The legendary “villain in black” MC Ren, is a member of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame for his iconic work with the pioneering West Coast hip-hop group N.W.A. The “ruthless” emcee was a instrumental in the group’s landmark 1988 album Straight Outta Compton, and also wrote several tracks for Eazy-E on his solo debut, Eazy-Duz-It. Once Ice Cube left the group to pursue solo endeavors, MC Ren assumed the majority of writing for the group’s 1991 album Efil4zaggiN.
When N.W.A disbanded , and MC Ren stuck with Ruthless Records, to embark on his solo career, beginning with the 6-song Kizz My Black Azz EP in 1992. He released his first full-length album, Shock of the Hour, in 1993, where it hit number one on the Rap/R&B charts. MC Ren continued releasing solo albums through the 90’s like The Villain In Black in 1996, and 1998’s Ruthless for Life, which saw him collaborate with Ant Banks, Ice Cube, and Snoop Dogg.
In 2015, the critically acclaimed, Academy-Award-nominated biopic Straight Outta Compton was released in theaters telling the N.W.A’s story and detailing the group’s meteoric rise in popularity. MC Ren will forever be immortalized as one of the greatest emcees.
Happy Birthday, MC Ren!
Listen to this this MC Ren classic, “Same Ol’ Shit” from the Shock of the Hour album: