1.
New York City
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The City of New York, often called New York City or simply New York, is the most populous city in the United States. With an estimated 2015 population of 8,550,405 distributed over an area of about 302.6 square miles. Located at the tip of the state of New York. Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has described as the cultural and financial capital of the world. Situated on one of the worlds largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, the five boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, The Bronx, and Staten Island – were consolidated into a single city in 1898. In 2013, the MSA produced a gross metropolitan product of nearly US$1.39 trillion, in 2012, the CSA generated a GMP of over US$1.55 trillion. NYCs MSA and CSA GDP are higher than all but 11 and 12 countries, New York City traces its origin to its 1624 founding in Lower Manhattan as a trading post by colonists of the Dutch Republic and was named New Amsterdam in 1626. The city and its surroundings came under English control in 1664 and were renamed New York after King Charles II of England granted the lands to his brother, New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the countrys largest city since 1790, the Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to the Americas by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and is a symbol of the United States and its democracy. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. Several sources have ranked New York the most photographed city in the world, the names of many of the citys bridges, tapered skyscrapers, and parks are known around the world. Manhattans real estate market is among the most expensive in the world, Manhattans Chinatown incorporates the highest concentration of Chinese people in the Western Hemisphere, with multiple signature Chinatowns developing across the city. Providing continuous 24/7 service, the New York City Subway is one of the most extensive metro systems worldwide, with 472 stations in operation. Over 120 colleges and universities are located in New York City, including Columbia University, New York University, and Rockefeller University, during the Wisconsinan glaciation, the New York City region was situated at the edge of a large ice sheet over 1,000 feet in depth. The ice sheet scraped away large amounts of soil, leaving the bedrock that serves as the foundation for much of New York City today. Later on, movement of the ice sheet would contribute to the separation of what are now Long Island and Staten Island. The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown and he claimed the area for France and named it Nouvelle Angoulême. Heavy ice kept him from further exploration, and he returned to Spain in August and he proceeded to sail up what the Dutch would name the North River, named first by Hudson as the Mauritius after Maurice, Prince of Orange
2.
Hip hop music
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It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements, MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records, while often used to refer solely to rapping, hip hop more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. Hip hops early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks and Jamaican toasting, rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat. The Sugarhill Gangs 1979 song Rappers Delight is widely regarded to be the first hip hop record to gain popularity in the mainstream. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles, prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began to spread to scenes in dozens of countries. New school hip hop was the wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D. M. C. The Golden age hip hop period was a period between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Notable artists from this era include the Juice Crew, Public Enemy, & Rakim, Boogie Down Productions and KRS-One, EPMD, Slick Rick, Beastie Boys, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Ultramagnetic MCs, De La Soul, and A Tribe Called Quest. Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that often focuses on the violent lifestyles, in the West Coast hip hop style, G-funk dominated mainstream hip hop for several years during the 1990s. I. G. In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap, at the same time, hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music, examples being Neo soul and nu metal. Hip hop became a pop music genre in the mid-1990s. The popularity of hip hop music continued through the 2000s, with hip hop influences also increasingly finding their way into mainstream pop, the United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics. Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, during the mid-2000s, alternative hip hop secured a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast and Kanye West. Creation of the hip hop is often credited to Keith Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash. However, Lovebug Starski, Keith Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was known as disco rap. Cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into a part of his stage performance, the first use of the term in print was in The Village Voice, by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop
3.
