Percy Lee Chapman (born August 13, 1971), known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi (formerly Intelligent Hoodlum), is an American rapper and record producer. Hailing from the Queensbridge Housing Projects in Queens, New York City,Brown, Marisa."[ Tragedy Khadafi Biography]", AllMusic, Macrovision Corporation. he is documented with coining the term "illmatic" during his appearance on Marley Marl's album In Control, Volume 1 (1988). The word was the inspiration for fellow New York rapper Nas' debut album of the same name.
Biography Khadafi began his career as one half of the duo Super Kids, along with Queensbridge producer DJ Hot Day. This output caught the attention of Marley Marl, who in 1986 produced the duo's single "The Tragedy (Don't Do It)", and "Stunt of the Block". Chapman was then made a junior member of the Juice CrewShapiro, Peter (2005) The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop, Rough Guides, , p.181 alongside artists such as Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and MC Shan. In 1987, he appeared as MC Percy on the B side of the 12" "Juice Crew All Stars" and on the last Super Kids single, "Hot Day Master Mix" appearing on tracks "Hip Hop Kids Live At U.S.A" and "Go Queensbridge". After a conviction that year (he was only 16 years old) for robbery charges followed by serving time in the Elmira Correctional Facility.Q&A: Tragedy Khadafi On Growing Up In Queensbridge, How Jail Has Changed, And Reaching The Kids In The Projects Village Voice, 7 October 2011 In 1988, he appeared alongside fellow Juice Crew members on the Marley Marl compilation album In Control Vol.1, on the solo tracks "The Rebel" and "Live Motivator". While in prison, Chapman became a Five Percenter and began working under the alias "Intelligent Hoodlum", and released the self-titled album Intelligent Hoodlum on A&M Records. The album was produced by Marley Marl (with co-production by Large Professor) and contained the singles "Back to Reality", "Black and Proud," and "Arrest the President".
Chapman continued to record throughout the remainder of the 1990s releasing a follow-up Intelligent Hoodlum album titled Tragedy – Saga of a Hoodlum for A&M Records in 1993. The album spawned two singles "Street Life/Mad Brothers Know his Name" and "Grand Groove/Get Large". One of his last recordings as Intelligent Hoodlum was the title cut for the motion picture soundtrack of Posse, a Hollywood Western that told the story of an African-American gunslinger posse. This song marked the end of Chapman's overt focus on Conscious hip hop, Black history and political commentary in his verses. Working with Capone, Noreaga and Mobb Deep, recording "L.A L.A" a response to Tha Dogg Pound's "New York, New York", Intelligent Hoodlum then began working under the name Tragedy Khadafi in 1997 and created a group called "CNN" and ended up getting them signed to Penalty Records . He also executive produced the group Capone-N-Noreaga's debut album, The War Report, on which he appeared more on the album than Capone. When the latter returned to prison, Noreaga severed ties with Tragedy. In 1998, Khadafi formed the group Iron Sheiks along with his lifelong friend, Michael Butler a.k.a. Imam T.H.U.G., who was also from Queensbridge, releasing an EP, which contained the underground classic "True Confessions".
Khadafi's third album, Against All Odds, was scheduled for release in 1999, but conflict with his label stalled the release, finally being released in 2001, which was also the first appearance of emcee HeadRush Napoleon, who continued to work with Khadafi on future recordings. On the album, Khadafi dissed Noreaga and accused him of stealing his rhyming style on tracks like "Crime Nationalist" or "Blood Type". Noreaga kept the animosity going with his track "Halfway Thugs Pt. II." This was followed by Still Reportin'... in 2003. In 2005, he released Thug Matrix independently and also released an album as a member of the group Black Market Militia. Khadafi's latest releases, Blood Ballads and Thug Matrix 2, were both released in 2006.
He also starred in a documentary known as Tragedy: The Story of Queensbridge about his life and his struggles, growing up, his being a junior member of the Juice Crew, the numerous times he was incarcerated, and the toll a hard life has on a poor African-American child growing up without a father and with a mother addicted to heroin.Jane, Miranda. "REVIEW-REFLECT: Tragedy: The Story of Queensbridge " Blogcritics Magazine
On December 27, 2007, Khadafi was convicted of selling narcotics and sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison.Miss Info. "Tragedy Khadafi, hold you head", MissInfo.tv BLOG Although originally scheduled to be released on January 21, 2011, Tragedy was granted early parole, and released on June 23, 2010.
