Too Short, Coolio, Salt N Pepa, Naughty by Nature, Scarface, DJ Quik, See All Performers

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March 9, 2019

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Too Short Biography

Too $hort (born Todd Shaw) is as much a myth as he is a man. The godfather of Bay Area hip-hop, the creator of pimp rap, the originator of the independent hustle, the controversial youth advocate and the Hugh Hefner of urban America, $hort Dog is a pioneer and a legend. His revered status is backed by an incredible track record that spans over thirty years in the entertainment industry and includes 19 albums—10 of which have earned gold and/or platinum plaques.

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Coolio Biography

Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (born August 1, 1963), known professionally as Coolio, is an American Grammy Award-winning musician, rapper, chef, entrepaneur, software engineer, actor, and record producer. Coolio achieved mainstream success in the mid to late 1990s with his albums It Takes a Thief (1994), Gangsta's Paradise (1995), and My Soul (1997). He is best known for his 1995 Grammy winning hit single "Gangsta's Paradise", as well as other singles "Fantastic Voyage" (1994), "C U When U Get There" (1997) and "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" (1996). He was also known for rapping the theme song for the late 1990s Nickelodeon series Kenan & Kel. Coolio has since gone on to release albums independently, as well becoming a chef, creating a web series titled Cookin' with Coolio and releasing a cookbook.

Music career
He recorded two singles in 1987, titled "Watch Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me". Coolio made connections in the L.A. rap scene, and in 1991, ended up joining the group WC and the Maad Circle, led by rapper WC. He had a few verses on the group's debut album Ain't a Damn Thang Changed, including on the single "Dress Code". The album was regionally successful.
Tommy Boy Records and It Takes a Thief
In 1994, Coolio signed to Tommy Boy Records and released his debut solo album It Takes a Thief. The lead single "Fantastic Voyage" received heavy rotation on MTV, and peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Fantastic Voyage" would become one of the biggest rap singles of the year, and the album contained a few other minor hits in "County Line" and "I Remember". It Takes a Thief peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200, becoming certified Platinum. The album received praise for bringing a humorous and lighthearted perspective to often violent and profane themes of typical gangsta rap.
Gangsta's Paradise
In 1995, Coolio made a song featuring R&B singer LV for the movie Dangerous Minds, titled "Gangsta's Paradise". It would become one of the most successful rap songs of all time, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 3 weeks. It was the #1 single of 1995 for all genres, and was a global hit, as it reached #1 in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand. The song also created a controversy when Coolio claimed that parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic had not asked for permission to make his parody of "Gangsta's Paradise", titled "Amish Paradise". At the 1996 Grammy Awards, the song won Coolio a Grammy for Best Rap Solo Performance.
Originally "Gangsta's Paradise" was not meant to be included on one of Coolio's studio albums, but its success led to Coolio not only putting it on his next album, but also making it the title track. The title track sampled the chorus and music of the song "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder, which was recorded nearly 20 years earlier on Stevie Wonder's album Songs in the Key of Life. The album Gangsta's Paradise was released in 1995 and was certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA. The album contained two other major hits in "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot" with J.T. Taylor of Kool & the Gang doing the chorus. Despite no longer being an official member of the group, Coolio made an appearance on the second WC and the Maad Circle album Curb Servin', on the song "In a Twist". In 1996, Coolio had another top 40 hit with the song "It's All the Way Live (Now)" from the soundtrack to the movie Eddie. He was also featured on the song "Hit 'em High" from the soundtrack to the movie Space Jam with B-Real, Method Man, LL Cool J, and Busta Rhymes.
Red Hot Organization and Tommy Boy Records dismissal
In 1996, Coolio appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation CD America is Dying Slowly, alongside Biz Markie, Wu-Tang Clan, and Fat Joe, among many other prominent hip hop artists. The CD, meant to raise awareness of the AIDS epidemic among African American men, was heralded as "a masterpiece" by The Source magazine. That same year, he recorded the theme song and appeared in the opening sequence of the Nickelodeon TV series Kenan & Kel which ran for four seasons.
After the success of Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio's next album was expected to be another hit. His third solo album titled My Soul, came out in 1997. Although it contained the major hit "C U When U Get There" and the album went platinum, it failed to reach the success of his previous two albums. Coolio was dropped from Tommy Boy Records and his albums since then, 2001's Coolio.com, 2003's El Cool Magnifico, 2006's The Return of the Gangsta, and 2008's Steal Hear, have not charted on any Billboard chart. He did have a minor hit in the UK in 2006 with "Gangsta Walk" (featuring Snoop Dogg), which peaked at #67 on the UK pop chart.
While touring with hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse, Coolio received a tattoo as a homage to the group's fanbase, reading "Jugalo Cool" [sic]. He stated that the misspelling was intentional. Coolio has performed at the Gathering of the Juggalos.
Coolio was featured on an international collaboration track called 'Fuck the DJ' by UK rapper Blacklisted MC also featuring Bizarre of D12, Adil Omar (from Pakistan) and Uzimon (from Bermuda) the song was premiered on music website Noisey from Vice in October 2014.
Television
In 2009, Coolio appeared as a housemate on Celebrity Big Brother. He later went to appear on Ultimate Big Brother in 2010, where he decided it was best to leave the house after numerous confrontations with Nadia Almada and others in the house. In January 2012, he was one of eight celebrities participating in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off, where he represented the Music Saves Lives organization. He came in second place with a Zagat score of 23 out of 30, losing to Lou Diamond Phillips. As runnerup, he was awarded $10,000 for his charity.
Coolio was featured on the March 5, 2013, episode of the ABC reality program Wife Swap, and his girlfriend at the time left him after the program was taped. On June 30, 2013, he appeared alongside comedienne Jenny Eclair and Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden on UK game show Tipping Point: Lucky Stars, where he came second. Also on June 30, Coolio voiced a wax figure of himself on Gravity Falls.
Charitable work
Coolio and jazz saxophonist Jarez were enlisted in July 2008 as spokespersons by the group Environmental Justice and Climate Change to educate students at historically black colleges and universities about global warming. Coolio is a spokesperson for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. He says that he and his children are asthma sufferers. As a child, he was taken to the hospital several times due to asthma complications.
Personal life
In 1998, a court in Stuttgart sentenced Coolio to six months' probation and fined him $17,000 after convicting him of being an accessory to robbery and causing bodily injury.
Coolio appeared in the 2009 season of the British television show Celebrity Big Brother. He talked about his ten children from four different relationships.
Coolio also appeared in Celebrity Wife Swap which aired March 5th 2013.

