EL-PRODUCTO

'El-P' aka 'El-Producto' (born 'Jaime Meline' on 4 March, 1975) is an American hip hop artist and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York City. A major driving force in alternative hip hop for over a decade, he is the co-founder, owner and CEO of the Definitive Jux record label.

Contents

Biography

Chronicle of the El-P Tour

Style

Solo Discography

Albums

Mixtapes

Singles

References

External links

Biography

The son of jazz pianist Harry Keys (born Harry Meline), El-P (born Jaime Meline) became involved with the hip hop culture of New York City at an early age. After being expelled from several schools for problems with authority, Meline decided to whole-heartedly pursue a career in music. At his 18th birthday party, he met Mr. Len, whom he had hired as a DJ for the night. The two quickly became friends and formed Company Flow in 1992. They released their first vinyl single, "Juvenile Technique", in 1993. Bigg Jus later complemented the group and in 1996 the trio released their debut EP, ''Funcrusher''. Subject to a major label bidding war after the success of the EP, Company Flow waited until they could get a contract on their own terms. They eventually signed to Rawkus Records, and released their debut full-length album, ''Funcrusher Plus'' (1997), which is now widely recognized as one of the most ground-breaking and influential alternative hip hop albums of all time.
After an instrumental album called '' (1999), also on Rawkus, disagreements between El-P and the label lead to Company Flow leaving Rawkus. El-P then decided to start his own record label, Definitive Jux, and because of critically acclaimed albums like Cannibal Ox's ''The Cold Vein'' (produced by El-P) and Aesop Rock's ''Labor Days'', the label quickly rose to prominence.
Company Flow (now comprised of only El-P and Mr. Len) dissolved amicably in 2001 and the following year El-P released his debut solo album, ''Fantastic Damage'', to wide acclaim. After a five year hiatus, his second full-length studio album, ''I'll Sleep When You're Dead'' (2007), appeared.
El-P has been involved in at least two notable hip hop feuds (or "beefs"): one with anticon. rapper Sole, in which El-P incorporated a taped telephone conversation that took place with Sole into his song. The second involved Boston rapper Esoteric of the group 7L & Esoteric. This feud included various Definitive Jux artists and members of the Demigodz.
El-P has contributed productions and guest raps to albums by DJ Krush, Aesop Rock, Murs, Cage, Mr. Lif, Prefuse 73, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Mike Ladd, The High and Mighty, Aceyalone and Atmosphere. He collaborated with Alec Empire on the first Handsome Boy Modeling School album and with Cage and Chino Moreno on the second. He was selected to work on Rage Against the Machine frontman Zach de la Rocha's solo album (which never materialized). El-P also provided the soundtrack for the graffiti film ''Bomb the System''. El-P Biography at DefinitiveJux.net (old) El-P Biography at DefinitiveJux.net (current)

Chronicle of the El-P Tour

In 2007, El-P went on tour with Hangar 18, Mr. Dibbs and the Mighty Quin, Slow Suicide Stimulus, and Yak Ballz. Life on the road and all the raw antics were filmed on Riding Shotgun a behind the scenes show on ItsHipHop.Tv.

Style

As a rapper, El-P's style can be characterized by his dense, aggressive, and verbose attacks, which include notable use of metaphor, science fiction and fantasy themes and references, and associative word play. Regardless of this sophistication, he does not eschew traditional hip hop subject matter, a description which would fit equally well with several of his colleagues. His impact as a producer owes to his innovative mix of bleak futurism and low fidelity sounds. This sound is influenced by Public Enemy's production team, The Bomb Squad. El-P is a great fan of science fiction writer Philip K. Dick, and many of Dick's themes—paranoia, the nature of reality—feature in El-P's work.
El-P has worked with free jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, a fan of El-P's music. In an interview with Shipp, Meline stated:
El-P has done some work as a DJ. In November 2004, he spun alongside Peanut Butter Wolf, owner of Stones Throw Records at a small club named Sonotheque in Chicago. Also, in the summer of 2005, at the Intonation Festival hosted by Pitchfork Media El-P did a short DJ set alongside Yo La Tengo member James McNew, both denizens of the same apartment complex in Brooklyn.

