Remedy (rapper)

{{Short description|American rapper and hip-hop producer (born 1972)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Remedy

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| background = solo_singer

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| birth_name = Ross Filler

| alias = Reuven Ben Menachem

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|11|04|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Staten Island, New York City, U.S.

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| genre = Hip hop

| occupation = {{hlist|Rapper|producer

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| label = Code Red

| associated_acts = Wu-Tang Clan

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Remedy (a.k.a Ross Filler, a.k.a. Reuven Ben Menachem,{{cite web|author=Gil Kaufman |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1456891/where-are-all-the-other-white-rappers/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115145027/http://www.mtv.com/news/1456891/where-are-all-the-other-white-rappers/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 15, 2016 |title=Where Are All The Other White Rappers? |publisher=MTV |date=August 6, 2002|accessdate=April 2, 2020}} November 4, 1972, in Staten Island, New York) is an American rapper and hip-hop producer.Prato, Greg "[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/remedy-p485498/biography Remedy Biography]", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-06-19 He was the first Jewish rapper to be affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He owns and runs Code Red Entertainment, his label that released Cappadonna's The Struggle album in 2003. He also served as executive producer on Inspectah Deck's album Manifesto in 2010. Remedy has produced and been featured on various works for ESPN.{{cite web|url=https://www.datpiff.com/Remedy-It-All-Comes-Down-To-This-mixtape.186805.html |title=It All Comes Down To This Mixtape by Remedy |publisher=Datpiff.com |date= |accessdate=2020-04-04}} He released a mixtape, It All Comes Down to This, in 2010. He is the co-executive producer of the Wu-Tang Killa Bees: Return Of The Swarm album.

Biography

He was born and raised in Staten Island in New York City, and is Jewish.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D3MOAQAAMAAJ&q=%22ross+filler%22 |title=Oneworld |date=1999 |accessdate=April 1, 2020|volume=5|publisher=New Image Media, Incorporated}}{{cite web|url=https://newvoices.org/2002/02/21/0146/ |title=Rhymes and Remembrance |publisher=New Voices|author=Art Levine |date=February 21, 2002 |accessdate=April 1, 2020}} His grandfather and grandmother are Holocaust survivors, and his great uncle was shot in the back and his family was killed in the concentration camps by the Nazis.Aaron R. Katz (April 15, 2013).[https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-arts-and-culture/128804/spielberg-schindlers-list-kiddush "Wu-Tang's Kiddush; My family Kiddush became the haunting opening for Schindler's List, and was sampled by the hip-hop collective,"] Tablet. He attended New Dorp High School, where he became friends with the original members of Wu-Tang Clan Method Man, Inspectah Deck and Raekwon the Chef.{{cite web|author=Ethan Brown |url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/arts/music/features/4790/ |title=Music: Chai & Mighty |work=New York Magazine |date=June 11, 2001|accessdate=April 1, 2020}} He took the name Remedy in 1987.Lisa Goddard (May 31, 2002). [https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2002-05-31-0205290598-story.html "Rapper Remedy's Songs Highlight Religious Roots,"] South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

He was the first non-black and the first Jewish rapper to be affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan.[http://www.wutang-corp.com/artists/wu-artist.php?id=71 Remedy Biography], Wu-Tang Clan website. "Remedy is a white rapper who is part of the Wu-Tang Killa Beez." Accessed July 28, 2011.Leonard Stein (2019). [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5325/studamerjewilite.38.2.0119?seq=1 "Jewish Flow: Performing Identity in Hip-Hop Music,"] Studies in American Jewish Literature (1981-), Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 119-39, Penn State University Press.

After emerging with the "Seen it All"/"Everything is Real" 12-inch single, Remedy appeared on the platinum-selling 1998 Wu-Tang Killa Bees: The Swarm compilation with his track "Never Again", a song about the Holocaust.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oMFVAAAAYAAJ&q=remedy+%22holocaust%22+rapper |title=Jewish Quarterly |date=2004 |accessdate=April 1, 2020|issue= 193–200|publisher=Jewish Literary Trust}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUx9EBEe9fkC&q=remedy+%22holocaust%22+rapper&pg=PA320 |title=Still Not Equal: Expanding Educational Opportunity in Society |author=M. Christopher Brown II |publisher= Peter Lang |isbn=978-0820495224|date= 2007|accessdate=April 1, 2020}}Douglas Century (April 10, 2006). [https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/so-long-nasty "So Long Nasty; The Beastie Boys grew up, and so did I,"] Tablet.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WUxlo0Q6qBUC&q=%22ross+filler%22&pg=PA356 |title=What We Now Know about Jewish Education: Perspectives on Research for Practice |publisher= Torah Aura Productions|author= Roberta Louis Goodman, Paul A. Flexner, Linda Dale Bloomberg|date= 2008|isbn=9781934527078 |accessdate=April 1, 2020}} The Tampa Bay Times wrote that the song combined "ancient Jewish prayers, hip-hop rhythms, an ominous melody and quaking lyrics resulted in the most complete and defiant portrait of the Holocaust painted in song."Scott R. Benarde (August 25, 2005). [https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2005/04/24/aural-assault/ "aural assault,"] Tampa Bay Times.

