Lord Jamar
Lorenzo Dechalus (born September 17, 1968), known professionally as Lord Jamar, is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, actor and podcaster. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Brand Nubian, which was formed in 1989.[1][2] Jamar was a frequent guest on VladTV, where he has drawn attention for his comments on social issues such as racism, sexism and homophobia.[3][4][5][6]
Lord Jamar | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lorenzo Dechalus |
| Born | September 17, 1968 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, DJ, record producer, actor, podcaster |
| Instruments | Vocals, sampler, keyboard, turntable |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Babygrande/Koch, Elektra, Loud |
| Associated acts | Brand Nubian, Wu-Tang Clan, Dead Prez |
Early life
Jamar was born in The Bronx, New York City, but was raised in New Rochelle, New York.[7] Jamar has Afro-Guyanese heritage on his father's side, and he is the eldest of three brothers.[7] He was introduced to hip hop music in the 1970s through a friend who lived in his neighborhood, and he would listen to tapes of The Cold Crush Brothers, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Sugarhill Gang.[7] DJ Daryll C of Crash Crew used to take Jamar to hip hop shows in New York City.[7] Jamar sold crack cocaine during his teen years, but stopped after people he knew received sealed indictments.[7] He dropped out of high school after failing ninth grade, and worked a few short-term jobs prior to signing a record deal.[7]
Career
Brand Nubian's debut studio album, One for All, was released in 1990 and is regarded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.[8][9]
Brand Nubian's third studio album, Everything is Everything was released in 1994.
As an actor, Jamar is best known for his role of Supreme Allah on the TV series Oz. He has appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Third Watch, and The Sopranos. He has also performed production work for artists such as Dead Prez, Buckshot, Shaka Amazulu the 7th and Tom Browne.
He released his debut solo album The 5% Album (an album dedicated to the Nation of Gods and Earths) on June 27, 2006. Like his onscreen character on Oz, Jamar is a member of the Nation of Gods and Earths.
Jamar currently co-hosts a podcast, Yanadameen Godcast, with fellow rapper Rah Digga. He has criticized Black Lives Matter, saying, "It's not our movement,"[10] and that, in regard to the George Floyd protests, "most people looting are white; some riots are staged by paid agitators."[11]
Controversy
Jamar garnered controversy after releasing a diss track towards Kanye West on February 4, 2013 titled "Lift Up Your Skirt," and stated that "gay has no place in hip-hop", which led to him being characterized by some in the media as homophobic.[12][13] Jamar denied the homophobia accusations by tweeting that he "went to a gay wedding of a good friend not long ago".[14]
In a September 2013 interview on VladTV, Jamar declared that white rappers were "guests in hip hop", compared Eminem to Macklemore, and made further remarks about white rappers and homosexuality.[15][16] Eminem responded to Jamar with the track "Fall" from his 2018 album Kamikaze.[17] Jamar responded to Eminem on his podcast.[18]
He again aroused controversy in 2020 for arguing that only 500,000 Jews died in the Holocaust.[19]
Discography
Studio albums
- The 5% Album (2006)
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other performer(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Show Business" | 1991 | A Tribe Called Quest, Sadat X, Diamond D | The Low End Theory |
| "Verbal Intercourse (Non-Cross-Over Resistance Version)" | Professor Griff, Killa Ranks, Sadat X, Wise Intelligent | Verbal Intercourse (VLS) | |
| "Where Ya At? (Extended Version)" | 1995 | Mobb Deep, Chuck D, DA Smart, Erule, Merchant, RZA, Killah Priest, Sunz of Man, Brooklyn Zu | One Million Strong |
| "Bluesanova" | 1996 | Dead Prez | Hip Bop |
| "Live Wires Connect" | UGK, Keith Murray | Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood: The Soundtrack | |
| "The Lump Lump (Nubian Mix)" | Grand Puba, Sadat X | The Lump Lump (VLS) | |
| "Tell Me (6 Karat Hip Hop Mix)" | 1997 | Groove Theory, Sadat X | Check the Vibe |
| "Collaboration of Mics" | Artifacts, Lord Finesse | That's Them | |
| "Street Parables" | Shabazz the Disciple | Street Parables (VLS) | |
| "That Real Live" | 2000 | QNC | Lean To (VLS) |
| "Oz Theme 2000" | 2001 | Kool G Rap, Talib Kweli | Oz: The Soundtrack |
| "Fightin' Clocks Remix" | Ilacoin | Fightin' Clocks Remix (VLS) | |
| "Keep It Movin" | Grand Puba | Understand This | |
| "The Classic Mix Part II" | 2003 | DJ Armsteady, Sadat X | The Enyce Experience |
| "Nitty Gritty (Dog Spelled Backwards Mix)" | KMD, Busta Rhymes, Sadat X | Best of KMD | |
| "Important Shit" | 2005 | Jus Allah, Agallah | All Fates Have Changed |
| "Chosen Few" | 2006 | Sadat X | Black October |
| "U-Riders" | 2007 | U-Fam | The War on Hip Hop |
| "Angel Dust" | 2008 | Hasan Salaam | Children of God |
| "Igod" | Shaka Amazulu the 7th, Darkim Be Allah | The Black Stone of Mecca | |
