Today in 1970 in “Illtown” New Jersey, the king of “OPP”, better known as Treach, was born. For those who don’t know, Treach was the frontman for the New Jersey rap collective Naughty By Nature. Born Anthony Criss in East Orange, New Jersey, Treach got his musical start in his hometown. He, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee came together as the group New Style and released an album called Independent Leaders in 1989. Treach and Naughty by Nature saw the majority of their success with their 1991 single “O.P.P”. This song featured a sample from The Jackson 5’s “ABC” and debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart making it one of the most popular crossover songs in rap history. The success of this single opened the doors for Treach to venture into other elements of Hip Hop culture in the 90s. Starting with a guest appearance in the 1992 cult classic Juice, Treach began the next wave of his career as an actor. His biggest role came in 194 when he starred as “A-1” in Jason’s Lyric.
In honor of his birthday, we have put together a list of the five degrees of success that put Treach in the room with other influential voices in Hip Hop and popular culture.
1. Sandra ‘Pepa’ Denton– First on this list is “Pepa” of the legendary Salt N Pepa. From 1998 to 2001, the two were joined together in holy matrimony. They share a daughter beautifully named Egypt Jahnari Criss born September 2, 1998.
2. Tupac Shakur– In his first big-screen appearance, Tupac played the role of “Bishop” in the cult classic Juice. If you remember correctly, Bishop was not a character who made friends easily. At the beginning of the movie, Bishop has beef with a character named Radames and if you pay attention, you can see Treach standing behind Radames as he and Bishop have one of their many verbal altercations.
3. James Gandolfini– Who doesn’t love a good mob story? In 2006, Treach’s TV acting prowess landed him a gig on an episode of The Sopranos as the character “Marvin”. His role was short-lived, but not many are able to say they played the opposite of the infamous Tony Soprano.
4. Queen Latifah– This fellow New Jersey rapper was in and out of Treach’s musical and acting career. She was one of the first successful artists to give Naughty By Nature the attention they deserved. She has featured Treach on songs throughout her discography. She was even cast alongside Treach in his first big-screen appearance (although they were never on screen together).
5. Leonardo DiCaprio-Although this relationship may be more loosely based than the rest, it’s important none the less. Naughty’s track “Hip Hop Hooray” was featured on the soundtrack of the very successful film Wolf of Wall Street starring Leo DiCaprio in 2013.
NY crime rhyme vet David Styles, better known to the Hip Hop world as Styles P, turns 50 years young today.
The L.O.X.(Living Off Experience) co-founder along with Sheek Louch and Jadakiss began their careers with platinum honors, appearing on Puff’s No Way Out album and selling a million copies of their debut LP Money, Power and Respect. Styles has put out seven full length solo projects along with a host of mixtapes and callabos throughout his career, establishing himself as one of the top lyricists in the rap game. “The Ghost” has also made a proactive contribution in keping the hood healthy by opening all natural juice bars in NYC as well as his natural supplement and vitamin company built along with his wife Adjua Styles called Farmacy For Life.
From everyone here at The Source, we send a “Super Gangster And A Gentleman” salute to Styles on his born day and we hope that he enjoys today and many more!
On this date in 1956, one of Hip Hop’s original gatekeepers, Fred Crute aka Kool DJ Red Alert, was born on the Caribbean island of Antigua. Red Alert, a Hampton University alumnus, has become one of the least celebrated trailblazers of Hip Hop’s in its 50th year celebration. In the immortal words of Just-Ice in his 1989 hit “Going Way Back”, “…and to earn a position and do hard work/ you could ask Kool Herc or my man Red Alert..”
Influenced by the likes of DJ Grandmaster Flowers and famed radio personality Frankie Crocker, Red Alert is recognized as the first DJ to record mix compilation albums, which later became known as the “mixtape”. Red was also at the forefront of the legendary BDP vs. The Juice Crew battle, in which he set off the on-wax war when he broke the “South Bronx” single on KISS FM . Red is also the first radio DJ to play dancehall music on-air in the mid 80s. Red is also known for his signature chant “YEAAAAaaaaaah!” at the beginning and throughout his radio show mixes and appearances on various rap classic records.
