Jon Connor
Jon Connor | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Jon Kevin Freeman Jr. |
Born | April 13, 1985 |
Origin | Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations |
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Years active | 2005–present |
Labels |
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Website | twitter |
Jon Kevin Freeman Jr. (born April 13, 1985), better known by his stage name Jon Connor, is an American rapper and record producer. Connor has released various mixtapes and an album effort during his career including the Jay-Z inspired The Blue Album, and the Eminem inspired The People's Rapper LP. His debut studio album, Unconscious State was released in 2013. Shortly thereafter, he was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment from 2013 to 2019, where he did not release an album. In 2015, he garnered notoriety for being featured on Dr. Dre's album Compton (2015) as well as The Game's album The Documentary 2.5 (2015).
Early life
Jon Freeman Jr. was born on April 13, 1985 in Flint, Michigan, the son of Mahley and Jon Freeman Sr. His father, a musician turned Christian minister, served as his earliest musical influences. Jon Connor has stated that he grew up listening to Genesee County acts such as Top Authority, The Dayton Family and MC Breed.[1]
He graduated from Flint Powers Catholic High School.[2]
Musical career
As a youth
Jon began songwriting at age ten. In middle school, he began selling his own mixtapes out of his backpack and from the trunk of his mother's car. At age 14, with the support of his mother, he founded his own independent record label, All Varsity Music. By 16, he had financed and created an in-house studio with money he earned through odd jobs in the neighborhood.[3]
2005–2010: Beginnings and early mixtapes
On January 1, 2005, Jon Connor released his first official mixtape, The Calling, Pt. 1: The Prequel.[4] He followed that with another mixtape Everybody Hates Connor in 2006.[5][6] Then he released his third mixtape, The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming in 2008.[6][7] In 2009 he would link up with basketball player Mateen Cleaves, then later basketball player Jason Richardson, and Kendall "Young Sav" Freeman, vice president of rapper Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group record label to official start a record label. All who currently either run or co-own it.[8][9] On September 29, 2010, Connor released his fourth mixtape, the Entourage-inspired, Jon Connor as Vinnie Chase: Season One.[7] Jon Connor as Vinnie Chase: Season One was produced primarily by Connor and All Varsity Music producer Optiks. Rappers Saigon and Consequence would be featured on the remix to his song "The Message".[6]
2011: Salvation and Season 2
On July 12, 2011, Jon Connor released Salvation, a collaboration album with producer Rob "Reef" Tewlow, who has produced for 50 Cent and Bad Meets Evil in the past.[10][11] The album was met with positive reviews from music critics.[11][12] William E. Ketchum III of HipHopDX stated, "Salvation undeniably showcases a sincerity and hunger that are tough to find in much of Hip Hop today. If Jon Connor continues to build on the skill set he already has, living up to his fictional namesake shouldn't be so far off."[12] Later in 2011, Connor was in talks to sign with Def Jam Recordings, however that deal fell through.[6] On December 12, 2011, Connor released his fifth mixtape, a sequel to Jon Connor as Vinnie Chase: Season One, titled Season 2. The mixtape featured guest appearances from GLC and Freeway.[13] The mixtape garnered 130,000 downloads on Bandcamp within three months.[8]
2012: The "Best in the World" series and While You Were Sleeping
