Production
Mathematics' first real exposure to production came late one night when he attended a session where he assisted RZA, his mentor, in constructing a beat from nothing. The track eventually developed into "Ice Cream" on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx album. RZA inspired Mathematics to follow the Wu-Tang, giving him advice on the nuances of hip hop production over the coming years. In 1996, Mathematics began record producing, in Staten Island, New York (Shaolin) and at home, in the P-Funk City, Plainfield, New Jersey, between heavily scheduled tour dates and rigorous road travelling with his father's gospel group, The Soul Seekers.
His first track, "Fast Life" featuring Ghostface Killah and the American football star Andre Rison, was included in the NFL Jams compilation album. Though this track faded into obscurity somewhat, it lead to several more collaborations between Mathematics and Ghostface; Mathematics also began to produce for many other Wu-Tang members and affiliates, including several tracks on GZA's second album Beneath The Surface as well as Method Man's Tical 2000: Judgement Day, Inspectah Deck's Uncontrolled Substance and Method Man & Redman's Blackout!. Eventually, he produced for the Clan as a group, with "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)", "Careful (Click, Click)", "Gravel Pit", "Protect Ya Neck (Jump Off)" and others. Mathematics, or Uhuso Lakee Muhammad Shabazz Allah, is the only writer of tracks on their 2000 album The W he did not co-produce with RZA. On Iron Flag in 2001 he contributed every track.
In 2003, Mathematics moved into TV work, as he produced the main theme and all original music for the short lived show Wanda At Large, which starred Wanda Sykes and was broadcast by the Fox Network. During this time and between continuous touring, Math ematics started work on his first solo full length project, Love, Hell Or Right. Completely mixed, arranged and produced by himself, Love Hell or Right was released fall 2003 on his own Quewisha Records label in conjunction with High Times Records, and it went on to sell 30,000 units.
As well as using rappers from Mathematics' home borough of Queens, Eyes-Low and Buddah Bless, Love Hell Or Right had appearances from all the Wu-Tang Clan members except GZA and the then-imprisoned Ol' Dirty Bastard. Mathematics soon signed to the popular independent hip hop label Nature Sounds (home to Wu-Tang colleague Masta Killa as well as MF DOOM) and released his second album The Problem in 2005. On this album the entire Wu-Tang Clan appeared, including a posthumous appearance from Ol' Dirty Bastard. As well as working on his solo albums, Mathematics has continued to contribute beats to many Wu-Tang releases, including the first albums by Masta Killa and Streetlife. In January 2012 he was to release a sequel to The Problem entitled The Answer, entirely produced by him with Wu-Tang members such as Raekwon, GZA, Method Man, Cappadonna, Masta Killa, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Ghostface Killah. Other artists include Redman and artists he is developing such as Ali Vegas, Eyeslow and Bad Luck.
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Famous quotes containing the word production:
“The society based on production is only productive, not creative.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“The problem of culture is seldom grasped correctly. The goal of a culture is not the greatest possible happiness of a people, nor is it the unhindered development of all their talents; instead, culture shows itself in the correct proportion of these developments. Its aim points beyond earthly happiness: the production of great works is the aim of culture.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Just as modern mass production requires the standardization of commodities, so the social process requires standardization of man, and this standardization is called equality.”
—Erich Fromm (1900–1980)