Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New
York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba (born Maxwell Dixon, on
March 4, 1966), Sadat X (formerly Derek X, born Derek Murphy, on
December 29, 1968) and Lord Jamar (born Lorenzo Dechalus, on September
17, 1968), and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere. Its debut album,
One for All is one of the most popular and acclaimed alternative
hip hop albums of the 1990s, known for socially conscious and politically
charged content inspired by the teachings of the Nation of Gods and
Earths.[1]
Brand Nubian formed in 1989 after Grand Puba's original group, Masters
of Ceremony, split up. Its first single, "Brand Nubian," was
released in 1989. Signed to Elektra Records by A&R man Dante
Ross, its debut album, One For All, was released in 1990. Generally
acclaimed, the album drew fire for militant Five-Percenter rhetoric
on tracks such as "Drop the Bomb" and "Wake Up." The
controversy helped sales, although the album was still not a great
commercial success. To date, the album has sold 350,000 units. A
version of the Fab Five Freddy-directed video of the single "Wake
Up," featuring a Black man in white-face makeup, was also banned
from MTV. On that channel and from official WEA sources, this image
was replaced by a Baptist preacher. The singles "Slow Down," "All
for One," and "Wake Up" all became hits on Billboard’s
Hot Rap Tracks chart in 1991.
Shortly after its debut release, Sadat X and Lord Jamar began having
problems with Grand Puba, which caused him to leave the group, along
with DJ Alamo, to pursue a solo career. Lord Jamar and Sadat X enlisted
DJ Sincere to join the group in 1992. The same year, Puba released
his solo debut, Reel to Reel, which featured the hit single "360
Degrees (What Goes Around)".
Later in 1992, the Puba-less Brand Nubian released a hit single
of its own, "Punks Jump up to Get Beat Down". The track
was met with controversy over blatant homophobic content, referencing
the Sadat X line "I can freak, fly, flow, fuck up a faggot/I
don't understand their ways; I ain't down with gays." Despite
the controversy, the single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number
77. Later versions omitted the line and replaced it with different
lyrics, including the version on the greatest hits compilation The
Very Best of Brand Nubian.
[edit] 1992–1996
At the end of 1992, the crew released its second album, In God We
Trust. "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" was included on
this release, as well as the number-92 Hot-100 single "Love
Me or Leave Me Alone." The effort sold moderately well, fueled
by the crew's continuing controversy. In 1993, the group contributed
a track to the Menace II Society soundtrack, titled "Lick Dem
Muthaphuckas."
The group’s next release, Everything is Everything, was released
in November 1994. The controversy kept growing, with further accusations
of the group’s music being analogous to hate speech. The album
received very mixed reviews and mediocre sales, despite the top-40
Hot Rap Tracks singles "Word is Bond" and "Hold On." In
1995, the group broke up, left Elektra, and launched solo careers
in music and television. That year, Puba released his second solo
effort, 2000, featuring another Billboard Hot 100 single, "I
Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)." Sadat X released his first
solo effort, titled Wild Cowboys (Loud/RCA/BMG Records), in 1996.
[edit] 1997–2000
The group's original members reunited in 1997, contributing a song
to the Soul in the Hole soundtrack, titled "A Child is Born".
Another song, "Keep It Bubblin'," appeared on the 1997
Money Talks soundtrack. In 1998, the four original members returned
with the album Foundation on a new label, Arista/BMG Records. The
album received wide acclaim and featured contributions from a larger
group of producers, including DJ Premier, Buckwild, Lord Finesse,
and Diamond D. The lead single "Don't Let it Go to Your Head" became,
at number 54, the group's highest-charting single on the Hot 100.
In 2000, the crew once again teamed up with Buckwild of D.I.T.C.
and released the underground single "Rockin' It," before
the members continued their individual pursuits. Sadat X released
a solo EP in 2000, The State of New York vs. Derek Murphy, on Loud/Relativity
Records.
[edit] 2001–present
Puba released his third solo effort, Understand This, in 2001, which
received little attention despite featuring his fellow Brand Nubian
members. The original members reunited once again in 2004 for the
release of its fifth album, Fire in the Hole, their first release
on an independent label, Babygrande Records. The album received mixed
reviews and sold below expectations. Sadat X released another solo
effort in 2005, titled Experience & Education, receiving mostly
positive reviews. Jamar also furthered his acting career, recently
appearing on an episode of The Sopranos, as well as episodes of Oz,
Third Watch, and Law & Order. Lord Jamar released his first solo
album, The 5% Album, June 27, 2006, on Babygrande Records. Sadat
X's third full length album, titled Black October, was released October
2006. In 2007 the group released an album titled Time's Runnin' Out,
although the material on the CD was recorded 10 years previous in
the sessions leading up to the Foundation album (released in 1998).
