Rob Sonic
Encyclopedia
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 many others.
In 2000, Rob gained critical acclaim as the front man of the group Sonic Sum, whose album The Sanity Annex won rave reviews in the U.S., Europe and Japan, with Spin
voting it the “2nd Best Album of the Year that No One Heard”.
Word got around and soon came offers from artists like DJ Krush
and Funkstörung
to work with them on their albums, a collaboration with Slug
(from Atmosphere) and Mike Ladd
, plus shout outs from Radiohead
, Bobbito Garcia
, Autechre
and others.
During 2003, he signed to Definitive Jux
after he and label head El-P
realised they shared the same management, and released his first solo album, Telicatessen
, on the label in 2004 along with his sequel album Sabotage Gigante
in 2007. The track "Sniper Picnic" from Telicatessen was featured in the Activision game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. Also, his song "Brand New Vandals" was featured in the game "Skate 3". He appears on the tracks "Dark Heart News" and "The Harbor Is Yours" from Def Jux labelmate Aesop Rock
's 2007 album None Shall Pass
.
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 from The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, 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
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Run DMC, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Talking Heads
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American New Wave and avant-garde band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Public Enemy, Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters
McKinley Morganfield , known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues musician, generally considered the "father of modern Chicago blues"...
, Ultramagnetic MC's, The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
among many others.
In 2000, Rob gained critical acclaim as the front man of the group Sonic Sum, whose album The Sanity Annex won rave reviews in the U.S., Europe and Japan, with Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
voting it the “2nd Best Album of the Year that No One Heard”.
Word got around and soon came offers from artists like 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:...
and Funkstörung
Funkstörung
Funkstörung is Christian de Luca and Michael Fakesch , a duo of IDM musicians hailing from Rosenheim, Germany...
to work with them on their albums, a collaboration with Slug
Slug (rapper)
Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...
(from Atmosphere) and 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:...
, plus shout outs from Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Bobbito Garcia
Bobbito Garcia
Robert "Bobbito" García , also known as Kool Bob Love and formerly known as DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player/coach/announcer, sneaker connoisseur, and member of the Rock...
, Autechre
Autechre
Autechre are an English electronic music duo consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth, both natives of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1987, they are one of the most prominent acts signed to Warp Records, a label known for its pioneering electronic music and through which all Autechre albums...
and others.
During 2003, he signed to 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...
after he and label head El-P
El-Producto
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...
realised they shared the same management, and released his first solo album, Telicatessen
Telicatessen
Telicatessen is the debut solo album by American hip hop artist and former Sonic Sum member Rob Sonic, released by the Definitive Jux label on September 7, 2004...
, on the label in 2004 along with his sequel album Sabotage Gigante
Sabotage Gigante
Sabotage Gigante is the second album by American hip hop artist Rob Sonic, released on 25 September 2007 on Definitive Jux .The album features guest appearances from Sonic's Definitive Jux labelmate Aesop Rock and from Busdriver....
in 2007. The track "Sniper Picnic" from Telicatessen was featured in the Activision game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland. Also, his song "Brand New Vandals" was featured in the game "Skate 3". He appears on the tracks "Dark Heart News" and "The Harbor Is Yours" from Def Jux labelmate 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 2007 album None Shall Pass
None Shall Pass
-Personnel:Contributing artists*Allyson Baker – guitar *Carson Binks – bass guitar *Derek Layes – bass guitar *Big Hollis – additional vocals *Camu Tao – additional vocals...
.
Albums
- TelicatessenTelicatessenTelicatessen is the debut solo album by American hip hop artist and former Sonic Sum member Rob Sonic, released by the Definitive Jux label on September 7, 2004...
(2004) - Telicatessen Instrumentals (2005)
- Sabotage GiganteSabotage GiganteSabotage Gigante is the second album by American hip hop artist Rob Sonic, released on 25 September 2007 on Definitive Jux .The album features guest appearances from Sonic's Definitive Jux labelmate Aesop Rock and from Busdriver....
