Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American
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 ...
, songwriter and record producer from
Compton, California
Compton is a city in 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 city in Los Angeles County to incorporat ...
. He is the founder and owner of the record label
Villain Entertainment
Villain Entertainment is a record label, founded by gangsta rapper MC Ren, in Palm Springs, California in 1999. The label's focus was gangsta rap genre of West Coast hip hop.
History
Villain Entertainment was formed as a vehicle for release ...
.
MC Ren began his career as a solo artist signed to
Eazy-E's
Ruthless Records in early 1987, while still attending high school. By the end of 1987, after having written nearly half of ''
Eazy-Duz-It
''Eazy-Duz-It'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 23, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite ver ...
'', he became a member of
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 ...
. After the group disbanded in 1991, he stayed with Ruthless, releasing three solo albums including the controversial ''
Shock of the Hour
''Shock of the Hour'' is the debut album by rapper MC Ren, released November 16, 1993, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the success of his debut EP '' Kizz My Black Azz'', a follow-up album was promis ...
'' before leaving the label in 1998.
In 2016, he was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
as a member of N.W.A.
Early life
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson was born in
Compton, California
Compton is a city in 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 city in Los Angeles County to incorporat ...
, on June 16, 1969,
and raised in Pannes Ave. around Kelly Park. He grew up with his parents, two brothers and a sister. His father used to work for "the government", until he later opened up his own barber shop. Patterson joined the Kelly Park Compton
Crips
The Crips is an alliance of street gangs that is based in the coastal regions of Southern California. Founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams, the Crips were initially a single alliance ...
(of which
Eazy-E would also become a member) in attempt to make money, but soon departed and turned to drug dealing as he felt it was more lucrative. Following a raid on his childhood friend MC Chip's house, Patterson quit dealing and focused thereafter on making music.
Patterson attended
Dominguez High School
Manuel Dominguez High School is a four-year public high school located in Compton, California. It is part of the Compton Unified School District.
Name
Dominguez High School is named after Don Manuel Domínguez, a California rancher. Domínguez i ...
, where he met his future collaborator,
DJ Train
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" S ...
. At this time, he developed an interest in hip hop music, and began writing songs with MC Chip, with whom he formed the group Awesome Crew, and performed at parties and nightclubs. Patterson officially began his rap career upon joining forces with another childhood friend, Eric "
Eazy-E" Wright, in 1985. Patterson graduated from high school in 1987 and he planned to join the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
after graduation, but changed his mind after watching the 1987 film ''
Full Metal Jacket''.
Music career
Career beginnings: 1987–1991
In 1987, Patterson was signed as a solo artist to
Eazy-E's
Ruthless Records, while still attending high school. However, when
Ice Cube
An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...
went to study for a year, Ren was asked to write songs for the in-progress ''
Eazy-Duz-It
''Eazy-Duz-It'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 23, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite ver ...
''. After writing much of the album, MC Ren was asked to join the group N.W.A. They immediately started on the album ''
Straight Outta Compton''. With a budget of US$8,000, the album was finished in four weeks and released in August 1988. Propelled by "
Fuck tha Police
"Fuck tha Police" is a protest song by American hip hop group N.W.A that appears on the 1988 album ''Straight Outta Compton'' as well as on the ''N.W.A's Greatest Hits'' compilation. The lyrics protest police brutality and racial profiling ...
", the album became a major success, despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay or major concert tours. The
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and its principal Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement age ...
sent Ruthless a warning letter in response to the song's content.
![Uncle Jam's Army - Eazy-E and N](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Uncle_Jam%27s_Army_-_Eazy-E_and_N.W.A._1988_Skateland_Concert_Poster.jpg)
One month after ''Straight Outta Compton'', ''Eazy-Duz-It'' was released, with lyrics largely written by Patterson, with contributions from Ice Cube and
The D.O.C.
