Length 58:49 Producer T-Ray | Label Jive (həd)pe
(1997) Broke
(2000) | |
Released August 12, 1997 (1997-08-12) Genre Rap metal, rapcore, hardcore punk, crossover, reggae fusion | ||
Hed PE (stylized as (həd)pe) is the debut album by the American rapcore band Hed PE. It was released on August 12, 1997 by Jive Records, and has sold over 100,000 copies.
Contents
Music
Many of the tracks on this album were re-recorded from the band's debut EP, Church of Realities;The album's musical style is a fusion of punk, hip hop, metal, funk and reggae.
Release
The album sold over 100,000 copies. Due to the label's contractual terms and the disappointing sales of the album, the band found themselves unable to repay the cash advances given to them by Jive. In 1997, Jive/DefJam, who had the rights to Insane Clown Posse's album The Riddle Box, re-released The Riddle Box with snippets of: Serpent Boy, P.O.S., Tired of Sleep, and Circus.
Jared Gomes is quoted as saying "We had these romantic visions of the music industry, and we thought it would be cool to be a punk band on a rap label. So we fulfilled that dream, but it was also probably the worst thing that could have happened. [...] We've had offers from Sony and others that we can't take because we owe Jive so much money."
The album cover is an illustration of the music being played by Hed PE who are seen in the middle playing a concert, while a barrage of music is exploding outwardly.
Reception
In his review of the album, Allmusic's Steve Huey wrote that "There are some slow and/or unfocused moments [...] but overall, its aggression will probably play well with late-'90s metal and punk fans."