New school hip hop
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The new school of hip hop was a movement in hip hop music starting 1983–84 with the early records of Run–D. M. C. and LL Cool J. Like the hip hop preceding it, it came predominantly from New York City, the new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock. It was notable for taunts and boasts about rapping, and socio-political commentary, in image as in song its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with the funk and disco influenced outfits, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers and party rhymes of artists prevalent in 1984, New school artists made shorter songs that could more easily gain radio play, and more cohesive LPs than their old school counterparts. By 1986 their releases began to establish the hip hop album as a fixture of the mainstream, hip-hop production became denser, rhymes and beats faster, as the drum machine was augmented with the sampler technology. Rakim took lyrics about the art of rapping to new heights, while KRS-One, native Tongues artists inclusive, sample-crowded music accompanied their positivity, Afrocentricity and playful energy. I. G. Coming to dominate the East Coast scene, the phrase leader of the new school, coined in hip hop by Chuck D in 1988, and presumably given further currency by the group with the exact name Leaders of the New School, remains popular. It has been applied to artists ranging from Jay-Z to Lupe Fiasco, elements of new school had existed in some form in the popular culture since hip-hops birth. This part of the culture was initiated by Kool DJ Herc in 1972 using breaks from James Brown, The Incredible Bongo Band, browns music—extensive vamps in which his voice was a percussive instrument with frequent rhythmic grunts, and with rhythm-section patterns. West African polyrhythms—was a keynote of hip hops early days, by 1975, Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa had taken up Kool Hercs breakbeat style of DJing, each with their own accompanying rappers. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Grand Funk Railroads Inside Looking Out on unsuspecting b-boys, the earliest hip-hop records replaced the DJ with a live band playing funk and disco influenced tunes, or interpolating the tunes themselves, as in Rappers Delight and King Tim III. It was the soft, futuristic funk closely tied to disco that ruled hip hops early days on record, often though the rawer elements present in live shows did not make it past the recording studio. Bambaataas first records, for instance, two versions of Zulu Nation Throwdown, were recorded with just drums and rhymes, when Bambaataa heard the released records, a complete live band had been added. Likewise on the bootleg Live Convention 82, Grand Wizard Theodore cuts the first six bars of Rufus Thomass Do the Funky Penguin together for five and a half minutes while an MC raps over the top. Grandmaster Flashs Superrappin had a pumping syncopated rhythm and The Furious Five emulating his spinbacks and needle drops and chanting that that Flash is on the beatbox going. The beatbox itself however, a machine which Flash had added to his turntable set-up some time earlier, was absent on the record. Kool Moe Dees verbal personal attacks on Busy Bee Starski live at Harlem World in 1982 caused a sensation in hip hop circles. In the same way, groups like the Cold Crush Brothers and The Force MCs were known for their routines, competitive attitude, tapes of battles like these circulated widely, even without them becoming viable recordings
4.
Run-DMC
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Run–D. M. C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York, founded in 1981 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. The group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture. Run-D. M. C. is one of the most famous acts of the 1980s who, along with LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys. They were the first group in the genre to have a gold album, Run-D. M. C. was the only hip hop act to perform at Live Aid in 1985. The group was among the first to highlight the importance of the MC, in 2004, Rolling Stone ranked them number 48 in their list of the greatest musical artists of all time. In 2007, Run-D. M. C. was named The Greatest Hip Hop Group of All Time by MTV. com, on April 4,2009, rapper Eminem inducted them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Became only the second hip hop group in history to be inducted, after Grandmaster Flash, as a teenager, Simmons was recruited into hip-hop by his older brother, Russell, who was then an up-and-coming hip-hop promoter. Simmons appeared onstage as a DJ for rapper Kurtis Blow, who was managed by Russell, known as DJ Run, Son of Kurtis Blow, Simmons soon began performing with Kurtis Blow. Previously, McDaniels had been focused on athletics than music. Simmons convinced McDaniels to start rapping, and though McDaniels would not perform in public, Mizell was known for his flashy wardrobe and b-boy attitude, which led to minor legal troubles as a teen. Thereafter, he decided to pursue music fame and began entertaining in the soon after. Eventually, Simmons and McDaniels rapped in front of Mizell at the park, following Russells success managing Kurtis Blow, he helped Run record his first single, a song called Street Kid. The song went unnoticed, but despite the failure, Runs enthusiasm for hip-hop was growing. Simmons soon wanted to record time with McDaniels, but Russell refused. After they completed school and started college in 1982, Simmons and McDaniels finally convinced Russell to let them record as a duo. A year later, in 1983, Russell agreed to help record a new single and land a record deal. A name which, incidentally, the group hated at first, DMC said later, We wanted to be the Dynamic Two, the Treacherous Two — when we heard that s**t we was like, Were gonna be ruined. After signing with Profile Records, Run-D. M. C, released their first single Its Like That/Sucker MCs, in late 1983
5.