Once established on NYC’s 98.7 KISS FM as the station’s premier Hip Hop DJ, Red Alert discovered more than a few legendary groups including the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah and other artists who were under the Native Tongues umbrella. He is also the only Hip Hop DJ with a display in the coveted Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame in Ohio.
Salute to Red on his 68th born day and for his unprecedented contribution to the culture of Hip Hop!
On this day in 1970, the second lyrical half of A Tribe Called Quest, Phife Dawg was born. Born Malik Isaac Taylor in Queens, New York, Phife was one-fourth of one of the most influential groups in Hip-Hop culture; A Tribe Called Quest. It’s been almost nine years since Phife lost his battle with diabetes, however, his music will live on for eternity.
On many of ATCQ’s tracks, fans have always rightfully celebrated Q-Tip’s lyricism, but rarely gave Phife Dawg his proper due. In the posthumous honor of his birthday, we have put together a list of five of his hottest verses to shine a light on the unsung lyrical phenom that is Phife Dawg.
5. “Electric Relaxation” On this standout track from the album Midnight Marauders, Phife and The Abstract went toe to toe, trading off verse without a hook until the song ended, with standout bars like, “Let me hit it from the back, girl I won’t catch a hernia/Bust off on your couch, now you got Seaman’s Furniture..”and let’s not forget, “I like ‘em brown, yellow, Puerto Rican or Haitian/Name is Phife Dawg from the Zulu Nation..”
4. “La Schmoove” This was a featured verse from Phife Dawg on a track by Brooklyn rap tongue twisters Fu Schnickens. On this track, Phife had the third verse, yet opened it like it was his own song saying,
“Now here I go, once again with the ill flow/Other MC’s that rap, their style is so-so..”
3. “Scenario” Being one of the most popular songs on A Tribe Called Quest’s Low End Theory album, Phife Dawg’s opening verse is one that rings in the ears of many rap fans.
“Ayo, Bo knows this, and Bo knows that/ But bo don’t know jack cause Bo can’t rap//Well what do you know, the Di-Dawg, is first up to bat/No batteries included and no strings attached..”
2. “Award Tour” Another cut from Midnight Marauders, Award Tour was a huge success for A Tribe Called Quest. It also houses some of Phife Dawg’s strongest metaphors. “I have a quest to have a mic in my hand/without that, it’s like Kryptonite and Superman/So Shaheed come in with the sugar cuts//Phife Dawg’s my name, but on stage, call me Dynomut..”
“So, next time that you think you want something here/Make something dope or take that garbage to St.Elsewhere..”
1. “Buggin Out” Coming from their most popular album, this is regarded as Phife’s illest bars. Phife Dawg spits two of the hardest verses on the album on this one record. “Yo microphone check one, two, what is this?/The five foot assassin with the roughneck business/I float like gravity, never had a cavity/Got more rhymes than the Winans got family..”
“You soar off to another world, deep in your mind/But people seem to take that, as being unkind/’Oh yo he’s acting stank,’ really on the regal?/a man of the fame not a man of the people/believe that if you want but I tell you this much/riding on the train with no dough, sucks..”
On this day in Hip-Hop history, we celebrate the birth of one of the culture’s brightest stars, the late, great Russell Jones, affectionately known to the Hip-Hop world as Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
To Hip Hop, Dirt Dog was more than a rapper. His personality and ostentatious demeanor were representatives of the soul of Hip-Hop. He did not let the fame and status take away from his character. Those who knew him said that he remained true to himself throughout his career making him quite the public figure. According to some, Ol’ Dirty was the type to help an old woman cross the street then, once he got to the other side, run a bystander for his jewels. He was a nobleman with a righteous cause for sinning. His legacy is one that will not fade anytime soon.
In honor of his 50th-degree day, we have put together a top-five list of some of Big Baby Jesus’ most outrageous and memorable moments and these aren’t the only ones to chose from.
Performing as a Fugitive of Justice
In the fall of 2000, ODB was facing two charges for drug possession and had two separate warrants out for his arrest. This didn’t case The Specialist to lose any sleep. He, in fact, took the stage at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York performing exactly one verse before having to flee the scene. He even gave his fans a warning before gracing the mic saying, “I can’t stay on the stage too long tonight—the cops is after me.”
