Aceyalone

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Aceyalone
Aceyalone.jpg
Aceyalone performing in 2005
Background information
Birth nameEdwin Maximilian Hayes, Jr.
Born (1970-09-30) September 30, 1970 (age 53)
Origin Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres Hip hop
Alternative hip hop
Underground hip hop
Jazz rap
Trip hop
Experimental hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active1988–present
Labels Project Blowed
Capitol, EMI Records
Decon
Member of
Website aceyalone.com

Edwin Maximilian "Eddie" Hayes, Jr. (born September 30, 1970), better known by his stage name Aceyalone, [1] is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California, United States. He is a member of Freestyle Fellowship, Haiku D'Etat and The A-Team. He is also a co-founder of Project Blowed. [2] Aceyalone is best known for his role in evolving left-field hip-hop on the West Coast at a time when the West Coast was dominated by gangsta rap. [1] [3]

Contents

Career

Project Blowed and Freestyle Fellowship

Aceyalone emerged from the Project Blowed collective, considered to be the longest-running open mic hip-hop workshop. [4] He began rapping as part of the group Freestyle Fellowship, which consisted of Aceyalone, Myka 9, and Self Jupiter. Later, P.E.A.C.E. Freestyle Fellowship developed a reputation for influencing a style of fast double-time rap used by rappers like Busta Rhymes, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and Migos. [5]

Aceyalone was part of Freestyle Fellowship releases of To Whom It May Concern... and Innercity Griots and a Project Blowed compilation in 1994.

Solo projects

Aceyalone signed as a solo artist to Capitol Records after the Freestyle Fellowship failed to break into mainstream radio with Island Records. [5]

Aceyalone released his debut solo album, All Balls Don't Bounce , in 1995. [3] He returned three years later with the dark concept album A Book of Human Language , which was a collaboration with producer Mumbles. [6] [7] His third solo album, Accepted Eclectic , was released in 2001 and featured Abstract Rude with production from Evidence. [8] [9] [10] He released Hip Hop and the World We Live In in 2002. [11] Aceyalone's next offering came a year later, and was titled Love & Hate . [12] [13] [14] The track “Find Out” was featured on the soundtrack to You Got Served . [15] In 2006, Aceyalone released Magnificent City , a collaborative album with producer RJD2, [16] [17] followed by the Grand Imperial mixtape. [18]

Aceyalone frequently collaborates with producer Bionik, including on the 2007 release Lightning Strikes and the 2009 release Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones . Both albums explored different genres – dancehall and doo-wop, respectively – as part of Aceyalone's goal of “exploring the world of music through hip hop.” [15] The Phil Spector-inspired Aceyalone & the Lonely Ones followed. [19] Inspired by Spector's Wall of Sound, Motown and Bo Diddley, Aceyalone said: “I'm not from that era, but this is my ode to it. I'm just putting myself into that character as a showman and bandleader.” [19] Leanin' on Slick , released in 2013 with Decon Records, continued the retro flow of the previous release, this time taking inspiration from 1960s style-R&B and hot buttered soul. [20] [21]

Style and influences

Aceyalone has been noted particularly for his innovative lyrical style and content. Some attribute the double-time rap styles that emerged in the mid-1990s to Aceyalone and Freestyle Fellowship, although this is disputed by others. [22]

Aceyalone and Freestyle Fellowship were noted for their rejection of the West Coast trend of gangsta rap. Aceyalone developed strong critiques of rap music's commercialization and glorification of violence. [6]

Discography

Studio albums

Aceyalone

Freestyle Fellowship (Aceyalone with Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E. & Self Jupiter)

Haiku d'Etat (Aceyalone with Abstract Rude and Myka 9)

The A-Team(Aceyalone with Abstract Rude)

Other releases

Related Research Articles

Freestyle is a style of hip hop where an artist improvises an unwritten verse from the head, with or without instrumental beats, in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure. It is similar to other improvisational music, such as jazz, where a lead instrumentalist acts as an improviser with a supporting band providing a beat. Freestyle originally was simply verse that is free of style, written rhymes that do not follow a specific subject matter, or predetermined cadence. The newer style with the improvisation grew popular starting in the early 1990s. It is now mainly associated with hip hop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RJD2</span> American musician and hip hop producer

Ramble Jon Krohn, better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician and record producer based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as Soul Position, MHz Legacy, and Icebird. His stage name derives from the popular Star Wars droid R2-D2.

Freestyle Fellowship is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It consists of Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Self Jupiter. The group was a prominent part of the Good Life Cafe collective, and are part of the Project Blowed collective.

Aaron Pointer, better known by his stage name Abstract Rude, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California.

Project Blowed is an open-mic workshop, its affiliated underground hip hop crew and record label based in Los Angeles, California at 3333 Leimert. This hip hop function started in 1994 and features many music groups, emcees, dancers, music producers, and graffiti artists local to the Southern California area.

Haiku d'Etat is a super group rap trio featuring Aceyalone and Myka 9 of Freestyle Fellowship and Abstract Rude of Abstract Tribe Unique. All three members are heavily affiliated with Project Blowed, Aceyalone and Abstract Rude being co-founders. The name "Haiku d'Etat" is a portmanteau of haiku and coup d'état, implying something akin to a musical revolution or a "poetic takeover" as one of their songs puts it.

The Nonce was a hip-hop duo from Los Angeles, California, that was active in the 1990s, releasing material from 1992 to 1999. As part of the Project Blowed collective, working with Aceyalone, among others, the duo developed a reputation for smooth, jazzy, classy production, complemented by laid-back, smart rhymes, paying homage to the old school emcees they grew up listening to in the mid-1980s.

