, by Michelangelo (The Accademia Gallery, Florence) is an example of high Renaissance art]] The Renaissance (, , from ri- "again" and nascere "be born") was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historic era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not uniform across Europe, this is a general use of the term. As a cultural movement, it encompassed a resurgence of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform. Traditionally, this intellectual transformation has resulted in the Renaissance being viewed as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual pursuits, as well as social and political upheaval, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term "Renaissance man".

There is a general, but not unchallenged, consensus that the Renaissance began in Florence, Tuscany in the 14th century. Various theories have been proposed to account for its origins and characteristics, focusing on a variety of factors including the social and civic peculiarities of Florence at the time; its political structure; the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici; and the migration of Greek scholars and texts to Italy following the Fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.

The Renaissance has a long and complex historiography, and there has been much debate among historians as to the usefulness of Renaissance as a term and as a historical delineation. while others have instead focused on the continuity between the two eras. The word Renaissance has also been used to describe other historical and cultural movements, such as the Carolingian Renaissance and the Renaissance of the 12th century.

Overview

{| style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;" | |'s Vitruvian Man shows clearly the effect writers of Antiquity had on Renaissance thinkers. Based on the specifications in Vitruvius's De architectura around 1500 years before, Da Vinci tried to draw the perfectly proportioned man.]] |} The Renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence affected literature, philosophy, art, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and human emotion in art.

Renaissance thinkers sought out in Europe's monastic libraries and the crumbling Byzantine Empire the literary, historical, and oratorical texts of antiquity, typically written in Latin or ancient Greek, many of which had fallen into obscurity. It is in their new focus on literary and historical texts that Renaissance scholars differed so markedly from the medieval scholars of the Renaissance of the 12th century, who had focused on studying Greek and Arabic works of natural sciences, philosophy and mathematics, rather than on such cultural texts. Renaissance humanists did not reject Christianity; quite the contrary, many of the Renaissance's greatest works were devoted to it, and the Church patronized many works of Renaissance art. However, a subtle shift took place in the way that intellectuals approached religion that was reflected in many other areas of cultural life. In addition, many Greek Christian works, including the Greek New Testament, were brought back from Byzantium to Western Europe and engaged Western scholars for the first time since late antiquity. This new engagement with Greek Christian works, and particularly the return to the original Greek of the New Testament promoted by humanists Lorenzo Valla and Erasmus, would help pave the way for the Protestant Reformation.

Artists such as Masaccio strove to portray the human form realistically, developing techniques to render perspective and light more naturally. Political philosophers, most famously Niccolò Machiavelli, sought to describe political life as it really was, that is to understand it rationally. A critical contribution to Italian Renaissance humanism Pico della Mirandola wrote the famous text "De hominis dignitate" (Oration on the Dignity of Man, 1486), which consists of a series of theses on philosophy, natural thought, faith and magic defended against any opponent on the grounds of reason. In addition to studying classical Latin and Greek, Renaissance authors also began increasingly to use vernacular languages; combined with the introduction of printing, this would allow many more people access to books, especially the Bible.

In all, the Renaissance could be viewed as an attempt by intellectuals to study and improve the secular and worldly, both through the revival of ideas from antiquity, and through novel approaches to thought. Some scholars, such as Rodney Stark, play down the Renaissance in favor of the earlier innovations of the Italian city states in the High Middle Ages, which married responsive government, Christianity and the birth of capitalism. This analysis argues that, whereas the great European states (France and Spain) were absolutist monarchies, and others were under direct Church control, the independent city republics of Italy took over the principles of capitalism invented on monastic estates and set off a vast unprecedented commercial revolution which preceded and financed the Renaissance.

Origins

, the center of Renaissance]]

Most historians agree that the ideas that characterized the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th century Florence, in particular with the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Francesco Petrarca (1304–1374), as well as the painting of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337). Some writers date the Renaissance quite precisely; one proposed starting point is 1401, when the rival geniuses Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi competed for the contract to build the bronze doors for the Baptistery of the Florence Cathedral (Ghiberti won). Others see more general competition between artists and polymaths such as Brunelleschi, Ghiberti, Donatello, and Masaccio for artistic commissions as sparking the creativity of the Renaissance. Yet it remains much debated why the Renaissance began in Italy, and why it began when it did. Accordingly, several theories have been put forward to explain its origins.

During the Renaissance, money and art went hand in hand. Artists depended totally on patrons while the patrons needed money to sustain genuises. Wealth was brought to Italy in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries by expanding trade into Asia and Europe. Silver mining in Tyrol increased the flow of money. Luxuries from the Eastern world, brought home during the Crusades, increased the prosperity of Genoa and Venice.

Latin and Greek Phases of Renaissance humanism

In stark contrast to the High Middle Ages, when Latin scholars focused almost entirely on studying Greek and Arabic works of natural science, philosophy and mathematics, Renaissance scholars were most interested in recovering and studying Latin and Greek literary, historical, and oratorical texts. Broadly speaking, this began in the 14th century with a Latin phase, when Renaissance scholars such as Petrarch, Coluccio Salutati (1331–1406), Niccolò de' Niccoli (1364–1437) and Poggio Bracciolini (1380–1459 AD) scoured the libraries of Europe in search of works by such Latin authors as Cicero, Livy and Seneca. By the early 15th century, the bulk of such Latin literature had been recovered; the Greek phase of Renaissance humanism was now under way, as Western European scholars turned to recovering ancient Greek literary, historical, oratorical and theological texts. (1424 – 1511) was a Renaissance teacher of Greek and of Platonic philosophy who taught in Italy for over forty years; at Padua, Perugia, Milan and Florence.]] Unlike the case of Latin texts, which had been preserved and studied in Western Europe since late antiquity, the study of ancient Greek texts was very limited in medieval Western Europe. Ancient Greek works on science, maths and philosophy had been studied since the High Middle Ages in Western Europe and in the medieval Islamic world, but Greek literary, oratorical and historical works, (such as Homer, the Greek dramatists, Demosthenes and Thucydides and so forth), were not studied in either the Latin or medieval Islamic worlds; in the Middle Ages these sorts of texts were only studied by Byzantine scholars. One of the greatest achievements of Renaissance scholars was to bring this entire class of Greek cultural works back into Western Europe for the first time since late antiquity. This movement to reintegrate the regular study of Greek literary, historical, oratorical and theological texts back into the Western European curriculum is usually dated to Coluccio Salutati's invitation to the Byzantine diplomat and scholar Manuel Chrysoloras (c.1355–1415) to Florence to teach Greek, his knowledge of the Greek language was of significant importance. Another Greek Byzantine scholar of importance was Demetrius Chalcondyles (1424 – 1511) who taught Platonic philosophy and the Greek language in Italy for a period of over forty years; at Padua, Perugia, Milan and Florence. Giglio Gregorio Giraldi, Stefano Negri, and Giovanni Maria Cattaneo.

The fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, accompanied by the closure of its schools of higher learning by the Ottoman Turks, brought many other Greek scholars to Italy and beyond, who brought with them Greek manuscripts, and knowledge of the classical Greek literature, some of which had been lost for centuries in the West.

Social and political structures in Italy

circa 1494]] The unique political structures of late Middle Ages Italy have led some to theorize that its unusual social climate allowed the emergence of a rare cultural efflorescence. Italy did not exist as a political entity in the early modern period. Instead, it was divided into smaller city states and territories: the Kingdom of Naples controlled the south, the Republic of Florence and the Papal States at the center, the Milanese and the Genoese to the north and west respectively, and the Venetians to the east. Fifteenth-century Italy was one of the most urbanised areas in Europe. Many of its cities stood among the ruins of ancient Roman buildings; it seems likely that the classical nature of the Renaissance was linked to its origin in the Roman Empire's heartland.

Historian and political philosopher Quentin Skinner points out that Otto of Freising (c. 1114 - 1158), a German bishop visiting north Italy during the 12th century, noticed a widespread new form of political and social organization, observing that Italy appeared to have exited from Feudalism so that its society was based on merchants and commerce. Linked to this was anti-monarchical thinking, represented in the famous early Renaissance fresco cycle Allegory of Good and Bad Government in Siena by Ambrogio Lorenzetti (painted 1338–1340) whose strong message is about the virtues of fairness, justice, republicanism and good administration. Holding both Church and Empire at bay, these city republics were devoted to notions of liberty. Skinner reports that there were many defences of liberty such as Matteo Palmieri's (1406–1475) celebration of Florentine genius not only in art, sculpture and architecture, but "the remarkable efflorescence of moral, social and political philosophy that occurred in Florence at the same time".

Even cities and states beyond central Italy, such as the Republic of Florence at this time, were also notable for their merchant Republics, especially the Republic of Venice. Although in practice these were oligarchical, and bore little resemblance to a modern democracy, they did have democratic features and were responsive states, with forms of participation in governance and belief in liberty. The relative political freedom they afforded was conducive to academic and artistic advancement. Likewise, the position of Italian cities such as Venice as great trading centres made them intellectual crossroads. Merchants brought with them ideas from far corners of the globe, particularly the Levant. Venice was Europe's gateway to trade with the East, and a producer of fine glass, while Florence was a capital of textiles. The wealth such business brought to Italy meant large public and private artistic projects could be commissioned and individuals had more leisure time for study. It has also been argued that the Black Death prompted a new wave of piety, manifested in the sponsorship of religious works of art. However, this does not fully explain why the Renaissance occurred specifically in Italy in the 14th century. The Black Death was a pandemic that affected all of Europe in the ways described, not only Italy. The Renaissance's emergence in Italy was most likely the result of the complex interaction of the above factors.

Cultural conditions in Florence

, ruler of Florence and patron of arts]] It has long been a matter of debate why the Renaissance began in Florence, and not elsewhere in Italy. Scholars have noted several features unique to Florentine cultural life which may have caused such a cultural movement. Many have emphasized the role played by the Medici, a banking family and later ducal ruling house, in patronizing and stimulating the arts. Lorenzo de' Medici (1449–1492) was the catalyst for an enormous amount of arts patronage, encouraging his countryman to commission works from Florence's leading artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo were all born in Tuscany. Arguing that such chance seems improbable, other historians have contended that these "Great Men" were only able to rise to prominence because of the prevailing cultural conditions at the time.

Characteristics

Humanism

In some ways Humanism was not a philosophy per se, but rather a method of learning. In contrast to the medieval scholastic mode, which focused on resolving contradictions between authors, humanists would study ancient texts in the original, and appraise them through a combination of reasoning and empirical evidence. Humanist education was based on the programme of 'Studia Humanitatis', that being the study of five humanities: poetry, grammar, history, moral philosophy and rhetoric. Although historians have sometimes struggled to define humanism precisely, most have settled on "a middle of the road definition... the movement to recover, interpret, and assimilate the language, literature, learning and values of ancient Greece and Rome". Above all, humanists asserted "the genius of man ... the unique and extraordinary ability of the human mind."

Humanist scholars shaped the intellectual landscape throughout the early modern period. Political philosophers such as Niccolò Machiavelli and Thomas More revived the ideas of Greek and Roman thinkers, and applied them in critiques of contemporary government. Pico della Mirandola wrote what is often considered the manifesto of the Renaissance, a vibrant defence of thinking, the Oration on the Dignity of Man. Matteo Palmieri (1406–1475), another humanist, is most known for his work Della vita civile ("On Civic Life"; printed 1528) which advocated civic humanism, and his influence in refining the Tuscan vernacular to the same level as Latin. Palmieri's written works drawn on Roman philosophers and theorists, especially Cicero, who, like Palmieri, lived an active public life as a citizen and official, as well as a theorist and philosopher and also Quintilian. Perhaps the most succinct expression of his perspective on humanism is in a 1465 poetic work La città di vita, but an earlier work Della vita civile (On Civic Life) is more wide-ranging. Composed as a series of dialogues set in a country house in the Mugello countryside outside Florence during the plague of 1430, Palmieri expounds on the qualities of the ideal citizen. The dialogues include ideas about how children develop mentally and physically, how citizens can conduct themselves morally, how citizens and states can ensure probity in public life, and an important debate on the difference between that which is pragmatically useful and that which is honest.

Art

by Michelangelo]]

One of the distinguishing features of Renaissance art was its development of highly realistic linear perspective. Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337) is credited with first treating a painting as a window into space, but it was not until the demonstrations of architect Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446) and the subsequent writings of Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) that perspective was formalized as an artistic technique. The development of perspective was part of a wider trend towards realism in the arts. To that end, painters also developed other techniques, studying light, shadow, and, famously in the case of Leonardo da Vinci, human anatomy. Underlying these changes in artistic method, was a renewed desire to depict the beauty of nature, and to unravel the axioms of aesthetics, with the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael representing artistic pinnacles that were to be much imitated by other artists. Other notable artists include Sandro Botticelli, working for the Medici in Florence, Donatello another Florentine and Titian in Venice, among others.

