Verbal Kent

{{short description|American rapper}} {{About|rapper Dan "Verbal Kent" Weiss|''The Usual Suspects'' movie character Roger 'Verbal' Kint|Keyser Söze}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Verbal Kent | image = | caption = | birth_name = Dan Weiss | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|7|22}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois | death_date = | instrument = | genre = Hip hop | occupation = Rapper | years_active = 1999–present | label = Gravel Records Rap Mechanics Mello Music Group | associated_acts = Organic Mind Unit Giraffe Nuts Ugly Heroes Pete Rock !llmind Masta Ace Sadat X Kaz1 Rusty Chains Lance Ambu Lantz | website = [http://verbalkent.com/ verbalkent.com] }}

'''Dan Weiss''' (born July 22, 1978), better known by his stage name '''Verbal Kent''', is an American alternative hip hop artist from Chicago.

==Early life== Weiss was born and raised in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.<ref name="mmccormick">Moira McCormick, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080253/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-11-07/entertainment/0311070403_1_hip-hop-music-band “Organic Mind Unit is all about the hip-hop flow,”] ''Chicago Tribune'', November 7, 2003.</ref> He started writing at the age of 15,<ref name="adowning">Andy Downing, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304071255/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2006-04-07/entertainment/0604070228_1_emcee-near-death-experience-tracks “Verbal Kent turns scars into stars,”] ''Chicago Tribune'', April 7, 2006.</ref> and later attended Columbia College Chicago as a music major.<ref name="mmccormick"/>

==Career==

===Organic Mind Unit=== In 1999, Weiss dropped out of college and founded Organic Mind Unit,<ref name="djakubiak">David Jakubiak, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160325235719/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1492738.html “Weiss gets ‘Verbal’ in his own way,”] ''Chicago Sun-Times'', August 15, 2003.</ref> a live hip hop band that performed in Chicago.<ref name="mmccormick"/> Early versions of the group included eight rappers, with Weiss as the drummer. After he showed other OMU members some of his writing, they encouraged him to start rapping.<ref name="djakubiak"/> He took on the moniker Verbal Kent, based on Roger “Verbal” Kint, the con artist played by Kevin Spacey in the 1995 film ''The Usual Suspects'', who makes up a story based on his surroundings – a story that takes on a different meaning upon repeat viewings of the film. Weiss has said that he aspires to this sort of depth in his rhymes.<ref name="jkordich">Jason Kordich, [http://www.urb.com/2011/03/14/product-placement-verbal-kent-interview/ “Product Placement: Verbal Kent Interview,”] ''URB'', March 14, 2011.</ref>

===Solo work=== In 2003, Kent released his first recording, the 12-inch single “Alien Rock” on Gravel Records.<ref name="djakubiak"/> The single was included on his solo full-length debut, ''What Box'', which appeared the next year.<ref name="adowning"/> He followed it up with ''Move With the Walls'' in 2006.<ref>“Verbal Kent: Move With the Walls,” ''Hip Hop Connection'', July 2007.</ref> The album also had a single, “Dead Serious” which featured Ill Bill and Lance Ambu.<ref>Ryan Proctor, [http://www.bluesandsoul.com/review/308/verbal_kent_dead_serious/ “Review: Verbal Kent: Dead Serious,”] ''Blues & Soul'', July 6, 2007.</ref>

''Fist Shaking'', Kent's third album, came out in 2008.<ref>Greg Kot, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140222034327/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2008-04-04/entertainment/0804020357_1_metro-quartet-album “Kot in the act: Shows you can’t miss,”] ''Chicago Tribune'', April 4, 2008.</ref> His sixth solo release, 2011's ''Save Yourself'', features contributions from Masta Ace, Sadat X, Ed O.G. and One Be Lo, and production from Pete Rock, Marco Polo and !llmind.<ref>Luke Gibson, [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.1612/title.verbal-kent-save-yourself “Verbal Kent: Save Yourself,”] Hip Hop DX, January 30, 2011.</ref><ref>Chris Faraone, [http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/114749-verbal-kent-save-yourself/ “Review: Verbal Kent – Save Yourself,”] ''The Phoenix'', January 27, 2011.</ref> ''Sound of the Weapon'', released in February 2014, was produced by Khrysis and given a rating of 4.0 (out of 5) by Hip Hop DX.<ref>Christina Lee, [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.2224/title.verbal-kent-sound-of-the-weapon "Verbal Kent - Sound of the Weapon,"] Hip Hop DX, February 18, 2014.</ref> His seventh solo album, ''Anesthesia'', was released on September 11, 2015, and given a rating of 6.0 out of 10 by Pitchfork.<ref>J. Edward Keyes, [http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20932-anesthesia/ "Verbal Kent: Anesthesia,"] Pitchfork, September 4, 2015.</ref>

