Jeru the Damaja

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Jeru the Damaja

Background information
Birth name	Kendrick Jeru Davis
Origin	Brooklyn, New York
Genre(s)	Hip Hop
Years active	1992–Present
Label(s)	Payday Records Knowsavage Records Ashenafi Records
Website	http://thedamaja.com

Jeru the Damaja (pronounced as "Damager", born Kendrick Jeru Davis) is a MC from Brooklyn, New York. He has worked extensively with Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.

[edit] History

He spent his early years in the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, where he has been rapping at block parties since the early days of his youth. He first showcased his hardcore Brooklyn style to audiences on "I'm the Man," a track from Gang Starr's 1992 album Daily Operation. The following year he released his first single, "Come Clean", which was produced by DJ Premier and became an instant underground hit. His first album, The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994, and produced entirely by DJ Premier, is considered a classic, and was one of the most acclaimed Hip Hop albums of its time. As an interesting side note, the album cover shows the World Trade Center on fire, long before September 11, 2001 attacks. The album featured Jeru's signature conscious lyrics, however he was criticized by The Fugees for his explicit lyrics particularly, in the song "Da Bichez". Fugees member Pras lightly mentioned Jeru on the track "Zealots", from the group's landmark 1996 album The Score, with the line "No matter who you damage, you're still a false prophet", referencing Jeru's single "You Can't Stop the Prophet". Jeru followed up in 1996 with his sophomore album Wrath of the Math again produced solely by DJ Premier. The album was also widely acclaimed, though not on the same level as his debut. Like on his first album, Jeru was accusatory of commercial hip hop artists and record labels (Death Row, Bad Boy), who he criticized on the concept track "One Day". After the release of Wrath of the Math, Jeru had a falling out with DJ Premier and Guru, and was missing from the scene until 1999, when he released his third album, Heroz4hire, released together with Mizmarvel. Heroz was his first album without production from DJ Premier and also his first under his then newly created KnowSavage Records. It featured the single "99.9 Pa Cent", which was a verbal attack on his former affiliates Gang Starr. Heroz4hire was less critically acclaimed, due mostly to Premier's absence. His latest album, Divine Design, released in 2003, was the first album under his new record label, Ashenafi Records. The album received little attention and mixed reviews. A new Jeru album, tentatively titled Still Rising, has been announced, currently with no release date.

[edit] Discography

Album cover	Album information
	The Sun Rises in the East Released: May 24, 1994 Billboard 200 chart position: #36 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #5 Singles: "Come Clean", "D. Original", "You Can't Stop the Prophet"
	Wrath of the Math Released: October 15, 1996 Billboard 200 chart position: #35 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #3 Singles: "Ya Playin' Yaself"/"One Day", "Me or the Papes"/"The Bullshit"
	Heroz4Hire Released: September 7, 1999 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "99.9% Pa Cent"/"Verbal Battle"
	Divine Design Released: September 23, 2003 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "War", "Rap Wars"