Bones (rapper)
Bones | |
|---|---|
 Bones performing in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elmo Kennedy O'Connor |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | January 11, 1994 Muir Beach, California,U.S. |
| Origin | Howell,Michigan,U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | TeamSESH |
| Member of |
|
| Formerly of | Seshollowaterboyz |
| Children | 1 |
| Website | teamsesh |
| Spouse |
Samantha O'Connor
(m.2023) |
Elmo Kennedy O'Connor(born January 11, 1994), known professionally asBones(stylized sometimes asBONES), is an American rapper, singer and songwriter fromHowell, Michigan.He is also the founder of the music collective TeamSESH.
O'Connor is known for his pioneering work in sub-genres of hip-hop referred to asemo rap[3]andtrap metal.[2]Since 2010, O'Connor has released an extensive discography and developed a large fan base. As of 2024, he has released over 100 albums, mixtapes andEPsacross several aliases.
Early life
[edit]Elmo Kennedy O'Connor was born inMuir Beach, Californiato a mother who designed clothing and a father who was a photographer. His maternal grandfather was actorRobert Culp.[4]His family lived in Muir Beach, California, before moving toHowell, Michigan[5]at the age of 7. A few years later, he met fellow artistsXavier Wulf,Chris Travis,andEddy Bakeronline. The four artists would later come together to form the collective Seshollowaterboyz.[6]
When he was 16, he dropped out ofHowell High Schooland moved toLos Angeles,where his brother and current manager, Elliott, had already been living.[7]Despite moving away from his parents at a young age, O'Connor speaks positively of them, stating, "If I tried to write a book about, 'oh, what would be dream parents?', I couldn't even make anything better than them. All they do is shower me in love. Unconditional love, forever."[8]O'Connor describes Howell as a "mundane" place where its residents are "born and they die there",[8][6]also calling it "one of the most racist towns in Michigan".[9]
Musical career
[edit]O'Connor first started making music at the age of nine after his father purchased aniMac G3.He would downloadhip hopinstrumentals fromSoundClickand use the computer's built-in microphone to record himself rapping, though it wasn't until 2010 at the age of 16 that he would start releasing music online under the alias "Th@ Kid", often on MySpace or other early internet blogging services. After moving to Los Angeles, O'Connor connected with other artists he met online includingXavier Wulf,Chris Travis,andEddy Baker,who at the time were members of the now semi-disbandedRaider Klan.[6]He later officially changed his stage name to Bones in 2012, often associated with the release of his debut album named "BONES".
On July 4, 2012, O'Connor released his eponymous debut album under the alias Bones. From 2012 to 2014 he released 12 albums[10]before gaining journalistic attention for his 2014 albumTeenWitch,which gained controversy for its themes based around theColumbine High School Massacre.[11][12][13]The album followingTeenWitch,titledGarbage,was released on June 9, 2014, and was the first of O'Connor's albums to gain the attention of major music publications such asComplex Magazine[14]andThe Fader[15]who labelled the project as "massive" and "boundary-pushing."[16]In April 2014, O'Connor, along with TeamSESH producer Greaf, formed "surrenderdorothy", aside projectthat is notably less focused on rap, with a stronger focus on acoustic guitar and singing, with stylistic similarities toindie rockandemo rap.Although O'Connor does experiment with this style in his solo work, surrenderdorothy features it much more predominantly. Since 2014, the duo have released sixEPsas surrenderdorothy.
O'Connor uploaded several albums in 2015[17][18][19][20]and headlined his first sold-out show atHouse of Blueson March 4, 2015[21][22]before opening for electronic artistShlohmoatThe Fonda Theatre.[23]O'Connor was later featured onASAP Rocky's "Canal St.", which was a remix of O'Connor's song "Dirt". The song later became O'Connor's first feature on theBillboard charts.[24][25]Bones performed "Canal St." with ASAP Rocky on theJimmy Kimmel Live!show, but was cut from the TV broadcast due to his refusal to censor some of the song's lyrics while performing. Videos of the performance were made available online.[26][27]In May 2015, O'Connor and Greaf started releasing songs under a secondside projectcalled Oregontrail. The project is stylistically similar to Surrenderdorothy, but has been noted as having a "darker" and "rougher" tone. It also follows a loose narrative related to thegameof the same name which is also reflected in the artwork of the singles. Since 2015, the duo have released seven singles as Oregontrail.
