Pink Grenade

SMH Records was founded by record industry publicist Jonathan Hay and producer Mike Smith in 2013, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The label's first artist was Nigerian singer Abimbola "Bim" Fernandez, the daughter of industrialist Antonio Deinde Fernandez, who was the richest man in Africa. Bim Fernandez, age 24, signed to SMH Records in November 2013, with the label paying for the production, not Fernandez.{{cite news |url=https://nypost.com/2014/01/20/meet-the-nigerian-heiress-who-wants-to-be-the-next-rihanna/ |title=Meet the Nigerian heiress who wants to be the next Rihanna |date=January 20, 2014 |newspaper=New York Post |author=Gregory E. Miller }} Pink Grenade was formed around Fernandez, with the other eight members staying anonymous. The band's first single was released in January 2014: "Let's Take It Naked".{{cite magazine |url=https://jezebel.com/meet-the-nigerian-heiress-whos-chasing-rihannas-thron-1506560996 |title=Meet the Nigerian Heiress Who's Chasing Rihanna's Throne |date=January 23, 2014 |author=Hillary Crosley Coker |magazine=Jezebel}} On July 1, 2014, a video for "Let's Take It Naked" was uploaded to Vevo and WorldStarHipHop, promoted with 7.5 million views in its first week. The "ironic" video showed fictional scenes of Fernandez partying with boys and cocaine, cooking meth, and playing Russian Roulette, all while showing a prominent pregnant belly – the belly was a prosthetic, Fernandez was not actually pregnant.{{cite web |url=https://rawmusicent.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/music-video-premiere-bim-fernandez-lets-take-it-naked/ |title=Video Premiere: Bim Fernandez – 'Let's Take It Naked' |author=Richard Baxter |date=July 1, 2014 |publisher=Raw Music Entertainment |access-date=October 3, 2018}} The high number of online views was observed by Rob Hustle of Rebel Pundit to be possibly artificially inflated, as evidenced by the small number of viewer comments, many negative. "Let's Take It Naked" was partially mixed by Richard "Segal" Huredia, known for his work with Eminem and Dr. Dre.

The second single, "Lights Out", was released on July 17, featuring Royce da 5'9".{{cite web |url=https://allhiphop.com/music/pink-grenade-ft-royce-da-5-9-lights-out-UzZdZWmWTEOvykIkaOkrSQ/ |title=Pink Grenade Ft. Royce da 5'9 "Lights Out" |publisher=All Hip Hop |date=July 17, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2018}} The "moody" and "atmospheric" R&B/rap song was augmented with blues-style harmonica.{{cite web |url=https://djbooth.net/songs/pink-grenade-lights-out |title=Pink Grenade ft. Royce Da 5'9" - Light's Out |author=Richard Spadine |date=July 16, 2014 |work=DJ Booth |access-date=October 3, 2018}}

The third single, "Gold Blooded", was co-produced by Justin "Sky" Boller, released with a video on July 21. It claimed 2.5 million views on WorldStarHipHop.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh4T9ohWPLbVOQ0Q9C |title=Pink Grenade – Gold Blooded |date=July 21, 2014 |work=World Star |author=SMH Records |access-date=October 3, 2018}}

A video for the hip-hop single "Lipstick", was released on July 23, 2014, featuring Fernandez singing and playing guitar. Ashlee Holmes, the daughter of Jacqueline Laurita, known for her appearance on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, is seen among a group of women playing with red lipstick and red paint. The "sexually charged" song has lyrics suggesting fellatio, as well as "dissing" Kim Kardashian and her family.{{cite web |url=https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2014/07/ashlee-holmes-rhonj-provocative-music-video-kim-kardashian-diss-lipstick-jacqueline-laurita/ |title=RHONJ's Jacqueline Laurita's Daughter Ashlee Holmes Stars In Controversial Music Video — Disses Kim Kardashian! |author=Amber Ryland |work=Radar Online |date=July 23, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2018}} "Lipstick" displayed 5 million views on WorldStarHipHop.

On July 24, 2014, Pink Grenade debuted the album Fear of a Pink Planet, with CD and vinyl copies sold through Best Buy,{{cite web |url=http://www.dubcnn.com/2014/07/17/dubcnn-exclusive-interview-with-pink-grenade-july-2014/ |title=Exclusive Interview with Pink Grenade |date=July 17, 2014 |author1=Rud |author2=Tom Moon |work=DUBCNN |access-date=October 3, 2018}} distributed by Caroline Records.{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com:80/fear-pink-planet-070000857.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324034732/http://news.yahoo.com/fear-pink-planet-070000857.html |archive-date=March 24, 2014 |title=Fear of A Pink Planet: Pink Grenade is About to Explode |author=SMH Records |date=March 20, 2014 |access-date=October 3, 2018 |url-status=live }} The album's title is a play on the influential Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet (1990). All 18 of the songs on the album were written by Hay, except for "Lipstick" which was written by Hay, Fernandez and {{nowrap|Cash Cash}} (deejays Samuel Frisch, Alexander Makhlouf and Jean Paul Makhlouf.){{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fear-of-a-pink-planet-mw0002700410 |title=Pink Grenade: Fear of a Pink Planet |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 3, 2018}} Guest rappers appear on four songs: "The Mirror" features Crooked I, "Famous as Fuck" features Troy Ave, "3 Days in LA" features Dizzy Wright, and "Lights Out" features Royce da 5'9". Parliament-Funkadelic drummer Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey plays on some tracks.

In August 2014, many of the songs were re-released as The Famous as Fuck Tape, by Pink Grenade and DJ Whoo Kid.{{cite web |url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.30203/title.pink-grenade-dj-whoo-kid-the-famous-as-fuck-tape-release-date-cover-art-tracklist/ |title=Pink Grenade & DJ Whoo Kid "The Famous as Fuck Tape" Release Date, Cover Art & Tracklist |website=Hip Hop DX |access-date=January 17, 2022 |last=Tardio |first=Andres |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814181636/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.30203/title.pink-grenade-dj-whoo-kid-the-famous-as-fuck-tape-release-date-cover-art-tracklist/ |date=August 13, 2014 |archive-date=August 14, 2014 |url-status=dead}}

• Bim Fernandez – guitar, vocals, co-writing on "Lipstick"
• Johnny Depp
• Jonny
• Teddy
• Mekai
• Ivy-Rose
• Renzo Charlez
• Danny
• Bjorn
• Pinky
• Dizzy Wright – featured vocals
• Royce da 5'9" – featured vocals
• Crooked I – featured vocals
• Troy Ave – featured vocals
• John "JR" Robinson – drums
• Jerome "Bigfoot" Brailey – drums
• Jonathan Hay – writing, production
• Mike Smith – production
• Sylvia Massy – mixing{{cite web |url=https://www.sylviamassy.com/2014/05/21/johnny-depp-pink-grenade/ |title=Johnny Depp and Pink Grenade |date=May 21, 2014 |publisher=Sylvia Massy |access-date=October 3, 2018}}
• John Frye – mixing
• Richard "Segal" Huredia – mixing
• Ken Lewis – production
• Jerry Hey – horns
• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Justin "Sky" Boller – co-production on "Gold Blooded"
• Cash Cash – co-writing on "Lipstick"

{{Reflist}}

• [https://soundcloud.com/pinkgrenade Pink Grenade] on SoundCloud

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Category:American hip-hop groups

Category:Musical groups established in 2014

Category:2014 establishments in the United States