M.C. Ren (born Lorenzo Patterson) joined the list of NWA members gone solo in 1992 with Kizz My Black Azz. It peaked at number 12 and eventually went platinum despite being thoroughly unplayable on even the most underground radio station. The follow-up Shock of the Hour briefly topped the pop charts, but didn't have lasting power. On both releases, Ren has showed surprising facility and fluidity as a rapper, but the rhymes haven't been anything special though, nor the beats. MC Ren's third solo album, The Villain In Black, appeared in the spring of 1996; it disappeared from the charts shortly after its release. Ruthless for Life followed in 1998.
