Poetic (hip hop)
Encyclopedia
Anthony Ian Berkeley better known as Poetic, was an American rapper and producer. He was also a founding member of the hip-hop group, Gravediggaz
, where he used the alias Grym Reaper.
and raised in the Wyandanch section of Long Island
, New York
. After forming his first hip-hop group, Brothers Grym
with younger siblings Brainstorm and E Sharp in 1989. Sharp handled some of the production duties, while Poetic and Brainstorm provided vocals. They created a buzz for themselves on the underground with their first official demo, which included notable cuts like “Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot” and “GRYMnastics.” Just when the group was close to landing a record deal, Brainstorm surprisingly decided to quit rap altogether and forced Poetic to pursue a solo career and released a solo 12-inch single
, Poetical Terror/God Made Me Funky, in 1989 on Tommy Boy
/Warner Bros. Records
. However, his deal with Tommy Boy fell through before the release of his first album, and Poetic fell on hard times, including a period of homelessness
.
's The RZA
, former De La Soul
/Stetsasonic
producer Prince Paul, and Frukwan
from Stetsasonic in the hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz
. Concerning the origins of the supergroup, he said:
Each member adopted a Gravedigga alias, and Poetic became known as the Grym Reaper (with Grym, an acronym for Ghetto-Repaired Young Mind, also referring back to his first group). It was stated this stylistic change was adapted from his brief period of homelessness as his former DJ Koas said in a interview "He went homeless and that really took a toll on him. He hit rock bottom and that opens your eyes to really go deep, and that’s when he got dark. I guess it makes you strong to want it that bad. Tommy Boy basically jerked a lot of people." this proved to be impressive change, as his offbeat rhyming style quickly gained attention as the group's first album, 1994's 6 Feet Deep
(also known by its original title Niggamortis outside the US), garnered positive reviews and strong sales alike.
After the group's second album, The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
, was released in 1997, The RZA and Prince Paul decided to leave Gravediggaz, leaving Frukwan and Poetic as the only remaining members. During this time, Anthony's rhyming style had matured more, and he no longer sounded crazy. He later showcased this new style in the 1998 single “Savior,” which was produced by British-born producer Baby J, The song was more different than most of his Gravediggaz related material as he rhymed about how much he detested mainstream hip-hop music in general.
In April 1999, Anthony collapsed in his home studio with stomach pains and was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer. There are different versions of his initial diagnosis, and prognosis. It is not true that he refused treatment until the cancer metastasized to his lungs. Different physicians gave between 2–3 months with, or without chemotherapy. A Cancer Therapist Physician, also diagnosed with the disease approved his regimen prior to receiving chemotherapy, and later radiation.
Poetic was reportedly "very, very disappointed in The RZA, to the point of hurtfulness" at the latter's failure to contact or visit him during this time.
During this period, he collaborated with The Prodigy
's Maxim Reality
and Last Emperor
under the name of Tony Titanium. Contrary to popular belief, this moniker was created by Poetic himself. It was Poetic who made the reference to the titanium metal being "as hard as Poetic’s will to live," and as a reference to the titanium valve in his chest through which he received chemotherapy)
One of his completed solo compositions makes reference to his feeling "light as aluminum, strong as steel"
He created under his original name Too Poetic, as well as continuing work on the third Gravediggaz album. The subsequent release, Nightmare in A-Minor
, was the darkest work the group had done. It makes many references to Poetic's cancer, perhaps most notably on the track "Burn, Baby, Burn" and on the Last Emperor's track "One Life," which extensively detailed his brutal battle with the illness.
Recently, a interview was done with Poetic's former DJ Freddie “Kaos” Cox, in which the DJ discusses the early career of the rapper, and an unreleased album of Poetic's music prior to joining the gravediggaz entitled Drop Signal (which was supposed to be the debut album on Tommy Boy, before the deal with the group fell through) has surfaced on the internet, which includes 14 tracks.
Unfortunately, the material was soon removed. The DJ was not aware that the music would be made available as a download on a popular website, and Jesse Serwer was not aware that others were able to download. There is a thin line between honoring a deceased artist, and respecting the issue of privacy, or not doing so.
Poetic created several solo albums that were created before, during, and after the Nightmare In A Minor Project.
in Los Angeles
, California
, five weeks before Nightmare in A-Minor’s scheduled release. He had survived almost two and a half years beyond the doctors' initial 4-month diagnosis. Tributes came quickly from across the hip-hop world, both from fellow musicians such as Chuck D
of Public Enemy, who wrote an article in tribute to him on his Welcome To The Terrordome commentary section on the group's Web site, and from critics, who widely wrote of their regret at the loss of his talent.
An intimate memorial service for him was held at the Riverside Church
in Harlem
on August 4, 2001, attended by his family and close friends including bandmates Frukwan
and Prince Paul.
Nightmare in A-Minor was initially released by Echo Distribution on August 23, 2001. It was re-released without the track "Better Wake Up" on Empire Musicwerks/BMG in 2002 to critical plaudits. According to Frukwan, a new album may be released using left over material from Poetic. Poetic asked that his music not be released in this manner. His family continues to fight those who infringe upon his rights, and ignore his wishes.