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
Album information
One For All
* Released: December 4, 1990
* Billboard 200 chart position: #130
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #34
* Singles: "Brand Nubian"/"Feels So Good", "Wake Up"/"Drop
the Bomb", "All For One"/"Concerto in X Minor", "Slow
Down"/"To the Right"
In God We Trust
* Released: 1992
* Billboard 200 chart position: #12
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #4
* Singles: "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down", "Allah U Akbar"/"Steal
Ya Ho", "Love Me or Leave Me Alone"/"The Travel Jam"
Everything is Everything
* Released: November 1, 1994
* Billboard 200 chart position: #54
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #13
* Singles: "Word is Bond"/"Straight Off Da Head", "Hold
On"/"Step Into Da Cipher"/"Alladat"
Foundation
* Released: September 29, 1998
* Billboard 200 chart position: #59
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #12
* Singles: "The Return"/"Brand Nubian", "Don't Let
it Go to Your Head"/"Back Up Off the Wall", "Let's Dance"
Fire in the Hole
* Released: August 10, 2004
* Billboard 200 chart position: -
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #57
* Singles: "Whatever Happened...?"/"Momma", "Who Wanna
Be a Star? (It's Brand Nu Baby!)"/"Just Don't Learn", "Young
Son"/"Still Livin' in the Ghetto"
Time's Runnin' Out
* Released: 2007
* Billboard 200 chart position: -
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -
* Singles: -
[edit] Compilation album
Album information
"
The Very Best of Brand Nubian"
* Released: 2001
* Billboard 200 chart position:
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position:
* Singles:
[edit] Singles
Information
"
Brand Nubian"
* Released: 1989
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Feels So Good"
* Note: Both tracks appeared on the CD version of "One For All",
and re-presses of the LP also included them.
* Samples: Rigor Mortis by Cameo
"Wake Up"
* Released: 1990
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Drop the Bomb"
"All For One"
* Released: 1991
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Concerto in X Minor"
"Slow Down"
* Released: 1991
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "To the Right"
* Samples: What I Am by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.
"Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down"
* Released: 1992
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down (Remix)"
"Allah U Akbar"
* Released: 1993
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Steal Ya Ho"
"Love Me or Leave Me Alone"
* Released: 1993
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "The Travel Jam"
"Word is Bond"
* Released: 1994
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Straight Off Da Head"
"Hold On"
* Released: 1995
* Label: Elektra Records
* B-Side: "Step Into Da Cipher", "Alladat"
"A Child is Born"
* Released: 1997
* Label: Loud Records
* B-Side:
"The Return"
* Released: 1997
* Label: Arista Records
* B-Side: "Brand Nubian"
"Don't Let it Go to Your Head"
* Released: 1998
* Label: Arista Records
* B-Side: "Back Up Off the Wall"
"Let's Dance"
* Released: 1999
* Label: Arista Records
* B-Side:
"Rockin' It"
* Released: 2000
* Label: Kurrup Money Records
* B-Side: "Spend It" (by D.I.T.C.)
"Walking on a Cloud"
* Released: 2003
* Label: Spun Records
* B-Side: "Shine"
"Whatever Happened...?"
* Released: 2004
* Label: Babygrande Records
* B-Side: "Momma"
"Who Wanna Be a Star? (It's Brand Nu Baby!)"
* Released: 2004
* Label: Babygrande Records
* B-Side: "Just Don't Learn"
"Young Son"
* Released: 2004
* Label: Babygrande Records
* B-Side: "Still Livin' in the Ghetto"
[edit] Singles chart positions
Year Song U.S. Hot 100 U.S. R&B U.S. Rap Album
1990 "Wake Up" #92 #5 One For All
1991 "All For One" #17 One For All
1991 "Slow Down" #63 #3 One For All
1992 "360 Degrees (What Goes Around)" (Grand Puba) #68
#30 #1 Reel to Reel
1993 "Check it Out" (Grand Puba feat. Mary J. Blige) #85
#13 Reel to Reel
1993 "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" #77 #42 #2 In God
We Trust
1993 "Love Me or Leave Me Alone" #92 #68 #13 In God We
Trust
1994 "Word is Bond" #94 #64 #11 Everything is Everything
1995 "Hold On" (Feat. Starr) #39 Everything is Everything
1995 "I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)" (Grand Puba)
#91 #68 #21 2000
1995 "A Little of This" (Grand Puba) #90 2000
1996 "Hang 'Em High" (Sadat X) #98 #53 #12 Wild Cowboys
1996 "The Lump Lump" (Sadat X) #85 #20 Wild Cowboys
1998 "Don't Let it Go to Your Head" #54 #24 #3 Foundation
2000 "Rockin' It" #29 "Rockin' It"
2000 "Ka-Ching" (Sadat X feat. Hy Tymes) #36 The State
of New York vs. Derek Murphy