Scarface

Like in the criminal world where there's a big difference between being a hustler and being a boss, the music biz sets galactic space between the role of an artist and that of a label head. The fans unknowingly segregate artists who try to gain street credibility from those who get credited by the streets. The latter for each of the past comparisons represent what Brad Jordan, known to most as Scarface, is to the universe that is hip-hop.

What Scarface is a hip-hop ambassador. He represents mastered skill, preserved integrity, immense respect, quiet leadership and vocal tutelage. But ask the average fan and you'll probably get a simple summary statement like "Face is a dope MC!" Since stepping on the scene with his Houston, Texas cohorts, Geto Boys back in '90, then waking the world a year later with his arctic delivery on the classic single "Minds Playing Tricks On Me" he's been putting it down for the south. But once the artist formerly named Mr. Scarface went solo in '91, released the gold selling LPs Mr. Scarface Is Back ('91) and World Is Yours Diary ('93), then scored platinum success with his third solo release Diary ('94), the rap world was hooked to the ex-Houston hustler. There wasn't any other rapper who brought across such dark images so vividly, spoke about the firey bottoms of hell with such a frozen tongue, yet warm voice. Hip-hop never saw him coming and now they keep coming back.

Fans flock to him and his new releases. The only difference is many of his fans are his peers. You'd be hard pressed to find a rhyme heavyweight who hasn't graced a Face album. To name a few: Ice Cube, Tupac, Jay-Z, Too Short, Daz, Kurupt, Redman and UGK all leaped at the opportunity to share a track with Mr. Face. This has allowed him to extend his status from H-town diplomat to global ambassador for rap. He brought the world to the American Geto. "I didn't put up a boundary on my music," Scarface says. "Though I rep my hood and rep my city, my music was for everybody from California to Cleveland to Chicago to Washington DC to New York to Mississippi to Atlanta. I didn't want to put no boundaries on my music, no Houston boundary."

But that's Face's worth in the rap sector of notepads and vocal booths. His living legacy surpasses that. On rap music's flip-side, Brad Jordan is a boss in hip-hop label juggernaut that is Def Jam Records. Two years ago he was anointed as president of their southern division, Def Jam South. And in alignment with the success of his recording career, Scarface scored big from the start of his exec tenure. His first signee, the rambunctiously engaging ATL representer, Ludacris sold three million copies of his debut Back For The First Time and is threatening to outdo his freshman outing with his sophomore LP Word Of Mouf, which has been blazing charts with hits like the Jazze Phae orchestrated "Area Codes" and the Organized Noize produced "Saturday." Not only has Def Jam allowed Face the opportunity to exercise his muscle in nurturing artists, they've allowed him to add to his rhyme resume by relocating Face from his former label Virgin and making the house that Rush built his new home--as an artist. The result: Face's seventh solo album, The Fix, set to be served in every hood this summer. "My destiny is in my hands now. It's not in nobody else's hands," he states. "I make the final decision on my product. I'm not obligated to nothing and I know that with Def Jam behind me, I know I'm a give them a different look."

With The Fix, Scarface intends to not only keep his solo streak of either gold or platinum achievements alive, but he also wants to finally get the recognition for the reason his albums have been such canvases of perfectly woven rhymes to music----his production. The music has always complemented Scarface's sharp oratorical because he's always had a huge role in his LP's production. Check the past Scarface album credits and you'll see Skinny Gangsta, Face's production company since he entered the rap game. "I had outside producers doing music but I ultimately produced my whole album myself," he informs.

It's fitting being that Face made a local name for himself as a DJ before his love for Kool G. Rap and encouragement from mentor and Rap-A-lot general J Prince inspired him to step in front of the wheels of steel as an MC. Though on The Fix, Face aims at getting his production props, you'll still get to hear outside production from Pharrell of the Neptunes on TK and Kanye West on the Jay-Z and Beenie Sigel assisted block banger "Guess Who's Back."

The LP hosts the perfect reintroduction to the old Scarface: the hustler, the gangsta, the ghetto preacher, the icon and the introduction to the new Face: the Def Jam executive and artist. All in all it's the same old Brad Jordan, that skinny hood from South Acres, Houston who was always looking for a better hustle than the last. And The Fix, does just that---supercede its predecessors. Did you expect anything less?