Taking a Limo to Pick Up Food Stamps
Who wouldn’t take advantage of the opportunity to pick up a government assistance check-in style, not ODB. In an MTV News interview, OL’ Dirty takes MTV and the viewers at home on a unique ride down to the welfare office in a fully-loaded stretch limo. If that wasn’t good enough, ODB’s response when asked why he is so blatantly making a mockery of the welfare system he responds, “[They] owe me 40 acres and a mule anyway.” Touche, Dirt Dog, touche.
Interrupting a Grammy Acceptance Speech
In 1998, way before Kanye embarrassed Taylor Swift on the VMA stage, ODB took to the stage to voice his opinion on Wu-Tang losing Best Rap Album to Puff Daddy & The Family’s No Way Out. Unfortunately for some, OBD didn’t make it on stage until Shawn Colvin was on stage making his acceptance speech for winning Song of the Year, much after the after Diddy was awarded his Grammy. In a few short moments, ODB expressed his frustration by saying,
“I went and bought me an outfit today that costed me a lot of money today because I figured Wu-Tang was going to win. I don’t know how y’all see it, but when to comes it to the children, Wu-Tang is for the children. We teach the children. Puffy is good, but Wu-Tang is the best. I want you to know that this is ODB, and I love you all.”
Giving an Interview for the Children with No Shoes on Outside
In one of his best interviews, ODB goes on a rant about being only for the children on the streets of Brooklyn, while barefoot. At first glance, it may seem strange, but if you think about it, the prophets of old were more than likely shoe-less. Trying to picture Jesus speaking to his disciples in a pair of crisp white Air Force Ones just isn’t right, maybe Big Baby was on to something.
Made video with Mariah Carey “Fantasy”
Just when you thought that there was only a “dirty version” to ODB, he opened up his soft side and collaborated with legendary songbird Mariah Carey for her “Fantasy” remix. Carey ended up being one of Dirty’s closest confidants, writing him letters of support during his two-year incarceration in upstate New York.
Today marks the 60th birthday of one of America’s favorite television dads as well as one of the most influential emcees ever! Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of the legendary Run-D.M.C. is one of Hip Hop’s most recognizable figures, beginning his career as DJ Run “The Son of Kurtis Blow” before joining forces with Darryl “D.M.C.” McDaniels and the late Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell and forming the Grammy Award winning trio. He is also the younger brother of Hip Hop’s first mogul and co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, Russel Simmons.
Run has appeared in three feature Hip Hop films as himself alongside D.M.C. and JMJ; 1985’s Krush Groove, 1988’s Tougher Than Leather and the 1993 Hip Hop comedy Who’s The Man? In 2004, Run was ordained as a Pentecostal minister by Hollis Queens’ Rev. E. Bernard Jordan and adopted the moniker “Reverend Run”. After his ery public life transformation, Run appeared on several reality shows with his family, starting with MTV’s Run’s House, which featured his family and their everyday life. The show was a fan favorite, living on MTV for four seasons. Simmons has also created three other cable series, two premiered in 2014; Rev Run’s Renovation which runs on both the DIY Network and HGTV, and Rev Run’s Sunday Suppers for Cooking Channel, the other Rev Runs Around the World premiered on the Travel Channel in 2016.
Run is also an esteemed member of the Rock N’ Roll Hall Of Fame after being nominated and voted in unanimously in 2009.
Salute to Rev Run on his born day and may he be granted many more birthdays hereafter!
Born on this day in 1971 in Bronx, NY, Terror Squad lieutenant Christopher ‘Big Pun” Rios grew from an exceptional emcee that stood side to side by Fat Joe during his Jealous One’s Still Envy heyday to morphing into one of the game’s greatest lyricists of all time.
Big Punisher initially entered the rap game in the mid-80s as a member and founder of underground hip-hop collective Full-A-Clips and at the time, went under the moniker Big Moon Dawg, which was drawn from a famed pro wrestler with the same name. Recordings from the collective have been concealed and remain unreleased, but are known to be the earliest recordings of the late Puerto Rican emcee.
After Pun received a Grammy for “I’m Not A Player”, the full-length, double-disc version of his debut Capital Punishment was released the following year,. The album went platinum causing Pun to make history as the first Hip Hop solo act of Latino descent to achieve the mark.
