Capital D (rapper)

Last updated
Capital D
Birth nameDavid J. Kelly
Origin Chicago
Genres Underground hip hop
Years active1997-present
LabelsAll Natural

Capital D (real name David J. Kelly), also known as Cap D, is an underground rapper and lawyer from Chicago, Illinois. He is known for his solo work, his collaboration with Tony Fields as the duo "All Natural," and for founding the label All Natural Records, on which all his music has been released.

Contents

Early life and education

Kelly grew up in a Catholic family on the South Side of Chicago, before his family moved to Flossmoor, where he attended Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He later attended Morehouse College (B.A., 1996) and the University of Illinois College of Law. (J.D., 2004). [1] [2]

Musical career

Kelly started the label "All Natural" in 1997, on which he released his first album, Writer's Block (The Movie) with The Molemen, in 2002. [3] He was also a member of a rap group, also called "All Natural", with Tony Fields, aka "Tony B. Nimble", which they started in 1993. This duo intended to release their first single, "50 Years", on the short-lived label Wild Pitch. After this label folded, they started the All Natural label to release "50 Years," and on which they released their debut album, No Additives, No Preservatives, in 1998. [4] Greg Kot praised the album as one of "the year's freshest rap releases" and wrote that "Though it lacks the cinematic production of the best East Coast hip-hop, it marks the arrival of an assertive and unusually insightful new voice in Kelly." [5] He released his second solo album, Insomnia, in 2004 on the same label, shortly after he received his law degree. Insomnia was noted for its heavily political themes, which led some critics to compare it to Noam Chomsky, [6] [7] and was also highlighted for addressing Kelly's newfound religion of Islam. [7] [8] All Natural's third album, Vintage, was released in 2005 and was also heavily influenced by Kelly's religious views. [9]

Kelly released his third album, Return of the Renegade, as "Cap D" in 2007. He described this album as more for the sake of hip-hop and less of a bold political statement than Insomnia had been. [10] His fourth album, Polymath, was released in 2010, also under the alias of "Cap D". Kot ranked it as the best indie Chicago album of that year. [11]

Kelly also formerly worked as a transactional associate at Katten Muchin Rosenman, where he frequently did work for local sports teams such as the Chicago White Sox. [12] He currently works as Vice President and General Counsel for the Golden State Warriors. [2]

Personal life

Kelly converted to Islam in 2000. [8] He is married and has three children. [2]

Discography

Solo

With All Natural

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common (rapper)</span> American rapper and actor (born 1972)

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, known professionally as Common, is an American rapper and actor from Chicago, Illinois. He is the recipient of three Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. At the age of 20, he signed with the independent label Relativity Records to release his debut studio album Can I Borrow a Dollar? (1992), which was met with critical acclaim along with its follow-ups, Resurrection (1994) and One Day It'll All Make Sense (1997). He maintained an underground following into the late 1990s, and achieved mainstream success through his work with the Black music collective, Soulquarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twista</span> American rapper

Carl Terrell Mitchell, better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is best known for his chopper style of rapping and for once holding the title of fastest English-speaking rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds, but his fastest peak burst was on DJ Kay Slay's "Rolling 50 Deep", coming in at 14.07 syllables per second.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yung Joc</span> American rapper

Jasiel Amon Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is best known for his 2006 single "It's Goin' Down", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Prior to its release, he signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy South, an imprint of Atlantic Records in a joint venture with Block Entertainment; the song served as lead single for his debut studio album, New Joc City (2006). Both the album and its sequel, Hustlenomics (2007), peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical responses. He is also known for his guest appearance on T-Pain's 2007 single "Buy U a Drank ", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.

Molemen is an American hip hop record production team from Chicago, Illinois. It consists of Panik, Memo, and PNS. The group organized Chicago Rocks, an annual hip hop showcase.

Donald Mason, also known as Vakill is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. Vakill is known through his association with Chicago Hip Hop collective The Molemen, and has released three studio albums.

<i>Worst Fears Confirmed</i> 2006 studio album by Vakill

Worst Fears Confirmed is the second album by Chicago rapper Vakill, released January 31, 2006 on Molemen Records. The album comes three years after the rapper's 2003 debut The Darkest Cloud. Like his debut, Worst Fears Confirmed was widely acclaimed by many sources. Allmusic reviewer Jason Ankeny gave the album a 4½ star rating, calling it a "Chicago hip-hop masterpiece" with "dazzling lyrical intelligence".

Screwball is an American underground hip hop quartet from New York City, composed of rappers Hostyle, KL, Blaq Poet and Solo. The group has released two studio albums, Y2K: The Album in 1999 and Loyalty in 2001, and a compilation album Screwed Up in 2004.

<i>The Renaissance</i> (Q-Tip album) 2008 studio album by Q-Tip

The Renaissance is the second studio album by American hip hop artist Q-Tip, released November 4, 2008, on Universal Motown Records. The follow-up to his solo debut album, Amplified (1999), it was recorded after Q-Tip's Kamaal the Abstract (2009) was initially shelved in 2002 by his former label Arista Records and his proposed effort Open was shelved by Universal Motown, both deemed commercially inadequate by the labels. The Renaissance was produced primarily by Q-Tip and features guest contributions by D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Amanda Diva, and Raphael Saadiq.

