Flatlinerz

Biography

The Flatlinerz are a horrorcore group whose core members are Redrum (Jamel Simmons, son of Danny Simmons and nephew of Russell Simmons and Rev Run), Gravedigger, and Tempest. The group also had an offshoot called Flatline Massive (FLM), which included artists Butter, Mayhem, and OMN999 (Omen). Def Jam Records positioned the Flatlinerz as a counter to the gangsta rap that dominated hip hop at the time. Their music blends hardcore hip hop with horror themes, a style later called horrorcore. The video for their track "Live Evil" shows Redrum rapping while suspended from a noose. Their second and final video, "Satanic Verses," depicts Tempest eating entrails from a corpse, Redrum tied up with rats crawling over him, and Gravedigger rapping on a crucifix. That September, they revealed a 20th-anniversary release of their album U.S.A. titled The Definitive Creepy Collection, which included both new and previously lost tracks.