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Biography
For|the boxer|Esham PickeringInfobox musical artist|name = Esham|image =|background = solo_singer|birth_name = Rashaam Attica Smith|alias = Bruce Wayne Mr. Spade|Born = Long Island, New York|Long Island , New York , U.S.|death_date =|origin = Detroit, Michigan|Detroit , Michigan , U.S.|genre = Hip hop music|Hip hop |occupation = Rapping|Rapper , record producer |years_active = 1988–Present|label = Reel Life Productions|Reel Life , Psychopathic Records|Psychopathic |associated_acts = Daniel Jordan, Chupacabra|website = http://www.acidrap.com www.AcidRap.com Rashaam Attica Smith , better known by his stage name Esham (East Side Hoes And Money), is an United States|American rapping|rapper from Detroit, Michigan known for his hallucinogenic style of hip hop music|hip hop which he refers to as "acid rap", which fuses rock music|rock -based beats and lyrics involving subjects such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and sex.
Releasing his debut album, '' Boomin' Words from Hell while still in high school, Smith is considered to be one of the originators of horrorcore , rap rock and rap metal . Counting Boomin' Words from Hell , he has released thirteen studio albums, eight extended play s and three compilation albums.
Despite developing a small cult following , few of his albums have been commercially successful, with his highest level of success being achieved during a brief stint on Psychopathic Records , where he released his album with the most consecutive charts, A-1 Yola (Esham album)|A-1 Yola .
History
Early career
Born Rashaam Attica Smith in Long Island, New York ,cite book |editor= |others= |title=All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip-hop |year=2003 |isbn=0879307595 |publisher=Backbeat Books |chapter=Esham |pages=160–163 cite news |first=William E. |last=Ketchum III |authorlink= |author= |coauthors= |title=Mayor Esham? What? |url= http://www.metrotimes.com/music/story.asp? id=13341 |format= |agency= |work= |publisher= Metro Times |location= Detroit, Michigan |id= |pages= |page= |date=October 15, 2008 |accessdate=2008-10-16 |language= |quote= |archiveurl= |archivedate= Esham grew up splitting time between the Seven Mile neighborhood on the East side of Detroit,cite news |first=Rodd |last=McLeod |title=The Wicket World of Natas |url= http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5923056/the_wicket_world_of_natas |publisher= Rolling Stone |date=March 2, 2000 |accessdate=2008-07-19 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20080708011214/ http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/5923056/the_wicket_world_of_natas |archivedate = July 8, 2008|deadurl=yes where he lived with his mother, attending Osborn High School,cite web |url= http://www.allrovi.com/name/natas-mn0000375162 |title=music biography |accessdate=2008-07-19 |last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |coauthors= |date= |work= |publisher=Allrovi and lived with his grandmother in New York during summers. He studied piano, guitar, and trombone in high school, and listened to artists such as Sugar Hill Gang , Run-DMC , Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss (band)|Kiss . Esham began to write original lyrics, and was encouraged by his older brother, James H. Smith, to seriously pursue a career in hip hop. According to Esham, "He felt like I had a dope flow, and he thought I could bring something new to the game, just coming from the city of Detroit. Back then, it wasn't really a rap music scene in Detroit. Everybody was just imitating what everybody else was doing." In the second grade, Esham met Champtown , who was also an aspiring rapper. The two performed together at open mic events Seafood Bay. In one occurrence, Champtown and Esham were forced to rap for a drug dealer at gunpoint. http://www2.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp? id=7099
At the age of 13, Smith released his debut album, '' Boomin' Words from Hell '', in 1989.cite web |url= http://www.acidrap.com/eshamcatalog.html |title=Discography |accessdate=2008-08-18 |last=Smith |first=Esham A |publisher= Reel Life Productions Of the album, Smith stated, "It was the crack era, ... and that's where all that really came from. It was all an expression about '70s-'80s drug cartel Young Boys Inc.|Young Boys Incorporated , Mayor Coleman Young , the city we lived in and just the turmoil that our city was going through at the time. We referred to the streets of Detroit as 'Hell' on that record. So that's where my ideas came from." In 1990, Esham and James H. Smith founded the independent record label Reel Life Productions , which reissued his debut album with an alternate track listing and artwork. Esham found it difficult to develop a fanbase, because many wrote off the dark content of his lyrics and imagery as shock value , while hip hop fans did not connect to Esham's albums because of his heavy metal music|heavy metal influences.