LL Cool J
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James Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J, is an American rapper, actor, author, and entrepreneur from Queens, New York. LL Cool J is also known as one of the forefathers of pop rap and he has released 13 studio albums and two greatest hits compilations. His twelfth album Exit 13, was his last for his deal with Def Jam Recordings. His latest album, Authentic, was released in April 2013, in 2010, VH1 considered him to be in their 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time list. LL Cool J has also appeared in films, including In Too Deep, Any Given Sunday. He currently stars in a role as NCIS Special Agent Sam Hanna, on the CBS crime drama television series NCIS. LL Cool J is also the host of Lip Sync Battle on Spike, LL Cool J was born James Todd Smith on January 14,1968, in Bay Shore, New York, the son of Ondrea Griffeth and James Louis Smith, Jr. In an episode of Finding Your Roots, LL learned his mother was adopted by Eugene Griffith, the series genetic genealogist CeCe Moore identified LLs biological grandparents as Ethel Mae Jolly and Nathaniel Christy Lewis through analysis of his DNA. LLs biological great-uncle was hall of fame boxer, John Henry Lewis and he began rapping at age 9 and was influenced by hip-hop group The Treacherous Three. His grandfather, a jazz saxophonist, bought him $2,000 worth of equipment, Smith later discussed his childhood background and rapping, stating that By the time I got that equipment, I was already a rapper. In this neighborhood, the kids grow up in rap and its like speaking Spanish if you grow up in an all-Spanish house. I got into it when I was about 9, and since then all I wanted was to make a record and hear it on the radio. In a VH1 documentary, LL Cool J, at 14 years of age, revealed that he wanted to call himself J-Ski. Under his new name, LL Cool J, Smith was signed by Def Jam, which led to the release of his first official record. The single was a hard-hitting, streetwise b-boy song with spare beats, Smith later discussed his search for a label, stating I sent my demo to many different companies, but it was Def Jam where I found my home. That same year, Smith made his debut concert performance at Manhattan Center High School. In a later interview, LL Cool J recalled the experience, stating They pushed the lunch room tables together and me and my DJ, Cut Creator, as soon as it was over there were girls screaming and asking for autographs. Right then and there I said This is what I want to do, LLs debut single sold over 100,000 copies and helped establish both Def Jam as a label and Smith as a rapper
6.
The Bronx
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The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, within the U. S. state of New York. Since 1914, the Bronx has had the boundaries as Bronx County, a county of New York. The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a section in the west, closer to Manhattan. East and west street addresses are divided by Jerome Avenue—the continuation of Manhattans Fifth Avenue, the West Bronx was annexed to New York City in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895. Bronx County was separated from New York County in 1914, about a quarter of the Bronxs area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Bronx Zoo in the boroughs north and center. These open spaces are situated primarily on land reserved in the late 19th century as urban development progressed north. The name Bronx originated with Jonas Bronck, who established the first settlement in the area as part of the New Netherland colony in 1639, the native Lenape were displaced after 1643 by settlers. This cultural mix has made the Bronx a wellspring of both Latin music and hip hop. The Bronx, particularly the South Bronx, saw a decline in population, livable housing, and the quality of life in the late 1960s. Since then the communities have shown significant redevelopment starting in the late 1980s before picking up pace from the 1990s until today, the Bronx was called Rananchqua by the native Siwanoy band of Lenape, while other Native Americans knew the Bronx as Keskeskeck. It was divided by the Aquahung River, the origin of Jonas Bronck is contested. Some sources claim he was a Swedish born emigrant from Komstad, Norra Ljunga parish in Småland, Sweden, who arrived in New Netherland during the spring of 1639. Bronck became the first recorded European settler in the now known as the Bronx and built a farm named Emmanus close to what today is the corner of Willis Avenue. He leased land from the Dutch West India Company on the neck of the mainland north of the Dutch settlement in Harlem. He eventually accumulated 500 acres between the Harlem River and the Aquahung, which known as Broncks River or the Bronx. Dutch and English settlers referred to the area as Broncks Land, the American poet William Bronk was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, either Jonas Broncks son or his younger brother. More recent research indicates that Pieter was probably Jonas nephew or cousin, the Bronx is referred to with the definite article as The Bronx, both legally and colloquially. The region was named after the Bronx River and first appeared in the Annexed District of The Bronx created in 1874 out of part of Westchester County
7.
