La Coka Nostra
{{short description|American hip hop group}}
{{distinguish|La Cosa Nostra}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = La Coka Nostra
| background = group_or_band
| image =
| origin = * Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
- New York City, U.S.
| genre = Hip hop
| years_active = 2006–present
| label = {{hlist|Suburban Noize|Uncle Howie|Fat Beats}}
| associated_acts = {{hlist|House of Pain|Psycho Realm|Soul Assassins|Non Phixion|Special Teamz|Limp Bizkit|Cypress Hill|Vinnie Paz|Immortal Technique|Swollen Members|Madchild|Danny Diablo}}
| current_members = DJ Lethal
Danny Boy
Ill Bill
Slaine
| past_members = * Big Left
| website = {{URL|lacokanostra.com}}|
}}
La Coka Nostra (short LCN) is an American hip hop supergroup currently composed that of Danny Boy, Slaine, DJ Lethal, and Ill Bill. In 2004, its creation started when Danny Boy (Daniel O'Connor) brought two young artists, Slaine (George Carroll) and Big Left (John Faster), to meet Dj Lethal (Leor Dimant) his DJ from his former group House of Pain. They decided to make a group, whose name came about when O'Connor teased other members with that nickname after they had a night out. They started releasing music on MySpace, and went viral.
Eventually, it was felt that there was a void and experienced rapper Ill Bill (William Braunstein) was asked to join. Eventually, former House of Pain colleague Everlast (Erik Schrody), showed interest to join. By 2008, the group consisted of O'Connor, Carroll, Diamant, Braunstein, and Schrody (who left some time after the first album was released). Their debut album A Brand You Can Trust was released on July 14, 2009, and it was appreciated by many for its raw sound that some felt missing from hip hop at the time.
In 2012, came their second album, Masters of the Dark Arts, which reached 176 on Billboard Top Current Albums, 40 on Independent Albums, and 31 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Their third album To Thine Own Self Be True was released in 2016. The album reached 38 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.
Biography
The genesis of the group started in late 2004, at the time hip hop artist Danny Boy O'Connor had taken time off from rap after the break-up of House of Pain, O'Connor took to working in video production and fashion as well as mentoring other artists.{{Citation needed|date=January 2023}} O'Connor explains that he took notice of two up and comers Big Left (John Faster) and Slaine (George Carroll), and brought them to meet his former DJ from House of Pain, DJ Lethal (Leor Diamant).Emerick Tackett (2006).
It was eventually felt that there was a void and experienced rapper Ill Bill (William Braunstein) was asked to join. Eventually, former House of Pain colleague Everlast (Erik Schrody), showed interest to join. By 2008, the group consisted of O'Connor, Carroll, Diamant, Braunstein, and Schrody.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}}
In late 2008, the group signed to Suburban Noize Records and released the long delayed debut album A Brand You Can Trust on July 14, 2009. The album took so long to complete due to O'Connor's refusal to have the members collaborate via e-mail; instead, he would gather everyone at the studio.[http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.1385/title.underground-report-la-coka-nostra-soulstice HHDX Interview], HipHopDX Interview with Danny Boy This took time due to the recording of Braunstein and Schrody's solo albums as well as various tours and other commitments. A Brand You Can Trust features fifteen tracks and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Bun B, Sick Jacken, B-Real, Sen Dog, Immortal Technique, Big Left and Q-Unique. Though similar stylistically to the group's prior online releases, it features songs grounded more in reality. Subjects touched upon include politics, death, drug addiction, raising a child and terrorism.