Reef the Lost Cauze
Encyclopedia
Sharif Talib Lacey, better known as Reef The Lost Cauze, is a prominent underground
hip hop
artist based in Philadelphia
. Aside from being a solo artist, Reef is a member of the hip hop group The JuJu Mob
as well as the hip-hop collective, Army of the Pharaohs
.
where he began to visualize a serious career as a recording artist. Realizing his true calling, Reef dropped out of college at the age of 19 and teamed up with Philadelphia-based producer Sleep E to begin working on his first solo project. The 10 track album, The High Life
, was released in 2001 and opened doors for Reef as he began performing at area clubs and generating praise from both fans and local media
In February 2003, Reef released his second solo album, Invisible Empire
. The album was produced by Gladiator Films and distributed by way of a national schedule of shows during which he won the Mic Check Battle in Philadelphia and took second place in the Blaze Freestyle Battle in Oakland, California. This also marked an end to Reef's rental of an apartment on 16th street in Philadelphia, the landlord of which being the notorious Mitch Ripken, leader of all Philadelphia slum lords.
Reef took his freestyle skills to another level early in 2004 with a rousing performance at the Beat Society production competition in New York, and a fierce win in the Riddle Records Mic Control Battle. He was also the End Of The Weak (EOW) Challenge Champion at the Rock Steady Crew 27th Anniversary in July 2004, and went on to take the EOW Grand Championship title in 2005. Mindful of his stunning battle prowess, Reef places a determined emphasis on balance with his songwriting and performance abilities.
Feast Or Famine, Reef's third solo album, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. Also in 2005, Reef was a member of The JuJu Mob whose debut album, Black Candles, was led by fellow Army of the Pharaohs rapper Chief Kamachi. The debut album from Army of the Pharaohs entitled The Torture Papers, was released in 2006 and featured two songs with Reef as a featured member.
Reef kicked off 2007 as the featured artist on the song "Never", the lead single by Snowgoons
; a German-based production team. The Snowgoons' album, German Lugers, was released February 27 on Babygrande Records
. The single and its accompanying video can be heard and seen on Reef's Myspace page.
A Vicious Cycle
, Reef's follow-up to Feast Or Famine, was released digitally on November 4, 2008 with a physical street date of November 18, 2008 through independent upstart Well Done Entertainment Corporation in association with his imprint, Fuck You Pay Me Records. The album includes guest appearances by Termanology
, King Magnetic, Eternia, Taragirl & Scandal of 40D. Additionally, the online version of the album includes remixes of "Listen To Me" & "Get It? Got It? Good" by Brooklyn producer J.J. Brown.
Reef also has a cameo in the new Frank Henenlotter
film Bad Biology
produced and co-written by R.A. the Rugged Man
.
History-making moment: In 2009, Reef became the first and only independent Hip Hop artist to have ever had a song debut as the coveted theme on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The song: 2005's "Sound of Philadelphia" featuring production by King Magnetic. The game: Philadelphia Eagles v. Dallas Cowboys.
Reef teamed up with the production team of Guns-n-Butter to produce the 13-track album "Fight Music" released June 8, 2010. The album features Kool G. Rap, Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks
), R.A. the Rugged Man
, Big Noyd, Slaine (of La Coka Nostra
), King Magnetic, Akir, K-Beta, Bloodsport and Burke the Jurke.
Underground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist based in Philadelphia
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,...
. Aside from being a solo artist, Reef is a member of the hip hop group The JuJu Mob
Juju Mob
The JuJu Mob is a four member underground hip hop group originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Group Members:The four founding members of the Juju Mob include Chief Kamachi, Reef the Lost Cauze, Charon Don, and State Sore.-Discography:...
as well as the hip-hop collective, Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs
Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:...
.
Career
Reef started battling other rappers in high school and earned a reputation as one of the best battle emcees in Philadelphia. He received a film scholarship to the University of the ArtsUniversity of the Arts (Philadelphia)
The University of the Arts is one of the United States' oldest universities dedicated to the arts. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia...
where he began to visualize a serious career as a recording artist. Realizing his true calling, Reef dropped out of college at the age of 19 and teamed up with Philadelphia-based producer Sleep E to begin working on his first solo project. The 10 track album, The High Life
The High Life (album)
The High Life is Reef the Lost Cauze's debut album, with producer Sleep E on most of the tracks. Reef displays a wide variety of topics and stories from a relationship ending badly to eating children .-Track listing:...