Warner Bros. Records
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Warner Bros. Records was established on March 19,1958, as the recorded-music division of the American film studio Warner Bros. For most of its existence it was one of a group of labels owned and operated by larger parent corporations. The sequence of companies that controlled Warner Bros. and its allied labels evolved through a series of corporate mergers. Over this period, Warner Bros. Records grew from a minor player in the music industry to become one of the top recording labels in the world. In 2003, these assets were divested by their then owner Time Warner. This independent company traded as the Warner Music Group before being bought by Access Industries in 2011, WMG is the smallest of the three major international music conglomerates and the worlds last publicly traded major music company. Cameron Strang serves as CEO of the company, artists currently signed to Warner Bros. At the end of the silent movie period, Warner Bros, pictures decided to expand into publishing and recording so that it could access low-cost music content for its films. This new group controlled valuable copyrights on standards by George and Ira Gershwin and Jerome Kern, the label signed rising radio and recording stars Bing Crosby, Mills Brothers, and Boswell Sisters. In December 1931, Warner Bros. offloaded Brunswick to the American Record Corporation for a fraction of its former value, in a lease arrangement which did not include Brunswicks pressing plants. Warner Bros. sold Brunswick a second time, this time along with the old Brunswick pressing plants Warner owned, to Decca Records in exchange for a financial interest in Decca. The studio stayed out of the business for more than 25 years. Warner Bros. reëntered the record business in 1958 with the establishment of its own recording division, by this time, the established Hollywood studios were reeling from multiple challenges to their former dominance - the most notable being the introduction of television in the late 1940s. Legal changes also had a impact on their business—lawsuits brought by major stars had effectively overthrown the old studio contract system by the late 1940s. Pictures sold off much of its library in 1948 and, beginning in 1949. Semenenko in particular had a professional interest in the entertainment business. With the record business booming - sales had topped US$500 million by 1958 - Semnenko argued that it was foolish for Warner Bros, another impetus for the labels creation was the brief music career of Warner Bros. actor Tab Hunter. In 1958, the studio signed Hunter as its first artist to its newly formed record division, to establish the label, the company hired former Columbia Records president James B
8.
South Bronx
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The South Bronx is an area of the New York City borough of the Bronx. As the name implies, the area comprises neighborhoods in the part of the Bronx, such as Concourse, Mott Haven, Melrose. Formerly a deteriorating, poverty-stricken area, the South Bronx is now known for its hip hop culture, the geographic definitions of the South Bronx have evolved and are disputed but certainly include the neighborhoods of Mott Haven, Melrose and Port Morris. The neighborhoods of Belmont, Castle Hill, Crotona Park East, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Longwood, Morrisania, the South Bronx is part of New Yorks 15th Congressional District. The South Bronx is served by the NYPDs 40th, 41st, 42nd, 44th, the South Bronx was originally called the Manor of Morrisania, and later Morrisania. The Morris memorial is at St. Anns Church of Morrisania, Morris descendants own land in the South Bronx to this day. As the Morrises developed their landholdings, an influx of German, later, the Bronx was considered the Jewish Borough, and at its peak in 1930 was 49% Jewish. Jews in the South Bronx numbered 364,000 or 57. 1% of the population in the area. The term was first coined in the 1940s by a group of workers who identified the Bronxs first pocket of poverty, in the Port Morris section. Originally denoting only Mott Haven and Melrose, the South Bronx extended up to the Cross Bronx Expressway by the 1960s, encompassing Hunts Point, Morrisania, the South Bronx is a place for working-class families. Its image as an area developed in the latter part of the 20th century. There were several factors contributing to the decay of the South Bronx, white flight, landlord abandonment, economic changes, demographics, the Cross Bronx Expressway, completed in 1963, was a part of Robert Moses’ urban renewal project for New York City. The expressway is now known to have been a factor in the urban decay seen by the borough in the 1970s and 1980s. Cutting through the heart of the South Bronx, the highway displaced thousands of residents from their homes, the neighborhood of East Tremont, in particular, was completely destroyed by the Expressway. Others have argued that the construction of highways has not harmed communities. The already poor and working-class neighborhoods were further disadvantaged by the property value. Racially charged tension, during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, further contributed to middle-class flight, some neighborhoods were considered undesirable by homeowners in the late 1960s and the areas population began decreasing. In addition, post World War II, rent control policies have been proposed by one author as contributing to the decline, in either case, while desirable housing options were scarce, vacancies further increased
9.
