Happy Birthday, El-P!

Today, March 2, is the 43rd birthday of hip-hop producer, rapper and entrepreneur, Jaime Meline, better known by his stage name El-P.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., El-P, which is short for El Producto, has always had a taste for hip-hop culture and business-savvy mind to match. By the time he was 25, El-P had founded the hip-hop group Company Flow and started his own record label, Definitive Jux. Artists on Def Jux include Murs, Cannibal Ox and Aesop Rock.

With an aggressive, metaphorical rap style, El-P released his first solo album, Fantastic Damage, in 2002, followed by I'll Sleep When You're Dead in 2007. Both albums received high critical acclaim and I'll Sleep When You're Dead peaked at No. 78 on the Billboard 200.

While working on his third studio album, Cancer 4 Cure, El-P linked up with Atlanta rapper Killer Mike in the studio. El-P produced Mike's sixth studio album R.A.P Music in 2012, and in 2013, the two MCs officially formed the musical duo Run The Jewels.

As a pair, Run the Jewels have released three albums so far, a self-titled debut under Fool's Gold Records in 2013 and follow up entitled Run The Jewels 2 under Mass Appeal. In 2016, the duo gave fans a an unexpected Christmas present by dropping their third studio LP RTJ3 on Dec. 25 after months of anticipation.

They brought in 2018 with their own line of craft beers.

Happy Birthday, El-P!

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