| Pigeon John | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Kenneth Dunkin |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Genres | hip hop, hip hop, Christian Hip Hop |
| Occupations | rapper |
| Years active | Early 1990s–present |
| Labels | Syntax, Basement, Quannum Projects |
| Associated acts | Brainwash Projects L.A. Symphony Rootbeer |
Pigeon John is an American hip hop rapper raised in Hawthorne, California and based in Los Angeles, California.
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Pigeon John is a Los Angeles area rapper who has recorded four studio albums as a solo artist, as well as several others as a member of the groups like L.A. Symphony and Brainwash Projects. Pigeon John has been featured as a collaborator on numerous other recordings with various artists. He is currently signed to Quannum Projects and has performed on several U.S. tours including Cali Comm Tour and has been featured in publications including Entertainment Weekly, VIBE, SPIN Magazine and LA Weekly. In 2006, Pigeon John was featured in an interview on National Public Radio.
In 2007, Pigeon John made his way to The Breakdown, an internet show on ItsHipHop.Tv where he conducted part of the interview on the toilet.
He was[1][2][3] married to author Harmony Dust and has one daughter, Johnny Ella.
John Kenneth Dunkin (later changed to Dust) was born in Omaha, Nebraska, USA and moved to the Los Angeles County city of Inglewood, California at the age of five years old. Being a mixed-race child (half black and half white), John felt out of place in predominantly white Omaha and predominantly black Inglewood. John's mother eventually moved her family from Inglewood to the nearby city of Hawthorne, California, where John attended Hawthorne High School. He currently resides with his wife Harmony in the Los Angeles suburb of Northridge, California.
Pigeon John was an avid skateboarder and would often listen to a variety of music on the radio while skateboarding, especially on the legendary Los Angeles hip-hop radio station KDAY. Early on, John was influenced by an eclectic range of artists including Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Phil Collins, and Madonna. It was when he was only twelve years old he wrote his first rap titled "Inglewood Skater's Dream."
As a teenager, Pigeon John began performing his raps on open mic nights at the famous Good Life Cafe. The Good Life Cafe is a health food restaurant that provided a place for many underground hip-hop artists to display their talent, including Jurassic 5, The Black Eyed Peas, and Freestyle Fellowship. Pigeon John's first recorded performance (credited as MC Pigeon) was a collaboration titled "Judge Not" with the artist LPG, from their 1995 album, The Earthworm.
He claimed that his nickname was provided by Jesus who was driving around Inglewood, California: "He hopped out and handed me a dead pigeon. He whispered 'Please have a good time, you're really bumming me out.' I watched him sink back into the cushioned seats and drive, quickly away. And that's when it happened, the pigeon started shaking violently and became awake, picked up and flew away. I don't think I had a choice....its was 'pigeon' or die."[4]
He later explained that he was discussing his need for a "rap name" with a friend when the friend suggested "Chicken John," taken from the character Chicken George in Roots. The friend's mom then interjected that John didn't look like a chicken; he looked like a pigeon and should be called Pigeon John.[5]
In the early 1990s, Pigeon John and his childhood friend B-Twice formed the hip-hop duo Brainwash Projects.[6] Brainwash Projects contributed the single "Muchas Muchachas" to the Christian rap compilation "Sanktifunctafyd" released by N-Soul Records in 1995. Brainwash Projects eventually released a record titled The Rise And Fall Of Brainwash Projects on the independent label Jackson Rubio.[7] One reviewer characterized The Rise and Fall as "pure, uncut, holy hip-hop" but gave mixed reviews of its beats and lyrics.[8]
Pigeon John and B-Twice, and now KarateE! Mouse, eventually met other like-minded young rappers and formed the hip-hop musical collective known as L.A. Symphony. Members of the L.A. Symphony have at one time or another also included members of The Halieyoos Fishermen (Sharlok Poems, Trendi M.C., and J-Beits aka Great Jason), The Eternals (Cookbook & Uno Mas), Coy (Paul "Coy" Allen), and rapper/producer Flynn Adam Atkins. Pigeon John, B-Twice, and Great Jason have since left L.A. Symphony to pursue solo careers and other projects, but are still considered part of the L.A. Symphony crew. Pigeon John and Flynn formed a side project called Rootbeer. Rootbeer has released one e.p. in early 2009 called "Pink Limousine." The e.p. consists of five tracks including "Chimpanzee", "Girlies", "Pink Limousine", "Under Control", and "So Good." Years before, in 1999, Flynn and Pigeon's first song as the group, Root Beer, was "The Inevitable Return of the Pretty Boy Virgins".[9]
Between 1997 and 2000, Pigeon John recorded the songs that became his first solo album, Pigeon John Is Clueless. The album was released in 2001 by The Telephone Company and then re-released in 2002 by The Telephone Company/Syntax Records with 3 new tracks and new artwork. He was also responsible for the compilation project, Coalition: the Hip-Hop Alliance, in which he was the executive producer. It featured some of the most diverse artists from all over the U.S., including his alma mater group, LA Symphony, CampQuest, Relentless, Royal Ruckus, New Breed, MG! the Visionary, 4th Avenue Jones, John Reuben, Sackcloth Fashion, Decimal and Count Bass D. Pigeon John then signed to Basement Records and released Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister (2003) and Pigeon John Sings the Blues (2005). In 2005, Lyrics Born saw Pigeon John on the Cali Comm Tour and brought him into Quannum Projects. That same year, Pigeon John's single "Deception" was featured on a series of Nestle Crunch commercials.[10] In 2006, after signing to Quannum, Pigeon John released his fourth solo album, And the Summertime Pool Party. The album has received positive reviews from many sources, including LA Weekly, Entertainment Weekly and VIBE.[11][12][13][14] In 2007 he did a Take-Away Show video session shot by Vincent Moon. A sample of "Weight of the World" is used in the Current TV show infoMania. He also had his song "Higher" featured on the NBA Live 2007 soundtrack. "Calculator Watch" is featured on the Hip Hope Hits 2009 compilation.
