Paris hails from the San Francisco Bay Area and was catapulted onto the national scene in 1990 with his hit single "The Devil Made Me Do It" and album of the same name. Since then his uncompromising stance on political issues and biting social commentary have both aided and hindered his quest to bring solid music and messages to the masses. When his second album, Sleeping With The Enemy was ready for release in 1992, Paris was dropped from now-defunct Tommy Boy Records and distributor Time Warner when they discovered it's incendiary content - content which included fantasy revenge killings of then-President Bush and racist police officers. Rather than buckle under pressure, he released the LP himself on his newly-formed Scarface Records to major sales and national acclaim.
Paris signed a major artist and distribution deal with Priority Records for himself and Scarface Records in 1993 and released his third LP, Guerrilla Funk, and several then up-and-coming groups, most notably the Conscious Daughters. Paris and Priority formally severed their business relationship due to creative differences in 1995, and in 1997, Paris signed a one-off deal with now-defunct Whirling Records (distributed by Rykodisc), for the release of his 4th LP, Unleashed. Released in limited numbers, the LP went largely unnoticed due to lack of focus and funding.
In 2003 Paris returned with a vengeance, injecting a much needed dose of reality and consciousness into an industry which now seems to only reflect corporate hip-hop sensibilities. Sonic Jihad was released to strong sales and critical acclaim, with Paris emerging with his new label and website, Guerrilla Funk Recordings (www.guerrillafunk.com). Born out of necessity, it's a musical organization that counters the corporate stranglehold of censorship currently plaguing the entertainment industry, providing a home for projects for such notable acts as dead prez and Public Enemy.
Paris has never been one to shy away from controversy. During his self-imposed hiatus, he finely tuned his most well-crafted project to date. Never one to mince his words, he remains relentless in his quest to match bomb tracks with messages that range from passionate to incendiary. With new music forthcoming from Public Enemy, dead prez, MC Ren, Kam and The Conscious Daughters, Guerrilla Funk is set to balance out an industry seemingly hell-bent on exploitation.
URL
http://www.guerrillafunk.com/
State
Ca
Country
US
City
Danville