Tracy Lynn Curry (born June 10, 1968), better known as The D.O.C., is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. In addition to a solo career, he was a member of the Southern hip hop group Fila Fresh Crew and later collaborated with ga ...
Following Ice Cube's departure from the group in 1989, N.W.A quickly released the EP ''
100 Miles and Runnin''' with lyrics written by Patterson, with contributions by The D.O.C. The group's second full-length studio album, ''
Niggaz4Life,'' was released the next year. Selling 955,000 copies in the 1st week and was certified as Platinum, it became the first rap album to enter #1 on the
Billboard charts
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...
. This album would become the group's final, as
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
left the group over financial disputes with
Jerry Heller.
According to Patterson, it was common opinion that Heller was the one receiving their due:
Solo career: 1992–present
As
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 ...
disbanded, Patterson started recording his first solo release titled ''
Kizz My Black Azz
''Kizz My Black Azz'' is the debut EP by rapper MC Ren, released on June 30, 1992, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Priority Records. Selling over one million copies in the first month, to date, the album has sold 2.2 million copies in the ...
''. The 6-track
EP was entirely produced by
DJ Bobcat
Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Bobcat or DJ Bobcat, is an American Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum producer, songwriter, DJ, artist and music executive.
He has worked with Clive Davis, Russell Simm ...
, except for one song that Patterson produced himself. Released in summer 1992, the EP was a hit, commercially and critically. Without any radio play, the EP went
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Platinu ...
within 2 months.
Patterson began recording for his debut album, at that time called ''Life Sentence'', in late 1992. During the recording process, Patterson joined
The Nation Of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930.
A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
with guidance from
DJ Train
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" S ...
. This caused him to scrap ''Life Sentence'', and ''
Shock Of The Hour
''Shock of the Hour'' is the debut album by rapper MC Ren, released November 16, 1993, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the success of his debut EP '' Kizz My Black Azz'', a follow-up album was promis ...
'' was released in late 1993. The album debuted at #1 on the R&B charts, selling 321,000 copies in its first month. ''Shock of the Hour'' was regarded as being more focused, yet even more controversial, and critics accused him again of being anti-white, misogynist, and antisemitic.
The album is thematically divided into two sides; the first half deals with social issues like
ghetto
A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...
life,
drug addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use of ...
,
racism
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
and
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
. The second half shows
Patterson's political side, as this half was recorded after he joined the Nation of Islam. The album features the hit singles "
Same Old Shit" and "
Mayday On The Frontline
"Mayday on the Frontline" is a single by MC Ren from the '' CB4 soundtrack'' that was also featured on MC Ren's debut album, '' Shock of the Hour''. The single and its video found some airplay but it did not make it to any charts.
Music video
Th ...
".
After 2 years of not talking to each other, Patterson reunited with Eazy-E in 1994 to produce their duet song "Tha Muthpukkin' Real" produced by DJ Yella, with Patterson co-producing. Three months later; on March 26, 1995, Eazy-E would die from complications of AIDS. The song "Tha Muthpukkin' Real" was released as a single in 1995.
Patterson soon fell on hard times when both DJ Train and Eazy-E died before the release of ''
The Villain in Black
''The Villain in Black'' is the second album by rapper MC Ren, released April 9, 1996, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the release and success of his critically acclaimed debut studio album '' Shock ...
''. The album, which was released in early 1996 and represented Patterson's first attempt at imitating the
G-funk
G-funk, short for gangsta funk, is a sub-genre of gangsta rap that emerged from the West Coast scene in the late 1980s. The genre is heavily influenced by 1970s psychedelic funk (P-funk) sound of artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic.
Charac ...
sound of Dr. Dre's
The Chronic
''The Chronic'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his record label Death Row Records and distributed by Interscope Records. Recording sessions took place in ...