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Salt N Pepa Biography

Salt-n-Pepa is an American hip hop trio from Queens and Brooklyn, New York, that was formed in 1985. The group, consisting of Cheryl James ("Salt"), Sandra Denton ("Pepa"), and Deidra Roper ("DJ Spinderella"), was one of the first all-female rap crews.

History
Beginnings
The group entered pop music at a time when rap music was believed to be a fad and record companies were reluctant to sign rap artists. Originally calling themselves Super Nature (on their first single), James and Denton debuted in 1985 with the single "The Showstopper", an answer record to Doug E. Fresh's hit single "The Show". "The Showstopper" was produced by Hurby Azor. The song utilized a melody from the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds. The finished recording garnered some airplay on a New York City rap radio program. The independent Pop Art Records gave it an official release, and "The Showstopper" became a modest R&B hit.
Albums
Hot, Cool & Vicious
With the success of Showstopper, the group's name was changed to Salt-N-Pepa (which they had called themselves in the first verse of the song) and they signed to the independent Next Plateau Records to record a full-length album. Roper then joined the group as the DJ, replacing DJ Latoya Hanson as Spinderella, and the group's first album Hot, Cool & Vicious was released afterwards in 1986. The album was produced by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, Salt's boyfriend at the time and also the group's manager. Years later, the women would have legal issues with Azor as they accused him of paying unfair royalties.
Hot, Cool & Vicious provided some moderate R&B hits with the singles "My Mic Sound Nice", "Tramp", and "Chick On The Side". But when San Francisco DJ and producer Cameron Paul created a remix to "Push It", the B-side of the "Tramp" single, it gave the group their first major hit. "Push It" (US #19, UK #2) became a platinum single in the United States, and a hit in several other countries, and was added to subsequent pressings of Hot, Cool & Vicious. It was nominated for a Grammy Award, and the strength of that single catapulted the album to platinum sales in the US with one million sold, making Denton, James, and Roper the first female rap act (group or solo) to go gold or platinum. The album ultimately sold 1.3 million copies worldwide.
A Salt with a Deadly Pepa
Salt-N-Pepa's next album release, 1988's A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, contained the Top Ten R&B hit and moderate pop hit "Shake Your Thang", featuring the go-go band E.U. A top 20 R&B hit and a minor pop hit were also seen in "Get Up Everybody (Get Up)" and "Twist and Shout" (UK #4), respectively; with "Twist and Shout" becoming a major hit in the UK on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #4, and several other European countries. The album sold about 800,000 copies worldwide with roughly 600,000 of those in the US, attaining gold status.
Blacks' Magic
The group's third album Blacks' Magic was released in March 1990, and was a personal album for the trio on many fronts. Pepa would become the first group member to become pregnant. Azor would produce some songs on the album, but often late or a no show to recording sessions, as he was producing other acts, he agreed to let the artists work with different producers to finish the album. James and Roper took on producing assignments themselves and the trio also hired different producers such as Invincible's producer Dana Mozie. This was the first album to feature Roper on vocals as well as DJ'ing. The result was six singles released by Next Plateau Records, several of which became hits: "Expression" (US #26, UK #40 in 1990, UK #23 in 1992), a platinum single that had been certified gold before it even cracked the US Hot 100 as it had already been #1 on the R&B Chart for 8 weeks, and produced by Salt; "Independent"; "I Don't Know" (featuring Kid N Play); "Do You Want Me" (US #21, UK #5), certified gold; "Let's Talk About Sex" (US #13, UK #2), certified gold, and later re-recorded as "Let's Talk About Aids"; and "You Showed Me" (UK #15). The album ultimately sold 1.5 million copies worldwide with a million of those sold in the US. A greatest hits album called A Blitz of Salt-N-Pepa Hits, featuring some remixed versions of songs from the group's first three albums was subsequently released.
Very Necessary
Salt-N-Pepa's fourth studio album Very Necessary was released in October 1993 on London Records/Polygram. The album featured songwriting and production by Salt, Pepa, Spinderella, and Azor. Buoyed by the hits "Shoop" (US #4, UK #13), co-produced by Pepa; "Whatta Man" (US #3, UK #7) (featuring En Vogue); and "None of Your Business", a Top 40 US hit and a Top 20 UK hit, the album eventually sold seven million worldwide, with five million of those in the US (5x platinum), making them the first female rap act (solo or group) to have a multi-platinum selling album. The group toured and Salt went on to co-star in the motion picture comedy Who's the Man?. Pepa co-starred in the movie Joe's Apartment. Pepa had also been romantically involved with Treach of the rap group Naughty By Nature. The trio won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1995 for the single "None Of Your Business", making them the first female rap Grammy winners. The album is the best selling album by a female rap act.
Brand New
By the time of their next album release, Salt-N-Pepa had gone through the legal process of completely breaking away from Azor, whom they accused of unfair royalty payments. Salt had already stopped being romantically involved with him due to their many ups-and-downs. The trio also left London Records after one album and signed with Red Ant Records, though still distributed by Polygram Records through its Island Records label. Red Ant offered the trio a $30 million signing bonus to sign with them. The group undertook production duties once again but without Azor involved in any part of the album. The result was their fifth album, Brand New (1997), which hit stores a few months later. However, Red Ant filed for bankruptcy soon afterwards, halting promotion on all its releases, including Salt-N-Pepa's album. The group toured in support of the album, but without any promotion or marketing from the now-defunct Red Ant, they only scored minor hits in "R U Ready" and "Gitty Up". The album was certified gold in the US for sales of over 500,000 and sold approximately another 200,000 worldwide. Although not as big a seller as its predecessor, it kept intact an unbroken string of gold and platinum studio album releases by the trio.
Disbanding
In March 1999, Salt-N-Pepa embarked on a tour. Pepa married Treach of Naughty by Nature on July 27, 1999, earning them the unofficial title of hip-hop's number-one couple. Salt-N-Pepa's greatest-hits album, entitled Salt-N-Pepa: The Best Of, was released in Europe on January 25, 2000. Pepa and Treach would remain married for two years but their tumultuous marriage would end in divorce on July 31, 2001. With no albums contractually due at the time, Salt decided to quit the group, stating she had enough with the music industry and no longer wanted to be involved in it. They officially disbanded in 2002.
Some time later, Salt announced that she would be releasing her first solo album, but she subsequently did not release the product. She was featured on the remix version of the Salt City Six's "Shine", on the album Holy South: World Wide, a compilation of Christian rap and Christian R&P (Rhythm & Praise) songs. The album was executive produced by ex-Three 6 Mafia member turned Christian rapper Mr. Del. Salt also revealed in later interviews that she had suffered from bulimia many years ago.
Pepa appeared on the fifth season of VH-1's The Surreal Life. She released an autobiography entitled Let's Talk About Pep in August 2008. The book was co-written by author Karen Hunter and offers a glimpse behind the fame, family, failures, and successes of Pepa's life, as well as being a member of one of hip-hop's most successful acts. It features an introduction by Queen Latifah, and an epilogue by Missy Elliott. To accompany the book, she also launched her own social network for her fans at http://www.LetsTalkAboutPep.com. She also starred in the reality TV series Let's Talk About Pep on the VH-1 network.
Spinderella is a radio personality on KKBT 100.3 in Los Angeles, California. She hosted The Backspin (with DJ Mo'Dav), a nationally-syndicated weekly radio show featuring old school hip hop music. She is also periodically a DJ at various club events.
Re-forming

