User:Legendman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ledge | |
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 ^ Not Ledge
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kyle Gunter |
| Also known as | Legend
Ledge Pappy |
| Born | Dec 12, 1985 |
| Genre(s) | Rock
Electronic Rap |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar Vocals |
| Years active | 2002-Present |
| Label(s) | Independent |
| Associated acts | Domestic Disturbances The Electric Socks Ledge & the Raging Boners take off kill zone Pappy & the Space Out Machine |
Kyle Robert Gunter (born December 26, 1985 in Lancaster, California, USA) is an American musician, better known by his nicknames, Legend, Ledge, and, very rarely, Pappy.
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[edit] Biography
Gunter was born into a troubled lower class family. His biological father, Bullet Bill, was an alcoholic, and Kyle and his mother, Tami (who prefers to go by Tam-Tams) would often leave, living in section 8, and struggling to get by. At the age of four, Bullet Bill launched a fax machine at Kyle's younger sister, Krista's head. An action that, while admittedly very cool to see, was violent and unnecessary. Fearing for her children's safety, as well as her own, Tam-Tams took Kyle and Krista to move in with his soon to be step-dad, Brian Gunter. Brian was a racist custodian, but he knew how to use his mop.
Gunter attended Boron High School in Boron, California from 1998 to 2004. Not known for an exceptionally sharp attendance record, Ledge amassed a total of 48 absences in his senior year.
[edit] Origin of nickname
He has stated that he gained his nickname while playing Junior Varsity Football. When Anthony "Pez" Lopez, an All-state Linebacker who played at Boron High School for four years, graduated two years before, his number 66 was retired. When it came time to pick jerseys, Gunter picked number 63, not knowing that his number had actually been stitched on over 66. Upon realization of this at a pre-game practice, and in an adrenaline-fueled stupor, Gunter yelled that the legendary number 63 is going to run wild on the opposing team. His first year Coach, Ryan Sinning, feeding off the frenzy that his young player had created, implemented a strategy in which "Legend" would go into the game, purposely injure a player and get ejected, run to the sideline where Sinning would rip off Gunter's number 63, go back into the game as number 66, and "rip someone else's head off." Former coach Ryan Sinning does not remember those events happening in that order or to that degree. I do remember Kyle telling me that is what he wanted to do, not something I suggested. I also thought the red hair was the stuff of legends, guess I was wrong.
[edit] Early Music Career
Influenced by his love for gangsta rap, Ledge took to rap at a young age. When he was 15 years old he recorded his first single, "My Homey's Shot," a story of Ledge's brother being shot and killed in a shopping mall. The song was not met well. His second single, "Suge Shot Me," which was a reference to the brutal (and fictional) gunning down of himself by Suge Knight, garnered a small cult following, although the single only received lukewarm sales.
[edit] Domestic Disturbances
After the commercial flop of his first two singles and following album, "A Gangster Ain't a Gangster Without His Bitches.", Legend was contemplating quitting music and focusing on a career in macrame. While shopping in a thrift store for some tennis shoes in mid-2002, he met a man who would change his life forever, Rob Diggity. A fellow aspiring rapper, the two quickly bonded, and soon after began writing together. Calling themselves the Domestic Disturbances, the two started recording several songs and created a large buzz in the local hip hop community.
[edit] Entry into Rock
At age 15, Ledge was given an electric guitar from his grandfather. It was through the guitar that he learned to appreciate rock music like he never had before. Ledge's early influences include The Beatles, Luna Sea, David Bowie, and SUGIZO. Rather than take lessons, he taught himself, and began to devote up to 10 hours a day to playing guitar. Leaving Double D in the hands of Onyx, Ledge moved onto several rock bands. The first of these being The Electric Socks.
[edit] The Rise of the Electric Socks
As Ledge began composing his own rock songs, he looked for other musicians to form a band with. He initially invited a large group of fellow musicians into his new band, named "The Electric Socks." Unhappy with the direction the band was going, however, he kicked out every single member in one night, except for one, Lewie Rivera, a multi-talented musician adept at playing the drums, bass, and guitar. The band toured bars and opened for others throughout 2003. Early songs they wrote included "Movin to the City", "The Douche Goose", and "Ain't Nothin Wrong with Paint Chips", but were unable to do any major recording until 2004, when the band released its debut album, including the hit single, "Where's My Toothbrush?". The album was a huge success, selling at least two dozen copies at their local high school. A split in creative direction contributed to tensions that tore the band apart just a few years later. Ledge's desire was to incorporate elements from other genres into their current hard rock style, while Lewie preferred that they play a heavy metal style. Lewie would later cite this issue as a key component to his inability to work with Ledge.
[edit] The Decline and Fall of the Electric Socks
Ledge's demand for complete creative control, coupled with the lukewarm reaction to the band's new sound, furthered the rift between the two band members, and in 2006, Lewie officially quit the Socks after he declared that he could not work with Ledge. Allegedly, he and Ledge had several disagreements regarding the band's musical direction, and Lewie was infuriated when Ledge replaced Lewie's guitar track with his own on the song "Jugfunkers". He then focused on his solo project, Lewie X.
