Natas (group)
Encyclopedia
Natas is an American hip hop
group from Detroit, Michigan
.
as a student at Osborne High School, who gave him a three-song demo tape of his music, leading the two to form the group with Esham's longtime friend, T-N-T, deciding on the name Natas, an acronym for "Nation Ahead of Time And Space". In 1992, Natas released its first album, Life After Death
on Esham's Reel Life Productions
. Following the release of this album, Esham, Natas and Reel Life Productions were the subject of much controversy when a 17-year-old fan killed himself while smoking cannabis
and playing Russian roulette
while listening to Life After Death.
In 2002, Natas released its only charting
album to date, Godlike, which peaked at #35 on the Billboard
Top Independent Albums chart, #45 on the Heatseekers chart and #56 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
lyrics. Esham defined the genre as analogous to "modern day blues
[or] heavy metal". Allmusic writer Jason Birchmeier said that Mastamind's rapping "owes little to any conventional style".
Natas is known for using live instrumentation, as well as for highly sample
-based instrumentation which Allmusic compared to that of The Bomb Squad
and Dr. Dre
. Natas' lyrics focus on topics ranging from women and violence to spirituality, expressing self-reliance and allegiance to God
. Rappers influenced by Natas include Insane Clown Posse
, Eminem
and Kid Rock
.
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...
group from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
History
Esham met MastamindMastamind
Mastamind is an American rapper from Detroit. A founding member of Natas, he was formerly signed with Reel Life Productions before forming his own label, Toxsic Records.-Biography:...
as a student at Osborne High School, who gave him a three-song demo tape of his music, leading the two to form the group with Esham's longtime friend, T-N-T, deciding on the name Natas, an acronym for "Nation Ahead of Time And Space". In 1992, Natas released its first album, Life After Death
Life After Death (Natas album)
Life After Death is the debut album of Natas, released in 1992.- Controversy :Following the release of this album, Esham, Natas and Reel Life Productions were the subject of much controversy when a 17-year-old fan killed himself while smoking cannabis and playing Russian roulette while listening to...
on Esham's Reel Life Productions
Reel Life Productions
Reel Life Productions, also known as Gothom Records, is an independent record label based in Detroit, Michigan that specializes in hip hop music. The label was founded in 1988 by James H. Smith and his younger brother, rapper Esham...
. Following the release of this album, Esham, Natas and Reel Life Productions were the subject of much controversy when a 17-year-old fan killed himself while smoking cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
and playing Russian roulette
Russian roulette
Russian roulette is a potentially lethal game of chance in which participants place a single round in a revolver, spin the cylinder, place the muzzle against their head and pull the trigger...
while listening to Life After Death.
In 2002, Natas released its only charting
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
album to date, Godlike, which peaked at #35 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Top Independent Albums chart, #45 on the Heatseekers chart and #56 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
Style and influence
Natas refers to its performance style as "acid rap," comparing the lyrics to hallucinations induced by LSD. Acid rap has been described as a fusion of hip hop beats and death metalDeath metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
lyrics. Esham defined the genre as analogous to "modern day blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
[or] heavy metal". Allmusic writer Jason Birchmeier said that Mastamind's rapping "owes little to any conventional style".
Natas is known for using live instrumentation, as well as for highly sample
Sampling
Sampling may refer to:*Sampling , converting a continuous signal into a discrete signal*Sampling , converting continuous colors into discrete color components*Sampling , re-using portions of sound recordings in a piece...
-based instrumentation which Allmusic compared to that of The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
. Natas' lyrics focus on topics ranging from women and violence to spirituality, expressing self-reliance and allegiance to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. Rappers influenced by Natas include Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse
Insane Clown Posse is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan. The group is composed of Joseph Bruce and Joseph Utsler, who perform under the respective personas of the "wicked clowns" Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore...
, Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
and Kid Rock
Kid Rock
Robert James "Bob" Ritchie , known by his stage name Kid Rock, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and rapper with five Grammy Awards nominations...
.
Discography
- Life After DeathLife After Death (Natas album)Life After Death is the debut album of Natas, released in 1992.- Controversy :Following the release of this album, Esham, Natas and Reel Life Productions were the subject of much controversy when a 17-year-old fan killed himself while smoking cannabis and playing Russian roulette while listening to...
(1992) - Blaz4meBlaz4meBlaz4me is the second album by Natas, released on January 8, 1994. Allrovi reviewer Jason Birchmeier wrote "like the Bomb Squad's collage-like approach on It Takes a Nation to Hold Us Back and Dr. Dre's neo-P-Funk sound on The Chronic, Esham crafts a particular aesthetic by endlessly raiding his...
(1994) - DoubelievengodDoubelievengodDoubelievengod is the third album by Natas, released in 1995.- Music and lyrics :Describing the music and lyrics, Allrovi called Doubelievengod "a much more mature album in terms of both production and rapping...
(1995) - Multikillionaire: The Devil's ContractMultikillionaire: The Devil's ContractMultikillionaire: The Devil's Contract is the fourth album by Natas, released in 1997.- Music and lyrics :Allrovi wrote that the musical style of Multikillionaire: The Devil's Contract is a fusion of "Funkadelic guitar funk and Def Jam-era Rick Rubin-influenced beats"...
(1997) - WicketWorldWide.COM (1999)
- Godlike (2002)
- N of tha WorldN of tha World- Personnel :* Esham the Unholy aka Black Hitler — rapping* T-N-T aka The Dynamite Kid — rapping* Mastamind aka Mr. Hellraiser — rapping- Musicians :* Mike P...
(2006)