Mike Ladd is an American hip hop musician from

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. He is based in

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 ...

, France. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' described him as "the king of the hip-hop concept."

Early life

Mike Ladd was born in

. As a child, he lived in India and Zimbabwe for a while. He graduated from

Hampshire College Hampshire College is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1970 as an experiment in alternative education, in association with four other colleges ...

Career

Mike Ladd's debut studio album, '' Easy Listening 4 Armageddon'', was released in 1997. He released ''

Welcome to the Afterfuture ''Welcome to the Afterfuture'' is a studio album by the American hip hop musician Mike Ladd. It was released on Ozone Music in 2000. Critical reception Brian Whitener of ''AllMusic'' gave the album 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "''Welcome to the Aft ...

'' in 2000. ''

Nostalgialator ''Nostalgialator'' is a studio album by American hip hop musician Mike Ladd. It was released on Studio !K7 in 2004. It was re-released on Definitive Jux in 2007. Critical reception At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 ...

'' was released in 2004. In 2005, he released '' Negrophilia: The Album'', which was inspired by

Petrine Archer-Straw Petrine Archer-Straw (26 December 1956 – 5 December 2012) was a British artist and influential art historian and curator who specialised in the art of the Caribbean people.Father Divine Father Divine (September 10, 1965), also known as Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African-American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death in 1965. His full self-given name was Reverend Major Jealous Divine, and he was also known as "t ...

'' on

ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...

. He has also released several collaborative albums with jazz pianist

Vijay Iyer Vijay Iyer (born October 26, 1971) is an American composer, pianist, bandleader, producer and writer based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' has called him a "social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, histori ...

Style and influences

Mike Ladd's influences range from

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkadeli ...

King Tubby Osbourne Ruddock (28 January 1941 – 6 February 1989), better known as King Tubby, was a Jamaican sound engineer who greatly influenced the development of dub in the 1960s and 1970s. Tubby's innovative studio work, which saw him elevate the ...

Minor Threat Minor Threat was an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Washington, D.C. by vocalist Ian MacKaye and drummer Jeff Nelson. MacKaye and Nelson had played in several other bands together, and recruited bassist Brian Baker and guitaris ...

, and

Charles Stepney Charles Stepney (March 26, 1931– May 17, 1976) was an American record producer, arranger, songwriter and musician. Stepney is noted for his work with artists such as The Dells, Ramsey Lewis, Rotary Connection and Earth, Wind & Fire. Career He ...

Discography

Studio albums

* '' Easy Listening 4 Armageddon'' (1997) * ''

'' (2000) * ''Gun Hill Road'' (2000) * ''Beauty Party'' (2003) * '' In What Language?'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * '' Negrophilia: The Album'' (2005) * ''

Father Divine Father Divine (September 10, 1965), also known as Reverend M. J. Divine, was an African-American spiritual leader from about 1907 until his death in 1965. His full self-given name was Reverend Major Jealous Divine, and he was also known as "t ...

'' (2005) * ''

Still Life with Commentator ''Still Life with Commentator'' is a collaborative studio album by American jazz pianist Vijay Iyer and American hip hop musician Mike Ladd. It was released on Savoy Jazz in 2007. Critical reception Lyn Horton of ''All About Jazz'' gave the album ...

'' (2007) * ''Maison Hantée'' (2008) * ''Anarchist Republic of Bzzz'' (2009) * ''Bedford Park'' (2010) * ''Why Waste Time'' (2012) * '' Holding It Down: The Veterans' Dreams Project'' (2013) * ''Gain'' (2016) * ''Epiphany'' (2017) * ''La chose commune'' (2017) * ''Visions of Selam'' (2018) * ''The Dead Can Rap'' (2020)

Live albums

* ''Live from Paris'' (2000)

EPs

* ''Vernacular Homicide'' (2001) * ''Kids and Animals'' (2011)

Singles

* "Blah Blah" (1998) * "5000 Miles" / "Planet 10" (2000) * "Activator Cowboy" (2001) * "Wild Out Day" / "Jet Pack" (2003) * "Housewives at Play" (2004) * "Shake It" (2004)

Guest appearances

Youngblood Brass Band The Youngblood Brass Band is an American brass band from Madison, Wisconsin that was established in 1998. The band has released six albums and has toured throughout the United States and Europe. History The band came together in 1995 as the On ...

- "Peace" from '' Unlearn'' (2000) *

Mr. Flash Gilles Bousquet (), known professionally as Mr. Flash, is a French record producer and DJ. He signed on the French electronic music label Ed Banger Records in 2003 and released the track "Radar Rider", which is also the first release of the label. ...

