Five Deez
Encyclopedia
Five Deez is an American
hip hop
group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli
, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician
(John Marshall), Pase Rock (Patrick Johnson), Kyle David (also known as Chilly Most), and Sonic (Corey Brown). Fat Jon
currently resides in Berlin
, Germany
; while Pase Rock lives in New York
, with Kyle and Sonic remaining in Cincinnati.
Five Deez has toured and worked with such artists as Rakim
, BlackStar
, Mr. Dibbs
, Hieroglyphics
and J-Live
over their career. Five Deez have also worked extensively with members of the Japanese hip hop
scene, as they have also gained a strong fanbase in the country. Japanese artists that they collaborated with include Nujabes
, Shing02, LEMS, and Force of Nature.
, house
, and techno
music. One of the group’s major strengths is the fact that they effortlessly move from straightforward hip-hop to up-beat, danceable music without missing a step. Some critics have even called them the “kings of dance-rap.”
They are also well known for straying away from the hip-hop norm, as they have included live-instrumentation, instrumental
songs, and even singing on their albums.
Their beats combine the mellow, organic sound of electronica
and trip-hop with the “boom-bap” of hip-hop. They draw samples from many different instrumental sources such as violins, flutes, synths, and record samples. Their subject matter stretches a wide spectrum, from songs about dealings with women, and dissing wack MCs to their exploits with shoplifting
and dates with aliens
.
They have described their inspiration and influences as coming from such artists as: Prince
, Steely Dan
, Miles Davis
, the Neptunes
, Kraftwerk
and others. They were also strongly influenced by old-school hip-hop (as seen on their remake of the Slick Rick
song, Hey Young World of the same name). Fat Jon has also said some of his influence comes from anime
and science fiction
.
One point that they emphasize about their music and releases of albums, is that no record sounds the same as another.
released on November 27, 2001 on Counterflow Records. Koolmotor
(describing the sound of the album, like a “cool motor”) contains two songs from Secret Agent Number 005 The E.P., B.E.A.T. and Dope. Koolmotor was released to positive reviews, as critics praised the experimentation of the album and the sound that was radically different than that of other mainstream and underground artists.
Their follow-up album Kinkynasti
(another name for Cincinnati, Ohio) was released on !K7 Records on September 2, 2003. Kinkynasti garnered mostly positive reviews as the group moved towards making more of a hip-hop, dance
record with this release. Some criticism included the lack of fluidity of the album, going from upbeat songs (Funky, Kissyface) to instrumental songs (Rain, the Ocean), but overall the response was positive.
Kommunicator, their next release, came on February 21, 2006 on Rapster Records. The members of Five Deez have described this as a “concept record” with the album being a transmission from an unknown source. This album was better received than Kinkynasti, with critics describing the album as going back to their Koolmotor roots. Other critics have described this album as one that “bridges the gap between hip-hop and electronic music.”
They have also released a previously Japan-only release, Slow Children Playing, in the U.S. on July 24, 2006 on Ample Soul (Fat Jon’s label). This album is a collection of older, previously unreleased songs by the group.
Fat Jon
has done the most work outside of the group, most notably his instrumental albums that have gained positive reviews. His most notable collaboration has been with rapper/producer J. Rawls
, of which they go by the name 3582. He has also collaborated with German electronic minimalist Pole
on a number of tracks that have been included on his self-titled debut album. He also formed the group Rebel Clique with Amleset Solomon (who appeared on a number of Kinkynasti tracks) where they released their debut album Unique Connection on Ample Soul (of which was released in 2006 in the US). Fat Jon
also expanded his resume by contributing music to the hip-hop themed anime, Samurai Champloo
. He also has worked with Belgian musician Styrofoam
where they released their debut album, The Same Channel in October 2006.
Pase Rock has also released a Japan-only solo album, Bullshit as Usual in 2003 on Hyde Out Productions, a project he did with Japanese producer Nujabes
. He has said he is currently working on follow-up solo project of which no release date has been set. Furthermore, he collaborates with the Spank Rock
crew frequently. He is also gaining much fame as a DJ, doing sets for a number of celebrity parties including that of Jessica Simpson
, Justin Timberlake
, Snoop Dogg
, and Larry Flynt
.
Sonic is also working on a solo album, to be released on Fat Jon’s Ample Soul Records.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group from Cincinnati, Ohio and a part of the Wanna Battle collective, which also includes DJ Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, Rubix, and Lone Catalysts. The group consists of members: Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician
Fat Jon
Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician is an American hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the four members of Five Deez, alongside Pace Rock, Sonic, and Kyle David...
(John Marshall), Pase Rock (Patrick Johnson), Kyle David (also known as Chilly Most), and Sonic (Corey Brown). Fat Jon
Fat Jon
Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician is an American hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the four members of Five Deez, alongside Pace Rock, Sonic, and Kyle David...
currently resides in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
; while Pase Rock lives 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...
