Beans (rapper)
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Beans performing at Coachella in 2005
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Edward Stewart, II |
| Also known as | Mr. Ballbeam |
| Born | July 3, 1971 |
| Origin | White Plains, New York, United States |
| Genres | Underground hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Moog synthesizer, programmed percussion |
| Years active | 1996-present |
| Labels | Anticon, Warp Records, Thirsty Ear Recordings, Adored And Exploited |
| Associated acts | Antipop Consortium |
| Website | adoredandexploited.com |
Beans (born Robert Edward Stewart, II) is a rapper from White Plains, New York. He was a member of the underground hip hop group Antipop Consortium. He is a founder of the record label Adored And Exploited.
Style
With his distinctive, fast-flowing and poetic style, Beans amalgamates witty, thoughtful lyrics with his own productions of "Chunky psychedelic electro-hop." According to the Pitchfork Media review for the album Thorns, "The MC is simply good at what he's good at, putting together bushy, crooked beats with rhymes that are both confessional and evasive."[1]
History
Beans has released two LPs and one EP on AntiPop Consortium's former label Warp Records since launching his solo career in 2003: Tomorrow Right Now, Now Soon Someday EP and Shock City Maverick. The third solo album Only was released on Thirsty Ear Recordings in 2005, followed by the fourth album Thorns on Adored And Exploited in 2007.
In 2011, Beans released the fifth solo album, End It All. on Anticon. It features productions by Four Tet, Sam Fogarino of Interpol, Clark, Tobacco, Fred Bigot, Nobody, Son Lux, Ade Firth, In Flagranti, and The Bumps.
Beans has collaborated with Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Kool A.D., Ghislain Poirier, Arto Lindsay, Alec Empire, Funkstörung, Holy Fuck, Evil Nine, DJ Shadow among others.
In 2013, Beans collaborated with Ghostly International recording artist, Mux Mool, under the name, Knifefight. The duo recorded a 6 track, cassette only release for Anticon.
Live performance
Beans has been known to perform in a wide variety of venues, from underground clubs in New York's East Village to festivals worldwide. In the past has taken to the stage armed with only a microphone and a portable CD player for his backing track, further reflecting the minimalist nature of his style. he has been recently performing and touring with That Kid Prolific.
Beans has performed on the same stage as acts as diverse as Radiohead, Prefuse 73, Public Enemy, Kool Keith, Edan, The Rapture, Missy Elliott, The Locust, Mike Ladd and Tortoise.
Discography
- Albums
- Tomorrow Right Now (Warp Records, 2003)
- Shock City Maverick (Warp, 2004)
- Only (Thirsty Ear Recordings, 2006) with William Parker and Hamid Drake
- Thorns (Adored and Exploited, 2007)
- End It All (Anticon, 2011)
- EPs
- Now Soon Someday EP (2004)
- Singles
- Nude Paper / Star Killer 12" (2000)
- Mutescreamer 7" (2003)
- Down By Law 12" (2004)
- Antipop Consortium
- Tragic Epilogue (2000)
- Shopping Carts Crashing (2001)
- Arrhythmia (2002)
- Antipop vs. Matthew Shipp (2003) with Matthew Shipp
- Fluorescent Black (2009)
- Remixes
- "Walk The Line" by Dani Siciliano on Walk The Line (2003)
- "Final Day" by Belle & Sebastian on Books (2004)
- Productions
- "Dystopian Disco Force" "Vector" by Antipop Consortium on The Ends Against The Middle (2001)
- "Ghostlawns" by Antipop Consortium on Arrhythmia (2002)
- "Toast" on Juice CD Volume 28 (2003)
