MC Ren | |
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.jpg) MC Ren in 1990 | |
| Born | Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (1969-06-16)June 16, 1969 (age 55) Compton,California, U.S. |
| Other names |
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| Education | Dominguez High School |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument | |
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| Formerly of | N.W.A |
Musical artist | |
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969),[1] known professionally by his stage nameMC Ren, is an Americanrapper, songwriter, and record producer fromCompton, California. He is the founder and owner of the independent record labelVillain Entertainment.
MC Ren began his career as a solo artist signed toEazy-E'sRuthless Records in early 1987, while still attending high school. By the end of 1987, after having written nearly half ofEazy-Duz-It, he became a member ofN.W.A. After the group disbanded in 1991, he stayed with Ruthless, releasing three solo albums including the controversialShock of the Hour before leaving the label in 1998.[2][3]
In 2016, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A.[4][5][6]
In 2024, he received aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of N.W.A. He showed up to the ceremony to accept the award along withIce Cube,DJ Yella,The D.O.C andLil Eazy E.[7][8]
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson was born inCompton, California, on June 16, 1969,[9] and raised in Pannes Ave. around Kelly Park. He grew up with his parents, two brothers and a sister. His father used to work for "the government", until he later opened up his own barber shop.[10] Patterson joined theKelly Park Compton Crips (of whichEazy-E would also become a member) in attempt to make money, but soon departed and turned to drug dealing as he felt it was more lucrative. Following a raid on his childhood friend MC Chip's house, Patterson quit dealing and focused thereafter on making music.[11]
Patterson attendedDominguez High School, where he met his future collaborator,DJ Train. At this time, he developed an interest in hip hop music, and began writing songs with MC Chip, with whom he formed the group Awesome Crew, and performed at parties and nightclubs.[12] Patterson officially began his rap career upon joining forces with another childhood friend, Eric "Eazy-E" Wright, in 1985.[13] Patterson graduated from high school in 1987 and he planned to join theUnited States Army after graduation, but changed his mind after watching the 1987 filmFull Metal Jacket.
In 1987, Patterson was signed as a solo artist toEazy-E'sRuthless Records, while still attending high school. However, whenIce Cube went to study for a year, Ren was asked to write songs for the in-progressEazy-Duz-It. After writing much of the album, MC Ren was asked to join the group N.W.A. They immediately started on the albumStraight Outta Compton. With a budget of US$8,000, the album was finished in four weeks and released in January 1989.[14][15][16][17] Propelled by "Fuck tha Police", the album became a major success, despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay or major concert tours. TheFBI sent Ruthless a warning letter in response to the song's content.[18][19]
One month afterStraight Outta Compton,Eazy-Duz-It was released, with lyrics largely written by Patterson, with contributions from Ice Cube andThe D.O.C.[20]
Following Ice Cube's departure from the group in 1989, N.W.A quickly released the EP100 Miles and Runnin'[21][22] with lyrics written by Patterson, with contributions by The D.O.C. The group's second full-length studio album,Niggaz4Life, was released the next year.[23] Selling 955,000 copies in the 1st week and was certified as Platinum,[24] it became the first rap album to enter #1 on theBillboard charts.[25] This album would become the group's final, asDr. Dre left the group over financial disputes withJerry Heller.
According to Patterson, it was common opinion that Heller was the one receiving their due:
We felt he didn't deserve what he was getting. We deserved that shit. We were the ones making the records, traveling in vans and driving all around the place. You do all those fucking shows trying to get known, and then you come home to a fucking apartment. Then you go to his house, and this motherfucker lives in a mansion. There's gold leaf trimmings all in the bathroom and all kinds of other shit. You're thinking, "Man, fuck that."[26]
AsN.W.A disbanded, Patterson started recording his first solo release titledKizz My Black Azz. The 6-trackEP was entirely produced byDJ Bobcat, except for one song that Patterson produced himself. Released in summer 1992, the EP was a hit, commercially and critically. Without any radio play, the EP wentPlatinum within 2 months.[27][28]
Patterson began recording for his debut album, at that time calledLife Sentence, in late 1992. During the recording process, Patterson joinedThe Nation of Islam with guidance fromDJ Train. This caused him to scrapLife Sentence, andShock of the Hour was released in late 1993.[29] The album debuted at #1 on the R&B charts, selling 321,000 copies in its first month.Shock of the Hour was regarded as being more focused, yet even more controversial, and critics accused him again of being anti-white, misogynist, and antisemitic.[30][31] The album is thematically divided into two sides; the first half deals with social issues likeghetto life,drug addiction,racism andpoverty. The second half shows Patterson's political side, as that half was recorded after he joined the Nation of Islam. The album features the hit singles "Same Ol' Shit" and "Mayday on the Frontline".
After 2 years of not talking to each other, Patterson reunited with Eazy-E in 1994 to produce their duet song "Tha Muthpukkin' Real" produced by DJ Yella, with Patterson co-producing. Three months later; on March 26, 1995, Eazy-E would die from complications of AIDS. The song "Tha Muthpukkin' Real" was released as a single in 1995.
Patterson soon fell on hard times when both DJ Train and Eazy-E died before the release ofThe Villain in Black. The album, which was released in early 1996 and represented Patterson's first attempt at imitating theG-funk sound of Dr. Dre'sThe Chronic, was not well received by critics.[32] It was also heavily criticized for what many saw as Patterson's pandering to gangsta rap at the cost of a reduction in the sociopolitical content found on his earlier releases. The album debuted at #31 on the pop-charts, with the first week's sales of 31,000 copies. By the second month it had sold 131,000 copies.
Before leaving Ruthless, Patterson releasedRuthless for Life in 1998, which proved a small comeback, selling moderately well. The album features Ice Cube,Snoop Dogg,RBX and8Ball & MJG, and others. This was the first time Patterson worked with new producers. By the end of 1998, Patterson had left Ruthless.[33][34]
On October 31, 2009, Patterson released his fourth studio album entitledRenincarnated, which was released under his own record labelVillain.Renincarnated was only released in the US.
In 2015, Patterson stated that he had been working on his second EP, titledRebel Music and released two singles: the title track, "Rebel Music", and "Burn Radio Burn". The official remix for "Rebel Music" was released in June 2014, and features Ice Cube.[35][36][37] It was originally expected to be released by the end of 2015 but remained unreleased until 2022 when he canceled the project and followed it up with a new EP,Osiris viaTwitter.[38]
On May 22, 2022, he announced the track list ofOsiris, and released the EP on June 3, 2022. The eight-track EP is entirely produced byTha Chill and features guest appearances fromKurupt,Kokane,Cold 187um,Ras Kass and others.[39]
In 1988, Patterson contributed toEazy-Duz-It. Although officially released as a solo album by Eazy-E, numerous artists contributed. Patterson; the only guest rapper on the album, features raps of his own on almost half of the album. The album was produced by Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, while Patterson, Ice Cube and The D.O.C. wrote the lyrics.
In 1990, Patterson produced the debut album for his protege groupCPO, titledTo Hell and Black. The group consisted ofCPO Boss Hogg, DJ Train, and Young D. After the release of their debut album, the group dissolved. CPO Boss Hogg went to have a solo career, featuring on high-profile albums of N.W.A, Dr. Dre andTupac, whileDJ Train stayed with Patterson.
In 1993, Patterson introduced a new group calledThe Whole Click. The group featured Patterson's longtime collaborator Bigg Rocc, Grinch, Bone and Patterson's brother, Juvenile. The group first appeared on Patterson's debut albumShock of the Hour. The collective later split up. Bigg Rocc continued to collaborate with Patterson, featuring him on all his solo albums.
In 2000, he appeared on the song "Hello", which featured Dr. Dre and Ice Cube on Ice Cube'sWar & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc) album. He joined theUp in Smoke Tour that same year to rap his verse on the track. He also appeared on the posse cut "Some L.A. Niggaz" from Dr. Dre's2001 album.[40]
Patterson's recent work has appeared on some more politically oriented projects withPublic Enemy, specificallyParis's albumHard Truth Soldiers Vol. 1 as well as on Public Enemy's albumRebirth of a Nation. Paris stated in an interview with rapstation.com that: "MC Ren is retired and won't be doing a full-length album as far as I know. I get at him for verses, that's about it."
In April 2016, Patterson reunited with the former members of N.W.A atCoachella.[41][42]
In 1992, Patterson was offered the role for A-Wax inMenace II Society. Despite accepting the role, Patterson later changed his mind and the role was given toMC Eiht.[43]
In 2004, Patterson released the straight-to-DVD filmLost in the Game. The movie was produced, written and directed by Patterson, with Playboy T assisting. It was an independent movie released by Patterson's companyVillain.
Patterson was portrayed byAldis Hodge[44] in the 2015 N.W.A biopicStraight Outta Compton.[45][46][47][48]
In June 1993, he married Yaasamen Alaa, with whom he has five children. His oldest son, Anthony, is an aspiring rapper under the name "Waxxie",[49] and has collaborated with other sons of N.W.A members.
In April 1993, Patterson began attending a mosque, and by July he was a fully registered member of theNation of Islam, known as Lorenzo X. Two years later he left the organization and converted toSunni Islam.[50]
Patterson stated thatKRS-One,Chuck D,Rakim,Big Daddy Kane, andRun-DMC are his biggest influences.[51] MC Ren also statedCriminal Minded byBoogie Down Productions as his all-time favorite hip hop album.[52]
In 2024, MC Ren was awarded aGrammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of N.W.A.[53]
Studio albums
Collaborative albums
Extended plays
| Films | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1993 | Niggaz4Life: The Only Home Video | Himself | Documentary |
| 2000 | Up in Smoke Tour | Himself | Concert film |
| 2005 | Lost in the Game | The Vill | Main role |
| 2017 | The Defiant Ones | Himself | TV documentary |
| Biographical portrayals in film | |||
| Year | Title | Portrayed by | Notes |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Aldis Hodge | Biographical film aboutN.W.A |
| 2016 | Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le | Daniel DeBoe | Biographical film aboutMichel'le |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | "We're All in the Same Gang" | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group | Nominated |
| 2024 | Himself(as a member of N.W.A.) | Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award | Won |
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