El-Producto
Encyclopedia
El-P is an American
hip hop
artist and entrepreneur
from Brooklyn
, New York City
. Originally a member of Company Flow
, El-P has been a major driving force in alternative hip hop
for over a decade. He is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Definitive Jux
record label. El-P is also a member of the Weathermen
and art collective Cardboard City.
pianist
Harry Keys (born Harry Meline), El-P became involved with the hip hop culture of New York City
at an early age. After being expelled from several schools
for problems with authority, Meline decided to pursue a career in music. At his 18th birthday
party, he met Mr. Len
, whom he had hired as a DJ for the night. The two quickly became friends and formed Company Flow
in 1993. They released their first vinyl
single
, "Juvenile Techniques", in 1993. Bigg Jus
later complemented the group and in 1996 the trio
released its debut EP
, Funcrusher. Subject to a major-label bidding war after the success of the EP, Company Flow waited until it could get a contract on its own terms. The group eventually signed with Rawkus Records
, and released its debut full-length album, Funcrusher Plus
(1997).
After an instrumental album called Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1
(1999), also on Rawkus, disagreements between El-P and the label led to Company Flow leaving Rawkus. El-P then decided to start his own record label
, Definitive Jux
(known informally as Def Jux, and extra-formally as Definitive Juxtapositions), and because of critically acclaimed albums such as Cannibal Ox
's The Cold Vein
(produced by El-P) and Aesop Rock
's Labor Days
, the label quickly rose to prominence.
Company Flow (now only El-P and Mr. Len) dissolved amicably in 2001 and the following year El-P released his debut solo album
, Fantastic Damage
, to wide critical acclaim. In 2004, El-P collaborated with the Blue Series Continuum for a jazz-fusion album titled High Water
, which received favorable reviews from both the hip hop and jazz worlds, as well as from more mainstream critics independent of both scenes. 2005 saw the release of Collecting the Kid
, an odds-and-ends assortment including work from High Water and Bomb The System, in addition to several songs of unknown provenance. El-P's second proper studio album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead
, was released on March 20, 2007. It generally received very favorable reviews and became El-P's most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #78 on the U.S. Billboard 200
.
El-P also was a part of a group called Central Services, which consisted of El-P, Camu Tao
, and Allysin Baker. Some of the music created was released on the Def Jux Presents albums and gained a bit of a following. In the fall of 2010, the EP Forever Frozen in Television Time was released exclusively on the Def Jux digital download service.
El-P has contributed productions and guest rhymes to albums by DJ Krush
, Aesop Rock
, Murs, Cage
, Mr. Lif
, Prefuse 73, Del tha Funkee Homosapien
, Mike Ladd
, The High and Mighty
, Jedi Mind Tricks
, Aceyalone
, Atmosphere
, Techno Animal, and Das Racist
. He collaborated with Alec Empire
on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School
album and with Cage
and Chino Moreno
on the second. He was selected, along with DJ Shadow
, to work on Rage Against the Machine
frontman Zach de la Rocha's solo album (which never materialized). He has provided remixes for the likes of Beans (of Anti-Pop Consortium), Beck
, Blackalicious
, Head Automatica
, Hot Hot Heat
, Syd Matters
, Nine Inch Nails
, Push Button Objects
, Rob Sonic
, TV on the Radio
, and Yasushilde, among others. El-P also provided the soundtrack for the graffiti film Bomb the System
.
As of October 2009, El-P is working on his third studio album, tentatively titled Cancer for Cure.
In August 2011, it was announced that El-P had signed to Fat Possum Records, and would be releasing his follow-up to "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" on the label.
August 2011, El-p released a single off his upcoming album Cancer for Cure, on Adult Swim Singles program. The track is titled "Drones Over BKLYN".
, science fiction
and fantasy
themes and references, and associative
word play
. Critic Steve Huey describes him as "one of the most technically gifted MCs of his time, spitting out near-impossible phrases and rhythmic variations that simply leave the listener's head spinning."
El-P is a great fan of science fiction, notably writer
Philip K. Dick
, and many of Dick's themes, such as paranoia
and questions about the nature of reality
, feature in El-P's work. References to George Orwell
, Arthur C. Clarke
, and Star Trek
spin-off Deep Space 9 sit comfortably alongside more traditional rap references, such as to the likes of LL Cool J
and Boogie Down Productions
.
