Cunninlynguists
Encyclopedia
CunninLynguists are a hip hop
trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. The name is a portmanteau of the words cunning and linguist, and is also a play on the word cunnilingus
.
, was released in October 2001, and was described by Pitchfork Media
as "a solid, accessible debut, filled with clever rhymes and tremendously consistent production". Their second LP, SouthernUnderground
, was independently released April 1, 2003 on Freshchest Records. The album saw Mr. SOS join the group and featured guests including Masta Ace
, Supastition
and others, with production from Domingo, RJD2
and Kno. M.F. DiBella of Allmusic commented on "a lyrical deftness and genuine feel for the music rarely seen in the bling-conscious rap of the latter-day era".
The group landed a distribution contract with Caroline Distribution in 2004, and SouthernUnderground was the first project re-released after inking the deal with Will Rap For Food being re-released shortly thereafter in 2005.
The group toured throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2003, 2004 and 2005, appearing onstage alongside acts like Nappy Roots
, Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob
and touring extensively with People Under the Stairs
, Raekwon
of Wu-Tang Clan
and Brand Nubian
. In 2003, Kno created his own remixed version of Jay-Z
's The Black Album
with The White Albulum.
CunninLynguists released their third LP, A Piece of Strange, worldwide on January 24, 2006 via Caroline Records
and Groove Attack Distribution. With Mr. SOS now having left the group and Natti joining, it featured guest spots from Cee-Lo Green, Immortal Technique
and Tonedeff
and is entirely produced by Kno. The release of A Piece of Strange saw the profile for the group rise, as they toured abroad multiple times in support of the release appearing live alongside such acts as Kanye West
, Pharrell Williams
, The Strokes
and more. Hype gave the album a five star review describing it as "the best album of the last 12 months". URB gave the album four stars, describing it as "a piece of beauty, a soulful and sweeping assemblage of cuts that ride a steady wave of infectious momentum", while The A.V. Club
commented on Kno's "masterful, adventurous production".
CunninLynguists released their fourth LP, Dirty Acres
on November 27, 2007 through a joint venture between their own label APOS Music and Swedish-based label Bad Taste Records
. Produced entirely by Kno, it features artists such as Devin the Dude
, Phonte
of Little Brother and Witchdoctor, and was described by CMJ New Music Monthly
as "a defiant album that questions everything, even the assumed standards of hip hop". It was lauded by Michael Kabran of PopMatters
as "easily one of the best hip-hop albums of 2007 and arguably one of the best albums of the past decade". CunninLynguists made their way across the United States, Europe and Canada in support of the album, headlining the Dirty Acres Tour in 3 parts over the course of 2008.
CunninLynguists have been covered in various media outlets including The Source
, URB, Spin, XLR8R
, Import Tuner, and The Onion
.
In 2010, producer Kno released his album Death Is Silent
. On December 21, the group released the artwork and March 22 release date of their upcoming album Oneirology on their Facebook page.
at an event for the now defunct Blaze Magazine that included various members of Atlanta's own Dungeon Family
. CunninLynguists would later go on to work with various Dungeon Family members such as Cee-Lo Green, Big Rube, Khujo Goodie, EJ The Witchdoctor and Psycho Mike, with the latter comparing CunninLynguists' sound to Dungeon Family "in its heyday".
Kno, hailing from Georgia
and currently residing in Atlanta, has been described as "one of the top loop-miners east of the Mississippi
" by URB. He produced the majority of Will Rap For Food, SouthernUnderground, A Piece of Strange, Sloppy Seconds 2 and Dirty Acres and has also received acclaim in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and other magazines for his remix of Jay-Z
's Black Album
, entitled Kno vs. Hov "The White Albulum".
Hailing from Versailles, Kentucky
, Deacon the Villain is also an established producer. His beats have been used by the likes of KRS-One
, King Tee
, and J-Ro from Tha Liks, as well as local Kentucky artists such as Rob Jackson and Bonafide Circle.
Kentucky-based emcee Natti has been involved in the group from November 2004 until the present (appearing on all material since Sloppy Seconds Volume 2).