Both Salt and Pepa appeared on VH-1's Hip Hop Honors in November 2004, as the trio were honorees. All three women reunited the following year for the next Hip Hop Honors program and performed "Whatta Man" with En Vogue. It was the trio's first performance in six years, and was their first ever performance of "Whatta Man" with En Vogue on stage. Salt-N-Pepa reformed in 2007. All three women now have children. Spinderella has a daughter with former NBA player Kenny Anderson. Her daughter has appeared on MTV's My Super Sweet Sixteen in 2008. Pepa has a son and a daughter. Salt has a daughter and a son.
On October 14, 2007, The Salt-n-Pepa Show debuted on VH1. Pepa initially started the formation of the series as she had previously appeared on the network in The Surreal Life. The Salt-n-Pepa Show chronicled events in the lives of Pepa and Salt as they work out past issues and return to the recording studio. Spinderella has been featured in several episodes. Later in 2008, the trio performed with MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Lady of Rage at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
On May 9, 2009 Salt-N-Pepa performed a concert in Honolulu, Hawaii along with SWV and Lisa Lisa. The name of the show was "Ladies of the 80s". They performed at the Good Vibrations Festival in Australia in February 2010, and the South West Four Festival, Clapham Common, London on August 29, 2010.
On October 12, 2010 Salt-N-Pepa received the I Am Hip Hop Award at the BET Hip Hop Awards.
On February 4, 2011 Salt N Pepa headed out on a national tour entitled Salt N Pepa's Legends of Hip Hop Tour. Other acts on the tour included: Whodini, Rob Base, Kurtis Blow, Doug E Fresh, Biz Markie, Naughty By Nature, MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, Slick Rick and Chubb Rock.
On November 21, 2011 Salt-N-Pepa appeared on The X-Factor Australia's third season with contestant and finalist Johnny Ruffo. They performed "Push It".
On July 30, 2012 Salt-N-Pepa opened up for rap group Public Enemy in Brooklyn, New York as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series. They brought out rap duo Kid N Play after performing Whatta Man.

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Naughty by Nature Biography

Naughty by Nature is a Grammy Award-winning American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey that at the time of its get together in 1989 consisted of Treach, Kyle Roskamp, Vin Rock, and the DJ Kay Gee. They are known for being one of the few rap acts who were able to balance success on the pop charts with hardcore rap credibility.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/index.html?curid=333873

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Scarface Biography

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Brad Terrence Jordan (born November 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Scarface, is an American rapper, music producer, and author. He hails from Houston, Texas and is a former member of the Geto Boys. He is originally from the city's South Acres (Crestmont Park) neighborhood. In 2012, The Source ranked him #16 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time, while About.com ranked him #10 on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987-2007).

Early life and education:
Scarface attended Woodson Middle School in Houston, Texas. He was brought up as a Christian, but converted to Islam in 2006.

