No Face (originally known as Funktion Freaks)[1] was a New York City-based rap duo active in the early 1990s, known for their outrageous, obscene lyrics.[2] Their music became very controversial because of how over-the-top and obscene it was, with most radio programmers, including black ones, refusing to play even censored versions of their songs.[3] The duo's members were Mark Sexx and the Shah;[4] Ed Lover was also a member for a time.[1] Their only studio album, Wake Your Daughter Up, was released in 1990 on No Face Records, a label affiliated with Russell Simmons' Rush Associated Labels. The album was distributed by both Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records.[3][5] The album featured the song "Fake Hair Wearin' Bitch", which featured 2 Live Crew.[3] In 1994, they released the single "No Brothas Allowed" on Interscope Records, accompanied by the B-side "Smashin' Fruit".[6][7] The group's only hit, "Half", was released as a single from Wake Your Daughter Up and peaked at #47 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.[4][8]
No Face | |
|---|---|
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1990s |
| Labels | Columbia Records, No Face Records, Rush Associated Labels |
| Past members | Mark Sexx, the Shah |
Critical reception edit
Jon Pareles gave Wake Your Daughter Up a very negative review in the New York Times, writing, "Any two teen-age boys with a drum machine could make a better album than this inept, calculating attempt to ride the 2 Live Crew bandwagon."[9] The Chicago Tribune's Greg Kot was more favorable, giving the album 2.5 out of 4 stars and writing that it "is funkier, funnier and far more inventive than anything on As Nasty as They Wanna Be."[10]
Discography edit
Albums edit
- Wake Your Daughter Up (Rush Associated Labels, 1990)
Singles edit
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B/HH |
AUS [11] | |||
| "Revenge of the Bat (He's a Bat Mutha)" | 1989 | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "Hump Music" | — | 64 | ||
| "Half" | 1990 | 47 | — | Wake Your Daughter Up |
| "Fake Hair Wearin' Bitch" (featuring 2 Live Crew) |
1991 | — | — | |
| "Payback (Is a Mutha)"/"Player" | 1993 | — | — | Non-album singles |
| "No Brothas Allowed" | 1994 | — | — | |
References edit
- ^ a b "Dr. Dre and Ed Lover". Contemporary Black Biography. 2005. Retrieved 25 June 2017.
- ^ Goldstein, Patrick (26 August 1990). "Geffen vs. Geto Boys: Double Standard?". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c Goldstein, Patrick (18 November 1990). "Mark Sexx: A Liberated Male He's Not". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b Bush, John. "No Face Biography". AllMusic.
- ^ Kot, Greg (14 December 1990). "Record Label Boss Censors Line From Female Rap Record". Sun-Sentinel.
- ^ Gabriel, Trip. "Rappers finding that life is good in the Poconos". The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ Stancell, Steven (1996-06-01). Rap Whoz Who: The World of Rap and Hip Hop. Omnibus Press. p. 212. ISBN 9780028645209.
- ^ "No Face Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ Pareles, Jon (30 December 1990). "The Best Show? In the Court, Not the Concert Hall". The New York Times.
- ^ Kot, Greg (29 November 1990). "Wake Your Daughter Up (Columbia)". The Chicago Tribune.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 204.
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