Me Phi Me facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Me Phi Me
|
|
|---|---|
| Birth name | La-Ron K. Wilburn |
| Born | December 8, 1970 Flint, Michigan |
| Origin | Flint, Michigan |
| Genres | Alternative hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Instruments | Vocals (rapping) |
| Years active | 1988—present |
Me Phi Me is the stage name of La-Ron K. Wilburn, an American rapper born on December 8, 1970. He comes from Flint, Michigan. Me Phi Me is both the name of the artist and his musical group.
La-Ron grew up in a home full of different kinds of music. He was the youngest of six children. In high school, he loved listening to famous hip-hop artists. He created the name Me Phi Me in 1987. It was inspired by well-known Black fraternities like Alpha Phi Alpha and Kappa Alpha Psi. The name soon came to mean intelligence and being unique. His song "...and I Believe" even uses traditional fraternity stepping as its beat.
Contents
Me Phi Me's Music Career
Me Phi Me is known for his rap songs and traditional lyrics. In the early 1990s, he offered a different sound. His music was more acoustic, meaning it used real instruments. This was different from the popular gangster rap style at the time.
Debut Album: ONE
His first album, ONE, came out in 1992. It was produced by his cousin, Christopher Cuben-Tatum. The album featured classic funk music samples from artists like Sly and the Family Stone and James Brown. It also used unique live instruments. These included a twelve-string folk guitar, jazz bass, and traditional fraternity stepping. The album also had harmonica solos and the haunting sound of the Armenian Duduk.
Popular Songs and Videos
One song from the ONE album, "Sad New Day," became a single. It reached #83 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1992. The music video for "Sad New Day" was directed by Julien Temple. He also directed Me Phi Me's videos for "Black Sunshine" and "Pu' Sho Hands 2Getha." These videos were played a lot on MTV and BET.
Music in TV and Movies
Many songs from the ONE album were used in TV shows around the world. A notable example is the opening and closing theme for Robert De Niro's 1993 TV drama TriBeCa. This show was on the Fox network.
In 1993, Me Phi Me's song "Revival!" was part of the soundtrack for Ben Stiller's movie Reality Bites. This movie was about young people from Generation X. In 1995, director Kathryn Bigelow chose Me Phi Me's song "hereWEcome." It became the theme for a character named Jeriko One in the futuristic movie Strange Days. Me Phi Me also appeared in this movie alongside actor Glenn Plummer.
Life Today
Me Phi Me is married and has two biological daughters, Autumn and Imani. He also has a stepdaughter named Gabrielle. He helps with his church choir in Baltimore, Maryland. He also works as a consultant for a large company. Me Phi Me continues to write music and rap. He plans to release new songs that have not been heard before.
