Emcees
Born on June 17, 1987, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth was born in Compton, California to parents Paula Oliver and Kenny Duckworth. Kenny’s affiliation with Chicago street gang the Gangster Disciples led Paula to convince him to relocate to California with her, taking only $500 and two black garbage bags. Initially heading to San Bernardino, California by
There are some songs that come along and define an era and Audio Two’s, “Top Billin” definitely sum up the first golden age of Hip Hop. Not only did it become one of the most recognizable and sampled songs in history; it became an anthem for b-boys and b-girls across the world. Audio Two was
THE SAGA BEGINS… Rakim Allah was born William Michael Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968 in Wyandanch, Long Island, N.Y. to a musically talented and working class family. Under the tutelage of his soft spoken and artistic father William Griffin Sr. and his mother, who sang jazz and opera, William Jr.’s innate musical abilities were
In present times, dance songs are not taken seriously in Hip Hop but they were a driving force that fueled the culture in the seventies and eighties. Many emcees released an array of classic dance tracks that stood the test of time. But 1988 was the year Rob Base and D.J. E-Z Rock gave the
Lovebug Starski (aka Kevin Smith) was born on May 16, 1960 in the Bronx, New York and began working with various local DJs in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He began his career as a record boy in 1971 at age 11 when Hip Hop culture and music began to make its first
Hip Hop legends Marley Marl and Mr. Magic assembled a renowned group of artists (predominantly from Queensbridge with a couple coming out of Brooklyn). This astonishing collective consisted of: Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Biz Markie, Masta Ace, Craig G, Tragedy the Intelligent Hoodlum and TJ Swann.
