Pumpkinhead (rapper)

Pumpkinhead (also known as P.H., born Robert Alan Diaz on Sept. 17th, 1975)^[1] is an American rapper and hip hop artist of Latino descent. He grew up in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn, New York with his mother and younger sister.

Pumpkinhead started as a bboy at age 10. He began writing rap lyrics during his 6th grade language arts class after hearing the song "Nightmares" by Dana Dane. He also stated he was influenced by Redman and the Leaders of the New School, as well as Doug E. Fresh.^[2] He also cites his experience of meeting 2Pac and witnessing his ability to write and record songs on the spot as a motivating factor in his emceeing.^[3]

Pumpkinhead got a break in New York City hip hop when a friend of his gave a demo tape to Bobbito Garcia of the Stretch & Bobbito Show on WKCR.^[4]

Pumpkinhead's breakthrough single was 1997's "Dynamic," which became a staple of mixtapes in the late 1990s. The World Famous Beat Junkies featured the remix—featuring guest appearances by Poka Face, Meat Pie, Ocean, What? What?, CES, DCQ and The Bad Seed—on their second mix CD, The World Famous Beat Junkies, Vol. 2 in 1998.

Pumpkinhead has been a guest on several hip hop albums by other artists. He appears on Immortal Technique's Revolutionary Vol. 1 (2001) and Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003). He guest starred on Jean Grae's 2003 EP The Bootleg of the Bootleg, appearing on the track "Code Red" with his brother Block McCloud. In 2009, he started going by PH and released My Era (No Skinny Jeans Allowed, a mixtape remixing several 90's classics.^[5]

Discography

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