Above the Law was an American hip hop group from Pomona, California, founded in 1989 by Cold 187um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss.
Above the Law | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | A.T.L. |
| Origin | Pomona, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1989–2012 |
| Labels | |
| Past members |
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Biography
editIn 1989, the group signed with Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. While there, the group became an additional influence in pioneering with N.W.A. Their first album on Ruthless, 1990's Livin' Like Hustlers, featured a guest appearance from N.W.A and production from Dr. 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 film Pineapple Express. The song "Freedom of Speech" was featured in the 1990 movie Pump Up the Volume and its soundtrack 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's The 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 released Uncle 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 released Time Will Reveal in 1996 and Legends in 1999. In the same year, the group signed with Suge Knight's Death 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 of West 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 affiliate Kokane 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" featuring 2Pac, "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 longtime Ruthless Records film director. Thomas also wrote and directed the controversial and ultimately banned Uncle 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 title Victims 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 by Dr. Dre's The Chronic.[9]
Discography
editStudio albums
- Livin' Like Hustlers (1990)
- Black Mafia Life (1993)
- Uncle Sam's Curse (1994)
- Time Will Reveal (1996)
- Legends (1998)
- Forever: Rich Thugs, Book One (1999)
- Sex, Money & Music (2009)
- Pomona Love (2024)
Extended plays
- Vocally Pimpin' (1991)
References
edit- ^ Heller, Jerry (2007). Ruthless: A Memoir. Gallery. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-4169-1794-6.
- ^ "Big Hutch Discusses the Passing of Above the Law's KMG". 10 July 2012.
- ^ "KMG the Illustrator: RIP to the Above the Law Rapper". 10 July 2012.
- ^ "Above the Clouds: R.I.P. KMG the Illustrator of Above the Law". 10 July 2012.
- ^ "KMG (Ruthless Records, Street Solid, West World Records) in Pomona | Rap - the Good Ol'Dayz".
- ^ "KMG the Illustrator: RIP to The Above the Law Rapper". LA Weekly. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
- ^ The website Family Tree Legends lists KMG (Kevin M Gulley) born on March 21, 1969. This database is from the California Birth Index, 1905-1995, Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Los Angeles, California (see also Ancestry.com). (FamilyTreeLegends.com retrieved and verified on July 13, 2012).
- ^ "KMG the Illustrator: RIP to The Above the Law Rapper". blogs.laweekly.com. 2012-07-10. Retrieved 2013-05-22.
- ^ "dubcnn.com // Big Hutch aka Cold 187um (Above The Law) Interview (February 2008) // West Coast News Network //". www.dubcnn.com. Retrieved 2018-08-26.