Concurrently, in the Netherlands, a particularly vibrant artistic culture developed, the work of Hugo van der Goes and Jan van Eyck having particular influence on the development of painting in Italy, both technically with the introduction of oil paint and canvas, and stylistically in terms of naturalism in representation. (For more, see Renaissance in the Netherlands). Later, the work of Pieter Brueghel the Elder would inspire artists to depict themes of everyday life. |Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and Vitruvian Man are examples of Renaissance art]]

In architecture, Filippo Brunelleschi was foremost in studying the remains of ancient classical buildings, and with rediscovered knowledge from the 1st-century writer Vitruvius and the flourishing discipline of mathematics, formulated the Renaissance style which emulated and improved on classical forms. Brunelleschi's major feat of engineering was the building of the dome of Florence Cathedral. The first building to demonstrate this is claimed to be the church of St. Andrew built by Alberti in Mantua. The outstanding architectural work of the High Renaissance was the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica, combining the skills of Bramante, Michelangelo, Raphael, Sangallo and Maderno. |thumb|140 px|left|Monalisa by Leonardo da Vinci is a master piece of Renaissance and world art]]

The Roman orders types of columns are used: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic, Corinthian and Composite. These can either be structural, supporting an arcade or architrave, or purely decorative, set against a wall in the form of pilasters. During the Renaissance, architects aimed to use columns, pilasters, and entablatures as an integrated system. One of the first buildings to use pilasters as an integrated system was in the Old Sacristy (1421–1440) by Filippo Brunelleschi.

Arches, semi-circular or (in the Mannerist style) segmental, are often used in arcades, supported on piers or columns with capitals. There may be a section of entablature between the capital and the springing of the arch. Alberti was one of the first to use the arch on a monumental. Renaissance vaults do not have ribs. They are semi-circular or segmental and on a square plan, unlike the Gothic vault which is frequently rectangular.

Science

The upheavals occurring in the arts and humanities were mirrored by a dynamic period of change in the sciences. Some have seen this flurry of activity as a "scientific revolution", heralding the beginning of the modern age. Others have seen it merely as an acceleration of a continuous process stretching from the ancient world to the present day. Regardless, there is general agreement that the Renaissance saw significant changes in the way the universe was viewed and the methods with which philosophers sought to explain natural phenomena. . Portrait in crayon by Renaissance sculptor Leone Leoni]] Science and art were very much intermingled in the early Renaissance, with artists such as Leonardo da Vinci making observational drawings of anatomy and nature. An exhaustive 2007 study by Fritjof Capra shows that Leonardo was a much greater scientist than previously thought, and not just an inventor. In science theory and in conducting actual science practice, Leonardo was innovative. He set up controlled experiments in water flow, medical dissection, and systematic study of movement and aerodynamics; he devised principles of research method that for Capra classify him as "father of modern science". In Capra's detailed assessment of many surviving manuscripts Leonardo's science is more in tune with holistic non-mechanistic and non-reductive approaches to science which are becoming popular today. Perhaps the most significant development of the era was not a specific discovery, but rather a process for discovery, the scientific method.

The new scientific method led to great contributions in the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, and anatomy. With the publication of Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica, a new confidence was placed in the role of dissection, observation, and a mechanistic view of anatomy. However, the Renaissance had a profound effect on contemporary theology, particularly in the way people perceived the relationship between man and God. While the schism was resolved by the Council of Constance (1414), the 15th century saw a resulting reform movement know as Conciliarism, which sought to limit the pope's power. Although the papacy eventually emerged supreme in ecclesiastical matters by the Fifth Council of the Lateran (1511), it was dogged by continued accusations of corruption, most famously in the person of Pope Alexander VI, who was accused variously of simony, nepotism and fathering four illegitimate children whilst Pope, whom he married off to gain more power.

Churchmen such as Erasmus and Luther proposed reform to the Church, often based on humanist textual criticism of the New Testament. Vasari divides the age into three phases: the first phase contains Cimabue, Giotto, and Arnolfo di Cambio; the second phase contains Masaccio, Brunelleschi, and Donatello; the third centers on Leonardo da Vinci and culminates with Michelangelo. It was not just the growing awareness of classical antiquity that drove this development, according to Vasari, but also the growing desire to study and imitate nature.

Spread

In the 15th century, the Renaissance spread with great speed from its birthplace in Florence, first to the rest of Italy, and soon to the rest of Europe. The invention of the printing press allowed the rapid transmission of these new ideas. As it spread, its ideas diversified and changed, being adapted to local culture. In the 20th century, scholars began to break the Renaissance into regional and national movements.

Italy

While Renaissance ideas were moving north from Italy, there was a simultaneous southward spread of some areas of innovation, particularly in music. The music of the 15th century Burgundian School defined the beginning of the Renaissance in that art and the polyphony of the Netherlanders, as it moved with the musicians themselves into Italy, formed the core of what was the first true international style in music since the standardization of Gregorian Chant in the 9th century. A feature of the Northern Renaissance was its use of the vernacular in place of Latin or Greek, which allowed greater freedom of expression. This movement had started in Italy with the decisive influence of Dante Alighieri on the development of vernacular languages; in fact the focus on writing in Italian has neglected a major source of Florentine ideas expressed in Latin. The spread of the technology of the German invention of movable type printing boosted the Renaissance, in Northern Europe as elsewhere; with Venice becoming a world center of printing.

Portugal

In Portugal, the Renaissance arrived through the influence of the wealthy Italian merchants that started investing their money in the profitable Indian commerce that Portugal had monopolized during the late 15th century. Lisbon flourished, and writers such as Gil Vicente, Sá de Miranda, Bernardim Ribeiro and Luís de Camões and artists such as Nuno Gonçalves appeared.

Croatia

Spain

The Renaissance arrived in the Iberian peninsula through the Mediterranean possessions of the Aragonese Crown and the city of Valencia. Indeed, many of the early Spanish Renaissance writers come from the Kingdom of Aragon, including Ausiàs March and Joanot Martorell. In the Kingdom of Castile, the early Renaissance was heavily influenced by the Italian humanism, starting with writers and poets starting with the Marquis of Santillana, who introduced the new Italian poetry to Spain in the early 15th century. Other writers, such as Jorge Manrique, Fernando de Rojas, Juan del Encina, Juan Boscán Almogáver and Garcilaso de la Vega, kept a close resemblance to the Italian canon. Miguel de Cervantes's masterpiece Don Quixote is credited as the first Western novel. Renaissance humanism flourished in the early 16th century, with influential writers such as philosopher Juan Luis Vives, grammarian Antonio de Nebrija or natural historian Pedro de Mexía.

Later Spanish Renaissance tended towards religious themes and mysticism, with poets such as fray Luis de León, Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross, and treated issues related to the exploration of the New World, with chroniclers and writers such as Inca Garcilaso de la Vega or Bartolomé de las Casas, giving rise to a body of work, now known as Spanish Renaissance literature. The late Renaissance in Spain also saw the rise of artists such as El Greco, and composers such as Tomás Luis de Victoria and Antonio de Cabezón.

Northern Europe

The Renaissance as it occurred in Northern Europe has been termed the "Northern Renaissance".

England

|"What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving, how express and admirable in action, how like an angel in apprehension, how like a god!" — from William Shakespeare's Hamlet.]] In England, the Elizabethan era marked the beginning of the English Renaissance with the work of writers William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, Sir Thomas More, Francis Bacon, Sir Philip Sidney, John Milton, as well as great artists, architects (such as Inigo Jones who introduced Italianate architecture to England), and composers such as Thomas Tallis, John Taverner, and William Byrd.