In 1991, Esham met Joseph Bruce , a member of the group Insane Clown Posse|Inner City Posse , who praised Esham and Reel Life Productions, and gave Esham a copy of the group's EP Dog Beats , beginning the two rappers' friendship and professional relationship.cite book |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |authorlink=Joseph Bruce |coauthors=Hobey Echlin |editor=Nathan Fostey |title=ICP: Behind the Paint |origdate= |year=2003 |origmonth=August |edition=second |publisher=Psychopathic Records |location=Royal Oak, Michigan |isbn=09741846083 |pages=164–167 |chapter=Paying Dues
After releasing two EPs, Erotic Poetry and '' Homey Don't Play , Esham completed the double album Judgement Day (album)|Judgement Day , and its two volumes, Day and Night were released separately on April 9, 1992. In All Music Guide to Hip-Hop , Jason Birchmeier wrote that Judgement Day, Vol. 1'' "may not be his most well-crafted work, but it certainly stands as his most inspired work of the '90s", while Vol. 2 "isn't quite as strong as the first volume, suffering mostly from a number of weak tracks ... the first volume doesn't rely quite so much on cheap shock, instead focusing on evocative horror motifs, making Judgement Day, Vol. 2 the less important of the two."
KKKill the Fetus , Closed Casket and Dead Flowerz
As a student at Osborn High School, Esham met Mastamind , who gave him a three-song demo tape of his music, leading the two to form the group Natas (group)|Natas with Esham's longtime friend, TNT. In 1992, Esham appeared on Carnival of Carnage , the debut album of Insane Clown Posse , released on October 18. He produced three tracks and rapped on the album's final track.cite book |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |authorlink=Joseph Bruce |coauthors=Hobey Echlin |editor=Nathan Fostey |title=ICP: Behind the Paint |origdate= |year=2003 |origmonth=August |edition=second |publisher=Psychopathic Records |location=Royal Oak, Michigan |isbn=09741846083 |pages=174–185 |chapter=The Dark Carnival In November, Natas released their debut album, Life After Death (Natas album)|Life After Death . Following the release of this album, Esham, Natas and Reel Life Productions were the subject of much controversy when a 17-year-old fan killed himself while smoking cannabis (drug)|cannabis and playing Russian roulette while listening to Life After Death . In 1993, Esham released his third solo album, KKKill the Fetus . Jason Birchmeier wrote that "At this point in his career, his rapping has already reached near-peak levels, and his production shows a continued path towards an inventiveness. ... Never again would Esham be so gritty."
On November 22, 1994, Esham released his fourth studio album, Closed Casket . Jason Birchmeier wrote that "most fans taking a chronological approach to his catalog should be fairly numb to Esham's exploitative shock attempts. Yet if this is one of your first experiences with Esham the Unholy, this album should pack a punch with its dark nature." In May 1996, Esham released his fifth studio album, Dead Flowerz . It peaked at #38 on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums Billboard charts|chart .cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/album/esham/dead-flowerz/185743#/album/esham/dead-flowerz/185743 |title=Charts & Awards for Dead Flowerz |accessdate=2008-07-19 |publisher= Billboard (magazine)|Billboard
Gothom Records (1999–2001)
In June 1997, Esham rebranded Reel Life Productions as Gothom Records, and released the album Bruce Wayne: Gothom City 1987 , which charted at #57 on Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums.cite web |url=Allmusic|class=album|id=r377892|pure_url=yes |title=Charts & Awards for Bruce Wayne: Gothom City 1987 |accessdate=2008-07-19 |publisher= Allmusic Esham later signed a distribution deal with Overcore, a subsidiary of Overture Music, which later became distributed by TVT Records . In June 2001, Gothom released Kool Keith 's Spankmaster album, which featured several contributions by Esham, as well as Smith's eighth album, Tongues (Esham album)|Tongues , which peaked at #7 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #46 on the Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #195 on the Billboard 200| Billboard 200 .cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/album/esham/tongues/480225 |title=Charts & Awards for Tongues |accessdate=2008-07-19 |publisher= Billboard In August 2001, Esham and D12 were kicked off the Warped Tour after members of the group allegedly physically attacked Smith over the lyrics of his song "Chemical Imbalance," which contained a reference to the daughter of D12 member Eminem , who was not present during the tour.cite news |first=Chris |last=Moriates |title=Rappers Esham, D12 kicked off Warped Tour after alleged attack |url= http://dailybruin.com/archives/id/15893/ |publisher= The Daily Bruin |date=August 13, 2001 |accessdate=2008-07-19 cite book |last=Hasted |first=Nick |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=The Dark Story of Eminem |year=2005 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location= |language= |isbn=1844497267 |chapter=The Waiting Room |page=151
