"Murder Rap" | ||||
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Single by Above the Law | ||||
from the album Livin' Like Hustlers | ||||
Released | February 8, 1990 [1] | |||
Recorded | 1989 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:14 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | ||||
Above the Law singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Murder Rap" on YouTube |
"Murder Rap" is a song by American gangsta rap group Above the Law, released as a single on February 8, 1990. [1] It was written by Cold 187um, Dr. Dre, Go Mack, Laylaw and Total Kaos. [2]
The music of "Murder Rap", as produced by Dr. Dre, consists of an ominous siren sound, and backwards, looped drum beats. [3] Allmusic's Alex Henderson says that the song's lyrics "let listeners know exactly what life in South Central was like." [4]
In his Allmusic review, Alex Henderson wrote that "The imaginative Dre's input as a producer is consistently beneficial", saying that the music "comes alive" as a result of Dr. Dre's input. [4] Regarding Above the Law's lyrical content, Henderson wrote, "the Angelenos had some freshness." [4] A review of the song by Frank Owen in Spin praised Dr. Dre's production, saying that the producer "has a remarkable talent for making noise funky, and he shows it to great effect". [5] However, Owen criticized Above the Law as lyricists, writing, "they present this hardcore life without any of the dandy charm that Big Daddy Kane or Oran 'Juice' Jones bring to it." [5] Vibe praised the song as "a breathtaking assembly", complimenting the music and Cold 187um's raps. [3]
In 1998, the song was included on the compilation Ruthless Records Tenth Anniversary: Decade of Game. [2] In 2002, Insane Clown Posse released a cover of the song on their album The Wraith: Shangri-La . [6] This version of the song appeared as the B-side of ICP's single "Hell's Forecast". In 2006, ICP's cover was remixed for The Wraith: Remix Albums by Filthee Immigrants. [6] Insane Clown Posse's cover of the song led to a professional relationship between ICP and Cold 187 um, and he later signed to Psychopathic Records as a solo rapper. [7]
The Wraith: Shangri-La is the eighth studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse, released on November 5, 2002, by Psychopathic Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in 2002 at multiple recording studios throughout the United States. The album is the first of two albums representing the sixth Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. The album's lyrics describe the titular Wraith's exhibition of heaven.
Riddle Box is the third studio album by the American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, released in October 1995 on Battery Records and Island Records in association with Psychopathic Records. It is the third Joker's Card in the group's Dark Carnival mythology. It was released a second time by Battery Records and Jive Records. In 2008 it was re-released on a Riddle Box vinyl record. The album was the first Insane Clown Posse album in which the group worked with studio vocalist and guitarist Rich Murrell, who would work with the group throughout much of their career under the name Legz Diamond. It was released in four different versions, and earned a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2008, Riddle Box was re-released on vinyl double LP format. In 2015, Psychopathic Records reissued the album in a 20th anniversary edition, featuring bonus tracks.
The Wraith: Hell's Pit is the ninth studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. It was released on August 31, 2004 via Psychopathic Records as a follow-up to 2002 The Wraith: Shangri-La and second half of the sixth and final Joker Card in the first Deck of the Dark Carnival mythology. Recording sessions took place at the Lotus Pod in Detroit. Production was handled by ICP themselves.
Horrorcore, also called horror hip hop, horror rap, death hip hop, or death rap, is a subgenre of hip hop music based on horror-themed and often darkly transgressive lyrical content and imagery. Its origins derived from certain hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap artists, such as the Geto Boys, which began to incorporate supernatural, occult, and psychological horror themes into their lyrics. Unlike most hardcore hip hop and gangsta rap artists, horrorcore artists often push the violent content and imagery in their lyrics beyond the realm of realistic urban violence, to the point where the violent lyrics become gruesome, ghoulish, unsettling, inspired by slasher films or splatter films. While exaggerated violence and the supernatural are common in horrorcore, the genre also frequently presents more realistic yet still disturbing portrayals of mental illness and drug abuse. Some horrorcore artists eschew supernatural themes or exaggerated violence in favor of more subtle and dark psychological horror imagery and lyrics.
