As a recording artist, he created the alter ego, The Madd Rapper, to guest perform on B.I.G.'s second album, Life After Death (1997). Angelettie signed with Columbia Records to release his debut studio album as the character, Tell Em Why U Madd (1999),[5] which contained guest appearances from then-unknown rappers 50 Cent (on the song "How to Rob") and Kanye West—the latter of whom Angelletie managed.
Outside of music, Angelettie is the founder of Crazy Cat Catalogue and Crazy Cat Cinemas. He has appeared on and produced the titlular song for MTV's reality show Making The Band 1 & 2. He co-hosted the television series Hip-Hop Hold 'Em[6] on UPN, and served as a "music consultant" for the 2009 film Notorious, due to his personal connection with the film's subject. He was an associate producer for the 2018 film Steps-The Movie, which was executive produced by Shaquille O'Neal.
Career
Early career
Promotional image for Two Kings in a Cipher, pictured c. 1998
During his time at Howard University from 1986 to 1989,[7] Angelettie and colleague Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence formed the conscious hip hip duo, Two Kings in a Cipher in 1988.[8] Two years later, they signed with RCA Records and Bahia, and released their debut single, "Movin 'On 'Em" shortly after. Their debut studio album, From Pyramids to Projects (1991) was met with positive critical reception despite failing to chart, and the duo was dropped from RCA in 1993.
Angelettie began his work with Bad Boy Records in 1993 as an intern, and within five years, was named the unofficial captain of the label's in-house production team, the Hitmen. He has also served as VP of A&R during his time with the label. He was the sole credited producer of label boss Sean Combs' 1997 single "It's All About the Benjamins",[9] and co-produced the Notorious B.I.G's "Hypnotize"—the rapper's final single released before his death—along with Lawrence earlier that year.[9][10][11][9][12][13] Outside of the label, he amassed credits for other artists including Lil' Kim, Nas, Jay-Z, Outkast, and Busta Rhymes. During this time, Angelettie met and subsequently managed then-unknown rapper Kanye West during his time with Roc-A-Fella Records in 1999.[14]
Later career
Angelettie's "The Madd Rapper" persona debuted with a skit on the Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Death in 1997. His debut studio album, Tell 'Em Why U Madd, was released by Angelettie's label, Crazy Cat Catalogue[5] in a joint venture with Columbia Records in 1999; it contained guest appearances from 50 Cent and West.[15]
On November 19, 1998, Angelettie was charged with participating in the assault of Blaze Magazine editor Jesse Washington.[16] Washington claimed that the assault occurred due to him publishing a photograph, taken with Angelettie's consent, which revealed the Madd Rapper's identity.[17][17] The editor and Angelettie settled the case out of court.
In 2000, due to legal issues with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the state name was changed to simply Mad Rapper.
Angelettie later appeared on MTVʼs reality show Making the Band 1 & 2,[13] co-hosted Hip-Hop Hold 'Em[6] on UPN,[18] and served as a consultant for the 2009 film Notorious[19] by Fox Broadcasting Company and Searchlight Pictures. He founded Connect the Dots in 2006, a management and strategy company with clients such as record producer Stevie J. Angelettie has since co-written the film House of Bodies in 2014, served as a producer for the film Steps the following year, and executive produced Complex's documentary, Rules To This Sh!t in 2021.
Personal life
Angelettie's background includes being born and raised an only child in Brooklyn, New York, to an African-American father Eric Angelettie and a Puerto Rican mother, Dr. Noemi Angelettie-Wallace. He graduated from Samuel J Tilden High School in 1986 and then later attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. [7], but dropped out in 1989 to pursue his music career. He is married to author Lisa Angelettie and is a father to four daughters.[20][21]
^Christopher R. Weingarten; Elias Leight; Brittany Spanos; Charles Aaron; Mosi Reeves; Al Shipley; Jason Newman; Christina Lee; David Drake; Maura Johnston; Dan Hyman (November 21, 2017). "Eminem: 50 Greatest Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
^Hip Hop Hold 'Em, Deric Angelettie, Charlene deGuzman, Shecky Greene, archived from the original on March 15, 2017, retrieved August 12, 2018((citation)): CS1 maint: others (link)
