Livestock (rapper)

Benjamin Reeve, better known by his stage name Livestock, is an underground hip hop artist from Guelph, Ontario.^[1] Livestock was a long-time member of the Plague Language collective founded by Noah23 and Orphan.^[2][3][4]

History

Livestock's first release was as a member of the group The Twin Sisters with Naval Aviator and Treevortex. The group released one EP, entitled Amulet, in 2002. In early 2004, Livestock compiled collaborative material by himself, Noah23 and Homesick under the group name The Train Rawbers. This material was mastered and released in the Fall of 2004.^[5] The album is credited to the three MCs equally, but is primarily "Livestock's brainchild, featuring [Noah23] and Homesick".^[6] Livestock features on eleven of the thirteen tracks (all except "Introduct" and "Indeed"), while Noah23 features on six (3, 4, 6, 8, 9 & 13), and Homesick features on only four (3, 5, 8 & 13). Only three of the tracks feature all three members ("Ninjah Pizza", "Eagle" & "Vacuum Oyster Surprise"). The album was initially released with the subtitle "Volume 1", though no further volumes of material were released. In November 2004, Livestock released his debut solo album, Spiral Like the 9.

Livestock recorded extensively from 2004 to 2007, releasing multiple projects from 2006 to 2008. These projects included his second solo album, Iridium 77, produced entirely by Leon Murphy (then known as Greysol); an EP produced by core Plague Language member Madadam, entitled Walk Down the Street; a collaborative album with MC Hangnail under the name The World Within, entitled Welcome 2 the World Within; his third solo album, The Afterlife of Jazz, with production by Leon Murphy and Madadam; a second project with Leon Murphy, The Rawganic EP; and a collaborative album with Noah23 and Madadam, under the name The Weird Apples, entitled The Big Crunch, released in March 2008.^[7][8]

From 2008 onward, Livestock released little material. With the exception of a small number of guest appearances on releases by Noah23, The Main and Gregory Pepper, the only project Livestock released was the classic rock-themed Plague Language mixtape Instant Classic in August 2009. On this release, Livestock was credited alongside MC Tykus under the group name Karma Kings, though no collaborative project ultimately surfaced. Livestock retired from rapping in 2011. In November of that year he released his entire back catalogue for free via the Plague Language Tumblr page. Uploaded alongside this was a final album, entitled For My Man Sittin' on a Boat, which is compiled from a selection of tracks from unfinished projects along with some other artists' tracks on which he had been featured. Another previously unreleased EP, Shucky Ducky, was also included in the upload.^[9][10][11]

Discography

Livestock

• Spiral Like the 9 (Legendary Entertainment, 2004)
• Iridium 77 (Legendary Entertainment, 2006) (with Leon Murphy)
• The Afterlife of Jazz (Legendary Entertainment, 2007)
• For My Man Sittin' on a Boat (Plague Language, 2011)

Collaboration albums

• The Train Rawbers (Plague Language, 2004) (with Noah23 & Homesick, as The Train Rawbers)
• Welcome 2 the World Within (Legendary Entertainment, 2006) (with Hangnail, as The World Within)
• The Big Crunch (Legendary Entertainment, 2008) (with Noah23 & Madadam, as The Weird Apples)

EPs

• Amulet (Legendary Entertainment, 2002) (with Naval Aviator & Treevortex, as The Twin Sisters)
• Walk Down the Street (Legendary Entertainment, 2006) (with Madadam)
• The Rawganic EP (Legendary Entertainment, 2007) (with Leon Murphy)
• Shucky Ducky (Plague Language, 2011)

Mixtapes

• Instant Classic (Plague Language, 2009) (with Plague Language Fam)

Compilations

• Plague Language Compilation (Plague Language, 2009) (with Baracuda, Lord Kufu, Madadam, The Main & Noah23)

Guest appearances

• Noah23 - "Cellular Automata" from Neophyte Phenotype (2001)
• Baracuda - "Satellites" from Tetragammoth (2002)
• Noah23 - "Discordia" from Tau Ceti (2003)
• Noah23 - "Kinetic Embryo Isotope" & "Coconut Bomb" from Sigma Octantis (2004)
• Noah23 - "Zapata Physicians" from Jupiter Sajitarius (2004)
• Urbonics - "Cease Fire" from 514/519/APE (2004)
• Homesick - "Shell Shock Rock" from Tangent Wars (2005)
• Noah23 - "Nazca Plateau" from Clout (2006)
• CRUNK23 - "Akashic Record Breakers" from Technoshamanism (2006)
• Noah23 - "Weird Science" from Cameo Therapy (2007)
• Baracuda - "Final Splash" from Knucklebone (2008)
• Noah23 - "Raw Nukes" from Rock Paper Scissors (2008)
• Noah23 - "Anarcho-Taoists" from Upside Down Bluejay (2008)
• Anubis5 - "House of Mystery" from Let's Talk Language (2010)
• Noah23 & Playpad Circus - "Radio Plasma" from Noah23 / Playpad Circus (2010)
• Noah23 - "Isis Hathor", "Blueberry Soup", "The Fasting Sun", "Ninja Pizza", "Almond Wine", "Astro Turf", "The News", "Coconut Baum", "Turquoise Soap Bubble", "House of Teeth" & "Axis Dimensions" from Pirate Utopias (77 Lost Scrolls) (2011)
• The Main - "Flowers of Evil" & "Punch Card Blues" from Clamnesia (2011)
• Noah23 - "Axe Murderer" from Noah23 for Dummies (2012)
• Gregory Pepper & Madadam - "Fronting in Your Heartbone" from Big Huge Truck (2013)

See also

• Canadian hip hop
• Plague Language

References

External links

• Livestock on Plague Language
• Livestock discography at Discogs