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Paris | |
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| Birth name | Oscar Jackson Jr. |
| Born | October 29, 1967 [1] San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1989–present |
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| Website | guerrillafunk |
Oscar Jackson Jr. (born October 29, 1967), better known by his stage name Paris, is an American rapper and record producer from San Francisco, California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious lyrics. [1] Influenced by the Black Panthers, he was once a member of the Nation of Islam. [2]
Paris became known in the US in 1990 with the hit single "The Devil Made Me Do It" and album of the same name, [3] after earning a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, Davis. [2] Originally released on Tommy Boy Records, his first video was banned by MTV. [4]
When his second album, Sleeping with the Enemy , was ready for release in 1992, Paris was dropped from now-defunct Tommy Boy Records (since rechristened Tommy Boy Entertainment in 2002) and distributor Warner Bros. Records, owned by Time Warner, when the parent company discovered its incendiary content, which included fantasy revenge killings of then-President Bush and racist police officers. Also problematic was the album's insert, which featured the artist waiting behind a tree, holding a TEC-9, as the president was waving to the crowd. Paris eventually released the LP himself on his newly formed Scarface Records. [3] Also in 1992, Paris contributed to industrial music band Consolidated's 1992 album Play More Music with the track "Guerrillas in the Mist."
Paris signed a major artist and distribution deal with Priority Records for himself and Scarface Records in 1993 and released his third LP, Guerrilla Funk , [3] and several then up-and-coming groups, most notably The Conscious Daughters. Paris and Priority formally severed their business relationship due to creative differences in 1995, and in 1997, Paris signed a one-off deal with now-defunct Whirling Records (distributed by Rykodisc) for the release of his fourth LP, Unleashed , which was released in small numbers with little promotion. The album contained some very explicitly violent and racially charged verses, and while less overtly political as earlier efforts, the lyrics explicitly describe racial violence when confronted with the same. Also released in Europe with a different track list, the album featuring songs from 1994, 1996 and 1998, some of which were more in the style of his earlier releases. Becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the music industry, Paris retired from recording and worked as a stockbroker, cementing his personal wealth allowing him to independently finance the next stage of his musical endeavors. [5]
In 2003, Paris returned with the album, Sonic Jihad . The album continued his tradition of controversial cover art, evoking images of the September 11 attacks, it depicts a plane flying toward the White House. Its content is equally radical and covers many topics, including the war on terror, the war in Iraq, police brutality, black-on-black violence, conditions in inner-city communities, the Illuminati, and state-sponsored terrorism. Other politically minded hip hop artists were featured on the album, including Kam, dead prez, and Public Enemy. Sonic Jihad was the catalyst for the creation of Paris' new label and web site, Guerrilla Funk Recordings, a home for projects and material of such notable acts as dead prez and Public Enemy.
Paris' anti-war anthem "What Would You Do?" (from Sonic Jihad) accuses [6] "the Bush Administration [of playing] a key role in orchestrating the terror attacks of September 11", [7] saying, "Ain't no terror threat, unless approval rating's slumpin'. So I'ma say it for the record we the ones that planned it, ain't no other country took a part or had they hand in it". The song is featured on the 2004 compilation album Peace Not War, Vol. 2. [8] On the 2003 Anybody Killa album Hatchet Warrior , Paris appeared with Monoxide on a track entitled "Ghetto Neighbor."
In 2005, Paris completed a project with Public Enemy, Rebirth of a Nation , the title both a reference to the 1915 film The Birth of a Nation , controversial for its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan and its racist portrayal of African Americans, and PE's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back . Although Chuck D was the primary vocal performer, Paris penned and produced the bulk of the album, which also featured N.W.A's MC Ren, Immortal Technique, Kam, dead prez, and The Conscious Daughters.
