Brandon James Theophilus Jolie, known professionally as Maniac, is a British grime producer. Maniac has produced for various artists such as Wiley, Tinchy Stryder, and Chip.[2][3][4]

Maniac
Birth nameBrandon James Theophilus Jolie[1]
BornBow, East London, England
GenresGrime
British hip hop
Rap
UK drill
Occupation(s)Producer
Years active2006–2009
2015–present

Career edit

2006–09 edit

Maniac first came to prominence at the age of 16 when his track "Bow E3" was used by Wiley for his album Playtime Is Over.[5] In 2008 Maniac released a collaborative album with Tinchy Stryder entitled Tinchy Stryder vs. Maniac. This was followed by his first solo CD New Age Grime in 2009. Maniac contributed a number of tracks to the 2008 film Adulthood, recorded a single for a Nike advertising campaign[6] and had his music featured on British soap EastEnders.[7]

In 2009, Maniac was convicted of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to 14-years. He had attempted to murder a 15-year old girl following news that he had impregnated her. He was later given a conditional early release in 2015.[7][8]

2009–15 edit

Maniac had recorded prolifically and had a large unreleased back catalogue.[9] Tracks from this back catalogue have continued to be released,[10] including the track "Man Dem" which featured on Chipmunk's 2010 platinum selling album I Am Chipmunk and "Liquid Organ" which was used by Wiley on his 2014 album Snakes & Ladders.

2015–present edit

In 2015, Maniac was released from prison on a conditional licence and returned to making music. His first music release was a single with Wiley entitled "Outchea".[8] In October 2015, Maxsta announced that he would be releasing a collaborative EP with Maniac on Rinse.[11][12] Maniac produced four tracks for the BrOTHERHOOD film soundtrack, collaborating with Chip, AJ Tracey, P Money and Curtis Clacey.

Discography edit

Albums
Singles & EPs
  • Devil EP (Adamantium Music, 2008)
  • Salt Fish EP (Earth616, 2009)
  • Thug / Wreckage (Terrorhythm, 2010)
  • Devil Vs Saltfish EP (Pitch Controllers, 2011)
  • 100 Problems (Rinse Recordings, 2015) (with Maxsta and Boothroyd)
  • Homecoming EP (Earth616, 2017)
  • R.A. Real artillery Various singles 2018
  • Ard Adz - Whats Gwarning (feat. Bellzey)
  • Ard Adz various singles 2018
  • AJ Tracey - Fighting
  • Chip - New Day
  • Eyez - Smoking Fine
  • Headie One - This Week (feat. Yxng Bane)
  • JME - Shh Hut Yuh Muh
  • Laura Mvula - Ready or Not (feat. Berna)[Maniac Remix]
  • P Money - Stone Island Ting (feat. Little Dee, Safone and Capo Lee)
  • Wiley - Grew Up In (feat. Stormzy & Solo 45)
  • Wiley - 38 Challenge
  • Wretch 32 - Ina Di Ghetto (feat. Badness & Ghetts)

References edit

  1. ^ "BOW E3". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Listen: Wiley Slams Skepta On New Diss Track 'Don't Bread Me'". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  3. ^ "Music producers who tried to murder pregnant girl, 15, jailed". The Daily Telegraph. 2009-12-04. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2019-10-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  4. ^ "The Best Grime & UK Hip Hop Songs Of 2016 So Far". Capital XTRA. Archived from the original on 2019-12-06. Retrieved 2019-12-06.
  5. ^ Four New Grime Kidsa. Vice (magazine), Viceland.com.
  6. ^ [1] [permanent dead link]
  7. ^ a b Music pair jailed over death plot. BBC News
  8. ^ a b "Interview: Maniac – He's Back! | Following and showcasing the best in Grime music". Archived from the original on 2015-07-20. Retrieved 2015-07-16.
  9. ^ "Pied Pipers Vol 3: Elijah Celebrates 10 Years of Logan Sama's KissGrime, and Slackk Breaks Down the Latest | Thump". Archived from the original on 2014-04-16. Retrieved 2014-04-15.
  10. ^ Maniac - Devil v Saltfish (Pitch Controllers) Archived 2011-01-01 at the Wayback Machine. DJmag, Djmag.com.
  11. ^ "Maxsta taps Boothroyd and Maniac for 100 Problems EP". Archived from the original on 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2015-10-22.
  12. ^ "Son Raw Vocal Wrap-Up: October Edition | Passion of the Weiss". Archived from the original on 2015-10-26. Retrieved 2015-10-22.

External links edit