This track remains his best-known work as well as his most highly regarded, and appeared on his debut album, The Genuine Article (featuring appearances by RZA, Cappadonna, and Inspectah Deck), from 2001. The Genuine Article reached number 130 on the Billboard 200, number 30 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, number 5 on the Top Independent Albums chart, and number 4 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart."[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/remedy-p485498/charts-awards Remedy Charts & Awards]", Allmusic, retrieved June 19, 2011.

The song "Never Again" also appeared on his follow-up album, Code Red, from 2003 (Remedy considers the track to be effectively his signature theme song), distributed by Code Red Entertainment.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQ0EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22remedy%22+%22Code+Red+Entertainment%22&pg=PA21 |title=Billboard |publisher= |date=May 24, 2003 |accessdate=April 4, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4_oiAQAAMAAJ&q=remedy+%22the+genuine+article%22+staten |title=Redeye Magazine|publisher= |date=June 2, 2011 |accessdate=April 2, 2020}}A Springer (April 27, 2001). [https://hiphopdx.com/interviews/id.7/title.remedy-white-assassin "Remedy: White Assassin,"] HipHopDX. Code Red included a track about the 9/11 attacks, as well as "A Muslim and a Jew", a song about the respective sides in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (with Wu-Tang leader The RZA acting as mediator).{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/72l2yyHeVVxm9xdWxcpz9m?highlight=spotify:track:4hidmFDJyZec6VLK6DUU2C |title=Code:Red by Remedy on Spotify |publisher=Open.spotify.com |date=2002 |accessdate=April 1, 2020}}

He owns and runs Code Red Entertainment, his label which released Cappadonna's The Struggle album in 2003.{{cite web|author=Code Red Entertainment |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/code-red-entertainment-mn0000281786 |title=Code Red Entertainment | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=2020-04-04}} Remedy has also Executive Produced Inspectah Decks "Manifesto" album, as well as Decks latest album, "Chamber No. 9. He has also Executive Produced Ghostface Killah's latest album, "Ghostface Killahs". Remedy released his "Remedy Meets WuTang" album on November 26, 2021, which features appearances by the WuTang Clan.

Remedy made a cameo appearance in the 2008 horror/comedy Bad Biology, along with J-Zone, Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks) & Reef The Lost Cauze. He has been featured in videos for Cappadonna and Inspectah Deck.{{cite web|url=https://hiphopdx.com/news/id.53310/title.danny-caiazzo-reveals-how-he-ended-up-producing-ghostface-killah-inspectah-decks-new-albums|title=Danny Caiazzo Reveals How He Ended Up Producing Ghostface Killah & Inspectah Deck's New Albums with Remedy. |date=October 29, 2019|author=Justin Ivey|website=HipHopDX}}

In 2017, Remedy and Talib Kweli feuded on Twitter regarding Remedy's pro-Israel political stance, which conflicts with Kweli's criticism of Israel's control of the West Bank.{{cite web|url=https://forward.com/schmooze/348752/the-jewish-rapper-with-wu-tang-ties-and-his-nasty-twitter-beef-over-israel/|title=The Jewish Rapper With Wu-Tang Ties — and His Nasty Twitter Beef Over Israel|first=Sam|last=Kestenbaum|date=August 30, 2016|work=The Forward}} Remedy is an advocate of Israel and the Jewish people, and of promoting awareness of the Holocaust.{{cite web|author= |url=https://www.hillel.org/about/news-views/news-views---blog/news-and-views/2005/02/01/jewish-rapper-rocks-hillel-at-university-of-central-florida |title=Jewish Rapper Rocks Hillel at University of Central Florida |publisher=Hillel |date=February 1, 2005|accessdate=April 1, 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyalert.org/rss/Mainissues.php?id=33270 |title=A Wu-Tang Rapper Claims His Birthright |publisher=Jerusalem Center For Public Affairs; Daily Alert |date=June 9, 2004|accessdate=April 1, 2020}} RZA said: "I see him as an artist who will educate his people. Just as we have done with ours."

Discography

=Albums=

The Genuine Article (April 2001) - US #130
Code Red (November 2003)
It All Comes Down to This (December 2010)
Remedy Meets Wu-Tang (2021)

=Appearances=

"Transporting" - Remedy and JoJo Pellegrino: "Wu Music Group Presents Pollen - The Swarm Part 3 (2010)"
"Never Again" - "Wu-Tang Killa Bees - The Swarm Vol.1 (1998)"
"Testimony" - SHI 360, Remedy, Killah Priest, Harte: Killa Beez in Israel
"I Like It" - Remedy, Subliminal, Babylon: Killa Beez in Israel
"Life Neighborhood" - Messika, Elon Babylon, Remedy, Shorti, Dani Deen, Killa Beez in Israel
"Posse Cut" - R.A. the Rugged Man, Hell Razah, Remedy, Blaq Poet: Legendary Classics Vol. 1.
"Money, Cash, Flows" - Cappadonna - The Struggle album
"We Got this" - Cappadonna - The Struggle album
"The Anthem" - Wu-Tang Collective
"Rain Outside" - Kinetics, R.A. the Rugged Man: With A Little Help From My Friends
"City Limits" - Wu-Tang Killa Bees