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American rapper From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jonathan Owens (born December 19, 1973), known by his stage name Casual, is an American rapper, producer, and one of the founding members of the alternative hip hop collective Hieroglyphics.[1][2] He also reads and has been studying Egyptian Hieroglyphics for many years, makes videos on the subject on his YouTube channel Smash Rockwell as well writing about it on his blog Rap God. As a rapper Casual initially became known for his freestyle battle rhymes in the Bay Area hip hop scene and later developing into a solo artist. He is known for diverse lyrics, a complex multisyllabic East Coast influenced flow but with a distinctive Oakland accent. Casual's debut album Fear Itself released on Jive records in 1994 when he was 17 years old garnered both critical and commercial success. Along with Del the Funkee Homosapien Casual went on to become one of the most prominent and recognizable faces of the Hieroglyphics crew, releasing three albums all on the Hieroglyphics crew's own label, Hiero Imperium. He has released thirteen solo albums as of 2023.
Casual | |
|---|---|
Casual performing in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jon Owens |
| Born | December 19, 1973 |
| Origin | Oakland, California, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Website | casual1 |
After high-profile appearances on Del tha Funky Homosapien and Souls of Mischief albums, in 1994 Casual released Fear Itself. The album was the second-highest charting album in Hieroglyphics' history. Casual followed a typical verse-chorus-verse structure but stood out with his ferocious but playful battle lyrics.[3] Casual has been acclaimed for "wielding his metaphors and sinewy delivery with lethal grace"[4]
After the release of Fear Itself, Casual (as well as fellow Hieroglyphics members Souls of Mischief) was dropped from Jive Records. Casual documents the experience in the book, Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast:
It came about from us getting dropped from major labels, and instead of folding and succumbing to defeat, we hit the ground running. We took what we had and ran with it, we landscaped and we built something. We had to be resourceful, creative, and clever to gain our niche but now...it's been 10 years since we've busted out independent.[5]
In 1994, Casual was involved in a high-profile battle with rapper Saafir. The beef originally started when Saafir appeared on Casual's debut album, and Casual did not appear on Saafir's. This ignited the infamous "Hiero vs Hobo Junction" battle, which involved some controversy when rumors surfaced that Saafir was using pre-written raps as opposed to Casual and Hieroglyphics expected freestyling. Despite this, it is regarded as an influential battle in underground hip-hop's history.[6]
Casual has expressed, much like the rest of the Hieroglyphics crew the importance of competition in hip hop, stating "I think that MCing should be a competitive thing, almost like a sport. The only way an MC can keep polishing and sharpening his skills is to test them against the competition and the up and coming young bloods."[7]
The Win (the superior mix 2021)
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Respect Game or Expect Flames | |
| 2005 | Smash Rockwell | |
| 2001 | He Think He Raw | |
| 1997 | Meanwhile | |
| 1993 | Fear Itself | 108 |
| Year | Song | Hot Rap Singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "VIP" | 43 | |
| 1994 | "I Didn't Mean To" Certified Gold US | 34 | Fear Itself |
| 1993 | "That's How It Is" | 22 | Fear Itself |
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