France

In 1495 the Italian Renaissance arrived in France, imported by King Charles VIII after his invasion of Italy. A factor that promoted the spread of secularism was the Church's inability to offer assistance against the Black Death. Francis I imported Italian art and artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, and built ornate palaces at great expense. Writers such as François Rabelais, Pierre de Ronsard, Joachim du Bellay and Michel de Montaigne, painters such as Jean Clouet and musicians such as Jean Mouton also borrowed from the spirit of the Italian Renaissance.

In 1533, a fourteen-year old Caterina de' Medici, (1519–1589) born in Florence to Lorenzo II de' Medici and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne married Henry, second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude. Though she became famous and infamous for her role in France's religious wars, she made a direct contribution in bringing arts, sciences and music (including the origins of ballet) to the French court from her native Florence.

Germany

In the second half of the 15th century, the spirit of the age spread to Germany and the Low Countries, where the development of the printing press (ca. 1450) and early Renaissance artists like the painters Jan van Eyck (1395–1441) and Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516) and the composers Johannes Ockeghem (1410–1497), Jacob Obrecht (1457–1505) and Josquin des Prez (1455–1521), predated the influence from Italy. In the early Protestant areas of the country humanism became closely linked to the turmoil of the Protestant Reformation, and the art and writing of the German Renaissance frequently reflected this dispute. However, the gothic style and medieval scholastic philosophy remained exclusively until the turn of the 16th century. Emperor Maximilian I of Habsburg (Ruling:1493-1519) was the first truly Renaissance monarch of the Holy Roman Empire, later known as "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" (Diet of Cologne 1512).

Hungary

The Renaissance style came directly from Italy during the Quattrocento to Hungary first in the Central European region, thanks to the development of early Hungarian-Italian relationships – not only in dynastic connections, but also in cultural, humanistic and commercial relations – growing in strength from the 14th century. Italian architectural influence became stronger in the reign of Zsigmond thanks to the church foundations of the Florentine Scolaries and the castle constructions of Pipo of Ozora. The relationship between Hungarian and Italian Gothic styles was a second reason – exaggerated breakthrough of walls is avoided, preferring clean and light structures. The new Italian trend combined with existing national traditions to create a particular local Renaissance art. Acceptance of Renaissance art was furthered by the continuous arrival of humanist thought in the country. Many young Hungarians studying at Italian universities came closer to the Florentine humanist center, so a direct connection with Florence evolved. The growing number of Italian traders moving to Hungary, specially to Buda, helped this process. New thoughts were carried by the humanist prelates, among them Vitéz János, archbishop of Esztergom, one of the founders of Hungarian humanism. During the long reign of emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg the Royal Castle of Buda became probably the largest Gothic palace of the late Middle Ages. King Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458–1490) rebuilt the palace in early Renaissance style and further explanded it. After the marriage in 1476 of king Matthias to Beatrice of Naples, Buda became one of the most important artistic centres of the Renaissance north of the Alps. The most important humanists living in Matthias' court were Antonio Bonfini and the famous Hungarian poet Janus Pannonius. In 1489, Bartolomeo della Fonte of Florence wrote that Lorenzo de Medici founded his own Greek-Latin library encouraged by the example of the Hungarian king. Corvinus's library is part of UNESCO World Heritage. Other important figures of Hungarian Renaissance: Bálint Balassi (poet), Sebestyén Tinódi Lantos (poet), Bálint Bakfark (composer and lutenist)

Netherlands

Poland

rebuilt from the Gothic style by Giovanni Batista di Quadro (1550–1555)]]

An early Italian humanist who came to Poland in the mid-15th century was Filip Callimachus. Many Italian artists came to Poland with Bona Sforza of Milan, when she married King Zygmunt I of Poland in 1518. This was supported by temporarily strengthened monarchies in both areas, as well as by newly established universities.

Russia

Renaissance trends from Italy and Central Europe influenced Russia in many ways, though this influence was rather limited due to the large distances between Russia and the main European cultural centers, on one hand, and the strong adherence of Russians to their Orthodox traditions and Byzantine legacy, on the other hand.

Prince Ivan III introduced Renaissance architecture to Russia by inviting a number of architects from Italy, who brought new construction techniques and some Renaissance style elements with them, while in general following the traditional designs of the Russian architecture. In 1475 the Bolognese architect Aristotele Fioravanti came to rebuild the Cathedral of the Dormition in the Moscow Kremlin, damaged in an earthquake. Fioravanti was given the 12th-century Vladimir Cathedral as a model, and produced a design combining traditional Russian style with a Renaissance sense of spaciousness, proportion and symmetry.

on the Cathedral Square of the Moscow Kremlin.]] In 1485 Ivan III commissioned the building of a royal Terem Palace within the Kremlin, with Aloisio da Milano being the architect of the first three floors. Aloisio da Milano, as well as the other Italian architects, also greatly contributed to the construction of the Kremlin walls and towers. The small banqueting hall of the Russian Tsars, called the Palace of Facets because of its facetted upper story, is the work of two Italians, Marco Ruffo and Pietro Solario, and shows a more Italian style. In 1505, an Italian known in Russia as Aleviz Novyi or Aleviz Fryazin arrived in Moscow. He may have been the Venetian sculptor, Alevisio Lamberti da Montagne. He built 12 churches for Ivan III, including the Cathedral of the Archangel, a building remarkable for the successful blending of Russian tradition, Orthodox requirements and Renaissance style. It is believed that the Cathedral of the Metropolitan Peter in Vysokopetrovsky Monastery, another work of Aleviz Novyi, later served as an inspiration for the so called octagon-on-tetragon architectural form in the Moscow Baroque of the late 17th century.

and The Child, the late 17th century Russian icon by Karp Zolotaryov, with a notably realistic depiction of faces and clothing.]] Between the early 16th and the late 17th centuries, however, an original tradition of stone tented roof architecture had been developed in Russia. It was quite unique and different from the contemporary Renaissance architecture elsewhere in Europe, though some researches call that style 'Russian Gothic' and compare it with the European Gothic architecture of the earlier period. The Italians, with their advanced technology, may have influenced the invention of the stone tented roof (the wooden tents were known in Russia and Europe long before). According to one hypothesis, an Italian architect called Petrok Maly may have been an author of the Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye, one of the earliest and most prominent tented roof churches.

By the 17th century the influence of Renaissance painting resulted in Russian icons becoming slightly more realistic, while still following most of the old icon painting canons, as seen in the works of Bogdan Saltanov, Simon Ushakov, Gury Nikitin, Karp Zolotaryov and other Russian artists of the era. Gradually the new type of secular portrait painting appeared, called parsúna (from "persona" - person), which was transitional style between abstract iconographics and real paintings.