, was not well received by critics. It was also heavily criticized for what many saw as Patterson's pandering to gangsta rap at the cost of a reduction in the sociopolitical content found on his earlier releases. The album debuted at #31 on the pop-charts, with the first week's sales of 31,000 copies. By the second month it had sold 131,000 copies.
Before leaving Ruthless, Patterson released ''
Ruthless for Life
''Ruthless for Life'' is the third album by rapper MC Ren, released June 30, 1998, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Epic Records.
Background
Ruthless for Life was MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by ...
'' in 1998, which proved a small comeback, selling moderately well. The album features Ice Cube,
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. (born October 20, 1971), known professionally as Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg and briefly Snoop Lion), is an American rapper. His fame dates back to 1992 when he featured on Dr. Dre's debut solo single, " ...
,
RBX
Eric Dwayne Collins (born October 8, 1969) better known by his stage name RBX (standing for "Reality Born Unknown"), is an American rapper and songwriter from Long Beach, California.
Early life and education
Contrary to popular belief, Collins i ...
and
8Ball & MJG
8Ball & MJG is an American hip hop duo from Memphis, Tennessee. They met at Ridgeway Middle School (Memphis, Tennessee) in 1984. In 1993, the duo released their debut album ''Comin' Out Hard''. They went on to release ''On the Outside Looking I ...
, and others. This was the first time Patterson worked with new producers. By the end of 1998, Patterson had left Ruthless.
On October 31, 2009, Patterson released his fourth studio album entitled ''
Renincarnated
''Renincarnated'' is the fourth album by rapper MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder a ...
'', which was released under his own record label ''
Villain
A villain (also known as a " black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character ...
''. ''Renincarnated'' was only released in the US.
In 2015, Patterson stated that he had been working on his second EP, titled ''Rebel Music'' and released two singles: the title track, "
Rebel Music", and "
Burn Radio Burn". The official remix for "Rebel Music" was released in June 2014, and features Ice Cube. It was originally expected to be released by the end of 2015 but remained unreleased until 2022 when he canceled the project and followed it up with a new EP, ''Osiris'' via
Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
.
On May 22, 2022, he announced the track list of ''Osiris'', and released the EP on June 3, 2022. The eight-track EP is entirely produced by
Tha Chill
Vernon Johnson (born December 24, 1970), professionally known by his stage name Tha Chill, is an American rapper and record producer. He embarked on his music career in the early 1990s, as a co-founder of the Compton-based West Coast hip hop/gang ...
and features guest appearances from
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown (born November 23, 1972), better known by his stage name Kurupt, is an American rapper and record producer who aided gangsta rap's rise via 1990s verses helping set lasting trends. He is one half of the rap duo Tha Dogg Po ...
,
Kokane
Jerry Buddy Long Jr. (born March 10, 1969), better known by his stage name Kokane, is an American recording artist best known for his distinctive vocal style and numerous guest appearances, such as on Snoop Dogg's ''Tha Last Meal''.
Early life ...
,
Cold 187um
Gregory Fernard Hutchison (born August 4, 1967), known as Big Hutch and Cold 187um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label.
Biography
Hutchison is ...
,
Ras Kass
John R. Austin II (born September 26, 1973), better known by his stage name Ras Kass, is an American rapper. He is a member of the hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup The HRSMN, along with Canibus, Killah Priest, and Kurupt in 2014. He is als ...
and others.
Collaborations: 1987–present
In 1988, Patterson contributed to ''
Eazy-Duz-It
''Eazy-Duz-It'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Eazy-E. It was released on November 23, 1988, by Ruthless Records and Priority Records. The album charted on two different charts and went 2× Platinum in the United States despite ver ...
''. Although officially released as a solo album by Eazy-E, numerous artists contributed. Patterson; the only guest rapper on the album, features raps of his own on almost half of the album. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, while Patterson, Ice Cube and The D.O.C. wrote the lyrics.
In 1990, Patterson produced the debut album for his protege group
CPO, titled ''
To Hell and Black
''To Hell and Black'' is the debut and 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 ...
