H.R.

Paul "HR" Hudson is the legendary frontman of Bad Brains. Noted as the pioneers of hardcore punk, Bad Brains was formed in Washington DC in 1978. The band quickly developed a very fast and intense punk rock sound, which was both musically complex and developmentally ahead of its time. Since then, HR has become one of the most notorious, iconic, and memorable artists in the history of music. Throughout their career, HR and Bad Brains incorporated sounds of punk, reggae, heavy metal, and funk to the mix, making them known worldwide for not only for their music, but also their exciting and high-energy shows where HR would dominate the crowd. The Village Voice described HR on stage at a Bad Brains show "like James Brown gone berserk, which a hyperkinetic repertoire of spins, dives, back-flips, splits, and skanks."

Bad Brains put out over fifteen albums throughout their career together, landing them as #99 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, and making HR #38 in Swindle Magazine's 100 Most Notable Icon's of our Generation. HR's solo career began in 1983 with the formation of The Human Rights, aka the HR Band, featuring Dave Byers, Kenny Dread, Jose Gonzales, and the Bad Brain's drummer and HR's brother, Earl Hudson. The band released several groundbreaking albums, including their sensational album, "It's About Luv/Keep Out of Reach." Bad Brains and the HR Band, using HR as a vehicle, were able to influence generations of music and people. Many of today's popular artists such as Beastie Boys, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 311, Sublime, Lil' Jon, P.O.D., System of a Down, Def Tones, and many more artists owe their present careers to the style invented by Bad Brains.

Throughout his career, HR and his music has been covered by Revolver Magazine, Mojo, Kerrang, The Fly UK, Alternative Press, Rolling Stone, The Associative Press, The Boston Herald, Spin Magazine, and The Observer UK, to name a few. His peers in the music industry also rave about his bands and his artistry. Billy Joe Armstrong of Green Day said, "The thing about a lot of punk is the feeling that bands have is apathy and hopelessness. Whereas Bad Brains lyrical content had a lot of hope in it." Tony Kanal of No Doubt has called Bad Brains "the greatest hardcore punk band" while Glenn Danzig of The Misfits said, "We didn't know there was another band that played as fast as us, until the Bad Brains came to town." HR and Bad Brains released their last album "Build a Nation," produced by Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, in 2007 to rave reviews.

This fall, HR came back into the spotlight as a solo artist, with his new full length album "Hey Wella," which was released on October 21, 2008. Though reggae is the main focus on HR's solo material, he showcases his musical genius, impressive singing, and dynamic performances by exploring the worlds of hardcore and hip-hop beats as well. The new album is HR's most recent contribution to fans everywhere and many agree is his best work of art to date. Music written by Grant "OG" Garretson (drums and guitar) and produced by a three time Grammy winner, David Darlington, "Hey Wella" is one of the most highly anticipated albums to be released in years. In addition to his solo album, HR is also touring with Bad Brains throughout the U.S.