All City (rap group)
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Hip hop music |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn, New York City , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
All City was a rap duo originating from Brooklyn, composed of MCs J. Mega and Greg Valentine. Established in 1993, they rose to recognition in 1998 with their first album, Metropolis Gold, which was issued under the MCA Records label.
History
The formation of All City took place in Brooklyn in 1993 when J. Mega and Greg Valentine, both performing solo at Manhattan's Lyricist Lounge, garnered significant audience enthusiasm and opted to join forces. Their group name is inspired by the graffiti expression "All City," referring to tags found throughout New York City's subway trains.
Their breakthrough came when the hardcore rap ensemble Onyx discovered them and signed them to their imprint Armee Records, which was distributed by Mercury Records.
In 1995, All City released their initial single "Who Dat"/"Metro Theme" through Armee Records and contributed guest verses on Onyx's albums All We Got Iz Us and later Shut 'Em Down, appearing on several tracks that boosted their profile within the music industry.
The duo performed on the influential Stretch & Bobbito radio program in 1996. With backing from Onyx, they secured a contract with MCA Records in 1997, subsequently releasing singles such as "Move On You"/"Basic Training" on Geffen Records. Their 1998 release "The Actual"/"Priceless," produced by DJ Premier and Pete Rock, included music videos featuring Onyx and reached number 3 on the Hot Rap Singles, marking their most successful chart performance.
Later in 1998, MCA issued "The Hot Joint," which attained number 93 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The label also released the single "Ded Right."
Their debut album, Metropolis Gold, was launched on November 3, 1998, peaking at number 42 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums and climbing to number 18 on the Top Heatseekers charts as reported by Billboard. Although it received favorable reviews, the album did not achieve commercial success nor did it enter the Billboard 200. After this release, the duo parted ways. Greg Valentine has continued to work with various artists, while J. Mega’s current endeavors remain undisclosed.
Albums
| Album Title | Album Information | Highest Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B | US Heatseekers | ||
| Metropolis Gold |
|
42 | 18 |
Singles
- 1995: "Who Dat" / "Metro Theme"
- 1997: "Move On You" / "Basic Training"
- 1998: "The Actual" / "Priceless"
- 1998: "The Hot Joint"
- 1998: "Ded Right"
Videos
Videos directed by Abdul Malik Abbott include:
- 1998: "The Actual"
- 1998: "Priceless"
- 1998: "The Hot Joint (Remix)"