<i>Innercity Griots</i> 1993 studio album by Freestyle Fellowship

Innercity Griots is the second studio album by American hip hop group Freestyle Fellowship. It was released on April 28, 1993 on 4th & B'way Records and distributed through Island Records.

<i>Magnificent City</i> 2006 studio album by Aceyalone with RJD2

Magnificent City is a full American studio album by American rapper Aceyalone, accompanied by American hip hop producer RJD2. It was released on Decon and Project Blowed in 2006. It peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 43 on the Independent Albums chart.

Kenny Jenkins, better known by his stage name Diverse, is an American rapper. An underground hip hop artist, he has received critical acclaim "from knowledgeable heads worldwide".

Michael Lafayette Troy, better known by his stage name Myka 9, is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Freestyle Fellowship, Haiku d'Etat and Magic Heart Genies. Known for years as Mikah Nine, he changed the spelling to Myka Nyne with the release of A Work in Progress in 2003. Since Magic Heart Genies' album Heartifact in 2008, he has been credited as Myka 9.

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

Ornette Glenn, better known by his stage name Self Jupiter, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Freestyle Fellowship alongside Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., and Aceyalone. He is also one half of The Kleenrz alongside Kenny Segal.

<i>Love & Hate</i> (Aceyalone album) 2003 studio album by Aceyalone

Love & Hate is the fifth studio album by American rapper Aceyalone. It was released on Project Blowed and Decon in 2003. It peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart, as well as number 31 on the Independent Albums chart.

Mtulazaji Davis, better known by his stage name Peace is a rapper from Los Angeles, California. He is a member of Freestyle Fellowship along with Aceyalone, Myka 9 and Self Jupiter. He has released two solo albums.

Dino Hawkins, known by his stage name Volume 10, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California. He was a member of the Heavyweights crew along with Freestyle Fellowship, Ganjah K, and Medusa, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decon</span> American hip hop company

Decon is a New York–based advertising agency and record label. Decon is known for their "Green Week" initiative for NBC Universal, which involved an installation at the 30 Rockefeller Center. Additionally, Decon has produced documentary-style profiles featuring Nissan Leaf. They were also involved in launch of the Fiat 500 in New York in the year 2011.

Omid Walizadeh, also known as Omid or OD, is a hip hop producer based in Long Beach, California. He has produced tracks for the likes of Freestyle Fellowship, Busdriver, 2Mex, Subtitle, and Awol One.

Kenny Segal, also known as Syndakit, is an American record producer and DJ based in Los Angeles, California. In 2018, Mixmag described him as "one of the best hip-hop producers in the city." He has been a member of Team Supreme, The Kleenrz, and The Jefferson Park Boys.

<i>Leanin on Slick</i> 2013 studio album by Aceyalone

Leanin' on Slick is the tenth studio album by American rapper Aceyalone. It was released on Decon in 2013. The music video for the title track was filmed in Cuba and directed by Jason Goldwatch.

This is the discography of American rapper Aceyalone.

References

  1. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason. "Aceyalone - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". Allmusic.
  2. ↑ Zuñiga-West, Dante (May 17, 2012). "Alone and Still Standing". Eugene Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-10-17. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  3. 1 2 Arnold, Paul W (March 20, 2011). "Aceyalone: Bounce These Balls". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on February 12, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. ↑ Thill, Scott. "Freestyle Fellowship's Brain-Hop Delivers on Promise". Wired. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  5. 1 2 Weiss, Jeff. "Having Already Influenced Every Rapper You Like, Freestyle Fellowship Are Back". LA Weekly. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  6. 1 2 Pecoraro, David. "Aceyalone - Accepted Eclectic". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Aceyalone - Book of Human Language". Sputnikmusic. May 25, 2011.
  8. ↑ Clark, Trey (March 1, 2001). "Aceyalone - Accepted Eclectic - Project Blowed". The Daily Nexus.
  9. ↑ Cowie, Del F. (April 2001). "Aceyalone - Accepted Eclectic". Exclaim!.
  10. ↑ "Accepted Eclectic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  11. ↑ Shepherd, Julianne (March 2, 2003). "Aceyalone: Hip Hop and the World We Live In". Pitchfork Media.
  12. ↑ Palmer, Tamara (July 10, 2003). "Aceyalone". Phoenix New Times. Archived from the original on 2014-12-11. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  13. ↑ Quinlan, Thomas (July 2003). "Aceyalone - Love & Hate". Exclaim!.
  14. ↑ Cowie, Del F. (July 2003). "Aceyalone - Love & Hate". Exclaim!.
  15. 1 2 Johnson, Nicole. "Lightning Strikes by Aceyalone". Impose. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  16. ↑ Solomon, Eric (February 14, 2006). "Aceyalone with RJD - Magnificent City". Prefix.
  17. ↑ Patch, Nick (April 2006). "Aceyalone - Magnificent City". Exclaim!.
  18. ↑ Brown, Marisa. "Grand Imperial - Aceyalone". Allmusic.
  19. 1 2 "Aceyalone Goes Doo Wopping". IGN. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "Leanin' On Slick". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  21. ↑ Quinlan, Thomas (May 27, 2013). "Aceyalone - Leanin' On Slick". Exclaim!.
  22. ↑ Drake, David. "Hip-Hop's Sonic Doppelgangers". Complex. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
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