The R.O.C. (Raps On Contact)

Infobox musical artist
Name = The R.O.C.


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Background = group_or_band
Birth_name = Bryan Jones
Alias = The R.O.C.
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Origin = Detroit, Michigan, United States
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Genre = Hip hop
Occupation =
Years_active = Since 1993
Label = Hatchet House
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Notable_instruments = The R.O.C. is a hip-hop/rock artist, whose career went through many stages. He is now on Hatchet House, a sub-label of Psychopathic Records. He announced in 2008 that he would make his last performance ever at the Gathering of the Juggalos '08 with Blaze Ya Dead Homie.

History

Beginning years

In the beginning, The R.O.C. started rapping in a group called Strength Productions, with his cousin Evol (who was then known as "Big Father Hightop") and a third member named J HO under which they put out a LP entitled "Rolling With Strength". The R.O.C., Monoxide (who was then known as E.X.P.) and Madrox (who was then known Big J) were really good friends since a young age. When Big J and E.X.P. asked The R.O.C. to do a track with them, The R.O.C. accepted. They began making more and more tracks together, drawing The R.O.C.'s attention away from Strength Productions. After doing so many tracks together, the three realized they had an entire LP collaboration. Soon enough, Big J and E.X.P. asked The R.O.C. to rap with them in there group, there group at this point and in the past had no name. The R.O.C. agreed and abandoned Strength Productions, leading to the collapse of Strength Productions for good.

House of Krazees

Home Sweet Home

As the trio, they were ready to rap, but they didn't have a name. While coming across a movie "The House of Crazies" they decided this would be a good name for there group, modified to be "House of Krazees". As they were working on their first album, they came across a investor and music producer named Scott Chapman. As they created the record label "Retro Horror Muzik", they had there first album produced by Scott Chapman, and published by Asylum Records. They released it on 1993 and entitled it "Home Sweet Home". They did sell "enough tapes" to get them a little bit of money to pay for another album. As they worked on there next album, they needed more money to fund it, thus, Scott Chapman was now not only producing their albums, but was also funding them now too.

Homebound

As they worked on their second album, they decided to name it "Return of the Madmen". Scott had got them an opportunity to have the album released on Mazz Music Records, but due to business and contract problems, this never happened. As they worked on the album more, Big J decided to change his name to Mr. Bones and E.X.P. decided to change his name to Hektic, while The R.O.C. kept his name the same. Having the album finished in June, 1994, they released it under Retro Horror Muzik renamed as "Homebound". The House of Krazees toured with the most known underground act at the time "Esham" in a small tour to promote this album, giving them double the sells they thought they would make. In the same year, The R.O.C.'s cousin released his first solo tape entitled "Satanix for Life".

"Season of the Pumpkin"

As the three went into the studio to record a third album, they came across an underground group in Detroit called "2 Krazy Devils" who featured members Psycho C and Krazie. The R.O.C. produced their album for them, and then, seeing how his group was working on their album, asked 2 Krazy Devils to collaborate with them for a track on their new album coming out October 31. 2 Krazy Devils agreed, and the track was finished before the due date of the album, and it was entitled "Lettin' Ya Know". Then for no known reason, the song was removed, and the album was released in October 1994 not selling as many copies as they had hoped.

In 1995, the three came across what looked like a better investor, and re-released "Season of the Pumpkin" under Walter Stephanenko, and his label Latnem Entertainment. It sold alo more copies under the new funding, and also made House Of Krazees rise even higher locally. At this point, they were among the most popular acts in the underground scene of Detroit, and officially signed to Latnem Entertainment.

Outbreed

Later after re-releasing "Season of the Pumpkin", in May 1995, the three released their fourth album entitled "Outbreed", released on Latnem Entertainment. This EP had a more hip-hop sound to it. It sold many copies due to a small tour the House Of Krazees did to promote this album, with a new upcoming Detroit rapper named Eminem opening some shows for them. The R.O.C.'s cousin released his second and last tape entitled "Satan's Poet". This album had the track "Lettin' Ya Know" with "2 Krazy Devils" on it.

X-Posed

In early 1996 The R.O.C. began working on a solo full-length LP. He would release a sampler giving away the name of the album "X-Posed", which helped further promote his solo album. He had both original House of Krazees members on the tape, but it didn't sell as much as any other House of Krazees tape. "X-posed" was released November, 1996.

Head Trauma

In late 1996 House Of Krazees would work on a fifth studio album, and release it in February, 1996, on Latnem Entertainment. To help promote this album, the House of Krazees toured with the Insane Clown Posse on the "first annual hallowicked tour". This helped bring the House of Krazees farther, and become popular in many more states. As they joined ICP a second time on tour as an opening act along with Myzery (for both tours) for the "Milenko All Up In Yo Face Tour". Which would expand the popularity of House of Krazees all the way to Texas and all over the west.

