Bad News Brown (musician)
Bad News Brown | |
---|---|
Rapper, singer, harmonica player | |
Instruments | Vocals, harmonica |
Years active | 2001–2011 |
Labels | Trilateral Entertainment Inc. |
Website | badnewsbrown |
Paul Frappier (May 8, 1977 – February 11, 2011),
Beginnings
Born in Haiti, Paul Frappier moved at a young age to Quebec, first living in Saint-Lazare and Hudson before settling in Montreal with his adopted Québécois family in the Little Burgundy area.[3] In school, he struggled with dyslexia. He left home in his teenage years, and quickly discovered a talent for the harmonica that could earn him a living by busking on the street and in Montreal Metro stations. "Busking was the smartest thing I ever did in my life," he says. "It paid my bills, bought me my studio, and within two years I estimate 50 per cent of the city knew I existed."
Frappier developed his sound by playing in the streets, combining his skill as a
Brown quickly became accredited as the best busker in Montreal by the weekly arts and music magazine, the Montreal Mirror.[4]
Frappier lived with his girlfriend Natasha. He was also the father of a boy, Izaiah, for whom he had joint custody.[2]
Music career
Brown's debut album, Born 2 Sin, was released on
Brown crafted the tracks on Born 2 Sin with production assistance from Haig V, Dirtwork, Parafino, C4, Made By Monkeys and Edi Burgz. Brown said, "Haig is one of the main producers on the album, with six tracks. He's a long-time friend who has worked with the likes of Bran Van 3000 and Muzion. I used to listen to and watch him in his studio back in the day, and I used a lot of his instrumental tracks on this album. I went through his archives, picked out stuff I liked, went home, worked on them, brought them back, and we worked it from there."[citation needed] The album was chosen as "disc of the week" in Vol.25 No.10 of the Montreal Mirror weekly newspaper.[5] Brown described the album's style as "Harmonic Hip-Hop" or "Electronic Triptronic Melodic Harmonics".
The single "Feeling Me On" was released as part of the
Brown toured over 200 venues during his career, opening for
Brown frequently took on the role of a motivational speaker, addressing youth and participating in charities. As part of the "Music With Meaning" tour in 2009, he spoke to an audience of teenage boys in a youth detention center.
Film career
Music for a Blue Train
Brown's reputation as Montreal's best
BumRush
At the time of his murder, Brown was acting in an upcoming film about Montreal
Death
Brown's body was found in an alley on February 11, 2011, in an industrial area near the Lachine Canal in Montreal.[7] Police said there were "clear signs of violence" on his upper body and pronounced him dead at the scene.[8][9]
Brown was reportedly preparing for a show in Quebec City to be held a day later. He was with his girlfriend until about 10 PM, when he told her he was going out to meet someone. Around midnight, a couple who had been out walking found him lying on the ground at the intersection of Richmond Street and William Street.[10]
As of 2024, no news has been released regarding Brown's death.[11]
Discography
Studio albums
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2009 | Born 2 Sin
|
Mixtapes
- 2009: G'd Up From the Street Up
Singles
Year | Title | Album |
---|---|---|
2009 | "Soul Clap" | non-album single |
"Touch Her Body" | Born 2 Sin | |
"Born to Sin" | ||
2011 | "Harm's Delight" | non-album single |
Filmography
- Acting
- 2003: Music for a Blue Train (as impromptu host)
- 2011: BumRush (as Loosecanon)
- Production
- 2011: BumRush – co-producer
See also
References
- ^ La Presse Canadienne: Michel Jetté ébranlé par la mort de Bad News Brown Archived February 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- ^ a b La Presse: Le rappeur Bad News Brown tué à Montréal (in French)
- ^ CTV Montreal: Hip hop artist's body found in Little Burgundy
- ^ a b "Biography on Official Briz Brown MySpace Page".
- ^ Montreal Mirror: Disc of the week
- ^ a b Canoe: Un film dédié à Bad News Brown[usurped] (in French)
- ^ "Montreal rapper Bad News Brown opened for hip-hop stars Kanye West, Snoop Dogg". Montreal Gazette, February 12, 2011
- ^ "Montreal rapper Bad News Brown murdered – Police". Toronto Sun, February 12, 2011
- ^ "Montreal rapper found slain". CBC, February 12, 2011
- ^ "Hip-hop star's death continues to mystify". Global News, February 15, 2011
- ^ "Two years after unexplained death, candlelight vigil pays respects to Bad News Brown". CTV News, February 11, 2013