Livestock (rapper)

Last updated
Livestock
Also known asLivestock One
The Hilarious Livestock
Horse Thief
Origin Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Genres Alternative hip hop
Underground hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active1999–2011
LabelsTrain Rawbers Family Productions
Plague Language
Legendary Entertainment
Associated acts Noah23, Baracuda, Orphan
Website Livestock on Twitter

Benjamin Reeve, better known by his stage name Livestock, is a rapper from Guelph, Ontario. [1] Livestock was a long-time member of the Plague Language collective founded by Noah23 and Orphan. [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

Prior to rapping, in the late 1990s, Livestock performed locally as a hip hop DJ under the alias Beetle Juice aka Beetle Jiggly, inspired by the Beat Junkies as well as local Guelph DJs Bias Ply, DJ Basic, B Art, NV US, Tom, and DJ Krinjah. After DJing and organizing local hip hop concerts in the late '90s and early 2000s, Livestock began learning the craft of lyricism with Noah23 after-hours at a vegan restaurant in Guelph called the Cafe Aquarius where Noah was chef. Among his influences in this period were Will Oldham, Neko Case, Project Blowed, El-P, Anti-Pop Consortium, Deep Puddle Dynamics, Divine Styler, and Warcloud. It was around this time that Livestock and a few other local hip hop artists including Noah23, Treevortex, DJ Cloev, and others shared a local jam hall (the House of Velvet jam space) for a weekly freestyle session.

Livestock's first release was as a member of the group The Twin Sisters with Naval Avatar and Treevortex. The group released one EP, entitled Amulet, in 2002.

In early 2004, Livestock compiled the collaborative songs of himself, Noah23 and Homesick under the group name The Train Rawbers. This material was initially released on the Spring equinox of 2004, but then was mastered and re-released in later that Fall. [5] The album is credited to the three MCs equally, but is primarily "Livestock's brainchild, featuring [Noah23] and Homesick". [6] Livestock features on all tracks, while Noah23 features on six, and Homesick features on only four. The album was initially released with the subtitle "Volume 1", though no further volumes of material were officially released. In November 2004, Livestock released his debut solo album, Spiral Like the 9, which was recorded in the office at the Cafe Aquarius mainly during business hours while the restaurant was operational.

Livestock recorded extensively from 2003 to 2007, releasing multiple projects. These projects included his second solo album, Iridium 77, produced entirely by Leon Murphy (then known as Greysol); an EP produced by core Plague Language member Madadam, entitled Walk Down the Street; a collaborative album with MC Hangnail under the name The World Within, entitled Welcome 2 the World Within; his third solo album, The Afterlife of Jazz, with production by Leon Murphy and Madadam; a second project with Leon Murphy, The Rawganic EP; and a collaborative album with Noah23 and Madadam, under the name The Weird Apples, entitled The Big Crunch, originally released on Burnt Oak records in the summer of 2007, then re-released by Legendary Entertainment in March 2008. [7] [8]

All of the above albums, except for The Big Crunch, were initially released independently by Livestock himself with DIY artwork and individually produced CDs under his own imprint called Train Rawbers Family Productions. Livestock created and released over 1000 copies of both The Train Rawbers and Spiral Like the 9 and over 500 copies of most of the subsequent albums.

From 2008 onward, Livestock released little material. With the exception of a small number of guest appearances on releases by Noah23, The Main and Gregory Pepper, the only project Livestock significantly contributed to was the classic rock-themed Plague Language mixtape Instant Classic in August 2009. On this release, Livestock was credited alongside MC Tykus under the group name Karma Kings, though no collaborative project ultimately surfaced. Livestock stopped rapping in 2011 after performing alongside Ceschi and Gregory Pepper at the Jimmy Jazz in Guelph. The last track he recorded was a love song titled "The Queen of Space" featuring Scotobot and Karl Skene. In November 2011, he released his entire back catalogue for free via the Plague Language Tumblr page. Included in the upload was his final album, For My Man Sittin' on a Boat, which is a compilation of his mostly unreleased post-2007 music. This album was dedicated to a friend of Livestock's named Sean who lived on a boat off the gulf coast of British Columbia. Another previously unreleased EP, Shucky Ducky, was also included in the upload. [9] [10] [11]

In 2018, Livestock removed all of his own music from the internet due to concerns regarding the political views of some of his former collaborators. That same year, he began PhD studies in sociology. His initial research focus was on the topic of racism within white-majority music and hip hop communities in Canada, inspired by his own personal frustrations with what he perceived as the racism endemic in the music/hip hop community in Guelph, Ontario and the surrounding area. His current research focus is decolonizing studies more widely.

