Poison Clan
Encyclopedia
Poison Clan was a Southern hip-hop group signed to Luke Records
from 1990 to 1995, the group had a various line-ups and members were JT Money
, Debonaire, Uzi, Madball and Big Ram. Poison Clan played an important role in the development of the Dirty South movement that developed late in the decade. The group began as a 2 Live Crew
-sponsored group on Luke Records
and came to an end when the group's driving force, JT Money
, went on to a more successful solo career after a business-related dispute with Luke. In retrospect, though Poison Clan struggled to gain notoriety outside of Miami in the '90s, the group's style of sleazy, club-oriented, bass-driven rap provided the template for the late-'90s Dirty South movement.
Originally, Poison Clan was duo featuring Debonaire and JT Money
featured on 2 Low Life Muthas. The two Miami rappers had impressed Luke
enough for him to sign them to his then-fledging label, Luke Records
, and have Mr. Mixx, 2 Live Crew
's DJ, produce the album. 2 Low Life Muthas became a modest sensation in the South
with its blend of dirty rap, gangsta rap
, and Miami bass
. By the time of the group's second album, Poisonous Mentality
, Debonaire had left and was replaced by Uzi and Madball and its big hit, "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya," that expanded the group's reach outside of the South. Furthermore, Poisonous Mentality found J.T. Money taking over as Poison Clan's driving force—though Poison Clan paraded itself as a collective, it was actually more of a solo project. Poison Clan's third album, Ruff Town Behavior
, would prove to be the groups most successful on the Billboard chart and for the Clan's fourth and final album, Strait Zooism
, the clan featured one new member, Big Ram. By this point in the mid-'90s, 2 Live Crew
and, in particular, Luke
, had fallen off the map, resulting in tensions between Luke
and JT Money
, allegedly over unpaid royalties
. J.T. Money parted ways with Luke
and embarked on a solo career that got off to a great start in 1999 with "Who Dat." That same year, Luke
released The Best of J.T. Money & Poison Clan, which collected the best moments from Poison Clan's five-year run.
Luke Records
Luke Records is the record label formed in 1990 by Luther Campbell, frontman of 2 Live Crew.The label was originally called Luke Skyywalker Records, however because it was not found to be of fair use, Campbell shortened his pseudonym to "Luke" .-Artists:* 2 Live Crew* MC Shy D*...
from 1990 to 1995, the group had a various line-ups and members were JT Money
JT Money
Jeff Thompkins, known by his stage name JT Money, is an American rapper and was the leader of the Miami-based hip hop group, Poison Clan.-Music career:...
, Debonaire, Uzi, Madball and Big Ram. Poison Clan played an important role in the development of the Dirty South movement that developed late in the decade. The group began as a 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
-sponsored group on Luke Records
Luke Records
Luke Records is the record label formed in 1990 by Luther Campbell, frontman of 2 Live Crew.The label was originally called Luke Skyywalker Records, however because it was not found to be of fair use, Campbell shortened his pseudonym to "Luke" .-Artists:* 2 Live Crew* MC Shy D*...
and came to an end when the group's driving force, JT Money
JT Money
Jeff Thompkins, known by his stage name JT Money, is an American rapper and was the leader of the Miami-based hip hop group, Poison Clan.-Music career:...
, went on to a more successful solo career after a business-related dispute with Luke. In retrospect, though Poison Clan struggled to gain notoriety outside of Miami in the '90s, the group's style of sleazy, club-oriented, bass-driven rap provided the template for the late-'90s Dirty South movement.
Originally, Poison Clan was duo featuring Debonaire and JT Money
JT Money
Jeff Thompkins, known by his stage name JT Money, is an American rapper and was the leader of the Miami-based hip hop group, Poison Clan.-Music career:...
featured on 2 Low Life Muthas. The two Miami rappers had impressed Luke
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
enough for him to sign them to his then-fledging label, Luke Records
Luke Records
Luke Records is the record label formed in 1990 by Luther Campbell, frontman of 2 Live Crew.The label was originally called Luke Skyywalker Records, however because it was not found to be of fair use, Campbell shortened his pseudonym to "Luke" .-Artists:* 2 Live Crew* MC Shy D*...
