(Hed) P.E.

In Huntington Beach, California, Jahred—also known as M.C.U.D. and Jared Gomes—established (hed) p.e. in 1994, with the letters “pe” standing for Planet Earth. His aim was to merge the area’s entrenched punk rock roots with hip-hop carrying G-funk inflections, a hybrid he called “G-punk.” Early-2000s commercial breakthrough came through the second and third albums, Broke and Blackout, both issued by Jive Records. After moving to Suburban Noize, the band delivered the 9/11 Truth Movement concept album New World Orphans; 2019 then saw the release of their tenth studio album, Stampede.

The lineup also included lead guitarist Wesley “Wesstyle” Geer, rhythm guitarist Chad “Chizad” Benekos, bassist Mark “Mawk” Young, drummer Ben “B.C.” Vaught, and Doug “DJ Product @ 1969” Boyce handling turntables and samples. Their self-titled debut appeared on Jive Records, after which the group joined Ozzfest bills alongside Korn, Static-X, and System of a Down. Broke followed in 2000 and Blackout arrived in 2003. A subsequent shift from Jive to Koch brought personnel changes, with guitarist Jaxon Benge and drummer Mark “Moke” Bistany joining before the 2005 album Only in Amerika.

Back 2 Base X and the Best of (hed) Planet Earth compilation both surfaced in 2006, Flat Bill Hat appeared in summer 2007, and the politically charged concept album New World Orphans arrived in 2009. Another collection, Major Pain 2 Indee Freedom: The Best of Hed P.E., came out in 2010 and featured one new song plus a limited-edition concert film recorded live in Los Angeles. Truth Rising, also released that year, entered the Billboard Top 100. A further compilation emerged in 2013, coinciding with DJ Product’s departure; the next year Benge and Young exited as well, replaced by Greg “Gregzilla” Harrison and Kurt “Kid Bass” Blankenship. Evolution—previously titled Ascension—appeared in summer 2014. Forever!, the ninth album and the first to feature only one original member, arrived in 2016. The band returned in 2019 with their tenth full-length release, the wide-ranging Stampede.