Ice-T, Rakim, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Big Daddy Kane, et The Sugarhill Gang

Born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S., Tracy Marrow moved to Los Angeles when he was 12, where he attempted to immerse himself in a non-existent rap culture. The name Ice-T derives from Iceberg Slim, a novelist and poet pimp whom Marrow used to recite to his friends. Ice-T’s first live performance came singing/dancing in the group The Precious Few of Crenshaw High School, after which Ice-T left school and joined the U.S. Army. After which, Inspired by the Sugar Hill Gang’s freshly released “Rapper’s Delight”, Ice-T would attempt to rap over the instrumentals, although struggled to make his delivery fit with the beat.

Having acquired stereo and DJ equipment, Ice-T began honing his rapping and beat-making skills, which resulted in signing with Sire Records in 1987. Ice-T’s debut “Rhyme Pays” was released the same year featuring production from DJ Aladdin and Afrika Islam. Unlike the beats in “Rapper’s Delight”, “Rhyme Pays” features rolling, sparse beats with which the rapper deliver’s his articulate, party-orientated style. The rapper subsequently contributed the track “Colors” to the Dennis Hopper film of the same name, which unlike Ice-T’s debut, properly showcased the pioneering rapper’s lyrical and musical talent. After launching his own label Rhyme Syndicate, the rapper released his sophomore album “Power”, earning strong reviews from the musical press.

Reaching new heights, Ice-T’s third, “The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What You Say” arrived in 1989. The album cemented the rapper as a founder of gangster rap, with apt political and social commentary and once again earned rave reviews. In 1991 Ice-T appeared in the film “New Jack City”, and contributed the song “New Jack Hustler”, which became synonymous with the rapper’s subsequent album “O.G.: Original Gangster”. The album also marked the formation of the Ice-T’s heavy metal group Body Count, which expanded the rapper’s appeal to middle class and alternative music fans. The resulting album “Body Count” however earned fierce criticism for the track “Cop Killer”, which documents a protagonist killing a police officer.

The rapper subsequently released the album “Home Invasion”, however due to the controversy of “Cop Killer”, Ice-T was dropped from Time Warner Records and the album was released on Priority Records. The album turned out to be both a commercial and critical disappointment, and the rapper’s audience main audience was no longer the black, hip-hop youth intended. The full-length rap album “Return of the Real” arrived in 1996, followed by “7th Deadly Sin” in 1999.

Griffin was born on 28 January 1968 and at the age of 18 became involved in the New York hip-hop scene. At first he was known as Kid Wizard, but took the name Rakim Allah when he joined The Nation of Gods and Earths. He teamed up with Eric Barrier (aka Eric B) and together the pair recorded and released four albums before parting ways in 1992.

From 1995 through 1996, Rakim recorded several demos/songs by himself, and in 1997 released “The 18th Letter.” Two years later he also released “The Master” which, along with “The 18th Letter” was very well received. Rakim was then signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label in 2000, however, due to numerous changes in artistic direction and personnel the album that he had been working on had been delayed several times. This resulted in Rakim leaving the label in 2003.

Rakim retreated to his Connecticut estate to work leisurely on music, and it wasn’t until 2009 that he released any new music. Because he was able to retain the tracks he had made with Dr. Dre, Rakim released “The Seventh Seal” in 2009 on his own label, and it was followed shortly by a live album. In 2011, Rakim performed Paid in Full in its entirety at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and in honor of its 25th anniversary Rakim and Erib released a special edition of the record.

Born on 22 January 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Townes adopted the stage name DJ Jazzy Jeff, and gained an underground following for working as DJ at local parties and schools. He teamed up with Will Smith to become the duo known as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. Together the group received a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989 for their single, “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” They garnered a second Grammy Award for their single “Summertime,” which also peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 1986 DJ Jazzy Jeff won the world DJ competition, New Music Seminar DJ Battle.

As a solo artist, DJ Jazzy Jeff recorded his first album with Sony Music in 1998, but it was necer released. It wasn’t until 2002 when he released and album entitled “The Magnificent,” andfour albums later, he followed up in 2007 with “The Return of The Magnificent.” The album featured numerous collaborations with many different artists including CL Smooth, Big Daddy Kane, Pos from De La Soul, Method Man, Rhymefest, and Raheem DeVaughn. From 2009 to 2012 he released a number of mix tape albums.

