Grand Puba
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Dixon is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.
-influenced hip hop music
to new jack swing
—Puba left the group after disputes with its other members and embarked on a solo career. He became a member of the group again around 1997, recording a few tracks for various soundtracks leading up to the full-length album Foundation in '98. In 1999, Puba and group mate Sadat X performed on the track "Once Again" on Handsome Boy Modeling School
's concept album So... How's Your Girl? Following the group's 2004 effort Fire in the Hole, a rejuvenated Puba appeared on tracks with Beanie Sigel
("Bread and Butter," also featuring groupmate Sadat X
), Missy Elliott
("My Struggles," featuring his onetime collaborator Mary J. Blige
), and Ugly Duckling
("Something's Going Down Tonight").
In 2009, Grand Puba released his fourth solo album, Retroactive
, featuring production from hip-hop veterans like Q-Tip, Large Professor
, Kid Capri
as well as his fellow Brand Nubian's. Puba also appeared on the heavy posse-cut "Fresh" together with Cormega
, KRS-One
, Big Daddy Kane
, DJ Red Alert
and Parrish Smith of EPMD
.
On the song "Old School" by Tupac Shakur
Grand Puba was sampled and used in the hook. The sample originates from Grand Puba's verse on the song "Dedication" by Brand Nubian
.
Biography
He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite (1988) was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian. After their innovative and versatile debut album One for All (1990)—covering areas from reggaeReggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
-influenced hip hop music
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...
to new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
—Puba left the group after disputes with its other members and embarked on a solo career. He became a member of the group again around 1997, recording a few tracks for various soundtracks leading up to the full-length album Foundation in '98. In 1999, Puba and group mate Sadat X performed on the track "Once Again" on 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...
's concept album So... How's Your Girl? Following the group's 2004 effort Fire in the Hole, a rejuvenated Puba appeared on tracks with Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
("Bread and Butter," also featuring groupmate Sadat X
Sadat X
Sadat X is an American rapper, most famed as a member of Alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat....
), Missy Elliott
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
("My Struggles," featuring his onetime collaborator Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
), and Ugly Duckling
Ugly Duckling (hip hop group)
Ugly Duckling is an American hip hop group that formed around 1993 in Long Beach, California. Ugly Duckling's members include Dizzy Dustin , Young Einstein and Andy Cat . They took the name Ugly Duckling because they felt like outcasts on the Southern California hip hop scene of the mid-1990s...
("Something's Going Down Tonight").
In 2009, Grand Puba released his fourth solo album, Retroactive
Retroactive (album)
Retroactive is the fourth album by Grand Puba. It was released on September 6, 2009.-Track listing:-Album chart positions:-Singles chart positions:...
, featuring production from hip-hop veterans like Q-Tip, Large Professor
Large Professor
Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
, Kid Capri
Kid Capri
David Anthony Love, Jr , also known by his stage name Kid Capri, is an American musician.He was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA....
as well as his fellow Brand Nubian's. Puba also appeared on the heavy posse-cut "Fresh" together with Cormega
Cormega
Cory Mckay , better known as Cormega, is an American emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.- Early life :...
, KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
, DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert is a disc jockey on 98.7 Kiss-FM, N.Y.C., and has been recognized as a hip hop pioneer...
and Parrish Smith of EPMD
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
.
On the song "Old School" by Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
Grand Puba was sampled and used in the hook. The sample originates from Grand Puba's verse on the song "Dedication" by 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...
.
Discography
- 1992: Reel to ReelReel to Reel* For the audio technology, see "Reel-to-reel audio tape recording"Reel to Reel is the debut album by Grand Puba. It was Puba's first solo venture, following group projects with the likes of the short lived group Masters of Ceremony and Brand Nubian. Both of the group’s albums were critically...
- 1995: 20002000 (album)2000 is the second album by hip hop artist Grand Puba of the group Brand Nubian, released in mid-1995 through Elektra Records. The album wasn't as acclaimed as his solo debut Reel to Reel, and wasn't able to sell a significant number of units, despite a Billboard Hot 100 hit, "I Like It "...
- 2001: Understand ThisUnderstand ThisUnderstand This is the third album by rapper Grand Puba of Brand Nubian. The album received little attention, critically and commercially, especially when compared to his previous efforts Reel to Reel and 2000. Understand This features the singles "Understand This", "Up & Down" and "Issues".-Track...
- 2009: RetroactiveRetroactive (album)Retroactive is the fourth album by Grand Puba. It was released on September 6, 2009.-Track listing:-Album chart positions:-Singles chart positions:...
(Babygrande RecordsBabygrande RecordsBabygrande Records is an independent record label based in New York City founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by the The Orchard, and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.-Discography:...
)