Queensbridge Houses
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Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens and opened in 1939, the Queensbridge Housing Projects, the largest of Queenss twenty-six developments, is located between Vernon Boulevard, which runs along the East River, and 21st Street. It is immediately south of the Ravenswood power plant, and just north of the Queensboro Bridge, the complex is the largest housing project in North America. The development is separated into two complexes, the North Houses on 40th Avenue and the South Houses on 41st Avenue, the namesake station of the New York City Subways IND 63rd Street Line is on the eastern side of the complex on 21st Street. The 96-unit six-story buildings are due to their shape of two Ys connecting at the base. This shape was used as the architects hoped it would give more access to sunlight than the traditional cross-shape. The design was said to be cost-efficient, and they reduced the cost even further by using elevators that stopped at the 1st, 3rd. Political pressure to keep costs down was a key reason for the use of cheap designs, ballard, Henry S. Churchill, Frederick G. Frost, and Burnett Turner designed Queensbridge Houses. In many aspects the buildings of Queensbridge are very similar to most government-built housing projects of the era and they are a worn grayish brown which now suffers noticeable deterioration and weathering. Each building is painted red to about four feet up from the ground, giving a feel to the entire complex because a uniform red layer is always close. On each of the corners in Queensbridge, the New York City Housing Authority has posted signs indicating the name and management. These signs come in several varieties depending on their age, the oldest signs, erected in the early nineties, are simply orange and blue, with the newer signs featuring graphics, like those of many other projects. Access to buildings in the complex is by key or via a new intercom system, the halls of Queensbridge’s buildings are comparable to most municipal buildings, and are dilapidated and lined with worn light blue tiles. Apartments are painted white and are small, even by New York City standards. Within the last few years, the elevators have been rebuilt and now stop at floors 1,2,3,4, three thousand bathrooms were renovated with new tubs, toilets, vanities, floor tile and lighting in 2000. This followed a renovation in 1986 when 1000 of the bathrooms were renovated by Arc Plumbing, the original plans nonetheless included some basic amenities, like a central shopping center, a nursery and six inner courtyards for play. Some of the activities included tap dancing, ballet, art, playing the recorder and singing, pool, knock hockey and table tennis, as well as Girl Scout. The buildings in the complex are divided by a series of paths, also in the complex are several basketball courts and play areas lined with benches
10.
Hip hop
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Hip hop is a subculture and art movement developed by African-Americans and Latinos from the inner-city South Bronx neighbourhood in New York City in the late 1970s. Jamaican immigrant DJ Kool Herc also played a key role in developing hip hop music, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Herc mixed samples of existing records and DJed percussion breaks, mixing this music with his own Jamaican-style toasting to rev up the crowd and dancers. These youths mixed these influences with existing musical styles associated with African Americans prior to the 1970s, Hip hop music became popular outside of the African-American community in the late 1980s, with the mainstream commercial success of gangsta rap. Critic Greg Tate described the hip hop movement as the only avant-garde still around, Hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the United States and subsequently the world. These elements were adapted and developed considerably, particularly as the art spread to new continents and merged with local styles in the 1990s. Sampling older culture and re-using it in a new context or a new format is called flipping in hip hop culture. Hip hop music follows in the footsteps of earlier African-American-rooted musical genres such as blues, jazz, rag-time, funk, cowboy later worked the hip hop cadence into his stage performance. The group frequently performed with artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them hip hoppers. The name was meant as a sign of disrespect, but soon came to identify this new music. The song Rappers Delight, by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979, begins with the phrase I said a hip, hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, and you dont stop. Lovebug Starski, a Bronx DJ who put out a single called The Positive Life in 1981, and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Bill Alder, an independent consultant, once said, There was hardly ever a moment when rap music was underground, one of the very first so-called rap records, was a monster hit. Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the hip hop. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades gang, also did much to popularize the term. In the 1970s, an urban movement known as Hip Hop began to develop in the South Bronx in New York City. It focused on emceeing over breakbeats, house parties and neighbourhood block party events, Hip hop music has been a powerful medium for protesting the impact of legal institutions on minorities, particularly police and prisons. Jamaican-born DJ Clive Kool Herc Cindy Campbell pioneered the use of DJing percussion breaks in hip hop music, beginning at Hercs home in a high-rise apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the movement later spread across the entire borough. Herc created the blueprint for hip hop music and culture by building upon the Jamaican tradition of impromptu toasting, on August 11,1973 DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sisters back-to-school party
11.