Psychopathic Records (2002–2005)
In 2002, Esham signed to Psychopathic Records , releasing the compilation Acid Rain (album)|Acid Rain . It was announced that Esham would be moving away from the horror themes of his previous efforts.cite web |url= http://www.insaneclownposse.com/page.php? page_id=icp_wf_20020903 |title=Weekly Freekly: 2 |accessdate=2008-08-17 |last=Bruce |first=Joseph |coauthors= |date=June 25, 2004 |work= |publisher= Psychopathic Records |archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20040820162159/www.insaneclownposse.com/page.php? page_id=icp_wf_20020903 |archivedate=2002-09-03 On November 18, 2003, Esham released his ninth studio album, Repentance (Esham album)|Repentance . It peaked at #9 on the Top Heatseekers chart, #10 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and #71 on the Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/album/esham/repentance/603071 |title=Charts & Awards for Repentance |accessdate=2008-07-19 |publisher= Billboard Jason Birchmeier wrote that " Repentance is a small step forward for Esham. He seems very confident here, comfortable with himself as an artist ... when he pulls everything together ... he makes some of the best music of his long, fruitful, yet largely unacknowledged career."cite web |url= http://www.allrovi.com/music/album/repentance-mw0000693884 |title=Review of Repentance |accessdate=2008-08-17 |last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |publisher=Allrovi
His follow-up album on Psychopathic A-1 Yola (Esham album)|A-1 Yola , saw Esham achieving his highest consecutive level of Billboard charts|charting success, as it peaked at 176 on the Billboard 200, his highest selling album on that chart to date, as well as peaking at #6 on Top Heatseekers, #12 on the Independent Albums chart, #23 on the Top Rap Albums chart, and #48 on the Top R& B chart. Allrovi wrote, "During the course of A-1 YOLA , Esham takes the form of street hustler, kingpin, vampire, and all sorts of underworld characters, injecting his undiluted personality into each three-to-four-minute sketch. His sonic backdrop remains raw but fresh, drawing an impressive amount of energy out of sparse beats."cite web |url= http://www.allrovi.com/music/album/a1-yola-mw0000453103 |title=Esham - A-1 Yola |author= |date= |work= |publisher=Allrovi |accessdate=30 June 2011
Following this release, Esham left Psychopathic in 2005 to relaunch Reel Life/Gothom. The album peaked at #6 on the Top Heatseekers chart, #12 on the Top Independent Albums chart, #48 on the Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #176 on the Billboard 200.cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/album/esham/a-1-yola/675436 |title=Charts & Awards for A.1. Yola |accessdate=2008-07-19 |publisher=Billboard
Decline (2006—present)
Since leaving Psychopathic, Esham relaunched Reel Life Productions, and produces a podcast , which appears semi-regularly on his official website; however he has had minimal success.cite book |last1=Hess |first1=Mickey |title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast |year=2009 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=0313343233 |pages=411–413 |chapter=Esham On August 26, 2008, Smith released his eleventh studio album, Sacrificial Lambz . It peaked at #50 on the Billboard (magazine)|Billboard Top Heatseekers Billboard charts|chart and at #42 on the Top R& B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,cite web |url= http://www.billboard.com/album/esham/sacrificial-lambz/1157630 |title=Charts and awards for Sacrificial Lambz |accessdate=2008-10-11 |publisher=Billboard and is the only album Smith has released since leaving Psychopathic which charted on Billboard . In October, Smith started a petition to run for mayor of Detroit, but was denied the petition and did not run. Smith has stated "The jump to running for mayor is a pretty drastic change, but I just want to take a stance. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."
