Class President: Chuck D
He was wise, respected and most importantly, a visionary. He addressed the student body’s needs and worked dillgently to ensure the class of 88’ graduated on time with the tools they needed to go out into the world and make a difference.
Most Likely to Succeed: Rakim
Our favorite microphone fiend came to class prepared with more than school supplies and knowledge. Armed with the ability to conquer everything from mathematics to humanities, Rakim was the genius that set the tone for his classmates to improve their report card.
Overachiever: Too Short
While all the other students were working on their assignments, Too Short was doing more. After completing one compelling research paper, he followed up with another altering the grading curve and gave teachers a new subject to implement in the curriculum.
Most Popular Guy: Big Daddy Kane
Kane was the all around dude that was cool with everyone from the class clowns to the most popular girls in school. He was intelligent, suave and the guy that could blend with any crowd and have them screaming, “Long Live The Kane!”
Most Popular Girl: MC Lyte
Cute, sassy and cool with all the cliques, MC Lyte was the homegirl that all the guys wanted on their arm and she was who the girls wanted to be. It did not take long for the new girl in school to take over and eventually become a straight A student graduating with honors.
Class Clown: Fresh Prince
The Prince kept us laughing with his humorous whispers in the back of class about how parents just didn’t understand and his fear of Freddy Krueger. Despite being a regular in the principal’s office, his colorful and crazy antics made school a little more fun and interesting.
Smartest: KRS ONE
The name speaks for itself…. Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone. He was always in the cafeteria educating and inspiring his classmates to learn the real history that was not being taught in class.
Best Dressed Males: Run DMC
The fashion was undeniable. The shell toes, leather jackets and infamous black jeans made the kings the style icons of the Class of 88 and ushered in a new way to rock your fit on campus.
Best Dressed Females: Salt-N-Pepa
Rather it was those infectious crimps and asymmetric haircuts or the red boots, Salt, Pepa and Spinderella were always fresh to death and made the other girls want to look fly in the hallway.
Congeniality: Kid N Play
They were the duo that all the kids wanted to hang out with. There calm like disposition and friendly nature led us to believe that one day they would throw the best house parties…
Favorite Couple: KRS ONE and Ms. Melodie
As one of Hip Hop’s first couples, Melodie and KRS inspired and taught us that black love was not just a dream. From there consciousness about social and political issues that were plaguing the Class of 88,’ to wanting to stop the violence, they definitely were the couple in the hallway that we all admired.
Most Original: Slick Rick
Maybe it was the pounds of jewelry or that polished British accent, but Rick’s demeanor was unlike anything our School had witnessed. Rick stood out and did not follow the trends in school because he made them all on his own.
Most Overlooked: Kool G Rap
He was the kid that sat in the back of the class that was smarter than his classmates but was ignored by the teacher. His peers would copy off his papers and steal his ideas but it did not stop him from graduating at the top of his class.
Best Dancer: Hammer
Always the showman, Hammer was the life of all the dances and house parties. With the freshest moves and a dance crew that would destroy the competition, Stanley always turned the party out and taught us how to get it started.
Most Likely To Drop Out: Biz Markie
There was no denying the talent behind the human orchestra. We knew his ability to rock a crowd and entertain us between classes. Although he had Kane help him with his lyrical homework, no one expected him to rip his book report as well as he did and become one of the best storytellers in class.
Class Bully: Ice Cube
Maybe it was his aggressiveness in speech class or the ice grills in gym that were cemented on his face, but O’Shea eloquently schooled us on his hood but scared the shit out of us at the same time. And if he met you after school demanding dough screaming, “Gangsta Gangsta,” you were sure to dig in your pockets and pull out more than lent.