In 2006, Paris also released Paris presents Hard Truth Soldiers, Vol. 1, the first in a Paris-produced compilation series that touched on subjects ranging from war and police brutality to black-on-black crime and domestic violence. It showcased contributions from Public Enemy, the Coup, dead prez, Paris, T-K.A.S.H., Kam, The Conscious Daughters, Mystic, MC Ren, Sun Rise Above, and the Stop the Violence Movement (Mobb Deep, Tray Deee, Soopafly, KRS-One, Defari, Daz, J-Ro, RBX, Bad Azz, WC, Dilated Peoples, Mac Minister, The Alchemist, Mack 10, Evidence, Defari, Everlast, and B-Real), among others.
In addition, Paris introduced the world to former Coup-member T-K.A.S.H. later that year, releasing his debut offering, Turf War Syndrome, and handling production duties as well.[ citation needed ]
In 2007, Paris released the follow-up companion piece to Rebirth of a Nation, the Public Enemy collaboration Remix of a Nation, and began laying the framework for the film division of Guerrilla Funk Recordings.
Paris inked a distribution deal with Fontana/Universal for Guerrilla Funk (with movies through Vivendi) in late 2007, and released his next album, Acid Reflex , featuring Chuck D and George Clinton, in 2008.
In 2009, Paris released Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers, Vol. 2, the sophomore project from T-K.A.S.H., Brains All Over The Streets, and the latest offering from The Conscious Daughters, The Nutcracker Suite.
Paris not only writes and produces songs, but also publishes information about ways to improve inner-city communities. Numerous articles can be found on various subjects in the Thought Box section of Guerrilla Funk's website. [9]
In 2010, Paris was featured in the musical documentary, Sounds Like a Revolution , and in 2011 was featured on the Insane Clown Posse's Featuring Freshness LP. He performed at that year's Gathering of the Juggalos, and later at the Amsterdam Hiphopfestival in Amsterdam.
Paris' production and original material has been featured in various Hollywood offerings, including Morgan Freeman's HBO documentary Prom Night in Mississippi in 2009, End of Watch , starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña in 2012, and 2014's Kill the Messenger , starring Jeremy Renner.
In November 2014, he released a video single, "Night of the Long Knives," which called for an increased unity in the black and brown communities and the adoption of the eye-for-an-eye philosophy toward racist police aggression and brutality in the wake of the tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri and other high-profile shooting deaths.
In August 2015, Paris released his second video single, "Buck, Buck, Pass," a commentary on gun violence, its often ignored racial implications and its after effects.
His album Pistol Politics was released on September 11, 2015. It was named one of the Best Hip-Hop albums of 2015 by SPIN magazine [10] and received an "A−" rating by VICE . [11]
Paris' third single and video, "Hard Truth Soldier (Redux)" was released in November 2015.
Paris became an official contributor to Vice Media in June 2016, beginning his ongoing relationship with that outlet to provide political and entertainment insights on current events from an urban perspective.
In March 2016, EA Sports released UFC2 , the second installment of its popular UFC mixed martial arts fighting video game franchise, featuring music produced by Paris.
On September 5, 2016, Paris performed at Hiero Day in Oakland, California - hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics' annual block party celebrating Bay Area indie music, food and culture. In October 2016, Guerrilla Funk released videos for "Lethal Warning Shot" and "Power," the 4th and 5th singles from Paris' acclaimed Pistol Politics release.
Paris rounded out 2016 with contributions to Level 33 Entertainment's mystery/suspense thriller, Blood in the Water .
2018 found Paris' productions included in several movie and television offerings, including Get Shorty on the Epix network, Champaign ILL on YouTube Premium, and Netflix's Flint Town and Hip Hop Evolution , the latter of which featured an in-depth interview by Paris.
In 2019, Paris' music has been featured in USA network's The Purge , HBO's The Deuce , CBS' The Unicorn , multiple episodes of CBS Sports Network's The Jim Rome Show and Between Two Ferns: The Movie on Netflix, starring Zach Galifianakis, Matthew McConaughey, Keanu Reeves and Will Ferrell.
