Strong Arm Steady
Encyclopedia
Strong Arm Steady, often referred to as SAS, is a rap
/hip hop
group in California
's underground hip hop
scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Mitchy Slick
of San Diego, California
, and (both of Los Angeles
) Phil Da Agony and probably the most visually distinct member, Krondon, who is albinistic
. Originally an amorphous collective of at least eight, formed as an alternative to the gang
-focused productions of West Coast rap's then-dominant Death Row Records
, SAS pared down to four members for recording in the studio and performing live, with Xzibit
as the frontman. Since he left the group in 2006, the three remaining members have been a stable trio.
Over the years they have recorded many mixtape
s and have distributed them all over the world. "Speaking directly to their fans," they were West Coast pioneers in the use of mixtapes as a group's principal method of distribution and marketing, a model necessitated by their neither being DJs nor closely affiliated with a DJ, and a method already proven on the East Coast by 50 Cent
and others in the early 2000s.
Talib Kweli
signed Strong Arm Steady to his Blacksmith Records
label in 2007. The group released a collaboration with producer Madlib
, In Search of Stoney Jackson, with a roster of guest vocalists including studio head Talib Kweli, former SAS member Planet Asia
, Guilty Simpson
, Phonte
(of Little Brother), Fashawn
, and "a host of underground Los Angeles's emerging rap talent". Stoney Jackson, as it has been called for short, was released online as MP3
files in December 2009 through Stones Throw Records
, with a CD release date of January 26, 2010. The album was named one of the best albums of 2010 by numerous media outlets including AllHipHop
and on the blog of famed producer DJ Premier
.
Their album Arms & Hammers is scheduled to be released on February 22, 2011 by Blacksmith Records
and Element 9 and will be distributed by Fontana Distribution
.
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”...
/hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group in 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...
's underground hip hop
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
scene. As of December 2009, the act consists of members Mitchy Slick
Mitchy Slick
Mitchy Slick is an American rapper from the Lincoln Park neighborhood of San Diego, CA. He is a member of the group Strong Arm Steady, along with rappers Phil Da Agony and Krondon. He performs solo with three albums already released in addition to many collaborations...
of San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and (both of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
) Phil Da Agony and probably the most visually distinct member, Krondon, who is albinistic
Albinism
Albinism is a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of an enzyme involved in the production of melanin...
. Originally an amorphous collective of at least eight, formed as an alternative to the gang
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
-focused productions of West Coast rap's then-dominant Death Row Records
Death Row Records
Death Row Records is a record label founded in 1991 by Marion "Suge" Knight Jr., Andre Young , Tracy Lynn Curry and Michael Harris . It is known to have been home to many popular West Coast hip hop artists such as Dr...
, SAS pared down to four members for recording in the studio and performing live, with Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
as the frontman. Since he left the group in 2006, the three remaining members have been a stable trio.
Over the years they have recorded many mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
s and have distributed them all over the world. "Speaking directly to their fans," they were West Coast pioneers in the use of mixtapes as a group's principal method of distribution and marketing, a model necessitated by their neither being DJs nor closely affiliated with a DJ, and a method already proven on the East Coast by 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
and others in the early 2000s.
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"...
signed Strong Arm Steady to his Blacksmith Records
Blacksmith Records
Blacksmith Music is a record label headed by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. Signees include Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady and Idle Warship and Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp Lo and had expressed interest in Rakim. Talib Kweli announced that there will be a 'BlackSmith...
label in 2007. The group released a collaboration with producer Madlib
Madlib
Otis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
, In Search of Stoney Jackson, with a roster of guest vocalists including studio head Talib Kweli, former SAS member 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...
, Guilty Simpson
Guilty Simpson
Byron Simpson, better known by his stage name Guilty Simpson is a rapper from Detroit, Michigan. He was previously known as Guilt. Over time, he saw that there were more emcees using the alias. In order to set himself apart from the others, he added his last name to become Guilty Simpson. He is...