, and have Mr. Mixx, 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
's DJ, produce the album. 2 Low Life Muthas became a modest sensation in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
with its blend of dirty rap, gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
, and Miami bass
Miami bass
Miami bass , is a type of hip hop music, that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Its roots are directly linked to the Electro-funk sound of the early 1980s, pioneered by Afrika Bambataa & The Soulsonic Force and later on by UK-based musician Paul Hardcastle...
. By the time of the group's second album, Poisonous Mentality
Poisonous Mentality
Poisonous Mentality is the second album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on April 7, 1992 for Luke Records and was produced by JT Money, Devastator, Mike "Fresh" McRay and Luther Campbell. The album found mild success, peaking at #62 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #20 on the...
, Debonaire had left and was replaced by Uzi and Madball and its big hit, "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya," that expanded the group's reach outside of the South. Furthermore, Poisonous Mentality found J.T. Money taking over as Poison Clan's driving force—though Poison Clan paraded itself as a collective, it was actually more of a solo project. Poison Clan's third album, Ruff Town Behavior
Ruff Town Behavior
Ruff Town Behavior is the third album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on June 25, 1993, produced by Mike "Fresh" McCray and Luther Campbell and was the group's final studio album released by Luke Records...
, would prove to be the groups most successful on the Billboard chart and for the Clan's fourth and final album, Strait Zooism
Strait Zooism
Strait Zooism is the fourth and final studio album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on November 7, 1995 through Warlock Records and was produced by Mike "Fresh" McCray and JT Money. Strait Zooism proved to be the least successful of the group's albums, only peaking at #80 on the...
, the clan featured one new member, Big Ram. By this point in the mid-'90s, 2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew
2 Live Crew was a hip hop group from Miami, Florida. They caused considerable controversy with the sexual themes in their work, particularly on their 1989 album As Nasty As They Wanna Be.- Early career :...
and, in particular, Luke
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
, had fallen off the map, resulting in tensions between Luke
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
and JT Money
JT Money
Jeff Thompkins, known by his stage name JT Money, is an American rapper and was the leader of the Miami-based hip hop group, Poison Clan.-Music career:...
, allegedly over unpaid royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
. J.T. Money parted ways with Luke
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
and embarked on a solo career that got off to a great start in 1999 with "Who Dat." That same year, Luke
Luther Campbell
Luther R. Campbell , also known as Luke Skyywalker, Uncle Luke or Luke, is a record label owner, rap performer , and actor...
released The Best of J.T. Money & Poison Clan, which collected the best moments from Poison Clan's five-year run.
Studio Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US 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... |
US Hip-Hop Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
Heatseekers Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
|||
| 1990 | 2 Low Life Muthas | - | 42 | - | |
| 1992 | Poisonous Mentality Poisonous Mentality Poisonous Mentality is the second album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on April 7, 1992 for Luke Records and was produced by JT Money, Devastator, Mike "Fresh" McRay and Luther Campbell. The album found mild success, peaking at #62 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #20 on the... |
- | 62 | 20 | |
| 1993 | Ruff Town Behavior Ruff Town Behavior Ruff Town Behavior is the third album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on June 25, 1993, produced by Mike "Fresh" McCray and Luther Campbell and was the group's final studio album released by Luke Records... |
97 | 12 | 12 | |
| 1995 | Strait Zooism Strait Zooism Strait Zooism is the fourth and final studio album released by rap group, Poison Clan. It was released on November 7, 1995 through Warlock Records and was produced by Mike "Fresh" McCray and JT Money. Strait Zooism proved to be the least successful of the group's albums, only peaking at #80 on the... |
- | 80 | - | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or not released | |||||
Compilations
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 1999 | The Best of JT Money & Poison Clan The Best of JT Money & Poison Clan The Best of JT Money & Poison Clan is a compilation album released by Luke Records containing the greatest hits from the group, Poison Clan... |