In the mid 16th century Russians adopted printing from Central Europe, with Ivan Fyodorov being the first known Russian printer. In the 17th century printing became widespread, and woodcuts became especially popular. That led to the development of a special form of folk art known as lubok printing, which persisted in Russia well into the 19th century.

A number of technologies of Renaissance period was adopted by Russians from Europe rather early, and perfected subsequently to became a part of strong domestic tradition. Mostly these were military technologies, such as cannon casting adopted at least in the 15th century. The Tsar Cannon, which is the world's largest bombard by caliber, is the masterpiece of Russian cannon making. It was cast in 1586 by Andrey Chokhov, and is notable also by its rich relief decoration. Another technology, that according to one hypothesis originally was brought from Europe by Italians, resulted in the development of vodka, the national beverage of Russia. As early as 1386 the Genoese ambassadors brought the first aqua vitae ("the living water") to Moscow and presented it to Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. The Genoese likely got this beverage with the help of the alchemists of Provance, who used the Arab-invented distillation apparatus to convert grape must into alcohol. A Moscovite monk called Isidore used this technology to produce the first original Russian vodka c. 1430.

Historiography

Conception

The term was first used retrospectively by the Italian artist and critic Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) in his book The Lives of the Artists (published 1550). In the book Vasari was attempting to define what he described as a break with the barbarities of gothic art: the arts had fallen into decay with the collapse of the Roman Empire and only the Tuscan artists, beginning with Cimabue (1240–1301) and Giotto (1267–1337) began to reverse this decline in the arts. According to Vasari, antique art was central to the rebirth of Italian art.

However, it was not until the 19th century that the French word Renaissance achieved popularity in describing the cultural movement that began in the late-13th century. The Renaissance was first defined by French historian Jules Michelet (1798–1874), in his 1855 work, Histoire de France. For Michelet, the Renaissance was more a development in science than in art and culture. He asserted that it spanned the period from Columbus to Copernicus to Galileo; that is, from the end of the 15th century to the middle of the 17th century. Moreover, Michelet distinguished between what he called, "the bizarre and monstrous" quality of the Middle Ages and the democratic values that he, as a vocal Republican, chose to see in its character. His book was widely read and was influential in the development of the modern interpretation of the Italian Renaissance. However, Buckhardt has been accused of setting forth a linear Whiggish view of history in seeing the Renaissance as the origin of the modern world.

More recently, historians have been much less keen to define the Renaissance as a historical age, or even a coherent cultural movement. Randolph Starn, Historian at the University of California Berkeley, stated:

Debates about progress

, an event in the French Wars of Religion, by François Dubois]]

There is debate about the extent to which the Renaissance improved on the culture of the Middle Ages. Both Michelet and Burckhardt were keen to describe the progress made in the Renaissance towards the modern age. Burckhardt likened the change to a veil being removed from man's eyes, allowing him to see clearly.|Jacob Burckhardt|''The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy}}

On the other hand, many historians now point out that most of the negative social factors popularly associated with the medieval period – poverty, warfare, religious and political persecution, for example – seem to have worsened in this era which saw the rise of Machiavelli, the Wars of Religion, the corrupt Borgia Popes, and the intensified witch-hunts of the 16th century. Many people who lived during the Renaissance did not view it as the "golden age" imagined by certain 19th-century authors, but were concerned by these social maladies. Significantly, though, the artists, writers, and patrons involved in the cultural movements in question believed they were living in a new era that was a clean break from the Middle Ages.

Johan Huizinga (1872–1945) acknowledged the existence of the Renaissance but questioned whether it was a positive change. In his book The Waning of the Middle Ages, he argued that the Renaissance was a period of decline from the High Middle Ages, destroying much that was important. Meanwhile George Sarton and Lynn Thorndike have both argued that scientific progress was perhaps less original than has traditionally been supposed.

Some historians have begun to consider the word Renaissance to be unnecessarily loaded, implying an unambiguously positive rebirth from the supposedly more primitive "Dark Ages" (Middle Ages). Many historians now prefer to use the term "Early Modern" for this period, a more neutral designation that highlights the period as a transitional one between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Others such as Roger Osborne have come to consider the Italian Renaissance as a repository of the myths and ideals of western history in general, and instead of rebirth of ancient ideas as a period of great innovation

Other Renaissances

The term Renaissance has also been used to define periods outside of the 15th and 16th centuries. Charles H. Haskins (1870–1937), for example, made a case for a Renaissance of the 12th century. Other historians have argued for a Carolingian Renaissance in the 8th and 9th centuries, and still later for an Ottonian Renaissance in the 10th century. Other periods of cultural rebirth have also been termed "renaissances", such as the Bengal Renaissance or the Harlem Renaissance.

See also

Weser Renaissance

Gilded woodcarving

List of Renaissance figures

List of Renaissance structures

Medical Renaissance

Scientific Revolution

Notes

References

Brotton, Jerry. The Renaissance: A Very Short Introduction (2006) excerpt and text search

Burckhardt, Jacob The Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy (1860), a famous classic; excerpt and text search 2007 edition; also complete text online

Burke, P, The European Renaissance: Centre and Peripheries ISBN 0-631-19845-8

Cronin, Vincent1969), The Flowering of the Renaissance, ISBN 0712698841

Cronin, Vincent(1992), The Renaissance, ISBN 0002154110

Campbell, Gordon. The Oxford Dictionary of the Renaissance. (2003). 862 pp. online at OUP

Ergang, Robert (1967), The Renaissance, ISBN 0-442-02319-7

Ferguson, Wallace K. (1962), Europe in Transition, 1300–1500, ISBN 0-04-940008-8

Fletcher, Stella. The Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe, 1390-1530. (2000). 347 pp.

Grendler, Paul F., ed. The Renaissance: An Encyclopedia for Students. (2003). 970 pp.

Grendler, Paul F. "The Future of Sixteenth Century Studies: Renaissance and Reformation Scholarship in the Next Forty Years," Sixteenth Century Journal Spring 2009, Vol. 40 Issue 1, pp 182+

Hale, John. The Civilization of Europe in the Renaissance. (1994). 648 pp.; a magistral survey, heavily illustrated excerpt and text search

Hall, Bert S. Weapons and Warfare in Renaissance Europe: Gunpowder, Technology, and Tactics (2001) excerpt and text search

Haskins, Charles Homer (1927), The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century, ISBN 0-674-76075-1

Hattaway, Michael, ed. A Companion to English Renaissance Literature and Culture. (2000). 747 pp.

Jensen, De Lamar (1992), Renaissance Europe, ISBN 0-395-88947-2

Johnson, Paul. The Renaissance: A Short History. (2000). 197 pp. excerpt and text search

King, Margaret L. Women of the Renaissance (1991) excerpt and text search

Kristeller, Paul Oskar, and Michael Mooney. Renaissance Thought and its Sources (1979) excerpt and text search

Nauert, Charles G. Historical Dictionary of the Renaissance. (2004). 541 pp.