Netflix's All Day and a Night started off 2020 with featured music by Paris, starring Ashton Sanders, Jeffrey Wright, Isaiah John and Regina Taylor, among others.
In August of that year, "Baby Man Hands" was released - a scathing indictment of Donald Trump's presidency and the first single and video from Paris' album, Safe Space Invader.
On September 11, Safe Space Invader's second single and video, "Nobody Move" was released, a stylistic homage to Black Panther Party artist Emory Douglas that calls out police brutality, gentrification and more. Safe Space Invader was released on September 25, 2020. On October 23, 2020, Safe Space Invader's third single and video, "Turned the Key," was released, addressing the hard topics of gentrification, income inequality & housing affordability. Its fourth single and video, "Walk Like a Panther," was released on December 2 of that same year.
In 2021, Paris' music was featured in FX network's Hip Hop Uncovered, Netflix's Notorious B.I.G. biopic, Biggie: I've Got a Story to Tell, NBC's Young Rock, and in Blindspotting on the STARZ network.
In July 2022, Lionsgate's film American Carnage was released, featuring music and production by Paris. In August of that same year, Netflix's Day Shift was also released, starring Jaime Foxx and Snoop Dogg and featuring Paris' original works.
Peacock's Poker Face started off 2023 with featured music by Paris, starring Natasha Lyonne, Benjamin Bratt, Adrien Brody and Lil Rel Howery, among others.
In April of 2024, Paris' music production was featured in Apple TV+'s Loot, starring Maya Rudolph, and in Hulu's Under the Bridge, starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone.
| Title | Release | Peak chart positions [12] | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | US Rap | |||
| "The Devil Made Me Do It" | 1990 | — | 20 | The Devil Made Me Do It |
| "Guerrilla Funk" | 1994 | 90 | 23 | Guerrilla Funk |
Public Enemy is an American hip hop group formed by Chuck D and Flavor Flav in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as American racism and the American media. Their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim, and their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), was the first hip hop album to top The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll. Their next three albums, Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991) and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994), were also well received. The group has since released twelve more studio albums, including the soundtrack to the 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game and a collaborative album with Paris, Rebirth of a Nation (2006).
Dead Prez is an American hip hop duo composed of M-1 and stic.man, formed in 1996 in New York City. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with lyrics focused on both militant social justice, self-determination, and Pan-Africanism. The duo maintains an ethical stance against corporate control over the media, especially hip hop record labels.
Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is considered to be rock music in which lyrics are rapped, rather than sung. The genre achieved its greatest success in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The Conscious Daughters (TCD) were an American female hip hop duo from the Oakland, California, consisting of Carla "CMG" Green and Karryl "Special One" Smith. The duo signed in 1993 to Paris's record label, Scarface Records, after passing him a demo tape at a club. They released their first studio album, Ear to the Street.
Rebirth of a Nation is a collaborative studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy and rapper/producer Paris. Its title is a reference to the 1915 white supremacist film The Birth of a Nation as well as one of the group's prior albums, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Despite the Public Enemy branding on the album, many tracks were written and produced by Paris; the album itself was deemed a "special project" by Chuck D in order to differentiate it from other Public Enemy works. It was released on March 7, 2006 through Guerrilla Funk Recordings with distribution via Caroline Distribution. The album was mixed and mastered at Data Stream Studio in San Francisco, California. The album features guest appearances from Dead Prez, MC Ren, Kam, Sister Souljah, The Conscious Daughters, Immortal Technique and Professor Griff. Rebirth of a Nation peaked at number 180 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States and sold 5,592 units in its first week out.
"Renegades of Funk" is a song written by Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker, John Miller & John Robie and recorded by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. Released in 1983 as a single on the Tommy Boy label, it was also included on the 1986 album Planet Rock: The Album. The song is an eclectic fusion of electronic music and heavy percussion, with politically fused hip hop lyrics that draw a connection between past revolutionaries and bohemians to present-day street artists. It was produced and mixed by Arthur Baker and John Robie. Mastering was by Herb Powers Jr..