Discography

Livestock

  • Spiral Like the 9 (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2004)
  • Iridium 77 (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2006) (with Leon Murphy)
  • The Afterlife of Jazz (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2007)
  • For My Man Sittin' on a Boat (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2011)

Collaboration albums

  • The Train Rawbers (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2004) (with Noah23 & Homesick, as The Train Rawbers)
  • Welcome 2 the World Within (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2006) (with Hangnail, as The World Within)
  • The Big Crunch (Legendary Entertainment, 2008) (with Noah23 & Madadam, as The Weird Apples)

EPs

  • Amulet (Independent, 2002) (with Naval Aviator & Treevortex, as The Twin Sisters)
  • Walk Down the Street (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2005) (with Madadam)
  • The Rawganic EP (Legendary Entertainment, 2007) (with Leon Murphy)
  • Shucky Ducky (Train Rawbers Family Productions, 2011)

Mixtapes

Compilations

  • Plague Language Compilation (Plague Language, 2009) (with Baracuda, Lord Kufu, Madadam, The Main & Noah23)

Guest appearances

  • Noah23 - "Cellular Automata" from Neophyte Phenotype (2001)
  • Baracuda - "Satellites" from Tetragammoth (2002)
  • Noah23 - "Discordia" from Tau Ceti (2003)
  • Noah23 - "Kinetic Embryo Isotope" & "Coconut Bomb" from Sigma Octantis (2004)
  • Noah23 - "Zapata Physicians" from Jupiter Sajitarius (2004)
  • Urbonics - "Cease Fire" from 514/519/APE (2004)
  • Homesick - "Shell Shock Rock" from Tangent Wars (2005)
  • Noah23 - "Nazca Plateau" from Clout (2006)
  • CRUNK23 - "Akashic Record Breakers" from Technoshamanism (2006)
  • Noah23 - "Weird Science" from Cameo Therapy (2007)
  • Baracuda - "Final Splash" from Knucklebone (2008)
  • Noah23 - "Raw Nukes" from Rock Paper Scissors (2008)
  • Noah23 - "Anarcho-Taoists" from Upside Down Bluejay (2008)
  • New Cocoon - "Axis Dimensions" from A New Plague of Diseased Language Cocoons Vol. 1 (2009)
  • Anubis5 - "House of Mystery" from Let's Talk Language (2010)
  • Noah23 & Playpad Circus - "Radio Plasma" from Noah23 / Playpad Circus (2010)
  • Noah23 - "Isis Hathor", "Blueberry Soup", "The Fasting Sun", "Ninja Pizza", "Almond Wine", "Astro Turf", "The News", "Coconut Baum", "Turquoise Soap Bubble", "House of Teeth" & "Axis Dimensions" from Pirate Utopias (77 Lost Scrolls) (2011)
  • The Main - "Flowers of Evil" & "Punch Card Blues" from Clamnesia (2011)
  • Noah23 - "Axe Murderer" from Noah23 for Dummies (2012)
  • Gregory Pepper & Madadam - "Fronting in Your Heartbone" from Big Huge Truck (2013)

See also

Related Research Articles

De La Soul American hip-hop trio

De La Soul are an American hip hop trio formed in 1988 in the Amityville area of Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres. The members are Posdnuos, Trugoy, and Maseo. The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Prince Paul with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". With its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, has been called "a hip hop masterpiece."

Dominick J. Lamb, better known by his stage name Nottz, is an American hip hop record producer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia. Nottz has produced for some of the biggest names in hip hop, including Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga, Scarface, Snoop Dogg, Cassidy, Ghostface Killah, Kardinal Offishall, Royce da 5'9", Little Brother, The Game, Dwele, Termanology, Bilal, Asher Roth, Slaughterhouse, Nefew, Pusha T, Torae, Rapsody and Talib Kweli among many others.

Ramone Johnson, better known by his stage name Cashis, is an American rapper who was born and raised in Chicago, but moved to Irvine, California. He was most notably featured on the Shady Records album Eminem Presents: The Re-Up with Eminem and the record label, and released The County Hound EP in 2007. The County Hound EP sold 6,700 copies in its first week and debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number 106. He's best known for appearing on Eminem's song, "You Don't Know", featuring 50 Cent and Lloyd Banks.

Crooked I American rapper from California

Dominick Antron Wickliffe, better known by his stage names Crooked I and Kxng Crooked, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. He is best known as a former member of the Hip Hop supergroup Slaughterhouse with other members Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce da 5'9". He is currently CEO of his own record labels, Dynasty Entertainment and C.O.B. Digital as well as Senior Vice President of Treacherous Records. Before starting his own label, he was also signed to Virgin Records and Death Row Records.

Skyzoo American rapper from New York

Gregory Skyler Taylor, known professionally as Skyzoo, is an American actor and rapper. He has released a number of notable solo and collaborative albums, including Cloud 9: The 3 Day High with 9th Wonder in 2006, The Salvation in 2009, A Dream Deferred in 2012, Music For My Friends in 2015, and his most recent solo album All the Brilliant Things. Skyzoo has also released a plethora of non-commercial mixtapes including Corner Store Classic and The Great Debater throughout his career, and has worked with artists such as Jill Scott, Wale, Lloyd Banks, Tyrese, Dr. Dre, Raheem Devaughn, Black Thought, Jadakiss, Talib Kweli, Spike Lee, John Legend, and others. Skyzoo has headlined or co-headlined often-yearly tours throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Australia, and Asia, and he owns and operates the independent record label First Generation Rich.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2011.

