Everlast (singer)
Everlast (born
Erik Schrody,
August 18,
1969 in
Valley Stream,
New York) is an
Irish-American rapper and
singer-songwriter, known for his genre-crossing mix of
rap and acoustic-based
rock music. He was the frontman for rap group
House of Pain until
1996. In
2000, he won a
Grammy (with
Santana) for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, for the song "Put Your Lights On".
Emerging as a member of the
Rhyme Syndicate, Everlast's first
solo album Forever Everlasting (1990) – which was largely made possible by rapper-turned-actor
Ice T failed both critically and commercially. Following the album's flop, Everlast formed House of Pain with friends
Danny Boy and
DJ Lethal. Signed to
Tommy Boy Records, the group's
1992 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum off the hit single "Jump Around". The group subsequently disbanded in 1996, and Everlast once again pursued a solo career.
Everlast's second solo album
Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (1998) – which was released a full eight years since his solo debut and after Everlast had a major
heart attack – was both a commercial and critical success (selling more than 3 million copies).
Whitey Ford Sings the Blues was hailed for its blend of rap over rock and folk tunes. The album's lead single "
What It's Like" proved to be his most popular and successful song, although the follow up
single, "Ends", also reached the rock
top 10.
Despite the success of
Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, Everlast's follow-up album,
Eat at Whitey's (2000), failed commercially at first in the United States. However, it was eventually certified platinum. The album was also embraced critically, especially by
Rolling Stone which reviewed the album between "good" and "great" and focused on it as that month's most important release.
After the sale of the Tommy Boy Records' catalog of master tapes to
Warner Bros. Records, Everlast signed with
Island/Def Jam. His fourth solo album,
White Trash Beautiful (2004), was subsequently released after almost a four-year hiatus. The album was not a commercial success and received mixed reviews. Poor promotion was largely blamed for the album's commercial underperformance.
Everlast is currently working on a new solo album.
*His alias, Whitey Ford, was named after
Edward "Whitey" Ford, a
New York Yankees baseball player from the
1950s.
*Everlast converted to
Islam in 1999. At the end of the song "Put Your Lights On" Everlast says
"La ilaha il Allah" ("There is no God but Allah") which is the first part of the Islamic creed, the
Shahadah.
*Everlast's heart attack in 1998 was caused by a heart defect he was born with.
*He spent three months under house arrest in 1994 for possession of an illegal weapon.
*In 2000, a feud erupted between Everlast and rapper
Eminem. The two artists traded various insults through singles released on the Internet, with Everlast penning the track "Whitey's Revenge" in response to Eminem's lyrical barbs. The track contained the lyric "You'd better check your kid for DNA," referring to Eminem's daughter, Hailie.
*The album
Eat at Whitey's was originally intended to be titled "The Salty Cracker."
*Everlast has worked with numerous artists in many genres, including;
Divine Styler,
Lordz Of Brooklyn,
Run DMC,
The X-Ecutioners,
Xzibit,
Carlos Santana,
Swollen Members,
B-Real,
Cypress Hill,
Dilated Peoples,
Helmet,
Ice T,
Madonna,
Sadat X,
Bronx Style Bob,
Casual,
Cee-Lo,
Prince Paul,
DJ Muggs, among others.
|
Album cover for White Trash Beautiful (2004) |
Solo albums
Forever Everlasting (1990)
Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (1998)
Today EP (1999)
Eat at Whitey's (2000)
White Trash Beautiful (2004)
House of Pain
House of Pain (Fine Malt Lyrics) (1992)
Same As It Ever Was (1994)
Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again (1996)
Shamrocks & Shenanigans [Best Of including Everlast solo efforts] (2004)
*
Island Def Jam - Everlast*
MTV.com - Everlast*
Everlastworld.de - comprehensive English and German fan-page*
Everlast Lyrics*
Everlast's MySpace page*
La Coka Nostra - The new project featuring Everlast, DJ Lethal and Dannyboy
