Scarface (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Brad Terrence Jordan better known by his stage name
Scarface, is an American
rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas
and a member of the Geto Boys
. He is originally from South Park, Houston.
. He began his career as Akshen recording solo for Lil' Troy
's Short Stop Records, a local label in Houston. After releasing the 12" single "Scarface", he would go on to sign with Rap-A-Lot Records
and join a group who were collectively known as Geto Boys
replacing one member who left, and released the group's second album Grip It! On That Other Level
(1989), a highly successful album that garnered the group a large fanbase, in spite of their violent lyrics keeping them from radio and MTV. He took his stage name from the 1983 film Scarface
.
In 1992, Scarface appeared (along with Ice Cube
and Bushwick Bill
) on the Kool G Rap
& DJ Polo album: Live and Let Die
.
The album Mr. Scarface Is Back
was a success, and Scarface's popularity soon overshadowed the other Geto Boys. Scarface remained in the group while releasing a series of solo albums that kept him in the public view with increasing sales. This peaked with The Diary
and The Last of a Dying Breed
, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and sales, and earned him Lyricist of the Year at the 2001 Source Awards.
In 2002, he released The Fix
, the follow-up to The Last of a Dying Breed and returned to the studio with the Geto Boys for their album, The Foundation. He was also featured on The Biggie Duets
alongside Big Gee and Akon
. He guested on Ray Cash
's debut single "Bumpin' My Music".
In addition to his career as a rapper, Scarface has also been the coordinator and president of Def Jam South
since 2000, where he has fostered the career of popular rapper Ludacris
, whom he originally signed to the label.
Scarface has appeared on Freeway
's album Free at Last
and on Beanie Sigel
's album, The Solution. Scarface is currently planning production; he has produced three tracks on UGK's Underground Kingz including "Life in 2009," "Still Ridin' Dirty," and "Candy."
Some of Scarface's early music videos ("A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die") featured community activist Quanell X
in supporting roles. Although he was brought up as a Christian
, Scarface converted to Islam
some time around 2007.
In 2008, Scarface collaborated with rapper Tech N9ne
on his album Killer
on the song "Pillow Talkin'".
Despite limited commercial appeal, he remains uniquely popular amongst those in the industry, and has been described as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper". On August 6, 2009 Scarface performed at the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos
. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock
praised Scarface as one of the best three rappers of all time on his list of the Top-25 Hip-Hop Albums ever. "
On June 30, 2010, Scarface announced that he is working on a new album entitled The Habit which will include features from John Legend
and Drake
that is scheduled for release this Fall. For one production on the album, Scarface co-hosted a worldwide producer showcase with iStandard from which thousands of producers were considered and after a selection of the top 8, Alex Kresovich was named winner. The album is also said to feature production from Eminem
. In February 2011, news came that he has been held in jail without bail since September 2010 for failure to pay child support in four different cases.
film Idiocracy
as a pimp
named Upgrayedd. Judge also used the Scarface track "No Tears" and Geto Boys
tracks "Still" and "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" in his 1999 movie Office Space
. Scarface's track "On my Block" is also featured in the movie "My Baby's Daddy".
He has appeared in two video games: Def Jam Vendetta
and its sequel Def Jam: Fight For NY
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Scarface, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and a member of the Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
. He is originally from South Park, Houston.
Life and career
Scarface attended Woodson Middle SchoolWoodson K-8 School
Carter G. Woodson K-8 School is a Title I combined primary and secondary school located in Houston, Texas, United States.Woodson serves grades kindergarten through 8 and is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
. He began his career as Akshen recording solo for Lil' Troy
Lil' Troy
Troy Birklett, better known by his stage name Lil' Troy is an American rapper from Houston, Texas.-Life and career:Before his rapping career, Birklett was a successful drug dealer, who funded his music business with the money he earned from selling drugs...
's Short Stop Records, a local label in Houston. After releasing the 12" single "Scarface", he would go on to sign with Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-A-Lot Records
Rap-a-Lot Records is a Houston hip hop record label. Rap-a-Lot was created in 1986. Sublabels include Smoke-a-Lot Records. The label was founded by James Prince in the mid-1980s and, with its most famous act the Geto Boys, put the South on the hip hop map. Since then, it has maintained its success...
and join a group who were collectively known as Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
replacing one member who left, and released the group's second album Grip It! On That Other Level
Grip It! On That Other Level
Grip It! On That Other Level is the second album by Houston hip hop group the Geto Boys, then known as the Ghetto Boys. Following the disappointing results of the group's first album, Making Trouble, Rap-A-Lot Records replaced original rapping members, Sire Jukebox and Prince Johnny with Scarface ...
