M.O.P.

Brownsville

M.O.P., short for Mash Out Posse, is the duo of Lil' Fame (Jamal Grinnage, born April 9, 1976) and Billy Danze (Eric Murray, born November 15, 1974). The two grew up together in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and began making music together in 1992. That year they appeared on the compilation The Hill That's Real. The duo is known for a hardcore rap style and energetic performances. Their home neighborhood appears directly in their catalog, including the Firing Squad track "Brownsville."

Early Albums

M.O.P. debuted in 1993 with the single "How About Some Hardcore?" Their first album, To the Death, followed in 1994 on Select Records. Firing Squad (Relativity, October 22, 1996) reached No. 94 on the Billboard 200 and No. 12 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It was mixed and overseen by DJ Premier and included "World Famous," "Downtown Swinga '96" and "Stick to Ya Gunz" with Kool G Rap. The group is part of the Gang Starr Foundation. First Family 4 Life (1998) again drew much of its production from DJ Premier and Lil' Fame, who also produces under the name Fizzy Womack.

Warriorz and "Ante Up"

Their fourth album, Warriorz, was released in 2000 on Loud Records. Its first single, "Ante Up," was produced by DR Period and received mainstream radio play. The single's success helped Warriorz reach No. 25 on the Billboard 200, the group's highest showing on that chart. A 2001 remix of "Ante Up" featured Busta Rhymes. The album also included "Cold as Ice," and both singles charted in the UK.

Label Moves and Later Work

In the early 2000s M.O.P. signed with Roc-A-Fella Records, and in July 2005 they signed with 50 Cent's G-Unit Records. The group appeared on projects with prominent artists including Jay-Z during this period. Later releases include Ghetto Warfare (2006). The Foundation followed in 2009 on E1 Music, and Street Certified on Nature Sounds on November 18, 2014. Across their catalog they have worked with Select, Relativity, Loud, Koch, Nature Sounds, First Family, Epic and Def Jam, among others.