Arabian Prince facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arabian Prince
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Arabian Prince in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kim Renard Nazel |
| Also known as | Professor X |
| Born | June 17, 1965 Compton, California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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Kim Renard Nazel (born June 17, 1965), known by his stage names Arabian Prince or Professor X, is an American rapper and music producer. He was one of the first members of the famous hip hop group N.W.A. He helped create some songs on their first big album, Straight Outta Compton, before he left the group.
Contents
Early Life and First Beats
Kim Renard Nazel was born in Compton, California. His father was a radio talk show host. His mother was a piano teacher, which gave him a musical start.
His family wanted him to focus on school and sports. He went to a Catholic school and played football. Kim got his first chance to make music at his father's radio station. He used the station's equipment to make mixtapes. He would then sell these mixtapes at school. He later graduated from Junípero Serra High School.
Music Career
Kim started out using the stage name DJ Prince. He sold his mixtapes at school. He also worked at a pet shop. The owner of the pet shop, Sam Nassif, asked him to DJ a party. This party was at a community dance hall.
DJ Prince kept performing there on weekends. His success led Nassif to invest more in the place. It was renamed "The Cave" (and later "The Basement"). Kim continued to DJ there for over three years. Nassif also helped fund DJ Prince's first record, "Strange Life."
How He Became Arabian Prince
When he was 15, he changed his stage name. This happened at Skateland USA, a skating rink where N.W.A later started. A fan suggested the new name.
He explained:
I called myself DJ Prince at first; back in the day, I always used to dress like Prince. That was the thing in the early '80s — either you dressed like Prince or you dressed like Michael Jackson. I used to wear the tight parachute pants, and I had the trim moustache, the whole thing. One day I was DJing at a skating rink. I was with Egyptian Lover, that was my boy, still is. This girl comes up to us and asks us our names. And he's like, "I'm Egyptian Lover." And I'm like, "I'm DJ Prince." She looks at me and goes, "I always see you two together. You should call yourself Arabian Prince." And I guess that just stuck.
Working with Other Artists
Arabian Prince began working with Bobby Jimmy & the Critters in 1984. He also produced a popular song and album for J.J. Fad, called "Supersonic."
Joining N.W.A
In 1986, Arabian Prince became a founding member of N.W.A. He helped produce some songs. He also sang on the last song of N.W.A.'s big album, Straight Outta Compton (1988). This song was called "Something 2 Dance 2." It was a more radio-friendly song. It was later removed from some versions of the album.
Arabian Prince left N.W.A due to disagreements about how the business side of things was handled. He said he was used to getting royalty statements as a solo artist. He expected to see how much money was made and shared. This was not happening with the group. He also mentioned that they were not paid for touring. After he left, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, and MC Ren were the main singers. DJ Yella was the DJ, and Dr. Dre was the main producer.
Solo Career and New Projects
After leaving N.W.A, Arabian Prince started his own solo music career. His first album, Brother Arab, came out in 1989. It included the single "She's Got A Big Posse." His next album, Where's My Bytches, followed in 1993.
In the mid-2000s, he started making music again. He released music under the name Professor X. He used this name because he already had a single out as Arabian Prince. In 2007, he performed as a DJ on a tour. In 2008, Stones Throw released a collection of his 1980s electro-rap songs. One of his songs was also in the 2007 video game, College Hoops 2K8.
Straight Outta Compton Film and Hall of Fame
In 2015, a movie about N.W.A called Straight Outta Compton was released. However, Arabian Prince was not shown in the movie. He said that he was present for many real-life events shown in the film. He felt that if they were going to leave him out, they should have filmed different scenes. He remembered being a main person who questioned the business manager about money. In the movie, this role was given to Ice Cube.
The next year, N.W.A was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Arabian Prince was again not included or mentioned.
In 2018, Arabian Prince appeared on the album AmeriKKKant by the band Ministry. He also appeared on Ministry's 2021 album Moral Hygiene.
Other Ventures
Besides his music, Arabian Prince has also worked in other fields. He has worked on special effects, 3D animation, and video games.
Discography
Solo Albums
- Strange Life (Rapsur, 1984)
- It Ain’t Tough (Rapsur, 1985)
- Take You Home Girl / Innovator (Rapsur, 1985)
- Situation Hot (Street Kut, 1986)
- Freak City (Macola, 1986)
- Professor X (Saga) (Techno Kut, 1989)
- Brother Arab (Orpheus, 1989)
- Where's My Bytches (Da Bozak, 1993)
- Simple Planet / Beatdabeat (Stones Throw, 2008)
Compilations
- Situation Hot (Macola, 1990)
- Innovative Life: The Anthology, 1984–1989 (Stones Throw, 2008)
- Professor X (Clone, 2007/2008)
With Bobby Jimmy and the Critters
- Ugly Knuckle Butt (1985)
- Roaches: The Beginning (1986)
- Back and Proud (1987)
With N.W.A
- "Panic Zone" (single) (1987)
- N.W.A. and the Posse (1987)
- Straight Outta Compton (1988)
Images for kids
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Arabian Prince in 2018
See Also
In Spanish: Arabian Prince para niños
