Supernatural (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Reco Price better known by his stage name Supernatural (aka Super Nat or MC Supernatural) is an American rapper best known for his "on-the-spot" freestyle
and battle rap
abilities He has been a regular performer and host of the Rock the Bells
Music Festival since its beginning in 2004.
, Supernatural began rhyming at the age of 10. Moving to New York City
at the age of 19, Supernatural began to make a name for himself on the hip hop scene rhyming in local night clubs.
By 1993, he had landed a radio-show on 98.7 Kiss-FM where he met KRS-One
from the group Boogie Down Productions
who became not only a friend but his business manager
. Supernatural signed with Elektra Records
in 1995 and recorded an album titled "Natural Disasters". He reportedly had a dispute with Elektra and was subsequently dropped from the label, leaving the album unreleased until 2000.
His freestyle rapping battles with MC Juice
and Craig G
are highly regarded. Using a line that simultaneously revealed Supernatural's origin and referenced pop culture ("When you go back home to Indiana, get Mike Tyson out the slammer"), Craig G. delivered Supernatural the first major loss of his career as a freestyle battle rapper at the New Music Seminar
in 1994.
Supernatural later arranged a rematch with Craig G. The outcome of this competition was inconclusive though decisively in Supernatural's favor, due to emotional distress on the part of Craig G, who ended the battle. Supernatural's story and performances are reported in the documentary film Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
, which contains clips of his and Craig G's battle. The film also contains clips of a notable battle between Supernatural and MC Juice
, another popular freestyle rapper who was featured on the Wake Up Show. In this competition, Supernatural defeated MC Juice in two of three freestyle rounds, although, reportedly, there were disputes over the legitimacy of this conclusion.
Supernatural released several singles prior to 1997. He has also released 2 full-length albums, including "Natural Disasters" and "S.P.I.T. (Spiritual Poetry Ignites Thought)" (2005, Up Above Records), which features Raekwon
(of the Wu Tang Clan), B-Real
(of Cypress Hill
), and Chali 2na
(of Jurassic 5
). A compilation of previously-recorded tracks entitled "The Lost Freestyle Files" was released in 2003.
On August 5, 2006, Supernatural successfully set a new world record for the longest continuous freestyle rap while hosting the Rock The Bells festival in San Bernardino, CA. The nine-hour and fifteen minute session earned him a place in the Guinness World Records
., breaking Canadian rapper D. O.'s record of 8 hours and 45 minutes. On September 12, 2009, Supernatural's record was broken by the Brooklyn-based rapper DJ Green Arrow, whose record of 9 Hours and 57 minutes was set at St. Mark's Church. DJ Green Arrow reported, on the True School Radio show, that Supernatural inspired him to take freestyle rapping seriously.
Freestyle rap
Freestyle rap commonly refers to rap lyrics which are improvised through a acapella or with instrumental beats, i.e. performed with no previously composed lyrics, or "off the top of the head"...
and battle rap
Battle Rap
Battle rap is a type of rapping that includes a lot of braggadocio content "combined with put-downs, insults, and disses against real or imaginary opponents"...
abilities He has been a regular performer and host of the Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells
Rock the Bells is an annual hip hop festival that originally took place in Southern California only, but has since toured throughout the world. The concert features a lineup of high-profile alternative hip hop artists, often headlined by a more mainstream artist...
Music Festival since its beginning in 2004.
Biography
Born in Marion, IndianaMarion, Indiana
Marion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Grant County...
, Supernatural began rhyming at the age of 10. Moving 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...
at the age of 19, Supernatural began to make a name for himself on the hip hop scene rhyming in local night clubs.
By 1993, he had landed a radio-show on 98.7 Kiss-FM where he met KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
from the group Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop group that was originally composed of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the...
who became not only a friend but his business manager
Business manager
In a general context, a business manager is a person who manages the work of others in order to run a business efficiently and make a large profit...
. Supernatural signed with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
in 1995 and recorded an album titled "Natural Disasters". He reportedly had a dispute with Elektra and was subsequently dropped from the label, leaving the album unreleased until 2000.
His freestyle rapping battles with MC Juice
MC Juice
Terry Parker, better known by his stage name MC Juice or simply Juice, is an American freestyle rapper from Chicago, United States. He beat Eminem at Scribble Jam in 1997. He was regarded in 2004 as one of finest freestyle rappers ever produced by Chicago...
and Craig G
Craig G
Craig G is an American rapper. He is known as one of the members of hip hop producer Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' Records group the Juice Crew....
are highly regarded. Using a line that simultaneously revealed Supernatural's origin and referenced pop culture ("When you go back home to Indiana, get Mike Tyson out the slammer"), Craig G. delivered Supernatural the first major loss of his career as a freestyle battle rapper at the New Music Seminar
New Music Seminar
The New Music Seminar was a series of multi-venue music showcases held annually in New York City, in the month of June, from 1980 to 1995, then relaunched in 2009....
in 1994.
Supernatural later arranged a rematch with Craig G. The outcome of this competition was inconclusive though decisively in Supernatural's favor, due to emotional distress on the part of Craig G, who ended the battle. Supernatural's story and performances are reported in the documentary film Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme
Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a 2000 documentary film directed by Kevin Fitzgerald. The film follows the art of freestyle, improvisational hip-hop. This independent release includes extemporaneous performances by artists such as Supernatural, Mos Def, The Roots, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur,...
