Casual (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Jon Owens known by his stage name
Casual, is an American rapper from Oakland, California
and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop
collective
Hieroglyphics
. After his debut album Fear Itself
garnered both critical and commercial success, Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces on the Hieroglyphics roster, releasing five full-length LPs
over the span of his twelve year career. Owens has garnered a following amongst devoted hip hop
fans, particarularly in the Bay Area hip hop scene, largely due to his specialization in hardcore battle rhymes.
albums, Casual followed suit in 1994 with Fear Itself
. The album was the second-highest charting album in Hieroglyphics' history. Casual followed a typical verse-chorus-verse structure but stood out with his ferocious but playful battle lyrics. Casual has been acclaimed for "wielding his metaphors and sinewy delivery with lethal grace"
After the release of Fear Itself, Casual (as well as fellow Hieroglyphics members Souls of Mischief) was dropped from Jive Records. Casaul documents the experience in the book, Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast:
In 1994, Casual was involved in a high profile battle with rapper Saafir
. The beef originally started when Saafir appeared on Casual's debut album, and did not appear on Saafir's. This ignited the infamous Hiero vs Hobo Junction battle, which involved some controversy when rumors surfaced that Saafir was using pre-written raps as opposed to Casual and Hieroglyphics expected freestyling. Despite this, it is regarded as an influential battle in underground hip-hop's history.
Casual has expressed, much like the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew the importance of competition in hip hop, stating "I think that MCing should be a competitive thing, almost like a sport. The only way an MC can keep polishing and sharpening his skills is to test them against the competition and the up and coming young bloods.".
Casual contributed considerably to both Hieroglyphics albums 3rd Eye Vision
(1998) and Full Circle
(2003), and is typically found rapping on as well as producing tracks on almost all Hieroglyphics-related releases. While staying mostly on the underground scene and not achieving significant commercial success aside from his debut, Casual is widely respected as an MC, even appearing on the artwork for A Tribe Called Quest
's album Midnight Marauders
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Casual, is an American rapper from Oakland, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
collective
Musical collective
Musical collective is a phrase used to describe a group of musicians in which membership is flexible and creative control is shared. Such entities have transitioned from the traditional hierarchical configuration that features either a frontman , or a plurality of band members in tension for...
Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics (band)
Hieroglyphics, also known as the Hieroglyphics Crew and Hiero, are an American underground hip hop collective based in Oakland, California. The collective was founded in the early-1990s by rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien...
. After his debut album Fear Itself
Fear Itself (Casual album)
-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*engineering – Matt Kelley*mastering – Tom Coyne*mixing – Casual, Chris Trevett*photography – Michael Lucero*production – Casual, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Domino, Jay Biz*scratching – Touré...
garnered both critical and commercial success, Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces on the Hieroglyphics roster, releasing five full-length LPs
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
over the span of his twelve year career. Owens has garnered a following amongst devoted hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
fans, particarularly in the Bay Area hip hop scene, largely due to his specialization in hardcore battle rhymes.
Biography
After high-profile appearances on Del tha Funky Homosapien and Souls of MischiefSouls of Mischief
-Studio albums:-Singles:-External links:* [ Allmusic Biography]* *...
albums, Casual followed suit in 1994 with Fear Itself
Fear Itself (Casual album)
-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*engineering – Matt Kelley*mastering – Tom Coyne*mixing – Casual, Chris Trevett*photography – Michael Lucero*production – Casual, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Domino, Jay Biz*scratching – Touré...
. The album was the second-highest charting album in Hieroglyphics' history. Casual followed a typical verse-chorus-verse structure but stood out with his ferocious but playful battle lyrics. Casual has been acclaimed for "wielding his metaphors and sinewy delivery with lethal grace"
After the release of Fear Itself, Casual (as well as fellow Hieroglyphics members Souls of Mischief) was dropped from Jive Records. Casaul documents the experience in the book, Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast:
In 1994, Casual was involved in a high profile battle with rapper Saafir
Saafir
Reggie Gibson, better known as Saafir is an emcee, producer and actor from Oakland, California. After moving from Fresno, California to Oakland, he lived with Tupac Shakur and became a dancer for Digital Underground...