Career:
He began his career as DJ Akshen (pronounced Action) recording solo for Lil' Troy's Short Stop Records, a local label in Houston. After releasing the 12" single "Scarface/Another Head Put To Rest" (1989) produced by Bruce "Grim" Rhodes, he would go on to sign with Rap-A-Lot Records and join a group who were collectively known as Geto Boys replacing one member who left, and released the group's second album Grip It! On That Other Level (1989), a highly successful album that garnered the group a large fanbase, in spite of their violent lyrics keeping them from radio and MTV. He took his stage name from the 1983 film Scarface.
In 1992, Scarface appeared (along with Ice Cube and Bushwick Bill) on the Kool G Rap & DJ Polo album Live and Let Die.
The album Mr. Scarface Is Back was a success, and Scarface's popularity soon overshadowed the other Geto Boys. Scarface remained in the group while releasing a series of solo albums that kept him in the public view with increasing sales, making him the only Geto Boys member that has always remained with the group since the group personnel was revamped in 1989. This peaked with The Diary and The Last of a Dying Breed, which received overwhelmingly positive reviews and sales, and earned him Lyricist of the Year at the 2001 Source Awards.
In 2002, he released The Fix, the follow-up to The Last of a Dying Breed and returned to the studio with the Geto Boys for their album, The Foundation. He was also featured on The Biggie Duets alongside Big Gee and Akon. He guested on Ray Cash's debut single "Bumpin' My Music".
In addition to his career as a rapper, Scarface has also been the coordinator and president of Def Jam South since 2000, where he has fostered the career of popular rapper Ludacris, whom he originally signed to the label.
Scarface has appeared on Freeway's album Free at Last and on Beanie Sigel's album, The Solution. Scarface is currently planning production; he has produced three tracks on UGK's Underground Kingz including "Life in 2009," "Still Ridin' Dirty," and "Candy."
Some of Scarface's early music videos ("A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die") featured community activist Quanell X in supporting roles.
In 2008, Scarface collaborated with rapper Tech N9ne on his album Killer on the song "Pillow Talkin'".
Despite limited commercial appeal, he remains out of the norm and uniquely popular amongst those in the industry, and has been described as "your favorite rapper's favorite rapper". On August 6, 2009 Scarface performed at the 2009 Gathering of the Juggalos. In 2005, comedian Chris Rock praised Scarface as one of the best three rappers of all time on his list of the Top-25 Hip-Hop Albums ever. "
On June 30, 2010, Scarface announced that he is working on a new album entitled The Habit which will include features from John Legend and Drake that was scheduled for release that fall. For one production on the album, Scarface co-hosted a worldwide producer showcase with iStandard from which thousands of producers were considered and after a selection of the top 8, Alex Kresovich was named winner. The album also features a production from Eminem. In February 2011, news came that he had been held in jail without bail since September 2010 for failure to pay child support in four different cases. As of August 2011, Scarface was released from jail. In 2012, Scarface collaborated with Ice Cube on an Insane Clown Posse remix called "Chris Benoit" on The Mighty Death Pop!'s bonus album Mike E. Clark's Extra Pop Emporium.

Media appearances:
Scarface appeared in the Mike Judge film Idiocracy as a pimp named Upgrayedd. Judge also used the Scarface track "No Tears" and Geto Boys tracks "Still" and "Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta" in his 1999 movie Office Space. Scarface's track "On my Block" is also featured in the movie "My Baby's Daddy".
He has appeared in the two video games: Def Jam Vendetta and its sequel Def Jam: Fight For NY.

Controversy:
Scarface was accused of anti-Semitism in an interview he gave for a music website in 2013. Scarface later responded to the accusations saying his feud was with record label executives who are "so old and so white they don't care about the craft or the culture of it, it's only the money that matters."

Personal life:
Scarface has a son, Brad Jordan, with Melissa Lollis. He claims to be a cousin of singer Johnny Nash.

Bibliography:
Scarface recently released a book April 21, 2015. The book details various moments from his childhood, getting his first record deal from Rap-A-Lot, and his tenure at Def Jam South.
Diary Of A Madman (2015)

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DJ Quik Biography

David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an American hip hop recording artist, DJ, record producer and actor. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in a short period of time.

Early life:
Blake was born on January 18, 1970 in Pomona, California. He was chiefly inspired by funk and soul artists, such as Roger Troutman (who even taught him the use of the talkbox, which became a trademark for Quik's sound throughout his career) and George Clinton. Out of respect for his beloved friend, Roger Troutman, he retired the talkbox. David's love for music began at 2, as his mother had an extensive record collection. By age 12 he was already playing instruments, and by the age of 21, he was a platinum-selling artist.
He began selling homemade mixtapes (notably The Red Tape, 1987) after he received a turntable for his 8th grade graduation. He then began doing shows DJing around Southern California, many of which ended in rival gang related altercations. He was a member of the Westside Tree Top Piru Bloods. In the 11th grade, Quik dropped out of high school. For a period of about three years he was homeless after his mother lost her home, due to foreclosure. He would later go on to say that after his success in the rap world many of his family members "popped up".

Music career:

Quik Is The Name:
After gaining a buzz for himself in the streets from his self-made mix tapes, he began to get the interest of many major labels, including Profile Records and Ruthless Records. He signed to Profile Records in the summer of 1990, reportedly as the label's first six-figure signee. Quik later went on to regret his contract with the label and was offered an advance of one million dollars by Eazy E. This left Profile Records with no other choice. They began to send letters to Ruthless Records, asking for them to cease and desist.
His debut album, "Quik Is the Name," was released in 1991. The album was led by the success of his two top 20 R&B singles, "Tonite" and "Born and Raised in Compton." The album ended up being number 10 on the album charts, and was Platinum by the RIAA. None of his successive albums reached the success of his debut, though they have been well received. He went on to produce 2nd II None.

Way 2 Fonky:
He later released his second album entitled Way 2 Fonky in 1992. It was certified Gold by October 9. It included the successful singles "Way 2 Fonky" and "Jus Lyke Compton." The year 1992 would also see him produce on Paid the Cost the debut album by rap duo Penthouse Players Clique.

Safe + Sound:
Before recording Safe + Sound, DJ Quik had previously scrapped an album, which he said was so horrible that he had to smash the masters.
As DJ Quik began to work on his third album, he started working with Suge Knight again. Their relationship dates back to 1988, before he sought refuge with a major label. He was signed to Suge's independent label Funky Enough Records in 1988. The arrangement proved to be short lived. They linked up again in 1993 for another short lived arrangement.
His third album Safe + Sound, released in 1995, made number 14 on the Billboard 200. It featured friends 2nd II None, Kam, Playa Hamm and Hi-C. The album features the singles "Dollaz & Sense" and "Safe + Sound". During the process of the album, Quik was feuding with rapper MC Eiht from Compton's Most Wanted and long time friend AMG. Today, he is on good terms with MC Eiht. Safe + Sound saw Suge being the executive producer. His relationship with Suge led him to produce some of the tracks on Above The Rim, Murder Was The Case, All Eyez On Me, Until the End of Time, Better Dayz and It's About Time and was on Death Row Records for a short period but never released a album while on the label. He also produced a 2nd II None album for Death Row Records, which was never released.
Quik played a part on the 2Pac album All Eyez On Me, though he is only credited for producing "Heartz of Men" on that album (in the credits he used his real name, David Blake, because he was under contract to Profile). He also did additional production and mixed half the album in over two days. Quik made another uncredited appearance on a song with 2Pac named "Thug Passion". He also produced on the albums Dogg Food and Tha Doggfather, although he received no credit. DJ Quik later went to say that he had some of the best times of his life when he worked with the label.

Rhythm-al-ism and beyond:
In the year 1996, Quik produced a track on House of Music, by Tony! Toni! Toné!. The success of the Quik-produced single "Let's Get Down" prompted House of Music to sell over 1 million copies. He also worked with Shaquille O'Neal on his You Can't Stop the Reign album. DJ Quik later discovered Suga Free, a pimp turned rapper in 1997. Their relationship saw Quik serving as the producer on his debut album, Street Gospel. It reached number 27 on the Billboard R&B albums chart. The album fell short of commercial expectations, but was praised by many underground rap fans in California, and is seen as a "street classic" by many of them. The DJ Quik production on this album was considered to be refreshing compared to the stereotypical West Coast G-Funk sound that had dominated most of the early 1990s, as he incorporated elements of jazz, funk, rhythm and blues, and even rock and roll to create instrumentals that caught the ears of many listeners. It was recorded in a record of 28 days.
In 1998 Quik released Rhythm-al-ism his fourth studio album on Profile Records. This record was certified Gold in 1999, and contained the singles "Hand in Hand (featuring 2nd II None and El Debarge) and "You'z A Ganxta." It featured guest appearances by Nate Dogg, Snoop Dogg, AMG and Suga Free. That year he went on to produce for The Luniz, Shaquille O'Neal, Deborah Cox and Jermaine Dupri. He also produced on The Kingdom Come by rapper King Tee which ultimately never came out due to label problems. He also faced personal and professional tragedy when his close friend and protégé Darryl Cortez Reed was murdered in 1998. In 1999, there was the release of Classic 220 by 2nd II None, in which Quik played a huge part. Production on Gap Band's Y2K: Funkin' Till 2000 Comz album, Snoop Dogg's No Limit Top Dogg, Suge Knight Represents: Chronic 2000 and Deep Blue Sea (soundtrack). This was compounded by the death of another friend and rapper Mausberg, subsequently murdered in 2000. That year, saw the release of rapper Mausberg's album, and DJ Quik's Balance & Options. Also production with Whitney Houston, Erick Sermon, 8Ball & MJG, Xzibit and AMG.
After the lackluster sales of only 400,000 units of his fifth album, he was dropped by Arista Records, which had bought Profile Records. He produced for Kurupt, Big Syke, Janet Jackson, and Won G. He produced on Made (soundtrack) in 2001. That year also saw Suge Knight try to get Quik as the in-house producer for Death Row Records. In 2002, he released Under tha Influence under Ark 21 Records which sold only 200,000 units. He also produced Truth Hurts' Top 10 pop hit "Addictive" that year. However, he had used an uncleared Hindi sample on the record, and the copyright holders eventually filed a $500 million lawsuit against Truth Hurts' label, Aftermath Entertainment, that was amicably resolved by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. DJ Quik also produced and appeared on another track on Truth Hurts' debut LP, Truthfully Speaking, entitled "I'm Not Really Lookin". He worked with Talib Kweli, Will Smith, and Shade Sheist that year.
Record problems and a plethora of others almost prompted Quik to retire. The album The Best of DJ Quik: Da Finale was originally going to be his last release. He later stated:
"I just couldn't escape that contract. Basic contracts are supposed to be like 6 or 7 years, or 1 year with like maybe 6 options. The contract I was in was like a 10 or 11 year contract. I wasn't getting paid and I wasn't happy at all. And plus I was going through a bunch of shit.".
He later decided to come back. In 2003 Jay-Z commissioned Quik to produce on The Black Album. Rapper Chingy worked with Quik on his Jackpot which also proved to be a hit. He worked for Roscoe, Butch Cassidy, Nate Dogg, E-40, TQ and Hi-C. In 2003 he also saw 50 Cent become a bigger star, as the aforementioned Get Rich Or Die Tryin album featured In Da Club which Quik did the drums for.
Ludacris got DJ Quik to produce on The Red Light District in 2004. He was also commissioned for a remix on the 2Pac album Loyal to the Game. He also worked with Knoc-turn'al and Suga Free that year.

Mad Science Recordings:
In September 2005, DJ Quik released his first independent album on his own new label, Mad Science Recordings. The album is titled Trauma and reflects the turmoil in the producer's "musical" life over the past few years. It was considered an independent success and has sold over 100,000 copies. In recent years he has worked with a 74-piece orchestra while working on the score to the movie "Head of State" with Marcus Miller.
On June 21, 2006, DJ Quik was convicted of assault on his sister and sentenced to five months in prison. The incident occurred in 2003, when he allegedly "pistol-whipped" her for extorting him, according to police reports. He was released early in October 2006. He went on to say that prison sentence gave him time to reflect on his life, and he later began getting rid of extra baggage.
In late 2007, DJ Quik and AMG formed the group: The Fixxers. Along with the formation of the duo, he dropped the "DJ" from his name for the upcoming album and rapped as "Quik". In March 2007 they signed a single deal with Interscope Records for the release of their album Midnight Life and promoted it with "Can You Werk Wit Dat?" However, the album was scrapped due to unauthorized actions by Hudson Melvin Baxter II (also known as "Hud"), who illegally put it up for sale on the internet in December 2007. The album was then spread across the Internet as a bootleg. In February 2008, Quik finished up mixing and producing for Snoop Dogg's new record Ego Trippin. In the process of working with Snoop Dogg, a production group called QDT was formed. It stands for Quik-Dogg-Teddy and consists of DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg and Teddy Riley. A collaboration album with Tha Dogg Pound member Kurupt, titled BlaQKout, was released June 9, 2009.

