El-Producto
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 El-P performs at the South by Southwest Music Festival in 2007.
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Jaime Meline | |
| Also known as | El-Producto, Lazerface | |
| Born | March 2, 1975 (age 32) | |
| Origin |  Brooklyn, New York City, United States |
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| Genre(s) | Hip Hop | |
| Occupation(s) | Producer, Rapper | |
| Years active | 1993 – Present | |
| Label(s) | Definitive Jux Thirsty Ear |
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| Associated acts |
Company Flow The Weathermen Central Services |
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| Website | Definitive Jux Definitive Jux - Bio |
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El-P aka El-Producto (born Jaime Meline) is an American rapper, producer and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York City. He is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label.
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[edit] Biography
The son of a jazz pianist, El-P (born Jaime Meline) became involved with the hip hop culture of New York City at an early age. After being expelled from several schools for problems with authority, Meline decided to whole-heartedly pursue a career in music. At his 18th birthday party, he met Mr. Len, whom he had hired as a DJ for the night. They formed Company Flow in 1992 and released their first vinyl single (or 12"), "Juvenile Technique", in 1993. Bigg Jus later joined the group and in 1996 the trio released their debut EP, Funcrusher. Subject to a major label bidding war after the success of the EP, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus Records, and released their debut full-length album, Funcrusher Plus (1997), which is now widely recognized as one of the most ground-breaking and influential alternative hip hop albums of all time.
After an instrumental album called Little Johnny From the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1 (1999), also on Rawkus, disagreements between El-P and the label lead to Company Flow leaving Rawkus. El-P then decided to start his own record label, Definitive Jux, and because of critically acclaimed albums like Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein (produced by El-P) and Aesop Rock's Labor Days, the label quickly rose to prominence.
Company Flow (now comprised of only El-P and Mr. Len) dissolved amicably in 2001 and El-P released his debut solo album, Fantastic Damage, on Definitive Jux in May 2002, to wide acclaim. After a five year hiatus, his second full-length studio album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, appeared.
El-P has been involved in at least two notable hip hop feuds (or "beefs"): one with anticon. rapper Sole and one with Boston MC Esoteric of the group 7L & Esoteric.
El-P has contributed productions and guest raps to albums by DJ Krush, Aesop Rock, Murs, Cage, Mr. Lif, Prefuse 73, Del the Funky Homosapien, Mike Ladd, The High and Mighty, Aceyalone and Atmosphere. He collaborated with Alec Empire on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School album and with Cage and Chino Moreno on the second. He was selected to work on Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha's solo album (which never materialized). El-P also provided the soundtrack for the graffiti film Bomb the System.
[edit] Style
As a rapper, El-P's style can be characterized by his dense, aggressive, and verbose attacks, which include notable use of metaphor, science fiction and fantasy themes and references, and associative word play. Regardless of this sophistication, he does not eschew traditional hip hop subject matter, a description which would fit equally well with several of his colleagues. His impact as a producer owes to his innovative mix of bleak futurism and low fidelity sounds. This sound is influenced by Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad. El-P is a great fan of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, and many of Dick's themes—paranoia, the nature of reality—feature in El-P's work.
El-P has worked with free jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, a fan of El-P's music. In an interview with Shipp, Meline stated:
| “ | First and foremost, I wanted to do it because it scared the shit out of me ... And when I get offered the chance to be involved with something that scares me, I usually do it, because I'm trying to learn, I'm trying to understand music as much as I can, to become a better musician in general and work in different capacities. | ” |
El-P has done some work as a DJ. In November 2004, he spun alongside Peanut Butter Wolf, owner of Stones Throw Records at a small club named Sonotheque in Chicago. Also, in the summer of 2005, at the Intonation Festival hosted by Pitchfork Media El-P did a short DJ set alongside Yo La Tengo member James McNew, both denizens of the same apartment complex in Brooklyn. El-P is not considered to be a gifted turntablist; however, his broad knowledge of music and personality make his sets enjoyable.
[edit] Solo Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
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El-P Presents Cannibal Oxtrumentals
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Fantastic Damage
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Fandam Plus: Instrumentals, Remixes, Lyrics & Video
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High Water
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Collecting the Kid
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I'll Sleep When You're Dead
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[edit] Mixtapes
- Weareallgoingtoburninhell (Definitive Jux - 2003), A limited release only sold at shows and was said to have been recorded by the New York native shortly after September 11.
[edit] Singles
- "Stepfather Factory" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2001)
- "Deep Space 9mm" / "Tuned Mass Damper" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)
- "Dead Disnee" / "Dead Weathermen" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)
- "Dead Light" / "Train Buffer" El-P/Aesop Rock Split 12" (Chocolate Industries - 2002)
- "Lazerfaces' Warning" / "Lazerfaces' Warning" (RJD2 remix) / "Squeegee Man Shooting" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)
- "Truancy" 7" (Definitive Jux - 2002)
- "Sunrise Over Bklyn" 10" (Thirsty Ear - 2003)
- "Jukie Skate Rock" / "Constellation (Remix)" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2004)
- "Everything Must Go" 12" colored vinyl (Definitive Jux - 2006)
[edit] External links
- Definitive Jux - EL-P Bio
- El-P at MySpace
- "Stepfather Factory" video player
- Cannibal Ox audio player (production by El-P)
- BOMB Magazine: "El-P by Matthew Shipp"
- Track listing for rare lp Weareallgoingtoburninhell
- El-P audio interview from Synthesis Radio
- The Onion AV Club Interview
- El-P interview from Mesh Magazine
