Termanology

Massachusetts rapper Termanology emerged from the underground by securing beats from hip-hop's premier producers, beginning when DJ Premier supplied the hosting duties for his 2006 mixtape Hood Politics, Vol. 4: Show & Prove. The Lawrence native subsequently earned recognition for a steady stream of mixtape output, among them the 2008 studio debut Politics as Usual and the gritty, throwback-flavored 2018 release Bad Decisions.

Born Daniel Carrillo in 1982, the half-white, half-Puerto Rican MC drew directly from his upbringing on the streets of the predominantly Latino city of Lawrence, Massachusetts. He progressed from lighthearted freestyles at age nine to complete verses by age 15, repeatedly commuting between Boston and New York to chase opportunities and issuing his earliest vinyl recordings in 2001. Closely aligned with fellow Lawrence native and mixtape DJ Statik Selektah, Carrillo built credibility within Boston's hip-hop community through multiple 12" singles and successive Hood Politics mixtapes that gradually incorporated respected lyricists such as Royce da 5'9" and Guru.

Following the early-2006 collaborative LP Out the Gate with New Hampshire producer DC the Midi Alien, Carrillo received his major opportunity when esteemed producer DJ Premier—who had first crossed paths with him three years prior—finally delivered one of his trademark, scratch-heavy instrumentals. The resulting track "Watch How It Go Down" turned into an underground success. Opening the conscious street anthem by proclaiming himself the return of his foremost influence, Big Pun, the single drew widespread acclaim, securing coverage in prominent hip-hop outlets including The Source's "Unsigned Hype" and XXL's "Show and Prove" columns before appearing on the November 2006 edition of Hood Politics, Vol. 4.

Politics as Usual, his first solo album, arrived in 2008 and included contributions from producers DJ Premier, the Alchemist, and Pete Rock alongside guest verses from Prodigy, Bun B, Freeway, and the LOX's Sheek Louch. Two joint projects with Statik Selektah, 1982 and 2012, surfaced in 2010 and 2012, while Fizzyology also appeared in 2012; that album with M.O.P.'s Lil' Fame featured Busta Rhymes and Styles P on "Play Dirty." The following year brought the full-length G.O.Y.A. (Gunz or Yay Available) and its companion EP, Mas G.O.Y.A. In 2016 the follow-up to his debut, More Politics, arrived with appearances from Sheek Louch, Styles P, Bun B, KXNG Crooked, and Joey Bada$$ plus beats from Statik Selektah, Hi-Tek, Just Blaze, and Q-Tip. Carrillo maintained his high-volume release pace through additional mixtapes and projects such as 2017's Anti-Hero, 2018's Bad Decisions, and the 2019 Dame Grease collaboration Set in Stone.