| "Engage the Enemy Remix" | 2009 | Blak Madeen | Sacred Defense |
| "Deep Space (Jay da Flex & Yoof Remix)" | RZA | Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture, Vol. 2: Enter the Dubstep | |
| "I See Dead People" | Grand Puba, Rell | Retroactive | |
| "This Joint Right Here (Remix)" | Grand Puba, Kid Capri, Sadat X | ||
| "Brand New Bein'" | Sadat X, Grand Puba | Brand New Bein' | |
| "Long Years" | 2010 | Sadat X, Grand Puba | Wild Cowboys II |
| "Up Against the Wall" | Group Home, MC Ace | Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal | |
| "Apocalyptic Shit" | 2011 | Lord Superb | Perb Made It Possible |
| "Every Hood's a Harlem" | |||
| "Industry RMX 2" | 2015 | Large Professor, Inspectah Deck, Cormega, Roc Marciano, Sadat X | Re:Living |
| "When the Gods Sing" | 2016 | Sadat X, Dizhwar | Never Left (Deluxe Edition) |
| "No One Ever Dies" | School of the Gifted | WuMinati III: Divine Evil | |
| "Cut and Dry" | Sadat X | Agua | |
| "Street Disciples" | 2017 | Heaven Razah, Block McCloud, Rasul Allah | Zayin: You Only Live Twice |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Morning Breath | Devon | Short Film |
| 2004 | L-o-v-e | Melvin | Short Film |
| And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip-Hop | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2005 | Funny Valentine | Tim | |
| 2006 | They're Just My Friends | Light | |
| 2007 | Wifey | Jevin 'Huss' Jones | Television Film |
| 2009 | Father's Day | Rammel | Short Film |
| Buffalo Bushido | Torchy | ||
| 2010 | Drugs 101 | Chucky | Short Film |
| The Furious Force of Rhymes | Himself | Documentary | |
| 2012 | Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap | Himself | Documentary |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Oz | Kevin 'Supreme Allah' Ketchum | 11 Episodes |
| 100 Centre Street | Episode: "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" | ||
| 2002 | Law & Order | Leon Griggs | Episode: "Attorney Client" |
| 2003 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Bad Ass / Javier Leon |
Episode: "Mother" Episode: "Desperate" |
| 2004-2005 | Third Watch | Raymond Morris | Episode: "Forever Blue" Episode "Broken" |
| 2006 | The Sopranos | Da Lux | Episode: "The Fleshy Part of the Thigh" |
| 2007 | Ego Trip's The (White) Rapper Show | Himself | Episode 3 |
| 2011 | Rescue Me | D'brickshaw | Episode: "Vows" Episode: "Jeter" |
| 2012 | Elementary | Raul Ramirez | Episode: "You Do It to Yourself" |
| 2013 | Person of Interest | Grishin | Episode: "Relevance" |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Tino | 4 Episodes |
| 2016 | Money Power Respect | Himself | Recurring Role |
References
- "Hip-Hop's Alpha Conservative". The New Yorker. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- Jacob Katel (10 March 2014). "Brand Nubian's Lord Jamar on Race: "Pitbull Is Cuban, Cuban Is Black, Macklemore's White"". Crossfade. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- Martin, Andrew (2013-02-04). "Listen: Lord Jamar Disses Kanye West on Homophobic New Song". Complex. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (2013-02-04). "Lord Jamar Is Mad At Kanye West's Kilt On Diss Track". MTV. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- "Lord Jamar Calls White Rappers "Guests," Slanders Hopsin On Twitter [PHOTOS]". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- HipHopDX. "Lord Jamar Says White Rappers Are Guests In Hip Hop". HipHopDX. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- "F.D.S #141 - LORD JAMAR - TALKS EMINEM, BRAND NUBIAN HISTORY, MALCOLM X & MUCH MORE - FULL EPISODE". YouTube. QuietRoom. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- "The Source 100 Best Rap Albums". RockList.net. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
- "Acclaimed Music – One for All". Acclaimed Music. Retrieved 2018-05-14.
- Lord Jamar: I Don't Support Black Lives Matter, It's Not Our Movement
- Lord Jamar: Most People Looting Are White, Some Riots Are Staged by Paid Agitators
- Martin, Andrew (2013-02-04). "Listen: Lord Jamar Disses Kanye West on Homophobic New Song". Complex. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- Krishnamurthy, Sowmya (2013-02-04). "Lord Jamar Is Mad At Kanye West's Kilt On Diss Track". MTV. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- "Tweet by @lordjamar". Twitter. 2013-02-05. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
- "Lord Jamar Calls White Rappers "Guests," Slanders Hopsin On Twitter [PHOTOS]". Hip-Hop Wired. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- HipHopDX. "Lord Jamar Says White Rappers Are Guests In Hip Hop". HipHopDX. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
- Mylrea, Hannah. "Ouch. All the people Eminem disses on surprise album 'Kamikaze'". NME. NME. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- Zidel, Alex. "Lord Jamar Responds To Eminem's Diss On "Kamikaze" Track "Fall"". HotNewHipHop. HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- Liphshiz, Cnaan (2 December 2020). "Rapper Lord Jamar says 500,000 Jews at most died in the Holocaust". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
External links
- Lord Jamar at AllMusic
- Lord Jamar at IMDb