As a producer, Meline is notable for his innovative mix of bleak futurism
and low fidelity sounds. His dense, claustrophobic sounds are strongly influenced by Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad
, as well as innovators like Art of Noise and Nine Inch Nails
.
2004's High Water was a radical departure, pitting El-P's beats and production against a Jazz
band under the direction of pianist Matthew Shipp
, a fan of El-P's music. In an interview with Shipp, Meline stated:
El-P has done some work as a DJ. In November 2004, he spun alongside Peanut Butter Wolf
at a small Chicago club named Sonotheque. Also, in the summer of 2005, at the Intonation Festival hosted by Pitchfork Media
El-P did a short DJ set alongside Yo La Tengo
member James McNew
, both denizens of the same apartment complex in Brooklyn.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
artist and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Originally a member of Company Flow
Company Flow
Company Flow is an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr...
, El-P has been a major driving force in alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
for over a decade. He is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
record label. El-P is also a member of the Weathermen
The Weathermen (hip hop group)
The Weathermen, is a New York City-based, underground hip-hop supergroup consisting of Aesop Rock, Tame One, Cage, Yak Ballz, El-P, and Breeze Brewin. The group took its name from the revolutionary organization Weatherman, and sometimes refers to itself as the "New Left"...
and art collective Cardboard City.
Biography
The son of JazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
pianist
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Harry Keys (born Harry Meline), El-P became involved with the hip hop culture of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at an early age. After being expelled from several schools
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
for problems with authority, Meline decided to pursue a career in music. At his 18th birthday
Birthday
A birthday is a day or anniversary where a person celebrates his or her date of birth. Birthdays are celebrated in numerous cultures, often with a gift, party or rite of passage. Although the major religions celebrate the birth of their founders , Christmas – which is celebrated widely by...
party, he met Mr. Len
Mr. Len
Mr. Len is a hip hop DJ from Bronx, New York. He was a member, with Bigg Jus and El-P, of the underground hip hop trio Company Flow, which disbanded in the late-1990s. Presently he is in a group with Kimani Rogers from The Masterminds named Roosevelt Franklin...
, whom he had hired as a DJ for the night. The two quickly became friends and formed Company Flow
Company Flow
Company Flow is an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr...
in 1993. They released their first vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Juvenile Techniques", in 1993. Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus
Bigg Jus is an American hip hop artist from New York City, formerly a member of Company Flow along with Mr. Len and El-P. After the late-1990s breakup of Company Flow, Bigg Jus formed the now defunct Sub Verse Music and began to pursue his solo career...
later complemented the group and in 1996 the trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
released its debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Funcrusher. Subject to a major-label bidding war after the success of the EP, Company Flow waited until it could get a contract on its own terms. The group eventually signed with Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records
Rawkus Records is an American hip-hop record label known for jump-starting the careers of both Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Rawkus started in 1996 with initial releases ranging from hip-hop to drum and bass...
, and released its debut full-length album, Funcrusher Plus
Funcrusher Plus
Funcrusher Plus is the debut album by Brooklyn, New York hip-hop group Company Flow, released on July 28, 1997 . It was the first album released on Rawkus Records, arguably the most popular and successful independent hip hop label of the late 1990s...
(1997).
After an instrumental album called Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1
Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1
Little Johnny from the Hospitul is Company Flow's second album, which was released in 1999, soon after the group disbanded.The song "Bee Aware" became the song "Arize" by Mr. Lif....
(1999), also on Rawkus, disagreements between El-P and the label led to Company Flow leaving Rawkus. El-P then decided to start his own record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux
Definitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
(known informally as Def Jux, and extra-formally as Definitive Juxtapositions), and because of critically acclaimed albums such as Cannibal Ox
Cannibal Ox
Cannibal Ox, also known as CanOx, is an abstract hip hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Its members include Vast Aire and Vordul Mega. They are often accompanied by DJ Cip-One...
's The Cold Vein
The Cold Vein
The Cold Vein is the debut album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. It was produced by El-P and released on his Definitive Jux label on May 15, 2001 .-Release:...