===Other collaborations=== In 2006, Kent formed a crew of battle rappers going by the name Giraffe Nuts. The final group was composed of ten rappers: Kent, Rusty Chains, Lance Ambu, Alltruisms, Roadblok, Doomsday, Encyclopedia Brown, Moodswangz, Kang the Konquorer and Elfamail. They released an album, ''Eat Them'', in 2007.<ref>David Jakubiak, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160326185726/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7573910.html “Crazy idea by rapper turns out to be Nuts,”] ''Chicago Sun-Times'', August 31, 2007.</ref>

In 2013, Kent, Detroit emcee Red Pill and producer Apollo Brown formed Ugly Heroes, releasing their self-titled debut in May 2013. The album examines the harsh realities of the members' hometowns.<ref>Jesse Fairfax, [http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/album-reviews/id.2086/title.ugly-heroes-ugly-heroes "Ugly Heroes,"] Hip Hop DX, May 27, 2013.</ref> Their second studio album, ''Everything in Between'', was released on June 24, 2016.<ref>[http://apollobrown360.bandcamp.com/album/everything-in-between Everything in Between | Apollo Brown] bandcamp.com, retrieved on June 30, 2016</ref>

==Knifing incident== In 2003, walking down an empty alley near Clark and Pratt in Chicago with an acquaintance, the acquaintance slashed Kent's throat with a knife, missing his jugular by less than a centimeter. Kent managed to run to his car, and drove himself to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston as blood poured from his neck. He received nearly 100 stitches, and took two months to recuperate. No arrests were made, and the reason for the attack remains unknown.<ref name="adowning"/><ref>Phillip Mlynar, [http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/verbal-kent-attack-interview-save-yourself/Content?oid=3055478 “Low and Slow,”] ''Chicago Reader'', January 13, 2011.</ref>

==Discography==

===Albums=== * ''What Box'' (2004, Gravel Records) * ''Move With the Walls'' (2006, Gravel Records) * ''Fist Shaking'' (2008, Molemen Records) * ''Brave New Rap'' – with Kaz1 (2009, Gravel Records) * ''Save Your Friends'' (2010, Bare vs Deer) * ''Save Yourself'' (2011, Rap Mechanics) * ''Ugly Heroes'' – with Apollo Brown & Red Pill (2013, Mello Music Group) * ''Sound of the Weapon'' (2014, Mello Music Group) * ''Anesthesia'' (2015, Mello Music Group) * ''Everything in Between'' – with Apollo Brown & Red Pill (2016, Mello Music Group) * ''Weight Of Your World'' – with !llMind (2016, Mello Music Group) * ''Dueling Experts'' – with Recognize Ali (2020, Mello Music Group)

===Appears on=== * ''Organic Mind Unit'' – Organic Mind Unit (1999, Eyes Wide Open) * ''Unusual Suspects'' – Organic Mind Unit (2000, Eyes Wide Open) * ''Eat Them'' – Giraffe Nuts (2007, Bare vs Deer / Gravel Records) * ''Supervivencia'' ft Hijo Prodigo - El Cerebro (Brainiac Beats) "Simbiosis" (2007, Gris Materia Records) * ''Waiting 2 Die'' – Lantz (2012, 631 Recordz) <ref>[http://www.lantz.bandcamp.com Lantz on Bandcamp]</ref>

===Singles=== * “Alien Rock” (2003 – from ''What Box'') * “Dead Serious” (2006 – from ''Move With the Walls'') * "September" (2015 - from ''Anesthesia'')

===Mixtapes=== * ''Beat Trotterz Mixtape Volume 1, Starring: Verbal Kent'' (mixed by Lord Faz) (2009, Beat Trotterz)

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== * [http://verbalkent.com/ Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kent, Verbal}}  Category:1978 births Category:Rappers from Chicago Category:20th-century American Jews Category:Jewish American rappers Category:Living people Category:21st-century American rappers Category:21st-century American Jews Category:21st-century American male rappers