Ugly Duckling (hip hop group)

Ugly Duckling

Ugly Duckling
Background information
Origin Long Beach, California, United States
Genres Alternative hip hop, underground hip hop, jazz rap
Years active 1993–present
Labels XL Recordings
Fat Beats
Emperor Norton/Rykodisc
1500/A&M/Interscope/Universal Records
Associated acts Jurassic 5
Dilated Peoples
Fathead
Website www.uglyduckling.us
Members Andy Cooper
Dizzy Dustin
Young Einstein

Ugly Duckling is an American hip hop group that formed around 1993 in Long Beach, California.[1] Ugly Duckling's members include Dizzy Dustin (Dustin McFarland), Young Einstein (Rodney Pleasant Jr.) and Andy Cooper.[1] The band decided to take the name Ugly Duckling because they felt like outcasts on the Southern California hip hop scene of the mid-1990s.[1] According to the book How to Rap: the Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, it is one of the most prominent underground hip hop groups.[2]

Background

Each of the members of the group is from Long Beach, California. Dizzy, Einstein and Andy met each other through mutual friends and eventually began creating and performing music together. In 1995, the group independently released their first album called 'Down The Road' and began to build a local following. Two years later, they pressed up a 12" single called 'Fresh Mode' which was eventually distributed around the world and led to the band getting their first record deal with 1500 Records/Universal.

Musical style

The group's style is primarily a throwback to the kind of hip hop popular in the late 1980s and early ’90s. It uses samples (particularly drum breaks and loops) as the foundation of most tracks, whereas many modern artists have given up sampling in favor of synth sounds and drum-machine beats. The two MCs, Andy and Dizzy, frequently alternate lyrics and often punctuate each other's lines, reminiscent of early groups like the 'Double Trouble', 'The Treacherous Three' and Beastie Boys. Ugly Duckling is known for humorous and intelligent lyrics,[2] "lampooning the excesses of modern hip hop"[3] and modern hip hop's obsessions with sex and materialism.[3]

In live shows, the group's DJ Young Einstein employs complex scratching routines with vinyl instrumental records to provide the musical backdrop for the rappers unlike many modern hip hop groups who work from digital mediums. Einstein is also the owner of the group's unofficial mascot, the dookie gold rope, which is the subject of the song "Eye on the Gold Chain," and is worn by Einstein during live performances. The group is renowned for their live act, performing various antics on stage and making every effort to involve the crowd in their shows. They have performed in more than 30 countries around the globe including Australia, China, Japan, and Korea, and most of Europe including Poland, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia.

Ugly Duckling's music demonstrates the contrast of having grown up in an area known for gangsta rap and inner-city themes while listening to a variety of music, much of which was anything but hardcore. The band's songs often incorporate themes such as love, forgiveness, and rejection of worldly values. Some songs include lyrics pertaining to the biblical end times. They also frequently make use of early hip hop hyperbole, where the primary goal of lyrics was to brag and self promote in an exaggerated and often humorous fashion.

Influences

Ugly Duckling is influenced by a variety of artists including everything from old school hip hop groups to golden age hip hop artists. Their influences include groups like Run-DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, and the Native Tongues groups A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and Jungle Brothers. Other influences include Boogie Down Productions, Brand Nubian, Public Enemy, and countless others who were prominent during the development of early hip hop. The Ugly Duckling song "Do You Know What I'm Sayin," off its 1999 release Fresh Mode, is made up entirely of lines and phrases from classic hip hop songs strung together in homage to some of their favorite tracks and artists.

Appearances in media

Their song "Smack" is featured on Tony Hawk's Project 8 videogame and also on skater Paul Rodriguez Jr.'s Footage soundtrack. "Get on This" is featured in the movie Boiler Room, "Turn It Up" is featured in the movie Eurotrip, and "Something's Going Down Tonight" was featured in the kayaking film Means Of Production as well as the movie Drillbit Taylor. Ugly Duckling provide the intro music for Australian radio duo Hamish and Andy.

The group's music featured extensively in the BBC sitcom Ideal.

Their song "Just A Little Samba" is featured in an ad for Visa shown in several European countries (UK, Germany, Sweden, etc.) during the 2014 World Cup (football world championship). In February 2015 'Smack' was used as the trailer music for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on British TV channel ITV.

Group member Dizzy Dustin has put out numerous solo projects under different names (most notably 'Blown Celeb') and is featured on UK Hip Hop artist Ricta album Snacks & Deception LP and with artists like Featurecast and The Architect.

Andy Cooper recently released his first solo album called 'Room To Breathe-The Free LP' and also joined up with the UK production crew 'The Allergies' on their single 'Rock Rock'/'Blast Off'


Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ugly Duckling at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Edwards, Paul. (2009) How to Rap: the Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC, Chicago Review Press, p. 316.
  3. 1 2 Journey To Anywhere album profile at AllMusic
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