| AG | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Andre Barnes |
|
Also known as |
Andre the Giant |
|
Origin |
The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States |
|
Genre |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper |
|
Years active |
1990-present |
|
Label |
Silva Dom (1999-2000) |
|
Associated acts |
Black Sheep, Dialect & Despair, Diggin' in the Crates Crew, DJ Premier, The Ghetto Dwellas, Lord Finesse, O.C., Party Arty, John Robinson, Showbiz, Ray West |
Andre Barnes, better known by his stage name AG, is an American rapper from The Bronx, New York. He is best known as a member of the hip hop duo Showbiz & A.G. with producer Showbiz, and he is also a member of the collective Diggin' in the Crates Crew. He made his debut on two songs from Lord Finesse's 1990 album Funky Technician, and first met Showbiz while working on the album. Showbiz & A.G. have had a partnership that has lasted twenty years and released four full-length albums.
After Showbiz & A.G. separated to pursue solo projects, Barnes had an inconsistent early solo career that began with the moderately reviewed and commercially unsuccessful The Dirty Version in 1999. Seven years later, he released the better received Get Dirty Radio, but was still unable to achieve much commercial success. After releasing a collaboration album with fellow D.I.T.C. member O.C. in 2009, Barnes founded the label Red Apples 45 with producer Ray West. Since his time on the label, Barnes has had a more illustrious career, releasing multiple EPs in the past few years. He also reunited with Showbiz, and the two have released two albums and an EP since their reformation.
Career
1988-1991: Early career
Barnes attended DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx. In 1988, rapper Lord Finesse visited Barnes' high school and challenged any rapper there to a battle. Barnes went against him and left a strong impression on Lord Finesse, and the two became friends.
In 1990, Lord Finesse and his DJ Mike Smooth signed to Wild Pitch Records and began recording their debut album, Funky Technician. Lord Finesse recruited A.G. to appear on two songs, "Keep It Flowing" and "Back to Back Rhyming". The latter song was produced by Showbiz, and the two began working together as a duo under the name Showbiz & A.G.. The pair independently released the Soul Clap EP in 1991, and sold the record out of the trunk of their car around the New York City area. The record sold so well that they earned the attention of major labels, and they subsequently signed to Payday and London Records.
1991-1998: First period with Showbiz
After signing to Payday and London, the pair's debut EP was rereleased as Soul Clap / Party Groove in 1992. That same year, the group released their debut studio album, Runaway Slave. It featured Showbiz and A.G. having a shared role on the album as rappers, while Showbiz predominantly produced it alongside contributions from Diamond D. Lord Finesse, Dres of Black Sheep, and Big L (making his first appearance on an album) make guest appearances. The album performed well critically but was not successful commercially, despite two high-charting singles, "Fat Pockets" and "Bounce ta This", which reached the top 15 of the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. Around this time, the collective Diggin' in the Crates Crew, often known as D.I.T.C, was formed. The group consisted of Barnes, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, Big L, Diamond D, Fat Joe, Buckwild and O.C., who all contributed significantly during each others' projects during the mid-to-late 1990s.
In 1992, Barnes made a guest appearance on Lord Finesse's 1992 album Return of the Funky Man, with the song "Yes You May". He featured on Illegal's 1993 album The Untold Truth, and contributed to the 1994 compilation album B-Ball's Best Kept Secret. Also in 1994, Barnes appeared on the albums Non-Fiction by Black Sheep and Theme + Echo = Krill by The Legion. Barnes appeared alongside
In 1995, Barnes released his second album, Goodfellas, with Showbiz, who changed his name to Show. Show does not make any appearances as a rapper on the album, leaving rapping duties solely to Barnes. The album features the duo's most popular song, "Next Level", which is best known for its DJ Premier remix. The album again failed to sell well, and Showbiz & A.G. left Payday.
After not releasing any material in 1996, Barnes made a guest appearance on Diamond D's 1997 album Hatred, Passions and Infidelity, and R&B singer G-Man's single "Running 2 U".
In 1998, Showbiz & A.G. released the Full Scale EP on D.I.T.C. Records. It was expanded into a full-length album, Full Scale LP, for a release on Fat Beats later that same year. Following the album's release, Showbiz & A.G. decided to part ways to focus on their solo careers and work with D.I.T.C.
1998-2008: First solo releases
In 1998, Barnes released his debut solo single, "Hidden Crate / Hold Mines", on P-Jays Recordings. The two songs were featured on the Full Scale LP release that same year.
Musical style
Influences
Barnes said that the first time he heard Rakim's "My Melody" being played at a local park jam was a life-changing moment, and he was inspired to make a record with the same impact.[1]
Discography
Studio albums
- 1999: The Dirty Version
- 2006: Get Dirty Radio
- 2010: Everything's Berri
Collaboration albums
- 2009: Oasis (with O.C.)
- 2016: Live from the Balcony (with Party Arty)
- 2017: Penelope (with John Robinson)
- 2017: They Watching (with John Robinson)
Collaboration EPs
- 2011: The Pianos Companion E.P. (with Ray West)
- 2013: Pianos in the Projects (with Ray West)
- 2013: Natural High (with DJ Koss)
- 2015: The Nickel EP (with Ray West)
- 2016: Live from the Balcony (with Party Arty)
- 2017: Penelope (with John Robinson)
- 2017: They Watching (with John Robinson)
- 2017: The 5th Beatle (with DJ Crucial & Grap Luva)
- 2018: Epiphany (with John Robinson)