Hip Hop Connection (HHC) was the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. It was described by rapper Chuck D as "the most important magazine in the world".
Political hip hop is a subgenre of hip hop music that emerged in the 1980s as a form of political expression and activism. It typically addresses sociopolitical issues through lyrics, aiming to inspire action, promote social change, or convey specific political viewpoints. The genre draws inspiration from earlier politically conscious artists, such as The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron, as well as movements like the Black Power movement and the Black Panther Party from the 1960s and 1970s.
Sonic Jihad is a studio album by rapper Paris, released in 2003. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Data Stream Studio, San Francisco. The album was marketed by Guerrilla Funk, Paris's label, as "so dangerous to homeland security [that] it's unavailable at chain stores."
The Dope Poet Society is a hip hop group from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their music is characterized by clever and sometimes controversial lyrics. ProfessorD.us is the lead vocalist of the group. The group has been active since 1995 and has toured around the world. They have also performed and collaborated with artists including Public Enemy, Dead Prez, Jeru the Damaja, and Boot Camp Click.
Craig A. Miller, better known by his stage name Kam, is an American rapper known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Sun Rise Above, also known as Sun R. A., is a hip hop artist, notable for his leftist political views and corresponding lyrics. Described as a "highly politicized rapper who manages to convey his ideological leanings in an approachable fashion", Sun Rise Above has been compared to acts like Public Enemy and the Wu-Tang Clan, as well as contemporary political rappers such as Dead Prez and Immortal Technique.
Northwest hip hop is hip hop or rap music that originates from the Pacific Northwest of North America, encompassing major cities such as Portland (Oregon), Seattle (Washington), and other towns. Northwest hip hop music mixes elements from various genres of music to form a sound different from its southern neighbor, West Coast hip hop. For many years the scene existed mainly as an underground genre, but recently Northwest hip-hop has seen more and more mainstream acceptance, with artists such as Macklemore gaining nationwide attention.
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released on June 28, 1988, by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It was recorded from 1987 to 1988 in sessions at Chung King Studios, Greene St. Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York.
Acid Reflex is the sixth studio album by rapper Paris. It included the single and video "Don't Stop the Movement" to promote the album. Acid Reflex features guest appearances from Public Enemy, George Clinton and T-K.A.S.H. Recorded and mixed at Data Stream Studio in San Francisco, CA and Guerrilla Funk Sound in Danville, CA.
Radioactive is the second studio album and major label debut by American rapper Yelawolf. It was released on November 21, 2011 through Shady Records and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Shawty Fatt, Mystikal, Kid Rock, Lil Jon, Rittz, Gangsta Boo, Eminem, Poo Bear, Priscilla Renea, Fefe Dobson, Mona Moua and Killer Mike.
Ansar El Muhammad, better known by his stage name Askari X, is a hip-hop artist from Oakland, California. He has released 3 albums, is on numerous compilation albums, and has been a guest on several albums. Stic.man and M-1 of Dead Prez refer to Askari X in their music and credit him as one of their main musical influences. Askari X advocates Black Power, Black Liberation, and Islam in his lyrics. His sound is characterized by slow drum beats and a verbal flow similar to Tupac Shakur. Askari X is philosophically aligned with the African People's Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement. His style may be considered as conscious rap.
La'Reonte Wright, known professionally as Dizzy Wright, is an American rapper and record producer.
Justin Ritter, known professionally as SwizZz, is an American rapper and songwriter. He is best known for significantly collaborating with childhood friend Hopsin, and being signed to their record label Funk Volume, which was founded by Hopsin himself. He has released various singles and released two mixtapes including Haywire with Hopsin, and Good Morning SwizZzle.
Talib Kweli Greene is an American rapper. He earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's musical career continued with solo success including collaborations with producers and rappers Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Pharrell Williams. In 2011, Kweli founded his own record label, Javotti Media.
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