, was released in 2001 and opened doors for Reef as he began performing at area clubs and generating praise from both fans and local media
In February 2003, Reef released his second solo album, Invisible Empire
Invisible Empire (album)
Invisible Empire is the second studio album from Philadelphia hip-hop artist Reef the Lost Cauze. The album was put out on Gladiator Films records by executive producers Alex Corr and Wiley.-Track listing:...
. The album was produced by Gladiator Films and distributed by way of a national schedule of shows during which he won the Mic Check Battle in Philadelphia and took second place in the Blaze Freestyle Battle in Oakland, California. This also marked an end to Reef's rental of an apartment on 16th street in Philadelphia, the landlord of which being the notorious Mitch Ripken, leader of all Philadelphia slum lords.
Reef took his freestyle skills to another level early in 2004 with a rousing performance at the Beat Society production competition in New York, and a fierce win in the Riddle Records Mic Control Battle. He was also the End Of The Weak (EOW) Challenge Champion at the Rock Steady Crew 27th Anniversary in July 2004, and went on to take the EOW Grand Championship title in 2005. Mindful of his stunning battle prowess, Reef places a determined emphasis on balance with his songwriting and performance abilities.
Feast Or Famine, Reef's third solo album, was released in 2005 to critical acclaim. Also in 2005, Reef was a member of The JuJu Mob whose debut album, Black Candles, was led by fellow Army of the Pharaohs rapper Chief Kamachi. The debut album from Army of the Pharaohs entitled The Torture Papers, was released in 2006 and featured two songs with Reef as a featured member.
Reef kicked off 2007 as the featured artist on the song "Never", the lead single by Snowgoons
Snowgoons
Snowgoons is a German underground hip hop producer trio consisting of DJ Illegal , Det and Sicknature. They first started in 1999 with Det and DJ Illegal as the two original members...
; a German-based production team. The Snowgoons' album, German Lugers, was released February 27 on Babygrande Records
Babygrande Records
Babygrande 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:...
. The single and its accompanying video can be heard and seen on Reef's Myspace page.
A Vicious Cycle
A Vicious Cycle
A Vicious Cycle is the fourth solo studio album from Philadelphia underground hip hop artist Reef the Lost Cauze released on November 10, 2008, by Well Done Entertainment. The album was re-released on February 10, 2009, with two new remixes of the tracks "Listen to Me" and "Get It? Got It? Good" by...
, Reef's follow-up to Feast Or Famine, was released digitally on November 4, 2008 with a physical street date of November 18, 2008 through independent upstart Well Done Entertainment Corporation in association with his imprint, Fuck You Pay Me Records. The album includes guest appearances by Termanology
Termanology
Daniel Carrillo , better known as Termanology is a rapper from Lawrence, Massachusetts. He first came to wide attention with the 2006 single "Watch How It Go Down". A solo album, Politics As Usual, was released in 2008...
, King Magnetic, Eternia, Taragirl & Scandal of 40D. Additionally, the online version of the album includes remixes of "Listen To Me" & "Get It? Got It? Good" by Brooklyn producer J.J. Brown.
Reef also has a cameo in the new Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter
Frank Henenlotter, , is an American screenwriter, director and film historian. He is known primarily for his horror comedies, though he would prefer to be classified as an "exploitation" filmmaker . "I never felt that I made ‘horror films’, he has said. "I always felt that I made exploitation films...
film Bad Biology
Bad Biology
Bad Biology is a dark horror comedy film directed and produced by Frank Henenlotter and rapper R.A. the Rugged Man.-Plot:Driven by biological excess, a young man and woman search for sexual fulfillment, unaware of each others existence. Unfortunately, they eventually meet, and the bonding of these...
produced and co-written by R.A. the Rugged Man
R.A. The Rugged Man
R. A. Thorburn, better known as R.A. the Rugged Man, is an emcee from Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.-Career:At 18, R.A. signed with Jive Records and then in the mid-1990s signed with Priority Records/EMI. His contract was later absorbed by Capitol Records but he began recording...
