Rell
Encyclopedia
Gerrell Gaddis known by his stage name Rell, is an American R&B singer. He was the first male R&B singer signed to Roc-A-Fella Records
, where he recorded with artists such as Kanye West
, Jay-Z
, Consequence
, and Young Gunz
.
, and is a former South Carolina State pre-med student. He signed to Roc-A-Fella Records
in 1997, and began work on his debut album which was tentatively titled, Medicine. Rell got his break in 1998, appearing in Jay-Z's rap cult flick Streets Is Watching
and contributing the club banger "Love for Free" to the movie's soundtrack
and would later be featured on his debut album. Within the latter part of 1998, Rell renamed his debut, The Remedy, and re-released, "Love for Free" as the lead single. In 1999, two other singles ("When Will U See" and "Darlin'") were released as radio buzz singles for the album, however, within the first quarter of that year, Remedy was shelved due to the failed charting of his album's singles. Still signed to the Roc, Rell went on to sing hooks for nearly every Roc-a-Fella MC since, including Jay-Z
's "It's Obvious" and Freeway
's "Victim of the Ghetto", and appearing on "The Message" featuring Mary J. Blige
, from Dr. Dre
's Chronic 2001.
In 2001, Rell met agreeable terms with Jay-Z, and began retooling for his cancelled debut, The Remedy. The project spawned a new and official lead single titled, "If That's My Baby". While the album was scheduled for a September release, after the release of another single, "It's Obvious", the album was slated to be released in spring 2002. In early 2002, yet again the expected reworked version of The Remedy was shelved.
In 2004, Rell began work on yet another project, titled Long Time Coming. In promotion of the album, Rell released several leftover tracks from his cancelled project The Remedy on numerous mixtapes and limited Roc-a-Fella EP samplers. Rell eventually released "Real Love" as the lead single for Long Time Coming in 2005. However in the midst of the release, Rell was moved from the Roc label to Dame Dash Music Group. Under the new label, Long was to be released in May 2006. Unfortunately disagreements and lack of promotion from the new label ended up shelving Rell's album and he initially split from the label.
In 2007, collaborations with Latin reggaeton
artists Don Omar
and Zion saw releases. Rell wrote the title track for Usher's
2008 album Here I Stand
. Also in 2008, Rell and Nate Pitts started the independent record label Right Arm Music Group, which is the home for producers Dale Williams, Shabbykat Production and Dark Sun Production.
In 2009, Rell teamed with Tre Williams
to form The Revelations. They released their debut album, The Bleeding Edge, on October 6, 2009.Stewart, Shea. New take on an old sound, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
. Published January 26, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
1 The song was to be released on Rell's first version of The Remedy but was re-recorded for Young Gunz
and a possible track for Rell's other unreleased project, Long Time Coming.
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
, where he recorded 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...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
, and Young Gunz
Young Gunz
The Young Gunz is an American rap duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania composed of Young Chris and Neef Buck . The group is part of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records...
.
Life and work
Rell grew up in Bowman, South CarolinaBowman, South Carolina
Bowman is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,198 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bowman is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land.-History:...
, and is a former South Carolina State pre-med student. He signed to Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records
Roc-A-Fella Records is a record label founded by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, Damon "Dame" Dash, and Kareem "Biggs" Burke. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, and is distributed by Island Def Jam Motown Music Group.-Formation and Early Years:...
in 1997, and began work on his debut album which was tentatively titled, Medicine. Rell got his break in 1998, appearing in Jay-Z's rap cult flick Streets Is Watching
Streets Is Watching (film)
Streets Is Watching is a musical film in which Jay-Z compiles many of his unreleased music videos into a continuous film. The film takes place in Jay-Z's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The film uses music from Jay-Z's albums Streets Is Watching, Reasonable Doubt, and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1...
and contributing the club banger "Love for Free" to the movie's soundtrack
Streets Is Watching (soundtrack)
Streets Is Watching is the soundtrack for the film by the same name. It was released in 1998 by Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella Records and it serves as a promotion of the up and coming artists on his label. The album fared well commercially reaching #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and having two...
and would later be featured on his debut album. Within the latter part of 1998, Rell renamed his debut, The Remedy, and re-released, "Love for Free" as the lead single. In 1999, two other singles ("When Will U See" and "Darlin'") were released as radio buzz singles for the album, however, within the first quarter of that year, Remedy was shelved due to the failed charting of his album's singles. Still signed to the Roc, Rell went on to sing hooks for nearly every Roc-a-Fella MC since, including Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's "It's Obvious" and Freeway
Freeway (rapper)
Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
's "Victim of the Ghetto", and appearing on "The Message" featuring Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
, from 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...
