Chuckie Campbell
Chuckie Campbell | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Charles Edward Campbell |
Born | January 23, 1981 |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Rapper, songwriter, musician, producer, fiction writer, poet, publisher, educator |
Years active | 1998-2004/2011–present |
Labels | Deep Thinka Records |
Website |
chuckiecampbellmusic |
Charles Edward Campbell (born January 23, 1981), known by his stage and pen name, Chuckie Campbell, is an American musician, poet, fiction writer, editor, publisher, and educator. He holds a B.A. in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Religion from Lee University, an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Eastern Kentucky University, and a Ph.D. in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Campbell is the founder and editor of Sunsets and Silencers, a print journal for art, literature, and culture, and an emerging hip hop artist. In 2014, he was the winner of the All WNY Music Awards for "Best Hip Hop/Rap Performer" and "Best New Artist."[1] His most recent album "More Die of Heartbreak" has garnered positive press from online and print outlets such as The Huffington Post, The Source, Young Hollywood, Examiner.com, and UTG Review. Campbell continues to tour the United States, booked by Deep Thinka Records out of Buffalo, NY.[2]
Biography
Early and personal life
Chuckie Campbell was raised in Richmond, Kentucky, attending Madison Central High School.[3] While there, he excelled as an athlete, particularly on the basketball court, playing with high school stand outs Marquis Estill, Kenneal Jenkins, and Brandon Fritz. His play earned him a college scholarship to Lee University, where he would play four years of college basketball. Campbell would graduate in 2003 with his B.A. in Communications and a minor in religious studies.
In the summer of 2004, Campbell was assaulted in a street fight by his friend and music mentor Ralph B. Prater.[4] He would have facial reconstruction surgery and not make or perform music again for almost 7 years after the incident.[4]
In the fall of 2004, Campbell began classes at Eastern Kentucky University in work toward his M.A. in English and Creative Writing.[5] He studied under the likes of Charlie Sweet, Hal Blythe, and Young Smith, graduating in 2007. In 2008, he began his coursework toward his Ph.D. at the University of Southern Mississippi, studying under Frederick Barthelme and Steven Barthelme, brothers of Donald Barthelme.[6]
Campbell currently lives and writes in Buffalo, NY where he teaches college English and Communication courses at Bryant & Stratton College.[7] As a tutor, teacher, and writer, he holds a number of accolades in the academic world, notably the Eastern Kentucky University Fiction Award (2007),[5] for best critical and creative writing in a graduate course, the Madonna Marsden Fiction Award (2007),[5] for exceptional creative writing in a short story collection, the Julia Visor Award (2010), presented annually by the National College Learning Center Association, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaurate Achievement Program Grant (2011), a grant provided by the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program for preparing first-generation college students for doctoral studies, and The WNY Distinguished Faculty Award for Full-Time Faculty (2012), honoring teachers at Bryant & Stratton College for instructional excellence.
Musical career
When Esente Center Stage selected Campbell as their emerging artist of the week, writer Peter Amara affirmed him as "super-lyrical" with words "that thrust" the listener "in the middle of the scenario," praising the rapper for his "intricate wordplay" and "incredibly fast flow".[8] In early 2013, his song, "The Streets," produced by Marc Jones, struck a chord with listeners all across the nation, when it amassed the most overall votes in The Grammy's Amplifier Contest, accumulating 95,058 amps, listens and shares, more than any other artist in any other genre who participated in the contest.[9] The song would be disqualified from the contest for improper interpolations of other musical compositions.
At the end of 2013, in response to the success of his song, "The Streets," Campbell released his first full-length album, More Die of Heartbreak, to positive reviews and critical acclaim. The album was produced entirely by Willie Breeding of The Breedings of Nashville, TN and featured a number of emerging and established acts.
In September 2014, Campbell took home two All WNY Music Awards, one for Best New Artist (all genres) and the other for Best Rapper/Hip Hop Performer. In December 2014, Campbell signed a booking deal with Deep Thinka Records out of Buffalo, NY.