As of January 2006, the duo of Kno and Deacon have begun work as a production duo under the banner A Piece of Strange Music, currently producing for Devin the Dude
, Lil' Scrappy, Immortal Technique
and others.
Florida-based emcee Mr. SOS was a part of CunninLynguists from July 2002 to October 2004 (appearing mainly on SouthernUnderground and Sloppy Seconds Volume 1).
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...
trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti. The name is a portmanteau of the words cunning and linguist, and is also a play on the word cunnilingus
Cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
.
History
The group's debut LP, Will Rap for FoodWill Rap For Food
* All tracks produced by Kno, except for track 4 by Celph Titled and track 18 by Deacon and Kno....
, was released in October 2001, and was described by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
as "a solid, accessible debut, filled with clever rhymes and tremendously consistent production". Their second LP, SouthernUnderground
SouthernUnderground
SouthernUnderground is the second album from American rap trio Cunninlynguists, released in 2003. As well as resident vocalist Deacon the Villain and DJ/vocalist Kno, the group employed Mr. SOS to accompany on vocals for much of the album...
, was independently released April 1, 2003 on Freshchest Records. The album saw Mr. SOS join the group and featured guests including Masta Ace
Masta Ace
Duval Clear , known better by his stage name Masta Ace, is a rapper from Brownsville, Brooklyn. He appeared on the classic 1988 Juice Crew posse cut "The Symphony"...
, Supastition
Supastition
Supastition is an underground hip hop artist from Greenville, North Carolina, now living in Charlotte. He has worked with rappers like KRS-One, Cunninlynguists, and Little Brother....
and others, with production from Domingo, RJD2
RJD2
RJD2 is an American music producer, singer and musician. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was signed to the Definitive Jux label where he released two largely instrumental hip hop albums and has produced tracks...
and Kno. M.F. DiBella of Allmusic commented on "a lyrical deftness and genuine feel for the music rarely seen in the bling-conscious rap of the latter-day era".
The group landed a distribution contract with Caroline Distribution in 2004, and SouthernUnderground was the first project re-released after inking the deal with Will Rap For Food being re-released shortly thereafter in 2005.
The group toured throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2003, 2004 and 2005, appearing onstage alongside acts like Nappy Roots
Nappy Roots
Nappy Roots is an American alternative Southern rap quintet that originated in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 and is best known for its hit single "Awnaw."...
, Cee-Lo Green of Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob
Goodie Mob is a Hip Hop act based in Atlanta, Georgia that formed in 1991 and currently consists of members Cee-Lo Green, Khujo, T-Mo and Big Gipp.-History:The group's name acts as a double backronym...
and touring extensively with People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs
People Under the Stairs is a hip hop group from Los Angeles, California formed in 1997 by Thes One and Double K. The group has released eight critically acclaimed full-length albums and performed on every continent except Antarctica. It is estimated that the group has performed well over 1,000 sold...
, Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
of Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu-Tang Clan is a hip-hop group from Staten Island that consists of RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa, and the late Ol' Dirty Bastard. They are frequently joined by fellow childhood friend Cappadonna, a quasi member of the group...
and Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
. In 2003, Kno created his own remixed version of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's The Black Album
The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.The album debuted at number one...
with The White Albulum.
CunninLynguists released their third LP, A Piece of Strange, worldwide on January 24, 2006 via Caroline Records
Caroline Records
Caroline Records started out as a subsidiary of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label during the early to mid 1970s. The label originally specialized in putting out budget price LPs by mainly progressive rock and jazz artists generally not considered to have a great deal of 'mainstream' or...
and Groove Attack Distribution. With Mr. SOS now having left the group and Natti joining, it featured guest spots from Cee-Lo Green, Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
and Tonedeff
Tonedeff
Tonedeff is an American rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter from Queens, New York City.Known for his breathless vocal performances, rapid-fire delivery, which is alleged to be among the fastest in hip hop history, is said by critics as having "the best flows" of the current generation of emcees...
and is entirely produced by Kno. The release of A Piece of Strange saw the profile for the group rise, as they toured abroad multiple times in support of the release appearing live alongside such acts as Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
, The Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
and more. Hype gave the album a five star review describing it as "the best album of the last 12 months". URB gave the album four stars, describing it as "a piece of beauty, a soulful and sweeping assemblage of cuts that ride a steady wave of infectious momentum", while The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
commented on Kno's "masterful, adventurous production".