On July 28, 2009, Smith released '' I Ain't Cha Homey , a follow-up to his 1991 EP Homey Don't Play''.cite audio |people = Smith, Esham |date = August 31, 2009 |title = Bomb Ass Podcast: Panties in a Bunch Edition |url = http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bomb-ass-podcast-featuring/id118216454 |format = MP3 |medium = podcast |publisher = Reel Life Productions |location =Detroit, Michigan |time = |accessdate=2009-09-28 Following the release of the album, rumors surfaced that it was a diss track|diss towards Insane Clown Posse, which Smith claimed were untrue. Joseph Bruce responded to the album stating "we were hanging out with the guy every day& #33; How can we ever hang out again? I didn't know you felt that way about us. You know, you'd hang out with us during the day then you go home and write that shit? That's insane, you know. So, we're not talking. And I've known him all my life."cite web |url= http://www.spin.com/articles/insane-clown-posses-violent-j-picks-11-horrorcore-classics? page=0%2C3 |title=Insane Clown Posse's Violent J Picks 11 Horrorcore Classics |author=Weingarten, Christopher |date=October 28, 2011 |work= |publisher= Spin (magazine)|Spin |accessdate=4 November 2011 On August 3, 2010, Smith released his twelfth studio album, Suspended Animation (Esham album)|Suspended Animation . In 2011, Esham released the EP Secret Society Circus and the album DMT Sessions , which was followed by a documentary directed by Smith, Death of an Indie Label , which was originally announced as a bonus feature on a deluxe edition of DMT Sessions , but was instead uploaded onto Gothom Inc.'s YouTube channel.cite video |people= |date= |title=deathofanindielabel 1 |url= http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=m4O8STbLqnc& feature=youtu.be |format= |medium= |language= |trans_title= |publisher=Gothom Inc. |location= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= |time= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |ref= cite web |url= http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8588346.htm |title=Controversial Detroit Artist Releases Shocking New Album |author= |date=June 21, 2011 |work= |publisher=PR Web |accessdate=27 June 2011 Smith was also interviewed for the documentary The Untold Story of Detroit Hip-Hop , which is being produced by Detroit rapper Champtown.cite web |url= http://allmusic.com/album/dmt-sessions-r2184367 |title=DMT Sessions |author= |date= |work= |publisher=Allmusic |accessdate=27 June 2011cite web |url= http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2011/07/04/22831145.aspx |title=Esham: Evolution, Victory, Independence, Leading Pt. 1 |author=Champtown |date= |work= |publisher= AllHipHop |accessdate=7 July 2011
Style
Esham's lyrical style, which author Sara Cohen says "utilizes shocking (and blatantly over the top) narratives to give an over-exaggerated, almost cartoon-like version of urban deprivation in Detroit",cite book |last=Cohen |first=Sara |title=Decline, Renewal and the City in Popular Music Culture: Beyond The Beatles |year=2007 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. |isbn=0754632431 |page=52 was derived from the style of the Geto Boys . Smith's lyrics have focused on themes such as death, drug use, evil, paranoia and sex, and have included references to Satan . Smith refers to his performance style as "acid rap," comparing the lyrics to hallucinations induced by lysergic acid diethylamide|LSD . Esham's style has also been described as horrorcore hip hop.
"People were literally scared of my records. There have been so many rumors about me and my records. People got the first album, and they would just make up stories. They'd get into an accident and be like, 'I got into an accident because I was playing that tape.' It wasn't like we helped ourselves when we described what was in people's heads. It wasn't to shock people, though, but to get people involved in what we were doing. We had to get peoples' attention. ... We said a lot of things that people wanted to say but didn't say. We talked about a lot of political and social issues that people didn't want to talk about."
Following accusations of Satanism , Smith decided that Closed Casket would be the last album to feature such themes, and that he would no longer rap about the Devil . According to Smith, "I've been able to entertain people for 20 years. I just try to uplift people now. The latest things I do, I'm trying to get a message out to people, while I'm entertaining them at the same time."
Esham's music style has been described as a fusion of hip hop beats and death metal lyrics. Esham defined his style as analogous to "modern day blues or heavy metal".cite book |last=Keyes |first=Cheryl Lynette |title=Rap Music and Street Consciousness |year=2002 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=0252072014, 9780252072017 |chapter=Blending and Shaping Styles: Rap and Other Musical Voices |page=108 Rappers influenced by Esham include Insane Clown Posse ,Eminem and Kid Rock . According to author Cheryl Lynette Keyes, Esham's "metal sound with a hip-hop feel" formed the musical basis for acts such as Korn , Limp Bizkit , Everlast (musician)|Everlast and Kottonmouth Kings .
EshamPsychopathic RecordsReel Life Productions good article Persondata | NAME = Esham | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Esham Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:African American record producers Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Esham Category:Psychopathic Records artists Category:Horrorcore artists Category:Rappers from Detroit, Michigan Category:Underground rappers Category:Reel Life Productions artists
