Elephant Man (musician)
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| Elephant Man | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | O'Neil Bryan |
| Also known as | The Energy God, Ele |
| Born | September 11, 1977 |
| Genre(s) | Dancehall, Reggae fusion |
| Occupation(s) | deejay, singer |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Label(s) | Bad Boy/Atlantic Records VP Records Greensleeves Records |
| Associated acts | Scare Dem Crew Alliance Kat DeLuna |
| Website | www.elephant-man.net |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Mouth | |
Elephant Man, also known as the Energy God, (born O'Neil Bryan on September 11, 1977, in Kingston, Jamaica) is a dancehall musician.
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[edit] Career
His stagename stemmed from his large ears, which led to the nickname Dumbo in his youth. Ele started out his musical career as a member of the Scare Dem Crew, later continuing as a solo artist. He was later characterized for several trademarks, such as his dyed yellow-orange hair, his unique low-key voice, and his stage performance, which included jumping and running, or even climbing on stage props and monitors. His acoustic trademark is marked by a light lisp.
The first international recognition came when Elephant Man and Puma settled a contract for using his single "All Out" for its Olympics commercial campaign in 2004.
Elephant Man also had a song called "Willie Bounce" that appeared on several Mixtapes in early 2006. It borrowed the first few bars from I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor.
Recently, the Jamaican star signed with New York-based label Bad Boy Records and released Let's Get Physical on November 6, 2007. The first single is called "Five-O" and features Wyclef Jean. Another track on the album will feature Diddy and Busta Rhymes, and it was produced by Cipha Sounds and Solitair.[1]
Most commonly, songs by Elephant Man are found on various Riddim Driven albums by VP Records and Greensleeves Records’s Rhythm Album series. He performs on popular riddims such as "Diwali," "Coolie," "Stepz," and "Bubble Up," among others.
The Gully Creeper dance, for which Elephant Man created a song, was danced by Usain Bolt at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing after winning the gold medal and breaking a world record in the 200 meter sprint.
[edit] Controversy
Elephant Man has been criticised for his lyrics calling for violence against gay people. In 2003 British LBGT group OutRage! called for the arrest and prosecution of several dancehall stars including Elephant Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man for violation of hate crimes statutes. In 2004 he was dropped from the MOBO awards.[2]. Since then pressure from his record company and agreement with gay rights groups to avoid songs with lyrics deemed to incite homophobic violence have allowed him to perform in the UK.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2000: Comin 4 U
- 2001: Log On
- 2002: Higher Level
- 2003: Good 2 Go
- 2008: Let's Get Physical
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | Hot Rap Tracks | |||
| 2003 | "Pon De River" | 86 | 68 | 19 | Good 2 Go |
| 2004 | "Jook Gal" (feat. Twista, YoungBloodZ and Kiprich) | 57 | 20 | 15 | Good 2 Go (Remix to its album version) |
| 2007 | "Five-O" (feat. Wyclef Jean) | 5 | 87 | - | Let's Get Physical |
| 2007 | "Willie Bounce" | - | 51 | - | |
| 2009 | "Nuh Linga" | - | 84 | - | |
[edit] As a featured guest
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | Hot Rap Tracks | |||
| 2007 | "Whine Up" (by Kat DeLuna) | 29 | - | - | 9 Lives |
| 2007 | "China Wine" (by Sun) | - | - | - | TBA |
[edit] Appearances
The following is a list of songs Elephant Man appears with other artists, usually remixes:
- "All Nite (Don't Stop)" (So So Def Remix) by Janet Jackson feat. Elephant Man
- "Are You Feelin' It?" by the Teddybears feat. Elephant Man; Soft Machine
- "Get Low (Remix)" by Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins, Busta Rhymes, & Elephant Man; Part II
- "Pon de Replay (Remix)" by Rihanna feat. Elephant Man; Music of the Sun
- "Reggae Bump Bump" by R. Kelly feat. Elephant Man; TP-3: Reloaded
- "Shake (Remix)" by Ying Yang Twins feat. Pitbull & Elephant Man; Money Is Still A Major Issue
- "Switch (Reggae Remix)" by Will Smith feat. Elephant Man; Lost & Found
- "U Sexy Girl" by Fatman Scoop feat. Elephant Man & Jabba; U Sexy Girl
- "What U Gon' Do (Jamaican Remix)" by Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz feat. Elephant Man & Lady Saw; Crunk Juice
- "Shake That Booty (Krumpa Remix)" by David Banner feat. Elephant Man; Certified
- "Shake Baby Shake (Seeed Remix)" by Seeed feat. Elephant Man; What You Deserve Is What You Get - EP
- "Ishq Naag" by RDB feat Elephant Man; PUNJABI
- "Whine Up" by Kat DeLuna feat. Elephant Man; "9 Lives"
- "Robbery (Remix)" by Killah Priest feat. Elephant Man & Savoy (Black August)
- "Get Wild (Bonus Track)" by Lil Skeeter feat. Elephant Man; "Midwest Mastermind"
- "China Wine" by Sun feat. Wyclef Jean, Elephant Man, and Tony Matterhorn
- "Throw Your Hands Up" by Teddybears STHLM feat. Elephant Man and Harry Toddler of Scare Dem Crew; Rock 'n' Roll Highschool
- "Money In The Bank" (Remix) by Swizz Beatz feat. Young Jeezy, Eve & Elephant Man
- "Spin Ya Rag" by Lil Jon & DJ Ideal feat. Elephant Man; The BME Mixtape
- "Wall To Wall (Remix) by Chris Brown; Wall To Wall (Single)
- " Umbrella Remix by Rihanna feat. Elephant Man
- "Pegao (Remix)" by Wisin & Yandel feat. Elephant Man; Caribbean Connection
- "Latinas" by Zion & Lennox feat. Elephant Man; Caribbean Connection
- "Cut Dem Off Ricky Blaze feat.Tony Matterhorn & Elephant Man
- "SATISFACTION" by PUSHIM feat.Elephant Man
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Web Site
- Official Elephant Man MySpace Page
- Bad Boy Official website
- Realvibez.com: Elephant Man music videos
- Elephant Man at the Internet Movie Database
- Interview April 11, 2007 on 1Xtra; 64 minutes. (RealPlayer)
