Bishop Lamont - Biography

Biography

Martin started rapping at age thirteen. Dr. Dre met Martin while on set filming The Game's music video for "Dreams". After giving him praises on an L.A. radio station, Dr. Dre signed Martin in 2005. Martin was featured in The Source's Unsigned Hype section, but he was already signed to Aftermath by the time the issue hit stands.

According to Martin, Dr. Dre said that along with Eminem, Martin is the only other rapper that made him uncomfortable. Dr. Dre said that this is due to his protégé's controversial and political lyrics.

Martin is credited for his numerous soundtrack contributions. He has appeared in the soundtrack for the video game True Crime: Streets of LA. He can also be heard on three EA Sports video games. The tracks "The Best" and "We Got Next" are included in Madden 2007 and NBA Live 06, respectively. Also, the track "I'm a Soldier" was included in NFL Street 2. His song City Lights was in The Midnight Club: Los Angeles soundtrack. In addition, Martin has the title track "Welcome to Havoc", featured in Havoc, a film starring Anne Hathaway.

Together with his War Doggz crew, Martin owns a record label called Diocese Records.

Martin is widely believed to be one of the more prominent rappers to be featured on Dr. Dre's highly anticipated album, Detox much like the role of Snoop Dogg on The Chronic and lablemate Hittman on Chronic 2001. Dr. Dre himself confirmed that Martin is to be heavily featured on the album. The Carson, California-based rapper is also working on his debut album, tentatively titled The Reformation which is due out in the third or fourth quarter of 2009. Martin's mixtape/album N*gger Noize was released on March 2, 2007. It was mixed by DJ Skee and consists of all original content. On Skee TV, Martin and DJ Skee described N*gger Noize as being a "street album". Martin stated in an interview with WestCoastRydaz.com that after The Reformation and Detox, he will be working on The Impossible Possible which will be entirely produced by Dr. Dre and Scott Storch. The album will be released in 2011.

In 2005 Bishop Lamont is credited to seven songs on Warren G's studio album In The Mid-Nite Hour. It has also been reported that Martin is in the studio working for The Reformation with Chris Martin from Coldplay. Planned sessions with Eminem and 50 Cent are in order. Production credits will include Battlecat, DJ Premier, Scott Storch, The RZA, Damizza, Pete Rock, and others. In a December 2006 interview with Dubcnn, Martin said that The Reformation is 60% completed. He also stated that his album is to be released before Detox. According to Martin, the album will be about "rebellion, revolution, the positive and negative things in life and organized chaos".

In addition, he also announced he will be releasing Caltroit 2: Metropolis which contains all the extra music that was not included in the first release of the Caltroit mixtape. He also said will feature Slum Village, Royce Da 5'9, Talib Kweli and others.

In 2008, Martin appeared in Busta Rhymes' music video for "We Made It", and Kardinal Offishall's music video for "Set It Off".

In November 2008, Bishop Interviewed with HoodHype.com and discussed his beef with The Game which seems to have started as far back as Game's track "100 Bars (The Funeral)"

In January 2010 Bishop confirmed his amicable split from Aftermath/Interscope after five years on the label. Lamont, who allegedly walks away with over 700 songs he recorded there, said he still has a relationship with Dr. Dre, "Dre is still my big bro, but after five years of just sitting there, it is kind of unfair to the fans and my family and myself that the release date has changed when all these people are waiting."