Scarfaceattended Woodson Middle School in Houston, Texas.[6] He dropped out of high school and worked as a drug dealer.[7] As a teenager, he attempted suicide, and subsequently spent time in a hospital psychiatric ward.[7]
Jordan began his career as DJ Akshen (pronounced "Action"), recording and deejaying for Lil' Troy's Short Stop, which was a local record label in Houston, before adopting the name "Scarface" as a reference to the 1983 film by that name.[8] After releasing the 12" single "Scarface/Another Head Put To Rest" (1989), which was written by Chris "Mr. 3-2" Barriere and produced by Def Jam Blaster[9] and Bruce "Grim" Rhodes,[10] Scarface signed with Rap-A-Lot Records and joined the Geto Boys, replacing a member who left. The first Geto Boys album he appeared on was the group's second album, Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), a highly successful album that garnered the group a large fanbase. Radio and MTV refused to play any songs from the album because of their violent lyrics; however, the album made the Geto Boys into one of the most successful Southern hip hop groups of their era.
In 1992, Scarface (along with fellow Geto Boys member Bushwick Bill) appeared on the Kool G Rap & DJ Polo album Live and Let Die. This collaboration was viewed as notable due to the influential roles that Scarface and Kool G Rap have played in Southern hip hop and East Coast hip hop respectively. During this period of his career, Scarface also worked with the West Coast gangsta rap stars Ice Cube and MC Eiht, as well as with his friend Devin the Dude, a fellow Rap-A-Lot signee.
Scarface's 1991 solo album Mr. Scarface Is Back was a success, and his popularity soon overshadowed that of the other Geto Boys. Scarface remained in the group, but he released a series of solo albums that kept him in the public eye, and they sold well. Scarface is the only Geto Boys member who has remained with the group ever since the lineup was revamped in 1989. Scarface's popularity as a solo artist peaked with the albums The Diary and The Last of a Dying Breed. In particular, The Last of the Dying Breed achieved both critical and commercial success, and led Scarface to be named "Lyricist of the Year" at the 2001 Source Awards.[2] In 2002, Scarface released The Fix, the follow-up to The Last of a Dying Breed. The Fix was another highly successful album, which featured a wide range of high-profile guests such as Nas, Jay-Z, Faith Evans, Kelly Price, WC, and Beanie Sigel.
It was around this time that Scarface also returned to the studio with the Geto Boys for what turned out to be their final album as a trio, The Foundation (2005). Further, he was featured on Duets: The Final Chapter, a posthumous album by the Notorious B.I.G. Scarface also made guest appearances on a variety of other tracks throughout the 2000s, including on albums by Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Tech N9ne.
In addition to his career as a rapper, Scarface was the coordinator and president of Def Jam South from 2000 to 2005, where he fostered the career of the rapper Ludacris.[2] He also produced three tracks for the UGK album Underground Kingz.
Despite his limited commercial appeal, Scarface has consistently attained wide respect from within the industry, and he has been described as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper".[11] In 2005, comedian Chris Rock praised Scarface as one of the best three rappers of all time on his list of the Top-25 Hip-Hop Albums ever.[12]
On June 30, 2010, Scarface announced that he was working on a new album titled The Habit, which would include features from John Legend and Drake, and that it was scheduled for release that fall.[13] For one production on the album, Scarface co-hosted a worldwide producer showcase with iStandard from which thousands of producers were considered and after a selection of the top 8, Alex Kresovich was named winner.[14] The album would feature a production from Eminem.[15] In February 2011, news came that he had been held in jail without bail since September 2010 for failure to pay child support in four different cases.[16] He was released from jail in August 2011 and as of 2024, The Habit remains an unreleased album with no announcements made since the arrest. Scarface released a separate album titled Deeply Rooted in 2015.