's Chronic 2001.
In 2001, Rell met agreeable terms with Jay-Z, and began retooling for his cancelled debut, The Remedy. The project spawned a new and official lead single titled, "If That's My Baby". While the album was scheduled for a September release, after the release of another single, "It's Obvious", the album was slated to be released in spring 2002. In early 2002, yet again the expected reworked version of The Remedy was shelved.
In 2004, Rell began work on yet another project, titled Long Time Coming. In promotion of the album, Rell released several leftover tracks from his cancelled project The Remedy on numerous mixtapes and limited Roc-a-Fella EP samplers. Rell eventually released "Real Love" as the lead single for Long Time Coming in 2005. However in the midst of the release, Rell was moved from the Roc label to Dame Dash Music Group. Under the new label, Long was to be released in May 2006. Unfortunately disagreements and lack of promotion from the new label ended up shelving Rell's album and he initially split from the label.
In 2007, collaborations with Latin reggaeton
Reggaeton
Reggaeton is a form of Puerto Rican and Latin American urban and Caribbean music. After its mainstream exposure in 2004, it spread to North American, European and Asian audiences. Reggaeton originated in Puerto Rico but is also has roots from Reggae en Español from Panama and Puerto Rico and...
artists Don Omar
Don Omar
Don Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey (born William Omar Landrón Rivera; February 10, 1978, is a Puerto Rican Reggaetón singer and actor.-Early life:...
and Zion saw releases. Rell wrote the title track for Usher's
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
2008 album Here I Stand
Here I Stand (Usher album)
Here I Stand is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Usher, released on May 13, 2008 by LaFace Records. Inspired by love for his new wife—Tameka Foster—and son, Usher recorded many ballads for the album. Prior to the album's recording, Usher split with his...
. Also in 2008, Rell and Nate Pitts started the independent record label Right Arm Music Group, which is the home for producers Dale Williams, Shabbykat Production and Dark Sun Production.
In 2009, Rell teamed with Tre Williams
Tre Williams
Tre Williams is an American singer, formerly affiliated with Nas' label, Ill Will Records.- Biography :Williams was born and raised in the projects of Daytona Beach, Florida. He enrolled in Bethune-Cookman College, but dropped out at age 21 and moved to Yonkers, New York to further his career...
to form The Revelations. They released their debut album, The Bleeding Edge, on October 6, 2009.Stewart, Shea. New take on an old sound, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell...
. Published January 26, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
Singles
- 1997: "Ghetto Stash"
- 1998: "Love for Free" (feat. Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
) - 1999: "When Will You See"
- 2000: "Darlin'"
- 2001: "If That's My Baby"
- 2002: "It's Obvious" (feat. Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
) - 2004: "No Better Love" (Remix)1
- 2005: "Real Love" (feat. Kanye WestKanye WestKanye 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...
& ConsequenceConsequence (rapper)Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
) - 2007: "Calm My Nerves" (Don OmarDon OmarDon Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey Don Omar, also known as El Rey (born William Omar Landrón Rivera; February 10, 1978, is a Puerto Rican Reggaetón singer and actor.-Early life:...
featuring Rell) - 2008: "Swagga" (produced by s.k.p.)
1 The song was to be released on Rell's first version of The Remedy but was re-recorded for Young Gunz
Young Gunz
The Young Gunz is an American rap duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania composed of Young Chris and Neef Buck . The group is part of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records...
and a possible track for Rell's other unreleased project, Long Time Coming.
Filmography
- 1998: Streets Is WatchingStreets Is Watching (film)Streets Is Watching is a musical film in which Jay-Z compiles many of his unreleased music videos into a continuous film. The film takes place in Jay-Z's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The film uses music from Jay-Z's albums Streets Is Watching, Reasonable Doubt, and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1...
- 2002: State PropertyState Property (film)State Property is a 2002 American crime film starring Beanie Sigel, Omillio Sparks, Memphis Bleek and Damon Dash. Rapper Jay-Z appears in a cameo role. It was produced by Roc-A-Fella Films and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment. Abdul Malik Abbott directed the film and co-wrote its screenplay...
- 2003: Death of a DynastyDeath of a DynastyDeath of a Dynasty is a comedy film first screened in 2003. It is a satire of the hip hop music industry centered around Roc-A-Fella Records, and stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Capone and Damon Dash. It also features cameo appearances by musicians, actors and celebrities such as Jay-Z, Mariah Carey,...