Eric Breed (July 12, 1971 – November 22, 2008) better known
as MC Breed, was an American rapper best known for his singles "Ain't
No Future in Yo Frontin", which peaked at #66 on the Billboard
Hot 100,[1] and "Gotta Get Mine", featuring 2Pac, that
made it to #6 on the Hot Rap Singles.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Breed is also known as the first commercially
successful rapper to come out of the Midwest.[4] MC Breed's first
album was released with rap group DFC and was entitled MC Breed & DFC
for independent record label, SDEG Records. His solo debut was 1992's
20 Below, after which he released 1993's The New Breed. He would
go on to have a very extensive discography and have a very long career
that was at times successful, but he never fully broke into the mainstream.
His highest charting album was 1994's Funkafied, which peaked at
#106 on the Billboard Hot 200. Through his career he would align
himself with various rap scenes. Early in his career with DFC, he
and the group were independents, as one of the first groups out of
the midwest. However, later in his career he aligned himself with
the West Coast, taking on more of a G-Funk sound [5] and befriending
West Coast rapper Too Short. Still later, he realigned himself once
again with the Dirty South for 1995's Big Baller.[6]
Breed released two more albums with Wrap Records - 1996's To Da
Beat Ch'all and 1997's Flatline - to fulfill his contract with the
label.[7] In 1998, Breed signed a deal with Power Records, who had
distribution through Roadrunner Records, and released the album,
It's All Good, in 1999.[7] 2 for the Show, a compilation showcasing
some of Breed's famous collaborations with 2Pac, Too Short, and more,
followed later that year.[8] In 2000, Breed starred in the straight-to-video
movie, Dollar, alongside Shannon Greer, and released a soundtrack
for it, which featured his smash hit, "Ain't No Future In Yo'
Frontin'".[9] Breed also released a compilation that year titled
The Thugz, Vol. 1, and featured Too Short, Richie Rich, Bootleg of
The Dayton Family, and more. It would end up being his last release
with Power Records.[10]
In 2001, Breed released his 13th album, The Fharmacist, with an
up-start independent label based out of Detroit, Michigan called
Fharmacy Records.[11] The album featured the Jazze Pha produced hit, "Let's
Go To The Club", and a guest appearance from Bootleg of The
Dayton Family.[11] The album liner notes advertised many upcoming
releases, including a collaboration album between Breed and Bootleg
under the group name "Flintstones", and a movie starring
Breed with an accompanying soundtrack titled Got To Get Mine. No
other releases came to fruition, and Fharmacy Records soon diminished.
Breed re-emerged in 2004 with a new deal through Urban Music Zone
Entertainment, a subsidiary label of Psychopathic Records, to release
his album The New Prescription.[12] The album was released in August
of that year with national distribution through RED Distribution/Sony,
and featured Esham, who was signed to Psychopathic Records at the
time. The album didn't receive much promotion, but a music video
was made for the album's only single, "Rap Game".[12]
On May 11, 2006, Breed was sentenced to one year in prison for violating
probation in failure to pay over $200,000 in child support.[13] On
April 3, 2008, Breed was arrested in Flint, Michigan following an
in-store autograph signing session on warrants for about $220,000
in unpaid child support.[14]
On September 5, 2008 the rapper was hospitalized and placed on life-support
after he collapsed when his kidneys failed during a game of pickup
basketball.[15] On November 22, 2008, Breed reportedly died in his
sleep while at a friend's home in Ypsilanti, Michigan.[16]
Before his sudden passing, Breed was preparing to release a DVD
documentary about his life titled, Where Is MC Breed?.[17] He was
also working on a new album, titled The Original Breed: Swag Heavy,
which was intended to be released through his former label, Ichiban
Records.[18] Although the project was still in development, Breed
had reached out to many of his friends to help create the album,
such as producers Erotic D, Ant Banks, Jazze Pha, and Colin Wolfe,
as well as rappers The D.O.C., Spice 1, and Too Short.[18] Breed
stated the album was half finished in September 2008 when he was
released from the hospital after being on life support for two days.[19]
According to MLive.com, Breed had recorded his last song two days
before his death. It's called "Everyday I Wait" and features
Tha Outlawz.[20]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
Year Album Chart Positions
U.S. U.S. Hip-Hop
1991 MC Breed & DFC 142 38
1992 20 Below 155 40
1993 The New Breed 156 17
1994 Funkafied 106 9
1995 Big Baller 143 17
1996 To Da Beat Ch'all - 34
1997 Saucy - -
1997 Flatline - 48
1999 It's All Good 180 41
2000 The Thugz, Vol. 1 - 64
2000 Rare Breed - -
2001 The Fharmacist - -
2004 The New Prescription - -
"—"
denotes the album failed to chart or not released
[edit] Compilations
Year Album
1995 The Best of Breed
1999 2 for the Show
2002 Chopped and Screwed
2004 The Mix Tape
2007 The Hits