Greydon Square
Encyclopedia
Greydon Square is an American
rap
per. He is an Iraq War veteran
and an outspoken atheist
who promotes discussion on philosophical issues, as well as having studied physics
full time before moving on to study computer science
.
, California
, a historically impoverished suburb of Los Angeles
, where he was raised as an orphan and became immersed in gang culture. In May 2001, he enlisted in the United States Army
. He went on to serve in the Iraq War in March 2004. After returning from Iraq, Collins began attending college in Phoenix
, Arizona
as a physics major. It was at this time that he began questioning his prior religious beliefs and became an atheist, posting videos on YouTube
. He has appeared in several television documentaries and radio shows, and his music has attracted fans such as Penn Jillette
and Richard Dawkins
. He is also a member of the international secular hip-hop activist movement and The Anti-Injustice Movement (aka The AIM)
, DJ Quik
, Dr Dre, Quincy Jones
, Stanley Clarke
, Cedric Williams, and The Bee Gees. His first album, Absolute, was released in 2004 and is no longer available. His follow-up album The Compton Effect
, was released in 2007 after much delay. After being approached by several independent record labels and one major one, Collins created his own company to distribute the record. In 2008, he released his second album The CPT Theorem
. The titles of these two albums are references to the city of Compton
(also called CPT) where he grew up, and to the Compton effect and the CPT Theorem
from physics, which he studies. His music deals with philosophical issues (particularly with regard to atheism and science), political issues, the war in Iraq and his experiences as a soldier who had to fight in this war, and his childhood which he had to spend in group homes
.
In 2010 he announced the release of his third studio album, The Kardashev Scale
, along with an EP
titled Serpents of Eden in collaboration with Adil Omar
. He's also a confirmed guest on Omar's debut solo album The Mushroom Cloud Effect
alongside Kool G Rap
on a song titled "Summertime".
The song titled "War Porn" from his latest album The Kardashev Scale
was performed in collaboration with hip-hop artist Canibus
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rap
Rap
Rap may refer to:*Rapping, performance in which rhyming lyrics are used, with or without musical accompaniment ; while an MC performs spoken verses in time to a beat/ melody**Hip hop subculture**Hip hop music...
per. He is an Iraq War veteran
War Veteran
War Veteran is a science fiction short story by Philip K. Dick. It was first published in If magazine in March 1955.-Plot summary:The plot concerns an old man who claims to have travelled back in time from a future in which Earth has lost a devastating war to its own Martian and Venusian colonies...
and an outspoken atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
who promotes discussion on philosophical issues, as well as having studied physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
full time before moving on to study computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
.
Biography
Collins grew up in ComptonCompton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a historically impoverished suburb of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he was raised as an orphan and became immersed in gang culture. In May 2001, he enlisted in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He went on to serve in the Iraq War in March 2004. After returning from Iraq, Collins began attending college in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
as a physics major. It was at this time that he began questioning his prior religious beliefs and became an atheist, posting videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. He has appeared in several television documentaries and radio shows, and his music has attracted fans such as Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette
Penn Fraser Jillette is an American magician, comedian, illusionist, juggler, bassist and a best-selling author known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of atheism, libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism.-Early...
and Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
. He is also a member of the international secular hip-hop activist movement and The Anti-Injustice Movement (aka The AIM)
Music career
Collins has been expressing himself through rap under his stage name of Greydon Square since 2004. Among his influences are Phil CollinsPhil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
, Dr Dre, Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke
Stanley Clarke is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass guitar as well as for his numerous film and television scores...
, Cedric Williams, and The Bee Gees. His first album, Absolute, was released in 2004 and is no longer available. His follow-up album The Compton Effect
The Compton Effect (album)
The Compton Effect is the second album from rapper Greydon Square. It is his first album using the title Greydon Square, as his first album, Absolute , was recorded under the name 'Apocalypse'...