O'Connor released 10 albums between 2015 and 2017.[10]In 2016, he began releasing music under a new persona called Ricky A Go Go. He uploaded five tracks in total to a SoundCloud account for this persona with the fifth one being uploaded in 2017.
On January 19, 2018, O'Connor performed inKoko,London, thus starting his first ever European tour, called the Deadboy Tour.[28]It took him to countries such as Germany, Ukraine, Russia and Italy.
O'Connor is a founding member of the collective Seshollowaterboyz, along with Xavier Wulf, Chris Travis and Eddy Baker, with whom he often performs and collaborates.[29][30]The name of the collective is a mash-up of their self-releasinglabelsTeamSESH (alongsideDylan Ross), Hollow Squad. Waterboyz and Healthy Boyz. They have performed at notable venues such as The Observatory inSanta Ana, Californiaon November 13, 2015[31]andThe Novo by Microsoftin Los Angeles on January 30, 2016.[32]After Chris Travis left the group in 2019, the remaining members would continue touring under "Bones with Eddy Baker and Xavier Wulf." On March 12, 2024, after Wulf's former girlfriend of 5 years took toRedditto accuse him ofsexual assault,animal abuseanddomestic violence,he was promptly kicked out of the group and off ofLimp Bizkit's Loserville Tour.[33]As of July 5th, 2024, BONES and Xavier Wulf have reunited and have performed together at a Robb Bank$ show in downtown Los Angeles and he has been added back to the Loserville Tour.
Musical style and influences
[edit]Although O'Connor is often considered to be one of the pioneers of theemo rapsub-genre, O'Connor has said that he has no specific genre, though has been characterized as cloud rap, experimental hip-hop and "shadow rap".[34][35][30]O'Connor's singing has been compared togrungeandemo,while his rapping has been compared sub-genres such ashorrorcoreandemo rap.[36]He is also considered an early pioneer oftrap metal.[2]
O'Connor rarely talks about his musical influences, although during interviews he has mentionedMarvin Gaye,Earth Wind and Fire,Bootsy Collins,Stevie NicksandJoni Mitchellas influences.[34]Over the years of his music career, O'Connor helped underground hip hop develop into new styles and has been noted as "one of the most influential underground artists of the internet age".[8]
Discography
[edit]Bones
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]| WhiteRapper (as Th@ Kid) |
|
|---|---|
| TypicalRapShit (as Th@ Kid) |
|
| BLVCKNWHITE (as Th@ Kid, with Grandmilly) |
|
| Bones |
|
| LivingLegend |
|
| Saturn |
|
| Teenager |
|
| ダサい (Lame) (withXavier Wulf) |
|
| Creep |
|
| Scumbag |
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| Cracker |
|
| PaidProgramming |
|
| UndergroundGods (with Na$ty Matt) |
|
| DeadBoy |
|
| TeenWitch |
|
| Garbage |
|
| Skinny |
|
| Rotten |
|
| SongsThatRemindYouOfHome (with Dylan Ross) |
|
| Powder |
|
| Banshee |
|
| HermitOfEastGrandRiver |
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| Useless |
|
| PaidProgramming2 |
|
| GoodForNothing |
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| SoftwareUpdate1.0 |
|
| Disgrace |
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| Unrendered |
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| NoRedeemingQualities |
|
| Failure |
|
| Carcass (СКЕЛЕТ) |
|
| Augmented (with cat soup) |
|
| LivingSucks |
|
| TheManInTheRadiator |
|
| SparrowsCreek (with Eddy Baker) |
|
| UnderTheWillowTree |
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| KickingTheBucket |
|
| IFeelLikeDirt |
|
| OFFLINE |
|
| BRACE (with Xavier Wulf) |
|
| DamagedGoods (with drew the architect) |
|
| REMAINS (with Lyson) |