More Die of Heartbreak
More Die of Heartbreak, borrowing its title from nobel prize winning author Saul Bellow's novel More Die of Heartbreak is an experimental hip hop project written by Chuckie Campbell and produced entirely by Willie Breeding of the brother/sister duo The Breedings. The album features highly notable guest appearances from members of the Wu-Tang Clan, Cappadonna[10] and Solomon Childs, Cole Jonique of Tate Publishing & Enterprises, Willie and Erin Breeding of The Breedings, as well as rapper and producer for Disturbia Music Group, Block McCloud. The album itself is a return to form for Chuckie Campbell, a telling, drawing on the seven years after a violent physical assault left his jaw broken in two places, an event that would affect nearly every other human relationship that took place afterward. The album is dedicated to Ralph B. Prater, who committed suicide in March 2011. It is a reminder that for every one person who makes it out alive, more will die of heartbreak.
Track listing
More Die of Heartbreak |
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Speak |
Behind Her Eyes |
All I Meant feat. Cole Jonique |
How To Know When feat. Willie Breeding |
Synesthesia |
Father's Hands |
Seasons |
Deus Ex Machina |
Against the Grain feat. Cappadonna, Block McCloud, and Solomon Childs |
Ancient Astronaut Theory |
A Moment in Time |
More Die of Heartbreak feat. Erin Breeding |
Lead single
The lead single "Synesthesia" is on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/chuckie-campbell/synesthesia
Music Video for "Synesthesia" on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=L6Gy7g73qM8
Second single
"All I Meant" Featuring Cole Jonique
Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WRUoyGyJmQ
Song credits
- Written by Chuckie Campbell[11] for Sunsets and Silencers Music in Buffalo, NY
- Recorded, produced, and mixed at True Blue Recording by Willie Breeding in Nashville, TN
- Mastered by Paul "Willie Green" Womack at The Greenhouse in Brooklyn, NY
- Additional production and engineering by Duane Lundy at Shangri-la Productions in Lexington, KY
- Additional engineering by Chuckie Campbell at Sunsets and Silencers Music, Buffalo, NY
- "Synesthesia" appears on Chuckie Campbell's full-length album, More Die of Heartbreak
- Video Written by Chuckie Campbell & Amir Valinia
- Video Produced and Directed by Amir Valinia for AV1 Productions in Houston, TX
- Specials thanks to Pierce-Arrow Film-Arts Center
Members/instruments from album
All songs written by Chuckie Campbell for Sunsets and Silencers Music, Buffalo, NY, except for verse two of "Speak," written by Ralph Prater and the choruses on "All I Meant" and "How To Know When" written by Willie Breeding.
- Additional vocals by Erin Breeding on "Speak" and "More Die of Heartbreak"
- Additional vocals by Cole Jonique for Tate Music Group on "All I Meant"
- Additional vocals by Willie Breeding on "How To Know When"
- Additional vocals by Block McCloud for Disturbia Music on "Against The Grain"
- Additional vocals by Cappadonna for Kingz N Queenz LLC on "Against The Grain"
- Additional vocals by Solomon Childs for Wu Music Group on "Against The Grain"
- Additional Drums by Dillon Napier
- Additional Keys by Micah Hulscher
- Strings on "Speak" and "Behind Her Eyes" by Mark Evitts
- Additional Pedal Steel and Electric Guitar by J. Tom Hnatow
- Additional Drum Recording by Elijah "Lij" Shaw at Toybox Studios, Nashville, TN
- Additional production and engineering by Duane Lundy at Shangri-la Productions in Lexington, KY
- Additional engineering by Chuckie Campbell at Sunsets and Silencers Music, Buffalo, NY
- Mastered by Paul "Willie Green" Womack at The Greenhouse in Brooklyn, NY
- Album Artwork by Kerby Rosanes for Kerby Rosanes Doodle Art and Illustration in Mandaluyong, Philippines
Album art
More Die of Heartbreak's album art was illustrated by Kerby Rosanes of Sketchy Stories, based out of the Philippines. It was intricately detailed and tailored toward the content of the album, dealing with a number of evolving themes—heartbreak, suicide, domestic violence, substance abuse, city life, and racism, which are also contrasted with messages of hope, creativity, and inspiration—all emerging out of Leonardo Da Vinci's "Vitruvian Man." In addition to the CD Packaging, Rosanes illustrated a 12 panel lyric booklet insert inside a DVD case.