On February 14, 2012, Jon Connor released The Blue Album, a mixtape featuring him rapping over various Jay-Z instrumentals from the three Blueprint albums, The Blueprint, The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse and The Blueprint 3.[14][15] The mixtape title is also a play on words, referencing Blue City Club, a group he leads. The collective consists of Mickey Wallace, Caas Swift, Brandon Bars, Lia Mack and D. Wayne, who are all prominently featured on the mixtape.[8] He told MTV that he wrote the whole mixtape in four days.[15] Adam Fleischer of XXL gave the mixtape a positive review: "Lyrically, Connor is a clever artist that is able to weave words together and astonish without simply relying on punchlines.... Connor's lyrics, energy and microphone presence make every song sound fresh."[16]
On April 13, 2012, Jon Connor released the second installment of his "Best in the World" mixtape series, The People's Rapper LP, which features him entirely rapping over classic Eminem instrumentals. The mixtape was executive produced and hosted by Don Cannon, also featuring guest appearances by his Blue City Club cohorts.[17][18][19][20] The People's Rapper LP was met with positive reviews, with Andres Vasquez of HipHopDX deeming it "EP-worthy."[21] Following the release of The People's Rapper LP, Connor toured the Midwest United States with rapper Big K.R.I.T.[22]
On July 26, 2012, Connor released his eighth mixtape, While You Were Sleeping, featuring guest appearances by Bun B, Mistah Fab, GLC, Kid Ink, and Killa Kyleon among others.[23][24] Unlike his previous two releases, While You Were Sleeping featured all original instrumentals produced by Connor and his production team, The World's Greatest Music, Optiks and Brix. Connor called While You Were Sleeping his most introspective work to date.[22] Edwin Ortiz of HipHopDX gave the mixtape a positive review.[25] During late 2012 to early 2013, Jon Connor toured with American rapper Xzibit, who eventually led him to meeting legendary producer Dr. Dre.[1][26]
2013–present: Unconscious State and signing to Aftermath Entertainment
In early 2013, Jon Connor revealed that he was working on various projects including, first, his debut studio album Unconscious State, then Unsung Heroes LP, a collaboration album with rapper Chris Webby, his second studio album and a collaboration album with Ski Beatz.[27] On July 2, 2013, Jon Connor released Unconscious State under All Varsity Music.[28] The album featured guest appearances by Danny Brown, Chris Webby, Freddie Gibbs, Royce da 5'9", Talib Kweli and Smoke DZA among others.[29] Production was handled by Connor himself, Mr. Porter, Brix and Optiks among others.[27][30] The album was supported by the singles, "Michigan Shit" featuring Royce da 5'9" and "Rise Up" featuring Talib Kweli.[28][31] Upon its release the album peaked at number 35 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number seven on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums charts.[28]
On July 20, 2013, it was revealed that Jon Connor had recently been in the studio with Dr. Dre.[32][33] Connor told MTV that the two immediately had chemistry in the studio, and after working with each other over the following months, Dre signed Connor to his record label Aftermath Entertainment, which is distributed by Interscope Records.[34] At the end of his freestyle during a cypher at the taping of the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards on September 29, Jon Connor revealed that he had signed to Dre's Aftermath Entertainment.[35][36] He said he chose to announce then because, "I was thinking, 'How can I end this? How can I make this a moment?' This was my first time doing the cypher and I wanted to make it a moment. I ran it by Dre and he was like, 'Yo, that's dope.'"[34] His freestyle during the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards was well-praised, including being named the third best of the night, by XXL.[2][37]
On March 18, 2014, Connor released another installment in his "Best in the World" series, the surprise mixtape The Late Registration of a College Dropout Who Had a Dark Twisted Fantasy of 808s and Heartbreak.[38] Like his other Best in the World mixtapes, The Late Registration of a College Dropout Who Had a Dark Twisted Fantasy of 808s and Heartbreak was met with positive reviews from music critics.[39][40] Jordan Lebeau of XXL gave a positive review as well, recognizing Connor's "own mastery of his voice, story, point of view and sense of humor."[41] He released another mixtape, BestInTheWorld: A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol 1, on April 14, 2014, which features Connor rapping over beats from The Notorious B.I.G. songs.[42] Connor was also chosen for the 2014 XXL freshman class.[43]
