krush groove movie

Today in Hip-Hop History: LL Cool J Dropped His Debut Album ‘Radio’ 38 Years Ago

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TodayinHip HopHistory:LLCoolJDroppedHisDebutAlbum'Radio'YearsAgo

TodayinHip HopHistory:LLCoolJDroppedHisDebutAlbum'Radio'YearsAgo

On this date in 1985, James Todd Smith better known as LL Cool J dropped his first full-length LP on Def Jam Records. Primarily produced by Rick Rubin besides “I Need A Beat”, which was produced by DJ Jazzy Jay, Radio was a pivotal LP for not only LL and Def Jam, but for an evolving Hip Hop landscape that had just seen the rapid decline of b-boying and jams in the park. This was also the era in which the crack epidemic hit the streets and all of the major players used LL Cool J as the prototype image of how a hustler is supposed to look.

Songs like “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” and “Rock The Bells” dominated airwaves as well as influenced other artists of that time period with his braggadocios content and virtually forceful delivery. The song that actually got Cool J the deal with Def Jam, “I Need A Beat”, was written and recorded when LL was only 15 years old, making him not only Def Jam’s first solo artist but also their youngest.

Salute to Cool J, Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, Jazzy Jay, and everyone at Def Jam from that era that helped put together this timeless classic!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: LL Cool J Dropped His Debut Album ‘Radio’ 38 Years Ago appeared first on .

Today in Hip-Hop History: Hip Hop Cult Classic Flick ‘Krush Groove’ Released In Theaters 39 Years Ago

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TodayinHip HopHistory:Hip HopCultClassic'KrushGroove'ReleasedInTheatersYearsAgo

krushgroove

On this date in 1985, Hip-Hop bigwig Russell Simmons along with film producer Michael Schultz unveiled the Hip-Hop glory days fairy tale about the early days of Def Jam in the Warner Brothers distributed Krush Groove.

This cinematic, quasi-musical was told in a very unique manner, with almost all of the artists playing themselves as the story is being told; The Fat Boys, Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Jeckyl and Hyde, the Beastie Boys and Sheila E. all starred as themselves, while being managed by Russell(ironically, played by Blair Underwood) and a young Rick Rubin before they became the icons that they are recognized as today. The flick even gives a quick peek into how Def Jam’s rookie and first solo artist L.L. Cool J was recruited in Def Jam’s NYU dorm “office”.

The movie’s soundtrack boasts more than a few hits, such as The Fat Boys’ “All You Can Eat”. LL’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, the original “If I Ruled The World” by Kurtis Blow, which was famously remixed by Nas and Lauryn Hill a decade after the movie’s release and the title track by The Krush Groove All Stars.

Shout out to all of the legends who were quarterbacked by Hip-Hop’s Barack Russell Simmons in making this Def Jam biopic forever a Hip Hop classic!

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: Hip Hop Cult Classic Flick ‘Krush Groove’ Released In Theaters 39 Years Ago appeared first on .

Today in Hip-Hop History: The Fat Boys’ Self Titled Debut Album Turns 40 Years Old!

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The Fat Boys released their self-titled debut album May 29, 1984, exactly four decades ago today (May 29). The Brooklyn trio, comprised of Prince Markie Dee, Kool Rock-Ski, and The Human Beat Box or “Buffy,” helped put beatboxing on the map, along with Doug E. Fresh.

Considered by many to be an early ’80s Hip Hop classic, the self-titled album had no guest appearances and was one of the first to feature a live beatbox on a record. The trio then made a memorable appearance in the classic Hip-Hop film, Krush Groove, in 1985.

For its 1984 album, songs like the anthemic “Human Beat Box” and the storytelling saga of “Jailhouse Rap” gave the East New York trio a leg up against their rapping peers like Run-D.M.C. and Whodini. The timeless title track was an unapologetic ode for overweight people to not feel embarrassed about their weight, giving light to other rotund artists like Heavy D and even The Notorious B.I.G.

Sadly, on December 10, 1995, Buff Love died of a heart attack in Rosedale, Queens, New York. He was 28 years of age and reportedly weighed 450 pounds. Prince Markie Dee passed away on February 18, 2021 from congestive heart failure during the height of the pandemic. Both of them will forever be missed. The only surviving member, Kool Rock Ski, s still active on social media, and regularly posts about the Fat Boys, and also produces Fat Boys merchandise which he promotes via Instagram. He is also the host of the annual Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Cookout in New York City, which began in the summer of 2021.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: The Fat Boys’ Self Titled Debut Album Turns 40 Years Old! first appeared on The Source.

The post Today in Hip-Hop History: The Fat Boys’ Self Titled Debut Album Turns 40 Years Old! appeared first on The Source.

Today In Hip Hop History: Hip Hop Cult Classic Flick ‘Krush Groove’ Released In Theaters 38 Years Ago

by
TodayinHip HopHistory:Hip HopCultClassic'KrushGroove'ReleasedInTheatersYearsAgo

On this date in 1985, Hip-Hop bigwig Russell Simmons along with film producer Michael Schultz unveiled the Hip-Hop glory days fairy tale about the early days of Def Jam in the Warner Brothers distributed Krush Groove.

This cinematic, quasi-musical was told in a very unique manner, with almost all of the artists playing themselves as the story is being told; The Fat Boys, Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Jeckyl and Hyde, the Beastie Boys and Sheila E. all starred as themselves, while being managed by Russell(ironically, played by Blair Underwood) and a young Rick Rubin before they became the icons that they are recognized as today. The flick even gives a quick peek into how Def Jam’s rookie and first solo artist L.L. Cool J was recruited in Def Jam’s NYU dorm “office”.

The movie’s soundtrack boasts more than a few hits, such as The Fat Boys’ “All You Can Eat”. LL’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio”, the original “If I Ruled The World” by Kurtis Blow, which was famously remixed by Nas and Lauryn Hill a decade after the movie’s release and the title track by The Krush Groove All Stars.

Shout out to all of the legends who were quarterbacked by Hip-Hop’s Barack Russell Simmons in making this Def Jam biopic forever a Hip Hop classic!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Hip Hop Cult Classic Flick ‘Krush Groove’ Released In Theaters 38 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Hip Hop Cult Classic Flick ‘Krush Groove’ Released In Theaters 38 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.