Cormega
Encyclopedia
Cory Mckay , better known as Cormega, is an American
emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.
, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas
, Mobb Deep
, Nature
and Capone-N-Noreaga
. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas
and moved back to New York City
.
& DJ Hot Day's track "Set It Off" from their album "Without Warning" in 1991.
on his song "One Love
", from the critically acclaimed Illmatic
album.
Cormega was released from prison on appeal after serving almost 4 years in New York
's Mid-State Correctional Facility
. Following his release in 1995, Cormega became determined to pursue rapping. Nas let him guest on a song entitled "Affirmative Action" for his second album It Was Written
. The song also featured AZ
and Foxy Brown, and became The Firm's first appearance. Based on his performance, he was signed to Def Jam and recorded an album called The Testament
. Based on the buzz from "Affirmative Action," Nas, his manager Steve Stoute
and producers Dr. Dre
and Trackmasters
joined to produce The Firm. Cormega was replaced with another artist, Nature, because either he would not sign a contract with Stoute or Stoute felt Nature was a better rapper. This led to an alleged altercation between Cormega and Nature. Cormega's dispute with Stoute also ended his friendship with Nas. Following the end of his membership in The Firm, Alex Trojano contributed in producing his album The Testament. Meanwhile, following a falling-out over creative differences with his manager Chris Lighty and Def-Jam imprint Violator Records, his debut album The Testament was indefinitely shelved
. During the recording for The Testament Cormega responded to Nas' "One Love
" in the form of a letter also entitled "One Love".
song titled "Never Personal (Fuck Nas N Nature)". In 2001, he released his new debut album, The Realness
, which was acclaimed by critics. Many of the songs share a theme of betrayal
. Nas
responded to Cormega on his song "Destroy and Rebuild" from his album Stillmatic
. Cormega retaliated with more mixtape tracks, "A Slick Response" and "Realmatic". His follow-up album The True Meaning
won the Source Magazine's prestigious Underground Album of the Year Award. In 2004, he followed up with Legal Hustle
(a compilation album
showcasing his label's artists) and other talented hip-hop lyricists such as Ghostface Killah
, Large Professor
, AZ
, Kurupt
, Jayo Felony
, and several others. This album is considered by some as more of a project than an actual solo album; nonetheless it was well received. In 2005, he was able to release The Testament on his own label, which saw good reviews and sales and featured the original banned version of "Dead Man Walking" as a hidden track.
In early September 2005, Cormega posted a statement on his website that he and Nas had spoken and ended their feud. Cormega explained that their conversation had come about due to the death of Cormega's grandmother. Both rappers have stated the possibility of a collaboration. On December 22, 2006 at the Nokia Theatre Times Square
, Cormega appeared on stage at a Nas concert and went on to perform with Nas (and Foxy Brown as well), further evidence that their feud is over.
The feud was settled in Cormega's home in early December 2005, when Cormega and Nas realized that it was destructive for each of them. It is not known who was responsible for their meeting but both artists are now working alone. In the mid 2000s Cormega helped produce a few albums and was featured on several songs with The Jacka
and the Mob Figaz.
An album collaboration with Lakey The Kid
entitled My Brother's Keeper
was released independently on August 22, 2006. On November 20, 2007, Cormega finally released his DVD in-the-making Who Am I?. The DVD took over four years of filming of Cormega in all aspects of his life and what others thought of Cormega, unedited. The DVD was released as a soundtrack plus DVD. Cormega intended to release an album which was to be entitled Urban Legend before T.I.
's album of the same name was released (Cormega mentions this on the Who Am I DVD, dated circa 2003); the new title is Born and Raised. The album was released October 20, 2009. The first single is called "Journey."
Following his latest project's release, the MC has already announced his next album, tentatively due out summer of 2011. Cormega has already begun work, having recorded collaborations with one of the Wu-Tang Clan and a Queensbridge MC. As for further features, he has stated his desire to work with a variety of artists including Scarface
, Lauryn Hill
, Slick Rick
, as well as past collaborators M.O.P., Mobb Deep and tha Dogg Pound
.
Following an interview with Mista Montana on the highly respected, Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Cormega recently made great efforts to increase peoples awareness of the 2010 flooding tragedy in Pakistan
, adding images and video clips to his official site.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
emcee best known for his vivid and poignant narratives about inner-city life.
