Above the Law | |
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| Also known as | A.T.L. |
| Origin | Pomona, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1989–2012 |
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| Past members | |
Above the Law was an Americanhip hop group fromPomona, California, founded in 1989 byCold 187um, Lay Law, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss.
In 1989, the group signed withEazy-E'sRuthless Records. While there, the group became an additional influence in pioneering withN.W.A. Their first album on Ruthless, 1990'sLivin' Like Hustlers, featured a guest appearance from N.W.A and production fromDr. Dre. Above the Law member Cold 187um worked closely with Dre on production, and the two greatly influenced each other. The songs "Murder Rap" and "Untouchable" became minor hits from the album. "Murder Rap" appeared in the 2008 filmPineapple Express. The song "Freedom of Speech" was featured in the 1990 moviePump Up the Volume and itssoundtrack album. In September 1990, members of Above the Law clashed with Ice Cube and his posse, Da Lench Mob, during the annual New Music Seminar conference.
The group's first full-length album,Livin' Like Hustlers, was released in 1990. This album, which came out before Dr. Dre'sThe Chronic, featured a similar G-Funk sound. Cold 187um has claimed that he was the first to pioneer the G-Funk style and that Dr. Dre's new sound was largely inspired by his work on that album. In 1994, the group releasedUncle Sam's Curse, their last album on Ruthless Records. It included the minor hit "Black Superman".
Above the Law would have been N.W.A. if N.W.A. never existed.
Shortly after Eazy-E's death, the group signed with Tommy Boy Records in 1996. There, they releasedTime Will Reveal in 1996 andLegends in 1999. In the same year, the group signed withSuge Knight'sDeath Row Records, but they left the label in 2002. Above the Law was also part of the West Coast Rap All-Stars, contributing to "We're All in the Same Gang," a 1990 collaboration ofWest Coast hip-hop artists promoting an anti-violence message.
On the morning of July 7, 2012, multiple sources confirmed that emcee KMG the Illustrator had died. Longtime Above the Law affiliateKokane announced the rapper's death on his Twitter account the same day. While the cause of death remains officially unknown, Big Hutch stated that he died of a heart attack while taking a shower.[2][3][4][5] He was 43 years old.[6][7]
Four of the group's most popular music videos, "Black Superman," "Call It What U Want" featuring2Pac, "V.S.O.P.," and the long-form music video "V.S.O.P. REMIX" were written and directed by Marty Thomas, Eazy-E's longtimeRuthless Records film director. Thomas also wrote and directed the controversial and ultimately bannedUncle Sam's Curse album television commercials. These commercials featured disturbing imagery, including the KKK chasing Above the Law past a church with burning torches and a white "Uncle Sam" pulling a newborn African-American baby from its mother's arms. The commercial won several prestigious international awards.
According to Kokane, a new Above the Law album was recorded before KMG's death.[8] Cold 187um has stated that over 30 unreleased tracks were recorded while KMG was still alive, with the rumored titleVictims of Global Politics. However, no release date has been announced.
Above the Law claims to have invented the "G-funk" sound, which was later popularized byDr. Dre'sThe Chronic.[9]
Studio albums
Extended plays
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