The Book of David (2011-present):
DJ Quik released his eighth studio album The Book of David on April 19, 2011, which included appearances by Ice Cube, Bun B, Bizzy Bone, Jon B., Kurupt, Dwele, and Suga Free, who once again worked with Quik. The album debuted at number 55 on the US Billboard 200 chart, with first-week sales of 9,700 copies in the United States. It also entered at number 5 on Billboard's Top Rap Albums, number 12 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 4 on Independent Albums. In its second week, it dropped to number ninety nine on the Billboard 200 with sales of 4,200.TMZ reported that for the album's release party he took over a marijuana dispensary in Los Angeles on April 22, 2011 and in a matter of minutes, the whole place was up in smoke. DJ Quik performed live with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon with guest stars Jason Lee and Emma Roberts on June 10, 2011.
Kurupt confirmed in a 2011 interview with HipHopDx.com that "And also next year, we will be working on our next album together, DJ Quik and Kurupt. Every year me and DJ Quik are gonna drop us one of these slizzappers!".
Snoop Dogg joined forces with DJ Quik, Battlecat, The D.O.C. and others to create four songs for Dr. Dre's Detox. According to Snoop, two of those songs would be solo cuts for Dre while the other two would be collaborations between Snoop and Dre. Two videos were released, both featuring all of these artists collectively working on the project and discussing the need to release quality work.

Feud with Compton's Most Wanted:
DJ Quik got involved in a long tumultuous rivalry with fellow Compton rapper MC Eiht and his group Compton's Most Wanted that lasted for several years. The feud traces back to a track on DJ Quik's debut mixtape The Red Tape, where Quik indirectly dissed both Compton's Most Wanted and the N.W.A. During that time, Quik was a member to the Tree Top Piru Bloods and Eiht was a member of the 159th St. Tragniew Park Compton Crips. On the track "Duck Sick" from CMW's debut album It's a Compton Thang, they criticized and questioned Quik's street credibility. They hit Quik again in 1991 on their sophomore effort Straight Checkn 'Em. Quik didn't respond to CMW's disses on his debut album Quik is the Name, but he responded to Eiht on the title track to his sophomore effort Way 2 Fonky. CMW responded months later with a music video that featured a DJ Quik lookalike that was being chased by CMW. Quik didn't respond to it as he was facing label problems and other music projects. However, on the soundtrack to the 1994 short film Murder Was The Case, on the track "Dollaz + Sense", Quik ruthlessly verbally attacks Eiht, calling him a movie script killer (in reference to Eiht's appearance in the critically acclaimed 1993 film Menace II Society), a coward, and more. Quik furthered the flames by performing the song at the 1995 Source Awards in Atlanta. The feud stayed quiet until April 1996, where Eiht responded to Quik on his sophomore solo album Death Threatz. The feud between Quik and Eiht slowly died down in 1997 following the deaths of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G, but the feud didn't actually end until the summer of 2002, where Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and other West Coast rappers helped Eiht and Quik squash the beef. Since then, Quik and Eiht collaborated on various songs. Even though the rivalry was not on the level of the Nas-Jay Z rivalry or the East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry since it was not covered by the media, it has been hailed by most hip hop fans and critics that it stands out as one of the longest active hip hop rivalries of all time (from 1987 to 2002).

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Juvenile Biography

Terius Gray (born March 25, 1977), better known by his stage name Juvenile, is an American rapper, actor, and songwriter. He is also a former member of hip-hop group the Hot Boys. At the age of 19, he began recording raps, releasing his debut album Being Myself in 1995. He became popular when his 1998 single "Back That Thang Up" was released. In 2003, he returned to Cash Money to record Juve the Great, spawning the number-one hit "Slow Motion". Following this album he again left Cash Money, and in 2006 he was signed to Atlantic Records. He released Reality Check under that label. He released his eighth studio album, titled Cocky & Confident, on December 1, 2009. He released his ninth studio album, titled Beast Mode, on July 6, 2010.

