What is MC Ren's Net Worth?
MC Ren is an American rapper who has a net worth of $1 million. MC Ren is best known as a member of the pioneering gangsta rap group N.W.A. After the group disbanded in 1991, he released an EP and three solo albums, including the successful but controversial "Shock of the Hour." Later, in 1999, MC Ren founded the record label Villain Entertainment.
Early Life and Education
MC Ren, whose real name is Lorenzo Patterson, was born on June 16, 1969 in Compton, California. He has two brothers and a sister. Growing up, Patterson got into trouble with crime as part of the Kelly Park Compton Crips gang. After his brief time with the gang, he left to deal drugs. Patterson ultimately quit his life of crime following a raid on his childhood friend's home.
As a teenager, Patterson went to Dominguez High School, where he met his future collaborator DJ Train. During this time, he started writing songs with his friend MC Chip, and the two formed the group Awesome Crew. After graduating from high school in 1987, Patterson planned to join the US Army, but balked after watching Stanley Kubrick's film "Full Metal Jacket" that year.
Career Beginnings
MC Ren began his professional music career as a solo artist signed to Ruthless Records, the label of his childhood friend Eazy-E. For his first major project, he wrote nearly half of Eazy-E's debut studio album, "Eazy-Duz-It," which was released in late 1988.
N.W.A
While still working on Eazy-E's debut album in 1987, MC Ren was asked to join the newly formed hip hop group N.W.A, consisting of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Arabian Prince. The group had immediate success with its debut studio album, "Straight Outta Compton," which came out in 1988 and earned the first Platinum certification of any gangsta rap album. N.W.A went on to release the EP "100 Miles and Runnin'" in the summer of 1990; it went Gold later in the year. The group released one more studio album, 1991's "Niggaz4Life," before disbanding. Another hit, it became the first hardcore rap album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200. Following severe tensions between the members of N.W.A and the 1995 death of Eazy-E, the group made several attempts to reform but was mostly unsuccessful.
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Solo Career
After N.W.A disbanded, MC Ren embarked on a solo recording career with the release of his 1992 debut EP, "Kizz My Black Azz." Without any radio play, the EP went Platinum within two months. MC Ren went on to release his debut solo studio album, "Shock of the Hour," in late 1993. Thematically divided into two sides due to MC Ren's sudden conversion to Islam halfway through recording the album, "Shock of the Hour" deals with various social issues in its first half and with more political and religious concepts in its second half. Although it was a commercial hit, the album drew claims from critics of being misogynistic and antisemitic.
MC Ren released his second solo album, "The Villain in Black," in 1996; it failed to achieve the commercial success of his debut. He had a minor comeback with his third album, 1998's "Ruthless for Life," which featured appearances by such artists as Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, and Tha Chill. After that album, MC Ren left Ruthless Records and founded his own label, Villain Entertainment. Through the label, he released his fourth studio album, "Renincarnated," on Halloween in 2009. Later, in 2014, MC Ren released the singles "Rebel Music" and "Burn Radio Burn," which were to be included on an EP that was ultimately canceled. Instead, his next EP was "Osiris," which was released in 2022.
Other Endeavors
Among his other endeavors, MC Ren wrote, produced, and directed the straight-to-video film "Lost in the Game," which was released by his company Villain Entertainment in 2005. He also starred in the main role. Later, MC Ren appeared in the 2017 HBO documentary series "The Defiant Ones."
Personal Life
In 1993, MC Ren married Yaasamen Alaa, with whom he has five children. His eldest son, Anthony, is a rapper who goes by the name Waxxie. Also in 1993, MC Ren joined the Nation of Islam as Lorenzo X. He left the organization two years later and converted to Sunni Islam.
