Ron Browz

"20 Dollars" redirects here. For other uses, see Twenty dollar bill (disambiguation).
Ron Browz
Birth nameRondell Edwin Turner
Born (1982-12-06) December 6, 1982 (age 41)[1]
New York City, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • singer
  • record producer
Years active1997–present
Labels
Websiteronbrowz.com

Rondell Edwin Turner[3] (born December 6, 1982), better known by his stage name Ron Browz (/ˈbraʊz/), is an American recording artist and record producer from Harlem, New York. He initially gained major recognition after producing the Jay-Z diss track, "Ether" by Nas. Due to the notoriety of the song, Browz adopted the nickname Ether Boy. In 2008, he began recording music as a rapper, utilizing the Auto-Tune effect and subsequently released the popular single, "Pop Champagne". He also founded his own record label imprint, Ether Boy Records.

Career

1998–2007: Producing for hip hop artists

Ron Browz began producing records for Harlem-based rapper Big L. He later gained an album placement with Nas' critically acclaimed song "Ether", which was used at that time to diss fellow rapper Jay-Z.[1] He began to refer to himself as "Ether Boy", after the song.[4]

2008–2010: Venture as a recording artist

In late 2008 Ron Browz started working on his solo album Etherboy after receiving a deal from Universal Motown.[5] Browz retrospectively recounted that around this time, he was "running low on money" and unsure of his future in music. After by chance hearing the song "I'm a Rider" by 50 Cent, which featured the Auto-Tune effect, Ron Browz was inspired to use the technology in his own music, which led to him recording the similarly Auto-Tune-heavy "Pop Champagne".[6] "Pop Champagne", a collaboration with fellow Harlem rapper Jim Jones featuring Juelz Santana, was released to commercial success later in 2008 as the first single for the prospective Etherboy album.[7] "Pop Champagne" was included on Jones's 2009 album Pray IV Reign.[8]

Subsequently, Browz released the single "Jumping (Out the Window)", which featured a similarly heavy use of Auto-Tune.[9] The song became a regional hit, receiving airplay on New York radio stations.[9] Browz was also featured on Busta Rhymes' single "Arab Money", which was produced by Browz and featured more of his characteristic Auto-Tune.[10] The themes and lyrics of the song ignited controversy, particularly from Muslim communities;[11] Music commentator Eric Ducker noted that Browz sings "non-sensical Arabic" in the chorus, likening it to "doing a song involving China and having the hook be: Ching chang ching chong chong."[10] Browz also sang the hook on and produced Capone-N-Noreaga's song "Rotate" off their album Channel 10.[12]

Browz's song "20 Dollars" became an internet meme among fans of the Slenderman mythos.[13] This originated from a video uploaded by YouTube user brett824 that claimed to have "discovered" missing audio of a Marble Hornets episode, but in reality was a humorous bait-and-switch that instead played 20 Dollars whenever Slenderman appeared on-screen.[14] The song became associated with Slenderman, who fans facetiously claimed only stalked its victims because it "simply wants 20 dollars".[13][15]

However, his planned Etherboy album was never released, and Browz eventually parted ways with Universal in 2009 due to business disagreements.[16][17] On December 22, 2009, Browz independently released an extended play entitled Timeless.[18][non-primary source needed] On July 20, 2010, Browz released his debut album Etherlibrium independently on his founded record label Ether Boy Records.[19][self-published source?]

2011–present: Independent and mixtape circuit

In 2011 Browz had been giving fans free downloads of songs from his upcoming double album Random/Awkward.[20] But in late 2011 it was announced by Browz that his next album would not be the double-disc set Random/Awkward. On October 17, 2011, Browz released his mixtape entitled The Christening.[21][22] On February 14, 2012, Browz released an extended play entitled Fly Away.[23] on August 29, 2012, Browz released another mixtape entitled Stranded On Lenox.[24][25] On November 23, 2012, Browz released an instrumental mixtape entitled Ron Browz Instrumentals Vol. 1.[26]

Browz continued touring the world performing songs from his most recent release Blvck Circus which was released on May 21, 2013.[27] On January 29, 2014, Browz released a sequel to The Christening entitled The Christening 2.[28][29] On September 2, 2014, Browz released a single entitled "She Don't Like Me".[30]

