Oscar Jackson, Jr. (born October 29, 1967), better known by his stage
name Paris is a United States hip-hop artist from San Francisco,
California, known for his highly charged political and socially conscious
lyrics. Influenced by the Black Panthers, he was once a member of
the Nation of Islam, but now is agnostic.
He was catapulted onto the national scene in 1990 with his hit single "The
Devil Made Me Do It" and album of the same name, after earning
a bachelor's degree in economics from UC Davis.[1] Originally released
on Tommy Boy Records, his first single was banned by MTV.[2] Since
then his stance on political issues and social commentary have both
aided and hindered his quest to bring his music and messages to the
masses.
When his second album, Sleeping with the Enemy, was ready for release
in 1992, Paris was dropped from now-defunct Tommy Boy Records (since
rechristened Tommy Boy Entertainment in 2002) and distributor Warner
Bros. Records, owned by Time Warner, when the parent company discovered
its incendiary content, which included fantasy revenge killings of
then-President Bush and racist police officers. Also problematic
was the album's insert, which featured the artist waiting behind
a tree, holding a Tec 9, as the president was waving to the crowd.
Paris eventually released the LP himself on his newly formed Scarface
Records. Also in 1992, Paris contributed to industrial music band
Consolidated's 1992 album Play More Music with the track "Guerrillas
in the Mist."
Paris signed a major artist and distribution deal with Priority
Records for himself and Scarface Records in 1993 and released his
third LP, Guerrilla Funk, and several then up-and-coming groups,
most notably the Conscious Daughters. Paris and Priority formally
severed their business relationship due to creative differences in
1995, and in 1997, Paris signed a one-off deal with now-defunct Whirling
Records (distributed by Rykodisc) for the release of his 4th LP,
Unleashed, which was released in small numbers with little promotion.
The album contained some very explicitly violent and racially charged
verses, and while less overtly political as earlier efforts, the
lyrics explicitly describe racial violence when confronted with the
same.
The album was also released in Europe with a different track list,
featuring songs from 1994, 1996 and 1998, some of which were more
in the style of his earlier releases. Becoming increasingly dissatisfied
with the music industry, Paris retired from recording and worked
as a stockbroker, cementing his personal wealth allowing him to independently
finance the next stage of his musical endeavors.
[edit] 2000s
In 2003, Paris appeared on Anybody Killa's Hatchet Warrior album
and returned with the album, Sonic Jihad. The album continued his
tradition of controversial cover art, evoking images of the September
11, 2001 attacks, it depicts a plane flying toward the White House.
The content is equally radical and speaks on many topics, including
the war on terror, the war in Iraq, police brutality, black-on-black
violence, conditions in inner-city communities, the Illuminati, and
state sponsored terrorism. Other politically-minded hip hop artists
were featured on the album, including Kam, dead prez, and Public
Enemy. Sonic Jihad was the catalyst for the creation or Paris' new
label and Web site, Guerrilla Funk Recordings,[3] a home for projects
and material of such notable acts as dead prez and Public Enemy.
In 2006, Paris completed a project with Public Enemy, Rebirth of
a Nation, the title both a reference to the 1915 film The Birth of
a Nation, controversial for its glorification of the Ku Klux Klan
and its racist portrayal of African Americans, and PE's 1988 classic
It Takes a Nation of Millions.... Although Chuck D was the primary
vocal performer, Paris penned and produced the bulk of the album,
which also featured N.W.A's MC Ren, Immortal Technique, Kam, dead
prez, and The Conscious Daughters.
In 2006 Paris also released Paris presents Hard Truth Soldiers,
Vol. 1, the first in a Paris-produced compilation series that touched
on subjects ranging from war and police brutality to black-on-black
crime and domestic violence. It showcased contributions from Public
Enemy, The Coup, dead prez, Paris, T-K.A.S.H., Kam, The Conscious
Daughters, Mystic, MC Ren, Sun Rise Above, and The S.T.O.P. Movement
(Mobb Deep, Tray Deee, Soopafly, KRS-One, Defari, Daz, J-Ro, RBX,
Bad Azz, WC, Dilated Peoples, Mac Minister, The Alchemist, Mack 10,
Evidence, Defari, Everlast, and B-Real), among others.
Also in 2006, Paris introduced the world to former Coup-member T-K.A.S.H.
and his debut offering, Turf War Syndrome, handling production duties
as well.
His anti-war anthem "What Would You Do?" on his Sonic
Jihad album [4] accuses the US government of perpetrating the September
11th 2001 attacks, saying, "Ain't no terror threat, unless approval
rating's slumpin'. So I'ma say it for the record we the ones that
planned it, ain't no other country took a part or had they hand in
it". It is also featured on the Peace Not War, Vol. 2 compilation
album.[5]
In 2007, Paris released the follow up companion piece to Rebirth
of a Nation, the Public Enemy collaboration Remix of a Nation, and
began laying the framework for the film division of Guerrilla Funk
Recordings.
Paris inked a distribution deal with Fontana/Universal for Guerrilla
Funk (with movies through Vivendi) in late 2008, and released his
newest album, Acid Reflex, featuring Chuck D. and George Clinton.
In 2009, Paris released Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers, Vol.
2, the sophomore project from T-K.A.S.H., Brains All Over The Streets,
and the latest offering from The Conscious Daughters, The Nutcracker
Suite.
Paris not only writes and produces songs, but also publishes information
about how to help the black community grow. One example of this is
an article about how to manage your personal money. He explains about
how you can build a better future for yourself and your children
by handling your money more consciously in 5 steps and a final re-investment
step.
He has recently appeared as himself in music documentary Sounds
Like a Revolution.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
* 1989: The Devil Made Me Do It
* 1992: Sleeping with the Enemy
* 1994: Guerrilla Funk
* 1998: Unleashed
* 2003: Sonic Jihad
* 2006: Rebirth of a Nation with Public Enemy
* 2006: Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers Vol. 1
* 2008: Acid Reflex
* 2009: Paris Presents: Hard Truth Soldiers Vol. 2
[edit] Videos/Singles
* The Devil Made Me Do It
* The Days of Old
* Outta My Life
* Don't Stop the Movement - Acid Reflex
* Guerrilla Funk
* Break the Grip of Shame
* Assata's Song
* One Time fo' Ya Mind
[edit] Singles Chart Positions
Year Song Chart positions[6] Album
U.S. R&B U.S. Rap
1990 The Devil Made Me Do It 20 The Devil Made Me Do It
1994 Guerrilla Funk 90 23 Guerrilla Funk