. The beef originally started when Saafir appeared on Casual's debut album, and did not appear on Saafir's. This ignited the infamous Hiero vs Hobo Junction battle, which involved some controversy when rumors surfaced that Saafir was using pre-written raps as opposed to Casual and Hieroglyphics expected freestyling. Despite this, it is regarded as an influential battle in underground hip-hop's history.
Casual has expressed, much like the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew the importance of competition in hip hop, stating "I think that MCing should be a competitive thing, almost like a sport. The only way an MC can keep polishing and sharpening his skills is to test them against the competition and the up and coming young bloods.".
Casual contributed considerably to both Hieroglyphics albums 3rd Eye Vision
3rd Eye Vision
3rd Eye Vision is the debut album of Oakland, California-based, underground hip hop collective, Hieroglyphics. The album was released on May 24, 1998 by the group's own, independent record label, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings.- Track listing :...
(1998) and Full Circle
Full Circle
-Albums:* Full Circle * Full Circle * Full Circle * Full Circle * Full Circle * Full Circle * Full Circle...
(2003), and is typically found rapping on as well as producing tracks on almost all Hieroglyphics-related releases. While staying mostly on the underground scene and not achieving significant commercial success aside from his debut, Casual is widely respected as an MC, even appearing on the artwork for A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's album Midnight Marauders
Midnight Marauders
- Additional credits :- Accolades :The information is taken from Acclaimedmusic.netand other website links below. designates lists which are unordered.-Cover art:...
.
LPs
- Fear ItselfFear Itself (Casual album)-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*engineering – Matt Kelley*mastering – Tom Coyne*mixing – Casual, Chris Trevett*photography – Michael Lucero*production – Casual, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Domino, Jay Biz*scratching – Touré...
(1994, Jive RecordsJive RecordsJive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
) - Meanwhile... (1997, Hieroglyphics Imperium RecordingsHieroglyphics Imperium RecordingsHieroglyphics Imperium Recordings is an Oakland, California-based, independent, primarily alternative hip hop record label founded and owned by underground hip hop collective, the Hieroglyphics...
) - He Think He Raw (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
- Truck DriverTruck driverA truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
(2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings, webWorld Wide WebThe World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
-only release)) - Smash Rockwell (2005, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
- He STILL Think He Raw (2011, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
- The HierophantThe HierophantThe Hierophant , in some decks named The Pope, is the fifth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.-Description and symbolism:...
(2011, F.B.M.G.)
Singles
- That's How It Is (1993, Jive)
- I Didn't Mean To (1993, Jive)
- Me-O-Mi-O (1994, Jive)
- VIP (1999, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- Blind Date (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- Same O.G. (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- We Don't Get Down Like That (2002, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- My Whole Intent (2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- Rap Game b/w Things I Need (2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- Rock My Shit (2010, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
- 101% Music (2010, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
Appearances
- 1993: "Limitations" (feat. Del the Funky Homosapien) (from the Souls of MischiefSouls of Mischief-Studio albums:-Singles:-External links:* [ Allmusic Biography]* *...
album 93 'til Infinity93 'til Infinity93 'til Infinity is the debut album by Souls of Mischief. The group consists of four members and is a subgroup of the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics.-Album information:...
) - 1993: "No More Worries" (feat. A-Plus and Snupe) (from the Del the Funky Homosapien album No Need for AlarmNo Need for AlarmNo Need for Alarm is the second album by hip hop artist Del the Funky Homosapien. It was released on November 23, 1993 on Elektra Records. It was a complete departure from his G-Funk influenced first album and without the assistance of his older cousin, Ice Cube. Primarily produced by Del and the...
) - 1994: "What's The Real" (from the Kurious JorgeKurious JorgeJorge Alvarez, better known as Kurious, is an East Coast underground hip hop artist.-Biography:Kurious is of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent, and grew up in a Upper Westside neighborhood called Manhattan Valley In NYC . He debuted in 1991 on Powerule's "Young Stars from Nowhere". He then appeared on...
album A Constipated Monkey) - 1997: "Checkin Out the Rivalry" (from the Del the Funky Homosapien album Future DevelopmentFuture DevelopmentFuture Development is a 1997 album by Del tha Funkee Homosapien under the Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings label. Its 1997 release was only on the Hieroglyphics website and as a cassette in Japan. It was rereleased in America as a CD in 2001...