(2007)
Singles
- Death Vendor b/w Dyslexia (2004)
- Shoplift (2004)
- Fatman & Littleboy b/w The Over Under (2006)
- Rock The Convoy (2007)
Guest appearances
- "F.U. For Failure Ugly" - from Def Jux Presents 2Def Jux Presents 2Def Jux Presents 2 is a compilation album that served as a sample from the quickly growing Definitive Jux label. Unlike Def Jux Presents, this album does not have as many exclusive tracks...
compilation (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) - "Truancy" - from 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...
by El-P (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) - "Dyslexia" - from Def Jux Presents 3Def Jux Presents 3Def Jux Presents 3 is a compilation album for the Definitive Jux independent record label. For fans, it was a chance for the already-familiar Def Jukies to show off their material...
compilation (Definitive Jux, 2004) - "One Night At The Bar" (with Camu TaoCamu TaoCamu Tao was an American rapper and producer who was signed to the Definitive Jux label. He was a member of several groups: S.A...
, Cryptic One, El-PEl-ProductoEl-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...
, Murs) - from "The Barhoppin Single" by Hangar 18 (Definitive Jux, 2004) - "Walk Through" - from Year of the BeastYear of the BeastYear of the Beast is an album by New York rapper C-Rayz Walz, released on the Definitive Jux label on May 17, 2005 .-Track listing:# "R.Thentic" – 3:14#* Producer: R.Thentic# "First Words Worse" – 3:21...
by C-Rayz WalzC-Rayz WalzWaleed Shabazz, better known by his stage name C-Rayz Walz, is an MC from The Bronx, New York. He is currently a member of the Legendary NY hip hop Syndicate Stronghold. C-Rayz Walz has been a fixture in the New York hip-hop scene for years. He hosts many hip-hop shows and events, has appeared on...
(Definitive Jux, 2005) - "Long Division" - from A Heap of Broken ImagesA Heap of Broken ImagesA Heap of Broken Images is the debut album by hip hop production duo Blue Sky Black Death, released on June 23, 2006 by Mush Records.The album is a double-disc release, with the first disc featuring twelve instrumental tracks , and a second disc featuring one instrumental and nine of their beats...
by Blue Sky Black DeathBlue Sky Black DeathBlue Sky Black Death is a production duo based in Seattle, Washington. The duo consists of Kingston and Young God . They are known principally for their hip hop and instrumental music, made with a mix of live instrumentation and sampling...
(Mush RecordsMush RecordsMush Records is an independent record label that has released albums for many independent artists and was started by Robert Curcio and Cindy Roché.Mush Records is an electronic based record label...
, 2006) - "Flyentology" (with Trent ReznorTrent ReznorMichael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
) - from 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:***...
by El-P (Definitive Jux, 2007) - "Dark Heart News" - from None Shall PassNone Shall Pass-Personnel:Contributing artists*Allyson Baker – guitar *Carson Binks – bass guitar *Derek Layes – bass guitar *Big Hollis – additional vocals *Camu Tao – additional vocals...
by Aesop RockAesop RockIan 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...
(Definitive Jux, 2007)
Production credits
- "Winners Take All" - Fast Cars, Danger, Fire and KnivesFast Cars, Danger, Fire and KnivesFast Cars, Danger, Fire and Knives is an EP by American hip hop artist Aesop Rock, his fifth major release and his fourth through the Definitive Jux label. Released on February 22, 2005 , the record is produced by Blockhead and Aesop Rock himself, who each contribute three tracks, and by Rob Sonic,...
by Aesop RockAesop RockIan 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...
(Definitive Jux, 2005) - "New Vandals" - from Definitive Swim (Adult SwimAdult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
/Definitive Jux, 2007) - "Dark Heart News" - from None Shall PassNone Shall Pass-Personnel:Contributing artists*Allyson Baker – guitar *Carson Binks – bass guitar *Derek Layes – bass guitar *Big Hollis – additional vocals *Camu Tao – additional vocals...
by Aesop Rock (Definitive Jux, 2007)