SONG: "Mob On"
ARTIST: Paris
ALBUM: "Unleashed"
YEAR: 1998
PLACE OF ORIGIN: San Francisco, California
YEARS ACTIVE: 1989 - Present
WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:
Lyrically, "Mob On" focuses on "talking trash" and survivalist themes. It reflects a more "gangster" persona compared to Paris's earlier purely political work, though he often used this harder edge to address the frustrations of being pigeon-holed as a political rapper.
PARIS DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):
1990 - The Devil Made Me Do It (Tommy Boy Records)
* Peaked at #158 on the Billboard 200
1992 - Sleeping With The Enemy (Scarface Records)
* Peaked at #182 on the Billboard 200
1994 - Guerrilla Funk (Priority Records)
* Peaked at #128 on the Billboard 200
1998 - Unleashed (Unleashed/Whirling Records)
* Did not chart on the Billboard 200
2003 - Sonic Jihad (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)
* Did not chart on the Billboard 200
2008 - Acid Reflex (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)
* Did not chart on the Billboard 200
2015 - Pistol Politics (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)
* Did not chart on the Billboard 200
2020 - Safe Space Invader (Guerrilla Funk Recordings)
* Did not chart on the Billboard 200
MY THOUGHTS ON PARIS:
Paris is a San Francisco rapper that got his start back in 1989. Heavily influenced by the political and social raps of Chuck D. of Public Enemy as well as the west coast gangsta rappers like N.W.A. and Ice-T, Paris considered himself to be the "Black Panther" of hip hop! 1990 saw Paris drop his debut full length album, "The Devil Made Me Do It", and the title track generated lots of buzz, often being played on MTV's "Yo! MTV Raps". In 1992, Paris dropped "Sleeping With The Enemy" which caused lots of controversy with the song "Bush Killa", a scathing tear down of Presiden George H.W. Bush. In 1994, Paris inked a deal with major label Priority Records to release "Guerrilla Funk", which was his highest charting album, peaking at #128 on the Billboard 200. 1998 saw Paris release "Unleashed" which didn't get much press nor push on the music market. Paris stepped away a bit from the music industry at this point until 2003 when he dropped "Sonic Jihad". Yet another controversial release, the album cover depicts a plane headed for the White House. This album also marked Paris releasing his music through his own label, "Guerrilla Funk Recordings" which he does to the current day. In 2008, Paris released "Acid Reflex". 2015's "Pistol Politics" was called one of the best hip hop albums of that year by Spin Magazine. Paris' most recent release was 2020's "Safe Space Invader". Paris is an absolute beast of an emcee! I love this dude! I think he's the most underrated rapper out there, hands down. I love the aggression he raps with. You can feel the tension as his rhymes build and build and he's an excellent lyricist. He wears his politics on his sleeve and he is never afraid to shine a light on oppression and societal ills. Being a fan of Public Enemy, N.W.A. and Ice-T growing up, I loved Paris right from the first time I heard "Break The Grip Of Shame". When I heard "Part 2" of that song, "Guerillas In The Mist", Paris became one of my favorite rappers of all time! I don't follow hip hop as much as I did in the late 80's/early 90's, but I make it a point to check in on Paris to see if he has anything new coming out. This guy still spits fire. A beast emcee I said!!
SIMILAR ARTISTS:
Above The Law
Spice 1
Boogie Down Productions
Ice-T
The D.O.C.
TEN PARIS SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:
1. Guerillas In The Mist
2. Hard Truth Soldier (Redux)
3. Freedom
4. What Would You Do
5. The Devil Made Me Do It
6. It's Real
7. Nobody Move
8. Get Fired Up
9. Night Of The Long Knives
10. Mob On
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