| Gravediggaz | |
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Origin |
Long Island, New York, United States |
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Genre |
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Years active |
1992-2002; 2010-present |
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Label |
Gee Street/Island/PolyGram, Gee Street/V2/BMG, Empire/BMG |
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Associated acts |
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Members |
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Past members |
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Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from Long Island, New York. The group was formed in 1992 by Prince Paul (The Undertaker), Frukwan (The Gatekeeper), Poetic (The Grym Reaper) and RZA (The RZArector). Known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive menacing soundscapes, Gravediggaz helped to pioneer the hip hop subgenre of horrorcore.
The group's first album, 6 Feet Deep, was released in 1994 to positive reviews from critics. Their second album, The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, was released three years later. It was less humourous than its predecessor, and dealt with more social and political issues instead. Prince Paul played a considerably smaller role in the making of the album, with many of the production duties now taken care of by RZA and his Wu-Tang affiliates.
Prince Paul and RZA had both left the group by the time Poetic died of colon cancer in 2001. The group's third album, Nightmare in A-Minor, was released that same year, and only featured vocals by Frukwan and Poetic. The album was their darkest work yet, including many references to Poetic's struggles with cancer, as well as apocalyptic themes to do with the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. Prince Paul has since rejoined the group, making Gravediggaz a duo consisting of him and Frukwan.
Discography[edit | edit source]
- 1994: 6 Feet Deep
- 1997: The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel
- 2002: Nightmare in A-Minor
