| Nature Sounds | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Devin Horwitz |
| Distributor(s) | INgrooves |
| Genre | Hip hop, reggae |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Official website | naturesoundsmusic |
Nature Sounds is a record label based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in hip hop and reggae music. [1] The label is independently owned and operated. [1] It was founded by Devin Horwitz in 2003. [2]
Nature Sounds was founded in 2003 by Devin Horwitz, also known as the producer Dev 1. [2] Since then, the label has featured releases from prominent artists such as Blu, MF DOOM, Pete Rock, R.A. The Rugged Man and Immortal Technique, among others. [3]
Underground hip-hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music that is outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed to independent labels or no label at all. Underground hip hop is often characterized by socially conscious, positive, or anti-commercial lyrics. However, there is no unifying or universal theme – AllMusic suggests that it "has no sonic signifiers". "The Underground" also refers to the community of musicians, fans and others that support non-commercial, or independent music. Music scenes with strong ties to underground hip hop include alternative hip hop and conscious hip hop. Many artists who are considered "underground" today were not always so, and may have previously broken the Billboard charts.
Babygrande Records is an American independent record label based in New York City, founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by The Orchard and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
Richard Andrew Thorburn, better known by his stage name R.A. the Rugged Man, is an American rapper and producer. He began his music career at age 12, building a reputation locally for his lyrical skills. Thorburn signed with major label Jive Records at age 18, but his debut album, Night of the Bloody Apes, was never released.
Chron Smith, better known by his stage name Hell Razah, is an American rapper. He is best known as a member of Sunz of Man, an early affiliate group of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Ronald Maurice Bean, better known professionally as Mathematics, is a hip hop producer and DJ for the Wu-Tang Clan and its solo and affiliate projects. He designed the Wu-Tang Clan logo.
Sunz of Man is a New York–based Wu-Tang Clan affiliated group that currently consists of Prodigal Sunn, Killah Priest, Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin. The group's first incarnation also included Shabazz the Disciple, 7th Ambassador and producer Su-Preme.
Bronze Nazareth is a hip hop music producer and emcee associated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He has a solo career as an emcee and is also a part of the hip-hop group Wisemen along with his brother Kevlaar 7.
Lamont Dorrell, known as Ayatollah, is a hip hop record producer. He has mainly produced music for New York–based rappers, including Mos Def, Talib Kweli, R.A. the Rugged Man, Tragedy Khadafi, Wordsworth, Vast Aire, Afu-Ra, Guru, M.O.P., Inspectah Deck, Cormega, and Ghostface Killah.
Percy Lee Chapman, known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, is an American rapper and record producer. Chapman hails from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City, and helped spawn other hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, Nas. He is documented to be the first to use the phrase "illmatic" in 1988 on a record called "The Rebel", from the Marley Marl album In Control, Volume 1, which was an inspiration and influence on fellow New York rapper Nas.
Die, Rugged Man, Die is the debut studio album by American rapper R.A. the Rugged Man. It was released on November 16, 2004, by Nature Sounds.
Renaissance Child is the second solo studio album by American rapper Hell Razah. It was released on February 20, 2007, through Nature Sounds. Recording sessions took place at Chung King Studios in New York. Production was handled by Bronze Nazareth, Dirty Needlez, Krohme, 4th Disciple, Dev 1, DJ Battle, Fabrizio Sotti, Fokis, Jordan River Banks, MF Doom, Shuko and Smokeshop Productions, with Amal McCaskill and Hell Razah serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from The Maccabeez, Bronze Nazareth, Ras Kass, R.A. the Rugged Man, Talib Kweli, Tragedy Khadafi and Viktor Vaughn.
Rockin' Squat, also known as Mathias Cassel, is a French rapper, producer and director. He is the founder of Assassin, and co-founder of the Franco-Brazilian film festival Planeta Ginga. He has collaborated in music with artists like KRS-One, Seu Jorge, Tony Allen, Supernatural, Olodum, Ol Dirty Bastard, Cheick Tidiane Seck, El-P, RZA, Agallah, R.A. the Rugged Man, Immortal Technique, Oxmo Puccino, Mr. Catra or Wise Intelligent. He also collaborated with directors like Jean-François Richet, Olivier Megaton, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Jan Kounen, among others.
Day by Day Entertainment is an independent hip hop record label and record distribution company based in New York City. It was started in 1999 by MF Grimm before his three-year incarceration starting in 2000.
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Johnson Barnes III, better known by his stage name Blu, is an American rapper and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his group Blu & Exile and their debut album Below the Heavens (2007). He is a forefront member of the California-based collective, Dirty Science. Blu is also co-CEO of New World Color, a label through which he has released many of his projects. He is recognized for his collaboration albums between him and various producers such as Exile, Mainframe, Ta'Raach, Bombay, Damu the Fudgemunk, Madlib, Nottz, and Union Analogtronics.
Legendary Classics Volume 1 is a compilation album by American rapper R.A. the Rugged Man, released on 27 October 2009, on Nature Sounds. The album is a collection of unreleased and rare tracks from R.A. the Rugged Man. The album features The Notorious B.I.G., Havoc, Kool G Rap, Buckwild, Ayatollah, Jedi Mind Tricks, Sadat X, Akinyele, Tragedy, J-Live, Human Beatbox Bub and others. "Uncommon Valor", featuring hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, was originally released on their 2006 album Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell.
System D-128 also known as Duey FM, born name Brian Torres Korlofsky is a music video and film director, editor, video artist, new media artist and producer.
Heaven Razah is a solo album by rapper Hell Razah, released on September 28, 2010 through Nature Sounds Records. Razah is most famed as a member of Wu-Tang Clan affiliate groups Sunz of Man and Black Market Militia. The album features production from Dev 1, Rainmayqah, Jordan River Banks, Kevlaar 7, Ayatollah, Shroom, St. Peter, Blastah Beatz, Havoc and Wu-Tang affiliate producers Bronze Nazareth, Allah Mathematics and 4th Disciple. Album guests include Timbo King, R.A. the Rugged Man, Shabazz the Disciple and Darnell McClain.
Coalmine Records is a Brooklyn, New York-based independent hip-hop record label. Coalmine's catalog includes Pharaohe Monch, El Da Sensei, Kool G. Rap, Talib Kweli, Large Professor, Heltah Skeltah, Dilated Peoples, Bekay, Big K.R.I.T, Custom Made, Emilio Rojas, Torae, Skyzoo, Termanology, Alchemist, J.R.Rotem, M-Phazes, Illmind, Khrysis, Shuko, Domingo, DJ Kayslay, DJ Revolution, and DJ Babu.
R.A. the Rugged Man is an American hip hop artist based in Suffolk County, Long Island. His discography consists of three commercial studio albums, two unreleased albums, one compilation album, numerous physical singles, and many guest appearances on other artists' tracks.