, Phonte
Phonte
Phonte Coleman, better known as Phonte, is a Grammy nominated American rapper, formerly of the now defunct North Carolina trio Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. He has also recorded R&B-flavored output as a singer...
(of Little Brother), Fashawn
Fashawn
Santiago Leyva , better known as Fashawn or Fash is an American Rapper from Fresno, California. He is best known for his debut album, Boy Meets World, which was produced entirely by one half of Emanon, Exile...
, and "a host of underground Los Angeles's emerging rap talent". Stoney Jackson, as it has been called for short, was released online as MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
files in December 2009 through Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an independent hip hop record label based in Los Angeles, California. It was started in 1996 by DJ/Producer Peanut Butter Wolf in part to release the music he made with Charizma who was killed at the age of 20....
, with a CD release date of January 26, 2010. The album was named one of the best albums of 2010 by numerous media outlets including AllHipHop
AllHipHop
AllHipHop.com is a hip hop news website. It was founded in 1998. At five million visitors a month, it is the world's most popular hip hop website. Essence magazine has dubbed it "the CNN of hip-hop". In 2006, AllHipHop won the Rising Stars Award from Black Enterprise magazine. In 2007, PC Magazine...
and on the blog of famed producer DJ Premier
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin , better known by his stage name DJ Premier , is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru...
.
Their album Arms & Hammers is scheduled to be released on February 22, 2011 by Blacksmith Records
Blacksmith Records
Blacksmith Music is a record label headed by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. Signees include Jean Grae, Strong Arm Steady and Idle Warship and Kweli has stated he hopes to sign Camp Lo and had expressed interest in Rakim. Talib Kweli announced that there will be a 'BlackSmith...
and Element 9 and will be distributed by Fontana Distribution
Fontana Distribution
Fontana Distribution is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group that was launched in 2004, which deals in distribution, as well as in a range of sales, marketing, and back office support services, for a diverse roster of independent record labels and their artists. The company takes its name and logo...
.
Mixtapes
- The Collectors Edition Vol. 1 (2003)
- Gangs of L.A. (2003)
- L.A. Ballin' 2004 (All Star Edition) (2004)
- True Crime: The Streets of L.A. (2004)
- XXX: State of the Steady (2004)
- D-Bo Series Vol. 1 (2005)
- D-Bo Series Vol. 2 (2005)
- E-Dog Series Vol. 1 (2006)
- Green Up (2006)
- Dilated Steady (with Dilated PeoplesDilated PeoplesDilated Peoples is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. The group achieved notability in the underground hip hop community, although they have had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West and Xzibit...
) (2007) - Strong Arm Radio (Klack Music) (2007)
- Deep Hearted: The Sampler (2008)
- Cali Untouchable Radio Vol. 17: Klak Klak Edition (with DJ Warrior) (2008)
- Gang Mentality (with Clinton SparksClinton SparksClinton Sparks is a Boston-based radio, mixtape & Club DJ as well as a recording artist, writer, producer and TV personality.-Biography:...
; January, 2009)
Albums
- Deep HeartedDeep Hearted-Track listing:...
(2007) - In Search of Stoney JacksonIn Search of Stoney JacksonIn Search of Stoney Jackson is the second album from California based group Strong Arm Steady, produced by Madlib. The CD name is referenced to actor Stoney Jackson who now referees youth basketball games in California. The album contains guest verses from former Strong Arm Steady rappers like...
(2010) - Arms & HammersArms & HammersArms & Hammers is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Strong Arm Steady, released in February 22, 2011, on Blacksmith Records/Element 9. The production was handled by many names, like DJ Khalil, Nottz, Jelly Roll, Blaqthoven and Terrace Martin...
(2011)
Singles
- One Step (2007)
- Can't Let It Go (2010)
- Trunk Music (2010)
- Make Me Feel (2011)
- On Point feat. Too Short (2011)
- Hand Guns feat. Jelly-Roll (2011)
External links
- Strong Arm Steady Official Website
- Superb Strong Arm Steady Radio Interview Uncensored