U-God
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| U-God | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Lamont Hawkins | |
| Born | November 10, 1970 | |
| Origin | Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Hip hop | |
| Years active | 1993–present | |
| Label(s) | Loud Records Priority Records Free Agency Media |
|
U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, November 10, 1970 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan. Though not as well known as other Clan members such as Method Man and Ol' Dirty Bastard, he has been with the group since not long after its inception, and released his debut solo album Golden Arms Redemption in 1999.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Being jailed for narcotics possession prevented him from featuring heavily on the group's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), his input on the seminal LP consisting of only a short bridge on the group's debut single "Protect Ya Neck" as well as the now-famous opening verse of "Da Mystery of Chessboxin". Nevertheless, after his release he quickly became known to fans for his rugged flow on Wu tracks such as Winter Warz, "Knuckleheadz" and "Black Jesus" and featured heavily on the group's second album Wu-Tang Forever (on which he was one of only four of the group to get a solo track, the others being Inspectah Deck, with "The City", ODB, with "Dog Shit" and Raekwon with "The Closing") . Around this time his young son was accidentally shot and injured, an ordeal the rapper documented on the Wu-Tang Clan track A Better Tomorrow.
U-God was the eighth (out of nine) member of the group to record a solo album, releasing Golden Arms Redemption in 1999, which displayed a wide variety of sounds from gritty blaxploitation funk to urgent string sections, and featured guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members and affiliates.
After a high-profile disagreement with Wu leader RZA in 2004 over royalties, which included a heated phone conversation on live radio, U-God released a new album under the alias UGODZ-ILLA entitled U-GODZILLA presents the Hillside Scramblers, which featured U-God and his team of Inf Black, Letha Fase, Black Ice and King Just. Shortly before the U-GODZILLA presents the Hillside Scramblers album was released, U-God released a DVD entitled Rise Of A Fallen Soldier. In the DVD, U-God talked about his problems with RZA and other members of the clan, plus spoke his opinions on the current situation of the rap game. The DVD also included a sampler of U-GODZILLA presents the Hillside Scramblers. However U-God and RZA appeared to put aside their differences soon after, and they were soon both together on stage as part of the Clan for their European and American tour during summer 2004.
U-God released his second solo album, titled Mr. Xcitement on September 13, 2005, on Free Agency Recordings. Shortly after this, U-God reignited the dispute between himself and the Clan in an interview, blaming RZA for his reputation and denouncing his fellow Wu-Tang members for treating him poorly due to his light skin. However, an upcoming tour that promises to feature all of the remaining Wu-Tang Clan members indicates that U-God may have once again put aside his differences with RZA. In March 2006, U-God was featured on the track "9 Milli. Bros" from fellow Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah's latest release, Fishscale. The rest of the Wu-Tang Clan was also featured on the track, and it indicated that U-God finally had made peace with his fellow clansmen.
[edit] Aliases
- Golden Arms (from the movie The Kid With The Golden Arms)
- Four-Bar Killer
- Baby U
- Baby Huey
- Universal God of Law
- Lucky Hands
- Ugodz-Illa
- Jody King
- Goldie
- Stonefingers (in the "Gravel Pit" music video)
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
| Album Name | Release Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Arms Redemption | October 5, 1999 | |
| U-GODZILLA presents the Hillside Scramblers | March 16, 2004 | |
| Mr. Xcitement | September 13, 2005 | |
| Machine Gun Funk | TBA |
[edit] Singles and EPs
- 1999 "Dat's Gangsta"
- 1999 "Bizarre"
- 2002 "Supa Nigga EP"
- 2005 "Bump"
[edit] DVD releases
- 2004 "Rise Of A Fallen Soldier"
[edit] Appears On
- 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1995 "Knuckleheadz" (from the Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)
- 1995 "Investigative Reports" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
- 1996 "Black Jesus" & "Winter Warz" (from the Ghostface Killah album Ironman)
- 1996 "If It's Allright With You" (from the soundtrack for the movie The Great White Hype
- 1996 "Semi-Automatic Full Rap Metal Jacket" (from the soundtrack for the movie High School High
- 1997 Wu-Tang Forever (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1997 "Intellectuals" (from the Sunz Of Man album The Last Shall Be First)
- 1998 "Supa Ninjaz" (from the Cappadonna album The Pillage)
- 1998 "Element Of Surprise" (from the La the Darkman album Heist Of The Century)
- 1999 "Grand Prix" & "Longevity" (from the Inspectah Deck album Uncontrolled Substance)
- 1999 "Killa Hill Niggaz" (from the Cypress Hill album Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom)
- 1999 "Mr. Onsomeothershits" (from the Methods of Mayhem album Methods of Mayhem)
- 1999 "No Exit" (The Loud Rock Remix & The Infamous Hip Rock Version) (from the Blondie single No Exit)
- 2000 "Cherchez La Ghost" (from the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele)
- 2000 The W (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2001 Iron Flag (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2001 "Militant" (from the Killarmy album Fear, Love & War)
- 2003 "Always NY" (from the Mathematics album Love, Hell & Right)
- 2004 "Digi Warfare" (from the Masta Killa album No Said Date)
- 2004 "Rock Steady" (from the Tony Touch album The Piecemaker 2)
- 2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2005 "Break That" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)
- 2005 "Spot Lite" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)
- 2005 "Still Grimey" (from the Wu-Tang Meets The Indie Culture compilation)
- 2006 "No More Tearz" (from the Soular Winds' The Quiet Americans Mixtape)
- 2006 "9 Milli Bros." (from the Ghostface Killah album Fishscale)
- 2006 "Handle That" (from the Inspectah Deck album The Resident Patient)
- 2006 "Iron God Chamber" (from the Masta Killa album Made In Brooklyn)
- 2006 "The Glide" (from the Method Man album 4:21...The Day After)
