop group formed in Compton, California in 1987. Among the earliest and most significant figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, the group is widely considered one of the great ...

's final album. After C.P.O. and N.W.A. had disbanded, Edwards was signed to

Death Row Records Death Row Records is an American record label that was founded in 1991 by The D.O.C., Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, and Dick Griffey. The label became a sensation by releasing multi-platinum hip-hop albums by West Coast-based artists such as Dr. D ...

. He appeared on ''Above The Rim OST'' with "Jus So Ya No" and on '' Murder Was The Case OST'' with

Slip Capone Christen Kelley (November 7, 1978 – October 2, 2017), better known by his stage name Slip Capone, was an American rapper and member of DPGC from Hawthorne, California, California. Early life Slip Capone was born on November 7, 1978. He grew ...

"The Eulogy". Edwards' biggest feature was with

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

on the track "Picture Me Rollin" from 'Pac's '' All Eyez on Me'' album in 1996. CPO left Death Row for

Priority Records Priority Records is an American distribution company and record label known for artists including N.W.A, Ice Cube, MC Ren, Eazy-E, Master P, Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Silkk the Shocker, Jay-Z, Paris, Mack 10, 504 Boyz, Brotha Lynch Hung, ...

and made his guest appearances on Snoop-affiliated ''Tha Eastsidaz'', ''Bones OST'', and ''

The Return of the Regulator ''The Return of the Regulator'' is the fourth studio album by Warren G. The album can be considered a return to the roots of West Coast gangsta music, but it sold less than the rapper's two previous albums. Track listing Samples Ghetto Vi ...

''. In 2012, Edwards founded his independent record label Tilted Brimm Entertainment Group, LLC. Since 2013, CPO Boss Hogg announced that he was working on new material for his sophomore album release titled ''I, Boss.'' He dropped his first single off of it, "Your Body Is Hot!", on August 19, 2014.

Personal life and death

Edwards had a daughter named Mikki. In March 2010, Edwards experienced respiratory issues and was diagnosed with

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

. He died 12 years later on January 12, 2022, at the age of 58.Vince Edwards
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Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (1990) with Capital Punishment Organization

Guest appearances

Soundtrack appearances

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:CPO Boss Hogg 1963 births 2022 deaths 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century American rappers African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers G-funk artists Rappers from Compton, California Priority Records artists Rappers from Los Angeles Songwriters from California Gangsta rappers Death Row Records artists African-American songwriters