"Us Placers" is the debut song by American supergroup Child Rebel Soldier, a musical collaboration consisting of American hip-hop artists Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams. It was released as the third song on the track-listing of West's 2007 mixtape Can't Tell Me Nothing. The song was produced by Fiasco and samples the 2006 song "The Eraser" by Thom Yorke. In "Us Placers," the trio speaks on the entrapments of fame. Having been released on a free mixtape, the song did not enter the charts but became an online hit and received strong reviews from music critics.

Industrial hip hop is a fusion genre of industrial music and hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Block Starz Music</span> American record label

Block Starz Music is an American independent record label owned and operated by Bayer Mack. Its catalog includes independent releases by Machine Gun Kelly, Lega-C, Wiz Khalifa, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Big Sean, Rhymefest, and Ceddy Bu Rap Sumo. The label also includes its subsidiaries such as the independent film and television production company Block Starz Music Television.

<i>Black Panties</i> 2013 studio album by R. Kelly

Black Panties is the twelfth studio album by American R&B singer R. Kelly. It was released in the United States on December 6, 2013, by RCA Records. The album features guest appearances from Ludacris, 2 Chainz, Young Jeezy, Migos, Kelly Rowland, Juicy J and Future.

<i>R.A.P. Music</i> 2012 studio album by Killer Mike

R.A.P. Music is the fifth studio album by American rapper Killer Mike. It was released through Williams Street Records on May 15, 2012. The "R.A.P." in the album's title is a backronym for "Rebellious African People". Production was handled by rapper and producer Jaime "El-P" Meline; the album was the first collaboration between Killer Mike and El-P, who would later form the critically acclaimed duo Run the Jewels.

<i>Write Me Back</i> 2012 studio album by R. Kelly

Write Me Back is the eleventh studio album by American R&B singer, songwriter, and producer R. Kelly. Released on June 25, 2012, by RCA Records, it was written and produced primarily by Kelly as the follow-up to his 2010 album Love Letter, with recording taking place at Sylvester Stone Studios, The Chocolate Factory, and MilkBoy The Studio. Expanding on Love Letter's traditional R&B mode, the album incorporates musical influences from Philadelphia soul and Chicago stepping in songs about love, its redemptive power, and its complications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Keef</span> American rapper (born 1995)

Keith Farrelle Cozart, better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago's South Side, he began his recording career as a teenager and initially garnered regional attention and praise for his mixtapes in the early 2010s. Cozart is often credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill for mainstream audiences, and is considered a progenitor of the genre.

Dan Weiss, better known by his stage name Verbal Kent, is an alternative hip hop artist from Chicago.

Preston Oshita, better known by his stage name Towkio, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He was previously known as Young P, Preston San, and Tokyo Shawn. He is a member of the Savemoney crew. His debut studio album, WWW., was released in 2018.

No Face was a New York City-based rap duo active in the early 1990s, known for their outrageous, obscene lyrics. Their music became very controversial because of how over-the-top and obscene it was, with most radio programmers, including black ones, refusing to play even censored versions of their songs. The duo's members were Mark Sexx and the Shah; Ed Lover was also a member for a time. Their only studio album, Wake Your Daughter Up, was released in 1990 on No Face Records, a label affiliated with Russell Simmons' Rush Associated Labels. The album was distributed by both Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. The album featured the song "Fake Hair Wearin' Bitch", which featured 2 Live Crew. In 1994, they released the single "No Brothas Allowed" on Interscope Records, accompanied by the B-side "Smashin' Fruit". The group's only hit, "Half", was released as a single from Wake Your Daughter Up and peaked at #47 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Von</span> American rapper (1994–2020)

Dayvon Daquan Bennett, known professionally as King Von, was an American rapper and gangster from Chicago, Illinois, who was affiliated with the Black Disciples gang. He is widely considered one of the most preeminent figures of the drill genre.

Terry Parker, known professionally as MC Juice, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois.

References

  1. ↑ Warren, James (6 January 2011). "A One-Man Blend of Hip-Hop Artist, Provocateur and, No Joke, Lawyer". The New York Times . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 David Kelly
  3. ↑ Rabin, Nathan (29 July 2002). "Capital D & The Molemen: Writer's Block (The Movie)". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Margasak, Peter (26 April 2001). "Surprise Ingredient". Chicago Reader . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Kot, Greg (15 November 1998). "Hidden Talents". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Lurie, Matt (5 December 2004). "Capital D: Insomnia". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  7. 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "CG: Capital D" . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Muslim rappers combine beliefs with hip-hop". Today.com . Associated Press. 24 November 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  9. ↑ McCormick, Moira (21 July 2005). "All Natural forcefully mixes serious messages with music". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  10. ↑ Downing, Andy (13 April 2007). "Cap D wields the hip-hop power of his inner warrior". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  11. ↑ Kot, Greg. "Top 2010 indie Chicago albums". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  12. ↑ Jones, Ashby (17 December 2010). "David Kelly: Katten Lawyer by Day, Acclaimed Hip-Hop Artist by Night". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 22 July 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.