{{Short description|Australian hip hop artist}} {{redirect|MC Reason|other rappers called Reason|Reason (disambiguation)#People}} {{use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{use Australian English|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox musical artist | background = person | name = Jason Shulman | image = | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank --> | alt = | caption = | birth_name = <!-- leave empty if the same "name" --> | alias = Reason, Rea', MC Reason | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1972}}<!-- {{Birth date and age|1972|MM|DD}} for living people supply only the year unless the exact date is already WIDELY published, as per WP:DOB --> | birth_place = | origin = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date first) --> | death_place = | genre = Hip hop | occupation = Teacher, musician | instrument = Vocals | discography = | years_active = 1988–2011 | label = | current_member_of = | past_member_of = | spouse = <!-- Use article title or common name --> | partner = <!-- (unmarried long-term partner) --> | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} or {{Official URL}} --> }}
'''Jason Shulman''' (born 1972), previously known by the stage names '''Reason''', '''Rea'''' or '''MC Reason''', is a retired Australian hip hop artist, who works as a secondary school teacher. He released four studio albums: ''Solid'' (2000), ''Reography'' (2002), ''One Step Ahead'' (2004) and ''Window of Time'' (2011), before retiring from his music career.
==Early life and education== Shulman was born in 1972<ref name=beat2011/> and grew up in a upper-class area<ref name=palma2004/> in the south-east suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, becoming acquainted with local hip hop music while still at school during the 1980s.<ref name=hegarty2004/><ref name=palma2004/>
He attended Melbourne University, where he majored in Aboriginal studies.<ref name=mitchell2006/>
==Music career== Shulman recorded his first tracks in 1988.<ref name=hegarty2004/> Apart from hip hop, his musical influences include Australian music of the 1970s and 80s, including Midnight Oil and Australian reggae.<ref name=palma2004/> During the 1990s, he became involved in an educational initiative called the Push, which ran workshops on hip hop and contemporary urban cultures to young people in lower socio-economic regions of Victoria. He was also the DJ of ''Hittin' Switches'', a long-running community radio program which played Australian hip hop music.<ref name=mitchell2006/>
He adopted the moniker Reason for his musical identity, and has also been known as Rea'<ref name=steps2011/> and MC Reason.<ref name=hegarty2004>{{cite web | title=Hip-hop high school | website=The Age|first= Khalil |last=Hegarty | date=12 August 2004 | url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/hip-hop-high-school-20040813-gdyg26.html | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref>
He recorded his work on Obese Records, with his album ''Solid'' (2000) produced by Jolz, being the first release on the label.<ref name=steps2013>{{cite web | last=Steps | first=Jim | title=Obese Records – Frankston Store Opening | website=All Aussie Hip Hop | date=8 March 2013 | url=https://allaussiehiphop.com/2013/03/08/obese-records-frankston-store-opening/ | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> and is known for inspiring and uniting other hip hop artists, including Illy, Sereck (of Def Wish Cast), Hilltop Hoods, Pegz,<ref name=steps2011/> and Briggs.<ref>{{cite web | last=Bacon | first=Erika | title=Briggs' Sheplife inspired by Shepparton's 'stagnant growth' | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=16 October 2014 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/briggs-sheplife-inspired-by-sheppartons-stagnant-growth-20141011-113jci.html | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref>
He released his second album, ''Reography'', in 2002. His third album, ''One Step Ahead'', included remixes of several tracks from this album. In them, he is patriotic but also includes criticism of several aspects of Australian culture.<ref name=mitchell2006/>
Reason has toured to Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, and Canberra.<ref name=palma2004/>
==Other activities== He hosted many DMC DJ competition finals in Melbourne.<ref name=hegarty2004/><ref name=palma2004/>
Shulman works as a high school teacher,<ref name=palma2004>{{cite web | last=Palma | first=Karl | title=A true aussie icon of hip hop | website=Resident Advisor | date=8 July 2004 | url=https://ra.co/features/482 | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> teaching chemistry<ref name=beat2011>{{cite web | title=Reason | website=Beat Magazine | date=27 October 2011 | url=https://beat.com.au/reason/ | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref> and Australian history at Mount Scopus Memorial College in Melbourne ({{as of|lc=yes|2006}}). He has also organised hip hop musical events by artists such as the Hilltop Hoods, and run graffiti workshops and DJ events at the school,<ref name=mitchell2006/> and run music workshops in rural Indigenous Australian communities.<ref name=beat2011/>
==Influence== Tony Mitchell of UTS Sydney described his work thus:<ref name=mitchell2006>{{cite web|url=https://thealtitudejournal.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/5_mitchell_final_completeep.pdf|first=Tony |last= Mitchell|title=The Reography of Reason:Australian Hip Hop as Experimental History and Pedagogy| date=2006|quote=This article is based on a paper given at the conference "Re-thinking the Past: Experimental Histories in the Arts", held at the University of Technology, Sydney, July 28-29, 2006.}}</ref>{{blockquote| Reason is a key practitioner in the Melbourne scene and records on the Obese label, having produced two EPs and two albums to date, ''Reography'' and ''One Step Ahead'', which have been important in terms of contributing to a distinctively Australian hip hop linguistic idiom, history and identity as well as a concern with a range of political and social issues. He has also been extensively involved in the local hip hop scene as both an educator and a producer of experimental histories of Australian culture and politics.}}
After announcing his retirement in November 2011, he was described as one music critic as "an indisputable forefather of the Australian hip hop scene as we know it today".<ref name=steps2011>{{cite web | last=Steps | first=Jim | title=The End Of An Era: Reason retires. | website=All Aussie Hip Hop | date=18 November 2011 | url=https://allaussiehiphop.com/2011/11/18/the-end-of-an-era-reason-retires/ | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref>
==Personal life== {{as of|2011}} Shulman is married, and has a daughter.<ref name=beat2011/>
==Discography== *''Solid'' (album, 2000)<ref name=steps2013/><ref name=palma2004/> *''Reography'' (album, 2002)<ref>{{cite web | title=REASON Reography LP | website=Popsike | date=18 December 2011 | url=https://www.popsike.com/REASON-Reography-LP-Oz-Hip-Hop-Aussie-Obese-KEN-OATH-PEGZ-HILLTOP-HOODS/270872048110.html | access-date=8 July 2023}}</ref><ref name=mitchell2006/> *''One Step Ahead'' (album, 2004)<ref name=palma2004/><ref name=mitchell2006/> *''Life's a Lesson'' (EP, 2006?)<ref name=mitchell2006/> *''Window of Time'' (album, 2011)<ref name=steps2011/>
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Reason}} Category:Australian male rappers Category:1972 births Category:Living people