Grip Grand is a rapper, producer and songwriter best known for his rapping, producing, and songwriting. He has been compared to everyone from Andre to Kanye, from the mighty Mos Def to the metal-faced Doom, and his vocals have been sampled by Madlib. Favoring a melodic and musical production style, he’s also plenty nice with the synthy keys and 808s. In short, they don’t call him Mr. Versatility for nothing. And by him, I mean me. I hate it when people write their own bios in the third person. I wrote this first-personally. So I guess it’s an autobio, strictly speaking.
My life has been a lot like Marco Polo’s, insofar as if I told you all the places I’ve lived and the dates that I lived there, you’d be bored to tears by the end. Let’s just say that I’ve had a lot of phone numbers, but most of them had a California prefix.
I was born in San Francisco, where I spent my first decade. My second decade passed me by in sunny Los Angeles. I headed to Portland, Oregon long enough to get a BA in Russian and German Literature. I speak neither language.
After my years in Oregon, I went back to the Bay, where I teamed up with the Rec-League All-Stars, Bomb Hip Hop Records, and eventually DJ Design’s Look Records. I started putting out my own music in 1999; my first album, Welcome to Broakland came out in 2002; my second solo long-player, Brokelore—featuring hip-hop luminaries Percee P and A.G.—dropped in 2008.
My work has appeared in well-known print publications such as XLR8R and XXL, and my newest album has been praised online at websites ranging from Okayplayer to IGN. As previously mentioned, I was featured on URB Magazine’s prestigious Next 100 list in 2005, and the East Bay Express named me Best Rapper in their 2007 Best Of…issue. In addition, regular people totally like my music. Not all of them, you know, but some, for sure. They write me and say so themselves. I don’t think they have any reason to lie about it.
Do yourself a favor and don’t sleep. Help me help you. Grip Grand—hip-hop transmitting live from tomorrow. Try it…you’ll like it.
Grip Grand on Myspace.com
Grip Grand on Allmusic.com
Brokelore Review at Access Hip Hop
Brokelore Review at RapReviews.com
Brokelore Review at XLR8R.com
Grip Grand on Blogarythms @ Okayplayer.com
Grip Grand on IGN.com
Grip Grand on Wake Your Daughter Up
Grip Grand Interview on Rap4FameGrip Grand Interview on WYDU
Grip Grand Interview (circa 2002) on Bomb Hip Hop
Grip Grand Props in Bomb Comp Review on Okayplayer.com
Discography:
“Chart Toppers Mixtape, Vol. 1” Digital Only (Self-Pressed, 2008)
Produced/Remixed by Grip Grand. Featuring Richie Cunning. Additional Vocals by Katy Perry, T.I., Rihanna, Jazmine Sullivan, James Hetfield, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, and M.O.P.
“Boner Jams ‘03 Mixtape” CD [Japanese Import] (Unknown Manufacturer, 2008)
Mixed by DJ Japanese-Martian-Jesus. Featuring Richie Cunning. Additional Vocals by Rob Rush & Q’m. Produced by Grip Grand, Madlib, others…
“Brokelore” CD & LP (Look Records, 2008)
Produced by Grip Grand. Featuring A.G., Percee P, Darondo, and Richie Cunning. Additional Production by DJ Design, DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick, Richie Cunning, and MF Shalem
“A Penny” (DJ Flip’s Mix) 12 in. Single (All City Records, 2007)
*Released as O’Liffey Family feat. Grip Grand & Richie Cunning
B/W Rock the Spot—O’Liffey Cousins feat. Craig G., Mondo, Punch, & Words
Produced by DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick
“Poppin’ Pockets” 12 in. Single (Look Records, 2005)