In 1990 when Smith started to branch out with his acting career for the television show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” Jazzy Jeff played a recurring character named Jazz. After the duo broke up, DJ Jazzy Jeff went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer. He establised the A Touch of Jazz production company in his native Philadelphia, and helped develop artists such as Jill Scott and Musiq Soul Child, Eminem, The Roots, Jewel, Darius Rucker, Talib Kweli, Floetry, and Rhymefest. In 2013 he released a web series documenting his hundreds of shows from around the world entitled “Vinyl Destination.”

While every rapper who’s ever spit is in effect an artist who writes lyrics there are more than a few rappers who truly earn the term “lyricist”. In the same way that Nick Cave are Leonard Cohen are famous for their making their lyrics true poetry while Luke Pritchard of The Kooks is most definitely not, some rappers transcend pop music and create a poetry of their own. Right up there with the legends is Big Daddy Kane, a man rated by everyone from Kool Moe Dee to The RZA as one of the greatest ever. To the extent that there’s a persistent rumour that Rakim, widely thought to be the greatest rapper of the eighties, turned down the chance to take on Kane in a rap battle.

Kane’s first appearance in the spotlight was as part of the Juice Crew, a hip-hop collective based in Queensbridge, New York City. The crew had already been together since 1983 when Kane and his mate Biz Markie (“the human beatbox”) joined three years later. However it wasn’t until 1987, that his solo career really started to take off. He signed to Cold Chillin’ Records and his first single “Raw”, was a big hit in the underground scene, the year after his first record came out, and “Long Live The Kane” remains one of the benchmark rap debuts to this day.

It was ecstatically received at the time and was a mild commercial success as well. In a time when rap was only just proving itself to be more than a fad that was a lot to hope for, but the best was yet to come. 1989 was the same year that Markie had his massive (and utterly hysterical) hit “Just A Friend”, and Kane went on to release “It’s A Big Daddy Thing” a record that might not have been quite as succesful at the time, but it’s still considered to be one of the greatest rap records of all time, so y’know, swings and roundabouts.

Since then, his work has given way to a generation of MCs enamoured with his work, and was even one of Jay-Z’s early patrons, taking him on tour in the early 90’s. It’s a testament to his influence that he was able to stop making records in 1998 and to this day his name is still spoken with respect and admiration. He can also still put on a show to remember and his records, even the ones released nearly three decades ago, hold up against anything released today. For that reason alone it’s a pleasure and a privilege to still have him around. Highly recommended.

In 1973 New Jersey residents Michael “Wonder Mike” Wright, Henry “Big Bank Hank” Jackson, and Guy “Master Gee” O’Brien were assembled by producer Sylvia Robinson and formed The Sugarhill Gang. Sylvia Robinson and record mogul husband Joe Robinson were also founders of the label Sugar Hill Records named after the Sugar Hill, Harlem, New York neighbourhood.

Sylvia Robinson, aware of the popularity of hip-hop block parties tried to cash in and produce an infectious and catchy hit. The Sugarhill Gang released the single “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979 and became an instant worldwide hit with its notoriously groovy and danceable bass line of Bernard Edwards from Chic’s “Good Times”. “Rapper’s Delight” has gone on to sell over eight million copies worldwide, peaked at No. 3 in the UK singles chart and has been considered the first song to popularise rap in the U.S. and around the world.

Despite their early success, The Sugarhill Gang were unable to capitalise on their popularity with all of their albums failing to perform well commercially and critically. The band released an eponymously-titled debut album in 1980, and a sophomore album titled “8th Wonder” in 1982. After “Rapper’s Delight” the band had a number of moderate hit singles including “8th Wonder”, “Apache” and “Showdown”, although for the most part faded out of public consciousness by the mid-1980s.

The group returned in April 1999 to release the children’s rap album “Jump on It!” through Rhino Entertainment. The album was relatively well-received, featured a child friendly version of “Rapper’s Delight” and maintained the band’s old school hip-hop vibe. In 2014 Big Bank Hank died at the age of 58 after a long battle with lung cancer.