Tame One ‘One of The Best, Ever’

Let me keep it simple. Tame One is one of the best emcees ever. His flow and timing are perfect, his sense of humor and swagger, classic.

Graffiti used to be synonymous with hip-hop culture. Today, it seems like most hip-hop artists have severed this connection. Tame One has kept the tradition alive. This underground rapper is both a patron and a practitioner of the art of graffiti, which sets him apart from the majority of artist’s today. Tame One’s career has spanned more than two decades.

As one-half of the duo The Artifacts with member El Da Sensai, the Newark, New Jersey native’s career began when he won a freestyle battle on a radio show.

The Artifacts impressed an A&R at Big Beat Records, who heard the unsigned group, and were then offered a deal. The pair released their debut album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place in 1994, with the lead single “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” an ode to graffiti art.

With a mindset of a graffiti artist, Tame One believes that art form will continue to grow. The duo later released their sophomore effort, “That’s Them” in 1997. However internal conflicts forced the group to disband in 1997 and Tame still debunks rumors of a possible reunion. The old-school rapper was also a member of The Boom Skwad, which he created with childhood friends in 1992. After signing to Eastern Conference Records in 2001, Tame became one of the founding members of the hip-hop group the Weathermen consisting of Aesop Rock, Cage Kennlyz, Yak Ballz, El-P, and Breeze Brewin.

Tame One has released two solo albums, “When Rappers Attack” and his sophomore effort, “O.G. Bobby Johnson”. He has worked with the likes of Busta Rhymes, Redman, Mos Def, KRS-One, and Kool G. Rap.  In 2000, Tame released an EP entitled Crazee, without the help of his label.

Tame One has also collaborated with Cage Kennylz under the alias “Leak Bros,” releasing the album “Waterworld” in 2004.

Now signed to the rising indie hip-hop label that boasts its own digital retail store Amalgam Digital, Tame One is set to release his solo album produced exclusively by Parallel Thought entitled “Da Ol’ Jersey Bastard.”

~ by Rodolfo Oliveira on July 18, 2008.