Featuring A.G., Produced by Grip Grand & DJ Design
“Welcome to Broakland” CD (Bomb Hip Hop Records, 2002)
Produced by Grip Grand
“Pro-Gress” Vinyl EP (Self-Pressed, 1999)
Produced by Grip Grand. Additional Production by DJ Abstract
Appearances:
DJ Sly—“TBD” CD [Japanese Import] (Yanase Productions, Upcoming)
- Grip Grand—Holiday/Produced by DJ Sly
- Grip Grand—Float On/Produced by DJ Sly
Various Artists—“The Light” CD [Japanese Import] (Yanase Productions, Upcoming)
- Grip Grand—Secondhand Smoke/Produced by Grip Grand
- Grip Grand—Rain Rain/Produced by Mystro
DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick—“Crossroads” 12 in. Single (Undetermined Label, Upcoming)
- Zion, Grip Grand, & One Be Lo—Crossroads/Produced by DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick
- Zion, Grip Grand, & One Be Lo—Crossroads End of the Rainbow Remix/Produced by Grip Grand
Various Artists—“Bomb Hip Hop Compilation Vol. 2″ (Bomb Hip Hop Records 2008)
- Grip Grand—I Chose Rap/Produced by Grip Grand
- Rec-League All-Stars—Disneyland/Produced by Richie Cunning
DJ Design—“Jetlag” CD & LP (Look Records 2008)
- Grip Grand & Phat Kat—Wild Ones
- Grip Grand—Wave of the Future
- Grip Grand—B-Side Too/All Produced by DJ Design
Various Artists—“Look Records Sampler” 2008 CD (Look Records 2008) Promo Only
- Grip Grand—Hip-Hop Classic/Produced by Grip Grand
- Grip Grand—96 Tears (MF Shalem’s Talk About It Mix)/Produced by MF Shalem
- DJ Design—Wild Ones feat. Grip Grand & Phat Kat/Produced by DJ Design
Rob Rush—”Childhood Hero” CD (Rec-League Records, 2006)
- This N’ That feat. Grip Grand, Cumulus, & Proe/Produced by Proe
Various Artists/DJ Ransom—“Behind the Beat” Mix CD (Gingko Press, 2006) Promo Only
*with the book Behind the Beat: Hip Hop Home Studios
- Grip Grand—Poppin’ Pockets Remix feat. A.G./Produced by Grip Grand & DJ Design
Richie Cunning—“Grizzly Man Mixtape” CD (Grad School Music, 2006)
- Richie Cunning & Grip Grand—The Recwilder
- Grip Grand—A Penny feat. Richie Cunning/Produced by DJ Flip & Freezemaster Slick
Cumulus—“Dreamswork Mixtape” CD (Rec-League Records, 2006)
- Get Retarded feat. Grip Grand
Various Artists—“Look Records Sampler” 2005 CD (Look Records, 2005) Promo Only
- Grip Grand—Paper Cups (edit)/Produced by Grip Grand
- Grip Grand—But Anyway/Produced by Grip Grand
Various Artists—“Preemptive Hype 5.5″ CD (Hiphopsite.com Records, 2005) Promo Only
- Grip Grand—Poppin’ Pockets Remix feat. A.G./Produced by Grip Grand & DJ Design
Rec-League All-Stars—“Rec-League Mixtape Vol. 2″ CD (Rec-League Records, 2005)
- Rob Rush, Proe, Richie Cunning, & Grip Grand—You’re Gonna Rec Me
- Grip Grand—Don’t Say Shit To Grip
- Grip Grand & Richie Cunning—The Recwilder
- Grip Grand—You Don’t Know My Grip
- Grip Grand & Richie Cunning—Rec It Like It’s Hot
- Rec-League All-Stars—The Symphony
Various Artists—“Rec-League Records Season One” CD (Rec-League Records, 2005)
- Division 3 (Cumulus, Matty Eye, Grip Grand)—Maybe I’m Too Young/Produced by Grip Grand
Various Artists—“Season’s Cretins” 2004 CD (Scotty the K Records, 2004) Promo Only
- Grip Grand—St. Nick’s Conversion/Produced by Grip Grand
Rec-League All-Stars—“Rec-League Records Mix Tape Vol. 1″ CD (Rec-League Records, 2003)
- Rob Rush & Grip Grand—The Makeover/Like Whoa
- Grip Grand—50 Grand
- Grip Grand—Horror, Baby
- Division 3 (Cumulus, Matty Eye, Grip Grand)—D3 Arena
Cumulus & Rob Rush—“Please Go Back: Operation Free Flow” CD & Vinyl EP (Rec-League Records, 2003)
- Diggin’ In Your Head feat. Grip Grand/Produced by P-Soup