U-God
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U-God (born Lamont Hawkins, October 11, 1970 in Brownsville, Brooklyn) is a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan.
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Biography
Though not as well known as RZA, GZA, Method Man or Ol' Dirty Bastard, U-God has been with the group since not long after its inception. Being jailed for narcotics and firearms possession prevented him from featuring heavily on the group's debut album Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, his input on the seminal LP consisting of only a short bridge on the group's debut single Protect Ya Neck as well as the now-famous opening verse of Da Mystery Of Chessboxin. Nevertheless, after his release he quickly became known to fans for his rugged flow on Wu tracks such as Winter Warz, Knuckleheadz and Black Jesus and featured heavily on the group's second album Wu-Tang Forever (on which he was one of only three of the group to get a solo track) . Around this time his young son was accidentally shot and injured, an ordeal the rapper documented on the Wu-Tang Clan track A Better Tomorrow.
U-God was the eighth (out of nine) member of the group to record a solo album, releasing Golden Arms Redemption in 1999, which displayed a wide variety of sounds from gritty blaxploitation funk to urgent string sections, and featured guest appearances from several Wu-Tang members and affiliates. He also made guest appearances on Tommy Lee's Methods Of Mayhem project, and on Cypress Hill's Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom album.
After a high-profile disagreement with Wu leader RZA in 2004 over royalties, which included a heated phone conversation on live radio, U-God released a new album under the alias UGODZ-ILLA entitled Ugodz-illa presents the Hillside Scramblers, which featured U-God and his team of Inf Black, Leatha Face, Black Ice and King Just. However U-God and RZA appeared to put aside their differences soon after, and they were soon both together on stage as part of the Clan for their European and American tour during summer 2004.
Aliases
- 4-Bar Killer
- Baby U
- Universal God of Law
- Four-Bar Killer
- Golden Arms
- Lucky Hands
- UGodz-Illa
Discography
Albums
Singles & EPs
- 1999 "Dat's Gangsta"
- 1999 "Bizarre"
Appears on
- 1993 Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1995 "Knuckleheadz" (from the Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx)
- 1995 "Investigative Reports" (from the GZA album Liquid Swords)
- 1995 "Black Jesus" & "Winter Warz" (from the Ghostface Killah album Ironman)
- 1997 Wu-Tang Forever (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 1997 "Intellectuals" (from the Sunz Of Man album The Last Shall Be First)
- 1997 "Supa Ninjaz" (from the Cappadonna album The Pillage)
- 1998 "Element Of Surprise" (from the La the Darkman album Heist Of The Century)
- 1999 "Grand Prix" & "Longevity" (from the Inspectah Deck album Uncontrolled Substance)
- 1999 "Killa Hill Niggaz" (from the Cypress Hill album Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom)
- 1999 "Mr. Onsomeothershits" (from the Methods Of Mayhem album Methods Of Mayhem)
- 2000 "Cherchez La Ghost" (from the Ghostface Killah album Supreme Clientele)
- 2000 The W (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2001 Iron Flag (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2003 "Always NY" (from the Mathematics album Love, Hell & Right)
- 2004 Disciples of the 36 Chambers: Chapter 1 (album by the Wu-Tang Clan)
- 2005 "Break That" (from the Mathematics album The Problem)sv:U-God