[http://www.urb.com/features/1555/LACOKANOSTRAInterview.php Urb Magazine Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716033421/http://www.urb.com/features/1555/LACOKANOSTRAInterview.php|date=July 16, 2009}}, Urb Magazine Interview with Everlast. AllMusic gave four out of five stars.{{Citation |title=A Brand You Can Trust - La Coka Nostra {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-brand-you-can-trust-mw0000820644 |language=en |access-date=2022-05-20}} Andrew Kameka of HipHopDX wrote that "the album is a mostly solid effort and exactly what someone would expect from a supergroup of like-minded members known for high-energy music".{{Cite web |last=Kameka |first=Andrew |date=2009-07-16 |title=La Coka Nostra - A Brand You Can Trust |url=https://hiphopdx.com/reviews/id.1218/title.la-coka-nostra-a-brand-you-can-trust |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=HipHopDX}} Adam Kennedy of the BBC while praising some the moments of the album said "it’s a tantalising parting taste of potential capabilities, yet until they improve a customer satisfaction hit rate that barely troubles one in three tunes here".{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Adam |title=BBC - Music - Review of La Coka Nostra - A Brand You Can Trust |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/xzj9/ |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en-GB}} Steve Juon of RapReviews gave it a seven out of ten.{{Cite web |title=RapReviews.com Feature for July 14, 2009 - La Coka Nostra's "A Brand You Can Trust" |url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2009_07F_brandyoucantrust.html |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.rapreviews.com}} Thomas Quinlan of Exclaim! said "La Coka Nostra are an interesting collection of collaborators that live up to the hype".{{Cite web |title=La Coka Nostra A Brand You Can Trust {{!}} Exclaim! |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/la_coka_nostra-_brand_you_can_trust_2 |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=exclaim.ca |language=en-ca}}
On March 2, 2012, it was announced that Schrody would be leaving La Coka Nostra due to his daughter's medical issues.{{Cite web |title=Slaine Opens Up About New La Coka Nostra Record, Friendship w/ DJ Premier and La Coka Nostra Without Everlast – OC Weekly |url=https://www.ocweekly.com/slaine-opens-up-about-new-la-coka-nostra-record-friendship-w-dj-premier-and-la-coka-nostra-without-everlast-6603216/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=www.ocweekly.com}}{{Cite news |last=Simpson |first=Peter |date=July 4, 2013 |title=Organic hip hop - Everlast : Exploring music |pages=D9 |work=The Ottawa Citizen}}
That same year, La Coka Nostra released their second album, Masters of the Dark Arts.{{cite AV media |url= |title=Masters Of The Dark Arts |date=2012 |last1=O'Connor |first1=Danny "Danny Boy" |type=CD |medium= |language=English |publisher=Fatbeats |trans-title= |location= |time= |access-date= |id=FB5158 |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |last2=Dimant |first2=Leor "Dj Lethal" |first3=George "Slaine" |last3=Carroll |first4=William "Ill Bill" |last4=Braunstein}} It reached 176 on Billboard Top Current Albums, 40 on Independent Albums, and 31 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} Adam Fleischer of XXL magazine noted that "La Coka Nostra remain decidedly true to their core with their new album" and "that they are indeed masters of the dark arts". HipHopDX gave the album a positive review and noted that the album was a "sinister, happily violent detour from the pop-centric".{{cite news |date=2012-07-16 |title=La Coka Nostra - Masters Of the Dark Arts |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1925/title.la-coka-nostra-masters-of-the-dark-arts |url-status=dead |access-date=2012-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913235401/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1925/title.la-coka-nostra-masters-of-the-dark-arts |archive-date=2012-09-13}} Peter Marrack of Exclaim! also gave the album a positive review and noted that the album was "more or less a one-way ticket to hell".