Paul D. Hudson (born February 11, 1956), known professionally as H.R. (Human Rights), is an American musician who leads the hardcore punk band Bad Brains, and is an instrumental figure in the development of the genre. His vocal delivery has been described as diverse, ranging from a rapid-fire nasal whine, to feral growling and screeches, to smooth near-crooning or staccato reggae rhymes. He has departed the band periodically to pursue solo efforts that are more inspired by reggae than Bad Brains' punk sound. He is the older brother of Earl Hudson, Bad Brains' drummer.
Early life
H.R. was born in Liverpool, England, to a Jamaican mother and American father stationed with the US Air Force in the UK. His family moved to the United States when he was a toddler, and proceeded to move around until finally settling in Washington, D.C. He was a gifted athlete from an early age, competing in swimming and pole-vaulting.[2] He and his younger brother Earl both entered the local D.C. music scene as teenagers with their friends and future bandmates Dr. Know and Darryl Jenifer. H.R. was an early nickname that initially stood for "hunting rod", but which he changed to stand for "human rights".[3]
Musical career
H.R. and his bandmates became Rastafari around 1979 after attending a Bob Marley concert at the Capital Centre. This spiritual direction influenced the music of Bad Brains via his vocals, and inspired the creation of his reggae band, Human Rights (or H.R.).[4]
Although reggae is the main focus of his solo material, he explores rock and other musical genres. He has had numerous albums released on SST Records. A Village Voice review of a Bad Brains concert described H.R.'s presence on stage: "like James Brown gone berserk, with a hyperkinetic repertoire of spins, dives, back-flips, splits, and skanks".[citation needed]
In recent years, H.R.'s Human Rights performances have become markedly more mellow and restrained, focusing primarily on reggae. This is a stark contrast to his wildly animated, aggressive stage performances of the late 1970s and 1980s.[5]
Interviews with H.R. feature prominently in the 2006 documentary American Hardcore, in which he discusses the early days of the hardcore scene in New York City and Washington D.C., and his association with peers like Minor Threat and the Cro-Mags. In particular, he recalls encouraging Ian MacKaye to fully articulate Minor Threat's emerging straight edge philosophy, to give young people a positive direction. As depicted in the 2012 documentaryBad Brains: A Band in D.C., H.R.'s bizarre behavior, such as wearing a motorcycle helmet during a performance and refusing to sing, caused friction with other members of the band.[6]
In late 2016, the film Finding Joseph I: The HR From Bad Brains Documentarypremiered in Europe and the United States. Directed by James Lathos, the documentary features interviews with H.R., as well as other musicians, peers, and family member, while chronicling his life, struggles, and philosophies, particularly "PMA" (positive mental attitude).[7] The film's companion book was published by Lesser Gods in January 2017.[8]
H.R is also credited with coining the term "moshing", in reference to the style of dance which first emerged in hardcore punk venues in Washington D.C. in the early 1980s. Though originally referred to as mashing, such as in the title of Bad Brain contemporary Scream's 1982 song "Total Mash," the dance gradually became known under the moniker of moshing after audience members misunderstood H.R.'s pronunciation of the word due to his quasi-Jamaican accent.
Author
Legendary musician and performer HR of hardcore pioneers Bad Brains released his first children’s book with punk illustrators HECreative. This book is all about positivity and teaching tomorrow’s adults about the message of Positive Mental Attitude that HR has been spreading for over 40 years.[9]
Personal life
H.R. has adult children from previous relationships and has been married to Lori Carnes since 2012.[2]
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