Kendrick Jeru Davis, known as Jeru the Damaja (born 1972) is an American
rapper and recording artist who has worked extensively with Guru
and DJ Premier of Gang Starr, whom he has known since high school.
Jeru the Damaja was born February 14, 1972, in Brooklyn, New York
and spent his early years in that borough's East New York neighborhood,
where he began rhyming at block parties as a youth. He first showcased
his hardcore Brooklyn style to audiences on "I'm the Man," a
track from Gang Starr's 1992 album Daily Operation [1] [2]. The following
year he released his first single, "Come Clean," which
was produced by DJ Premier and became an instant underground hit
[3] [4].
His first album, The Sun Rises in the East, was released in 1994
and produced entirely by DJ Premier [5]. The album was well-received
but Jeru was criticized by the Fugees for his lyrics, particularly
for the song "Da Bitchez" [6]. Fugees member Pras lightly
mentioned Jeru on the track "Zealots," from the group's
landmark 1996 album The Score, with the line "No matter who
you damage, you're still a false prophet," referencing Jeru's
single "You Can't Stop the Prophet." Jeru responded lightly
in the intro of the track "Me or the Papes" and also on
the track "Black Cowboys."[7]
Jeru followed up in 1996 with his second album. Wrath of the Math,
again produced solely by DJ Premier [8]. The album was also widely
acclaimed, although not on the same level as his debut. Like on his
first album, Jeru was accusatory of commercial hip hop artists and
record labels such as Death Row Records and Bad Boy Entertainment,
which he criticized on the concept track "One Day." After
the release of Math, Jeru reportedly had a falling-out with DJ Premier
and Guru (however, Jeru has dismissed this and claimed that they
wanted to go in different directions), and was missing from the scene
until 1999, when he released his third album, Heroz4Hire, released
together with Mizmarvel, which was his first album without production
from DJ Premier and also his first under his then-newly created KnowSavage
Records. It featured the single "99.9 Pa Cent," which was
a verbal attack on his former affiliates Gang Starr. The album was
less critically acclaimed than his last.[citation needed] In 1999,
he collaborated with the Spanish hip hop group Violadores del Verso
in the track "Solo quedar consuelo."
His next album, Divine Design, released in 2003, was the first album
under his new record label, Ashenafi Records. The album received
little attention and mixed reviews. The latest Jeru album, titled
Still Rising, was released on October 16, 2007 [9]. On April 2, 2007,
during a La Coka Nostra concert at the Gramercy Theatre in New York,
Jeru the Damaja came out for a surprise appearance to perform his
song "D Original".
In 2009 Jeru started to collborate with Drum & Bass Producers.
In 2009, he is featured on Kabuki's track "Watch Your Step." Jeru
also collaborated with Group Home in 2010 for a song dedicated to
the late rapper Guru. The song is titled "G.U.R.U."
[edit] Discography
Album information
The Sun Rises in the East
* Released: May 24, 1994
* Billboard 200 chart position: #36
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #5
* Singles: "Come Clean"/"D Original"/"You Can't Stop
the Prophet"
Wrath of the Math
* Released: October 15, 1996
* Billboard 200 chart position: #35
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #3
* Singles: "Ya Playin' Yaself"/"One Day"/"Me or the
Papes"/"The Bullshit"
Heroz4Hire
* Released: September 7, 1999
* Billboard 200 chart position: -
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -
* Singles: "99.9 Pa Cent"/"Verbal Battle"/"Black Love"
Divine Design
* Released: September 23, 2003
* Billboard 200 chart position: -
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -
* Singles: "War"/"Rap Wars"/"Rasta Powers"
Still Rising
* Released: October 16, 2007
* Billboard 200 chart position: -
* R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -
* Singles: "The Crack"