Early life
Born in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Cormega grew up in the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Long Island City, QueensLong Island City, Queens
Long Island City is the westernmost neighborhood of the borough of Queens in New York City. L.I.C. is notable for its rapid and ongoing gentrification, its waterfront parks, and its thriving arts community. L.I.C. has among the highest concentration of art galleries, art institutions, and studio...
, forming childhood friendships with future rappers such as Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep
Mobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
, Nature
Nature (rapper)
Jermain Baxter , better known as Nature, is an American rapper, best known for his association with fellow Queensbridge-born rapper Nas.-Career:...
and Capone-N-Noreaga
Capone-N-Noreaga
Capone-N-Noreaga was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Capone and Noreaga.-History:In 1996 the duo signed with Penalty Records; it also appeared in The Source magazine's Unsigned Hype column...
. When he was 4, he witnessed his mother's murder. After that, he moved in with his father and stepmother who had recently returned from Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
and moved back to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
1980s
He was featured on Hot Day's "Going Straight Up" from his album "It's My Turn". He was also featured on Blaq PoetBlaq Poet
Wilbur Bass , better known as Blaq Poet is an American rapper from Queensbridge, New York, USA.Blaq Poet was first heard in the track "Beat You Down" from the Bridge Wars during 1987, a diss song towards KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. At that time Poet was at least 17 years old, as stated in...
& DJ Hot Day's track "Set It Off" from their album "Without Warning" in 1991.
1990s
Cormega was sentenced to 5–15 years in prison for armed robbery in 1991. Despite his incarceration, Cormega gained some attention following a shout-out from NasNas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
on his song "One Love
One Love (Nas song)
"One Love" is a song by American hip hop rapper Nas, released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. It was issued as the fifth and final radio single in promotion of his debut studio album Illmatic . The song was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, who also contributed vocals for the chorus...
", from the critically acclaimed Illmatic
Illmatic
Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...
album.
Cormega was released from prison on appeal after serving almost 4 years in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Mid-State Correctional Facility
Mid-State Correctional Facility
Mid-State Correctional Facility is located between the cities of Rome and Utica in New York State.Before Mid-State was a prison, it was a hospital for both the mentally ill and mentally handicapped. There was a so called “25-year building spree” in the prison system, when the number of prisoners...
. Following his release in 1995, Cormega became determined to pursue rapping. Nas let him guest on a song entitled "Affirmative Action" for his second album It Was Written
It Was Written
It Was Written is the second studio album by American rapper Nas, released July 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Following the moderate sales success of his acclaimed debut album, Illmatic , Nas chose to focus his efforts in a more mainstream direction...
. The song also featured AZ
AZ (rapper)
Anthony Cruz , better known as AZ is a Grammy-nominated American rapper of Dominican & African American descent. He is known for being a long time and frequent rhyme partner of Nas, and also a member of hip-hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature.In a countdown of the 10...
and Foxy Brown, and became The Firm's first appearance. Based on his performance, he was signed to Def Jam and recorded an album called The Testament
The Testament (album)
The Testament is the fourth studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. The album was originally recorded as Cormega's debut album in the mid-90's, and scheduled for a release on Def Jam Records, but was eventually shelved...
. Based on the buzz from "Affirmative Action," Nas, his manager Steve Stoute
Steve Stoute
Steve Stoute is an author, entrepreneur, advertising executive and American record executive and artist manager.-Music Executive:From 1990 to 1999, Stoute was an executive at several leading labels in the music industry...
and producers Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and Trackmasters
Trackmasters
The Trackmasters are the successful production duo of Poke and Tone , sometimes credited as Poke & Tone, best known for their commercial hit records in the late 90s and early 2000s. Throughout their career they have worked with various hip-hop and R&B artists including R...
joined to produce The Firm. Cormega was replaced with another artist, Nature, because either he would not sign a contract with Stoute or Stoute felt Nature was a better rapper. This led to an alleged altercation between Cormega and Nature. Cormega's dispute with Stoute also ended his friendship with Nas. Following the end of his membership in The Firm, Alex Trojano contributed in producing his album The Testament. Meanwhile, following a falling-out over creative differences with his manager Chris Lighty and Def-Jam imprint Violator Records, his debut album The Testament was indefinitely shelved
Shelved
In politics, the term can be used for policy drafts, that have never been officially brought into legislation.In the film industry, a film is considered shelved if it is not released for public viewing after filming has started, or even completed....