Music career
1991–97: Beginnings, Being Myself and Solja Rags
Juvenile first began recording his raps in the early 1990s. One of his early recordings was featured on DJ Jimi's 1991 release, "It's Jimi". The song "Bounce For the Juvenile" was a minor local hit and helped popularize "bounce music," a new rap style emerging out of New Orleans.
Juvenile's debut album, Being Myself, was released in 1995 after signing with Warlock Records. The album did not gain much national attention and did not chart, but did fairly well on a local level.
After the regional success of his debut Juvenile signed to the larger Cash Money Records. In 1997 Solja Rags, Juvenile's debut album with Cash Money Records, was released. It became popular among local rap audiences, and also saw some national success as it charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was the first time he worked with Cash Money in-house producer Mannie Fresh, who would go on to produce all of Juvenile's albums on Cash Money in their entirety except Juve the Great. Also in 1997, Juvenile joined the Hot Boys with fellow Cash Money rappers B.G., Turk, and Lil Wayne. They released their debut album as a group, titled Get It How U Live!.
1998–2002: 400 Degreez, Tha G-Code and Project English
Juvenile's next album, titled 400 Degreez, was released in 1998. It was his breakout to the national rap scene. The Cash Money label now had joint distribution by Universal Records, which gave the music much more national promotion. This along with much more critically praised music made Juvenile a mainstream star. The album's first single "Ha" and later "Back That Azz Up" both became very successful songs charting on the Billboard Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Powered by these two singles, 400 Degreez was eventually certified 4X platinum by the RIAA. It is his best selling album to date. However, there came a dispute over who owned the rights to the title of "Back That Azz Up", as another New Orleans performer DJ Jubilee claimed that Juvenile's song sounded very similar to a song of his. In January 2005, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans denied the case.
In 1998, capitalizing off Juvenile's popularity off 400 Degreez, a remixed version of Being Myself and reissue of Solja Rags were released. The second Hot Boys group album, Guerrilla Warfare also came out and was successful, being certified Platinum. Over the next few years Juvenile released two more solo albums for Cash Money: Tha G-Code in 1999 being certified Double Platinum, and Project English in 2001 being certified Platinum. These albums each were very successful as they both reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 200, but they did not match the success of 400 Degreez. UTP Records had promised an album titled 600 Degreez but it never materialized.
2003–04: Juve the Great and Reality Check
Juvenile's manager Aubrey Francis and Cash Money's Baby met and worked out a deal for Juve and CMR to partner for another album. Juvenile returned to Cash Money Records in 2003, releasing Juve the Great. Juve The Great was certified Platinum; it featured the number-one hit "Slow Motion" featuring Soulja Slim. It was the only number-one hit for Juvenile and Slim before Slim died in November 2003. The last Hot Boys album Let 'Em Burn came out in 2003.
In 2005 Juvenile signed a new deal with Atlantic Records for himself, and also a separate label deal for his UTP Records imprint. UTP Records is the label that was started by Juve along with his longtime manager Aubrey "Pied Piper" Francis, and older brother Corey. The group called "UTP" (Juve, Skip, and Wacko) released the hit song "Nolia Clap" as part of UTP Records first album release. It was produced by Juve along with producer XL Robertson. Atlantic Records. Juvenile also performed the song "Booty Language". It was part of the soundtrack for the movie Hustle And Flow. Juve performed alongside fellow Atlantic artist at the movies premier party in West Hollywood, California. Juvenile's Slidell, Louisiana home was damaged during Hurricane Katrina. Juvenile and fellow New Orleans rapper Master P and other hip hop artists raised funds and supplies for some hurricane victims. He moved to Atlanta briefly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In Spring 2006 he returned home to New Orleans.
Reality Check, Juvenile's 2006 album, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, being his first number-one album. It was certified Gold. Production began in May 2005, most of it being done at a Holiday Inn hotel room in New Orleans. Its first single was "Animal", followed by "Rodeo", "Get Ya Hustle On" produced by Donald XL Robertson, "What's Happenin'" Produced by Terrence "Sinista" Freeman, and "Way I Be Leanin'" featuring Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Skip, and Wacko. A portion of the album was recorded with engineer, Stewart Cararas at his studio Paradigm Park Studios in New Orleans. Within one month, the studio suffered the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. Stewart now lives and operates in Los Angeles. On signing to Atlantic, Juvenile criticized his former label Cash Money for not giving him enough creative freedoms as well as Federal Emergency Management Agency over his perceptions over their handling of Hurricane Katrina. Shaheem Reid noted "Get Ya Hustle On" as a criticism of Ray Nagin's and the George W. Bush administration's handling of the whole Hurricane Katrina Disaster.
2009–present: Cocky & Confident, Beast Mode and Rejuvenation
In a 2009 interview with Allhiphop.com writer Han O'Connor, Juvenile stated that his album Cocky & Confident would take a totally different direction from his last project, which was made when he was still "mourning Katrina." He also revealed that he decided to work only with fresh, young producers on the album and discussed his respect for younger artists like Soulja Boy.
Cocky & Confident was released in December 2009. It peaked at #49 on the Billboard 200. It was Juvenile's lowest charting album since 1997. It featured one charting single, "Gotta Get It", which peaked at #53 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. Following this album's release Juvenile began work on his next album, Beast Mode. This album was released in July 2010. Its first single is titled "Drop That Thang".
Juvenile released his tenth studio album Rejuvenation on June 19, 2012, which was distributed by Rap-A-Lot Records. The first single from the album is "Power" featuring Rick Ross. Juvenile collaborated with Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Drake for the album. On October 28, 2014 Juvenile announced and confirmed that he re-signed to Cash Money.
Personal life
Juvenile had a daughter, Jelani, with Joy Deleston. On February 29, 2008, 4-year-old Jelani was shot and killed in her home, along with mother Deleston and older half sister. It was reported that Deleston's oldest child, 17-year-old son Anthony Tyrone Terrell Jr., returned to the home after police arrived and implicated himself in the murder of his mother and siblings. Terrell was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of aggravated assault. Due to his age, he cannot be held to the death penalty in Georgia, and has since been held in the DeKalb County jail. Though Juvenile received some criticism for not attending the funeral for his daughter and her mother, several statements were released that the rapper was "shocked and devastated" by the event, and also "was extremely saddened to hear the reports. As a private matter he has no further comment." The rapper stated that he made the decision to not appear at the funeral to prevent subsequent media attention, and was concerned that it would divert attention away from the ceremony. Anthony Tyrone Terrell Jr. was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences after he pleaded guilty to killing Joy Deleston, 39, and her daughters, Micaiah, 11, and Jelani. However, Porter said Terrell won't be eligible for parole for at least 30 years.
Legal troubles
In the summer of 2002, Juvenile was arrested for assaulting his barber over charges that the barber was bootlegging his music.
In January 2003, Juvenile was arrested in New Orleans on drug charges. The next month, he was sentenced to 75 hours of community service for a fight outside a nightclub in Miami, Florida from 2001.
Juvenile was involved in a legal dispute regarding failure to pay child support for his daughter Jelani with Joy Deleston, a deputy sheriff in Gwinnett County, Georgia. A paternity lawsuit was issued by Deleston in 2004, resulting in a DNA test and both parties agreeing that Juvenile was the father of the child. Attorney Randy Kessler represented Juvenile in the case, and stated that the case was resolved peacefully by consent order in 2006.
On February 25, 2010, Juvenile was arrested in Arabi, Louisiana. While Juvenile was recording music at a house there, a neighbor called police to report smelling marijuana smoke. He was cited on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession and later released on bond. For that charge, he pleaded guilty in August 2010 and received a suspended three-month jail sentence and six months of probation and paid a $250 fine and court costs.
On February 26, 2011, Juvenile was arrested in Sterlington, Louisiana for simple possession and speeding. He is due to appear in court in Ouachita Parish in April. A warrant has been issued for Juvenile's arrest in February 2012, for allegedly failing to pay child support. He faced 90 days behind bars in New Orleans after reportedly skipping payments amounting to $160,000 owed to Dionne Williams, the mother of his 13-year-old son.
According to local media outlets and documents obtained by TMZ, the rap star hasn't been paying child support for over five years. A judge has ruled he can avoid arrest and potential jail time if Juvenile, real name Terius Gray, pays $50,000 immediately.
Discography

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Rob Base Biography

Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock are a hip-hop duo from Harlem, New York who are best known for their hit "It Takes Two." The duo consists of Rob Base (Robert Ginyard, born May 18, 1967) and DJ E-Z Rock (Rodney "Skip" Bryce).