''. The group consisted of
CPO Boss Hogg, DJ Train, and Young D. After the release of their debut album, the group dissolved. CPO Boss Hogg went to have a solo career, featuring on high-profile albums of N.W.A, Dr. Dre and
Tupac
Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
, while
DJ Train
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" S ...
stayed with Patterson.
In 1993, Patterson introduced a new group called ''The Whole Click''. The group featured Patterson's longtime collaborator Bigg Rocc, Grinch, Bone and Patterson's brother, Juvenile. The group first appeared on Patterson's debut album ''
Shock of the Hour
''Shock of the Hour'' is the debut album by rapper MC Ren, released November 16, 1993, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the success of his debut EP '' Kizz My Black Azz'', a follow-up album was promis ...
''. The collective later split up. Bigg Rocc continued to collaborate with Patterson, featuring him on all his solo albums.
In 2000, he appeared on the song "
Hello
''Hello'' is a salutation or greeting in the English language. It is first attested in writing from 1826. Early uses
''Hello'', with that spelling, was used in publications in the U.S. as early as the 18 October 1826 edition of the '' Norwich ...
", which featured Dr. Dre and Ice Cube on Ice Cube's ''
War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)'' album. He joined the ''
Up In Smoke Tour
The Up in Smoke Tour was a West Coast hip hop tour in 2000 which was headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, also featuring artists and disc jockeys Ice Cube, Eminem, Proof, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, D12, MC Ren, Westside Connection, Chilldrin of d ...
'' that same year to rap his verse on the track. He also appeared on the posse cut "Some L.A. Niggaz" from Dr. Dre's ''
2001'' album.
Patterson's recent work has appeared on some more politically oriented projects with
Public Enemy
"Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...
, specifically
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
's album ''Hard Truth Soldiers Vol. 1'' as well as on Public Enemy's album ''
Rebirth of a Nation''. Paris stated in an interview with rapstation.com that: "MC Ren is retired and won't be doing a full-length album as far as I know. I get at him for verses, that's about it."
In April 2016, Patterson reunited with the former members of N.W.A at
Coachella Coachella may refer to:
* Coachella, California
* Coachella Canal, in California
* Coachella (festival), an annual music and arts festival in California
* "Coachella – Woodstock in My Mind", a 2017 song by Lana del Rey
See also
* Coachell ...
.
Other ventures
Film career
In 1992, Patterson was offered the role for A-Wax in ''
Menace II Society
''Menace II Society'' (pronounced ''Menace to Society'') is a 1993 American teen drama film directed by the Hughes Brothers in their directorial debut. The film is set in Watts and Crenshaw neighborhoods of Los Angeles, and follows the life of K ...
''. Despite accepting the role, Patterson later changed his mind and the role was given to
MC Eiht
Aaron Tyler (born May 22, 1971), better known by his stage name MC Eiht (pronounced MC eight), is an American rapper and actor. Many of his songs are based on his life in Compton. His stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in KRS-One's nam ...
.
In 2004, Patterson released the straight-to-DVD film ''
Lost in the Game''. The movie was produced, written and directed by Patterson, with Playboy T assisting. It was an independent movie released by Patterson's company ''Villain''.
Patterson was portrayed by
Aldis Hodge
Aldis Alexander Basil Hodge (born September 20, 1986) is an American actor. Among his significant roles, he played Alec Hardison in the TNT series '' Leverage'', MC Ren in the 2015 biopic '' Straight Outta Compton'', Levi Jackson in the 2016 f ...
in the 2015 N.W.A biopic ''
Straight Outta Compton''.
Personal life
In June 1993, he married Yaasamen Alaa, with whom he has five children. His oldest son, Anthony, is an aspiring rapper under the name "Waxxie", and has collaborated with other sons of N.W.A members.
In April 1993, Patterson began attending a mosque, and by July he was a fully registered member of the
Nation of Islam
The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930.