In January 2016, Connor released a song highlighting the Flint water crisis featuring songstress Keke Palmer.[44] In May 2019 Connor revealed that he was no longer signed to Aftermath / Interscope and he would be releasing new music independently soon.[45]
Musical style
His gritty lyricism has earned praise from rappers such as Busta Rhymes, The Game, Scarface, Nas, Rick Ross and fellow Michigan-native Big Sean.[6]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US R&B/HH[46] | US Rap[47] | US Heat.[48] | |||||||||||
Unconscious State |
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35 | 24 | 7 | |||||||||
SOS |
|
— | — | — | |||||||||
SOS Part II |
|
— | — | — | |||||||||
"—" denotes a title that did not chart, or was not released in that territory. |
Collaboration album
Title | Album details |
---|---|
Salvation (with Rob "Reef" Tewlow) |
|
Mixtapes
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (May 2019) |
- 2005: The Calling Pt. 1
- 2006: Everybody Hates Connor
- 2008: The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming
- 2010: Jon Connor As Vinnie Chase: Season 1
- 2011: Season 2
- 2012: Best in The World: The Blue Album
- 2012: Best In The World: The People's Rapper LP
- 2012: While You Were Sleeping
- 2014: BestInTheWorld: The Late Registration of a College Dropout Who Had a Dark Twisted Fantasy of 808s and Heartbreak
- 2014: BestInTheWorld: A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol. 1
- 2021 Best In The World: Delirium
- 2022 Best In The World: The N Tape
Singles
As lead artist
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
"High"[49] | 2011 | Non-album singles |
"Pull the Plug"[50] (featuring Statik Selektah) | 2013 | |
"Fresh Water For Flint"[51] (featuring Keke Palmer) | 2016 | |
"I’m Back"[52] (featuring Dr. Dre) | 2018 | |
"The Pain" | 2020 | |
"Priceless" | ||
"Q Love" | ||
"Wild in the Streets" (with Chris Webby) | ||
"Angels & Demons"" (with Locksmith) |
2021 |
Guest appearances
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (February 2019) |
- DJ Kay Slay – "Redemption" (ft.Trae Tha Truth, Tone Trump, Papoose) (2011)
- Willie the Kid – "One Time" (2011)
- DJ Kay Slay – "Wanna Be Right" (ft. JR Writer, Reek da Villian, Ja Millz) (2011)
- Chi Hoover – "Shooter Reloaded" (ft. June Summers, Waka Flocka) (2011)
- Face tha Music – "Go"(Remix) (ft. Neako, Vado) (2011)
- Rochelle Jordan – "Sing" (2011)
- Face tha Music – "Presistance" (2011)
- DJ Kay Slay – "War" (ft. Vado) (2011)
- Statik Selektah – "Samuel L Jackson" (ft. XV, The Kid Daytona) (2011)
- Donny Goines – "Barbarians" (ft. Just Blaze, Laws) (2011)
- Young Gliss- "No One Can Stop Us Now" (ft. Prodigy, Killer Mike, Lo Keys, Just Shawn) The Glimmer EP (2012)
- Russel W. Howard – "Beautiful Distraction" (ft. Joe Gates) Beautiful Distraction (2012)
- iMayday! – "TNT"(Remix) (ft. Black Thought, DJ Khaled, Jay Rock, Stevie Stone) (2012)
- Sean Brown – "Hip Hop Sh*t" Chapter 86: The Blind Art Collector (2012)
- Reks – "Shotgun" (ft. Venessa Renee) Rebelutionary (2012)
- Jarren Benton – "Billion Bucks" (ft. Rittz) (2012)
- Boola – "Starting 5" (ft. Maffew Ragazino, Mickey Factz, Reek da Villian) No Better Time Than The Present (2012)
- DJ Kay Slay – "Victorious" (ft. Papoose, Mysonne) (2012)
- Willie the Kid – "Marina" Aquamarine (2012)
- Amir Obe – "Ultimatum" (2012)
- The Kid Daytona – "Copy Copy" (2012)
- Chris Co – "Straight Up" (ft. Elzhi) (2012)
- Chris Webby – "Whatever I Like" Bars On Me (2012)
- Statik Selektah – "Pull The Plug" (ft. J.F.K.) Age Open Season (2012)
- DJ Kay Slay – "No Way Out" (ft. Cassidy, Joell Ortiz) Grown Man Hip Hop Pt. 2 (2012)
- DJ Seuss.One – "Triumph" (2013)
- Talib Kweli – "Makes No Sense" (ft. Freddie Gibbs) (2013)
- Tito Lopez – "Tryna Get On" Year of the Underdog (2013)
- Demrick – "Bars" (ft. Rass Kass) (2013)
- Serial Killers – "Laugh Now" Serial Killers Vol. 1 (2013)