A new album, entitled Dragon Slayer, hit physical and digital retail October 12, 2010.[15] With the aid of General Elektriks' Herve Salters, he produced the whole record, including, for the first time, sampling original instrumentation rather than flipping samples from records. "It's a whole new venture. It becomes bigger than being a writer, and you have to be an editor, in book-form. Working with Herve Salters makes my music feel new to me. It's been a great process, I love it."[16] His first single from the album, "The Bomb", was featured in a Volkswagen television commercial in early October (in which the computer-manipulated likenesses of Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor perform a seated dance in the backseat of a Jetta to illustrate the large amount of leg room available).[17]
| Album information |
|---|
Pigeon John Is Clueless
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Pigeon John Is Clueless (re-release)
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Pigeon John Is Dating Your Sister
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Pigeon John Featuring Pigeon John
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Pigeon John Sings the Blues
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Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party
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Pigeon John Featuring Pigeon John 2
|
Dragon Slayer
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| Artist | Title | Album | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Avenue Jones' | "Truth or Dare" | No Plan B. | 2000 |
| 4th Avenue Jones' w/ Akil from Jurassic 5 | "U Rockin'" | Hiprocksoul | 2003 |
| 4th Avenue Jones' & Rakaa of Dilated Peoples | "Zoom" | Hip Hope Hits 2006 | 2006 |
| Acid Reign | "Never Fold" | Time and Change | 2006 |
| Adventure Time | "Whetting Whistles" | Dreams of Water Themes | 2003 |
| Apsci | "Stompin'" | Thanks for Asking | 2005 |
| Blackalicious | "Side to Side" | The Craft | 2005 |
| Bobby Bishop | "Show Love" | Government Name | 2005 |
| Braille | "It Won't Last" | Shades of Grey | 2004 |
| Cheap Cologne | "Barry Manilow Is Alive and Well" | Something Random | 2005 |
| CookBook & UNO Mas | "Take Control" | While They Slept | 2006 |
| CookBook & UNO Mas | "Where Ya Been All My Life" | C&U Music Factory | 2010 |
| Crankcase | "The Next Big Thing" | - | 2003 |
| Daedelus | "Something Bells" | Something Bells EP | 2006 |
| DJ Maj | "Golden Motorcycle" | Wax Museum: the Mixtape | 2000 |
| DJ Maj | "Deception" | Full Plates: Mixtape 002 | 2001 |
| DJ Maj | "God Music" | The Ringleader: Mixtape Volume III | 2003 |
| Dj Stibs | "WildNights" | ...And I Love Her | 2007 |
| Eligh | "Whirlwind" | Grey Crow | 2010 |
| Eligh & Jo Wilkinson | "Honor Me" | On Sacred Ground: Mother & Son | 2009 |
| Eligh & Jo Wilkinson | "Safe" | On Sacred Ground: Mother & Son | 2009 |
| Fat Jack | "Pay Back" | Cater to the DJ Vol. 2 | 2004 |
| Flipside | "Sunny Days" | - | 1999 |
| Flynn | "Spanish Harlem" | Louder | 1998 |
| Flynn | "Endless Maze" | Burnt Out | 2001 |
| Freedom of Soul | "Not This Record" | The Second Comin' | 1993 |
| Future Shock | "Paperweights" | The Art of Xenos - Entertaining Aliens | 2002 |
| General Elektriks | "Crush" | - | 2009 |
| Grayskul | "Dance The Frantic" | Bloody Radio | 2007 |
| Grits | "Open Bar" | Redemption | 2006 |
| Grits | "You Said" | Redemption | 2006 |
| Grits | "Beautiful Morning" | Reiterate | 2008 |
| The Grouch & Eligh | "No More Greener Grass" | No More Greener Grasses | 2003 |
| The Grouch & Eligh | "All In" | Say G&E! | 2009 |
| Heath McNease | "Love Me" | The Heath McNease Fan Club Meets Tonight | 2007 |
| Heath McNease | "American Idle" | The Gun Show | 2010 |
| Hi-Fidel & DJ Crucial | "Small Victories" | FF Express: The Company of Wolves | 2007 |
| Mr. J. Medieros | "Money" | Of Gods and Girls | 2007 |
| Joey the Jerk | "Same Dark Sweater" | Average Joe | 2004 |
| JRemy | "You Don't Know Me" | Backwoods Legend | 2006 |
| Kiz Charizmatic | "The Hype, The Hustle" | Rawthentic | 2003 |
| KJ-52 | "Revenge of the Nerds" | Collaborations | 2002 |
| KJ-52 | "All Around The World" | 7th Avenue ('04 Edition) | 2004 |
| KJ-52 | "Revenge of the Nerds (Horns A Plenty Remix)" | Remixed | 2006 |
| Knowdaverbs | "Call of the Dung Beetle" | The Syllabus | 1999 |
| Lightheaded | "Surprise Cypher" | Wrong Way | 2006 |
| LPG | "Judge Not" | The Earth Worm | 1995 |
| Luke Geraty | "Brandon's Folly" | It's Cold Out Here | 2003 |
| Luke Geraty | "Pandemonium" | It's Cold Out Here | 2003 |
| Lyrics Born | "I'm Just Raw (remix)" | Overnite Encore: Lyrics Born Live! | 2006 |
| Mars ILL | "Planes and Trains" | Backbreakanomics | 2003 |
| MG! The Visionary | "Scared As..." | Transparemcee | 2000 |
| Mils | "Upside Down" | The And Album | 2006 |
| Mr. J. Medeiros | "Money" | Of Gods and Girls | 2007 |
| Neila | "Rules" | For Whom the Bells Crow | 2004 |
| Opio | "Granite Earth" | Triangulation Station | 2005 |
| Othello | "Shallow" | Alive At The Assembly Line | 2006 |
| PAX217 | "Gratitude" | Twoseventeen | 2000 |
| Peter Daily | "Bright Lights Remix" | The 9th. Street Sessions EP | 2009 |
| Project Blowed | "The People" | 10th Anniversary | 2005 |
| RedCloud | "The Pigeon John Song" | Is This Thing On? | 2002 |
| Redcloud (Hip Hop) | "Death of a Salesman" | Hawthorne's Most Wanted | 2007 |
| RedCloud | "Tapatio" | Hawthorne's Most Wanted | 2007 |
| The Remnant (Atlanta Hip-Hop Group) | "Catch Your Breath" | PB&J: Players,Babes and Jesus | 2008 |
| The Remnant (Atlanta Hip-Hop Group) | "The Salute" | PB&J: Players,Babes and Jesus | 2008 |
| .rod laver | "All Around America" | Trying Not to Try" | 2000 |
| .rod laver | "The Official Pigeon John Guest Appearance" | The Dialogue: Rudolph Wayne Vs. The Man | 2004 |
| Royal Ruckus | "Pocket Lint" | Pocket Lint & Spare Change | 2001, 2008 |
| Royal Ruckus | "Jon&Stacie" | Pocket Lint & Spare Change | 2001, 2008 |
| Royal Ruckus | "A Las Chicas" | Pocket Lint & Spare Change | 2001, 2008 |
| Royal Ruckus | "Easily Forgotten" | Pocket Lint & Spare Change | 2001, 2008 |
| Royal Ruckus | "Let's Start a Boy Band" | Pocket Lint & Spare Change | 2001, 2008 |
| Scout Da Psalmist | "Change Is Gonna Come" | Emceeing Again | 2009 |
| Sharlok Poems | "Driven By Facts" | Left | 2002 |
| Shape Shifters | "Little Life" | Was Here | 2004 |
| Soulico | "S.O.S." | Exotic on the Speaker | 2009 |
| Soul-Junk | "Sea Monsters and Gargoyles" | 1956 | 2000 |
| Sup the Chemist | "Reaching" | Eargasmic Arrangements | 2003 |
| Tapwater | "Debris" | Two Forty Five | 2001 |
| Tapwater | "Passion" | Two Forty Five | 2001 |
| Tapwater | "The White Man" | Two Forty Five | 2001 |
| Wordburglar | "Breeze" | Burglaritis | 2006 |
| Yoni | "Fly" | End of an Era | 2008 |
He also had his song higher which came out in 2006 featured on the nba live 2007 soundtrack.
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