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Chino XL

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Chino XL
Chino XL performing in 2012
Chino XL performing in 2012
Background information
Birth nameDerek Keith Barbosa
Born(1974-04-08)April 8, 1974
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
OriginEast Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJuly 28, 2024(2024-07-28) (aged 50)
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • actor
Years active1991–2024
Labels

Derek Keith Barbosa (April 8, 1974 – July 28, 2024), better known by his stage name Chino XL, was an American rapper and actor. He released four solo studio albums. His album Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary (2012) won the 2012 HHUG Album of the Year Award.[1]

In addition to his music career, Barbosa acted in numerous films and on television, signing with Hollywood talent manager Stacey Castro and subsequently appearing as a guest star on the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, and CBS series CSI: Miami. His feature film credits include a co-starring role opposite Kate Hudson and Luke Wilson in director Rob Reiner's Alex & Emma (Warner Bros. Pictures) and several indie films, including Brandon Sonnier's The Beat, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.[2]

Barbosa was the nephew of Bernie Worrell of the music group Parliament/Funkadelic, [3] and was also a member of Mensa International.[4]

Early life

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Born in The Bronx, New York, Derek Barbosa grew up in East Orange, New Jersey.[5] His father, who was of Puerto Rican descent, abandoned his African American mother while pregnant, and he was raised by a single mother.

Career

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After co-founding the duo Art of Origin with Kerri Chandler, "Chino XL" (as he was called from then on) was signed at age 16 by music impresario Rick Rubin to his American Recordings label, at the time a member of the Warner Bros. Records family. Barbosa released his debut album Here to Save You All in 1996, to critical acclaim. The lead single "Kreep", which featured an interpolation of the Radiohead song "Creep" received major airplay by radio and MTV. "Kreep" charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under R&B Chart for a record 23 weeks, from July 1996 to January 1997.

Chino was released from his American Recordings contract when the label switched distributors from Warner Bros. Records to Columbia Records in 1997. Warner then signed Chino in the fall of 1997. His second album was due to come out in April 1999 but numerous delays prevented this.[6] In early 2001, when the album's lead single "Let 'Em Live" featuring Kool G Rap was about to appear, Chino was dropped by Warner, as they folded their Black music department, allegedly due to the public legal battle with Prince. The album was eventually released in 2001 by Metro Records under the title I Told You So.[7]

In 2006, Chino's third album, Poison Pen, came out. It featured appearances by Proof of D-12, Killah Priest and hip hop duo The Beatnuts, all managed at the time by Stacey Castro, who also served as the album's A&R and Executive Producer.

In 2007, Chino signed a contract with the Universal Latino label Machete Music.[8]

In 2009, Chino's fourth album The RICANstruction was released via his own joint venture CPR/Universal. It featured appearances by Immortal Technique, Tech N9ne, and Bun B and was produced by DJ Khalil, with Focus acting as executive producer.

On August 19, 2011, a song titled "N.I.C.E.", produced by Nick Wiz, was released.[9]

On September 25, 2012, the album Ricanstruction: The Black Rosary was released as a double disc through Immortal Technique's Viper Records. It won the 2012 HHUG Album of the Year award [1]

On June 15, 2013, Shanghai :30 Entertainment booked a show with Chino XL for him to play alongside local, on-the-rise hip hop artists.[10]

In 2014, he formed a hip hop supergroup along with rappers Vakill, Copywrite, Tame One and producer Stu Bangas called Verse 48. They started working on an EP.[11]

In 2015, he was featured on UK singer/rapper RKZ's single 'They Don't Know Nothing'.[12]

In late 2019, Freemusicempire wrote that Chino XL is "The greatest name-checker in rap history" Dan-O wrote "Chino XL has a career full of jaw dropping name drops that don't benefit him at all. In 1996 he was clowning OJ Simpson, in 2012 he was making fun of Muhammed Ali's brain stem. If you are going to drop the name of someone important do 2 things for me A.) don't walk it back and apologize B.) make it heinous. Do it out of an unparalleled fearlessness. Shake the world up so the people who feel safe don't anymore….and when the consequences come take them like a seasoned criminal takes a sentence. Or don't do it at all."[13]

In December 2020, he released a joint extended play "Chino vs. Balt" with Balt Getty, under Purplehaus Records.[14]

In 2022, it was reported he was working on a new album, which would include a collaboration with R.A. the Rugged Man.[15][better source needed]

In 2023, Chino XL reunited with Stu Bangas to release God’s Carpenter. A 12 song album featuring Vinnie Paz on the single Murder Rhyme Kill. Additional singles included AMBImonsterous, and the title track God’s Carpenter.