Solo Discography

Albums

Album cover	Album information
	'''El-P Presents Cannibal Oxtrumentals''' ★ Released: March 19, 2002 ★ Label: Definitive Jux ★ Chart Positions: ★ Singles: ★ The instrumental version of the critically acclaimed 2001 Cannibal Ox album ''The Cold Vein''.
	'''Fantastic Damage''' ★ Released: May 14, 2002 ★ Label: Definitive Jux ★ Chart Positions: #198 Billboard 200, #82 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ★ Singles: "Stepfather Factory", "Deep Space 9mm" / "Tuned Mass Damper", "Dead Disnee" / "Dead Weathermen" ★ El-P's debut solo album. It was well-received and is widely considered to be one of the best albums released on Definitive Jux. Videos were shot for "Deep Space 9mm" and "Stepfather Factory".
	'''' ★ Released: October 1, 2002 on Definitive Jux ★ Label: Definitive Jux ★ Chart Positions: ★ Singles: "Lazerfaces' Warning (RJD2 remix)" / "Squeegee Man Shooting (Original Version)" ★ Instrumental version of ''Fantastic Damage''. Also includes a second disc which has remixes, lyrics, and video footage of El-P in concert.
	'''High Water''' ★ Released: March 9, 2004 ★ Label: Thirsty Ear ★ Chart Positions: #46 Top Independent Albums ★ Singles: "Sunrise Over Bklyn" ★ Made in conjunction with jazz pianist Matthew Shipp and the group for which he is artistic director, The Blue Series Continuum, the album is a striking departure from El-P's usual style, completely eschewing conventional ideas of hip-hop in favour of electronically-tinged jazz fusion collaborations.
	'''Collecting the Kid''' ★ Released: October 19, 2004 ★ Label: Definitive Jux ★ Chart Positions: ★ Singles: "Jukie Skate Rock" / "Constellation (Remix)" ★ A Limited Edition 11 track album consisting mostly of instrumentals from various side projects (High Water, the Bomb the System soundtrack, Central Services, etc).
	'''I'll Sleep When You're Dead''' ★ Released: March 20, 2007 ★ Label: Definitive Jux ★ Chart Positions: #78 Billboard 200, #55 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ★ Singles: "Everything Must Go", "Smithereens", "Flyentology" ★ El-P's second full-length studio album, released almost a full five years after his critically acclaimed 2002 album ''Fantastic Damage''. Videos were shot for "Smithereens" and "Flyentology".

Mixtapes

★ ''Weareallgoingtoburninhell'' (Definitive Jux - 2003), A limited release only sold at shows and was said to have been recorded by the New York native shortly after September 11.

Singles

★ "Stepfather Factory" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2001)

★ "Dead Light" / "Train Buffer" El-P/Aesop Rock Split 12" (Chocolate Industries - 2002)

★ "Deep Space 9mm" / "Tuned Mass Damper" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)

★ "Dead Disnee" / "Dead Weathermen" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)

★ "Lazerfaces' Warning (RJD2 remix)" / "Squeegee Man Shooting (Original Version)" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2002)

★ "Truancy" 7" (Definitive Jux - 2002)

★ "Sunrise Over Bklyn" 10" (Thirsty Ear - 2003)

★ "Jukie Skate Rock" / "Constellation (Remix)" 12" (Definitive Jux - 2004)

★ "Everything Must Go" 12" colored vinyl (Definitive Jux - 2006)

★ "Smithereens" / "The Overly Dramatic Truth" 7" colored vinyl (Definitive Jux - 2007)

References

External links

★ El-P at Worlds Fair

★ Definitive Jux - Official Website

★ Definitive Jux - Bio

★ El-P's Management team - World's Fair

★

★ El-P's iMeem page with streaming audio & video

★ Track listing for rare lp ''Weareallgoingtoburninhell''

★ Synthesis Magazine Interview

★ The Onion AV Club Interview

★ The Village Voice interview

★ Pitchfork Media Interview

★ Mesh Magazine Interview

★ El-P audio interview from Synthesis Radio

★ El-P video interview from GermanRhymes.de

★ A Conversation with El-P from Oh Dang! Magazine by James Monroe Adams IV and Photo by Gretchen Robinette

★ El-P review from G-wie-Gorilla.de

★ SuicideGirls Interview with El-P