MC Ren Bio
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), known professionally as MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer from Compton, California. A founding figure in West Coast gangsta rap, he began his career in 1987 on Ruthless Records, contributed heavily to Eazy-Duz-It, and became a member of N.W.A by 1988. He is the founder and owner of the independent record label Villain Entertainment and has continued to record and perform.
As a member of N.W.A, MC Ren was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson was born in Compton, California, on June 16, 1969, and raised on Pannes Avenue around Kelly Park. He grew up with his parents, two brothers, and a sister. His father once worked for the government before opening his own barbershop. Patterson joined the Kelly Park Compton Crips in an attempt to make money but soon departed and turned to drug dealing, which he felt was more lucrative. Following a raid on his childhood friend MC Chip’s house, Patterson quit dealing and turned his focus toward making music.
Patterson attended Dominguez High School, where he met his future collaborator, DJ Train. At this time, he developed an interest in hip hop music and began writing songs with MC Chip, with whom he formed the group Awesome Crew. Together they performed at parties and nightclubs. Patterson began his rap career upon joining forces with another childhood friend, Eric “Eazy-E” Wright, in 1985. He graduated from high school in 1987 and had planned to join the United States Army after graduation, but changed his mind after watching the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket.
Path to Music
In 1987, Patterson was signed as a solo artist to Eazy-E’s Ruthless Records while still attending high school. When Ice Cube left to study for a year, Patterson was asked to write songs for the in-progress album Eazy-Duz-It. After writing and appearing on much of the project, MC Ren officially joined N.W.A by the summer of 1988, when the group began recording their debut album Straight Outta Compton. With a budget of $8,000, the album was finished in four weeks and released in January 1989. Propelled by “Fuck tha Police,” the record became a major success despite an almost complete absence of radio airplay, prompting an FBI warning letter to Ruthless.
Two months before Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-Duz-It was released, with lyrics largely written by Patterson and contributions from Ice Cube and The D.O.C. Following Ice Cube’s 1989 departure, N.W.A quickly released the EP 100 Miles and Runnin’. The group’s second studio album, Niggaz4Life, sold 955,000 copies in its first week and was certified Platinum, becoming the first rap album to reach number one on the Billboard 200. The album was the group’s final release, as Dr. Dre exited over financial disputes with manager Jerry Heller.
MC Ren Career
Early Career (1987-1991)
Outside of N.W.A, Patterson contributed to several albums released on Ruthless Records. In 1988, he contributed to Eazy-Duz-It, the only guest rapper on the album, with raps on almost half of the record. Patterson contributed vocals to projects by J. J. Fad, The D.O.C., and Above the Law during this period. In 1990, he produced the only album for his protégé group CPO, titled To Hell and Black. The group featured CPO Boss Hogg, DJ Train, and Young D, and dissolved after the release.
Breakthrough (1992-1998)
As N.W.A disbanded, Patterson started recording his first solo release, the 6-track EP Kizz My Black Azz, entirely produced by DJ Bobcat except for one song Patterson produced himself. Released in summer 1992, the EP was a hit, commercially and critically, and went Platinum within two months without any radio play. Patterson then recorded his debut album, originally called Life Sentence, before scrapping it after joining the Nation of Islam. Shock of the Hour was released in late 1993, debuting at number one on the R&B charts and selling 321,000 copies in its first month.
After two years of silence, Patterson reunited with Eazy-E in 1994 to produce the duet “Tha Muthpukkin’ Real.” Three months later, on March 26, 1995, Eazy-E died from complications of AIDS. The song was released as a single in 1995. Patterson’s album The Villain in Black, released in early 1996, was his first attempt at imitating Dr. Dre’s G-funk sound, but was not well received. Before leaving Ruthless, he released Ruthless for Life in 1998, a moderate seller that featured Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, RBX, and 8Ball & MJG. By the end of 1998, Patterson had left Ruthless.
Later Career (2000-Present)
In 2000, Patterson appeared on the song “Hello” with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube on Ice Cube’s War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc), joining the Up in Smoke Tour that same year. He also appeared on the posse cut “Some L.A. Niggaz” from Dr. Dre’s 2001 album. On October 31, 2009, Patterson released his fourth studio album, Renincarnated, under his own label Villain. In April 2016, he reunited with the surviving members of N.W.A at Coachella.
Notable Works and Milestones
MC Ren’s signature solo releases include the platinum EP Kizz My Black Azz (1992), the politically charged Shock of the Hour (1993), Renincarnated (2009), and the EP Osiris (2022), which featured production by Tha Chill and guest appearances from Kurupt, Kokane, Cold 187um, and Ras Kass. He also released the straight-to-DVD film Lost in the Game in 2004, which he produced, wrote, and directed. In 2015, Patterson was portrayed by Aldis Hodge in the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.
MC Ren Award Nominations
Verified award nominations for MC Ren as a solo artist are not clearly documented in the available sources. His major recognitions have come as a member of N.W.A, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2016 and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, both of which were accepted alongside surviving N.W.A members Ice Cube, DJ Yella, The D.O.C., and Lil Eazy-E.
MC Ren Awards Won
MC Ren’s verified major awards are tied to his work as a member of N.W.A. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside N.W.A. In 2024, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of N.W.A, attending the ceremony with Ice Cube, DJ Yella, The D.O.C., and Lil Eazy-E.
MC Ren Family
Lorenzo Jerald Patterson was raised by his parents alongside two brothers and a sister in Compton, California. His father worked for the government before opening his own barbershop. Patterson has a brother known as Juvenile, who was part of the group The Whole Click that Patterson introduced in 1993.
Personal Life
In June 1993, MC Ren married Yaasamen Alaa, with whom he has five children. His oldest son, Anthony, is an aspiring rapper performing under the name “Waxxie” and has collaborated with the sons of other N.W.A members. In April 1993, Patterson began attending a mosque, and by July he became a fully registered member of the Nation of Islam under the name Lorenzo X. Two years later, he left the organization and converted to Sunni Islam.