{{cite news |last=Marrack |first=Peter |date=2012-07-31 |title=La Coka Nostra - Masters of the Dark Arts |publisher=exclaim.ca |url=http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HipHop/la_coka_nostra-masters_of_dark_arts |access-date=2012-12-14}} Nathan G. O'Brien of Scene Point Blank gave it four out five star and said "with Master of the Dark Arts La Coka Nostra’s pluperfect union of bombastic boom-bap, record scratching, and realism-based hardcore rhyming".{{Cite web |last=O'Brien |first=Nathan G. |date=October 1, 2012 |title=Review - La Coka Nostra - Masters of the Dark Arts |url=https://www.scenepointblank.com/reviews/la-coka-nostra/masters-of-the-dark-arts/ |website=Scene Point Blank}}
In 2016, La Coka Nostra released To Thine Own Self Be True.{{cite AV media |url= |title=To Thine Own Self Be True |date=2016 |last1=O'Connor |first1=Danny "Danny Boy" |type=CD |medium= |language=English |publisher=Fatbeats |trans-title= |location= |time= |access-date= |id=FB5178 |isbn= |oclc= |quote= |last2=Dimant |first2=Leor "Dj Lethal" |first3=George "Slaine" |last3=Carroll |first4=William "Ill Bill" |last4=Braunstein}} The album reached 38 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} Steve Juon of RapReviews gave eight point five out of ten and wrote "for a blissful 45 minutes it's an uncut dose of that nostalgia straight through the ear canals to the dopamine centers of my brain".{{Cite web |title=La Coka Nostra :: To Thine Own Self Be True :: SoulSpazm/Fat Beats Records |url=https://www.rapreviews.com/archive/2016_11_tothineownselfbetrue.html |access-date=2022-05-20 |website=www.rapreviews.com}}
Members
Discography
= Studio albums =
- A Brand You Can Trust (2009)
- Masters of the Dark Arts (2012)
- To Thine Own Self Be True (2016)
= Extended plays =
- 100% Pure Coka (2009)
= Mixtapes =
- The Height of Power (2009)
- The Audacity of Coke (2009)
- The Maple Leaf Massacre (2012)
= Appearances on other albums =
- 2006: "Fuck Tony Montana" (D.J. Mek Remix) featuring Big Left
- 2006: "Get Outta My Way" (D.J. Mek Remix) featuring B-Real of Cypress Hill & Sick Jacken of Psycho Realm
- 2006: "This Is War" featuring Big Left Ill Bill Is The Future Vol. 2
- 2006: "It's a Beautiful Thing" Ill Bill Is The Future Vol. 2
- 2007: "Where Hope Goes to Die" Black Metal
- 2007: "Soldiers of Fortune" (produced by Sicknature) Black Metal
- 2007: "Get Outta My Way" featuring Big Left Black Metal
- 2007: "Broken Pieces" featuring Jeru the Damaja Black Metal
- 2009: "Do It" (produced by DJ Solo) Soul Assassins: Intermission
- 2009: "Hey Young World" featuring Heltah Skeltah The Trojan Horse
- 2010: "Skull & Guns" featuring Slaine & Everlast DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill: Kill Devil Hills
- 2012: "Geometry of Business": Vinnie Paz God of the Serengeti
- 2015: "The Hard Way" House of Slaine
= Music videos =
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Album !Title !Director !Other featured artist |
| 2008
| rowspan="3" |A Brand That You Can Trust |That's Coke | |
| rowspan="2" |2009
|I'm An American |n/c |
| Cousin of Death
|Frank Sacramento | rowspan="6" | |
| rowspan="3" |2012
| rowspan="3" |Masters of the Dark Arts |Mind Your Business |J.F. Martin/Tom Vujcic |
| Creed of the Greedier
|Tom Vujcic |
| Letter to Ouisch
|Danny Boy |
| 2015
| rowspan="2" |To Thine Own Self Be True |Dark Day Road |
| 2016
|Waging War |Tom Vujcic |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.myspace.com/lacokanostramusic La Coka Nostra] at MySpace
- [http://www.lacokanostra.com/ lacokanostra.com]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090717044603/http://www.suburbannoizerecords.com/lacokanostra.php Suburban Noize Records page]
- [http://slaine.bplaced.net/#abrandyoucantrust A Brand You Can Trust album details]
- https://www.facebook.com/lacokanostramusic/posts/10157940434003425
{{La Coka Nostra}}
{{House of Pain}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:American hip-hop groups
Category:Underground hip-hop groups