- "A Knot In Your Bop" with Antipop Consortium on Juice CD Volume 31 (2003)
- "Shards Of Glass" on Sound Of Hip Hop (2005)
- "Dystopian Disco Force" with Antipop Consortium on Toxic (2005)
- "Cold As Hell" by Ghislain Poirier on Breakupdown (2006)
- "New Jack Exterminator" by Antipop Consortium on Fluorescent Black (2009)
- Knifefight
"Knifefight Ep" Produced by Mux Mule
- Guest appearances
- "CP Time" "Signed Fictitious" by Vernon Reid on Mistaken Identity (1996)
- "The Post Apocalypse Arkestra" by Mike Ladd on Easy Listening 4 Armageddon (1997)
- "3ree (What Boundaries? remix)" by Attica Blues on 3ree (1997)
- "He Be The Poetry" "Microphone Master" by Fini Dolo on Rise (1998)
- "Homeo Stacies" with Antipop Consortium on Chocolate Art (1998)
- "Disorientation" by Terranova on DJ-Kicks: Terranova (1998)
- "Hydrogen Slush" by The Isolationist on Hydrogen Slush (1998)
- "Substance X" by The Curse Of The Golden Vampire on The Curse of the Golden Vampire (1998)
- "Substance X" with The Curse Of The Golden Vampire on You've Got The Fucking Power (1999)
- "Hydrogen Slush" "Mechanic Robotic" "Lazer Tooth" "Insular Outcasts" by The Isolationist on The Isolationist (1999)
- "Nude Paper" with Antipop Consortium on #01 SPEX-CD (2000)
- "St. Catherine St." by Deltron 3030 on Deltron 3030 (2000)
- "Star Killer" on The Art Of War: Who Dares Wins (2000)
- "Quarterback Theme" by The Infesticons on Gun Hill Road (2000)
- "Glass Prism Enclosure" by Techno Animal on The Brotherhood Of The Bomb (2001)
- "Staple Nex" "Broken Toenail Gland" by Bill Laswell on Points Of Order (2001)
- "Salt" by Funkstörung on Vice Versa (2001)
- "Ponderosa" on No Watches. No Maps (2001)
- "Move Slow" by New Flesh on Lie Low (2002)
- "Move Slow" by New Flesh on Understanding (2002)
- "Superglitcher" by Chris De Luca and Peabird on Deadly Wiz Da Disko (2002)
- "Superglitcher" by Orgasmic Le Toxicologue on Orgasmic Le Toxicologue Est Secrètement Amoureux De Vous (2002)
- "Roar" on Warp WIFOF2003 Mix (2003)
- "Phreek The Beet" on Advanced Listening Opportunity (2003)
- "Mutescreamer" on WarpVision: The Videos 1989-2004 (2004)
- "Jaw Modulation" by Headset on Spacesettings (2004)
- "Vice Vanity" by Sly and Robbie on Version Born (2004)
- "Cold As Hell" by Ghislain Poirier on Cold As Hell (2004)
- "Mutescreamer (Prefuse 73 mix)" on Margin (2004)
- "Mutescreamer (Prefuse 73 mix)" on Sónar 2004: Motors Running (2004)
- "Morale Crusher" by Prefuse 73 on Surrounded by Silence (2005)
- "You're Dead, Let's Disco" on The Thrill Of Colette (2005)
- "Salt" by Chocaholics on Top 40 Suicide/Hypodraulics (2005)
- "I Am Metal" by Graphic on I Am Metal (2005)
- "Nite Eats Day (Money mix)" by Dabrye on Additional Productions Vol. 1 (2005)
- "New Thunder" by Muallem on New Thunder/B About It (2005)
- "New Thunder" by Muallem on Frankie Splits (2006)
- "New Thunder (The Emperor Machine vocal mix)" by Muallem on Mutations 1 (2006)
- "New Thunder (&Me mix)" by Muallem on Mutations 2 (2006)
- "Nite Eats Day" by Dabrye on Two/Three (2006)
- "Cold As Hell" by Ghislain Poirier on Breakupdown (2006)
- "Vice Vanity (Noiseshaper remix)" by Noiseshaper on Real To Reel (2006)
- "I Am Metal (Martyn's 3024 robot mix)" by Graphic on I Am Metal/Heroine (2006)
- "Mutescreamer (El-P remix)" by DJ Food Stamp on El-P Essentials (2007)
- "I Am Metal (Starkey remix)" by Graphic/Darkstar on Starkey Remixes (2008)
- "Mutescreamer" by DJ Shadow on Essential Mix (2008)
- "TV All Greasy" by Tobacco on LA UTI (2010)
- "Question Jam Answer" by Kool A.D. on "63" (2013)