CunninLynguists released their fourth LP, Dirty Acres
Dirty Acres
Dirty Acres is the fourth album from rap group CunninLynguists, released on November 27, 2007 on APOS Music/Bad Taste Records. The album is entirely produced by Kno and features guest appearances from Devin the Dude, Phonte of Little Brother, and Witchdoctor of Dungeon Family...
on November 27, 2007 through a joint venture between their own label APOS Music and Swedish-based label Bad Taste Records
Bad Taste Records
Bad Taste Records is a record label based in Lund, Sweden.The record label was one of the first labels to establish in the Swedish punk rock and punk/hardcore scene in the early 1990s, together with Burning Heart Records. The name of the label originated from the movie Bad Taste by Peter...
. Produced entirely by Kno, it features artists such as Devin the Dude
Devin the Dude
Devin Copeland , better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop artist, and rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79"....
, Phonte
Phonte
Phonte Coleman, better known as Phonte, is a Grammy nominated American rapper, formerly of the now defunct North Carolina trio Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. He has also recorded R&B-flavored output as a singer...
of Little Brother and Witchdoctor, and was described by CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ New Music Monthly was a monthly music magazine with interviews, reviews, and special features. Each issue included a compact disc with 15 to 24 songs by well established bands, unsigned bands, and everything in between...
as "a defiant album that questions everything, even the assumed standards of hip hop". It was lauded by Michael Kabran of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
as "easily one of the best hip-hop albums of 2007 and arguably one of the best albums of the past decade". CunninLynguists made their way across the United States, Europe and Canada in support of the album, headlining the Dirty Acres Tour in 3 parts over the course of 2008.
CunninLynguists have been covered in various media outlets including The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
, URB, Spin, XLR8R
XLR8R
XLR8R is a magazine and website thatcovers music, culture, style, and technology. It was founded as anewsprint ‘zine in 1993 by publisher Andrew Smith in Seattle; themagazine currently has offices in San Francisco and New York...
, Import Tuner, and The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
.
In 2010, producer Kno released his album Death Is Silent
Death is Silent
- Track listing :...
. On December 21, the group released the artwork and March 22 release date of their upcoming album Oneirology on their Facebook page.
Members
Kno (born Ryan Wisler) and Deacon the Villain are the founding and current members of CunninLynguists and have been found on every CunninLynguists album thus far since the group's inception in March 2000. Deacon and Kno met at Club Kaya in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
at an event for the now defunct Blaze Magazine that included various members of Atlanta's own Dungeon Family
Dungeon Family
The Dungeon Family is a hip hop/R&B/soul musical collective, based in Atlanta, Georgia and specializing in Southern hip hop with heavy funk and soul influences. The group derives its name from "The Dungeon", the name given to record producer Rico Wade's basement studio where many of the early...
. CunninLynguists would later go on to work with various Dungeon Family members such as Cee-Lo Green, Big Rube, Khujo Goodie, EJ The Witchdoctor and Psycho Mike, with the latter comparing CunninLynguists' sound to Dungeon Family "in its heyday".
Kno, hailing from Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and currently residing in Atlanta, has been described as "one of the top loop-miners east of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
" by URB. He produced the majority of Will Rap For Food, SouthernUnderground, A Piece of Strange, Sloppy Seconds 2 and Dirty Acres and has also received acclaim in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and other magazines for his remix of Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Black Album
The Black Album (Jay-Z album)
The Black Album is the eighth studio album by American rapper Jay-Z, released November 14, 2003, on Roc-A-Fella Records. It was promoted as his final studio album, which serves as a recurring theme, although Jay-Z returned to solo recording with Kingdom Come in 2006.The album debuted at number one...
, entitled Kno vs. Hov "The White Albulum".
