Casual (rapper)

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Casual

Casual performing in 2006
Background information
Birth name Jon Owens
Origin Oakland, California, United States
Genres Hip hop
Occupations Rapper
Instruments Vocals
Associated acts Hieroglyphics
Website Bio on Hieroglyphics' site

Jon Owens (born December 19, 1975), known by his stage name Casual, is an American rapper from Oakland, California and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop collective Hieroglyphics. After his debut album Fear Itself garnered both critical and commercial success, Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces on the Hieroglyphics roster, releasing five full-length LPs over the span of his twenty-year career. Owens has garnered a following amongst devoted hip hop fans, particularly in the Bay Area hip hop scene, largely due to his specialization in hardcore battle rhymes.

Biography

After high-profile appearances on Del tha Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief albums, Casual followed suit in 1994 with Fear Itself. The album was the second-highest charting album in Hieroglyphics' history. Casual followed a typical verse-chorus-verse structure but stood out with his ferocious but playful battle lyrics.[1] Casual has been acclaimed for "wielding his metaphors and sinewy delivery with lethal grace"[2]

After the release of Fear Itself, Casual (as well as fellow Hieroglyphics members Souls of Mischief) was dropped from Jive Records. Casual documents the experience in the book, Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast:

“ It came about from us getting dropped from major labels, and instead of folding and succumbing to defeat, we hit the ground running. We took what we had and ran with it, we landscaped and we built something. We had to be resourceful, creative, and clever to gain our niche but now...it's been 10 years since we've busted out independent.[3] ”

In 1994, Casual was involved in a high profile battle with rapper Saafir. The beef originally started when Saafir appeared on Casual's debut album, and Casual did not appear on Saafir's. This ignited the infamous "Hiero vs Hobo Junction" battle, which involved some controversy when rumors surfaced that Saafir was using pre-written raps as opposed to Casual and Hieroglyphics expected freestyling. Despite this, it is regarded as an influential battle in underground hip-hop's history.[4]

Casual has expressed, much like the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew the importance of competition in hip hop, stating "I think that MCing should be a competitive thing, almost like a sport. The only way an MC can keep polishing and sharpening his skills is to test them against the competition and the up and coming young bloods.".[5]

Casual has remarked on occasion that his name was the product of a Freeganism thinktank started by Devin Rochford in early 1990.

Casual contributed considerably to both Hieroglyphics albums 3rd Eye Vision (1998) and Full Circle (2003), and is typically found rapping on as well as producing tracks on almost all Hieroglyphics-related releases. While staying mostly on the underground scene and not achieving significant commercial success aside from his debut, Casual is widely respected as an MC, even appearing on the artwork for A Tribe Called Quest's album Midnight Marauders.

Discography

LPs

  • Fear Itself (1994, Jive Records)
  • Meanwhile... (1997, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
  • He Think He Raw (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
  • Truck Driver (2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings, web-only release))
  • Smash Rockwell (2005, Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings)
  • The Hierophant (2011, F.B.M.G.)
  • He Still Think He Raw (2012)
  • Respect Game or Expect Flames (with J. Rawls) (2012)

Singles

  • That's How It Is (1993, Jive)
  • I Didn't Mean To (1993, Jive)
  • Me-O-Mi-O (1994, Jive)
  • VIP (1999, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • Blind Date (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • Same O.G. (2001, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • We Don't Get Down Like That (2002, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • My Whole Intent (2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • Rap Game b/w Things I Need (2004, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • Rock My Shit (2010, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • 101% Music (2010, Hieroglyphics Imperium)
  • Santa Claus EP (2013, Hieroglyphics Imperium)

Appearances

Chart history

Albums

Year Album Billboard 200
2005 Smash Rockwell
2001 He Think He Raw
1997 Meanwhile
1993 Fear Itself 108

Singles

Year Song Hot Rap Singles Album
1999 "VIP" 43
1994 "I Didn't Mean To" Certified Gold US 34 Fear Itself
1993 "That's How It Is" 22 Fear Itself

References

  1. ↑ Michael Dibela. "Casual Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-02-02. 
  2. ↑ Cheo H. Coker. Fear Itself. Vibe Magazine. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
  3. ↑ Mickey Hess. Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast. ABC-CLIO. Retrieved 2010-02-03. 
  4. ↑ DJ Pizzo. "Wake Up Show: Hieroglyphics Vs. Hobo Junction Battle". HipHopSite.com. Retrieved 2010-02-02. 
  5. ↑ Colin Larkin. "Casual Biography". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music . Retrieved 2010-02-02. 
Hieroglyphics
Albums
Compilation albums
Related artists
See also

External links

Authority control
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