, with Kyle and Sonic remaining in Cincinnati.
Origins and collaborations
The members of Five Deez originally met while attending Walnut Hills High School in Cincinnati, OH. Fat Jon, Sonic and Kyle David met in band class while Pase met Fat Jon during lunch after moving to the school at a later time. They chose the name “Five Deez” as simplification of the term “fifth dimension” of which they describe as “the realm where you experience music.” They chose this name because another group was going by the name Fifth Dimension at the time of their formation.Five Deez has toured and worked with such artists as Rakim
Rakim
William Michael Griffin Jr. , known by his stage names Rakim , Rakim Allah, R.A.K.I.M., and The Master, is an American rapper. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and most skilled emcees of all time. Eric B...
, BlackStar
Black Star (hip hop group)
Black Star is a hip hop duo composed of Mos Def and Talib Kweli.-History:Black Star arose from the underground movement of the late 1990s, which was in large part due to Rawkus Records, an independent record label stationed in New York City. They released one self titled album...
, Mr. Dibbs
Mr. Dibbs
__notoc__Brad Forste, better known as Mr. Dibbs, is a DJ and hip hop producer. The founder of the turntablist collective 1200 Hobos, he has also appeared on numerous underground hip hop records as producer or DJ as well as releasing a number of solo works.Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Forste was...
, Hieroglyphics
Hieroglyphics (band)
Hieroglyphics, also known as the Hieroglyphics Crew and Hiero, are an American underground hip hop collective based in Oakland, California. The collective was founded in the early-1990s by rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien...
and J-Live
J-Live
J-Live is an MC, DJ, and producer from New York.-Early career and The Best Part:...
over their career. Five Deez have also worked extensively with members of the Japanese hip hop
Japanese hip hop
Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s. Japanese hip hop generally tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, taking from the era's catchy beats, dance culture, and overall fun and...
scene, as they have also gained a strong fanbase in the country. Japanese artists that they collaborated with include Nujabes
Nujabes
was a Japanese hip hop producer and DJ who recorded under the name , the reverse spelling of his name in Japanese order. Nujabes was also owner of the Shibuya record stores, T Records and Guinness Records and founder of the independent label Hydeout Productions....
, Shing02, LEMS, and Force of Nature.
Style/Influence
Five Deez’s influence comes from many different genres of music. Their sound derives elements from electronic, hip-hop, jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
music. One of the group’s major strengths is the fact that they effortlessly move from straightforward hip-hop to up-beat, danceable music without missing a step. Some critics have even called them the “kings of dance-rap.”
They are also well known for straying away from the hip-hop norm, as they have included live-instrumentation, instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
songs, and even singing on their albums.
Their beats combine the mellow, organic sound of electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and trip-hop with the “boom-bap” of hip-hop. They draw samples from many different instrumental sources such as violins, flutes, synths, and record samples. Their subject matter stretches a wide spectrum, from songs about dealings with women, and dissing wack MCs to their exploits with shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
and dates with aliens
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
.
They have described their inspiration and influences as coming from such artists as: Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Steely Dan
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is an American rock band; its core members are Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. The band's popularity peaked in the late 1970s, with the release of seven albums blending elements of jazz, rock, funk, R&B, and pop...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, the Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
and others. They were also strongly influenced by old-school hip-hop (as seen on their remake of the Slick Rick
Slick Rick
Richard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
song, Hey Young World of the same name). Fat Jon has also said some of his influence comes from anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
.
One point that they emphasize about their music and releases of albums, is that no record sounds the same as another.
Releases
Five Deez’s first release was the Secret Agent Number 005 The E.P. on September 27, 2000 on Landspeed Records. This album was a precursor to the first full-length debut KoolmotorKoolmotor
Koolmotor was the first full-length studio album released by Five Deez.-Tracks:# Say Intro# Latitude# Omni# Got Dough# Decapitated Orgasms# Instruments of the Trade # Sexual for Elizabeth - featuring shing02...
released on November 27, 2001 on Counterflow Records. Koolmotor
Koolmotor
Koolmotor was the first full-length studio album released by Five Deez.-Tracks:# Say Intro# Latitude# Omni# Got Dough# Decapitated Orgasms# Instruments of the Trade # Sexual for Elizabeth - featuring shing02...
(describing the sound of the album, like a “cool motor”) contains two songs from Secret Agent Number 005 The E.P., B.E.A.T. and Dope. Koolmotor was released to positive reviews, as critics praised the experimentation of the album and the sound that was radically different than that of other mainstream and underground artists.
Their follow-up album Kinkynasti
Kinkynasti
Kinkynasti is the second album from Cincinnati hip-hop group Five Deez. It was released on !K7 Records. The album name is a slang name variation for the city of Cincinnati, USA. It features production from the group's producer/MC Fat Jon and rapping also provided by the other three members of the...