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
, where he used the alias Grym Reaper.
Early life
The eldest son of a minister, Poetic was born in TrinidadTrinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
and raised in the Wyandanch section of Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After forming his first hip-hop group, Brothers Grym
Brothers Grym
Brothers Grym was a New York hip-hop group formed by Too Poetic and his two younger brothers, lyricists Brainstorm and R&B hip-hop producer E# .-Early years:The...
with younger siblings Brainstorm and E Sharp in 1989. Sharp handled some of the production duties, while Poetic and Brainstorm provided vocals. They created a buzz for themselves on the underground with their first official demo, which included notable cuts like “Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot” and “GRYMnastics.” Just when the group was close to landing a record deal, Brainstorm surprisingly decided to quit rap altogether and forced Poetic to pursue a solo career and released a solo 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
, Poetical Terror/God Made Me Funky, in 1989 on Tommy Boy
Tommy Boy Records
Tommy Boy Entertainment is an independent record label started in 1981 by Tom Silverman.-History:...
/Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
. However, his deal with Tommy Boy fell through before the release of his first album, and Poetic fell on hard times, including a period of homelessness
Homelessness
Homelessness describes the condition of people without a regular dwelling. People who are homeless are unable or unwilling to acquire and maintain regular, safe, and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence." The legal definition of "homeless" varies from country...
.
Gravediggaz
Poetic then joined Wu-Tang ClanWu-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...
's The RZA
RZA
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
, former De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
/Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic
Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1979 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and the group's positive, uplifting lyrics made it forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz hip...
producer Prince Paul, and Frukwan
Frukwan
Frukwan Sun-Star Allah-Bey is a Moorish American hip hop musician. He is best known as The Gatekeeper from the hip hop group Gravediggaz and was a member of the pioneering hip hop band Stetsasonic.- Early life :...
from Stetsasonic in the hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
. Concerning the origins of the supergroup, he said:
Each member adopted a Gravedigga alias, and Poetic became known as the Grym Reaper (with Grym, an acronym for Ghetto-Repaired Young Mind, also referring back to his first group). It was stated this stylistic change was adapted from his brief period of homelessness as his former DJ Koas said in a interview "He went homeless and that really took a toll on him. He hit rock bottom and that opens your eyes to really go deep, and that’s when he got dark. I guess it makes you strong to want it that bad. Tommy Boy basically jerked a lot of people." this proved to be impressive change, as his offbeat rhyming style quickly gained attention as the group's first album, 1994's 6 Feet Deep
6 Feet Deep
6 Feet Deep is the debut album of the horrorcore supergroup Gravediggaz. It was released August 9, 1994, by Gee Street Records. The album was re-issued in 1997.- Album information :...
(also known by its original title Niggamortis outside the US), garnered positive reviews and strong sales alike.
After the group's second album, The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, released October 14, 1997, is the second album by the Gravediggaz, an influential horrorcore hip hop supergroup...
, was released in 1997, The RZA and Prince Paul decided to leave Gravediggaz, leaving Frukwan and Poetic as the only remaining members. During this time, Anthony's rhyming style had matured more, and he no longer sounded crazy. He later showcased this new style in the 1998 single “Savior,” which was produced by British-born producer Baby J, The song was more different than most of his Gravediggaz related material as he rhymed about how much he detested mainstream hip-hop music in general.
In April 1999, Anthony collapsed in his home studio with stomach pains and was subsequently diagnosed with colon cancer. There are different versions of his initial diagnosis, and prognosis. It is not true that he refused treatment until the cancer metastasized to his lungs. Different physicians gave between 2–3 months with, or without chemotherapy. A Cancer Therapist Physician, also diagnosed with the disease approved his regimen prior to receiving chemotherapy, and later radiation.
Poetic was reportedly "very, very disappointed in The RZA, to the point of hurtfulness" at the latter's failure to contact or visit him during this time.
During this period, he collaborated with The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
's Maxim Reality
Maxim Reality
Keith Andrew Palmer , known by his stage name Maxim Reality or simply Maxim, is an English singer-songwriter and MC, famous for his work with electronica band The Prodigy....
and Last Emperor
Last Emperor (rapper)
The Last Emperor is the recording name of Jamal Gray, Philadelphia-born hip-hop artist. Gray took his stage name from the Bernardo Bertolucci film epic of the same name...
under the name of Tony Titanium. Contrary to popular belief, this moniker was created by Poetic himself. It was Poetic who made the reference to the titanium metal being "as hard as Poetic’s will to live," and as a reference to the titanium valve in his chest through which he received chemotherapy)
One of his completed solo compositions makes reference to his feeling "light as aluminum, strong as steel"
He created under his original name Too Poetic, as well as continuing work on the third Gravediggaz album. The subsequent release, Nightmare in A-Minor
Nightmare in A-Minor
Nightmare in A-Minor is the third and final studio album by the hip hop supergroup Gravediggaz.By this time, RZA and Prince Paul had left the group, and Poetic died after his 2-year fight with Colon cancer on July 15, 2001, at 1:45 EST...