On February 7th, 2000 during a momentary stay at Crowne Plaza Hotel in White Plains, New York, Pun faced a fatal heart attack and respiratory failure. He weighed 698 pounds at the time of his death, the highest weight in his lifetime. He withdrew from a Saturday Night Live performance two days prior where he was scheduled to perform with Fat Joe and Jennifer Lopez.
51 years ago today, rapper, actor, director, and producer Sticky Fingaz was born
On this day in Hip Hop history, Kirk Jones bka Sticky Fingaz was born in Brooklyn, New York. Known as the frontman for the trailblazing rap group Onyx and various appearances on screen and television, Sticky Fingaz has worked his way into being a distinguished part of hip hop culture.
With Onyx, Jones became a huge success. The group’s debut album Bacdafucup had huge commercial success and went multi-platinum. Since the multiplatinum debut, the group has released four other albums. Jones also released two albums as a solo artist titled Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones and “Decade ‘…but wait it gets worse’” featuring artists such as Eminem, Raekwon, Redman, Canibus, and Omar Epps. He was also featured on Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP and Snoop Dogg’s No Limit Top Dogg.
As an actor, Jones has been very successful over the years. He has had roles in many movies that have played a big part in hip-hop culture and others that have become household names. For Sticky’s born day, we here at TheSource.com have compiled a list the top five roles that he has been casted in:
Eddie Mathematics: In 2004 Jones played prison kingpin Eddie Mathematics in the film Doing Hard Time starring Boris Kodjoe
Scientific: In 1995 Jones was cast as Scientific in the Spike Lee JointClockers about a street-level drug dealer who becomes entangled in a murder investigation.
Tyrone: In 2000, Jones was casted as Deebo’s sidekick Tyrone in cult classic Next Friday.
Blade: In 2006, Jones was cast as the lead, Blade, in the Spike Television rendition of the infamous Marvel antihero. The show ran 13 episodes.
Wink: In 2007, Jones was casted as Wink in the very popular video game ‘Def Jam: Icon’. His character had a huge role in the plot line of the video game’s story mode.
The Mind Squad would like to send a supreme posthumous born day salute to Albert “Prodigy” Johnson, the lyrical half of the “Infamous” Mobb Deep. In 2017, the Hip-Hop community lost Prodigy in what is recognized as a freak hospital accident, with reports stating that P passed after choking on an egg while hospitalized for his sickle cell condition.
Prodigy will forever be remembered as one of NYC’s powerhouses of the rap game, repping the Rotten Apple in feuds within the five boroughs (Jay-Z, Tru Life) and cross country (Tupac, Crooked I). With his QB partner Havoc, the Hempstead, Long Island native inherited the crown as the king of NYC crime rhyme from his elder Queens comrade Kool G. Rap and upheld his position for over two decades. P’s solo career was stellar in its own right, with his H.N.I.C. trilogy as one of the best solo efforts from an NYC artist who came from a group since Busta Rhymes.
Salute to Prodigy on what would’ve been his 50th birthday, and his contributions through his art and music will maintain his relevance in Hip-Hop forever. R.I.P.!
On this day in Hip Hop history, we celebrate the birth of one of Hip Hop and pop culture’s most recognizable icons, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Uncle Snoop was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. in Long Beach, California in 1971. Since then he has risen to become a household name in Hip Hop. His image and style are synonymous with the West Coast and his name will forever stand among the Pantheon of legends who helped shape Hip Hop culture.
Over his 22 (and counting) album career, Snoop has always played close attention to visuals. With every album, Snoop has put together a theatrical representation of his G-Funk sound. In honor of his born day, we have compiled a list of the ten best videos from his 26-year career.
#10 “Vato” feat. B-Real – Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
In the streets of Los Angeles, African-Americans and Latinos have never really seen eye-to-eye. Due to the immense gang culture of this southern California metropolitan area, the two races have been at odds. With this video, Snoop and Chicano gangsta rapper B-Real come together to try and ease some of that racial tension. The video was directed by Phillip G. Atwell and premiered on BET on August 30, 2006. An animated version was also released in the following month.
#9 “Faden Away” as 7 Days of Funk – 7 Days of Funk
In 2013, Snoop Dogg amused the pseudonym Snoopzilla, teamed up with LA-based producer DāM-FunK, and became a part of the prolific synth-heavy G-Funk group 7 Days of Funk. The video for “Faden Away” has a very retro feel, reminiscent of the years when funk monopolized the airwaves. Directed by Henry DeMaio, the visuals serve as a funkadelic time machine taking viewers back to a good old fashion house party and is a part of a series.
