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Dungeon Family#Backbone

{{Short description|American musical collective}}

{{Refimprove|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = The Dungeon Family

| image =

| caption =

| origin = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.

| genre = {{hlist|Southern hip hop|R&B}}

| years_active = 1991–present

| label = Arista

| website =

| current_members =

| past_members = Outkast
TLC
Future
Big Rube
Goodie Mob (including CeeLo Green)
Cool Breeze
Janelle Monae
Tito Lopez
Peter Ivanek
Konkrete
Organized Noize (including Sleepy Brown)
Joi
Killer Mike
Witchdoctor
Backbone
Bubba Sparxxx

}}

The Dungeon Family were a musical collective based in Atlanta that specialized in Southern hip hop with heavy funk and soul influences.{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/live-reviews/dungeon-family-and-outkast-reunite-in-atlanta-w438987 |title=Dungeon Family and Outkast Reunite for Family Affair to Remember |last=Lee |first=Christina |date=2016-09-11 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=2017-08-17}} Members of this collective recorded music, and had their career emerge, from Rico Wade's basement recording studio in East Point, Georgia, which was known as the "Dungeon."{{cite news|url=https://www.atlantamagazine.com/news-culture-articles/headland-drive-the-start-of-something-good/|title=Headland Drive: The start of something good|first=Mike|last=Jordan|publisher=Atlanta|date=September 14, 2022|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}

History

The group derives its name from "The Dungeon", the name given to record producer Rico Wade's studio, located in the basement of his mother's house, where many of the early members of the collective did their first recordings. Rico Wade, Ray Murray, and Sleepy Brown constitute the production/songwriting team Organized Noize, who have produced hits for the main popular Dungeon Family groups Outkast, TLC, and Goodie Mob. Numerous aspiring musicians and artists would in fact emerge from the "Dungeon," with Wade even considered to be an architect of Atlanta hip hop.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/arts/music/rico-wade-dead.html|title=Rico Wade, an Architect of Atlanta Hip-Hop, Dies at 52|first=Jonathan|last=Abrams|publisher=New York Times|date=April 14, 2024|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/atlanta-rap-legend-dungeon-family-member-rico-wade-dies-52/7UZB4EBQZFA27IOCHWFSHTNWIE/|title=Atlanta rap legend, Dungeon Family member Rico Wade dies at 52|publisher=WSB-TV|date=April 15, 2024|accessdate=April 15, 2024}}

The collective released their only album together, titled Even in Darkness, under Arista Records on November 26, 2001.

On October 7, 2011, it was announced that Arista, along with Jive and J Records, would be shut down. All artists on those labels, including The Dungeon Family, were moved to RCA Records.{{cite web |last=Szalai |first=Georg |date=8 August 2011 |title=Peter Edge Named CEO of Sony's RCA Music Group |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/peter-edge-named-ceo-sonys-220328/ |access-date=2021-10-02 |work=Hollywood Reporter}}{{cite magazine |last=Halperin |first=Shirley |date=12 July 2011 |title=L.A. Reid's First Week at Epic Has Some Staffers Feeling 'Energized' |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/l-a-reid-s-first-week-at-epic-has-some-staffers-1005272002.story |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715194815/http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/l-a-reid-s-first-week-at-epic-has-some-staffers-1005272002.story |archive-date=15 July 2011 |access-date=2021-09-28 |magazine=Billboard}} Because of this, the collective decided to part ways with RCA's parent, Sony Music.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

On April 13, 2024, Dungeon Family leader Rico Wade died.{{cite web |last1=Abrams |first1=Jonathan |title=Rico Wade, an Architect of Atlanta Hip-Hop, Dies at 52 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/arts/music/rico-wade-dead.html |website=The New York Times |publisher=The New York Times Company |access-date=August 2, 2024 |date=April 14, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240414151001/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/14/arts/music/rico-wade-dead.html |archive-date=April 14, 2024 |url-status=live}}

In visual media

On March 16, 2016, the documentary The Art of Organized Noize premiered on Netflix.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Members

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

1st generation

{{cite web |url=http://www.thesubversal.com/can-any-hip-hop-collective-top-the-legendary-dungeon-family/ |title=The Legendary Dungeon Family |website=www.thesubversal.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427033718/http://www.thesubversal.com/can-any-hip-hop-collective-top-the-legendary-dungeon-family/ |archive-date=2017-04-27}}

{{col-2}}

Slimm Calhoun

2nd generation

{{col-end}}

Discography

Studio albums

  • Even in Darkness (2001){{Cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.39920/title.dungeon-family-to-celebrate-15-years-of-even-in-darkness-with-special-edition-vinyl|title = Dungeon Family to Celebrate 15 Years of "Even in Darkness" with Special Edition Vinyl|date = 8 August 2016}}

Singles

  • "Trans DF Express"
  • "6 Minutes (Dungeon Family It's On)"

References

{{reflist}}

{{Dungeon Family}}

{{OutKast}}

{{Killer Mike}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Alternative hip-hop groups

Category:Hip-hop collectives

Category:Musical groups established in 1992

Category:Hip-hop supergroups

Category:Southern hip-hop groups

Category:Musical groups from Atlanta

Category:1991 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:2024 disestablishments in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2024