Dead Prez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
dead prez
|
|
|---|---|
Dead Prez performing in Lansing, Michigan, in December 2009
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts |
|
| Members | stic.man M-1 |
Dead Prez, also known as dead prez, is an American hip hop music group. It is made up of two members: stic.man and M-1. They formed the group in 1996 in New York City.
Dead Prez is known for their strong and direct style. Their songs often talk about social justice, which means fairness for everyone. They also sing about self-determination (people deciding their own future) and Pan-Africanism (the idea that people of African descent should unite). The group believes that big companies should not control the media, especially hip hop music labels.
Contents
Music Career
Early Days (1990–2000)
In 1990, M-1 went to Tallahassee, Florida, to study at Florida A&M University. There, he met stic.man. They became friends because they both loved music and shared similar ideas about making society fairer.
While at university, their ideas grew stronger. M-1 became very interested in the Black Panther Party. This was a group that worked for civil rights and empowerment for Black people.
M-1 then joined the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement in Chicago for three years. Stic.man stayed in Florida. After a lot of hard work with the Uhuru Movement, M-1 and stic.man decided to focus on their music.
A rapper named Lord Jamar from the group Brand Nubian discovered them in New York City. He helped them get a music deal with Loud Records. Even though dead prez was not always the top priority for Loud Records, they gained many fans. They were known for their exciting live shows, where they would sometimes throw apples into the audience to encourage healthy eating.
They started adding songs to movie soundtracks. They also appeared on albums by other famous artists. Their first song, "The Game of Life (Score)," was on the soundtrack for the film Soul in the Hole in 1997. In 1998, they were on Big Pun's album Capital Punishment. In 1999, they were featured on The Beatnuts' song "Look Around."
New Music (2000–present)
The group's first album, Let's Get Free, came out in 2000. Their most famous song, "Hip-Hop", was on this album. Critics liked the album. It included talks about important political ideas by activist Omali Yeshitela. It also had a song called "Animal in Man," which was like a retelling of George Orwell's book Animal Farm.
The music from their song "Hip Hop" was used as the entrance music for Dave Chappelle's TV show. It was also in the video game skate. The song is also used in the introduction of Hip Hop Evolution, a show on Netflix. In 2001, dead prez worked with another political hip hop group called The Coup to release Get Up.
In 2002, dead prez helped create Red Hot + Riot. This was an album that honored the music of Nigerian musician Fela Kuti. The money from the album helped charities that teach about and fight AIDS. They worked with other hip-hop artists like Talib Kweli and Bilal, and Brazilian singer Jorge Ben. Together, they remade Fela Kuti's song "Shuffering and Shmiling."
Also in 2002, dead prez released an independent mix tape called Turn off the Radio: The Mixtape Vol. 1. They followed this with Turn off the Radio: The Mixtape Vol. 2: Get Free or Die Tryin' in 2003. In the same year, their song "Hell Yeah" was in the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious. In 2004, Columbia Records released their album Revolutionary But Gangsta. Dead prez also appeared in the film Dave Chappelle's Block Party in 2006.
In 2006, dead prez and the Outlawz (who worked with Tupac Shakur) released a new album together called Soldier 2 Soldier. In 2006, M-1 also released his own album called Confidential. A song from that album, "'Til We Get There," was in the EA Sports video game NBA Live 07. In 2007, stic.man released his own album called Manhood. M-1 also appeared on the song "Everything's Political" from the 2008 album THIRD WORLD WARriors Vol. 1.
Dead prez released a mix tape called Pulse of the People: Turn Off Your Radio Vol. 3 on June 23, 2009. DJ Green Lantern hosted this mix tape. On Mother's Day 2010, dead prez released "The Beauty Within." This was a new version of B.o.B and Bruno Mars' popular song "Nothin' On You." Also in 2010, dead prez released another mix tape with DJ Drama called Turn Off the Radio Vol. 4: Revolutionary but Gangsta Grillz. This album was available for free download on their website. They said this release celebrated ten years since their famous album Let's Get Free. Their newest album, Information Age, came out on October 16, 2012.
Documentary (2006)
.jpg)
In June 2006, the TV channel Starz InBlack started showing a documentary film called Dead Prez: It's Bigger Than Hip Hop. John Threat directed this hour-long film. The documentary showed live performances and interviews with dead prez. It also included interviews with other people, like Kamel Bell, whose father was a member of the Black Panther Party.
The documentary talked about important topics. These included problems with the public education system, Black people starting their own businesses, and social change.
David Charmatz, a senior vice president at Starz InBlack, explained why they showed the documentary. He said they wanted to offer unique shows that other networks might not. He felt that dead prez had an important message that needed to be heard. He added that the film aimed to teach and entertain.
M1 from dead prez said that the documentary gave them a chance to share their ideas in a big way. He felt that Starz InBlack taking a chance on them showed that their work and message were reaching people.
Discography
|
Studio albums
Live albums
Mixtapes
|
Images for kids
-
Dead Prez performing in Lansing, Michigan, in December 2009
-
Dead prez uses the shi hexagram, "Leading" or "The Army", as part of their logo.
-
Dead Prez performing on December 13, 2009
See also
In Spanish: Dead prez para niños
