Esham

Esham Attica Smith, known mononymously as Esham, is an American rapper from Detroit, Michigan, and one of the first hip hop artists to emerge from that city. He released his debut studio album, Boomin’ Words from Hell, in 1989 at the age of sixteen, and has since gone on to release 21 full-length studio albums. He refers to his style as “acid rap” — rock-inflected beats carrying lyrics that cover death, drug use, evil, paranoia and sex.

He is best known as a representative of horrorcore, and in 1992 he co-founded the horrorcore group Natas. With his brother James Smith he founded and ran the Detroit hip hop label Reel Life Productions, an operation that kept his output self-defined from early on. As one of the first Detroit rappers to receive attention, he is often cited as a major influence on another Detroit horrorcore act, Insane Clown Posse.

Discography

• Repentance (2003)
• A-1 Yola (2008)
• Boomin Words From Hell (2008)
• Tongues (2008)
• Mail Dominance (2008)
• Maggot Brain Theory (2008)
• Suspended Extended: Subatomic Jetpack Edition (2010)
• Suspended Animation (2010)
• Dead of Winter (2018)
• She Loves Me Not (2020)