M.O.P.

M.O.P., short for Mash-Out Posse, is an American hardcore hip hop duo. The duo, comprising Billy Danzenie and Lil' Fame, are known for their angry, aggressive delivery. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they had some minor mainstream success in the early 2000s with the songs "Ante Up" and "Cold As Ice". The group has frequently collaborated with DJ Premier. Fame sometimes goes under the production moniker Fizzy Womack, and has produced on several M.O.P. releases as well as three AZ albums, Cormega's Who Am I?, Termanology's Da Cameo King, Big Noyd's Illustrious and the St. Da Squad mixtape.

Biography

Early life

As childhood friends, Bill Danze and Lil' Fame grew up together in a rough section of Brooklyn known as Brownsville and were members of a neighborhood gang named Mash Out Posse headed by Fame's older brother, Big Mal. With a desire to express themselves through rap, they formed a group named after their gang. Originally, Fame was the DJ of the group. With encouragement from Big Mal, Fame began to write his own rhymes.

Big Mal was gunned down shortly before M.O.P. debuted in 1993, with the single "How About Some Hardcore?" which appeared on the soundtrack for the film House Party 3. The underground success of the single, promoted by a gritty, low-budget video from then-unknown director Hype Williams, led to their debut album To the Death. It was a dark and raging LP, released in 1994 on the small label Select Records. The album was almost fully produced by DR Period.

In 1996, M.O.P. released their second effort, Firing Squad. Hoping for better promotion, they signed with Relativity Records. Changing record labels and production duties (the album was partly produced by Gang Starr's DJ Premier and by Lil' Fame himself), the group still kept their hardcore and energetic style, and gained a slightly larger following this time round. During this time, both Fame's and Danze's mothers died. In 1998 M.O.P. released the Handle Ur Bizness EP, which was soon followed by the album First Family 4 Life . Working with the same formula, again with a heavy percentage of the record produced by DJ Premier and Lil' Fame, the album featured guest appearances by Guru of Gangstarr, Treach of Naughty By Nature and Jay-Z.

Rise to fame

M.O.P.'s fanbase was loyal but remained rather small until 2000, when they released Warriorz, this time on Loud Records. Mainstream radio began playing the first single, "Ante Up", produced by DR Period whom they had not worked with since their debut. The single, containing a sample from Sam & Dave's "Soul Sister, Brown Sugar", was a major radio hit and propelled the album to #25 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart. The follow-up single, the self-produced "Cold As Ice" (which featured a sample from "Cold As Ice" by Foreigner), also received radio airplay, although almost half of the song's lyrics had to be censored for the radio version. It was used in the UK on a TV advert for Ice White toothpaste.

In 2001, a remix of "Ante Up" was released featuring Busta Rhymes, Remy Martin, and Teflon, which was also very well received, and also featured in the game Def Jam Vendetta, along with a colabraration with CNN called "Stomp". That same year, they collaborated on a song titled "Life is Good" with the teen pop boy band Lyte Funky Ones. The song reached #82 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart. Both singles continued the Posse's long-awaited mainstream success.

In 2002, Loud Records folded, leaving the group stranded. In 2003, Loud's parent label Sony/Columbia issued a greatest hits album titled 10 Years And Gunnin'. M.O.P. later joined Jay-Z and Damon Dash's Roc-A-Fella Records. The move appeared to cement the group's future for greater mainstream success. Their first recording for the label was a guest appearance on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse; they were set to release their album titled Ghetto Warfare, but the eagerly anticipated album was shelved. According to M.O.P. themselves, two other albums were recorded: one under the title The Last Generation, the other entitled Kill Nigga Die Slo Bluckka Bluckka Bloaoow Blood Sweat Tears and We Out.

During this waiting period the group kept busy by releasing a slew of mixtapes and appearing on soundtracks to films such as Bad Boys II. They also contributed two songs ("Ground Zero" and "Put it in the Air") to the popular game NFL Street 2, and another ("Fire") to Fight Night 2004 - another video game. Also in 2004, M.O.P. joined the successful rap rock band Linkin Park on the second stage of the Projekt Revolution Tour along with other acts such as Downset, Nu Metal Starters, KoRn and Snoop Dogg.

The group also released a mixtape called Marxmen Cinema (under the name The Marxmen), as well as a self-titled rapcore album (under the name Mash Out Posse). In 2004, Damon Dash sold his share of Roc-A-Fella to new Def Jam president, Jay-Z, and kept M.O.P. on his new label, Dame Dash Music Group. The group was left feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

Recent events

In June 2005, M.O.P. officially announced their signing with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records, around the same time as Queens rap duo Mobb Deep. 50 Cent is a big fan of the group, and has stated his plans to gain the group more mainstream success. The duo completed a song with 50 Cent which was featured on the Get Rich or Die Tryin' Soundtrack entitled "When Death Becomes You." Months after the signing, M.O.P. released a compilation album entitled M.O.P. Salutes the St. Marxmen, consisting of several tracks recorded while the group was signed to Roc-A-Fella.

In July 2006, M.O.P released the long-shelved Ghetto Warfare. As of February 2008, it was announced that M.O.P will be leaving G-Unit Records due to creative differences. Laze Elliot, the group's manager, said of the departure that "50 has been good about letting us move on... I still believe that we would work together. The relationship is much better from a creative standpoint.". As of September 2008, M.O.P. are still signed to G-Unit Records but both members are doing solo projects on other labels.

Discography

• 1994 - To The Death
• 1996 - Firing Squad
• 1998 - First Family 4 Life
• 2000 - Warriorz
• 2003 - 10 Years and Gunnin'
• 2004 - Mash Out Posse
• 2005 - St. Marxmen
• 2006 - Ghetto Warfare
• 2009 - The Foundation

References

External links

• HipHopCanada.com Interview (April '08)
• ItsHipHop.tv Video Interview
• Interview