Scarface quickly became the South's most admired rapper and remained so throughout the '90s after breaking away from the Geto Boys to launch his solo career in 1991. Even if he never scored any national hits or stormed up the charts with any of his numerous albums throughout the '90s, no one could question his clout throughout the South. He essentially defined what it meant to be a Southern thug rapper years before anyone even coined the term Dirty South. This became glaringly evident in the late '90s when a massive wave of young MCs arose from Houston, New Orleans, and Memphis emulating his style of hard-boiled, ghetto-bred, straight-up hardcore rapping. Besides serving as the father of Southern thug rap, it seemed as if every hardcore rapper wanted to align himself with Scarface during the '90s -- everyone from Ice Cube and Dr. Dre to 2Pac and Master P collaborated with the former Geto Boy -- all in an attempt to foster credibility among the loyal Southern rap audience. Yet despite his unquestionable influence, Scarface never crossed over to mainstream success. His albums were often plagued with filler, his lyrics were simply too harsh for radio, and his devotion to producer Mike Dean led to a stagnant, albeit trademark, sound. Still, likely because Scarface never crossed over and remained aligned to the streets, his influence never waned, making him one of the few veterans able to sustain in the here-today, gone-tomorrow rap game. In the early 2000s, Def Jam Records rewarded his staying power with a lucrative contract, a wealth of industry connections, and a powerful marketing push. Scarface consequently enjoyed the most successful album of his career, The Fix (2002), and a revival of interest in his back catalog, which his former label, Rap-a-Lot, repackaged that same year on Greatest Hits.

Before Brad Jordan (born November 9, 1970) became known as Scarface, he called himself Akshen. As such, he began his rap career first as a solo artist in his native Houston during the mid-'80s for James Smith's then-fledging Rap-a-Lot label. Smith was trying to launch a group he tagged the Geto Boys, and he eventually asked Akshen to join the group in the late '80s. The Geto Boys' second album (and first to feature Scarface) -- Grip It! On That Other Level (1990), later repackaged and re-released that same year simply as The Geto Boys -- shocked many with its vivid depictions of violence and its overall extreme nature. This album featured the song "Scarface," which introduced Akshen's alter ego, a title he would keep from that point onward. The ensuing controversy surrounding the group's debut put the Geto Boys on the map and set the stage for the impressive We Can't Be Stopped (1991). In the wake of the group's national success came solo albums, one of which being Scarface's debut, Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991). The album made it evident who the group's most talented member was, and the acclaim showered on Scarface resulted in bitter tensions among his fellow Geto Boys: Bushwick Bill and Willie D. By the time Scarface returned with his follow-up album, The World Is Yours (1993), his reputation overshadowed that of his group's. Willie D consequently departed, and the Geto Boys never again rivaled We Can't Be Stopped, releasing half-hearted, albeit popular, efforts with a new lineup before later reuniting in the late '90s. In the meantime, Scarface continued to funnel his efforts into additional solo efforts: The Diary (1994) and Untouchable (1997). He then released the double-disc My Homies (1998), a bloated effort laden with guests, many of the South's leading rappers.

It wasn't until 2000, though, that Scarface won substantial admiration from the greater rap community with Last of a Dying Breed (2000), his most personal and focused album in years. As a result, he was awarded Lyricist of the Year at the 2001 Source Awards and was offered a promising deal with Def Jam Records. The powerhouse East Coast label wanted Scarface to helm its Def Jam South subsidiary division, and the rapper obliged, first signing Ludacris, who became an overnight superstar, and then releasing his own album, The Fix (2002). Led by a Kayne West-produced collaboration with Jay-Z, "Guess Who's Back," it spawned a popular single, "My Block," and attracted widespread embrace. Rap-a-Lot furthered Scarface's newfound coast-to-coast acceptance with the rapper's first best-of collection, Greatest Hits (2002). In turn, he reunited with Willie D and Bushwick Bill and put together The Foundation (2005), another Geto Boys album. In 2006 he introduced his new crew, the Product, with the album One Hunid and released a second volume of My Homies. Also landing in 2006 was 2 Face, a collection of tracks featuring Scarface and the late 2Pac. MADE proved that Scarface was still relevant in 2007; it debuted at number two on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. A year later he retired his solo career with the good-bye album Emeritus. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide