Bahamadia
Encyclopedia
Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip hop
artist born in 1970, and a DJ
who later became an MC
. As a member of Gang Starr Foundation
, she released her critically acclaimed debut album
entitled Kollage
in 1996. The album featured production
by Guru
and DJ Premier of Gang Starr
. Kollage was followed in 2001 by BB Queen, an EP
release.
Bahamadia is a respected lyricist in hip hop and is known for her silky, subdued monotone
delivery. She has expressed a positive attitude toward globalism
as an emerging trend in hip hop. For example, in a 2003 collaboration with little-known group the Sisters of the Underground on a track entitled "Global", she performs lyrics in the chorus which acknowledge Japan
, Canada
, Sweden
, Norway
, and Thailand
, among other countries, for fostering vibrant hip hop
communities, and Japan in particular for the dedication of her Japanese fans. She has recorded a number of bootlegs
exclusively released in Japan.
Her reputation in North America
has been enhanced by a number of highly regarded guest appearances on tracks by artists including Talib Kweli
, The Roots
, Jedi Mind Tricks
and Planet Asia
, and through her association with the Philadelphia hip hop collective
Army of the Pharaohs
.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist born in 1970, and a DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
who later became an MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
. As a member of Gang Starr Foundation
Gang Starr Foundation
Gang Starr Foundation is a collective of east coast rappers led by the hip hop group Gang Starr. It was founded by The Vikar and established in 1993.-Current members:*Afu-Ra*Big Shug*Freddie Foxxx*Vic BlackGang Starr...
, she released her critically acclaimed debut album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
entitled Kollage
Kollage (album)
Kollage is Bahamadia's debut solo album, which was released in 1996. Its lead single, “3 Tha Hard Way,” was produced by DJ Premier.-Track listing: -Samples:...
in 1996. The album featured production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Guru
Guru (rapper)
Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...
and DJ Premier of Gang Starr
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an influential East Coast hip hop duo that consisted of the late MC Guru and DJ/producer DJ Premier. Their style combined elements of New York jazz and hip hop.-Background:...
. Kollage was followed in 2001 by BB Queen, an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
release.
Bahamadia is a respected lyricist in hip hop and is known for her silky, subdued monotone
Monotone
Monotone refers to a sound, for example speech or music, that has a single unvaried tone.Monotone or monotonicity may also refer to:*Monotone , an open source revision control system*Monotone class theorem, in measure theory...
delivery. She has expressed a positive attitude toward globalism
Globalism
Globalism can have at least two different and opposing meanings. One meaning is the attitude or policy of placing the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations...
as an emerging trend in hip hop. For example, in a 2003 collaboration with little-known group the Sisters of the Underground on a track entitled "Global", she performs lyrics in the chorus which acknowledge Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, among other countries, for fostering vibrant hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
communities, and Japan in particular for the dedication of her Japanese fans. She has recorded a number of bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
exclusively released in Japan.
Her reputation in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
has been enhanced by a number of highly regarded guest appearances on tracks by artists including Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
and Planet Asia
Planet Asia
Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
, and through her association with the Philadelphia hip hop collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:...
.
Albums
| Title | Label | Date | Catalog Number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kollage Kollage (album) Kollage is Bahamadia's debut solo album, which was released in 1996. Its lead single, “3 Tha Hard Way,” was produced by DJ Premier.-Track listing: -Samples:... |
Chrysalis Chrysalis Records Chrysalis Records was a British record label that was created in 1969. The name was both a reference to the pupal stage of a butterfly and a combination of its founders names, Chris Wright and Terry Ellis... /EMI Records EMI The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major... |
March 19, 1996 | 7243 8 35484 2 2/F2-35484 | Her Solo Debut Album |
| BB Queen | Good Vibe Recordings | July 25, 2000 | SHO-CD-0017 | |
| Good Rap Music | B-Girl Freedom Records http://www.bahamadiamusic.com | January 8, 2006 | CDJAM009 | |
| Here | B-Girl Freedom Records http://www.bahamadiamusic.com | June 24, 2010 | CDBGFR010 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 1994 | "Total Wreck" | #50 | - | - | Kollage |
| 1995 | "Uknowhowwedu" | #17 | #15 | #23 | Kollage |
| 1996 | "I Confess I Confess "I Confess" can refer to:*I Confess , a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock*I Confess , an album by Holly Palmer*"I Confess" , a 1953 popular song... " |
#27 | #45 | #11 | Kollage |
| 1996 | "Three The Hardway" | #27 | #45 | #11 | Kollage |
| 2000 | "Special Forces Special forces Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform... " |
- | - | #38 | BB Queen |
Guest appearances
- 1995: Respect The Architect GuruGuru (rapper)Keith Edward Elam , better known by his stage name Guru, was an American emcee and member of the hip-hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts...
's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New RealityJazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New RealityGuru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality, was the follow-up to the well-received Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. This second release to the Jazzmatazz series slightly toned down the jazz rap punch that made the first volume memorable. It was nevertheless critically acclaimed in its own right... - 1996: Au Natural (from Sweetback'sSweetback (band)Sweetback is an English musical group, made up of members of the band Sade, but not including the lead singer Sade Adu herself. They are a jazz/funk band with R&B overtones. Stuart Matthewman, Paul Spencer Denman and Andrew Hale had been recording with female vocalist Sade Adu since 1984. The group...
self-titled album) - 1996: Push Up Ya Lighter (from The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' album Illadelph HalflifeIlladelph HalflifeThe New York Times writer Neil Strauss called the album "one of the year's best rap offerings" and wrote that "The Roots move indiscriminately from politically conscious lyrics to silly rhymes "...