(produced by El-P) and Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
's Labor Days
Labor Days
Labor Days is American hip hop artist Aesop Rock's third album, his second major release, and his first on the Definitive Jux record label as well as his first concept album. It was released on September 18, 2001 to considerable critical acclaim. It is a concept album, painting a portrait of the...
, the label quickly rose to prominence.
Company Flow (now only El-P and Mr. Len) dissolved amicably in 2001 and the following year El-P released his debut solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
, Fantastic Damage
Fantastic Damage
Fantastic Damage is the first proper full-length solo album by New York rapper and producer El-P, released on his own Definitive Jux label on May 14, 2002. The tracks "Fantastic Damage", "Deep Space 9mm", and "The Nang, the Front, the Bush and the Shit" were featured in the El-P-scored graffiti...
, to wide critical acclaim. In 2004, El-P collaborated with the Blue Series Continuum for a jazz-fusion album titled High Water
High Water
High Water is an album by hip hop artist El-P, released on March 9, 2004 through Thirsty Ear Recordings.Made in conjunction with jazz pianist Matthew Shipp and the group for which he is artistic director, The Blue Series Continuum, the album is a striking departure from El-P's usual style, almost...
, which received favorable reviews from both the hip hop and jazz worlds, as well as from more mainstream critics independent of both scenes. 2005 saw the release of Collecting the Kid
Collecting The Kid
Collecting the Kid is an album by Brooklyn, New York rapper and producer El-P, released on October 19, 2004 on his own Definitive Jux label....
, an odds-and-ends assortment including work from High Water and Bomb The System, in addition to several songs of unknown provenance. El-P's second proper studio album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead
I'll Sleep When You're Dead
-Credits:*Executive Producers: El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe*Mastering: Michael Sarsfield*Mixing, engineering: Joey Raia*Layout and design: Brad Smith*Photography: Timothy Saccenti*Project Manager: Jesse Ferguson-External links:***...
, was released on March 20, 2007. It generally received very favorable reviews and became El-P's most commercially successful album to date, peaking at #78 on the U.S. 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...
.
El-P also was a part of a group called Central Services, which consisted of El-P, Camu Tao
Camu Tao
Camu Tao was an American rapper and producer who was signed to the Definitive Jux label. He was a member of several groups: S.A...
, and Allysin Baker. Some of the music created was released on the Def Jux Presents albums and gained a bit of a following. In the fall of 2010, the EP Forever Frozen in Television Time was released exclusively on the Def Jux digital download service.
El-P has contributed productions and guest rhymes to albums by DJ Krush
DJ Krush
, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
, Aesop Rock
Aesop Rock
Ian Matthias Bavitz , better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip hop artist and producer. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was signed to El-P's Definitive Jux label until it...
, Murs, Cage
Cage Kennylz
Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City. He has released three studio albums and two extended plays. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop supergroup called the Weathermen.-Early life:...
, Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif
Mr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
, Prefuse 73, Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Del tha Funkee Homosapien
Teren Delvon Jones , better known as Del the Funky Homosapien or Del tha Funkee Homosapien, is an American MC.-Early life and beginnings: 1990-1997:...
, Mike Ladd
Mike Ladd
Mike Ladd is a hip-hop MC and producer. As an MC, he practices spoken-word and is known for his poetic lyrics. As a producer, he is known as the owner of the Likemadd label.-Biography:...
, The High and Mighty
High and Mighty (band)
The High & Mighty are an underground hip hop duo from Philadelphia consisting of rapper Mr. Eon and DJ Mighty Mi...
, Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
, Aceyalone
Aceyalone
Eddie 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...
, Atmosphere
Atmosphere (music group)
Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
, Techno Animal, and Das Racist
Das Racist
Das Racist is an alternative hip hop group based in Brooklyn, New York City, composed of MCs Himanshu Suri , and Victor Vazquez and hype man Ashok Kondabolu...