. During the recording for The Testament Cormega responded to Nas' "One Love
One Love (Nas song)
"One Love" is a song by American hip hop rapper Nas, released October 25, 1994 on Columbia Records. It was issued as the fifth and final radio single in promotion of his debut studio album Illmatic . The song was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest, who also contributed vocals for the chorus...
" in the form of a letter also entitled "One Love".
2000s
In 2000, he was released from his contract and he started his own record company, Legal Hustle Records. Cormega vented his disappointment with Nas and The Firm in a mixtapeMixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
song titled "Never Personal (Fuck Nas N Nature)". In 2001, he released his new debut album, The Realness
The Realness
The Realness is the debut studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega.Cormega rose to fame in the mid-90s as an original member of The Firm crew, along with Nas, AZ and Foxy Brown, appearing on the song "Affirmative Action" from the Nas album It Was Written. After being booted from the group,...
, which was acclaimed by critics. Many of the songs share a theme of betrayal
Betrayal
Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations...
. Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
responded to Cormega on his song "Destroy and Rebuild" from his album Stillmatic
Stillmatic
Stillmatic received generally positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on 12 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews"...
. Cormega retaliated with more mixtape tracks, "A Slick Response" and "Realmatic". His follow-up album The True Meaning
The True Meaning
The True Meaning is the second studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. It was critically acclaimed and won the prestigious "Independent Album of the Year" at the Source Awards 2003. He also received "Impact Artist of the Year" honors at the Underground Music Awards. It was praised for its...
won the Source Magazine's prestigious Underground Album of the Year Award. In 2004, he followed up with Legal Hustle
Legal Hustle
Legal Hustle is the third studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. It was released to a mixed critical reception and was not much of a commercial success. It reached #8 on the Top Independent Albums chart, but none of the album's singles charted...
(a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
showcasing his label's artists) and other talented hip-hop lyricists such as Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
, Large Professor
Large Professor
Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
, AZ
AZ (rapper)
Anthony Cruz , better known as AZ is a Grammy-nominated American rapper of Dominican & African American descent. He is known for being a long time and frequent rhyme partner of Nas, and also a member of hip-hop group The Firm alongside Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and Nature.In a countdown of the 10...
, Kurupt
Kurupt
Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known by his stage name Kurupt, also known as Kurupt Tha Kingpin, Kurupt Young Gotti or Young Gotstra is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
, Jayo Felony
Jayo Felony
James Savage, better known by his stage name, Jayo Felony is a rapper from southeast San Diego, California. He is known for being the first San Diego rapper to be signed to a major label...
, and several others. This album is considered by some as more of a project than an actual solo album; nonetheless it was well received. In 2005, he was able to release The Testament on his own label, which saw good reviews and sales and featured the original banned version of "Dead Man Walking" as a hidden track.
In early September 2005, Cormega posted a statement on his website that he and Nas had spoken and ended their feud. Cormega explained that their conversation had come about due to the death of Cormega's grandmother. Both rappers have stated the possibility of a collaboration. On December 22, 2006 at the Nokia Theatre Times Square
Nokia Theatre Times Square
The Best Buy Theater in Times Square is an indoor theatre, owned and managed by Anschutz Entertainment Group , located on 1515 Broadway, at the corner of Broadway and 44th street. It was designed by architect David Rockwell and opened in September 2005...
, Cormega appeared on stage at a Nas concert and went on to perform with Nas (and Foxy Brown as well), further evidence that their feud is over.
The feud was settled in Cormega's home in early December 2005, when Cormega and Nas realized that it was destructive for each of them. It is not known who was responsible for their meeting but both artists are now working alone. In the mid 2000s Cormega helped produce a few albums and was featured on several songs with The Jacka
The Jacka
Dominic Newton, better known by his stage name The Jacka , is an American rapper from Richmond, California. The Jacka got his start in Pittsburg, California with his group, Mob Figaz, whose first album, C-Bo's Mob Figaz, was released in 1999. The Jacka also converted to Islam at a very young age...
and the Mob Figaz.
