Mountain Brothers
Encyclopedia
Mountain Brothers was an American
hip hop
group originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Named after the legend of 108 mountain bandits depicted in the Chinese novel Water Margin
, the group formed in 1994 after all attended the Pennsylvania State University
in State College, Pennsylvania
.
The group is considered cultural pioneers, being one of the first Asian American hip-hop groups, and also for the lack of sampling of other music in construction of their own. Mountain Brothers released two critically acclaimed albums, Self Vol 1 and Triple Crown. Some of their more notable songs included "Paperchase," "Galaxies (The Next Level)," and "Thoroughbred." The last of the three is featured in remixed form on CHOPS' album Virtuosity. They produced national radio and TV commercials for Sprite on the ad "Rhymes from The Mind" and Nike on the ad "Players Delight". They also produced a music video for "Galaxies (The Next Level)."
The group disbanded in 2003, shortly after the release of the album Triple Crown. CHOPS is the only member still active in hip-hop, working with artists such as Kanye West
, Chamillionaire
, Bahamadia
, Planet Asia
, and Paul Wall
. He also provided music for the MTV
reality television show Rob and Big, the soundtrack for the independent film Dark
, and contributed music to the soundtracks for the films Brown Sugar and House of Wax
. Peril-L is currently a medical researcher and collector of vintage furniture and Styles Infinite is a doctor.
Additional band members performed with Mountain Brothers during certain live performances, including
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 originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Named after the legend of 108 mountain bandits depicted in the Chinese novel Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
, the group formed in 1994 after all attended the Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in State College, Pennsylvania
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
.
The group is considered cultural pioneers, being one of the first Asian American hip-hop groups, and also for the lack of sampling of other music in construction of their own. Mountain Brothers released two critically acclaimed albums, Self Vol 1 and Triple Crown. Some of their more notable songs included "Paperchase," "Galaxies (The Next Level)," and "Thoroughbred." The last of the three is featured in remixed form on CHOPS' album Virtuosity. They produced national radio and TV commercials for Sprite on the ad "Rhymes from The Mind" and Nike on the ad "Players Delight". They also produced a music video for "Galaxies (The Next Level)."
The group disbanded in 2003, shortly after the release of the album Triple Crown. CHOPS is the only member still active in hip-hop, working with artists such as Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, Chamillionaire
Chamillionaire
Hakeem Seriki , better known by his stage name Chamillionaire, is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Chamillitary Entertainment. Chamillionaire is also the founder and an original member of The Color Changin' Click...
, Bahamadia
Bahamadia
Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip hop artist born in 1970, and a DJ who later became an MC. As a member of Gang Starr Foundation, she released her critically acclaimed debut album entitled Kollage in 1996. The album featured production by Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr...
, Planet Asia
Planet Asia
Planet Asia aka King Medallions is an underground hip hop MC from Fresno, California who is a member of hiphop groups the Cali Agents, and Skhool Yard...
, and Paul Wall
Paul Wall
Paul Michael Slayton , better known by his stage name Paul Wall, is an American rapper. He is currently affiliated with Swishahouse Records, having released several albums under the label as well as...
. He also provided music for the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reality television show Rob and Big, the soundtrack for the independent film Dark
Dark
Dark commonly refers to darkness, the absence of light.Dark may also refer to:*Evil, sinister or malign*Dark , a term used to describe a broadcasting service that has ceased transmission...
, and contributed music to the soundtracks for the films Brown Sugar and House of Wax
House of Wax (2005 film)
House of Wax is a 2005 horror film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra. It shares the name of a 1953 horror film, which was a remake of the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum. It was released in theaters on May 6, 2005 to negative reviews, but a financial success...
. Peril-L is currently a medical researcher and collector of vintage furniture and Styles Infinite is a doctor.
Band members
- CHOPSCHOPSChops is the stage name of Scott Jung, an Asian American hip hop producer, rapper and former member of the Asian American Hip-Hop group the Mountain Brothers. Jung grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has Chinese ancestry...
(Scott Jung) - Peril-L (Christopher Wang)
- Styles (later known as Styles Infinite) (Stephen Wei)
Additional band members performed with Mountain Brothers during certain live performances, including
- DJ Roli Rho from 5th Platoon
- DJ Kuttin' Kandi from 5th Platoon
- The Black Republicans
Albums
- Self: Vol 1 (1999) (self-released)
- Microphone Phenomenal(2002) (BabygrandeBabygrande RecordsBabygrande Records is an independent record label based in New York City founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by the The Orchard, and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.-Discography:...
) - Triple Crown (2003) (BabygrandeBabygrande RecordsBabygrande Records is an independent record label based in New York City founded by Chuck Wilson. Babygrande is distributed by the The Orchard, and represented by the Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.-Discography:...
)