Shortly before his death, he, along with KXNG Crooked, Canibus and La the Darkman, contributed to Rakim's album G.O.Ds NETWORK: REB7RTH on the song Pendulum Swing.

Death

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Barbosa died at his home by suicide through ligature hanging on July 28, 2024. He was 50.[16][17][18]

Discography

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Solo albums

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Collaboration albums

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Extended plays

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  • Chino vs. Balt (with Balt Getty) (2020)

Singles

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  • "No Slow Rollin'" with Art of Origin (1992)
  • "Un-Rational" with Art of Origin (1993)
  • "Purple Hands in the Air / Dark Night of the Bloodspiller" (1994)
  • "Kreep" (1996)
  • "No Complex / Waiting to Exhale" (1996)
  • "Thousands / Freestyle Rhymes" (1996)
  • "Deliver" (1996)
  • "Rise / Jesus" (1997)
  • "Let 'Em Live" (2000)
  • "Last Laugh" (2001) Vs (1998)
  • "What You Got / Let 'Em Live" (2001)
  • "Don't Run from Me / Warning" (2006)
  • "Poison Pen" (2006)
  • "Messiah" (2006)
  • "Jump Back" (2007)
  • "Lick Shots" with Immortal Technique, Crooked I (2008)
  • "Chow Down" with Playalitical (2008)
  • "N.I.C.E." (2012)
  • "Arm Yourself" with DV Alias Khrist, Sick Jacken, Immortal Technique (2012)
  • "Kings" with Big Pun (2012)
  • "They Don't Know Nothing" with RKZ (2015)
  • "March of the Imperial" with D.CrazE the Destroyer (2016)
  • "Under the Bridge" with Rama Duke (2018)
  • "Ascending To Mytikas" with Fuzzy Ed (2022)

Notable guest appearances

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  • Tha Mexakinz - Tha Mexakinz
  • Main One - Bring the Drama 12"
  • Saafir - Not fa Nothin' 12"
  • Sway & King Tech - The Anthem
  • RA the Rugged Man - Slayer's Club
  • Immortal Technique - Lick Shots
  • Kool G Rap - Come See Me

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b [1] Archived December 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "Chino XL : Biography". IMDb.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  3. ^ "Chino XL :: I Told You So :: Metro Records". rapreviews.com. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  4. ^ "RapIndustry.com Chino XL Interview, with Sway and King Tech". RapIndustry.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007. Retrieved October 11, 2007.
  5. ^ "Chino XL Reportedly Dead at 50, Tributes Pour in From Chuck D, Joe Budden, and More". Complex Networks.
  6. ^ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. December 5, 1998. Archived from the original on July 9, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  7. ^ "Chino XL: Ain't A Damn Thing Changed". AllHipHop. December 14, 2005. Archived from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  8. ^ "Chino XL signs New Record Deal". Rap Basement. July 23, 2007. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  9. ^ "Chino XL". HipHopDX.com. August 18, 2011. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  10. ^ "Chino XL x Crawdad & Organ Grinder". Shanghai :30 Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  11. ^ "Chino XL, Copywrite, Vakill, Tame One & Stu Bangas Are 'Verse 48'". 2DOPEBOYZ. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "RKZ ft Chino XL – They Don't Know Nothing (Prod Handbook)". December 30, 2015. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2017.
  13. ^ "The Greatest Name-Checker in Rap History". December 5, 2019. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  14. ^ HCamrone (January 5, 2021). "Purplehaus Records presents: Balt Getty & Chino XL – "Ethiopia"". NOW Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "Chino XL – Ok so.... It's official RA the rugged man will... - Facebook". Facebook. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
  16. ^ "Chino XL - Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  17. ^ Perkins, Njera (July 30, 2024). "Legendary Rapper Chino XL Dies at 50: 'One of the Greatest to Ever Touch a Mic'". People. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  18. ^ "Chino XL's Family Breaks Silence On Rapper's Tragic Cause Of Death". www.iheart.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  19. ^ George, Williams (July 30, 2024). "Chino XL, legendary rapper and Multi-Talented Artist, Dies at 50". sowetannewspaper. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
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