Edan Portnoy (born 1978),[4] better known mononymously as Edan, is an American hip hop artist from Rockville, Maryland.[5]
Edan | |
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Birth name | Edan Portnoy |
Born | 1978 (age 45–46) Washington, D.C., U.S.[1] |
Origin | Rockville, Maryland, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | |
Years active | 1999–present |
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Website | www |
Born to middle-class parents who immigrated from Israel, Portnoy grew up in Rockville, Maryland.[4][5] He is Jewish.[5] In high school, he bought his first turntables and started mixing beats.[4] Inspired by his classmate's rhymes, he started writing his own songs.[4] After graduation, he entered Berklee College of Music, where he spent two and a half years.[4] He dropped out of the college to focus on music full time.[4]
Edan released his first solo studio album, Primitive Plus, on Lewis Recordings in 2002.[6] It was described by The A.V. Club as "one of the year's most promising debuts".[7] In 2005, he released his second solo studio album, Beauty and the Beat.[8] It features guest appearances from Insight, Percee P, Mr. Lif, and Dagha.[9] It peaked at number 40 on the UK Independent Albums Chart,[10] as well as number 37 on the UK R&B Albums Chart.[11] In 2009, he released a mixtape, Echo Party.[12] It peaked at number 98 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[13] In 2018, he released a collaborative studio album with rapper Homeboy Sandman, titled Humble Pi, on Stones Throw Records.[14]