John Reuben
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| John Reuben | |
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 John Reuben in December 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Reuben Zappin |
| Born | January 14, 1979 |
| Origin | Pataskala, Ohio, U.S.  |
| Genre(s) | Hip-Hop Experimental Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1990s to present |
| Label(s) | Gotee |
| Website | www.johnreuben.com |
John Reuben Zappin (born January 14, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American Christian hip hop artist signed to Gotee Records. Reuben has sold over 200,000 copies of his first four albums.[1][2][3] He released his sixth album, Word of Mouth on February 6, 2007.
Reuben has toured extensively, opening for popular Christian music artists Relient K, Five Iron Frenzy, and TobyMac.[1]
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[edit] Background
Raised in Pataskala, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Reuben got his start in rapping by taking the bus into the city to rap on open mic nights and participate in rap battles[1] at the age of fifteen.[4] Reuben later released Monuments, an independent EP, which caught the attention of Gotee Records. They took a chance, signing him to the label and releasing his first project, Are We There Yet?, in 2000.[1] TobyMac provided vocals for the album's final track, "God is Love".
Reuben's next release, Hindsight (2002), continues his use of a wide variety of musical genres and thoughtful, often funny lyrics. The album was praised as a "truly eclectic and creative hip-hop album that blends old-school sounds with progressive production."[1] Once thought to be a Christian version of Eminem,[4] Reuben's first two releases established him as an original, witty, sarcastic musician, as well as Gotee's top-selling solo rap artist.[5]
Professional Rapper (2003) marked Reuben's debut as a self-producing artist. The album is noticeably different from his previous efforts, using more instruments and less DJ sampling for the tracks. Along with these differences, the album is noticeably darker in both lyrics and feel. It includes several somber tracks which allow a glimpse into Reuben's struggles and self-doubt. Adrienne Camp of The Benjamin Gate contributes vocals to two tracks on the album.[5]
The following year Reuben released So In Hindsight the Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet (2004), an album of remixed versions of songs from his first three albums.[6]
The Boy vs. The Cynic (2005) continued Reuben's trek from the non-serious songs which characterized his earlier work to music that's far more somber and meditative. Reportedly, when the time came for him to submit his work for the album, Reuben turned in enough tracks for two albums, one light hearted, the other more serious. Rather than releasing a two disc release, the label decided to splice them together into The Boy vs. The Cynic. Relient K's Matt Thiessen contributes to the album's second track, "Nuisance". Tim Skipper of the band House of Heroes appears on the track "So Glad".[2] Most of Reuben's songs use "traditional" musical instruments, typically the guitar, though he experiments with many different instruments and musical styles.
Reuben is currently working on a reality show detailing his "rise" to stardom while poking fun at many of the conventions of reality television. The pilot of the show can be viewed on YouTube.
His sixth album, Word of Mouth, was released on February 6, 2007. Allmusic.com called Word of Mouth an "unqualified triumph" and said that "You won't find a truer, more honest, or more celebratory album this year."[7]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 2000: Are We There Yet?
- 2002: Hindsight
- 2003: Professional Rapper
- 2005: The Boy vs. The Cynic
- 2007: Word of Mouth
- 2008: untitled
[edit] Remix Albums
[edit] Music Videos
[edit] Compilation appearances
- Coalition: the Hip-Hop Alliance (Compilation, 2000)
- Area (DJ Maj, 2001)
- Extreme Days (Compilation, 2001)
- Collaborations (KJ-52, 2002)
- Ring Leader: Mixtape 3 (DJ Maj, 2003)
- Roots (The Katinas, 2003)
- Just Ragga (Compilation, 2003)
- X 2004: 17 Christian Rock Hits (Compilation, 2004)
- X 2005: 17 Christian Rock Hits (Compilation, 2005)
- Sens (The Evan Anthem, 2005)
- Hip Hope Hits 2006 (Compilation, 2005)
- Freaked! A Gotee Tribute to dc Talk's "Jesus Freak." (Cover Compilation, 2006)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Breimeier, Russ (2002, May). "John Reuben - Hindsight." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ a b Farias, Andree (2005). "John Reuben - The Boy vs. The Cynic." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- ^ "Biography of John Reuben." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ a b Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, First printing, Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 757. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
- ^ a b Farias, Andree (2003, December). "John Reuben - Professional Rapper." Christianity Today. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
- ^ Farias, Andree (2004, December). "John Reuben - So in Hindsight the Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet." Christianity Today Retrieved 2006-02-07.
- ^ Whitman, Andy. Word of Mouth. All Music Guide.
[edit] External links
- Official John Reuben Website
- John Reuben at Purevolume
- Interview at Christianity Today (March 2007)
- John Reuben Music Videos at Rapzilla.com
- John Reuben Fansite Johnreu.com
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Zappin, John Reuben |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | rapper |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 14, 1979 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Pataskala, Ohio |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
