| Spice 1 | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert L. Green, Jr. |
| Born | 1970 Corsicana, Texas |
| Origin | Hayward, California, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop, Ragga |
| Occupations | Rapper, record producer |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Jive, Real Talk |
| Associated acts | Celly Cel, MC Eiht, C-Bo, Yukmouth, Jayo Felony, 187 Fac, Too $hort, Tupac Shakur |
Robert L. Green, Jr., better known by his stage name Spice 1, is an American rapper from Hayward, California. He has consistently been releasing solo and group albums since 1992. Spice 1 was ranked number 56 in The Source magazine's Top 115 Hip-Hop Artists from 1988–2003. His self-titled debut was also listed in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.
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He was first discovered by rapper Too Short. His first release, Let It Be Known EP, was not well known or widely released, and included seven old-school style tracks. His self-titled debut album Spice 1 was a very vivid and fatalistic gangsta rap album, and his angry, edgy, and pessimistic rapping style and tone only added to the despair emanating from the disc. He followed it with an even more bitter and nihilistic release, 187 He Wrote in 1993, complete with simulated gunfire. Spice 1 managed to release six albums under Jive records along with one greatest hits album. It was reported by Jive that he has an album called "Full Metal Jacket", which was supposed to release under Jive. However, Spice 1 stated in many interviews that this information was false. It was something Jive wanted to push him into releasing, but he never agreed to do so. Therefore, the album was never released and it is uncertain whether or not songs for this album were used for future albums or if any songs were even recorded for this project.
In 1996, Spice 1 appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD, America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, Organized konfusion and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine.
While Spice 1 was signed to Jive, three of his albums reached Gold status. According to the RIAA, these albums were Spice 1, 187 He Wrote and AmeriKKKa's Nightmare. He continued to have success on later albums as well, though he never managed receive further certificates for selling over 500,000. Despite this he never changed his image, continuing to retain a gangster image throughout his career on Jive Records. The biggest song in his career was "Trigga Gots No Heart" from the Menace II Society soundtrack. However, at the same time he released "Trigga Gots No Heart", which also served as a first single for his album, fellow rap artist MC Eiht also had a hit single from the soundtrack which took the number one spot called "Streiht Up Menace". After 8 years, Spice 1 released his last album with the label, Immortalized. Though it received good reviews, it was not well promoted and didn't sell as expected. According to Spice 1, he left Jive Records because they wanted him to clean up his image.
Spice's creative output has ballooned since his release from Jive. He has released more than 10 group and solo albums since.[1]
Spice 1 recently defended Ice-T in his feud with Soulja Boy Tell 'Em.[2]
He attended Mt. Eden High School in Hayward.[3]
Spice 1 was shot in the chest on the morning of December 3, 2007, while sitting in his Cadillac Escalade outside his parents' home in Hayward. The shooting is believed to be motivated by robbery, rather than any sort of rivalry. He suffered a collapsed lung.[4] He talked about the shooting 6 days after it occurred from his hospital bed.[5]
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