.
History-making moment: In 2009, Reef became the first and only independent Hip Hop artist to have ever had a song debut as the coveted theme on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The song: 2005's "Sound of Philadelphia" featuring production by King Magnetic. The game: Philadelphia Eagles v. Dallas Cowboys.
Reef teamed up with the production team of Guns-n-Butter to produce the 13-track album "Fight Music" released June 8, 2010. The album features Kool G. Rap, Vinnie Paz (of Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks
Jedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
), R.A. the Rugged Man
R.A. The Rugged Man
R. A. Thorburn, better known as R.A. the Rugged Man, is an emcee from Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.-Career:At 18, R.A. signed with Jive Records and then in the mid-1990s signed with Priority Records/EMI. His contract was later absorbed by Capitol Records but he began recording...
, Big Noyd, Slaine (of La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra is an American hip hop group composed of Everlast, DJ Lethal, Danny Boy, Ill Bill and Slaine.- Biography :Founded in late 2005 with no intention to record an album, La Coka Nostra was more a loose collective of artists connected through Danny Boy than a group...
), King Magnetic, Akir, K-Beta, Bloodsport and Burke the Jurke.
Albums
| Album Title | Album Information |
|---|---|
| The High Life The High Life (album) The High Life is Reef the Lost Cauze's debut album, with producer Sleep E on most of the tracks. Reef displays a wide variety of topics and stories from a relationship ending badly to eating children .-Track listing:... |
Black Maverick Entertainment Group, Inc.(2001) |
| Invisible Empire Invisible Empire (album) Invisible Empire is the second studio album from Philadelphia hip-hop artist Reef the Lost Cauze. The album was put out on Gladiator Films records by executive producers Alex Corr and Wiley.-Track listing:... |
Gladiator Films (2003) |
| Feast or Famine | Good Hands Records Good Hands Records Good Hands Records is an independent hip hop record label founded in 2002 by DJ Truth aka Charley Greenberg and Art Beeswax aka Larry Maley. In 2006, Good Hands secured a distribution deal with Traffic Entertainment Group and released Camp Lo's "Black Hollywood", Kurupt Presents Tangled Thoughts,... / Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records is an independent record label based in New York City, New York. It is owned and operated by DJ Mighty Mi, the DJ/producer for the High & Mighty.... (2005) |
| A Vicious Cycle A Vicious Cycle A Vicious Cycle is the fourth solo studio album from Philadelphia underground hip hop artist Reef the Lost Cauze released on November 10, 2008, by Well Done Entertainment. The album was re-released on February 10, 2009, with two new remixes of the tracks "Listen to Me" and "Get It? Got It? Good" by... |
Well Done Entertainment Corporation in association with Fuck You Pay Me Records (2008) |
| The Stress Files | Creep Records (2008) |
| Fight Music (produced entirely by Guns-n-Butter) | FU Pay Me/G-n-B/Enemy Soil (2010) |
| Your Favorite MC (produced entirely by Snowgoons Snowgoons Snowgoons is a German underground hip hop producer trio consisting of DJ Illegal , Det and Sicknature. They first started in 1999 with Det and DJ Illegal as the two original members... ) |
Goons MuSick- October 25, 2011 |
| Fight Music (produced entirely by Guns-n-Butter)
|FU Pay Me/G-n-B/Enemy Soil (2010)
|-
| Your Favorite MC
Your Favorite MC
Your Favorite MC is a collaborative album by Reef the Lost Cauze and production team Snowgoons released on October 25, 2011 on Goon MuSick / iHipHop Distribution. The album is entirely produced by the Snowgoons. -Track listing:01. Brotherhood...
(produced entirely by Snowgoons
Snowgoons
Snowgoons is a German underground hip hop producer trio consisting of DJ Illegal , Det and Sicknature. They first started in 1999 with Det and DJ Illegal as the two original members...