(1989), a highly successful album that garnered the group a large fanbase, in spite of their violent lyrics keeping them from radio and MTV. He took his stage name from the 1983 film Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
.
In 1992, Scarface appeared (along with Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
and Bushwick Bill
Bushwick Bill
Richard Shaw , better known by the stage name Bushwick Bill, is a member of the American hip hop group Geto Boys. He was born in Jamaica, but moved to Brooklyn, NY as a young child.- History :...
) on the 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...
& DJ Polo album: Live and Let Die
Live and Let Die (album)
Live And Let Die is the third, and final, studio album by the American hip hop duo Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, released November 24, 1992, on Cold Chillin'. The album features guest appearances from Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, Scarface, and Bushwick Bill...
.
The album Mr. Scarface Is Back
Mr. Scarface Is Back
- Chart positions :...
was a success, and Scarface's popularity soon overshadowed the other Geto Boys. Scarface remained in the group while releasing a series of solo albums that kept him in the public view with increasing sales. This peaked with The Diary
The Diary
The Diary is the highly acclaimed third album from rapper Scarface. This album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL...
and The Last of a Dying Breed
The Last of a Dying Breed
The Last of a Dying Breed is the sixth solo album from rapper Scarface. The album was less successful commercially than his last few efforts, but more successful critically.The album includes the singles "Look Me in My Eyes" and "It Ain't, Pt. 2"...
, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and sales, and earned him Lyricist of the Year at the 2001 Source Awards.
In 2002, he released The Fix
The Fix (album)
In 2009, Pitchfork Media ranked the album at #185 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list.-Track listing:-Samples:Safe*"I've Got Nothing to Lose But the Blues" by Gwen McCraeIn Cold Blood*"And This is Love" by Gladys Knight & The Pips...
, the follow-up to The Last of a Dying Breed and returned to the studio with the Geto Boys for their album, The Foundation. He was also featured on The Biggie Duets
Duets: The Final Chapter
Duets: The Final Chapter is a remix posthumous album featuring hip hop icon The Notorious B.I.G.. The album was released by Bad Boy Records on December 20, 2005 and charted at #3 selling 438,000 copies, beaten by the extremely high sales of Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable and Mary J Blige's The...
alongside Big Gee and Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
. He guested on Ray Cash
Ray Cash
Wardell Raymond Cheeks better known by his stage name Ray Cash, is an American rapper from Cleveland, Ohio.-First album:Cheeks grew up in eastern Cleveland. While a high schooler, he performed freestyle raps with his friends providing beats by banging on lunchroom tables...
's debut single "Bumpin' My Music".
In addition to his career as a rapper, Scarface has also been the coordinator and president of Def Jam South
Def Jam South
Def Jam South is the southern division of Def Jam Recordings. The label is best-known for launching the career of Ludacris and his Disturbing tha Peace group and label. In 2003, the label shut down but was relaunched in 2005...
since 2000, where he has fostered the career of popular rapper Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, whom he originally signed to the label.
Scarface has appeared on Freeway
Freeway (rapper)
Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
's album Free at Last
Free at Last (Freeway album)
Free at Last is the second studio album by rapper Freeway. It was released on November 20, 2007 in the United States. The album features production from J. R. Rotem, Needlz, and Cool & Dre, among others. Guest appearances include Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Jadakiss and other notable rappers.-Background:In a...
and on Beanie Sigel
Beanie Sigel
Dwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
's album, The Solution. Scarface is currently planning production; he has produced three tracks on UGK's Underground Kingz including "Life in 2009," "Still Ridin' Dirty," and "Candy."
Some of Scarface's early music videos ("A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die") featured community activist Quanell X
Quanell X
Quanell X is the leader of the New Black Panther Party in Houston, Texas.-Early life:Quanell Ralph Evans was born in Los Angeles, California. Both parents were Nation of Islam converts...
in supporting roles. Although he was brought up as a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, Scarface converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
some time around 2007.
In 2008, Scarface collaborated with rapper Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
on his album Killer
Killer (Tech N9ne album)
Killer is the eighth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne. Killers album cover pays homage to Michael Jackson’s iconic "Thriller" album cover. With Killer, Tech N9ne has SoundScanned his 1 millionth album independently....
on the song "Pillow Talkin'".