A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...
, known as Lorenzo X. Two years later he left the organization and converted to
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...
.
Artistry
Influences
Patterson stated that
KRS-One,
Chuck D,
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. (born January 28, 1968), better known by his stage name Rakim Allah or simply Rakim (), is an American rapper and record producer. One half of golden age hip hop duo Eric B. & Rakim, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
,
Big Daddy Kane, and
Run-DMC are his biggest influences. MC Ren also stated ''
Criminal Minded
''Criminal Minded'' is the debut studio album by hip-hop group Boogie Down Productions, released on March 3, 1987 by B-Boy Records. It is considered a highly influential hip hop album and one of the first in the gangsta rap genre.
Since its rele ...
'' by
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip hop group originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the release of BDP's debut album, '' Criminal Minde ...
as his all-time favorite hip hop album.
Musical style
Together with N.W.A., Patterson popularized the sub-genre of the Gangsta rap and
West Coast Hip Hop
West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...
, while also being credited by many as one of the seminal groups in the history of hip hop music. He also endured controversy due to his music's explicit lyrics that many viewed as being disrespectful of women, as well as its glorification of drugs and crime.
Patterson is noted as a proficient lyricist and storyteller and is regarded for his honesty, as he often includes his political views in his music. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics. The views expressed in his lyrics are largely commentary on issues such as
class struggle,
socialism
Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...
,
poverty
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...
,
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
,
government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
,
imperialism
Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
and
institutional racism
Institutional racism, also known as systemic racism, is a form of racism that is embedded in the laws and regulations of a society or an organization. It manifests as discrimination in areas such as criminal justice, employment, housing, health ...
.
Discography
![MC Ren logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/MC_Ren_logo.png)
Studio albums
*''
Shock of the Hour
''Shock of the Hour'' is the debut album by rapper MC Ren, released November 16, 1993, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the success of his debut EP '' Kizz My Black Azz'', a follow-up album was promis ...
'' (1993)
*''
The Villain in Black
''The Villain in Black'' is the second album by rapper MC Ren, released April 9, 1996, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Relativity Records.
Background
After the release and success of his critically acclaimed debut studio album '' Shock ...
'' (1996)
*''
Ruthless for Life
''Ruthless for Life'' is the third album by rapper MC Ren, released June 30, 1998, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Epic Records.
Background
Ruthless for Life was MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by ...
'' (1998)
*''
Renincarnated
''Renincarnated'' is the fourth album by rapper MC Ren
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder a ...
'' (2009)
Collaboration albums
*''
N.W.A. and the Posse
''N.W.A. and the Posse'' is a compilation album, re-releasing N.W.A and associated groups' underground rap songs from the Los Angeles area's rap scene on November 6, 1987.Roni Sarig, ''Third Coast: Outkast, Timbaland, and How Hip-hop Became a Sou ...
''
with N.W.A (1987)
*''
Straight Outta Compton''
with N.W.A (1988)
*''
Niggaz4Life''
with N.W.A (1991)
Extended plays
*''
Kizz My Black Azz
''Kizz My Black Azz'' is the debut EP by rapper MC Ren, released on June 30, 1992, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Priority Records. Selling over one million copies in the first month, to date, the album has sold 2.2 million copies in the ...
'' (1992)
*''Osiris'' (2022)
Filmography
References
External links
Official Website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ren, MC
1969 births
Living people
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American rappers
21st-century American rappers
African-American male actors
African-American male rappers
African-American Muslims
African-American songwriters
American male film actors
American male rappers
American male songwriters
American Sunni Muslims
Converts to Islam
Crips
Epic Records artists
Former Nation of Islam members
Gangsta rappers
G-funk artists
Male actors from California
Male actors from Los Angeles
Musicians from Compton, California
N.W.A members
Priority Records artists
Rappers from Los Angeles
Ruthless Records artists
Songwriters from California