)
|Goons MuSick- October 25, 2011
|}
Collaborations
| Album Title | Album Information |
|---|---|
| Contradiction Volume I | Dr. Noh featuring Kenneth Masters and Scandal of 40th Dimension, KRU Records (2003) |
| Cult Status | Chief Kamachi "the cactus", Good Hands / Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records is an independent record label based in New York City, New York. It is owned and operated by DJ Mighty Mi, the DJ/producer for the High & Mighty.... (2005) |
| The Call | Random, RAHM Nation Recordings, LLC (2005) |
| Black Candles | Chief Kamachi & The JuJu Mob Juju Mob The JuJu Mob is a four member underground hip hop group originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Group Members:The four founding members of the Juju Mob include Chief Kamachi, Reef the Lost Cauze, Charon Don, and State Sore.-Discography:... , Good Hands / Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records Eastern Conference Records is an independent record label based in New York City, New York. It is owned and operated by DJ Mighty Mi, the DJ/producer for the High & Mighty.... (2005) |
| New York Nigger Yankee | Access Immortal, Early Spitter Records(2006) |
| The Torture Papers | Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:... , Babygrande Records Babygrande Records Babygrande 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:... (2006) |
| German Lugers | Snowgoons Snowgoons Snowgoons is a German underground hip hop producer trio consisting of DJ Illegal , Det and Sicknature. They first started in 1999 with Det and DJ Illegal as the two original members... , Babygrande Records Babygrande Records Babygrande 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:... (2007) |
| Ritual of Battle Ritual of Battle Ritual of Battle is the second album by underground hip hop supergroup Army of the Pharaohs, released September 21, 2007 on Babygrande Records. The album features group members Vinnie Paz, Jus Allah, Outerspace, Chief Kamachi, Reef the Lost Cauze, Esoteric, Celph Titled, King Syze, Des Devious,... |
Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:... , Babygrande Records Babygrande Records Babygrande 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:... (2007) |
| Drumline Anthem | GAZA Gaza Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,... , Intifada Records (2007) |
| The Night Shift The Night Shift The Night Shift is the name given to a series of concerts run by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. As a Resident Orchestra at the Southbank Centre, the first Night Shift took place on 22 May 2006 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall... |
Dev Rocka, Traffic Entertainment/Good Hands Records (2007) |
| Do You | Returners & Radio Rewers, Asfalt Records (2008) |
| Black Snow | Snowgoons, Babygrande Records (2008) |
| Shook Crews Runnin | Rob Kelly Rob Kelly Robert Anthony "Rob" Kelly is an English former footballer and manager. Recently caretaker manager at Nottingham Forest, after Steve McClaren's departure and prior to the appointment of Steve Cotterill... , St Patrick's Day Massacre mixtape (2009) |
| Never Knows More | Yameen feat. Maylay Sparks & DJ Icewater, Rumble Pack Records (2009) |
| DJ Whoo Kid Presents: Shadyville DJ's Dre Boog - King & The Cauze | Ft. Reef the Lost Cauze & King Magnetic - FU Pay Me/King Mag Music/Shadyville DJ's/Well Done (2009) |
| Connect The Dots. | J.J. Brown Well Done Entertainment (2009) |
| The Unholy Terror The Unholy Terror The Unholy Terror is the third studio album by underground rap super group Army of the Pharaohs. The official street release date was March 30, 2010, but the album was released early on March 19, 2010 on UGHH.com. The album debuted in the Billboard 200 at number 179 selling 3,200 units in its first... |
Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs Army of the Pharaohs is a hip hop supergroup originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks MC, Vinnie Paz in 1998.-Recording history:... , Babygrande/Enemy Soil (2010) |
| Causes Perdues | Feat Le Sous Marin - Atmosphere Primaire, Arracheurs de Bitume/Le Sous Marin 34 Click /Angeflex Prod (France) (2010) |
| Reality Of Doom | Reef The Lost Cauze, Unknown Mizery & Gutta, TReBeats - The Urge To Change Something (2011) |
External links
- Reef the Lost Cauze performing live at the Philly Flava Fest 2007
- Purchase Albums by Reef the Lost Cauze @ UndergroundHipHop.com
- Reef the Lost Cauze on HipHopDX.com discussing "Hip Hop Being Dead"
- Reef The Lost Cauze featured on allhiphop.com's Breeding Ground
- Reef The Lost Cauze interviewed on allhiphop.com
- Feast Or Famine reviewed on allhiphop.com
- Feast Or Famine reviewed on okayplayer.com