|
| FromBeyondTheGrave |
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| BURDEN |
|
| PushingUpDaisies (with Deergod) |
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| InLovingMemory |
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| ForbiddenImage (with Cat Soup) |
|
| SCRAPS (with Lyson) |
|
| Withered (with grayera) |
|
| AmericanSweetheart |
|
| DreamCard(with ghost/\/ghoul) |
|
| 2MillionBlunts |
|
| TheWitch&TheWizard(with GREAF) |
|
| JonesPeak(with Eddy Baker) |
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| BasketCase |
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| Champion |
|
| .ZIP |
|
EPs
[edit]| Dreamcatcher (as Th@ Kid) |
|
|---|---|
| Attaboy (as Th@ Kid) |
|
| Midnight:12 AM (as Th@ Kid) |
|
| Caves (with Xavier Wulf) |
|
| SeaBeds (with Chris Travis) |
|
| WeNeverAskedForThis (as Surrenderdorothy) |
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| NobodyWantsMe (as Surrenderdorothy) |
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| ItsTheLeastWeCanDo (as Surrenderdorothy) |
|
| SoThereWeStood |
|
| ItsTheThoughtThatCounts (as Surrenderdorothy) |
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| YouShouldHaveSeenYourFace |
|
| HateToBreakItToYou (with Drip-133) |
|
| Frayed |
|
| ItsDifferentNow (as Surrenderdorothy) |
|
| Slán |
|
| NetworkUnknown |
|
| BreathingExercise (as Surrenderdorothy) |
|
| PermanentFrown (with CurtisHeron) |
|
Ricky A Go Go
[edit]Mixtapes
[edit]- PleasureUltimate(2024)
Singles
[edit]- "The Whisper of Sweet Nothings" (2016)
- "On the Run" (2016)
- "You Are My Everything" (2016)
- "Every Night" (2016)
- "Stranger" (2017)
- "You Know I Want You" (2017)
- "Death Train" (2021)
surrenderdorothy
[edit]Mixtapes
[edit]- NobodyWantsMe(2014)
- breathingexercise(2018)
- ItsDifferentNow(2018)
- ItsTheLeastWeCanDo(2018)
- justwhatthedoctorordered(2019)
- julyrent(2019)
- thishouseisnotahome(2023)
Singles
[edit]- "Human for a Day" (2014)
- "It All Comes Together in the Final Act" (2015)
- "Sitting in the Car" (2016)
- "No Place Like Home" (2016)
- "Sometimes I Don't Understand" (2016)
- "Like the Back of My Hand" (2016)
- "Caught between the Seats" (2016)
- "What Great Eyes You Have" (2017)
- "Drop Everything" (2018)
Oregon Trail
[edit]Singles
[edit]- "Goodbye for Now"
- "If All Else Fails"
- "We Have Been Keeping Quite Busy"
- "I Admit, It Has Not Been Easy"
- "Till the Whites of My Eyes Dry Out"
- "We Fought the Good Fight"
- "Ford the River"
- "Second Hand Pain"
Th@ Kid
[edit]Mixtapes
[edit]- ADayAtTheGetty
- YoungDumbFuck
- [KNUCKLEHEAD]
- TEAM SESH
- Strictly for the RATZ
- AttaBoy
- BoredOfEducation
- Cousin Eddie
- DreamCatcher
- FOOL$GOLD
- TheGoodRatZ
- Holy Smokes
- Howell
- MARBLE
- Midnight:12AM
- RATBOY
- RatLyfe
- Stay Golden
- Stifler
All of these releases are available on the TEAMSESH Discography Archive.
References
[edit]- ^"Delving Past Yung Lean and Deeper Into the World of Sad Rap".Noisey.August 2014.Retrieved2021-07-13.
- ^abcJAMIESON, BRII (23 May 2018). "This is Trap Metal".Kerrang!.
- ^"How Bones Built A Cult Rap Community".The FADER.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^Bell, Max (2014-01-02)."L.A. Rapper Bones Has Some of the Eeriest Videos in the Music Business, and a Sound All His Own".L.A. Weekly.Retrieved2018-01-08.
- ^Dazed (2017-09-07)."BONES on record labels, being beaten up & living meme kids".Dazed.Retrieved2018-01-08.
- ^abcKinda Neat (2017-06-22),KINDA NEAT EPISODE 73: SESHOLLOWATERBOYZ,retrieved2018-06-23
- ^"L.A. Rapper Bones Has Some of the Eeriest Videos in the Music Business, and a Sound All His Own".LA Weekly.January 2014.Retrieved2015-03-12.