(another name for Cincinnati, Ohio) was released on !K7 Records on September 2, 2003. Kinkynasti garnered mostly positive reviews as the group moved towards making more of a hip-hop, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
record with this release. Some criticism included the lack of fluidity of the album, going from upbeat songs (Funky, Kissyface) to instrumental songs (Rain, the Ocean), but overall the response was positive.
Kommunicator, their next release, came on February 21, 2006 on Rapster Records. The members of Five Deez have described this as a “concept record” with the album being a transmission from an unknown source. This album was better received than Kinkynasti, with critics describing the album as going back to their Koolmotor roots. Other critics have described this album as one that “bridges the gap between hip-hop and electronic music.”
They have also released a previously Japan-only release, Slow Children Playing, in the U.S. on July 24, 2006 on Ample Soul (Fat Jon’s label). This album is a collection of older, previously unreleased songs by the group.
Other projects
Individual members of Five Deez have worked on or are currently working on other projects outside of the Five Deez name.Fat Jon
Fat Jon
Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician is an American hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the four members of Five Deez, alongside Pace Rock, Sonic, and Kyle David...
has done the most work outside of the group, most notably his instrumental albums that have gained positive reviews. His most notable collaboration has been with rapper/producer J. Rawls
J. Rawls
Jason Rawls is an American hip hop, soul, and neo-soul producer whose work crosses over into jazz. He has worked with Dose One, Beastie Boys, Slum Village, El Da Sensei, Count Bass D, Grand Agent, 9th Wonder, J-Live, Us3, and Moka Only...
, of which they go by the name 3582. He has also collaborated with German electronic minimalist Pole
Pole (musician)
Pole is the artistic name of Stefan Betke, a German electronic music artist commonly associated with the glitch genre as well as dubtronica.-History:Pole took his name from a Waldorf 4-Pole filter which he accidentally dropped and broke in 1996...
on a number of tracks that have been included on his self-titled debut album. He also formed the group Rebel Clique with Amleset Solomon (who appeared on a number of Kinkynasti tracks) where they released their debut album Unique Connection on Ample Soul (of which was released in 2006 in the US). Fat Jon
Fat Jon
Fat Jon the Ample Soul Physician is an American hip hop producer from Cincinnati, Ohio and one of the four members of Five Deez, alongside Pace Rock, Sonic, and Kyle David...
also expanded his resume by contributing music to the hip-hop themed anime, Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo
is a Japanese anime series created and directed by Shinichirō Watanabe. It was broadcast in Japan from May 20, 2004 through March 19, 2005 on Fuji TV. Samurai Champloo has earned Watanabe a renowned title in the anime and Japanese television communities...
. He also has worked with Belgian musician Styrofoam
Styrofoam (artist)
Styrofoam is a Belgian one man glitch electronica project on the independent record label Morr Music...
where they released their debut album, The Same Channel in October 2006.
Pase Rock has also released a Japan-only solo album, Bullshit as Usual in 2003 on Hyde Out Productions, a project he did with Japanese producer Nujabes
Nujabes
was a Japanese hip hop producer and DJ who recorded under the name , the reverse spelling of his name in Japanese order. Nujabes was also owner of the Shibuya record stores, T Records and Guinness Records and founder of the independent label Hydeout Productions....
. He has said he is currently working on follow-up solo project of which no release date has been set. Furthermore, he collaborates with the Spank Rock
Spank Rock
Spank Rock is an American hip-hop group consisting of rapper Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton . Their style is generally described as a mix of underground alternative rap and electro and rock.- Biography :...
crew frequently. He is also gaining much fame as a DJ, doing sets for a number of celebrity parties including that of Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, and Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt
Larry Claxton Flynt, Jr. is an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications . In 2003, Arena magazine listed him as the number one on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list....
.
Sonic is also working on a solo album, to be released on Fat Jon’s Ample Soul Records.
Albums
- Secret Agent Number 005 The E.P. (2000)
- KoolmotorKoolmotorKoolmotor was the first full-length studio album released by Five Deez.-Tracks:# Say Intro# Latitude# Omni# Got Dough# Decapitated Orgasms# Instruments of the Trade # Sexual for Elizabeth - featuring shing02...
(2001) - Koolmotor Instrumentals (2002)
- KinkynastiKinkynastiKinkynasti is the second album from Cincinnati hip-hop group Five Deez. It was released on !K7 Records. The album name is a slang name variation for the city of Cincinnati, USA. It features production from the group's producer/MC Fat Jon and rapping also provided by the other three members of the...
(2003) - Kinkynasti Instrumentals (2xLP) (2003)
- Slow Children Playing (2006)
- Kommunicator (2006)