) - 1997: Say Word (from the BoogiemonstersBoogiemonstersBoogiemonsters were an American rap group composed of Bronx, New York born rapper Mondo McCann, Alaskan native Vex Da Vortex and Jamaican-born brothers Myntric and Yodared . Vex, Myntric and Yodared met in high school in Virginia where their families had relocated from New York City...
album God Sound) - 1997: New Forms (from Roni SizeRoni SizeRoni Size is a British record producer and DJ, who came to prominence in 1997 as the founder and leader of Reprazent, a drum and bass collective...
's album New FormsNew FormsNew Forms is the debut album by the drum and bass act Roni Size / Reprazent and was released in 1997. The double-disc set was the winner of the Mercury Music Prize in 1997, and often cited as their magnum opus. In the UK, the first disc was released by itself, while two different vinyl versions exist...
) - 1998: Happy (from Towa TeiTowa Teiis a DJ, artist and record producer in Yokahoma, Japan.Tōwa debuted as a member of Deee-Lite, from the U.S. label Elektra Records in 1990, and shot to fame via their international hit single, "Groove Is In the Heart"...
's album Sound MuseumSound MuseumSound Museum is the second solo album from Japanese electronic musician Towa Tei, released in 1998.Similar to his debut album Future Listening!, Sound Museum incorporates a variety of musical genres, including electronic, hip-hop and jazz. Also included is a bossa nova cover version of Daryl Hall...
) - 1998: Five Perfect Exertions (From Army of the PharaohsArmy of the PharaohsArmy of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:...
's EP "The Five Perfect Exertions EP") - 1999: Chaos with Talib KweliTalib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
(from Rawkus Records's album Soundbombing II) - 1999: When I Shine (from English group Herbaliser's album Very MercenaryVery MercenaryVery Mercenary is the third album by The Herbaliser. It was released on Ninja Tune in 1999.-Track listing:# "Intro" – 1:01# "Mission Improbable" – 3:09# "Who's the Realest?" – 4:44# "When I Shine" – 3:54...
) - 1999: Exertions(Remix) (from Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
album Violent By DesignViolent By DesignViolent by Design is the second album by underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. Despite never reaching any Billboard album chart, the album sold 50,000 copies in its first week on shelves. . The album was originally released on JMT's self-run Superegular Records on October 3, 2000. JMT's...
) - 1999: Plead the Fifth (from Concise Kilgore album Plead the Fifth)
- 2000: Good Girl Down (from MorcheebaMorcheebaMorcheeba are a British band, mixing influences from trip hop, rock, R&B, and pop.They have produced 7 albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.-Biography:...
's album Fragments of FreedomFragments of FreedomFragments of Freedom is Morcheeba's third album. It was released in 2000. The album proved to have been one of their most successful albums in terms of chart sales however critical reception was not as welcoming as with other Morcheeba albums. Mostly due to the drastic change in sound...
) - 2001: Expo Expo (from the Japanese group M-FloM-flois a Japanese hip hop group consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee Verbal.Former member Lisa left the group in 2002 to pursue a solo career, and the remaining members then started the M-Flo Loves... project working different vocalists for each song over three albums, including the...
's album Expo ExpoExpo ExpoExpo Expo is the second studio album from the Japanese hip-hop group M-Flo. Remixes of songs from this album were released as Expo Bouei Robot Gran Sonik.- Track listing :#正門 #Prism#東門...
) - 2001: Too Much Weight (from Princess SuperstarPrincess SuperstarPrincess Superstar is an American emcee and DJ.Her musical style, as she describes it, is flip-flop — a mixture of 'hip hop, electroclash and electronica'.-Background:...
's album Princess Superstar IsPrincess Superstar IsPrincess Superstar Is is a hip-hop album released by Princess Superstar. It is her fourth LP.Producers include Princess Superstar , Herbaliser, Curtis Curtis, DJ Mighty Mi of High and Mighty, Lenny Lacem, Chops, Sinista, Dart LA, and Big Jim Slade.-Track listing:#"Super Fantasy"#"Bad Babysitter"...
) - 2003: Love of My Life Worldwide (from Erykah BaduErykah BaduErica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
's album Worldwide UndergroundWorldwide UndergroundWorldwide Underground is the third studio album by American R&B and neo soul musician Erykah Badu, released September 16, 2003 on Motown Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003, following Badu's period of writer's block and her performing on the Frustrated Artist Tour...
) - 2004: Ancestry in Progress, "Yelling Away" and "Show Me The Way" with Zap MamaZap MamaZap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
- 2007: Still Here (from Japanese dj DJ Deckstream's album Deckstream Soundtracks)
- 2009: Breathe (from Mr. LifMr. LifMr. Lif is an American hip hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts. Often noted for his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on El-P's Definitive Jux label and one on Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises. Mr...
's album I Heard It TodayI Heard It Today-External links:* via...
) - 2009: Do What I Believe (from Statik SelektahStatik SelektahPatrick Baril better known as Statik Selektah, is an East Coast-based DJ, Producer and CEO of Showoff Records.-Biography:...
's The Pre-Game EP) - 2011: Connect (from Finnish beatboxer Felix Zenger's album Won't Say a Thing)