In a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" session in 2014, Tragedy Khadafi claimed he was "hurt" by the assassination of Muammar Gaddafi and calling it "an embarrassing blotch on America's history."
In 2021, Tragedy reunited with N.O.R.E on the track "We Still Here" off his Hidden Files album. The project also featured Raekwon and Planet Asia.
Over the years, Khadafi has appeared on songs with Raekwon, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Planet Asia, Ghostface Killah, Styles P, A.G., Cormega, Sticky Fingaz, Pete Rock, KRS-ONE, Cappadonna, R.A. the Rugged Man, Jadakiss, Black Thought, Mic Geronimo, Sheek Louch, Ja Rule, Nature, Ali Vegas, Wise Intelligent, Blaq Poet, Chuck D, Reef the Lost Cauze, Canibus, Vinnie Paz, Apathy, Celph Titled, and the late DMX, among others.
Additionally, Tragedy Khadafi has made a variety of guest appearances on other rap artists’ projects, especially in the 25 years since The War Report. In 2013, Canadian producer Marco Polo, known for his extensive work with Pharoahe Monch and Masta Ace, invited Khadafi to appear on “Astonishing”, a posse cut that also featured Large Professor, O.C., and Inspectah Deck. 2017 saw him appear on “I Cried”, a song by a group of producers known as the Recordkingz. Further, WiseRap, Zicc, DJ Midnite, and E-Ratic Beats, who are all British hip hop artists, featured him on their collaborative song “In Too Deep (London 2 Queens)” in 2021.
In the 2020s, Khadafi made guest appearances on two songs by Canadian hip hop artists. In December 2021, he appeared on “Gates of Abbadon” by the Greek Orthodox Christian artist Nec Nymbl. Then, in July 2022, he appeared with Guilty Simpson, Thirstin Howl III, Bonshah, Fraction, and Ultra Magnus on “We Gon’ Stomp Shit”, a posse cut by a Bahá’í rapper from Toronto named The Mighty Rhino. In addition, he appeared on “Leviathan” and “Casino”, two songs from Billy, the most recent solo album by the Jewish rapper Ill Bill of Non Phixion and La Coka Nostra, who is from Canarsie.
As of June 2023, Khadafi's most recent guest appearance is on rapper Cuban Link's single "Jewelry".
Discography Studio albums Album Information Intelligent Hoodlum (as Intelligent Hoodlum) Released: July 10, 1990 Label: A&M/PolyGram Records Formats: CD, LP, Cassette, digital download Tragedy: Saga of a Hoodlum (as Intelligent Hoodlum) Released: June 22, 1993 Label: Tuff Break/A&M/PolyGram Records Formats: CD, LP, Cassette, digital download Against All Odds Released: June 5, 2001 Label: Gee Street/V2/BMG Records Formats: CD, LP, digital download Still Reportin'... Released: October 21, 2003 Label: Solid Records Formats: CD, LP, digital download Thug Matrix Released: October 4, 2005 Label: FastLife Records Formats: CD, digital download The Death of Tragedy Released: June 19, 2007 Label: Traffic Entertainment/25 To Life Entertainment Formats: CD, digital download Thug Matrix 3 Released: September 20, 2011 Label: 25 To Life Aura/Money Maker Entertainment Format: CD Pre Magnum Opus Released: December 16, 2014 Label: 25 To Life Aura Format: CD The AuraPort Released: November 11, 2016 Label: Not On Label Format: CD The Mahdi Files Released: 2017 Label: Self-Released Format: Digital Download The Builders Released: 2018 Label: Self-Released Format: Digital Download Hidden Files Released: 2021 Label: Rival Format: Digital Download
Compilation albums 2001: Thug Matrix 41-18 2005: Q.U. Soldier April 17, 2006: Blood Ballads May 9, 2006: Thug Matrix 2 2011: Hood Father 2017: The Kuwait Tapes