Above the Law was an American hip hop group from Pomona, California, founded in 1989 by Cold 187um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss.
Psychopathic Records is an American independent record label headquartered in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The label is most associated with the hip-hop music subgenres horrorcore and rap rock. The label was founded in 1991 by Alex Abbiss and hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. The iconography of a man with a meat cleaver has been used for years as a symbol of the group, its fanbase, and its associates.
Joseph Frank Bruce, known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP). He is a co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Shaggy 2 Dope and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Also along with Utsler, Bruce is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
Joseph William Utsler, known by his stage name Shaggy 2 Dope, is an American rapper, record producer, DJ, podcast host of Shaggy and The Creep Show, and professional wrestler. He is part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. He is the co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow Insane Clown Posse rapper Violent J and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Along with Bruce, Utsler is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling, where he currently acts as color commentator.
The Tempest is the tenth studio album by American hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse. Released in 2007, the album marks the return of producer Mike E. Clark, who had a falling-out with the duo in 2000. However, he did not collaborate directly with ICP, and would not do so until their 2009 album Bang! Pow! Boom!
Mostasteless is the debut album by American hip hop duo Twiztid, released on August 4, 1998, by Psychopathic Records. The album was reissued in 1999 with distribution by Island Records and a drastically altered track listing, with tracks added and removed.
Forgotten Freshness Volume 4 is a rarities album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. It features rare and unreleased tracks recorded throughout the group's career. It also came with a bonus compilation album of all of the Insane Clown Posse's yearly Hallowicked song releases, titled Hallowicked Compilation. The album is unique for having a pumpkin scent to its discs, matching the Hallowicked theme. It is the group's 4th installment in the "Forgotten Freshness album series", their 6th compilation album, and their 21st overall release.
Gregory Fernard Hutchison, known as Big Hutch and Cold 187 um, is an American rapper and producer, and leader of the rap group Above the Law. He currently records for his self-founded label.
"Homies" is a song written by Insane Clown Posse, Mike Puwal and Twiztid for ICP's 2002 album The Wraith: Shangri-La. After the 1992 single "Psychopathic", "Homies" is the second single released by the group to not be produced by Mike E. Clark, who had stopped working with Psychopathic Records due to a disagreement with ICP's Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler. Clark later produced a remix of the song, which appeared on Forgotten Freshness Volume 4, after Clark reconciled with ICP.
"Chicken Huntin'" is a single by hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, from their second studio album, Ringmaster. The "Slaughter House Mix", from the group's third studio album, Riddle Box, has become one the duo's most popular songs.
Bang! Pow! Boom! is the eleventh studio album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released on September 1, 2009 by Psychopathic Records, it was the group's second album with producer Mike E. Clark since his return to Psychopathic Records, and the first album to focus on the Dark Carnival since the conclusion of the group's original "Joker's Cards" series. The character is the first of a set of six new Joker's Cards.
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group had sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands".
Smothered, Covered, and Chunked! is a cover album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released August 14, 2012, it was released alongside The Mighty Death Pop! and was never sold separately. It was prepackaged with the Red Pop variant edition of The Mighty Death Pop!, and is the group's fourth album with producer Mike E. Clark since his return to Psychopathic Records.
The Only Solution is the fifth album by Cold 187um and his first and only album for Psychopathic Records. Released on October 22, 2012, it is a concept album, focusing on the story of a hired killer, the "Psychopathic Assassin", as he performs his job and pursues revenge against his uncle, Black Swan, who had murdered the Assassin's father.
"Chris Benoit" is a song written by Insane Clown Posse and Mike E. Clark for the duo's 2012 album The Mighty Death Pop! A music video was filmed in June 2012, directed by the Deka Brothers. The album's concept "teaches us to respect the life we’ve been given and do our best to avoid an early death." The song was named after the professional wrestler, who died in a murder-suicide after killing his wife and son. A remix of the song appeared on the remix album Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium, and featured rappers Ice Cube and Scarface. This song was released 5 years after his death.