An album collaboration with Lakey The Kid
Lakey The Kid
Lakey The Kid or Lake is a rapper from Queensbridge, New York. In 1999, Lake was released from prison after serving a seven year sentence For according to him "shooting a guy in the stomach" who is said to have reported him to the police....
entitled My Brother's Keeper
My Brother's Keeper (Lake album)
My Brother's Keeper is the debut album by hip-hop artist Lake, also known as Lakey The Kid. Fellow Queensbridge hip-hop artist Cormega is featured heavily on the album. The first single off of the album was "The Oath" which was performed by both Lake and Cormega.-Track listing:...
was released independently on August 22, 2006. On November 20, 2007, Cormega finally released his DVD in-the-making Who Am I?. The DVD took over four years of filming of Cormega in all aspects of his life and what others thought of Cormega, unedited. The DVD was released as a soundtrack plus DVD. Cormega intended to release an album which was to be entitled Urban Legend before T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
's album of the same name was released (Cormega mentions this on the Who Am I DVD, dated circa 2003); the new title is Born and Raised. The album was released October 20, 2009. The first single is called "Journey."
Following his latest project's release, the MC has already announced his next album, tentatively due out summer of 2011. Cormega has already begun work, having recorded collaborations with one of the Wu-Tang Clan and a Queensbridge MC. As for further features, he has stated his desire to work with a variety of artists including Scarface
Scarface (rapper)
Brad Terrence Jordan , better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, and recording artist from Houston, Texas and a member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from South Park, Houston.-Life and career:...
, Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
, Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
, as well as past collaborators M.O.P., Mobb Deep and tha Dogg Pound
Tha Dogg Pound
Tha Dogg Pound is a rap group made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs. They also appeared on Snoop Dogg's debut album...
.
Following an interview with Mista Montana on the highly respected, Conspiracy Worldwide Radio, Cormega recently made great efforts to increase peoples awareness of the 2010 flooding tragedy in Pakistan
2010 Pakistan floods
The 2010 Pakistan floods began in late July 2010, resulting from heavy monsoon rains in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan regions of Pakistan and affected the Indus River basin. Approximately one-fifth of Pakistan's total land area was underwater, approximately...
, adding images and video clips to his official site.
Discography
Albums
| Album information |
|---|
| The Realness The Realness The Realness is the debut studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega.Cormega rose to fame in the mid-90s as an original member of The Firm crew, along with Nas, AZ and Foxy Brown, appearing on the song "Affirmative Action" from the Nas album It Was Written. After being booted from the group,...
|
| The True Meaning The True Meaning The True Meaning is the second studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. It was critically acclaimed and won the prestigious "Independent Album of the Year" at the Source Awards 2003. He also received "Impact Artist of the Year" honors at the Underground Music Awards. It was praised for its... |
| Legal Hustle Legal Hustle Legal Hustle is the third studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. It was released to a mixed critical reception and was not much of a commercial success. It reached #8 on the Top Independent Albums chart, but none of the album's singles charted... |
| The Testament The Testament (album) The Testament is the fourth studio album by Queensbridge rapper Cormega. The album was originally recorded as Cormega's debut album in the mid-90's, and scheduled for a release on Def Jam Records, but was eventually shelved... |
| Who Am I? (Soundtrack & DVD)
|
| Born and Raised
|
| Raw Forever Raw Forever Raw Forever is the sixth studio album of the American hip hop artist Cormega, released in September 27, 2011, under Aura Records.- Track listing :By iTunes.... |
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
U.S. Rap Hot Rap Tracks Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single... |
|||
| 2000 | "You Don't Want It" | — | — | 41 | The Realness |
| 2001 | "Get Out My Way" | — | — | — | |
| 2002 | "Built for This" | — | — | — | The True Meaning |
| "The Come Up" (featuring Large Professor Large Professor Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas... ) |
— | — | — | ||
| 2004 | "Let It Go" (featuring M.O.P. M.O.P. M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, is an American hip hop duo. The duo, composed of Billy Danze and Lil' Fame, is known for the aggressive delivery typically employed by both emcees. Although they maintain a strong underground following, they are mainly known for the song "Ante Up," released on... ) |
— | — | — | Legal Hustle |
| "Dangerous" (featuring Unda P. and Vybz Kartel Vybz Kartel Adidja Palmer , better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall artist, songwriter and businessman. He has many nicknames, including Addi Teacher and Gaza Emperor.-Biography:... ) |
— | — | — | ||
| 2005 | "One Love" | — | — | — | The Testament |
| 2007 | "The Saga (The Remix)" (produced by Stanley O) | — | — | — | Single Release |
| 2009 | "Dirty Game" | — | — | — | Born and Raised |