) - 1998 "Funky Beat" (from the Everlast album Whitey Ford Sings the BluesWhitey Ford Sings the BluesWhitey Ford Sings the Blues is the second solo album by singer-songwriter-emcee Everlast, and the first one following his departure from House of Pain...
) - 2000: "Jaw Gymnastics" (from the Del the Funky Homosapien album Both Sides of the BrainBoth Sides of the BrainBoth Sides of the Brain is the fourth studio album by Del the Funky Homosapien. The song "If You Must" is notable for being featured in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 as well as having its own music video.-Track listing:...
) - 2000: "Big Business (Featuring TajaiTajaiTajai Massey, known by the stage name, Tajai , is an American rapper and producer. He is one of the four founding members of Oakland, California-based underground hip hop group Souls of Mischief, and, with the Souls of Mischief, a part of the eight-person, alternative hip hop collective, the...
)" (from the Ed O.G.Ed O.G.Edward Anderson is a hip-hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, better known by his stage names Edo G and Ed O.G.. Although not widely known in the mainstream, Edo G has a cult following in Boston, and an international fanbase.-Career:Born in Roxbury—a rough, predominantly black...
album The Truth Hurts) - 2003: "Let Me Hear Sum'n" (from the AceyaloneAceyaloneEddie Hayes, better known by his stage name Aceyalone, is an American rapper.He is a founding member of the Freestyle Fellowship. Apart from his role in Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone is also a member of Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team , and he is a co-founder of Project Blowed.After releasing a...
album Love & HateLove & Hate (Aceyalone album)- Track listing :# Love and Hate Theme# Junkman# Let Me Hear Sumn# Lost Your Mind# In Stereo# The Takeoff# Love and Hate# The Saga Continues# Moonlight Skies# Ace Cowboy# So Much Pain# Find Out# City of Shit# Lights Out# Ms. Amerikkka...
) - 2004: "It's Like That" (from the Handsome Boy Modeling SchoolHandsome Boy Modeling SchoolHandsome Boy Modeling School was a collaborative project between renowned hip hop producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul...
album White PeopleWhite PeopleWhite People is the second and final album by Handsome Boy Modeling School.-Track listing:# "Intro" – 1:08# "If It Wasn't For You" – 4:37...
) - 2007: "Hot And Cold (Remix)" (from the Dilated PeoplesDilated PeoplesDilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
album The Release Party) - 2007: "Connect 4 (feat. Shabaam Sahdeeq & U.G.)" (from the Sean PriceSean PriceSean Price is an American rapper and member of the hip hop supergroups Boot Camp Clik and Random Axe. He came to fame as one-half of the duo Heltah Skeltah, performing under the name Ruckus, or in short Ruck, along with partner Rock. He also is featured in the video game NBA 2K11 as a playable...
mixtape Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
) - 2008: "Block To Block (Remix)" (feat. Hochii) (from the Egadz album You Got Beef In The Studio?)
- 2008: "Laughing At You" (from the The Mighty UnderdogsThe Mighty Underdogs__notoc__#"U.F.C. "#*Cuts by DJ Shadow#"Gunfight"#*Featuring MF DOOM#"Love-Life Soundtrack"#*Featuring LadyBug Mecca#"Status Symbol"#"Out of My Life"#"Bring Me Back"#*Featuring Raashan Ahmad...
album Droppin' Science Fiction)
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Smash Rockwell | |
| 2001 | He Think He Raw | |
| 1997 | Meanwhile | |
| 1993 | Fear Itself | 108 |
Singles
| Year | Song | Hot Rap Singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "VIP" | 43 | |
| 1994 | "I Didn't Mean To" Certified Gold US | 34 | Fear Itself |
| 1993 | "That's How It Is" | 22 | Fear Itself |