, which contains clips of his and Craig G's battle. The film also contains clips of a notable battle between Supernatural and MC Juice
MC Juice
Terry Parker, better known by his stage name MC Juice or simply Juice, is an American freestyle rapper from Chicago, United States. He beat Eminem at Scribble Jam in 1997. He was regarded in 2004 as one of finest freestyle rappers ever produced by Chicago...
, another popular freestyle rapper who was featured on the Wake Up Show. In this competition, Supernatural defeated MC Juice in two of three freestyle rounds, although, reportedly, there were disputes over the legitimacy of this conclusion.
Supernatural released several singles prior to 1997. He has also released 2 full-length albums, including "Natural Disasters" and "S.P.I.T. (Spiritual Poetry Ignites Thought)" (2005, Up Above Records), which features Raekwon
Raekwon
Corey Woods , better known by the stage name Raekwon, is an American rapper and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He released his solo debut, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... in 1995, and has since recorded four solo albums, as well as work with Wu-Tang and an extensive amount of guest contributions with...
(of the Wu Tang Clan), B-Real
B-Real
Louis Freese, better known by his stage name B-Real, is an American rapper of Cuban and Mexican heritage, and a film and TV actor...
(of Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
), and Chali 2na
Chali 2na
Charles Stewart , better known as Chali 2na is an American rapper and hip hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.-Early life:...
(of Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
). A compilation of previously-recorded tracks entitled "The Lost Freestyle Files" was released in 2003.
On August 5, 2006, Supernatural successfully set a new world record for the longest continuous freestyle rap while hosting the Rock The Bells festival in San Bernardino, CA. The nine-hour and fifteen minute session earned him a place in the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
., breaking Canadian rapper D. O.'s record of 8 hours and 45 minutes. On September 12, 2009, Supernatural's record was broken by the Brooklyn-based rapper DJ Green Arrow, whose record of 9 Hours and 57 minutes was set at St. Mark's Church. DJ Green Arrow reported, on the True School Radio show, that Supernatural inspired him to take freestyle rapping seriously.
Other appearances
- Supernatural is seen in the documentary Freestyle: The Art of RhymeFreestyle: The Art of RhymeFreestyle: The Art of Rhyme is a 2000 documentary film directed by Kevin Fitzgerald. The film follows the art of freestyle, improvisational hip-hop. This independent release includes extemporaneous performances by artists such as Supernatural, Mos Def, The Roots, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur,...
(2000). - He is credited as a commentator in Midway's basketball game NBA BallersNBA BallersThis article is for the original game, for the sequel see NBA Ballers: Phenom.For the PSP version see NBA Ballers: ReboundNBA Ballers is a streetball game which is similar to AND 1 Streetball and gameplay similar to the NBA Jam series. The game features fictional NBA analyst Bob Benson and MC...
. - Supernatural appeared on AssassinAssassin (rap crew)Assassin is a French hardcore rap group formed in the 18th Arrondissement of Paris. The group was formed in 1985 by Rockin' Squat and Solo. Later, Doctor L joined them, as well as DJ Clyde...
(French hip-hop classic) on the single "Undaground Connexion" in September, 1996 as well as the 2000 Assassin LP "touche d'espoir" with Rockin' SquatRockin' SquatMathias Crochon, better known as Rockin' Squat, is a French MC . He is the son of the actor Jean-Pierre Cassel and the brother of Vincent Cassel and Cécile Cassel. In the mid-80s, he created the famous rap group Assassin , becoming the first artist of this scene to mention politics and social...
on "Undaground Connexion Part. II".
Solo
- 2000: Natural Disasters (Recorded 1994)
- 2003: The Lost Freestyle Files (Babygrande RecordsBabygrande 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:...
) - 2005: S.P.I.T. (Up Above Records)
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Revelation 33 Revolutions" | Public Enemy | He Got Game OST He Got Game (soundtrack) He Got Game is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 21, 1998 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It also serves as the soundtrack companion album to Spike Lee's 1998 film of the same name and is the group's last album for the Def Jam label. The album... |
| 2000 | "Big Dreams" | DJ Honda DJ Honda , better known as DJ Honda, is a Japanese hip hop DJ, turntablist, music producer, CEO, clothing line designer, and entrepreneur.-Biography:... |
2000 |
| 2003 | "B Boyz" "Bomb Bomb" "I'm Ready (Y'all Ain't Ready For This)" | will.i.am Will.i.am William James Adams, Jr. , better known by his stage name will.i.am and occasionally by his other stage name Zuper Blahq, is an American rapper, musician, songwriter, singer, actor and producer... |
Must B 21 Must B 21 Must B 21 is the second studio album released by The Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. The album was released on September 23, 2003. The album marked Adams' last release as a solo artist for over four years, until his third sophomore effort Songs About Girls was released in late 2007. The album... |
| 2009 | "Tribute To The Breakdancer" | Grandmaster Flash Grandmaster Flash Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing.... |
The Bridge - Concept of a Culture |