Patrick, James A., ed. Renaissance and Reformation (5 vol 2007), 1584 pages; comprehensive encyclopedia

Plumb, J. H. The Italian Renaissance (2001) excerpt and text search

Robin, Diana; Larsen, Anne R.; and Levin, Carole, eds. Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England (2007) 459p.

Rowse, A. L. The Elizabethan Renaissance: The Life of the Society (2000) excerpt and text search

Ruggiero, Guido, ed. A Companion to the Worlds of the Renaissance. (2002). 561 pp.

Rundle, David, ed. The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of the Renaissance. (1999). 434 pp.; numerous brief articles online edition

Speake, Jennifer and Thomas G. Bergin, eds. Encyclopedia of the Renaissance and the Reformation. (2004). 550 pp.

Starn, Randolph. "A Postmodern Renaissance?" Renaissance Quarterly 2007 60(1): 1-24

Trivellato, Francesca. "Renaissance Italy and the Muslim Mediterranean in Recent Historical Work," Journal of Modern History (March 2010), Vol. 82, No. 1: 127-155.

Turner, Richard N. Renaissance Florence (2005) excerpt and text search

Ward, A. ''The Cambridge Modern History. Vol 1: The Renaissance (1902) older essays by scholars; emphasis on politics

Primary sources

Ross, James Bruce, and Mary M. McLaughlin, eds. The Portable Renaissance Reader (1977) excerpt and text search

External links

{| style="float:right; margin:0 0 1em 1em;" | |}

Ancient and Renaissance women by Dr. Deborah Vess

Notable Medieval and Renaissance Women

Renaissance Style Guide

Interactive Resources

* Florence: 3D Panoramas of Florentine Renaissance Sites(English/Italian)

*Interactive Glossary of Terms Relating to the Renaissance

* Multimedia Exploration of the Renaissance

* RSS News Feed: Get an entry from Leonardo's Journal delivered each day

* Virtual Journey to Renaissance Florence

* Exhibits Collection - Renaissance

Lectures and Galleries

* Leonardo da Vinci, Gallery of Paintings and Drawings

* The Bagatti Valsecchi Museum

* Renaissance in the "History of Art"

* The Idea of the Renaissance

* The Islamic Foundation of the Renaissance

* The Society for Renaissance Studies

*Renaissance Category:Historical eras Category:History of Europe Category:History of Italy Category:French loanwords Category:French words and phrases Category:Medieval philosophy

Name	Tragedy Khadafi
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Percy Chapman
Alias	Intelligent HoodlumPercy/TragedyTragedyPercy Chapman
Born	August 13, 1971
Origin	Queensbridge, Queens, New York, USA
Genre	Mafioso Rap
Years active	1988–present
Label	Tuff Break-A&M;/PolyGramGee Street/V2/BMG Records25 To Life EntertainmentDolo Records (distributor, 1997)Solid Records
Associated acts	Juice CrewMarley MarlKilla ShaCapone-N-NoreagaHavocLittlesImam ThugCormegaBlack Market MilitiaMobb Deep

Percy Chapman, (born August 13, 1971, in Queens, New York, USA) known by his stage name Tragedy Khadafi, and formerly known as Intelligent Hoodlum, is an American rapper and producer who hails from the Queensbridge housing projects in Queens, New York, which has spawned other hip hop artists such as Nas, Cormega, Mobb Deep, Capone-N-Noreaga, and many others. His name is a reference to Libyan head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi, also known as Momar Qaddafi. He was one half of the group the 'Iron Sheiks'' along with Imam T.H.U.G. which produced the underground classic "True Confessions".

Biography

He began his career as half of the duo Super Kids, along with Hot Day, releasing the single "Go, Queensbridge" in 1985. It was this output that caught the attention of Marley Marl, who produced the duo's next two singles, and Chapman was also made a junior member of the Juice Crew Immersed in well-suited beats and melodies that accent the tone of the situations described, he was trying to articulate the lesson he learned through experience as a disadvantaged child. Political perceptions are also expressed as he implied that he is a skeptic about 9/11 and the veracity of the federal statements regarding the issue.

Prison sentence

On December 27, 2007, Tragedy was convicted of selling narcotics and sentenced to a maximum of four years in prison. Although originally scheduled to be released on January 21, 2011, Tragedy was granted early parole, and released on June 23, 2010.

Discography

Studio albums

Vocal appearances

1988: "The Rebel" (from the Marley Marl album ''In Control, Volume 1)

1988: "Live Motivator" (from the Marley Marl album ''In Control, Volume 1)

1991: "America Eats The Young" (from the Marley Marl album '')

1991: "Keep Control" (from the Marley Marl album '')

1995: "Juice Crew All-Stars" (from the Juice Crew album ''Cold Chillin's The Juice Crew Story Greatest Hits)

1996: "The Turnaround" (Thug Remix) (from the Real Live single The Turnaround)

1996: "Real" (from the DJ Krush album MiLight)

1997: "Stick You" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Parole Violators" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Neva Die Alone" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "T.O.N.Y. (Top of New York)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Channel 10" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Stay Tuned (Thug Paradise)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "L.A., L.A. (Kuwait Mix)" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Black Gangstas" (from the Capone-N-Noreaga album ''The War Report)

1997: "Usual Suspects" (from the Mic Geronimo album Vendetta)

1998: "Raw Footage" (from the Sporty Thievz album Street Cinema)

1998: "Strange Fruit" (from the Pete Rock album Soul Survivor)

2000: "Gengis 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)

2003: "True Confessions" (from the Imam Thug album Die Hard)

2003: "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)

2005: "Ape Something" (from the Littles mixtape Reloaded)

2006: "Gorilla Rap" (from the compilation album Natural Selection)

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)

2008: "Rebeloution" (from the Almighty mixtape The Original S.I.N.)

2008: "Whale Head" (from the Da Evangillest mixtape ''Quit Ya Day Job)

2008: "The Damage" (from the Ras Ceylon album ''Scientific Non-Fiction)

2009: "Define Yourself" (from the Cormega album ''Born and Raised)

2009: "On The Streets" (from the Betrayl album The Life N Death Of My Hood)

2011: "Camaraderie (Real To Real)" (from the Divine street single "Camaraderie (Real To Real)" to be released early 2011)

References

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from Queens Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:American hip hop record producers Category:A&M; Records artists Category:V2 Records artists

:Rugged Man redirects here. You may be looking for R.A. The Rugged Man.

Name	Ruggedman
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Michael Ugochukwu Stephens
Alias	Mr. Controversial The Diss Master
Born	20 September
Origin	Abia, Nigeria
Instrument	Rapping
Genre	African hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	2004–present
Label	Rugged Records
Url	ruggedmanonline.com

Michael Ugochukwu Stephens, known by his stage name Ruggedman, born on September 20 (year unidentified) in Ehen, Abia State, is a Nigerian rapper.