#8 “Drop It Like It’s Hot” feat. Pharrell Williams – R&G (Rhythm and Gangsta): The Masterpiece
Possible Snoop’s most popular song of the decade, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”‘s simplistic black and white color scheme that perfectly complements the track’s crisp production and smooth lyrics. Directed by Paul Hunter, the video consists of cameos from Terry Kennedy, Lauren London, Neptunes producer Chad Hugo, and Pusha T. In 2005 the video won a MOBO Award for Best Video.
#7 “High Wit Me” as 7 Days of Funk – 7 Days of Funk
As another release from 7 Days of Funk, “High With Me” takes a unique twist on the conventional music video. Instead of just directing a single video and releasing it per usual, the duo decided to hold a contest and let the fans decide visual would represent the track. The winner was a green screen psychedelic adventure featuring the group’s two members. The runner-up is also posted below.
#6 “Sexual Eruption” – Ego Trippin’
As the first single off of Snoop’s ninth album, “Sexual Eruption” (or the censored “Sexual Seduction”) introduced the world to a Snoop Dogg catered to the grown and sexy. This groovy soul-inspired came with a video straight out of the Blaxploitation era. Directed by Melina and Steven Johnson, the video features Snoop in a Bootsy Collins-ish glam rock outfit holding a keytar while using a voice box, pure nostalgia.
#5 “Peaches N Cream” featuring Charlie Wilson – Bush
As the first single of his thirteenth album, Snoop again revisits his soulful funky roots and brings together another hit with former label-mate Uncle Charlie Wilson. Directed by Aramis Isreal and Hannah Lux Davis, the visuals are an evolution of his past retro style 70’s inspired videos. Using more CGI and green screen effects allows this video to be both a walk down memory lane and an example of what technology is capable of. Prior to the actual video release, there was a computer-animated lyric video directed by Wolf & Crow.
#4 “Who Am I (What’s My Name)”– Doggystyle
As Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debut single, “Who Am I” is simply a perfect introduction to one of the game’s most promising rising stars at the time. Directed by Fab Five Freddy, this video was one of the earliest to utilize CGI as the main plot point. In the video, Snoop and his cohorts have the ability to anamorph in a pack of dogs (with Snoop being a Doberman of course) running amok around Long Beach.
#3 “Beautiful” featuring Pharrell Williams and Charlie Wilson – Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
Shot on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Directed by Chris Robinson and produced by Renata Chuquer, the video loosely tells the story of Snoop Dogg falling for a local woman while away on a vacation. This video could double as a travel video, showcasing some of Brazil’s most beautiful tourist attractions including the Escadaria Selarón in the gorgeous Lapa district, a 1920’s mansion in Parque Lage, and the Copacabana.
#2 “Gin and Juice” – Doggystyle
Probably Snoop Dogg’s most popular singles, “Gin and Juice”‘s music video perfectly embodies what it was like to party on the West Coast in the early ’90s. Directed by Dr. Dre, Calvin Caday, and Anita Sisaath (the producers of 2Pac’s “Dear Mama”), the video features a teenage Snoop throwing a wild party “cuz [his] mama ain’t home”. The video features Ricky Harris, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Eddie Griffin, and a six-year-old Bow Wow.
#1 “Murder Was the Case” feat Daz Dillinger – Doggystyle
Since the beginning of his career, Snoop Dogg has been deeply interested in the dark supernatural world. He has starred in and produced multiple horror films and has always kept a tone of evil quietly brewing beneath the majority of his work. The start of that trend came with the release of “Murder was the Case” in 1994. The song and video both spin the tale of Snoop Dogg being shot down in a drive-by and coming back to life after making a deal with the devil. As a part of this bargain, Snoop becomes a famous rapper but eventually turns his back on Satan, landing him in prison for not holding his end of the promise. The single also inspired a short film directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy going into full detail about the story narrated in the single.
From everyone here at The Source Magazine and TheSource.com, Happy C-Day Uncle Snoop. May you see many more years of ridiculous success, fame, and fortune.