KRS-One
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Lawrence Parker, better known by his stage names KRS-One, and Teacha, is an American rapper and occasional producer from The Bronx, New York City, New York. KRS-One rose to prominence as part of the group Boogie Down Productions, following the release of the groups debut album, Criminal Minded, La Rock was shot dead, but KRS-One continued the group, effectively as a solo project. He began releasing records under his own name in 1993, KRS-One is politically active, having started the Stop the Violence Movement, after the death of Scott La Rock. Lawrence Parker was born in The Bronx, New York in 1965, by the time he met youth counselor Scott Sterling, he was also writing graffiti as KRS-One. DJ Scott La Rock, created Boogie Down Productions, releasing their album, Criminal Minded. KRS-One began his career as one third of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, or BDP. After being rejected by radio DJs Mr. Magic and Marley Marl, still, KRS-One dissed the song with the BDP record South Bronx. Next, a round of volleys would ensue with Shans Kill That Noise. KRS-One, demonstrating his nickname The Blastmaster, gave a performance against MC Shan. Many believe this live performance to be the first MC battle where rappers attack each other, Parker and Sterling decided to form a rap group together, initially calling themselves Scott La Rock and the Celebrity Three. That was short-lived, however, as the two peripheral members quit, leaving Parker and Sterling and they then decided to call themselves Boogie Down Productions. Success is the Word, a 12-inch single produced by David Kenneth Eng and Kenny Beck, was released on indie Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records, Boogie Down Productions released their debut album Criminal Minded in 1987. The album, whose cover pictured BDP draped in ammunition and brandishing guns, is credited with setting the template for the burgeoning genres of hardcore. Scott La Rock was killed in a shooting later that year, following the fatal shooting of Scott La Rock in 1987, KRS was determined to continue Boogie Down Productions through the tragedy, releasing the album By All Means Necessary in 1988. He was joined by beatboxer D-Nice, rapper Ramona Ms. Melodie Parker, KRS-One was the primary initiator behind the H. E. A. L. Compilation and the Stop the Violence Movement, for the latter he would attract many prominent emcees to appear on the 12-inch single Self Destruction, after five largely solo albums under the name Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One decided to set out on his own. On his first solo album, 1993s Return of the Boom Bap, Parker worked together with producers DJ Premier, Kid Capri and Showbiz and his second album, 1995s KRS-One, featured Channel Live on Free Mumia, a song in which they criticize Black Civil Rights Activist C. Other prominent guest stars on KRS-One included Mad Lion, Busta Rhymes, Das EFX, in 1991, KRS-One appeared on the alternative rock group R. E. M. s single Radio Song, which appeared on the bands album Out of Time, released the same year
12.
Big Daddy Kane
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Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper and actor who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap collective the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential, the name Big Daddy Kane came from a variation on Caine, David Carradines character from TV show Kung Fu and a character called Big Daddy Vincent Price played in the film Beach Party. In 1984, Kane became friends with Biz Markie, and he would some of Bizs best-known lyrics. Both eventually became important members of the Queens-based Juice Crew, a collective headed by renowned producer Marley Marl, Kane signed with Tyrone Williams’s and Len Fichtelberg’s Cold Chillin Records label in 1987 and debuted the same year with the 12 single Raw, which was an underground hit. Kane is known for his ability to syncopate over faster hip hop beats and his sense of style is renowned and set a number of late-1980s and early-1990s hip hop trends. The backronym King Asiatic Nobodys Equal is often applied to his moniker and he released his debut album on Cold Chillin Records in the early summer of 1988 called Long Live the Kane, which featured the hit Aint No Half Steppin. He also had a verse on the Marley Marl-produced track The Symphony released in late 1988, which included Juice Crew members Craig G, Masta Ace. Big Daddy Kane appeared on Patti Labelles 1991 effort, Burnin and he provided the rap chorus to the single Feels Like Another One. He also appeared on the video release Live in New York and he contributed the song Nuff Respect to the soundtrack of the film Juice, which starred Omar Epps and Tupac Shakur, further demonstrating his fast lyrical delivery. In 1991, Kane won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his performance on the Quincy Jones collaborative track Back on the Block off Back on the Block. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rappers during the age of hip hop, Kanes experimentation with R&B beats. Later albums, such as Looks Like a Job For…, were acclaimed, as an actor, he debuted in Mario Van Peebles 1993 western, Posse, and appeared in Robert Townsends 1993 film The Meteor Man. Big Daddy Kane also posed for Playgirl and Madonnas Sex book during the 1990s, in 1996, he collaborated with 2Pac on his song Where Ever U R. During the early 1990s, Jay-Z toured with Kane, and Kane helped him early on in his career - Ice-T says, Kane brought Jay-Z over to my house. Kane himself says that Jay-Z wasn’t technically his hypeman in the sense of the term—he wasn’t a hypeman. When I would leave the stage to go change outfits, I would bring out Jay-Z and Positive K, Jay-Z was also featured on Big Daddy Kane’s track ‘Show & Prove’ from Daddy’s Home, as well as in the video. In 1995, Kane recorded with MC Hammer and Tupac Shakur on the rap song Too Late Playa and he was also mentioned to signing with Death Row East in 1996. In 1997, Kane team up with Frankie Cutlass on his third single title The Cypher Part 3, in 1998, he released his final solo album Veteranz Day
