Esham
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| Esham | ||
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 Esham The Unholy
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Rashaam Smith | |
| Born | September 20, 1977 | |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, United States | |
| Genre(s) | Acid rap, Horrorcore | |
| Years active | 1988 – present | |
| Label(s) | Reel Life Productions | |
| Associated acts |
NATAS | |
Esham (born Rashaam Smith on September 20, 1977) is a hardcore rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He calls his style of rock-influenced rap "acid rap". He released his first album, Boomin' Words from Hell, in 1990 at the age of 13 while attending Osbourne High School in Detroit.
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[edit] Biography
A gloomy, post-industrial Detroit helped Esham to formulate a career based on discussing the darker aspects of life. During adolescence, Esham attended Detroit schools during the school year while spending his summers with his father in Long Island, New York, not far from the Amityville Horror house in Amityville.
The anti-organized religion tones in many of his albums were bold considering the overwhelming Christian community in Detroit. Esham pioneered in-depth rhymes detailing accounts of all kinds of mayhem including death, suicide, murder, illicit drug use, drug dealing and mental illness among countless other topics many considered to be too horrific for a recording album. In fact, lyrics from Esham and his group Natas were linked to a 1992 teenage suicide in Tennessee. Anti-Abortionists protested his 1993 solo album, KKKill the Fetus to the point that his life was threatened.
While Esham has been most revered for his innovative concepts and controversial subject matter, it has been his comprehensive work behind the boards as his own producer that has served as the backbone of his music career. Each and every Esham album has been almost exclusively self-produced. Advanced production techniques were developed early in his adolescence and afforded him the opportunity to explore and eventually build a multitude of lush soundscapes and backdrops for all of his albums. His production resume includes work with Kool Keith, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Kid Rock, MC Breed, Dayton Family, George Clinton and countless projects with local Michigan talent including Dice, Lavel, Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid among others.
Throughout his career, Esham along with his brother James Smith cemented their reputation as self-made men and independent pioneers with their own record label, Reel Life Productions/Gothom which garnered a cult army of fans who call themselves, “suicidalists”. In 1999, Esham linked up with Scott Santos of Overture Records with hopes of reaching new levels of independent success. While the music eventually flourished and a massive distribution deal was signed with indie giant TVT Records, the business end soured with Santos and spurred Esham's move to Psychopathic Records in 2002.
After a brief stint with Psychopathic, Esham opted to leave in favor of resurrecting his Reel Life Productions/Gothom imprint. 2006 has been an especially productive year including the release of a new Natas album “N of tha World” distributed through Sony Red as well as the independent release of a $100 box set sold exclusively through his website. Currently, Esham can be found hosting his own radio show “The Bomb Ass Podcast” on iTunes and switchpod.com. He is also working on his 23rd solo album slated for a 2nd Quarter 2007 release.
[edit] Esham Releases
- Boomin Words From Hell LP '90
- Erotic Poetry EP '91
- Homey Don't Play EP '91
- Judgement Day Vol.1 LP '92
- Judgement Day Vol.2 LP '92
- KKKill The Fetus EP '93
- Helter Skkkelter LP '93
- Maggot Brain Theory EP '94
- Closed Casket LP '94
- Dead Flowerz LP '95
- Detroit Dogshit Greatest Hits '96
- Bruce Wayne Gothom City 1987 LP '97
- Mail Dominance LP '99
- Twirk Yo Body single '99
- Bootleg: From The Lost Vault Greatest Hits '00
- Tongues LP '01
- Acid Rain Greatest Hits '02
- Repentance LP '03
- A1 Yola LP '05
- Judgment Day Box Set '06
- Martyr Sity '06
- Untitled LP '07
[edit] Natas Releases
- Life After Death '92
- Blaz4Me '94
- Doubeliveingod '95
- Multikillionaire '97
- WWW.COM '99
- Godlike '02
- N Of The World '06