A graduate of political science from Lagos State University, Ọ̀jọ́, he started loving music in 1989. He had his own songs done in 1991 and released a CD, which had two tracks. The two songs got massive air play, but in 2002, Ruggedman felt Nigerian rappers (such as Rasqie, Eedris Abdulkareem, Maintain and many others) lacked talent and he needed to do something about it. He was the most controversial musician at that time and that won him a lot of awards.

One of his controversial tracks is Big Bros. This was attacking the CEOs of Kennis Music Keke Ogungbe and Dayo "D1" Adeneye. He also hit harder than anyone could have imagined when he said "the fact that you have (got) money doesn't mean you can toy with me" reasons being that he felt that the CEOs were politicizing the industry and barring other acts from proving their skills. He did not attack rappers such as Modenine, 2-Shotz, Freestyle, Six Foot+ possibly because he saw them as rappers who use words, because that was what he advised Edris Abdulkareem - "try use words, and u might sound nice, but not as precise as my guys you see in front of your eyes". He is from the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria.

He has however made up with all the people he has dissed in the past save for Mode Nine.

He released an album entitled Thy Album Come, and also has an album with Afro hip hop artist Faze . He has also been around the world including Dublin and Durban, South Africa where he says he had the time of his life hanging out with his old time friend, Deji of Soundcity at the 2005 KORA Awards.

He is still considered by a larger proportion of Nigerians to be one of the best rappers ever to emerge from West Africa. On March 3, 2007, he released his second album, Ruggedy Baba, which includes the lead single Ruggedy Baba (featuring 9ice) and Club Rugged. It moved over 100,000 units after only three weeks of release.

Discography

Singles

Baraje

Peace or War

Ehen

Big Bros

Ruggedy Baba

Club Rugged

Watch me

Koleyewon {Eedris Abdulkareem ft Rugged Man}

Banging (modenine diss)

Albums

2004: Thy Album Come

2007: Ruggedy Baba

2010: TBA

Just hosted the prestigious NB Plc sponsored Star Quest Reality Tv Talent Show (2009) and anchored for the 2nd year running MTN Project Fame 2009 Official Press Media Launch.

CURRENT PROJECTS He is currently feuding with Modenine. he clames modenine has 4 albums and has nothing to show for it. ruggedy baba was thought as a diss track to the underground rappers. modenine released 'Talking to you' but ruggedman fired back with 'banging' then on his second studio album 'The paradgim shift' modenine replies with deathblow. we are stillwaiting for ruggedman reply

Ruggedman is currently working on his 3rd album A 20 states album tour and his tv show.

Awards

Won Hip Hop Artiste of the year (Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006) Hip Hop World Awards Best rap album (Ruggedy Baba)2008 Nigerian Music Awards Best Rap Artist 2008 Nigerian Music Video Awards Best Indigenous video concept (Ruggedy Baba)2008

2008 KORA Award nomination for Best African Hip Hop

References

kora awards

External links

Official Website

Category:Nigerian rappers Category:Igbo rappers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Name	Hell Razah
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Chron Smith
Alias	Heaven Razah, Razah Rubiez
Born	October 1, 1976
Origin	Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York
Genre	Hip Hop
Years active	1994–present
Label	Babygrande RecordsNature SoundsHell Razah Music Inc.Legion of D.O.O.M.Wu Music Group
Associated acts	Sunz of ManBlack Market MilitiaT.H.U.G. AngelsMaccabeez
Url	http://www.hell-razahonline.com

Hell Razah (born Chron Smith, October 1, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American rapper, best known as a member of Sunz of Man, an early affiliate of the Wu-Tang Clan. Razah is rumored to have suffered a Brain Aneurysm in April 2010.

Recording history

Da Last Future & Sunz of Man

Razah made his rap debut in the early 90s as a member of the group Da Last Future, an early incarnation of the Sunz of Man, which included Killah Priest, Shabazz the Disciple, Prodigal Sunn, Supreme and 7th Ambassador. Razah and 7th Ambassador self-released the single "Livin' in Hell" b/w "Mental Combat" independently before the group adopted the Sunz of Man moniker. Razah recorded a number of tracks with the group before their induction into the Wu-Tang family, including "Deep in the Water", "Writing Rhymes With a Liquid Pen" (aka "Elements"), "Lulla Bye" and "Psychic Hotline".

In 1995, the group adopted the moniker Sunz of Man, and signed a record deal with Wu-Tang/Priority Records. SoM released a number of singles on Wu-Tang Records, including "Soldiers of Darkness", "No Love Without Hate" and "Bloody Choices", in anticipation of their 1996 debut album Nothing New Under the Sun. Due to internal conflicts and label complications, the album was shelved. Sunz of Man later signed a record deal with Red Ant Entertainment for the release of their official 1998 debut The Last Shall Be First, with the group's roster shaved down to just Razah, Killah Priest, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin. The album was one of the most successful Wu-Tang affiliate releases, debuting at #20 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and #7 on the R&B;/Hip-Hop chart.

After the departure of Killah Priest in 1998, the group took a hiatus. 1999 saw the release of The First Testament, which featured previously recorded material from the group, including the early tracks from Da Last Future. Razah, Prodigal Sunn and 60 Second Assassin returned in 2002 with the album Saviorz Day, the second official Sunz of Man studio album. The group has yet to release a third studio album, but it has been reported that the group has reconciled with Shabazz the Disciple, Killah Priest and Supreme. The album spawned the single "Champaigne Room" b/w "Ghetto Love". The tracks "Must B tha Music", "Oh! Now You Bangin'", "Ghetto Government", "Champaigne Room", "Like It or Not", "What We Came to Do", "B.B.P. (Business Before Pleasure)" and "Rowdy, Rowdy" made up roughly half of the 2004 Sunz of Man compilation Elements, with the other half made up of tracks from The First Testament.

Razah's next solo album, Renaissance Child, was released in early 2007 on Nature Sounds Records. The album featured appearances from Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi, R.A. The Rugged Man, Talib Kweli, Viktor Vaughn, Bronze Nazareth, Killah Priest and Ras Kass, and production from Godz Wrath, MF DOOM, Bronze Nazareth and 4th Disciple. The album was a well-received, critical success and featured the singles "The Renaissance" and "Buried Alive" b/w "Project Jazz". In October 2007, Razah released his next album, Razah's Ladder, entirely produced by the production duo Blue Sky Black Death. The album also was acclaimed, due to BSBD's soulful production work, and also to Razah's new spiritual lyrical direction, inspired by the recent death of his father. The album featured guest appearances from Prodigal Sunn, Shabazz the Disciple, Crooked I, Ill Bill and Sabac Red, and featured no singles. Self-funded videos were shot for the tracks "Razah's Ladder" and "Audiobiography", the latter directed by Sunz of Man producer Supreme, and "Razah's Ladder", Directed by Apademik HEAVEN RAZAH IS THE SHIz... cop dat

Collaborations

In 2004, Hell Razah and 4th Disciple released a full-length collaboration album, Freedom of Speech, under the title "Sunz of Man presents". The album featured fifteen newly recorded tracks with 4th Disciple, and five other previously released tracks from When All Hell Breaks Loose. The album featured the single "Article One" b/w "Project Love".