Scarface also appeared in the Mike Judge film Idiocracy as a pimp named Upgrayedd.[17] Judge also used the Scarface track "No Tears" and Geto Boys tracks "Still" and "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" in his 1999 film Office Space.[18]
On June 10, 2019, Jordan launched his campaign to be elected as the Councilperson for District D of the Houston City Council when the current seat holder, Dwight Boykins, decided to run for mayor.[20][21] He announced his candidacy a day after the death of his friend and bandmate Bushwick Bill. Jordan's campaign is defined by the vision of "putting the neighbor back in the hood," which is the motto of Positive Purpose Movement,[22] an organization that he founded.[23] The organization works with area schools to promote education and empowerment among children from underrepresented communities.[24]
Jordan was quoted in The Washington Post stating that "Scarface is dead." Positioning himself as a viable candidate for City Council, he emphasized his desire to build a legacy of public service when he added, "I'm not going to be a 75-year-old rapper... I'm going to be finishing my last term in office as president when I'm 75".[21] Jordan was defeated by former educator Carolyn Evans-Shabazz in a run-off election on December 15, 2019.[25]
COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Our editorial content is not influenced by any commissions we receive.
There are many events in rap history that are either unknown or forgotten, from album releases to deaths to random ass events most of us can't even recall. As an attempt to remember those moments, Complex will share an event that helped shape hip-hop in some minor way. Join us as we look back on This Day in Rap History.
On March 11, 1997 Houston rapper Scarface dropped his fourth album, The Untouchable. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart and sold over a million copies, making it one of his most successful albums to date. The album was released just days after the tragic death of Notorious B.I.G. and six months after the death of 2Pac, the latter of whom was featured on The Untouchable's standout single, "Smile."
The posthumous 2Pac song was Scarface's most commercially successful hit; it reached No. 12 on Billboard and old over 500,000 units . Years later Scarface would sign to Def Jam and release his acclaimed seventh album, The Fix, but it still wouldn't sell as well as The Untouchable did.
The Diary is the third studio album by American rapper Scarface, released in 1994 on Rap-A-Lot Records. Produced primarily by Scarface (under his birth name Brad Jordan) and past collaborator N.O. Joe, it is the first Scarface album to feature production work by Mike Dean, who would later produce on nearly all of Scarface's future albums. The album's only guest appearances are on the single "Hand of the Dead Body", which features Ice Cube and a hook performed by an uncredited Devin the Dude.
The album was released to widespread critical and commercial success. It peaked at #2 on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and was certified Platinum in sales later in 1994. It is one of the few albums to receive a perfect rating from both The Source and XXL. Its two singles, "I Seen a Man Die" and "Hand of the Dead Body", also achieved chart success.
Scarface is a rapper, singer and record producer from the South Acres neighborhood of Houston, Texas. He is also an early member of Southern rap group the Geto Boys, alongside Willie D and Bushwick Bill. Throughout his career, Scarface has worked with many other renowned hip-hop artists such as Tupac, Jay-Z, Master P, and Nas.
Paul Wall is an American rapper and DJ hailing from Houston, Texas. He gained prominence in the mid-2000s as a part of the Houston rap scene and became known for his unique blend of Southern hip-hop and his signature grillz, which played a significant role in shaping his image.
He began his career as a member of the Swishahouse label, and released his debut album, The Peoples Champ, in 2005. He has since released several other albums, including Get Money, Stay True, and Fast Life. He has also released several mixtapes, including The Po Up Poet, The Po Up Poet 2, and No Sleep Til Houston.
Slim Thug is a rapper and record executive from the Northside of Houston, Texas. He rose to fame in 2003 with his debut album Already Platinum. Since then he has been nominated for a Grammy Award, released numerous albums, and is a respected figure in the hip hop industry.
Prolific Houston rapper Z-Ro is a local legend in the Texas scene, appearing on countless tracks with peers like Scarface, Gucci Mane, Bun B, and Pimp C. Born Joseph Wayne McVey, Z-Ro (aka the Mo City Don) grew up with equal parts inspiration from hardcore rappers like 2Pac and the Geto Boys and soulful crooners like Babyface and Sam Cooke. His style merged the two genres, bringing a hard edge to explicitly honest songs about love, relationships, and street life.
We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website, store your preferences, and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you. These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent.
Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.
3a8082e126