MC Breed

MC Breed
Background information
Birth name Eric Breed
Also known as Breed
Born (1971-06-12)June 12, 1971
Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Died November 22, 2008(2008-11-22) (aged 37)
Ypsilanti, Michigan, U.S.
Genres Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 1990–2008
Labels SDEG, Wrap, Ichiban, Power, Fharmacy, Urban Music Zone, Psychopathic Records
Associated acts DFC, 2Pac, the D.O.C., Esham, The Dayton Family, 8Ball & MJG, Too Short, Rappin' 4-Tay, Proof, Obie Trice, Vanilla Ice, Insane Clown Posse

Eric Breed (June 12, 1971 – November 22, 2008), better known as MC Breed, was an American rapper best known for his singles "Ain't No Future in Yo Frontin", which peaked at #66 on the Billboard Hot 100,[1] and "Gotta Get Mine", featuring 2Pac, that made it to #6 on the Hot Rap Singles.[1][2][3]

Biography

Born in Flint, Michigan, Breed is also known as the first commercially successful rapper to come out of the Midwest.[4] MC Breed's first album was released with rap group DFC and was entitled MC Breed & DFC for independent record label, SDEG Records. His solo debut was 1992's 20 Below, after which he released 1993's The New Breed. He would go on to have a very extensive discography and have a very long career that was at times successful, but he never fully broke into the mainstream. His highest charting album was 1994's Funkafied, which peaked at #106 on the Billboard Hot 200. Through his career he would align himself with various rap scenes. Early in his career with DFC, he and the group were independents, as one of the first groups out of the midwest. However, later in his career he aligned himself with the West Coast, taking on more of a G-Funk sound[5] and befriending West Coast rapper Too Short. Still later, he realigned himself once again with the Dirty South for 1995's Big Baller.[6]

Breed released two more albums with Wrap Records—1996's To Da Beat Ch'all and 1997's Flatline—to fulfill his contract with the label.[7] In 1998, Breed signed a deal with Power Records, who had distribution through Roadrunner Records, and released the album, It's All Good, in 1999.[7] 2 for the Show, a compilation showcasing some of Breed's famous collaborations with 2Pac, Too Short, and more, followed later that year.[8] In 2000, Breed starred in the straight-to-video movie, Dollar, alongside Shannon Greer, and released a soundtrack for it, which featured his smash hit, "Ain't No Future In Yo' Frontin'".[9] Breed also released a compilation that year titled The Thugz, Vol. 1, and featured Too Short, Richie Rich, Bootleg of the Dayton Family, and more. It would end up being his last release with Power Records.[10]

In 2001, Breed released his 13th album, The Fharmacist, with an up-start independent label based out of Detroit, Michigan called Fharmacy Records.[11] The album featured the Jazze Pha produced hit, "Let's Go To The Club", and a guest appearance from Bootleg of the Dayton Family.[11] The album liner notes advertised many upcoming releases, including a collaboration album between Breed and Bootleg under the group name "Flintstones", and a movie starring Breed with an accompanying soundtrack titled Got To Get Mine. No other releases came to fruition, and Fharmacy Records soon diminished.

Breed re-emerged in 2004 with a new deal through Urban Music Zone Entertainment, a subsidiary label of Psychopathic Records, to release his album The New Prescription.[12] The album was released in August of that year with national distribution through RED Distribution/Sony, and featured Esham, who was signed to Psychopathic Records at the time. The album didn't receive much promotion, but a music video was made for the album's only single, "Rap Game".[12]

On May 11, 2006, Breed was sentenced to one year in prison for violating probation in failure to pay over $200,000 in child support.[13] On April 3, 2008, Breed was arrested in Flint, Michigan following an in-store autograph signing session on warrants for about $220,000 in unpaid child support.[14]

On September 5, 2008 the rapper was hospitalized and placed on life-support after he collapsed when his kidneys failed during a game of pickup basketball. On November 22, 2008, Breed reportedly died in his sleep while at a friend's home in Ypsilanti, Michigan.[15]

Before his sudden passing, Breed was preparing to release a DVD documentary about his life titled, Where Is MC Breed?.[16] He was also working on a new album, titled The Original Breed: Swag Heavy, which was intended to be released through his former label, Ichiban Records.[17] Although the project was still in development, Breed had reached out to many of his friends to help create the album, such as producers Erotic D, Ant Banks, Jazze Pha, Sonji Mickey, and Colin Wolfe, as well as rappers the D.O.C., Spice 1, and Too Short.[17] Breed stated the album was half finished in September 2008 when he was released from the hospital after being on life support for two days.[18] According to MLive.com, Breed had recorded his last song two days before his death. It's called "Everyday I Wait" and features Outlawz.[19]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Chart Positions
U.S. U.S. Hip-Hop
1991 MC Breed & DFC 142 38
1992 20 Below 155 40
1993 The New Breed 156 17
1994 Funkafied 106 9
1995 Big Baller 143 17
1996 To Da Beat Ch'all - 34
1997 Saucy - -
1997 Flatline - 48
1999 It's All Good 180 41
2000 The Thugz, Vol. 1 - 64
2000 Rare Breed - -
2001 The Fharmacist - -
2004 The New Prescription - -
"" denotes the album failed to chart or not released

Compilations

Year Album
1995 The Best of Breed
1999 2 for the Show
2002 Chopped and Screwed
2004 The Mix Tape
2007 The Hits

Appearances

References

  1. 1 2 allmusic ((( MC Breed > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))
  2. MC Breed, 37, Rapper With Midwest Roots, Is Dead
  3. Allhiphop.com
  4. Download MP3 M.C Breed & DFC - HIP HOP/RAP: Hardcore Rap - Rap, Hip Hop
  5. allmusic ((( 20 Below > Overview )))
  6. allmusic ((( Big Baller > Overview )))
  7. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason (1999-02-09). "((( It's All Good > Overview )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  8. Birchmeier, Jason (1999-11-23). "((( 2 for the Show > Overview )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  9. Dollar (Video 2000) - IMDb
  10. Birchmeier, Jason (2000-01-18). "((( The Thugz, Vol. 1 > Overview )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  11. 1 2 Birchmeier, Jason (2001-05-08). "((( The Fharmacist > Overview )))". allmusic. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  12. 1 2 http://web.archive.org/web/20070110024012/http://www.murderdog.com/october04/icp/ICP.html
  13. "Daily News - : MC Breed Sentenced To Jail Over Missed Child Support Payments". Allhiphop.com. 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  14. "Daily News - : MC Breed Arrested For 200k Child Support Bill". Allhiphop.com. 2008-04-04. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  15. "MC Breed Found Dead At 36". BallerStatus.com. 2008-11-23. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  16. Jessica McCumber. "Rapper MC Breed Dies at 36". TheCelebrityCafe.com. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  17. 1 2 "// News Archive: November 2008 // West Coast News Network //". Dubcnn.com. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  18. "Multimedia / Podcasts : The Last MC Breed Interview". Allhiphop.com. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  19. Archived December 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
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