In 2005, Razah, Killah Priest, Royal Fam's Timbo King, Tragedy Khadafi and William Cooper formed the underground supergroup Black Market Militia. The group released their self-titled debut album Black Market Militia that same year, with production from Godz Wrath and Bronze Nazareth, and guest appearances from dead prez and Abiodun Oyewole of The Last Poets. The album spawned the singles "Audobon Ballroom" b/w "Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye" and "Gem Stars" b/w "Mayday!".

Future projects

Razah's next album is a collaboration with Shabazz the Disciple and producer Ayatollah as the group T.H.U.G. Angelz, titled Welcome to Red Hook Houses, to be released on July 8, 2008 on Babygrande Records. Other releases announced for 2008 are Razah's next solo album, titled Heaven Razah, and Article 2: Right to Bare Arms, a second full-length collaboration with 4th Disciple. In an October 2007 interview, Razah also announced plans for numerous other releases for the year. He announced that the Sunz of Man were reunited and planned on releasing an album in 2008. He also stated that The Maccabeez, a group consisting of himself, Killah Priest and Timbo King, were nearly finished recording their debut album, and that it would be released in 2008. Black Market Militia are also planning to release their second album in 2008. Another possible release is a collaboration between Razah, Shabazz and Blue Sky Black Death, and a project from G.G.O. (Ghetto Government Officialz), which consists of Razah, 7th Ambassador, Lazarus, Face God and other Red Hook locals.

However, non of these albums came out yet. Heaven Razah is the only album with a release date and will hit stores September 28, 2010, after many delays caused by the coma of Hell Razah after a Brain Aneurysm. Razah is recovering.

Discography

HELL RAZAH SOLO ALBUMS
Album Title	Album Info
When All Hell Breaks Loose	Released: 2001Label: Echo International [Re-Released on Chamber Music 2008]
Freedom of Speech (with 4th Disciple)	Released: October 26, 2004Label: X-Ray Records
Renaissance Child	Released: February 20, 2007Label: Nature Sounds
''Razah's Ladder (with Blue Sky Black Death)	Released: October 23, 2007Label: Babygrande Records
Heaven Razah	Released: September 28, 2010Label: Nature Sounds

HELL RAZAH GROUP ALBUMS
SUNZ OF MAN (GROUP)
Album Title	Album Info
Nothing New Under the Sun	Released: Unreleased, planned for 1996 Label: Wu-Tang/Priority Records Singles: "Soldiers of Darkness"/"Five Arch Angels", "No Love Without Hate", "Bloody Choices"
The Last Shall Be First	Released: July 21, 1998 Label: Red Ant Entertainment Singles: "Natural High", "Shining Star"/"Cold", "The Plan"/"Collaboration '98"
The First Testament	Released: January 31, 1999 Label: Red Hook Records Singles: "Deep in the Water"/"In the Beginning..."/"The Sins of Man","Who are the Sunz of Man?"/"The Valley of Death"/"Bring Back the Mike"/"Valley of Kings"
Saviorz Day	Released: September 3, 2002 Label: D3 Entertainment Singles: "Savior's Day"
Elements (The First Testament re-release)	Released: July 13, 2004 Label: X-Ray Records Singles: "Deep in the Water"/"In the Beginning..."/"The Sins of Man","Who are the Sunz of Man?"/"Bring Back the Mike"
The Old Testament	Released: April 4, 2006 Label: Green Streets Entertainment Singles:
BLACK MARKET MILITIA (GROUP)
Album Title	Album Info
Black Market Militia	Released: March 22, 2005 Label: Nature Sounds Singles: "Audobon Ballroom"/"Thug Nation"/"Hood Lullabye", "Gem Stars"/"Mayday!"
T.H.U.G. ANGELS (GROUP)
Album Title	Album Info
Welcome to Red Hook Houses	Released: July 8, 2008 Label: Babygrande Records

HELL RAZAH GUEST APPEARANCES
Artists	Track Title(s)	Album	Date/Label
Killarmy	Wake Up	Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars	1998
	Concrete JungleCo-Defendant		1998
Killah Priest	One StepTai ChiScience Project	Heavy Mental	1998
Method Man	Play IV Keeps		1998
GZA	Hip Hop FuryFeel Like an Enemy	Beneath the Surface	1998
U-God	Pleasure or PainShell Shock	Golden Arms Redemption	1999
Royal Fam	Musical Chairs	Yesterday, Today, Iz Tomorrow	2000
Ghostface Killah	We Made It	Supreme Clientele	2000
Killah Priest	Mind as a WeaponStreet Opera	Black August Revisited	2003
Wu-Tang Clan	Masked Avengers	Wu-Tang Unreleased (compilation)	2007
Killah Priest	Melodic Pt. 2The OfferingTill Thee Angels Come (For Us)	The Offering	2007
Blue Sky Black Death	Holy GrailMac RidersUnder the VaticanVerbal Divorce	Dirtnap (mixtape)	2007
Gumz	The Furnace	From Fetus to Genius ...	2007
Nu Messiah	Revolution	Ur Askan (EP)	2009
St. Peter	Gunz Oil & Drugz [in god we trust]	The Epitaph [compilation]	2010

Videography

HELL RAZAH VIDEOGRAPHY
Artist(s)	Album Info	Video Title(s)	Release Date
Sunz of Man	12" Single	Soldiers of Darkenss (featuring Killarmy, various Wu-Tang Clan cameos)	1995 Wu-Tang Records
Killarmy	Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars	Wake Up (featuring Prodigal Sunn and various Wu-Tang Clan cameos)	1997 Loud/Priority/Wu-Tang Records
Sunz of Man	The Last Shall be First	The Plan	1998 Threat/Red Ant/Wu-Tang Records
Hell Razah	The Razah Code: Underground Hip-Hop Vol. 1	Hell Razah DVD	2004 Threat/Red Ant/Wu-Tang Records
Hell Razah	Renaissance Child	Renaissance (featuring Tragedy Khadafi,Timbo King, R.A. the Rugged Man)	2007 Nature Sounds
Hell Razah & Blue Sky Black Death	Razah's Ladder	Razah's Ladder	2007 Babygrande
Hell Razah & 4th Disciple	Freedom of Speech	High Science	2009 X-Ray Records

References

External links

Official website

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Wu-Tang Clan affiliates Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths