Hell Razah
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hell Razah | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chron Smith |
| Also known as | Heaven Razah, Razah Rubiez |
| Born | October 1, 1976 |
| Origin | Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York |
| Genre(s) | Hip Hop |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Label(s) | Babygrande Records Nature Sounds Hell Razah Music Inc. |
| Associated acts | Sunz of Man Black Market Militia |
| Website | http://www.hell-razahonline.com |
This article is about the hip hop artist. For the R&B singer, see Razah
Hell Razah (born Chron Smith, October 1, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York[1]) is an American rapper, best known as a member of Sunz of Man, an early affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan.
Contents |
[edit] Recording history
[edit] Da Last Future & Sunz of Man
Razah made his rap debut in the early 90s as a member of the group Da Last Future, an early incarnation of the Sunz of Man, which included Killah Priest, Shabazz the Disciple, Prodigal Sunn, Supreme and 7th Ambassador[2]. Razah and 7th Ambassador self-released the single "Livin' in Hell" b/w "Mental Combat" independently before the group adopted the Sunz of Man moniker[3]. Razah recorded a number of tracks with the group before their induction into the Wu-Tang family, including "Deep in the Water", "Writing Rhymes With a Liquid Pen" (aka "Elements"), "Lulla Bye" and "Psychic Hotline"[4].
In 1995, the group adopted the moniker Sunz of Man, and signed a record deal with Wu-Tang/Priority Records[5]. SoM released a number of singles on Wu-Tang Records, including "Soldiers of Darkness", "No Love Without Hate" and "Bloody Choices"[6], in anticipation of their 1996 debut album Nothing New Under the Sun. Due to internal conflicts and label complications, the album was shelved[7]. Sunz of Man later signed a record deal with Red Ant Entertainment for the release of their official 1998 debut The Last Shall Be First, with the group's roster shaved down to just Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin[8]. The album was one of the most successful Wu-Tang affiliate releases, debuting at #20 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and #7 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart[9].
After the departure of Killah Priest in 1998, the group took a hiatus. 1999 saw the release of The First Testament, which featured previously recorded material from the group, including the early tracks from Da Last Future[10]. Razah, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin returned in 2002 with the album Saviorz Day, the second official Sunz of Man studio album[11]. The group has yet to release a third studio album, but it has been reported that the group has reconciled with Shabazz the Disciple, Killah Priest and Supreme[2].
[edit] Solo career
Razah made his solo debut in 2001 with the independent release When All Hell Breaks Loose. The album featured guest appearances from 7th Ambassador, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and Timbo King of Royal Fam, and production from Supreme[12]. The album spawned the single "Champaigne Room" b/w "Ghetto Love"[13]. The tracks "Must B tha Music", "Oh! Now You Bangin'", "Ghetto Government", "Champaigne Room", "Like It or Not", "What We Came to Do", "B.B.P. (Business Before Pleasure)" and "Rowdy, Rowdy" made up roughly half of the 2004 Sunz of Man compilation Elements, with the other half made up of tracks from The First Testament[14].
Razah's next solo album, Renaissance Child, was released in early 2007 on Nature Sounds Records. The album featured appearances from Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi, R.A. The Rugged Man, Talib Kweli, Viktor Vaughn, Bronze Nazareth, Killah Priest and Ras Kass, and production from Godz Wrath, MF DOOM, Bronze Nazareth and 4th Disciple[15]. The album was well-received, but sold poorly, moving only 3,311 units as of September 2007 according to SoundScan[16]. The album featured the singles "The Renaissance"[17] and "Buried Alive" b/w "Project Jazz"[18].
In October 2007, Razah released his next album, Razah's Ladder, entirely produced by the acclaimed production duo Blue Sky Black Death[19]. The album became Razah's most acclaimed[20], due largely to BSBD's soulful production work, and also to Razah's new spiritual lyrical direction, inspired by the recent death of his father[21]. The album featured guest appearances from Prodigal Sunn, Shabazz the Disciple, Crooked I, Ill Bill and Sabac Red, and featured no singles[22]. Self-funded videos were shot for the tracks "Razah's Ladder"[23] and "Audiobiography", the latter directed by Sunz of Man producer Supreme[24].
[edit] Collaborations
In 2004, Hell Razah and 4th Disciple released a full-length collaboration album, Freedom of Speech, under the title "Sunz of Man presents". The album featured fifteen newly recorded tracks with 4th Disciple, and five other previously released tracks from When All Hell Breaks Loose[25]. The album featured the single "Article One" b/w "Project Love"[26].
In 2005, Razah, Killah Priest, Royal Fam's Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi and William Cooper formed the underground supergroup Black Market Militia. The group released their self-titled debut album Black Market Militia that same year, with production from Godz Wrath and Bronze Nazareth, and guest appearances from dead prez and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets[27]. The album spawned the singles "Audobon Ballroom" b/w "Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye" and "Gem Stars" b/w "Mayday!"[28]. Like Renaissance Child, the album was well-received but sold poorly, pushing 5,341 units as of September 26, 2007[16].
