Divine Styler
Encyclopedia
Divine Styler is an alternative hip hop
artist from Brooklyn
, New York
.
's Rhyme Syndicate. His first LP, Word Power
, was hailed by critics and fans, but was not a commercial success. His second album, the wildly experimental Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light
, also failed to sell well. In 1998, Divine Styler hooked up with the Quannum Records crew, teaming up with his dear friend and fellow Rhyme Syndicate alumni Everlast, Styles of Beyond
, and the Beat Junkies
. The latter also appeared on his third LP, Wordpower, Vol. 2: Directrix
(Featuring Exceed), which trafficked in information-age
paranoia
.
Divine Styler is a convert to Islam
; he influenced the decision of Everlast
to become a Muslim
. Many of the songs on Spiral Walls Containing Autums of Light are songs of praise to Allah
, and the 1999 song "Make it Plain" (recorded for the Funky Precedent compilation) details the joy he feels at having finally found a way of life he loves after decades of uncertainty and woes.
Aside from those major albums his tracks are scattered among other artists' albums and projects. He has done several tracks with John Tejada
but they're scattered on several compilations and albums by Tejada. He appeared (along with Sadat X
and Cockni O'Dire) on several tracks on the final House of Pain
album Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again
. His most recent work has been with Len
, Swollen Members
, and DJ Shadow
, as well as with guitar
ist, bass
ist, and emcee
Gabe Rosales
.
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
artist from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
He first emerged as part of Ice-TICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
's Rhyme Syndicate. His first LP, Word Power
Word Power
Word Power is the debut album by Divine Styler, released in 1989 on Epic Records. On this album, Divine raps about been proud of heritage , and features Bilal Bashir , who later re-released this album in instrumental form, in 2005...
, was hailed by critics and fans, but was not a commercial success. His second album, the wildly experimental Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light
Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light
Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light is the second album by hip hop artist Divine Styler, released in 1992 on Giant Records. This album marked a significant change in Divine Styler's musical direction, incorporating a much broader range of styles and influences than 1989's Word Power...
, also failed to sell well. In 1998, Divine Styler hooked up with the Quannum Records crew, teaming up with his dear friend and fellow Rhyme Syndicate alumni Everlast, Styles of Beyond
Styles of Beyond
Styles of Beyond is an underground rap group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn and Takbir Bashir , Colton Raisin Fisher , and producer Jason Rabinowitz . They have released two LPs, one mixtape and were heavily featured on Mike...
, and the Beat Junkies
Beat Junkies
The World Famous Beat Junkies is a Hip hop crew of DJs specializing in Turntablism. Established in 1992 in Orange County, California by J-Rocc....
. The latter also appeared on his third LP, Wordpower, Vol. 2: Directrix
Wordpower, Vol. 2: Directrix
Wordpower, Vol. 2: Directrix is the third album by Divine Styler, released in 1999 on Mo' Wax. This was his first album released in seven years, his last being 1992's Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light. However, this album could be considered more as a sequel to his debut album, Word Power,...
(Featuring Exceed), which trafficked in information-age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
.
Divine Styler is a convert to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
; he influenced the decision of Everlast
Everlast (musician)
Erik Francis Schrody , better known by his stage name Everlast, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and songwriter, known for his solo hit "What It's Like" and as the front-man for rap group House of Pain. He is also part of the hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, which consists of members of...
to become a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. Many of the songs on Spiral Walls Containing Autums of Light are songs of praise to Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
, and the 1999 song "Make it Plain" (recorded for the Funky Precedent compilation) details the joy he feels at having finally found a way of life he loves after decades of uncertainty and woes.
Aside from those major albums his tracks are scattered among other artists' albums and projects. He has done several tracks with John Tejada
John Tejada
Normally associated with his peers in techno from Detroit, Europe and elsewhere, John Tejada has embraced electronic music as a personal frontier, expanding on his resume as a techno recording artist as producer, remixer, DJ, and label owner...
but they're scattered on several compilations and albums by Tejada. He appeared (along with Sadat X
Sadat X
Sadat X is an American rapper, most famed as a member of Alternative hip hop group Brand Nubian. Originally known as Derek X, Sadat takes his name from former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat....
and Cockni O'Dire) on several tracks on the final House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
album Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again
Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again
Truth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again is the third album from House of Pain, released in 1996 .-Track listing:#"The Have Nots" - 4:24#"Fed Up" - 5:01#"What's That Smell" - 3:04#"Heart Full of Sorrow" - 3:44...
. His most recent work has been with Len
Len (band)
Len is a Canadian alternative rock group from Toronto, Ontario. They are best known as a one-hit wonder for their song "Steal My Sunshine" in 1999. The band consists of siblings Marc Costanzo and Sharon Costanzo .-Studio albums:...
, Swollen Members
Swollen Members
Swollen Members is a Canadian hip hop group from Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada consisting mainly of the duo Mad Child, and Prevail. Frequent collaborators include vocalist Moka Only and producer Rob the Viking, an official group member since 2002...
, and DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, as well as with guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist, bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
ist, and emcee
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Gabe Rosales
Gabe Rosales
Gabe Rosales is a guitarist, singer, bassist rapper, and producer from San Juan Capistrano, California. Rosales has worked in many genres of music, such as Latin music , rock, jazz, drum and bass, fusion, funk, hip hop, jazz rap, and death metal. His album, Vital Nonsense, was released on February...
.
Albums
- Word PowerWord PowerWord Power is the debut album by Divine Styler, released in 1989 on Epic Records. On this album, Divine raps about been proud of heritage , and features Bilal Bashir , who later re-released this album in instrumental form, in 2005...
(1989) Epic/SME - Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of LightSpiral Walls Containing Autumns of LightSpiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light is the second album by hip hop artist Divine Styler, released in 1992 on Giant Records. This album marked a significant change in Divine Styler's musical direction, incorporating a much broader range of styles and influences than 1989's Word Power...
(1992) Giant/Reprise/Warner Bros. - Word Power, Vol. 2: Directrix (1999) DTX Recordings
Appears on
- Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise AgainTruth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise AgainTruth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again is the third album from House of Pain, released in 1996 .-Track listing:#"The Have Nots" - 4:24#"Fed Up" - 5:01#"What's That Smell" - 3:04#"Heart Full of Sorrow" - 3:44...
(1996) - Strength Magazine Presents Subtext (1999)
- The Funky Precedent (1999)
- Hell's KitchenHell's Kitchen (Maxim album)Hell's Kitchen is the debut album from Maxim Reality of The Prodigy. The album is somewhat different from his previous works with The Prodigy, as it features styles varying from Trip hop, RnB and UK garage...
(2002) - Razor TagRazor TagRazor tag is a Mixtape by Styles of Beyond . It was released online on July 31, 2007 and CD released on August 10, 2007 ."Savin' L.A." and "Second 2 None" are bonus tracks...
(2007) - Reseda Beach (2008)
Miscellenea
- Sometimes credited as IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic convert name, Mikal Safiyullah. - His first few verses from "Whats That Smell" on House of PainHouse of PainHouse of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
's Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise AgainTruth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise AgainTruth Crushed to Earth Shall Rise Again is the third album from House of Pain, released in 1996 .-Track listing:#"The Have Nots" - 4:24#"Fed Up" - 5:01#"What's That Smell" - 3:04#"Heart Full of Sorrow" - 3:44...
is from his first single, "Ain't Sayin' Nothin'", and it has been led to believed that House of Pain used the same scratch noise from "Ain't Sayin' Nothin'" on their song "Jump Around" also.