Rahem Ross Brown (March 20, 1970 – November 6, 2022), better known by his stage name Tame One, was an American hip hop recording artist and graffiti artist from New Jersey. He was a member of Artifacts, Leak Bros, and the hip-hop supergroup The Weathermen.

Tame One
Tame One in 2019
Tame One in 2019
Background information
Birth nameRahem Ross Brown
Born(1970-03-20)March 20, 1970
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 6, 2022(2022-11-06) (aged 52)
GenresHip-Hop
OccupationRapper
Years active1988–2022
Labels

Musical career

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As half of rap duo Artifacts (with brother El Da Sensei), they released their "graffiti-honoring debut" album Between a Rock and a Hard Place in 1994, and a follow-up album That's Them in 1997. Tame One has released two albums with the Artifacts, eight solo albums, six mixtapes, and five collaborations one with former labelmate Cage as Leak Bros (Waterworld), one with Del the Funky Homosapien (Parallel Uni-verses) and The Revolution album with Dro Pesci and Nick Jackelson. He has worked with artists such as Aesop Rock, El-P, DJ Mr. Len, Breeze Brewin, Travis McCoy, Vast Aire, Yak Ballz, Hussein Fatal, Mos Def, Dro Pesci, and etc. [1] He joined the underground supergroup the Weathermen which was formed in 2002 by Cage and El-P, and the same year he released his first solo album and EC debut named When Rappers Attack. Tame One's second solo album O.G. Bobby Johnson appeared in 2005. Next year he issued his next album called Slow Suicide Stimulus, a cooperative project with the Dusted Dons.[2]

In July 2009 Tame One released a music video for his single "Anxiety Attacks" directed by Derek Pike. Credited with making hip-hop's first song about "Molly" (MDMA, the active ingredient in Ecstasy) at this time, Tame met Staten Island rapper Dro Pesci.[3] Together they recorded the yet-to-be-released album "The Revolution".

Tame One then released an EP at slangcorp.com called Hell or High Water produced by DJ Junkwaffel. He also worked on an Artifacts reunion album No Expiration Date (2022) and promoted a Boom Skwad Recordings EP (CRAZEE, Doin Me and Boom Skwad on Attack).

In 2024, production duo Parallel Thought posthumously produced Acid Tab Vocab, "'Old Jersey Bastard'", and with Xing and Fox Spazmatic. Also in 2024, Young Zee released "Burn Out" and Division East Records re-released The Grudge LP.

Personal life and death

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Tame One was the first cousin of rapper Redman. He belonged to graffiti crews FC CREW (Fame City / First Class Crew), originated Boom Skwad Crew (including DJ RhinoCMZ and AKool) as well as LTD (Local Transit Destroyers). He painted pieces, murals and subway trains alongside brother Maliq Griffin (DJ Porno). Tame One died from kidney and heart failure on November 6, 2022, at the age of 52.[4][5] The medical examiner cited prescribed pharmaceuticals as the likely cause of the heart failure.[6][7] Rahem's mother Darlene Harris utilizes Instagram and Facebook accounts to continue Tame One's artistic legacy.

Discography

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Albums

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Albums [8]
Year Title Label
2003 When Rappers Attack High Times Records
2005 Leeked to the Public Self Released
2005 O.G. Bobby Johnson Eastern Conference
2006 Spazmatic Blazin' Records
2007 The Grudge Division East
2008 Da Ol' Jersey Bastard Amalgam Digital
2009 Acid Tab Vocab (with Parallel Thought) Parallel Thought LTD.
2010 The Hell or High Water EP Slangcorp
2014 Skwadzilla Self Released via YouTube (has since been deleted)
2015 Skwadzilla Self Released via Bandcamp
2015 Skwadzilla (EP) Blingnot Media
2016 ONE FLEW OVA THE CUCKOOZ NEST ep released by Geo Da Abbott via Bandcamp

Singles

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Singles [8]
Year Title Label
1994 Wrong Side Of Da Tracks (with Artifacts) Big Beat/Atlantic
1994 C'mon Wit Da Git Down (with Artifacts) Big Beat
1995 Dynamite Soul (with Artifacts) Big Beat
1996 Art Of Facts (with Artifacts) Big Beat/Atlantic
1996 Art Of Facts / Man Digga Comin' Thru (split with Artifacts & Man Digga) Big Beat
1996 The Ultimate (with Artifacts) Big Beat
1998 In The Area / Human Torch (split with Ammbush) Not On Label
1999 Trife Type Times Fat Beats
2000 Crazee Boom Skwad Recordings
2001 Eastern Conference All Stars / Nickel Nine (split with Eastern Conference All Stars & Royce da 5'9") Eastern Conference Records/Rapster Records
2003 5 Left In the Clip / Tame As It Ever Was (split with The Weathermen) High Times Records
2003 5 Left in the Clip Original b/w RJD2 Remix (with The Weathermen) Eastern Conference Records
2003 When Rappers Attack Eastern Conference Records
2003 Here We Go Again / Wha'll Out (split with 8076) HipHopSite.com Recordings
2004 Got Wet? / G.O.D. (with Leak Bros) Eastern Conference Records
2004 Da Muzik Ahead Recordings
2006 Roll Up / I.C.U. (with Slow Suicide Stimulus) Flospot Records

Artifacts

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The Weathermen

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  • "The Conspiracy" Mix CD Vol 1" (2003)

Leak Bros

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Slow Suicide Stimulus

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  • Slow Suicide Stimulus (2006) (with Dusted Dons)

Del the Funky Homosapien & Tame One

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Black Galactus & The Latino Silver Surfer

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  • Black Galactus & The Latino Silver Surfer (2018) (with Sol Zalez)

Young Zee x Tame One

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  • Burn Outz (2024, recorded in 2015)

Unreleased Albums

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  • Untitled Album with Camu Tao
  • Toxic Twins with C-Chan
  • The Revolution with Dro Pesci & Nick Jackelson
  • TAMER (produced by SuperBrownBum)

References

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  1. ^ TAME-ONE.COM:: Official Web Site of the Notty-Headed Terror in Ghetto Minor
  2. ^ Tame One Retrieved on 21 Feb 2018
  3. ^ Palmer, Shone (2022-11-08). "Famous Rapper Tame One Passes Away At Age 52!". San Diego Local News. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  4. ^ East Orange/Newark Hip-Hop Artist "Tame One" from Artifacts Has Passed Away at 52
  5. ^ Blistein, Jon (November 7, 2022). "Artifacts Rapper Tame One Dead at 52". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  6. ^ "Tame One, Artifacts & The Weathermen Rapper, Dead at 52". Billboard. November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  7. ^ "New Jersey rap veteran Tame One dies at 52". The Fader. November 7, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Tame One Retrieved on 21 Feb 2018
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