- "Basementized Soul" from ''Le Voyage Fantastique'' (2001) * Thawfor - "Where Thawght Is Worshipped 2.2" from ''Where Thawght Is Worshiped'' (2001) *

The Opus The Opus is an American hip hop record production duo from Chicago, Illinois. It consists of The Isle of Weight and Mr. Echoes. AllMusic described them as "two of the most brilliant beatmakers working in hip-hop circa 2003." The Isle of Weight ( ...

- "Where Thawght Is Worshipped 3.0" from ''0.0.0.'' (2002) * Terranova - "Sublime" and "Heroes" from ''Hitchhiking Non-Stop with No Particular Destination'' (2002) * Emmanuel Santarromana - "Les Halles" from ''Métropolitain'' (2003) * Huge Voodoo - "NYPD Blues" from ''Affordable Magic'' (2003) *

Sonic Sum Sonic Sum is an American hip hop group based in Bronx, New York. It consists of Rob Sonic, Fred Ones, Eric M.O., and Preservation. The group was described by ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' as "hip-hop's Radiohead". In 1999, Sonic Sum released the fir ...

- "Films" from ''Films'' (2004) *

Jackson and His Computerband Jackson Fourgeaud, known professionally as Jackson and His Computerband (earlier Jackson and His Computer Band), is a French IDM artist. He released his debut album '' Smash'' with Warp Records in 2005. History Jackson Fourgeaud began making ...

- "TV Dogs (Cathodica's Letter)" from '' Smash'' (2005) * Daedelus - "Welcome Home" from ''

Exquisite Corpse Exquisite corpse (from the original French term ', literally exquisite cadaver), is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule (e.g. ...

'' (2005) * Stacs of Stamina - "Baghdad Boogie" from ''Tivoli'' (2005) *

Blue Sky Black Death Blue Sky Black Death (abbreviated BSBD) was a production duo based in the San Francisco Bay Area. It consisted of Ryan Maguire, better known by his stage name Kingston, and Ian Taggart, better known by his stage name Young God, or, later, Televa ...

- "Long Division" from ''

A Heap of Broken Images ''A Heap of Broken Images'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop production duo Blue Sky Black Death. It was released by Mush Records in 2006. The album title comes from the T. S. Eliot poem ''The Waste Land ''The Waste Land'' is ...

'' (2006) *

Coldcut Coldcut are an English electronic music duo composed of Matt Black and Jonathan More. Credited as pioneers for pop sampling in the 1980s, Coldcut are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, ...

- "Everything Is Under Control" from ''

Sound Mirrors An acoustic mirror is a passive device used to reflect and focus (concentrate) sound waves. Parabolic acoustic mirrors are widely used in parabolic microphones to pick up sound from great distances, employed in surveillance and reporting of o ...

'' (2006) *

Soylent Green ''Soylent Green'' is a 1973 American Environmental film, ecological dystopian thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. It is loosely based on t ...

- "Eating People" from ''Software and Hardwar'' (2006) *

dDamage dDamage is a French electronic music duo from Paris, composed of brothers Frédéric and Jean-Baptiste Hanak. dDamage released 8 albums, several singles, EPs and soundtracks, over a period of 20 years. Career Their first album, "Reverbreak Thi ...

- "Alphabet & Burners" from ''Shimmy Shimmy Blade'' (2006) * Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer - "Machiavelli vs. Lao Tseu" and "Machiavelli vs. Lao Tseu (Remix)" from ''Mo' Dougly Weird Stories'' (2007) *

Apollo Heights Apollo Heights is an American shoegazing band that was formed in New York City in 2002. Consisting mainly of twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis, they play experimental rock music. They cite AR Kane and My Bloody Valentine as a major inspirat ...

- "Missed Again" from ''Disco Lights'' (2007) *

Grand Pianoramax Grand Pianoramax is an experimental keyboard and drums bands conceived by Leo Tardin. The band consists of Tardin and Dominik Burkhalter and features guests, often including Mike Ladd and Black Cracker. Biography The 2005 self-titled debut album ...

- "Showdown" from ''The Biggest Piano in Town'' (2008) *

Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...

- "Turn Me Loose" from ''Lotuk'' (2008) *

Solex Solex may refer to: * Solex (musician), Dutch musician * Solex Carburetor, a French manufacturer of carburetors and the powered bicycle VéloSoleX * Solex College, a former private for-profit college in Chicago, Illinois * Solex Unit, a fictiona ...

vs. Cristina Martinez &

Jon Spencer Jon Spencer (born February 5, 1965) is an American singer, composer and guitarist. He has been involved in multiple musical acts, such as Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. History Jon Spencer was born ...