Noah23 Canadian-American hip hop artist

Noah Raymond Brickley, better known by his stage name Noah23, is a Canadian-American hip hop artist from Guelph, Ontario. He is co-founder of the Plague Language collective and record label, and has been described as "one of Canada's best, most underrated MCs".

<i>Jupiter Sajitarius</i> 2004 studio album by Noah23

Jupiter Sajitarius is a 2004 album by Canadian-American alternative hip hop artist Noah23. It possesses "a remarkable variety of both production and compositions," according to MiC Music Portal. The majority of the album's production was handled by Orphan, and marked the final collaboration between the two, prior to Orphan's departure from Plague Language and the formation of Blue Sky Black Death.

<i>Fry Cook on Venus</i> 2011 studio album by Noah23

Fry Cook on Venus is a 2011 studio album by Canadian hip hop artist Noah23, released on Fake Four Inc. Music videos were produced for "Bright Green Laces" and "Intangible Heart Crescendo".

<i>Quicksand</i> (Noah23 album) 2002 studio album by Noah23

Quicksand is a 2002 album by Canadian-American alternative hip hop artist Noah23. Most of the album's production was handled by Orphan, the Plague Language collective's most prolific producer at the time.

Graham Troyer, better known by his stage name Baracuda, is a Canadian rapper from Guelph, Ontario, currently based in Toronto.

<i>Tetragammoth</i> 2002 studio album by Baracuda72

Tetragammoth is the 2002 debut album by alternative hip hop artist Baracuda72. Most of the album's production was handled by Orphan, the Plague Language collective's most prolific producer at the time.

Chauncey Alexander Hollis Jr., better known by his stage name Hit-Boy, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. In May 2011, he had signed a two-year deal with Kanye West's GOOD Music production branch. With this stimulus, he produced singles such as "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z and Kanye West, "Trophies" by Drake, "Clique" by GOOD Music, and "Racks in the Middle" by Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch. "Racks in the Middle" won Best Rap Performance at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

Mohammad Gonsalves, better known by his stage name Modulok, is a rapper based in East York, Ontario.

Gregory Pepper is an indie pop artist based in Guelph, Ontario and signed to Fake Four Inc.

Noah23 is a Canadian-American underground hip hop artist from Guelph, Ontario. His discography consists of twenty-eight solo albums, four collaboration albums, sixteen EPs, eleven mixtapes, five compilations, three physical singles, and many guest appearances on other artists' tracks.

Blue Sky Black Death is a production duo based in Seattle, Washington. It consists of Kingston Maguire, better known mononymously as Kingston, and Ian Taggart, better known by his stage name Young God. They are known principally for their hip hop and instrumental music, made with a mixture of live instrumentation and sampling.

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in hip hop music for the year 2002.

Julio Francisco "Ceschi" Ramos, better known as Ceschi Ramos, or simply as Ceschi, is an American hip hop musician based in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a co-founder of Fake Four Inc. He won the Connecticut Music Awards for Best Hip Hop in 2014.

Dylan Marshall Brady is an American music producer and singer-songwriter best known for being one half of experimental electronic music duo 100 Gecs, alongside Laura Les. He also owns and operates his own record label, Dog Show Records.

References

  1. ↑ Quinlan, Thomas (February 2008). "The Hilarious Livestock & Leon Murphy The Rawganic EP". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  2. ↑ Andy (August 5, 2001). "Noah23". Ugsmag. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  3. ↑ Gieben, Bram E. (2009). "Plague Language - When the Going Gets Weird, the Weird Turn Pro". Weaponizer. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Noah23 Interview". Lyricide. May 22, 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  5. ↑ "The Train Rawbers - the Train Rawbers Volume 1".
  6. ↑ Quinlan, Thomas (June 2008). "Noah23". Urbnet. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Weird Apples (Noah23 & Livestock) - "The Big Crunch"". Legendary Entertainment. March 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  8. ↑ Khanna, Vish (August 2007). "The Weird Apples The Big Crunch". Exclaim!. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
  9. ↑ Livestock (January 27, 2014). "[...] I did the same thing years ago and couldn't be more thankful since. Rap takes up a lot of mental space and energy". Twitter. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ Brickley, Noah Raymond (November 4, 2011). "[...] Livestock dropped his entire catalog online for free!!! [...]". Twitter. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ Brickley, Noah Raymond (December 3, 2011). "Livestock is back in Guelph and promised to do a final Weird Apples song with me". Twitter. Retrieved March 28, 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.