DJ Polo Of Juice Crew Has Died, And Rap Legends Have Plenty Of Tributes For The Hip-Hop Pioneer

dj polo
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This past weekend, DJ Polo of the Juice Crew was confirmed to have died by his family, who shared the news via his social media accounts.

“”It is with a heavy heart we mourn the loss of my father, the incredible DJ Polo,” the post reads. “He was not only a legend to the hip hop community but also to his family and we celebrate his life and legacy now and forever. We would like to thank you all for your beautiful words and tributes – seeing the impact he made has been overwhelming and we are so grateful… Thank you all again for your condolences and for respecting the family’s privacy at this time. We miss you Cuzmo.”

DJ Polo’s status as one of hip-hop’s foremost pioneers of the Golden Era alongside Kool G Rap meant that the news was met with an outpouring of tributes from fellow rap legends such as fellow Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane, DJ Premier, Eric B, Ice-T, and of course, Kool G Rap himself.

“R.I.P. to a dear friend and a Brother from another Household,” wrote his partner-in-rhyme. “He is a Legend to Hip Hop and Juice Crew history. DJ Polo! May Light from the Highest be upon him.” You can see more tributes below.

DJ Polo and Kool G Rap were added to the Juice Crew in the mid-80s after recording “It’s A Demo” at the group’s studio with DJ Marley Marl and Mr. Magic. They later released the demo as the single “I’m Fly,” then followed it with three albums: Road To The Riches (1989), Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990), and Live And Let Die (1992).
These albums are credited with contributing to the rise of Mafioso rap and built G Rap’s reputation as a supreme rhyme technician.

DJ Polo Of Juice Crew Has Died, And Rap Legends Have Plenty Of Tributes For The Hip-Hop Pioneer

dj polo
Getty Image

This past weekend, DJ Polo of the Juice Crew was confirmed to have died by his family, who shared the news via his social media accounts.

“”It is with a heavy heart we mourn the loss of my father, the incredible DJ Polo,” the post reads. “He was not only a legend to the hip hop community but also to his family and we celebrate his life and legacy now and forever. We would like to thank you all for your beautiful words and tributes – seeing the impact he made has been overwhelming and we are so grateful… Thank you all again for your condolences and for respecting the family’s privacy at this time. We miss you Cuzmo.”

DJ Polo’s status as one of hip-hop’s foremost pioneers of the Golden Era alongside Kool G Rap meant that the news was met with an outpouring of tributes from fellow rap legends such as fellow Juice Crew member Big Daddy Kane, DJ Premier, Eric B, Ice-T, and of course, Kool G Rap himself.

“R.I.P. to a dear friend and a Brother from another Household,” wrote his partner-in-rhyme. “He is a Legend to Hip Hop and Juice Crew history. DJ Polo! May Light from the Highest be upon him.” You can see more tributes below.

DJ Polo and Kool G Rap were added to the Juice Crew in the mid-80s after recording “It’s A Demo” at the group’s studio with DJ Marley Marl and Mr. Magic. They later released the demo as the single “I’m Fly,” then followed it with three albums: Road To The Riches (1989), Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990), and Live And Let Die (1992).
These albums are credited with contributing to the rise of Mafioso rap and built G Rap’s reputation as a supreme rhyme technician.

Big Daddy Kane Blames Drake’s Fans For Ruining Hip-Hop Battles

Big Daddy Kane has bulletproof pedigree. He’s one of the most influential and impressive rappers of all time. His beef with MC Shan was legendary and he helped form the Juice Crew. Big Daddy Kane knows the genre better than most people walking the planet, so when he has an opinion, it carries weight. The rapper recently went on The Art of Dialogue to discuss the current state of hip-hop, and he made it very clear that he is not a fan of Drake’s fans.

Big Daddy Kane was asked if he’d been keeping up with Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar, and he said he lost interest. He didn’t lay the blame at the feet of either rapper, but their fanbases. In particular, he was put off by the way Drake’s fans fact-checked Lamar’s bars. “It’s not a competitive thing about who spit the better bars it’s a thing about fact checking to see if this person told the truth,” Kane noted. “If the line is dope and he dissed you, it’s dope man. It’s that simple. He bodied you with what he said.”

Read More: Wyclef Jean Freestyles For Big Daddy Kane

Big Daddy Kane Was Initially On Drake’s Side

The veteran rapper noted the differences between when he battled versus the current state of rap battles. Firstly, he admitted to lying about his competitors, as he felt it was all fair game. “In my days of battling people I said stuff that wasn’t true,” he noted. Secondly, he clarified that he didn’t blame either rapper. “Enjoy the music for what it is,” he explained. “If that’s the way the younger generation looks at battles, good for them. It’s not about Kendrick or Drake. Their comments and their views, they make it unenjoyable for me.”

Kane thought both rappers delivered musically. He praised Drake’s “Family Matters” for “saying some sh*t” about Lamar. Then, the fact-checking and ghostwriting allegations soured him on it. “I’ll go back and listen to Bizzy Bee and Kool Moe Dee,” he quipped. “You can have this sh*t.”

The most interesting part about Kane’s stance on Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar is that his favorite “Big Three” rapper stepped away from the battle. He told The Art of Dialogue that J. Cole is the best rapper of his generation. “I think he is,” Kane asserted. “Like he’s my personal favorite.”

Read More: Big Daddy Kane Approves Of Jay-Z’s Birthday As A National Holiday

The post Big Daddy Kane Blames Drake’s Fans For Ruining Hip-Hop Battles appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Women’s History Month: The Female Lyrical Assassins Of Battle Rap

Female Battle Rappers

While battle rap has been primarily dominated by men, these women are lyrical assassins in the rap cypher. They step to anybody that wants heat and have broken battle rap barriers that have provided a voice for women in rap beyond the Billboard charts. From Battle Rapping In The Park … Any hip-hop head of […]

The post Women’s History Month: The Female Lyrical Assassins Of Battle Rap appeared first on SOHH.com.

Today in Hip-Hop History: Biz Markie Dropped His Debut Album ‘Goin’ Off’ 34 Years Ago

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On this date in the infamous year of 1988, the “Human Orchestra” Biz Markie released his debut full-length album Goin’ Off on Cold Chillin’/Warner Brothers Records.

Produced exclusively by legendary Queensbridge superproducer DJ Marley Marl, Goin Off introduced singer TJ Swan and a then-unknown rapper by the name of Big Daddy Kane. The Brooklyn protege of Biz Mark also wrote the first five songs on the album and was even the subject on the second verse of one of Biz’s most famous songs from the ten-track album, “Vapors”.

Forget the fact that he was a member of the World Famous Juice Crew. With several timeless gems from the album including “Nobody Beats The Biz”, “The Biz Dance” and “Make The Music With Your Mouth”, Biz Mark solidified his position in the game single-handedly with his debut release. Back in 1998, this album was even listed by The Source’s Mind Squad as one of The Best 100 Rap Albums of all time.

Salute to the Biz, Marley, TJ Swan, Kane, Shante, Fly Ty and the rest of the Juice Crew and the Cold Chillin’ crew who made this album a piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Biz Markie Dropped His Debut Album ‘Goin’ Off’ 34 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.