, was the darkest work the group had done. It makes many references to Poetic's cancer, perhaps most notably on the track "Burn, Baby, Burn" and on the Last Emperor's track "One Life," which extensively detailed his brutal battle with the illness.
Recently, a interview was done with Poetic's former DJ Freddie “Kaos” Cox, in which the DJ discusses the early career of the rapper, and an unreleased album of Poetic's music prior to joining the gravediggaz entitled Drop Signal (which was supposed to be the debut album on Tommy Boy, before the deal with the group fell through) has surfaced on the internet, which includes 14 tracks.
Unfortunately, the material was soon removed. The DJ was not aware that the music would be made available as a download on a popular website, and Jesse Serwer was not aware that others were able to download. There is a thin line between honoring a deceased artist, and respecting the issue of privacy, or not doing so.
Poetic created several solo albums that were created before, during, and after the Nightmare In A Minor Project.
Death
Poetic died of colon cancer on July 15, 2001, 1:45pm EST at Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterCedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, 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...
, five weeks before Nightmare in A-Minor’s scheduled release. He had survived almost two and a half years beyond the doctors' initial 4-month diagnosis. Tributes came quickly from across the hip-hop world, both from fellow musicians such as Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
of Public Enemy, who wrote an article in tribute to him on his Welcome To The Terrordome commentary section on the group's Web site, and from critics, who widely wrote of their regret at the loss of his talent.
An intimate memorial service for him was held at the Riverside Church
Riverside Church
The Riverside Church in the City of New York is an interdenominational church in New York City, famous for its elaborate Neo-Gothic architecture—which includes the world's largest tuned carillon bell...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
on August 4, 2001, attended by his family and close friends including bandmates Frukwan
Frukwan
Frukwan Sun-Star Allah-Bey is a Moorish American hip hop musician. He is best known as The Gatekeeper from the hip hop group Gravediggaz and was a member of the pioneering hip hop band Stetsasonic.- Early life :...
and Prince Paul.
Nightmare in A-Minor was initially released by Echo Distribution on August 23, 2001. It was re-released without the track "Better Wake Up" on Empire Musicwerks/BMG in 2002 to critical plaudits. According to Frukwan, a new album may be released using left over material from Poetic. Poetic asked that his music not be released in this manner. His family continues to fight those who infringe upon his rights, and ignore his wishes.
Appearances
Vocals only unless otherwise noted.- 1994 6 Feet Deep/Niggamortis (album by Gravediggaz)
- 1997 The Pick, The Sickle And The Shovel (album by Gravediggaz; vocals and production)
- 1998 "Savior" (from Baby J's album Baby J Presents The Birth)
- 2000 "Worldwide Syndicate" (from the Maxim RealityMaxim RealityKeith Andrew Palmer , known by his stage name Maxim Reality or simply Maxim, is an English singer-songwriter and MC, famous for his work with electronica band The Prodigy....
album Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (Maxim album)Hell's Kitchen is the debut album from Maxim Reality of The Prodigy. The album is somewhat different from his previous works with The Prodigy, as it features styles varying from Trip hop, RnB and UK garage...
) - 2001 Better Days (album by Liquid Ltd. (of Bran Van 3000); vocals and production)
- 2001 Nightmare In A-Minor (album by Gravediggaz; vocals and production)
- 2001 "We Run Shit (with FrukwanFrukwanFrukwan Sun-Star Allah-Bey is a Moorish American hip hop musician. He is best known as The Gatekeeper from the hip hop group Gravediggaz and was a member of the pioneering hip hop band Stetsasonic.- Early life :...
)" (from the DJ HondaDJ Honda, better known as DJ Honda, is a Japanese hip hop DJ, turntablist, music producer, CEO, clothing line designer, and entrepreneur.-Biography:...
album hIII) - 2003 "One Life" (from the The Last Emperor (rapper) album Music, Magic, Myth)
- 2003 "Ghetto Apostles" (from the Shabazz the DiscipleShabazz the DiscipleShabazz the Disciple or Scientific Shabazz, is a rapper from the Red Hook Houses of Red Hook, Brooklyn. He is an original member of the Sunz of Man and Da Last Future.- Biography :...
album The Book of Shabazz (Hidden Scrollz)The Book of Shabazz (Hidden Scrollz)The Book of Shabazz is the debut album by Wu-Tang Clan affiliated rapper Shabazz the Disciple who is a member of Sunz Of Man.-Track listing:# "The Opening "# "Righteous Chamber "# "Red Hook Day"...
)
External links
- Press release from publicist on Poetic's death
- Interview with Poetic dealing with his illness
- Article on Poetic's death and memorial
- Article on Poetic's death including Lisa "Chase" Patterson's memorial speech
- Village Voice article considers financial aspects of terminal illness for musicians in light of Poetic's case