Apathy

Rapper Apathy entered the world as Chad Bromley, delivered to teenage parents inside a working-class Connecticut neighborhood. His first encounter with hip-hop arrived at age five when an uncle spun Chaka Khan’s 1984 version of Prince’s “I Feel for You,” a recording that spotlighted Melle Mel on the mic. From that moment the young listener absorbed rap nonstop, internalizing the styles of Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Nas, and Organized Konfusion while composing his own verses. His recorded introduction came via Jedi Mind Tricks’ 1997 debut LP, The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological, and Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness, on which he supplied guest verses to three songs. Not long afterward he began issuing singles through Bronx Science Records, the same imprint that introduced him to Florida-born producer/MC Celph Titled, who had previously handled work for the label’s distributor. The pair launched the Demigodz collective alongside 7L & Esoteric, El Fudge, Louis Logic, Open Mic, and Rise, then dropped the 2002 EP The Godz Must Be Crazy. That project drew interest from major imprints; Interscope pursued the duo of Apathy and Celph while Atlantic focused on Apathy alone. He ultimately accepted Atlantic’s offer and started laying tracks for a solo debut, yet creative clashes over the album’s direction stalled momentum for years. Eventually he secured a distribution arrangement with Babygrande, which issued Eastern Philosophy in 2006—several tracks originally intended for Atlantic later surfaced on the mixtapes It’s the Bootleg, Muthafuckas!, Vol. 1 and Where’s Your Album?!!—while talks for the tentatively titled Bearer of Bad News continued; Apathy finally parted ways with Atlantic in 2009. To keep fans engaged during the impasse he released the Demigodz Records mixtape Baptism by Fire. In 2009 he formed the Get Busy Committee with Styles of Beyond’s Ryu and producer Scoop DeVille, whose credits include Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. The trio released one album, Uzi Does It, before each member returned to solo work in 2013. That same year Apathy delivered his second studio LP, Wanna Snuggle?, which showcased guest spots from Phonte, Cypress Hill’s B-Real, Celph Titled, and Ryu. Honkey Kong followed in 2011, packaged with the Primate Mindstate EP; the set included appearances by Celph Titled, Xzibit, Mad Lion, and Esoteric plus beats from DJ Premier. Ties to the original Demigodz lineup persisted, and a few months after Honkey Kong, Apathy and Celph Titled issued the teaser “Demigodz Is Back.” Momentum built further when It’s the Bootleg, Muthafuckas! Vol. 3: Fire Walk with Me arrived the following year, carrying features from Nas, Xzibit, DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9, and B-Real. Demigodz finally reconvened for 2013’s Killmatic, which drew contributions from all six members. Apathy’s independent output persisted with Connecticut Casual (with Harry Fraud), Weekend at the Cape, and It’s the Bootleg, Muthafuckas! Vol. 4: The Black Lodge, all arriving in summer 2015. His fifth solo album, Handshakes with Snakes, surfaced on Dirty Version Records in June 2016 and reunited him with Celph Titled, Blacastan, and B-Real while adding Twista and Bun B. The next year brought the instrumental Dive Medicine: Chapter One and Perestroika, a joint project with East Coast rapper O.C. that included Slaine, Celph Titled, Jus Cuz, and additional guests. The Widow’s Son landed in 2018; produced in part by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Buckwild, it contained the tracks “I Keep On” with Pharoahe Monch and “Stomp Rappers” with M.O.P. and Celph Titled.