Req

Last updated

Req
Birth nameIan Cassar
Also known as
  • Req 1
  • DJ Req
Born (1966-02-20) 20 February 1966 (age 57) [1]
Brighton, England [1]
Genres
Occupation(s)
Years active1984–present
Labels

Ian Cassar (born 20 February 1966), better known as Req (stylized as REQ), is an English DJ, record producer, and graffiti artist.

Contents

Career

In the words of AllMusic's Sean Cooper, Req began in his native Brighton as "one of the U.K.'s most respected graffiti artists." [1] He began his graffiti work in 1984 after the Beat Street film hyped his sense to the basic tenets of hip hop. Although he was a disc jockey for many years without musical training, Req only began producing music of his own in the mid-1990s when he signed to Skint Records, who issued his earliest releases. [1] As a graffiti artist, he had previously been a member of the largely musical collective Beats International. [2]

His debut album, One , was critically acclaimed by such publications as The Wire and production duo Coldcut. [1] In 2015, Fact ranked the album at number 14 in their list of "The 50 Best Trip-Hop Albums of All Time" and noted "his compositions didn't pander to the popularity of the growing trip-hop scene, instead dwelling in a noisy, near-ambient back room." [3] His follow-up album, Frequency Jams (1998), was made an "Album Pick" on AllMusic. [4] He released Car Paint Scheme in 2000, [5] and Sketchbook in 2002. [6]

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

EPs

Singles

Related Research Articles

Trip hop is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic fusion of hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound, often incorporating elements of jazz, soul, funk, reggae, dub, R&B, and other forms of electronic music, as well as sampling from movie soundtracks and other eclectic sources.

<i>Style Wars</i> 1983 American film

Style Wars is an American 1983 documentary film on hip hop culture, directed by Tony Silver and produced in collaboration with Henry Chalfant. The film has an emphasis on graffiti, although bboying and rapping are covered to a lesser extent. The film was originally aired on the television network PBS and was subsequently shown in several film festivals to much acclaim, including the Vancouver Film Festival. It also won the Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival.

Downtempo is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may be played in chillout clubs or as "warm-up or cool-down" music during a DJ set. Examples of downtempo subgenres include trip hop, ambient house, chillwave, psybient and lo-fi hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Del Naja</span> British musician and graffiti artist (born 1965)

Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D, is a British artist, musician, singer and songwriter. His mother is English and his father is Italian. They moved to Bristol, St Andrews in 1966. Robert del Naja emerged as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective the Wild Bunch, and later as a founding member and sole consistent member of the band Massive Attack, with which he is still active. In 2009, he received the British Academy's Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.

<i>Bricolage</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Amon Tobin

Bricolage is a 1997 album by Brazilian electronic music artist Amon Tobin. It was Tobin's second album, the first released under his own name, and his first on the Ninja Tune label. The album was a departure from his first album, Adventures in Foam, incorporating a heavier blend of jazz melodies and intense jungle rhythms. The album was followed by Permutation in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erick Sermon</span> American rapper and record producer

Erick Sermon is an American rapper and producer. He is best known as one-third—alongside PMD & DJ Scratch—of 1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for his production work.

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

Tarik Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, singer, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove. Regarded as "one of the most skilled, incisive, and prolific rappers of his time", he is widely lauded for his live performance skills, continuous multisyllabic rhyme schemes, complex lyricism, double entendres, and politically aware lyrics. With the Roots, he is a singer and rapper on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, frequently playing games with Fallon and his guests.

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

GOOD Music is an American independent record label founded by rapper Kanye West in 2004. The label entered an exclusive long-term worldwide distribution contract with the Island Def Jam Music Group in 2011. In 2012, the label released its only compilation album, Cruel Summer. In 2015, Pusha T was appointed the president of the label by West, while record executive Steven Victor was appointed COO. In late 2022, Pusha T stepped down from the position as he was no longer on speaking terms with West.

<i>Its Dark and Hell Is Hot</i> 1998 studio album by DMX

It's Dark and Hell Is Hot is the debut album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 19, 1998, by Def Jam Recordings and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. It was supported by four singles—"Get at Me Dog", "Stop Being Greedy", "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "How's It Goin' Down", in order of release—and their accompanying music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No I.D.</span> American music producer

Ernest Dion Wilson, professionally known as No I.D., is an American hip hop and R&B producer from Chicago, Illinois. Wilson is also a disc jockey (DJ), music arranger and former rapper, having released an album Accept Your Own and Be Yourself , in 1997 under Relativity Records. He is perhaps best known for his early work with Chicago-based rapper Common. He has since become a heavily sought-out and high-profile producer, producing hit singles such as "Smile" by G-Unit, "Outta My System" and "Let Me Hold You" by Bow Wow, "Heartless" by Kanye West, "D.O.A." by Jay-Z, "My Last" by Big Sean, and "New Light" by John Mayer.

Rammellzee was a visual artist, gothic futurist "graffiti writer", painter, performance artist, art theoretician, sculptor and a hip hop musician from New York City, who has been cited as "instrumental in introducing elements of the avant-garde into hip-hop culture".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightmares on Wax</span> English DJ

George Herbert Evelyn, better known by his stage name Nightmares on Wax or DJ E.A.S.E., is an English DJ and record producer from Leeds. His music has been released by Warp Records. He is based in Ibiza. Nightmares on Wax were originally a group consisting of Evelyn and John Halnon, and then later with Kevin Harper.

<i>A Word of Science: The First and Final Chapter</i> 1991 studio album by Nightmares on Wax

A Word of Science is the debut studio album by British electronic producers Nightmares on Wax. Released by Warp Records in September 1991, it is the act's only album as a group before it became a solo vehicle for George Evelyn. Evelyn nonetheless recorded and produced the album alone, incorporating samples and elements from demo tapes he made in the late 1980s. Although Nightmares on Wax debuted with two well-received techno singles in 1989-1990, A Word of Science is eclectic and largely moves the act towards a more mellow style influenced by funk, soul and hip hop, while still incorporating techno and house styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jhené Aiko</span> American R&B singer and rapper (born 1988)

Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo is an American R&B singer-songwriter. Aiko embarked on her musical career in 2002, as a backing vocalist and music video performer for R&B group B2K. To promote and cultivate her own following, she was marketed by their record label, The Ultimate Group as a "cousin" of group member Lil' Fizz, despite them not being related. Her debut album, slated for a 2003 release through Epic Records, was ultimately shelved due to Aiko instead further pursuing her education.

"Control" is a song by American rapper Big Sean, featuring American rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay Electronica. It impacted US mainstream urban radio on August 14, 2013, via GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings, as a promotional single for the former's second studio album Hall of Fame (2013). It was ultimately cut from the album due to sample clearance issues.

Sacha Jenkins is an American television producer, filmmaker, writer, musician, artist, curator, and chronicler of hip-hop, graffiti, punk, and metal cultures. While still in his teens, Jenkins published Graphic Scenes & X-Plicit Language, one of the earliest 'zines solely dedicated to "graffiti" art. In 1994, Jenkins co-founded Ego Trip magazine. In 2007, he created the competition reality program ego trip's The (White) Rapper Show, which was carried by VH1. Currently, Jenkins is the creative director of Mass Appeal magazine.

<i>Teflon Don</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Rick Ross

Teflon Don is the fourth studio album by American rapper Rick Ross, released on July 20, 2010, on Maybach Music Group, Slip-n-Slide Records and Def Jam Recordings. Production for the album took place during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by several record producers, including Clark Kent, No I.D., The Olympicks, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Lex Luger, Danja, The Inkredibles, The Remedy and Kanye West.

<i>One</i> (Req album) 1997 studio album by Req

One is the debut studio album by English experimental electronic producer Req, recorded from September 1995 to 1996 and released on Skint Records in 1997. After releasing several EPs, Req decided to release an album to spread his sound. His conception for One was to create music that hints at a direction without ever arriving at one. Music critics had difficulty defining the album's style, and is seen as a "blunted take" on trip hop with downtempo ambience. The album was well received by critics, who praised its unique sound and production. Today, it is seen as a predecessor to the late 1990s' "intelligent big beat" of fellow Skint artists such as Lo-Fidelity Allstars, and in 2015, Fact named the album the 14th greatest trip hop album of all time.

<i>Frequency Jams</i> 1998 studio album by Req

Frequency Jams is the second studio album by English experimental electronic producer Req, released in 1998 on Skint Records. As with his debut album, One, Frequency Jams was recorded on a lo-fi 4-track recorder and featuries abstract arrangements that incorporate esoteric, fractured beats, while also introducing new, eclectic influences such as jazz-funk and avant-rock into Req's music. Some felt the album pushed Req closer to the avant-garde, with stronger usage of noise. The album has received critical acclaim for its bleak, dark tone and atypical production. It was named the year's 47th best album by The Wire.

Laurent Daumail, better known by his stage name DJ Cam, is a French record producer. Daumail's music is largely rooted in hip hop, combined with elements of jazz, dub, and ambient and composed using samples. Daumail first rose to prominence in the 1990s with records such as Underground Vibes and Underground Live, which have been credited as early examples of trip hop, and he emerged as a leading figure in the decade's "ambient hip-hop" scene. He founded the record label Inflamable. In addition to his own musical output, Daumail has produced several compilations and albums for other artists.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Cooper, Sean. "Req - Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  2. McCready, John. "Beats International are a Pop Group of Their Time (interview in The Face, November 1990)". Rock's Back Pages. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  3. Twells, John; Fintoni, Laurent (30 July 2015). "The 50 best trip-hop albums of all time". Fact . Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. Cooper, Sean. "Req - Frequency Jams". AllMusic . Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  5. Richardson, Mark (5 May 2006). "Ten Meditations on Repetition in Music, With Soundtrack". Pitchfork . Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  6. Richardson, Mark (13 March 2002). "Req: Sketchbook". Pitchfork . Retrieved 12 April 2020.