. He collaborated with Alec Empire
Alec Empire
Alec Empire is a German musician who is best known as a founding member of the band Atari Teenage Riot. Also a prolific and distinguished solo artist, producer and DJ, he has released well over a hundred albums, EPs and singles and remixed over seventy tracks for various artists including Björk...
on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School
Handsome Boy Modeling School was a collaborative project between renowned hip hop producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul...
album and with Cage
Cage Kennylz
Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage, is an American rapper from New York City. He has released three studio albums and two extended plays. Cage is also the founder of the underground hip-hop supergroup called the Weathermen.-Early life:...
and Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and contributing guitarist of Deftones. He is also a member of the side-project bands Team Sleep and Crosses....
on the second. He was selected, along with DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, to work on Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
frontman Zach de la Rocha's solo album (which never materialized). He has provided remixes for the likes of Beans (of Anti-Pop Consortium), Beck
Beck
Beck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
, Blackalicious
Blackalicious
Blackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
, Head Automatica
Head Automatica
Head Automatica is a Dance Rock band, formed by Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo with Jarvis Holden, formerly of Give Up the Ghost or American Nightmare, Jim Greer, and Brandon Arnovick.-History:...
, Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat is a Canadian indie rock band formed in 1999 from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.-Career:Dustin Hawthorne and Steve Bays had been in many different bands together since 1995 and met Hawley in 1998. In 1999, Hawley bought a Juno 6 keyboard and asked Bays to try playing it, as no one...
, Syd Matters
Syd Matters
Syd Matters is a French band fronted by musician Jonathan Morali. At the time of writing, the other band members are Jean-Yves Lozac'h, Olivier Marguerit, Remi Alexandre and Clement Carle. The name Syd Matters comes from the slight modification of the names of two Pink Floyd members: Syd Barrett...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Push Button Objects
Push Button Objects
Push Button Objects is the alias of Edgar Farinas, a producer of IDM. His style of music uses hip-hop as an underlying foundation, but with the addition of DSP-processed sounds, unusual samples, elements of electro, Detroit techno, Miami bass, jungle, and other musical rudiments somewhat alien to...
, Rob Sonic
Rob Sonic
Rob Sonic is a hip hop artist from The Bronx, born in Washington DC. As a child growing up, he devoted himself to many styles of music and was a follower of artists such as The Beatles, Run DMC, Kraftwerk, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, Public Enemy, Muddy Waters, Ultramagnetic MC's, The Clash among...
, TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
, and Yasushilde, among others. El-P also provided the soundtrack for the graffiti film Bomb the System
Bomb the System
Bomb the System is a drama film written and directed by Adam Bhala Lough, which was released to film festivals in 2002 and American theaters in 2005. It revolves around a group of graffiti artists living in New York City who decide to make a mark on the city, and stars Mark Webber, Gano Grills,...
.
As of October 2009, El-P is working on his third studio album, tentatively titled Cancer for Cure.
In August 2011, it was announced that El-P had signed to Fat Possum Records, and would be releasing his follow-up to "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" on the label.
August 2011, El-p released a single off his upcoming album Cancer for Cure, on Adult Swim Singles program. The track is titled "Drones Over BKLYN".
Style
As a rapper, El-P's style can be characterized by his dense, aggressive, and verbose attacks, which include notable use of metaphorMetaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
themes and references, and associative
Association (psychology)
In psychology and marketing, two concepts or stimuli are associated when the experience of one leads to the effects of another, due to repeated pairing. This is sometimes called Pavlovian association for Ivan Pavlov's pioneering of classical conditioning....
word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
. Critic Steve Huey describes him as "one of the most technically gifted MCs of his time, spitting out near-impossible phrases and rhythmic variations that simply leave the listener's head spinning."
El-P is a great fan of science fiction, notably writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
, and many of Dick's themes, such as paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
and questions about the nature of reality
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
, feature in El-P's work. References to George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
, Arthur C. Clarke
Arthur C. Clarke
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,...
, and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
spin-off Deep Space 9 sit comfortably alongside more traditional rap references, such as to the likes of LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
and Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
.
As a producer, Meline is notable for his innovative mix of bleak futurism
Futurism (art)
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century. It emphasized and glorified themes associated with contemporary concepts of the future, including speed, technology, youth and violence, and objects such as the car, the airplane and the industrial city...
and low fidelity sounds. His dense, claustrophobic sounds are strongly influenced by Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
, as well as innovators like Art of Noise and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
.