Despite limited commercial appeal, he remains uniquely popular amongst those in the industry, and has been described as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper". On August 6, 2009 Scarface performed at the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos
Gathering of the Juggalos
The Gathering of the Juggalos is an annual festival put on by Psychopathic Records, featuring performances by the entire label as well as numerous well-known musical groups and underground artists. It was founded by Robert Bruce, Insane Clown Posse , and their label in 2000...
. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
praised Scarface as one of the best three rappers of all time on his list of the Top-25 Hip-Hop Albums ever. "
On June 30, 2010, Scarface announced that he is working on a new album entitled The Habit which will include features from John Legend
John Legend
John Roger Stephens , better known by his stage name John Legend, is an American singer, musician, and actor. He is the recipient of nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.Prior to the release of his debut album, Stephens' career...
and Drake
Drake (entertainer)
Aubrey Drake Graham , who records under the mononym Drake, is a Canadian recording artist and actor. He originally became known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation....
that is scheduled for release this Fall. For one production on the album, Scarface co-hosted a worldwide producer showcase with iStandard from which thousands of producers were considered and after a selection of the top 8, Alex Kresovich was named winner. The album is also said to feature production from 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...
. In February 2011, news came that he has been held in jail without bail since September 2010 for failure to pay child support in four different cases.
Media appearances
Scarface appeared in the Mike JudgeMike Judge
Michael Craig Judge is an American animator, film director, writer and voice actor, best known as the creator and star of the animated television series Beavis and Butt-head , King of the Hill , and The Goode Family .He also wrote, directed and in some instances produced the films Beavis and...
film Idiocracy
Idiocracy
Idiocracy is a 2006 American film, a satirical science fiction comedy, directed by Mike Judge and starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews....
as a pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
named Upgrayedd. Judge also used the Scarface track "No Tears" and Geto Boys
Geto Boys
Geto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
tracks "Still" and "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" in his 1999 movie Office Space
Office Space
Office Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
. Scarface's track "On my Block" is also featured in the movie "My Baby's Daddy".
He has appeared in two video games: Def Jam Vendetta
Def Jam Vendetta
Def Jam Vendetta is a professional wrestling video game that combined hip hop with pro wrestling. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. It was Electronic Arts' first attempt at a wrestling game since the widely-panned WCW Backstage Assault...
and its sequel Def Jam: Fight For NY
Def Jam: Fight for NY
Def Jam: Fight for NY is the sequel to Def Jam Vendetta, a hip hop-influenced 3D fighting game released for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox and is followed by Def Jam: Icon...
.
Discography
Studio Albums- Mr. Scarface Is BackMr. Scarface Is Back- Chart positions :...
(1991) - The World Is Yours (1993)
- The Diary (1994)
- The UntouchableThe UntouchableThe Untouchable is the fourth album from Houston hip hop artist Scarface. Scarface debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart for the first time in his career with the album; in addition it peaked at the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for two weeks, giving Scarface his second #1...
(1997) - My HomiesMy HomiesMy Homies is a double-disc album by American rapper Scarface, released February 24, 1998 on Rap-A-Lot Records. The album features production by Mike Dean, Mr. Lee, N.O. Joe, Scarface and Tone Capone. It peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number 4 on the Billboard 200...
(1998) - The Last of a Dying BreedThe Last of a Dying BreedThe Last of a Dying Breed is the sixth solo album from rapper Scarface. The album was less successful commercially than his last few efforts, but more successful critically.The album includes the singles "Look Me in My Eyes" and "It Ain't, Pt. 2"...
(2000) - The FixThe Fix (album)In 2009, Pitchfork Media ranked the album at #185 on their Top 200 Albums of the 2000s list.-Track listing:-Samples:Safe*"I've Got Nothing to Lose But the Blues" by Gwen McCraeIn Cold Blood*"And This is Love" by Gladys Knight & The Pips...
(2002) - Balls and My Word (2003)
- My Homies Part 2My Homies Part 2My Homies Part 2 is the ninth studio album by Scarface and follow-up to his 1998 album, My Homies. Released as a Double album, My Homies Part 2 was a success, having made it to 12 on the Billboard 200.-Track listing:4:58-Bonus Disc Tracks:...
(2006) - MadeMade (album)Made is the tenth studio album released by rapper Scarface. It was released on December 4, 2007 and was both critically and commercially successful, making it to 17 on the Billboard 200 and 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums....
(2007) - Emeritus (2008)
- Dopeman MusicDopeman Music-Album chart positions:...
(2010)