Hed PE (also known as (hed) Planet Earth and stylized as (həd) p.e. or as (Hed)pe[12] or (Hed)PE[13]) or (həd) Planetary Evolution, is an American rock band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1994, the band is known for its eclectic genre-crossing style, predominately in the fusion of gangsta rap and punk rock it has termed "G-punk", but also for its reggae-fused music.
After releasing three albums on Jive Records, Hed PE left the label to record independently. Hed PE was signed with Suburban Noize Records from 2006 until 2010. Since 2014, the band has been signed with Pavement Music.
Since 2006, the band has become known for its involvement in the 9/11 Truth movement, referencing it in many of their song lyrics and concerts, as well as the concept of the album New World Orphans.
To date, Hed PE has released twelve studio albums, one live album and three compilation albums, and has sold over 700,000 albums worldwide.
The band was formed by vocalist Jared Gomes, also known as "M.C.U.D." (MC Underdog),[15] and guitarist Wes Geer, who became friends amidst the Orange County hardcore punk scene.[16] Gomes and Geer recruited guitarist Chizad, bassist Mawk, drummer B.C. Vaught and DJ Product © 1969. They named the group "Hed", which stands for "higher education".[17] The band built a following with their energetic performances at local venues,[16] and released the self-financed extended play, Church of Realities. Legal issues forced Hed to change their name, adding "PE", which stood for "Planetary Evolution (later changed to planet earth) ".[15][17]
Hed PE signed with Jive Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1997. In his review of the album, AllMusic's Steve Huey wrote "There are some slow and/or unfocused moments [...] but overall, its aggression will probably play well with late-'90s metal and punk fans."[18] Due to the label's contractual terms and the disappointing sales of the album, the band found themselves unable to repay the cash advances given to them by Jive. Gomes is quoted as saying "We had these romantic visions of the music industry, and we thought it would be cool to be a punk band on a rap label. So we fulfilled that dream, but it was also probably the worst thing that could have happened. [...] We've had offers from Sony and others that we can't take because we owe Jive so much money."