- Kuniva – "Michiganish" (ft. Blody James, Guilty Simpson) (2013)
- Peter Jackson – "I don't Give A Fuck 3.0" (ft. Freddie Gibbs, SwizZz, Aasim, Consequence) (2013)
- Suspect – "Reflections" (2014)
- KaliRaps – "Make It Seem Easy" Mr. Misunderstood (2014)
- Statik Selektah – "Alarm Clock" (ft. Ab Soul, Logic) What Goes Around (2014)
- Kap Kallous — "Lonely Famous" (ft. Preauxx) (2014)[53]
- Rah Digga – "Storm Comin"(Remix) (ft. Chuck D) (2014)
- DJ Kay Slay – "Team Work" (ft. Memphis Bleek, Freeway, Loaded Lux) The Original Man (2014)
- Chris Webby – "You Don't Really Want It" (ft. Snow Tha Product) The Check Up (2014)
- Chris Webby – "World On Fire" (ft. Skrizzly Adams) Chemically Imbalanced (2014)
- DJ EFN – "Warrior" (ft. David Banner, Sizzla, N.O.R.E.) Another Time (2015)
- DJ Kay Slay – "Undefeated" (ft. Ransom, Dave East) The Industry Purge (2015)
- Jarren Benton – "Killin My Soul" (ft. Hopsin) Slow Motion (2015)
- The Game – "Moment Of Violence" (ft. King Mez, Jt) The Documentary 2.5 (2015)
- Dr. Dre – "One Shot One Kill" – (ft. Snoop Dogg) Compton: A Soundtrack By Dr. Dre (2015)
- DJ Paul – "Run Em Off" (ft. OG Maco, Compton Menace) Mafia 4 Life (2016)
- DJ Paul – "Get Away" (ft. Yelawolf) Mafia 4 Life (2016)
- DJ Paul – "Trying To Get It" (ft. Dave East) Underground Vol.17 for da Summa (2017)
- Dizzy Wright – "Apart of the Plan" State Of Mind 2 (2017)
- DJ Kay Slay – "This Is My Culture" (ft. Ransom, Papoose, Locksmith) The Big Brother (2017)
- Page Kennedy – "Where i'm from" (ft. Fred The Godson, Jad, 3D Na'Tee) Straight Bars 2 (2018)
- Chris Webby – "HipHop Legend" (ft. JAG) Next Wednesday (2018)
- DJ Kay Slay – "Back to the Bars" (ft. Ninoman, Vado, Mysonne, Fred The Godson, Locksmith, Joell Ortiz) Hip-Hop Frontline (2019)
- DJ Kay Slay — "Back to the Bars Pt. 2" (ft. Ninoman, RJ Payne, Sauce Money, Sheek Louch, Styles P, Vado) Living Legend (2020)
- DJ Kay Slay — "It's A Brand New Day" (ft. Big K.R.I.T., Reek da Villian, Tre Williams) Living Legend (2020)
- Psalm One — "Unfuckwitable" Before They Stop Us (2020)
- Chris Webby — "Wild in the Streets" (2020)
- Busty and the Bass – "Go So Far" (ft. Illa J) Eddie (2020)[54]
- DJ Kay Slay — "WTF You Thought" (ft. AZ, DJ Paul, Merkules, Papoose, Saigon, Tony Yayo) Accolades (2021)
References
- ^ a b Ketchum, William E. III. "Jon Connor announces deal with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment at BET Hip Hop Awards". MLive.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Daunt, Josh. "Flint rapper Jon Connor signs with Aftermath Entertainment". ABC12.com. Flint, Michigan: ABC 12 – WJRT. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "HHW Artist of the Month Jon Connor To Drop Exclusive T-Shirt All Star Weekend!!". Hip Hop Weekly Magazine. February 11, 2013. Archived from the original on February 15, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013 – via hiphopweekly.com.
- ^ "The Calling, Pt. 1: The Prequel [Platinum Edition] by Jon Connor". MTV. January 1, 2005. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Everybody Hates Connor – Jon Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Arnold, Paul W (January 12, 2011). "Jon Connor Talks Nas' Co-Sign, Possibly Signing to a Major Label". HipHop DX. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Beware (September 29, 2010). "Jon Connor Starring As Vinnie Chase". The Smoking Section. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013 – via smokingsection.uproxx.com.
- ^ a b c Ketchum, William E. III (February 14, 2012). "Flint rapper Jon Connor talks concept, favorites of latest mixtape "The Blue Album" (Video)". MLive.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Hayes, Patrick. "Basketball star Mateen Cleaves gets into the music business, managing Flint hip-hop artist Jon Connor". MLive.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Salvation by Jon Connor". iTunes Store. July 12, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Whitt, Greg (July 28, 2011). ""F.L.I. 69" – Review Of Jon Connor's Salvation". The Smoking Section. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013 – via smokingsection.uproxx.com.