Discography

Main articles: Ron Browz discography and Ron Browz production discography

Awards

Urban Music Awards

  • 2009, Best Collaboration ft. Jim Jones & Juelz Santana 'Pop Champagne' (Won)

References

  1. ^ a b Jeffries, David. "Ron Browz > Biography". allmusic. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  2. ^ http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/10/05/21966292.aspx Hit Rapper/Producer Ron Browz Off Universal Motown. Retrieved October 28, 2009
  3. ^ "Pop Champagne". ascap.com. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  4. ^ Juon, Steve 'Flash' (January 1, 2024). "Ron Browz :: Etherlibrium – RapReviews". Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  5. ^ "AllHipHop » 5 & DONE: Ron Browz". AllHipHop. January 28, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  6. ^ "Studio Sessions: Ron Browz was shocked when Nas used his beat to diss JAY-Z on "Ether"". Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  7. ^ Reid, Shaheem (October 17, 2008). "Jim Jones Kick-Starts Major-Label Solo Debut With 'Pop Champagne' And A Hip-Hop Play". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 18, 2008. Retrieved September 11, 2009.
  8. ^ Westhoff, Ben. "Jim Jones: Pray IV Reign". Houston Press. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "RR's '09 Worst Singles: #2 Ron Browz "Jumping Out The Window" - Rap Radar". rapradar.com. January 5, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  10. ^ a b "A Rational Conversation Between Two Adults: Busta Rhymes' "Arab Money"". The Fader. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  11. ^ "Busta causes stir with Muslims | InsideDesi.com". www.insidedesi.com. Archived from the original on December 2, 2009.
  12. ^ "Capone-N-Noreaga – Channel 10 Album Review – unkut.com – A Tribute To Ignorance (Remix)". March 12, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Jenzen, Olu; Munt, Sally R. (March 23, 2016). "The Creatures of ARGs and Websites". The Ashgate Research Companion to Paranormal Cultures. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-04218-1. ...finally a running gag originating from YouTube suggests that Slenderman simply wants 20 dollars from the people it stalks, showing the monster moving to the song Gimme 20 Dollars by Ron Browz.
  14. ^ Asimos, Vivian (January 28, 2021). "Parodies and the Enderman family". Digital Mythology and the Internet's Monster: The Slender Man. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-18146-5.
  15. ^ Chess, S.; Newsom, E. (November 27, 2014). Folklore, Horror Stories, and the Slender Man: The Development of an Internet Mythology. Springer. pp. 122–123. ISBN 978-1-137-49113-8.
  16. ^ "AllHipHop » Hit Rapper/Producer Ron Browz Off Universal Motown". AllHipHop. October 5, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  17. ^ "Ron Browz Killed Auto-Tune Before Jay-Z". February 25, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  18. ^ "iTunes – Music – Timeless – EP by Ron Browz". iTunes. December 22, 2009. Retrieved December 2, 2014.{cite web}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Ron Browz Etherlibrium coming July 20 to iTunes!". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012.
  20. ^ "Ron Browz – On My New Shit (feat. Busta Rhymes & Reek Da Villian)". OnSMASH. June 24, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  21. ^ "Ron Browz – The Christening Hosted by Ether Boy". DatPiff. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  22. ^ "Ron Browz – The Christening". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  23. ^ "iTunes – Music – Fly Away by Ron Browz". iTunes. February 14, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  24. ^ "Ron Browz – Stranded On Lenox". DatPiff. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  25. ^ "Ron Browz – Stranded On Lenox". HotNewHipHop. August 30, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  26. ^ "iTunes – Music – Ron Browz Instrumentals Vol. 1 (Instrumental) by Ron Browz". iTunes. November 23, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  27. ^ "Ron Browz – Blvck Circus". DatPiff. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  28. ^ "Ron Browz – The Christening 2". DatPiff. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  29. ^ "Ron Browz – The Christening 2". LiveMixtapes. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  30. ^ "iTunes – Music – She Don't Like Me – Single by Ron Browz". iTunes. September 2, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.

External links