[edit] Future projects
Razah's next album is a collaboration with Shabazz the Disciple and producer Ayatollah as the group T.H.U.G. Angelz, titled Welcome to Red Hook Houses, to be released on July 8, 2008 on Babygrande Records. Other releases announced for 2008 are Razah's next solo album, titled Heaven Razah, and Article 2: Right to Bare Arms, a second full-length collaboration with 4th Disciple[29]. In an October 2007 interview, Razah also announced plans for numerous other releases for the year. He announced that the Sunz of Man were reunited and planned on releasing an album in 2008. He also stated that The Maccabeez, a group consisting of himself, Killah Priest and Timbo King, were nearly finished recording their debut album, and that it would be released in 2008. Black Market Militia are also planning to release their second album in 2008. Another possible release is a collaboration between Razah, Shabazz and Blue Sky Black Death, and a project from G.G.O. (Ghetto Government Officialz), which consists of Razah, 7th Ambassador, Lazarus, Face God and other Red Hook locals[30].
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album information |
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When All Hell Breaks Loose
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Freedom of Speech (with 4th Disciple)
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Renaissance Child
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Razah's Ladder (with Blue Sky Black Death)
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[edit] With Sunz of Man
| Album information |
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Nothing New Under the Sun
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| The Last Shall Be First |
The First Testament
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Saviorz Day
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| Elements (The First Testament re-release) |
| The Old Testament |
[edit] With Black Market Militia
| Album information |
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Black Market Militia
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[edit] With T.H.U.G. Angelz
| Album information |
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Welcome to Red Hook Houses
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[edit] Guest appearances
- 1997: "Wake Up" (from the Killarmy album Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars)
- 1998: "Concrete Jungle" & "Co-Defendant" (from the compilation Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm)
- 1998: "One Step", "Tai Chi" & "Science Project" (from the Killah Priest album Heavy Mental)
- 1998: "Play IV Keeps" (from the Method Man album Tical 2000: Judgement Day)
- 1999: "Hip Hop Fury" & "Feel Like an Enemy" (from the GZA album Beneath the Surface)
- 1999: "Pleasure or Pain" & "Shell Shock" (from the U-God album Golden Arms Redemption)
- 2000: "Musical Chairs" (from the Royal Fam album Yesterday, Today, Iz Tomorrow)
- 2000: "We Made It" (from the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele)
- 2003: "Mind as a Weapon" & "Street Opera" (from the Killah Priest album Black August Revisited)
- 2007: "Masked Avengers" (from the compilation Wu-Tang Unreleased)
- 2007: "Melodic Pt. 2", "The Offering" & "Till Thee Angels Come (For Us)" (from the Killah Priest album The Offering)
- 2007: "Holy Grail", "Mac Riderz", "Under the Vatican" & "Verbal Divorce" (from the Blue Sky Black Death mixtape Dirtnap)
[edit] DVDs
- 2006: The Razah Code Underground Hip-Hop Vol. 1
[edit] References
- ^ Hell Razah bio at Discogs.com.
- ^ a b Sunz of Man bio at Wu-International.com.
- ^ Audiobiography lyrics at Wu-Lyricz.
- ^ The First Testament lyrics at Wu-Lyricz.
- ^ Bloody Choices entry at Discogs.com.
- ^ Sunz of Man discography at Discogs.com.
- ^ Nothing New Under the Sun mixtape.
- ^ Sunz of Man at RateYourMusic.com.
- ^ The Last Shall Be First chart positions at AllMusicGuide.
- ^ The First Testament at RateYourMusic.com.
- ^ Saviorz Day at RateYourMusic.com.
- ^ When All Hell Breaks Loose at Discogs.com.
- ^ Champaigne Room at Discogs.com.
- ^ Elements at Discogs.com.
- ^ Renaissance Child at Discogs.com.
- ^ a b Scoreboard at Babygrande.com.
- ^ Gem Stars/The Renaissance at Discogs.com.
- ^ Buried Alive at Discogs.com.
- ^ Razah's Ladder at Discogs.com.
- ^ Razah's Ladder review at RapReviews.com.
- ^ Hell Razah interview at HipHopCrack.com.
- ^ Hell Razah discography at Discogs.com.
- ^ Razah's Ladder video at YouTube.
- ^ Audiobiography video at YouTube.
- ^ Freedom of Speech at Discogs.com.
- ^ Article One at Discogs.com.
- ^ Black Market Militia at Discogs.com.
- ^ Black Market Militia discography at Discogs.com.
- ^ Hell Razah at Myspace.
- ^ Hell Razah interview at Wu-International.com.
