MC Ren

Not to be confused with MC Rene.
MC Ren
MC Ren in 1990
Born
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson

(1969-06-16) June 16, 1969 (age 55)
Compton, California, U.S.
Other names
  • Villain
  • Ruthless Villain
  • The Villain in Black
  • Rebel Villain
  • Nation Villain
EducationDominguez High School
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • record producer
  • songwriter
Years active1987–present
Spouse
Yaasamen Alaa
​
(m. 1993)​
Children5
Musical career
Genres
Instrument
Labels
Formerly ofN.W.A

Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969),[1] known professionally as MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the independent record label Villain Entertainment.

MC Ren began his career as a solo artist signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records in early 1987, while still attending high school. By the end of 1987, after having written nearly half of Eazy-Duz-It, he became a member of N.W.A. After the group disbanded in 1991, he stayed with Ruthless, releasing three solo albums including the controversial Shock of the Hour before leaving the label in 1998.[2][3]

In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of N.W.A.[4][5][6]

In 2024, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of N.W.A. He showed up to the ceremony to accept the award along with Ice Cube, DJ Yella, The D.O.C and Lil Eazy E.[7][8]

  1. ^ "Happy Birthday, MC Ren! - XXL". XXL Magazine. June 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  2. ^ "Here's What MC Ren Has Been Up To Since N.W.A". Bustle. August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. ^ "MC Ren". Villain Nation. Archived from the original on January 7, 2019. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "N.W.A | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". www.rockhall.com. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  5. ^ "NWA inducted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". BBC News. April 10, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  6. ^ Seabrook III, Robby (April 8, 2018). "Today in Hip-Hop: N.W.A Inducted Into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame - XXL". XXL Magazine. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
  7. ^ Aswad, Jem (January 5, 2024). "N.W.A, Laurie Anderson, Gladys Knight, More to Receive 2024 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Ju, Shirley (February 6, 2024). "Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Honors N.W.A with Lifetime Achievement Award At 2024 Grammys". The Source. Retrieved February 7, 2024.