, was released in 2007 after much delay. After being approached by several independent record labels and one major one, Collins created his own company to distribute the record. In 2008, he released his second album The CPT Theorem
The C.P.T. Theorem (album)
- Re-Release :As part of the promotion for The Kardashev Scale, The C.P.T. Theorem was re-released on August 4, 2010. The re-released version included two additional tracks at the end of the album and replaced Tuesday with So What....
. The titles of these two albums are references to the city of Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
(also called CPT) where he grew up, and to the Compton effect and the CPT Theorem
CPT theorem
In quantum field theory the CPT theorem states that any canonical quantum field theory is invariant under the CPT operation, which is a combination of three discrete transformations: charge conjugation C, parity transformation P, and time reversal T...
from physics, which he studies. His music deals with philosophical issues (particularly with regard to atheism and science), political issues, the war in Iraq and his experiences as a soldier who had to fight in this war, and his childhood which he had to spend in group homes
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
.
In 2010 he announced the release of his third studio album, The Kardashev Scale
The Kardashev Scale (album)
- External Links :*http://www.antiinjusticemovement.com/page_1263235784474.html*http://greydonsquare.org/...
, along with 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...
titled Serpents of Eden in collaboration with Adil Omar
Adil Omar
Adil Omar is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Islamabad, Pakistan. He is one of the few hip-hop artists from Pakistan and musicians from the region to write and perform in English. He has also collaborated with mainstream artists such as Cypress Hill, Xzibit, Everlast, Kool G Rap, DJ Lethal of...
. He's also a confirmed guest on Omar's debut solo album The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect
The Mushroom Cloud Effect is the upcoming debut studio album by rapper Adil Omar. The album is due to be released in Spring 2012.-Background:Regarding the album title, Omar revealed on his website that it's "a metaphor for the aftermath of a catastrophe...
alongside Kool G Rap
Kool G Rap
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson , better known by his stage names Kool G Rap , Kool G. Rap, and Giancana , is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew...
on a song titled "Summertime".
The song titled "War Porn" from his latest album The Kardashev Scale
The Kardashev Scale (album)
- External Links :*http://www.antiinjusticemovement.com/page_1263235784474.html*http://greydonsquare.org/...
was performed in collaboration with hip-hop artist Canibus
Canibus
Germaine Williams , better known by his stage name Canibus, is a Jamaican-born American rapper. He is a part of supergroup The HRSMN. Canibus rose to fame in the mid-nineties...
.
Solo albums
| Album information |
|---|
Absolute
|
| The Compton Effect The Compton Effect (album) The Compton Effect is the second album from rapper Greydon Square. It is his first album using the title Greydon Square, as his first album, Absolute , was recorded under the name 'Apocalypse'... |
| The C.P.T. Theorem The C.P.T. Theorem (album) - Re-Release :As part of the promotion for The Kardashev Scale, The C.P.T. Theorem was re-released on August 4, 2010. The re-released version included two additional tracks at the end of the album and replaced Tuesday with So What.... |
| The Kardashev Scale The Kardashev Scale (album) - External Links :*http://www.antiinjusticemovement.com/page_1263235784474.html*http://greydonsquare.org/... |
| The Mandelbrot Set
|
Collaboration albums
| Album information |
|---|
| Serpents of Eden (with Adil Omar Adil Omar Adil Omar is a rapper and singer-songwriter from Islamabad, Pakistan. He is one of the few hip-hop artists from Pakistan and musicians from the region to write and perform in English. He has also collaborated with mainstream artists such as Cypress Hill, Xzibit, Everlast, Kool G Rap, DJ Lethal of... )
|
External links
- Greydon Square on ReverbNation
- Greydon Square on Top40-Charts.com
- PR Web press release on Greydon Square
- The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe Interview of Greydon
- Polyschizmatic Reprobates Hour Interview of Greydon
- Greydon's Anti-Injustice Movement Profile
- Greydon's Ustream channel
- Hour Interview with Greydon Square on Cape Reason Show April 2011