Collaboration albums 1998: Iron Sheiks EP (with Imam Thug as Iron Sheiks) 2005: Black Market Militia (with Killah Priest, Timbo King, Hell Razah and William Cooper as Black Market Militia) 2009: Lethal Weapon (with Trez) 2012: Militant Minds EP (with Blak Madeen) 2013: Golden Era Music Sciences (with Tragic Allies as 7 G.E.M.S.) 2017: Rare Fabric (with Frost Gamble) 2018: Immortal Titans (with BP) 2019: Full Metal Jacket EP (with Ras Ceylon & Dawit Justice) 2019: Camouflage Regime (with Vinnie Paz) 2021: Truth Hurts EP (with Shawneci Icecold) 2023: Rebel Kings EP (with Endemic Emerald)
Vocal appearances 1986: "The Tragedy (Don't Do It)" (from the Super Kids single The Tragedy (Don't Do It) 1986: "Stunt of the Block" (from the compilation EP "The Juice Crew") 1987: "The Super Kids Live at Hip Hop U.S.A" (from the single Hot Day Mastermix/The Super Kids Live at Hip Hop U.S.A/Go Queensbridge) 1987: "Go Queensbridge" (from the single Hot Day Mastermix/The Super Kids Live at Hip Hop U.S.A/Go Queensbridge) 1987: "Juice Crew All Stars" (from the Juice Crew All Stars single Evolution) 1988: "The Rebel"; "Live Motivator" (from the Marley Marl album In Control, Volume 1) 1991: "America Eats The Young"; "Keep Control" (from the Marley Marl album In Control, Volume 2: For Your Steering Pleasure) 1993: "Six Million Ways to Die" (from the Funkmaster Flex single Sad And Blue / Six Million Ways to Die) 1994: "Drama" (from the Str8-G album Shadow of a G) 1994: "To da Old School" (from the Dred Scott album Breakin' Combs) 1995: "Let's Be Specific" (from the Funkmaster Flex album The Mix Tape Volume 1 – 60 Minutes of Funk) 1996: "The Turnaround" (Thug Remix) (from the Real Live single The Turnaround) 1996: "First Day of Spring" (from the Mobb Deep EP "Pre Hell" – unreleased songs from "Hell on Earth") 1997: "Real" (from the DJ Krush album MiLight) 1997: "Stick You"; "Parole Violators"; "Neva Die Alone"; "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)"; "Channel 10"; "Stay Tuned (Thug Paradise)"; "L.A., L.A. (Kuwait Mix)"; "Black Gangstas" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album The War Report) 1997: "Feelin' Inside (Touch of Thug Remix) [from Bobby Brown single Feelin' Inside) 1997: "Usual Suspects" (from the Mic Geronimo album Vendetta/ How to Be a Player (soundtrack)) 1998: "Raw Footage" (from the Sporty Thievz album Street Cinema) 1998: "Strange Fruit" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor) 1998: "Are You Ready?" (from the Shannel single Are You Ready?) 2000: "Genghis Khan" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Violent By Design) 2000: "Da Bridge 2001" (from the compilation album QB Finest) 2001: "They Forced My Hand" (from the Cormega album The Realness) 2001: "Too High Too Low" (from the Screwball album Loyalty) 2001: "Armageddon (Crime Side of Life)" (from the Self aka Eddie Whispers album What About My Life) 2001: "Get Back" (from the compilation album The 41st Side) 2001: "Pay Back" (from the Prodigy unreleased single Pay Back) 2002: "C'mon" (from the compilation album The Anti-Backpack Movement) 2003: "True Confessions"; "QB2G" (from the Imam Thug album Die Hard) 2003: "Kublai Khan" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Visions of Gandhi) 2003: "Fallen Soldiers" (from the 24k album Quotable) 2004: "Kingz of Queens" (from the V.V.A.A. single Kingz of Queens) 2005: "Think Differently" (from the compilation album Wu-Tang Meets the Indie Culture) 2005: "Ape Something" (from the Littles mixtape Reloaded) 2005: "The Revolution Won't Be Televised" (from the Full One album To the Fullest) 2007: "Renaissance" (from the Hell Razah album Renaissance Child) 2007: "One Hand Wash The Other" (from the Killa Sha album God Walk on Water) 2007: "911" (from the Big Left album World War Three)