2004's High Water was a radical departure, pitting El-P's beats and production against a Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
band under the direction of pianist Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp
Matthew Shipp is an American pianist, composer and bandleader.Shipp was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and began playing piano at six years old. His mother was a friend of trumpeter Clifford Brown....
, a fan of El-P's music. In an interview with Shipp, Meline stated:
El-P has done some work as a DJ. In November 2004, he spun alongside Peanut Butter Wolf
Peanut Butter Wolf
Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, is a DJ, hip-hop producer and the founder of hip-hop label Stones Throw Records.A native of San Jose, California, He took on the name Peanut Butter Wolf in the late-80s when he realized that a girlfriend’s youngest brother feared the “peanut butter wolf monster”...
at a small Chicago club named Sonotheque. Also, in the summer of 2005, at the Intonation Festival hosted 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...
El-P did a short DJ set alongside Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo, sometimes abbreviated as YLT, is an American alternative rock band formed in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1984. Since 1992, the lineup has consisted of Ira Kaplan , Georgia Hubley , and James McNew .Despite achieving limited mainstream success, Yo La Tengo has been called "the quintessential...
member James McNew
James McNew
James McNew has been the bass player for the rock band Yo La Tengo since their 1992 album May I Sing With Me.He was previously a member of Christmas on their third album Vortex.[]He also has a solo side project, Dump....
, both denizens of the same apartment complex in Brooklyn.
Discography
Solo studio albums
- Fantastic DamageFantastic DamageFantastic Damage is the first proper full-length solo album by New York rapper and producer El-P, released on his own Definitive Jux label on May 14, 2002. The tracks "Fantastic Damage", "Deep Space 9mm", and "The Nang, the Front, the Bush and the Shit" were featured in the El-P-scored graffiti...
(Definitive JuxDefinitive JuxDefinitive Jux is an independent record label based in New York City, United States. It was co-founded in 1999 by Jaime Meline and Amaechi Uzoigwe. The label was initially known simply as Def Jux, but in 2001, popular hip hop label Def Jam Recordings sued Def Jux over the name similarity...
- 2002) - High WaterHigh WaterHigh Water is an album by hip hop artist El-P, released on March 9, 2004 through Thirsty Ear Recordings.Made in conjunction with jazz pianist Matthew Shipp and the group for which he is artistic director, The Blue Series Continuum, the album is a striking departure from El-P's usual style, almost...
(Thirsty Ear - 2004) - Collecting the KidCollecting The KidCollecting the Kid is an album by Brooklyn, New York rapper and producer El-P, released on October 19, 2004 on his own Definitive Jux label....
(Definitive Jux - 2004) - I'll Sleep When You're DeadI'll Sleep When You're Dead-Credits:*Executive Producers: El-P and Amaechi Uzoigwe*Mastering: Michael Sarsfield*Mixing, engineering: Joey Raia*Layout and design: Brad Smith*Photography: Timothy Saccenti*Project Manager: Jesse Ferguson-External links:***...
(Definitive Jux - 2007)
Instrumental/Remix albums
- El-P Presents Cannibal Oxtrumentals (instrumental version of the 2001 Cannibal OxCannibal OxCannibal Ox, also known as CanOx, is an abstract hip hop duo from Harlem, New York City. Its members include Vast Aire and Vordul Mega. They are often accompanied by DJ Cip-One...
albumAlbumAn 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...
The Cold VeinThe Cold VeinThe Cold Vein is the debut album by American hip hop duo Cannibal Ox. It was produced by El-P and released on his Definitive Jux label on May 15, 2001 .-Release:...
) (Definitive Jux - 2002) - FanDam Plus: Instrumentals, Remixes, Lyrics & Video (Definitive Jux - 2002)
Mixtapes
- Weareallgoingtoburninhell (Definitive Jux - 2003), A limited release only sold at shows and was said to have been recorded by the New York native shortly after September 11.
- Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixx2 (Definitive Jux - 2008), A limited release only sold at the No Chiefs Allowed tour with Dizzee Rascal and Busdriver.
- Weareallgoingtoburninhellmegamixxx3 (Gold Dust - August 2010)