- ^ a b Ketchum, William E. (July 14, 2011). "Jon Connor – Salvation | Read Hip Hop Reviews, Rap Reviews & Hip Hop Album Reviews". HipHop DX. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ damaya919 (December 12, 2011). "New Mixtape: Jon Connor Season 2". Rap Radar. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Jon Connor Drops New Mixtape, The Blue Album". XXL. February 14, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jay-Z's Blueprint Inspires Jon Connor To Be 'The Best'". MTV. March 15, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor, The Blue Album". XXLmag.com. February 22, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Ahmadi, Kevin. "New Mixtape: Jon Connor – "The People's Rapper LP" : RESPECT". respect-mag.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Beware (April 13, 2012). "Jon Connor – The People's Rapper LP". The Smoking Section. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013 – via smokingsection.uproxx.com.
- ^ "Jon Connor Drops New Mixtape The People's Rapper LP". XXLmag.com. April 13, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor and Don Cannon – The People's Rapper LP". Hip-Hop Wired. April 13, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Vasquez, Andres (April 19, 2012). "Jon Connor – The People's Rapper LP (Mixtape Review)". HipHop DX. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Work, Sean (July 12, 2012). "Jon Connor gets personal for upcoming album 'While You Were Sleeping'". The Flint Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2013 – via MLive.com.
- ^ "Jon Connor- While You Were Sleepin". Hip-Hop Wired. July 26, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ B.Dot (July 26, 2012). "New Mixtape: Jon Connor While You Were Sleeping". Rap Radar. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Ortiz, Edwin (August 3, 2012). "Jon Connor – While You Were Sleeping (Mixtape Review)". HipHop DX. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Ketchum, William E. III (August 8, 2013). "Jon Connor talks time with six-time Grammy winner Dr. Dre and 'Detox'". MLive.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jon Connor Speaks On 'Unconscious State' LP, Working With Chris Webby, And The Genius Of Cyndi Lauper". Vibe. April 24, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b c Ketchum, William E. III (July 13, 2013). "Jon Connor makes Billboard charts debut with album 'Unconscious State'". MLive.com. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor's Unconscious State Is All About 'Having Fun'". MTV. July 2, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor – Unconscious State". DJbooth.net. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor ft. Royce Da 5'9 – 'Michigan Sh*t'". Hip-Hop Wired. May 6, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor in the Studio With Dr. Dre". Fashionably-Early.com. July 20, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Dr. Dre Signs Jon Connor To Aftermath". RapRadar.com. September 29, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ a b "Jon Connor's Record Deal With Dr. Dre Isn't About The Money". MTV. October 16, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Jon Connor Talks Signing To Aftermath, Working with Dr. Dre & More". The Source. October 16, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Meet Jon Connor, The Rapper Who Set The 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards On Fire". MTV. September 30, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Ranking The 2013 BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher Verses". XXLmag.com. October 16, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ Ketchum, William E. III (March 18, 2014). "Jon Connor releases Kanye West-inspired mixtape with DJ Drama unannounced". MLive.com. Flint, Michigan. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Rohn, Jake (March 24, 2014). "Mixtape Review: Jon Connor, The Late Registration of a College Dropout". Black Entertainment Network. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Mayorga, Dean (March 27, 2014). "Jon Connor – Best in the World (Mixtape)". Hip Hop DX. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Lebeau, Jordan (March 24, 2014). "Jon Connor Wields Double-Edged Sword Of Skill On 'Best in the World' Mixtape". XXL. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Diep, Eric (April 14, 2014). "Premiere: Jon Connor 'A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol. 1′". XXL. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Sia, Nicole (May 5, 2014). "XXL Freshmen 2014 Cover Revealed". XXL. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ Platon, Adelle (January 29, 2016). "Flint Rapper Jon Connor Addresses Water Crisis on Track With Keke Palmer". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2017.
- ^ @JonConnorMusic (May 16, 2019). "Yes. I am an artist on my own label #AVM and new content is On the way! Thank y'all so much for rocking wit me. Lov…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Jon Connor". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "Jon Connor". Top Rap Albums. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "Jon Connor". Heatseekers Albums. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- ^ "iTunes Music – High – Single by Jon Connor". iTunes Store. December 3, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "ITunes - Music - Pull the Plug (Feat. Statik Selektah) - Single by Jon Connor". iTunes. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Fresh Water for Flint feat. Keke Palmer (Prod. By the Fr3shmen)".
- ^ "Dr. Dre and Jon Connor Return with New Song "I'm Back"". January 11, 2018.
- ^ "Kap Kallous "Grandeur" Tracklisting". www.amazon.com. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- ^ Slingerland, Calum (July 22, 2020). "Busty and the Bass Detail New Album 'Eddie'". Exclaim!. Exclaim!. Retrieved July 30, 2020.