Hailing from Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
, Deacon the Villain is also an established producer. His beats have been used by the likes of KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, King Tee
King Tee
Roger McBride, mostly known as King Tee , is an American West coast rapper from Compton, California.-Career:...
, and J-Ro from Tha Liks, as well as local Kentucky artists such as Rob Jackson and Bonafide Circle.
Kentucky-based emcee Natti has been involved in the group from November 2004 until the present (appearing on all material since Sloppy Seconds Volume 2).
As of January 2006, the duo of Kno and Deacon have begun work as a production duo under the banner A Piece of Strange Music, currently producing for Devin the Dude
Devin the Dude
Devin Copeland , better known by his stage name, Devin the Dude, is a Houston hip hop artist, and rapper. He is best known for his unique rapping style, his long career signed to Rap-A-Lot Records, and his 2002 song, "Lacville '79"....
, Lil' Scrappy, Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
and others.
Florida-based emcee Mr. SOS was a part of CunninLynguists from July 2002 to October 2004 (appearing mainly on SouthernUnderground and Sloppy Seconds Volume 1).
Studio albums
- Will Rap for FoodWill Rap For Food* All tracks produced by Kno, except for track 4 by Celph Titled and track 18 by Deacon and Kno....
- Released: October 20, 2001
- Label: Urban Acres Entertainment
- Re-Released: January 25, 2005
- Label: Freshchest Records
- SouthernUndergroundSouthernUndergroundSouthernUnderground is the second album from American rap trio Cunninlynguists, released in 2003. As well as resident vocalist Deacon the Villain and DJ/vocalist Kno, the group employed Mr. SOS to accompany on vocals for much of the album...
- Released: April 1, 2003
- Re-Released: April 20, 2004
- Label: Freshchest Records
- A Piece of Strange
- Released: January 24, 2006
- Label: QN5 Music, L.A. Underground
- Dirty AcresDirty AcresDirty Acres is the fourth album from rap group CunninLynguists, released on November 27, 2007 on APOS Music/Bad Taste Records. The album is entirely produced by Kno and features guest appearances from Devin the Dude, Phonte of Little Brother, and Witchdoctor of Dungeon Family...
- Released: November 27, 2007
- Label: APOS Music
- OneirologyOneirology (album)- Personnel :*Kno – production*DJ FlipFlop – scratching*Willie Eames – guitar*Change – mastering*Lois van Baarle – artwork*Kontrast – design...
- Release Date: March 22, 2011
- Label: APOS Music
Mixtapes
- Sloppy Seconds Volume One
- Released: July 29, 2003
- Label: Freshchest Records
- Sloppy Seconds Volume Two
- Released: May 23, 2005
- Label: QN5 Music, L.A. Underground
- Strange Journey Volume OneStrange Journey Volume OneStrange Journey Volume One is the third mixtape from Southern hip hop group CunninLynguists, released on March 24, 2009. The release features guest appearances from Killer Mike, Khujo of Goodie Mob, Skinny DeVille and Fish Scales of Nappy Roots, Slug of Atmosphere, Tonedeff, PackFM, Substantial,...
- Pre-Release Date: March 24, 2009
- Release Date: May 26, 2009
- Label: APOS Music
- Strange Journey Volume TwoStrange Journey Volume TwoStrange Journey Volume Two is the fourth mixtape by Southern hip-hop group CunninLynguists, released on November 3, 2009. The album features guest appearances from E-40, Sean Price, Witchdoctor, Evidence of Dilated Peoples, Geologic of Blue Scholars, Poison Pen, and production by Blue Sky Black...
- Release Date: November 3, 2009
- Label: APOS Music
Singles
- "So Live!"/"Thugged Out Since Cub Scouts" b/w "616 Rewind"
- "Seasons" b/w "Sunrise, Sunset"
- "Dirtay" b/w "Smoke Out" (Cashmere the Pro)
- "Yellow Lines"
- "Mexico" b/w "Wonderful"
- "Never Come Down (The Brownie Song)"
- "Don't Leave (When Winter Comes)" b/w "Nothing But Strangeness"
- "Running Wild"
- "To Be for Real"
- "Imperial"