Press
"[More Die of Heartbreak is] shrouded in an elegant veneer with an honest, and ofttimes, visceral undercoat in the form of words derived from real-life experiences and worldviews." – Brian Lion, UTG Review[12]
"Still, leaving aside the guest features and the lush musical arrangements, the lovely production (courtesy of Will Breeding) and the melodic hooks, More Die of Heartbreak is at its best when Campbell finds moments to himself in the center of the storm. And it's those moments that make this record arguably my favorite hip-hop release of the year." – Craig Manning, Absolute Punk[13]
"The rap talent's freshman album, More Die of Heartbreak, has garnered a great deal of praise across the web...With no pause, he's able to create moments that are intellectual and personal. He conveys the integrity of hip hop's forefathers, and the brazen talent of hip hop's future."—E Scritoria of BK United[14]
"Campbell's work...attempts to tap into the condition of the human heart with all its shades of darkness and promise of hope despite attacks by those we trust."—Marcel Hidalgo of The Huffington Post[15]
"Similar to Nas, The Roots and Macklemore, Chuckie Campbell has a sincere talent of story writing, poetry writing and music writing."—Amanda Cowen of Empty Lighthouse Magazine[16]
"Rapper Chuckie Campbell has made a name for himself as being one of the few hip hop artists from Western New York to be noticed on a global scale...Campbell's aim seems to be to bring good writing back to the medium of hip hop, as well as to tell the story of the new hip hop, which has room for all races, creeds, and even genres of music. He fuses classical music, country and pop, all while spitting fast yet thoughtful and well-written lyrics over whatever genre strikes his fancy."—Layla Klamt of The Guardian Liberty Voice[17]
Publications
To date, Sunsets and Silencers[18] is an annual print entity that publishes short fiction, flash fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, essays, paintings, photography, recipes, and comic strips as a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their work.
TEDx Youth Buffalo
Chuckie Campbell presented "Bond or Barrier: Language and Social Identity," [19] a TED Talk addressing language and its ability to frame our social realities at SUNY Buffalo State, playing host to WNY's only youth focused TED style conference, TEDxYouth@Buffalo's InnovationNEXT. In the talk, Campbell discusses race, class, creed, gender, sexual orientation, and other social constructions in terms of their description and re-description in the world. He specifically mentions the impact of social framing as it relates to young black males in the United States and reviews the events of the Trayvon Martin case.
Accolades, honors, and awards
- Julia Visor Award, 2008, National College Learning Center Association[20]
- Esente Center Stage Emerging Artist of the Week, 2012[8]
- Distinguished Faculty Award, 2012, Bryant & Stratton College, Excellence in teaching as evidenced by effectiveness and ability to motivate students in and outside the classroom[7]
- All WNY Music Award for Best New Artist, 2014[1]
- All WNY Music Award for Best Rap/Hip Hop Performer, 2014[1]
- Hiplanta Album of the Week, 2014[21]
References
- 1 2 3 ["Chuckie Campbell Tours With PremRock & Willie Green" (October 18, 2014) http://thesource.com/2014/10/18/chuckie-campbell-tours-with-premrock-willie-green/ Retrieved 2/19/2015]
- ↑ ["Booking Deal With Chuckie Campbell" http://www.deepthinka.com/news.php DTR Website Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Wylie, Crystal (January 21, 2013) "Richmond's own Chuckie Campbell is trending artist on 'Grammy Amplifier'" http://richmondregister.com/localnews/x1633458359/Richmond-s-own-Chuckie-Campbell-is-trending-artist-on-Grammy-Amplifier Article in The Richmond Register Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- 1 2 Lion, Brian (January 9, 2014). "UTG INTERVIEW: Chuckie Campbell Discusses 'More Die Of Heartbreak'". Under the Gun Review. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- 1 2 3 [Campbell, Chuckie.(2007)."Virgil Walks When Prometheus Rises." http://www.ourstories.us/Spring%202007/Story_Campbell.htm Author bio Spring Issue. Retrieved 2/15/2015]
- ↑ [Campbell, Chuck.(2009)"Blink." http://www.wordriot.org/template_2.php?ID=1838 Retrieved 2/15/2015]
- 1 2 ["Chuckie Campbell: Bringing his Passion for Language into the Bryant & Stratton College Classroom." (2/26/2014). http://bryantstrattoncollege.tumblr.com/post/77916187650/chuckie-campbell-bringing-his-passion-for Article found on Bryant & Stratton College Tumblr. Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- 1 2 ["Emerging Artists of the Week: Tripping Scarlet & Chuckie Campbell" (http://esentecenterstage.com/2011/08/23/emerging-artists-of-the-week-tripping-scarlet-chuckie-campbell/ Article found at Esente Center Stage. Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ ["Chuckie Campbell, G Premacy, Krame, Bill$Mafia, RoyalCityEmpire, Royal Mafia, Eww, & Jay Nawldoe!" (January 08, 2015). http://mapleentertainment.com/event.cfm?id=184640 Retrieved 2/17/2015]Article published for event at The Forvm, a Western NY concert venue
- ↑ ["Against the Grain Lyrics Chuckie Campbell Ft: Block McCloud, Cappadonna & Solomon Childs" http://genius.com/Chuckie-campbell-against-the-grain-lyrics Against the Grain lyrics Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Campbell, Chuckie. Facebook Artist Page. (2015)https://www.facebook.com/chuckie.campbell Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ Lion, Brian (January 17, 2014). "REVIEW: Chuckie Campbell – 'More Die Of Heartbreak'". Under the Gun Review. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
- ↑ [Manning, Craig. (2013). "Chuckie Campbell - More Die of Heartbreak." http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3612631 Article at Absolute Punk Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Scritoria, E. (January 17, 2014). "'More Die of Heartbreak': @ChuckieC2 New Full-Length Album" http://articles.bkunited.com/2014/01/die-of-heartbreak-chuckiec2-new-full.html Article at BK United: Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Hidlago, Marcel. (02/06/2014)"More Die of Heartbreak: Chuckie Campbell Rhymes Again" http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcel-hidalgo/more-die-of-heartbreak_b_4717415.html/ Article at The Huffington Post Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Cowan, Amanda. (October 22, 2014)"Chuckie Campbell Drops New Music Video + Concludes North American Fall Tour" http://emptylighthouse.com/chuckie-campbell-drops-new-music-video-concludes-north-american-fall-tour-2122861039/ Article at Empty Lighthouse: Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Klamt, Layla. (12/20/2014) "Chuckie Campbell Brings a New Urban Culture From Buffalo [Review]" http://guardianlv.com/2014/12/chuckie-campbell-brings-a-new-urban-culture-from-buffalo-review/ Article at The Guardian Liberty Voice: Retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ ["Sunsets and Silencers" http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/518865 Buy Link to Print Version of Sunsets and Silencers Magazine: retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ [Ted Talks. 5/04/2015 "Bond or Barrier: Language and Social Identity" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_wEl20i03k retrieved 5/15/2015]
- ↑ ["Julia Visor Award: Past Award Winners." http://www.nclca.org/juliavisoraward.htm Listing on NCLCA website: retrieved 2/18/2015]
- ↑ ["Album of the Week: Chuckie Campbell 's More Die of Heartbreak" (January 6, 2014). http://www.hiplanta.com/2014/01/album-of-week-chuckie-campbell-s-more.html Hiplanta Album of the Week: retrieved 2/18/2015]
Links
- Official Chuckie Campbell Artist Website: www.chuckiecampbellmusic.com
- Chuckie Campbell Facebook artist page: https://www.facebook.com/chuckie.campbell
- Synesthesia Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Gy7g73qM8
- The Source (Article): http://thesource.com/2014/10/18/chuckie-campbell-tours-with-premrock-willie-green/
- Blink by Chuckie Campbell (A short story): http://www.wordriot.org/template_2.php?ID=1838
- Sunsets and Silencers (Print): http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/518865
- Interview with UTG Review: http://www.underthegunreview.net/2014/01/09/utg-interview-chuckie-campbell-discusses-more-die-of-heartbreak/
- Article by Bryant & Stratton College Tumblr Page: http://bryantstrattoncollege.tumblr.com/post/77916187650/chuckie-campbell-bringing-his-passion-for
- Chuckie Campbell Signs Booking Deal with Deep Thinka Records: http://www.deepthinka.com/news.php