- ^abcThomas-Hansard, Artemis (2017-09-07)."Meet BONES, Underground Rap King".Dazed.Archivedfrom the original on 2017-09-07.Retrieved2017-09-09.
- ^"RECRUITED: Bones".Masked Gorilla.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-11-12.Retrieved2019-05-08.
- ^abHans (2014-06-10)."I'm in hell: BONES aka" Th@ Kid "Complete Discography (All Albums, Mixtapes, Etc.) FREE DOWNLOAD".I'm in hell.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"TeenWitch by Bones–Glorifying Suicide or a Work of Art?".English Project.2017-05-26.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^Gamino, Chris,BONES Targets Columbine on Latest Mixtape "TeenWitch",archived fromthe originalon 2018-06-23,retrieved2018-06-23
- ^"NEW MIXTAPE: Bones - TEENWITCH".Masked Gorilla.Archived fromthe originalon 2019-09-13.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Download Los Angeles Rapper Bones'" Garbage "Mixtape".PigeonsandPlanes.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Download LA-via-Michigan Rapper Bones' Massive Garbage Mixtape".The FADER.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"NEW MIXTAPE: Bones - Garbage".Masked Gorilla.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-06-23.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Download Bones' New Mixtape" Skinny "".PigeonsandPlanes.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Listen to Bones' 'Powder' Mixtape".PigeonsandPlanes.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Stream Bones' New EP, 'YouShouldHaveSeenYourFace'".Masked Gorilla.Archived fromthe originalon 2018-06-23.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Bones - YouShouldHaveSeenYourFace (EP)".HYPEBEAST.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Elliott O'Connor - Twitter".Twitter.March 5, 2015.RetrievedMarch 12,2015.
- ^"Elliott O'Connor - Twitter".Twitter.March 5, 2015.RetrievedMarch 12,2015.
- ^"Shlohmo - Twitter".Twitter.March 6, 2015.RetrievedMarch 12,2015.
- ^"Track-by-track Review: A$AP Rocky's At.Long.Last.A$AP | Coog Radio".coogradio.com.26 May 2015.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"A$AP Rocky Canal St. Chart History".Billboard.Archived fromthe originalon June 24, 2018.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^Strauss, Matthew (September 18, 2015)."A$AP Rocky Performs" Electric Body "With Schoolboy Q," Canal St. "With Bones on" Kimmel "".Pitchfork Media.RetrievedJanuary 31,2016.
- ^Montes, Patrick (September 2015)."A$AP Rocky Brings Out Bones for 'Jimmy Kimmel' Performance".Hypetrak.RetrievedJanuary 31,2016.
- ^"Deadboy Tour".Archived fromthe originalon 2022-03-15.Retrieved2018-04-19.
- ^"Inside Game: Bones and the weird world of internet rap".San Antonio Current.June 10, 2014.Retrieved2015-03-12.
- ^ab"Delving Past Yung Lean and Deeper Into The World of Sad Rap".August 1, 2014.Retrieved2015-03-13.
- ^"Seshollowaterboyz (11pm Show!) | Observatory".www.observatoryoc.com.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-08-16.Retrieved2016-06-12.
- ^"Seshollowaterboyz (Bones, Xavier Wulf, Chris Travis, Eddy Baker) Club Nokia Jan 30, 2016 - LA HIP HOP EVENTS".LA HIP HOP EVENTS.2015-12-19.Retrieved2016-06-12.
- ^Fisher, Caroline (March 12, 2024)."Xavier Wulf's Ex Accuses Him of Sexual Assault, Animal Abuse, Domestic Violence, and More".HotNewHipHop.RetrievedMarch 13,2024.
- ^abDazed (2017-09-07)."BONES on record labels, being beaten up & living meme kids".Dazed.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Delving Past Yung Lean and Deeper Into the World of Sad Rap".Noisey.2014-08-01.Retrieved2018-06-23.
- ^"Album Download: Bones - Garbage | RESPECT".respect-mag.com.13 June 2014.Retrieved2018-06-23.
External links
[edit]
- 1994 births
- Living people
- American male rappers
- Emo rap musicians
- Alternative hip hop musicians
- Trap metal musicians
- People from Howell, Michigan
- People from Muir Beach, California
- Rappers from California
- Rappers from Michigan
- West Coast hip hop musicians
- 21st-century American rappers
- 21st-century American male musicians