The Last of House of Krazees

While House of Krazees got back from their tour with ICP and Myzery, they were invited to do a song for a compilation of a bunch of underground artists and excepted, this was called Mob Mentality. The House of Krazees recorded the song "Ghost" for the compilation album and turned it in, which got House of Krazees name even bigger. As they were growing and growing, the three decided to release a Collectors tape featuring past House of Krazees songs, so in March, 1997, the House of Krazees released the tape "Collector's Edition '97", with three different colored covers. As the House of Krazees started to record their sixth album, they named it "Evolution", then renamed it "Shit To Make Ya Ears Bleed" set for release on Latnem Entertainment in 1998. Then, in early 1998, before half the album could get done, only one song was recorded and then Mr. Bones and Hektic left Latnem Entertainment due to finance problems, claiming their manager Walter wasn't paying them enough, or as they say, barely anything. The R.O.C. would stay with Latnem Entertainment.

The Howse

In 1998, The R.O.C. began a new project, called The Howse. He went and recruited some local Detroit rappers, and signed them all to Latnem Entertainment, to create The Howse. The artists he signed were Mr. Vitology (A.K.A. Armageddon), Black Widow, and The Beast.

Esohpromatem

The Howse released a album, entitled "Esohpromatem" in 1998 which was metamorphose backwards. They released it in two forms which were, the Gold Foil and Blue Foil. As The R.O.C. was talking to Skrapz (formally Krazie of 2 Krazy Devils) more. The R.O.C. would have the idea about re-creating the House of Krazees, but with who. As The R.O.C. noticed Skrapz talent again, he had convinced Walter to drop Mr. Vitology, Black Widow, and The Beast from Latnem Entertainment and sign Skrapz. Around this time, the two old House of Krazees members who left Latnem Entertainment would sign to Insane Clown Posse's record label Psychopathic Records, under the name of Twiztid. Mr. Bones would become Jamie Madrox, and Hektic would become "Monoxide Child".

The rebirth of the House of Krazees

"The Night They Kame Home"

The R.O.C. was now going by the name of SOL along with Skrapz, was the "House of Krazees" agian. The new album they put out, would be called "Season of the Pumpkin 2". As Twiztid asked for the right to use a song they were recording for "Shit To Make Ya Ears Bleed" called "Murder, Murder, Murder" for their new album "Mostasteless", The R.O.C. agreed on the only request that he got "props" in the album booklet. Failing to follow this request, Twiztid released it anyways and removed The R.O.C.'s lyrics from the song. As February 1997 neared, House of Krazees' new album was finished, but changed to "The Night They Kame Home".The R.O.C. (SOL) and Skrapz left Latnem Entertainment shortly after due to financial problems and the same reason "Twiztid" left. This would mark the last release by House of Krazees to date.

HaLFBrEEd and Virus Independent

After SOL (The R.O.C.) and Skrapz left Latnem Entertainment, they would move on (without the rights to the name House of Krazees or the lyrics) to create their own label entitled Virus Independent. Then in 1999 they released their "Virus Shit Sampler" giving birth to HaLFBrEEd.

"Serial Killaz"

This would be the first album to ever be released by HaLFBrEEd, entitled "Serial Killaz". It was released on Virus Independent, but nearly sold half as Mostasteless. Needing someone to put there music out further, they would stumble upon a popular underground artists, and investor.

"KontamiNATION"

As they came in contact with Siccmade Records, (Brotha Lynch Hungs record label), they got a contract that would be best for both sides. As HaLFBrEEd dropped their first LP, it was released on Siccmade Records and the distribution reached twice as far as when they put "Serial Killaz" out. It was put out in September, 2000 and entitled "KontamiNATION. Due to finance and contract problems, HaLFBrEEd had to disband Siccmade Records, but with a much larger fanbase touching nationwide.

A better start

Now that people knew who HaLFBrEEd were, they albums would sell much, much, more. So they decided to re-release their first album "Serial Killaz", putting it out to much more people in 2000. This sold much more than the original release, and now Virus Independent was a very popular label. Except, on this re-issue, it onloy had seven tracks, as the original had nine.SOL and Skrapz were starting to come up in the music industry much more.

"Rage of the Plague", and the end of HaLFBrEEd

Their next album would be entitled "Rage of the Plague" released on Virus Independent on October 31, 2000. As Skrapz would come across a local artist named Mr. Freeze, he would eventually want to do regular hip-hop instead of the Horrorcore music he usually does. After signing Mr. Freeze to Virus Independent, a new group was born, consiting of Skrapz, Mr. Freeze, and The R.O.C. (SOL).

"Level Jumpers"

After signing Mr. Freeze to Virus Independent, the new group of the three started recording a new album under the name of "Level Jumpers", it would take a new form of regular hip-hop, and they would no longer put out horrorcore albums with HaLFBrEEd, HaLFBrEEd was finished. By December 2001, Level Jumper's album would be released, "Simply Complex".