- "R Is for Ring-A-Ding" and "Action" from ''Amsterdam Throwdown King Street Showdown!'' (2009) * Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer with Jessica Fitoussi - "Dirty Finders" from ''Modonut'' (2009) *

DJ Spooky Paul Dennis Miller (born September 6, 1970), known professionally as DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is an American electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntabli ...

- "Known Unknowns" from ''The Secret Song'' (2009) *

U-God Lamont Jody Hawkins (born November 10, 1970), better known as U-God, is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He has been with the group since its inception, and is known for his deep voice and rhythmic flow tha ...

- "Lipton" from ''

Dopium ''Dopium'' is the third solo studio album by Wu-Tang Clan member U-God. The album was released on June 23, 2009. The album features guest appearances from Method Man, Ghostface Killah, GZA, Killah Priest, Raekwon, Cappadonna, Jim Jones J ...

'' (2009) * Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer - "Norman Bates" from ''Remi Domost'' (2010) * Walker Barnard - "Ooty on Wax" and "Ooty on Wax (Iron Curtis Remix)" from ''Alacazam'' (2011) *

- "Domestic Bliss" from ''Smooth Danger'' (2011) * Birdapres - "Not the Only Man" from ''Catch an L'' (2011) *

Busdriver Regan Farquhar (born February 12, 1978), better known by his stage name Busdriver, is an American rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California. He has collaborated with rappers such as Myka 9, Milo, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle, 2Mex, and Radioi ...

- "Electric Blue" from ''

Beaus$Eros ''Beaus$Eros'' (pronounced "bows & arrows") is a studio album by American rapper Busdriver. It was released on Fake Four Inc. in 2012. Critical reception At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream ...

'' (2012) * Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer - "Life at the 9th" from ''Modonut 2'' (2012) *

Roberto Fonseca Roberto Fonseca (born 29 March 1975) is a Cuban jazz pianist. From an early age, Fonseca was surrounded by music: his father was drum player Roberto Fonseca, Sr, his mother, Mercedes Cortes Alfaro, a professional singer (she sings on her son ...

- "Mi Negra Ave Maria" from ''Yo'' (2012) * Ben Muller - "The Last One to Preach" (2013) * Mister Modo & Ugly Mac Beer - "Wild Gun Mike" from ''Modonut Invasion'' (2013) *

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

- "Mack the Knife" from '' Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch'' (2014) * Nevche - "Rendez-Nous L'Argent" from ''Rétroviseur'' (2014) * Uncommon Nasa - "Black Hole" from ''Written at Night'' (2017) *

R.A.P. Ferreira Rory Allen Philip Ferreira (born February 3, 1992), better known by his stage name R.A.P. Ferreira, formerly Milo (often stylized as milo) and Scallops Hotel, is an American Rapping, rapper and Record producer, producer from Kenosha, Wisconsin. F ...

- "An Idea Is a Work of Art" from ''Purple Moonlight Pages'' (2020) *

Billy Woods Billy Woods (stylized as billy woods) is an American rapper based in New York. He is also the founder of the record label Backwoodz Studioz. Woods has been a member of Armand Hammer, Super Chron Flight Brothers, and The Reavers. Early life Bill ...

- "Christine" from '' Aethiopes'' (2022)

Remixes

Enrico Macias Gaston Ghrenassia (born 11 December 1938), known by his stage name Enrico Macias, is an Algerian-French singer, songwriter and musician of Algerian Jewish descent. Early years Gaston Ghrenassia was born to a Sephardic Algerian Jewish family i ...

- "Le Vent Du Sud (Mike Ladd Remix)" from ''Enrico Experience'' (2000) *

Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo (YLT; Spanish for "I have her") is an American indie rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan (guitars, piano, vocals), Georgia Hubley (drums, piano, vocals), and James McNew ...

- "Nuclear War (Version 4)" (2002) *

Antipop Consortium Antipop Consortium is an American alternative hip hop group. The group formed in 1997, when Beans, High Priest, M. Sayyid, and producer Earl Blaize met at a poetry slam in New York City. They are notable for their stream-of-consciousness lyric ...

- "Ghostlawns (Mike Ladd Mix)" (2002) * Yameen - "Spirit Walker (Mike Ladd Remix)" from ''Never Knows More'' (2009)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ladd, Mike Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Hampshire College alumni Rappers from Boston American rappers American male rappers 21st-century American rappers American spoken word artists Hip hop record producers Big Dada artists Definitive Jux artists ROIR artists Thirsty Ear Recordings artists 21st-century American male musicians