Career
The duo's first U.S. single and release was "DJ Interview," appearing on World to World, which later got them a recording contract with Profile Records in 1987.
The first Profile release was "It Takes Two." It uses multiple samples from the James Brown and Lyn Collins 1972 song "Think (About It)." The track first became a regional hit and then slowly climbed the Billboard Hot 100, picking up a multi-platinum single certification. The song also peaked at #3 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart.
An album, also called It Takes Two, was quickly put together and it produced a significant follow-up hit, "Joy and Pain," which sampled a song of the same name by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, as well as "Put The Music Where Your Mouth Is" by The Olympic Runners. It also hit the Top 10 on the dance chart and climbed to #38 on the Hot 100. "Get On the Dance Floor," a track released to clubs in between the two singles, hit #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in 1989. Boosted by those singles the It Takes Two album went platinum seven times over. However, vicious rumors started to circulate that Rob Base had legal problems for using samples from Maze's Frankie Beverly for the hit "Joy and Pain", and he had his own personal problems. DJ E-Z Rock also was forced to leave the group due to his own personal issues, so Rob Base was left to be a solo artist.
He responded in 1989 with The Incredible Base, his debut solo album. It did not sell as well as It Takes Two. One song from the album hit the dance chart in late 1989: "Turn It Out (Go Base)," credited only to Rob Base.
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock had a reunion album in 1994 with Break of Dawn; however, the album did not do well commercially.
In 2008, their song "It Takes Two" was ranked number 37 on VH1's 100 greatest songs of hip hop.
The duo recently performed in Boston with C+C Music Factory.
Personal life
Ginyard's first child De'Jene' was born in 1989 to his then girlfriend Rhonda. They broke up a little while after. Ginyard later met April and had a son, Robert Ginyard, Jr., in 1993, and later together took guardianship custody of April's cousin Dysell. Rob and April then married and remained so until she passed away in October 2013.

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Doug E. Fresh Biography

Douglas E. Davis (born September 17, 1966), better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is a Barbadian born American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box. The pioneer of 20th-century American beatboxing, Fresh is able to accurately imitate drum machines and various special effects using only his mouth, lips, gums, throat, tongue and a microphone.

Music career:
Although he began his recording career as a solo artist as one of the last artists on Enjoy Records and one of the first on Vintertainment Records (the same New York-based label owned by Vincent Davis that would later make a name of Hip-Hop artist Joeski Love and bring R&B icon Keith Sweat to ultimate fame), it was when he and a new team of DJs known as the Get Fresh Crew (Barry Bee and Chill Will) along with a newcomer named MC Ricky D (who would later achieve fame as Slick Rick) came to fledgling New Jersey-based Hip-Hop label Danya/Reality Records the following year and recorded "The Show" (which borrowed the melody of the Inspector Gadget theme by Shuki Levy), and "La Di Da Di", a tune that was completely voiced by MC Ricky D and backed by Doug E's beat boxing for the entire duration of the song. It was when both of these songs were released on a single (particularly 12" single) that broke him (and Slick Rick) into stardom. Both "The Show" and "La-Di-Da-Di" are considered two of the all-time greatest early hip hop classics and, as such, make up one of the first and only Hip-Hop singles to have two hit songs on the same record.
"The Show" peaked at #7 in the UK Singles Chart in December 1985.
Doug E. Fresh was also interviewed in the 1986 cult documentary Big Fun In The Big Town. Unfortunately, Slick Rick would leave the group almost a year after the single was released leaving many wondering what happened to him until 1988 when he became a Def Jam artist and released his debut album, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew soldiered on, now officially signed to Danya/Reality/Fantasy and releasing two albums from that period -- Oh, My God! from 1986 (which includes the hit song "All The Way To Heaven") and The World's Greatest Entertainer from 1988--both of which are now long out of print and extremely rare. The main single from the album The World's Greatest Entertainer was "Keep Risin' To The Top" which was named after Keni Burke's then-obscure 1981 hit "Rising To The Top", which, thanks to being sampled in Doug E. Fresh's song, has become Keni's signature tune. Doug E.'s "Keep Risin' To The Top" also samples the main chorus phrase of Heatwave's 1976 classic "Ain't No Half Steppin'," which Big Daddy Kane also sampled that same year for his song of the same name.
In 1992, after a four-year hiatus, Doug E. Fresh joined with MC Hammer's label, Bust It Records and issued one album, Doin' What I Gotta Do, which (despite some minor acclaim for his single "Bustin' Out (On Funk)" which sampled the Rick James 1979 single "Bustin' Out") was a commercial failure.
In 1993, Doug E. Fresh found a new home at Island Records-affiliated label Gee Street. At the time, he managed only to release one single that contained three songs--"I-ight (Alright)," which was the main song; "Bounce"; and "Freaks". Although "I-ight" (which originated the now-famous club chant "Heyyyyyy, YO!... I-iiiiight?") was slated to become the first major hit for Doug in 5 years, it was almost immediately overshadowed by "Freaks", a Dancehall tune beat-boxed entirely by Doug E. and vocalized mainly by his protégé, a Brooklyn-born Jamaican teenage newcomer named Vicious. The song received major radio and club play, followed by video play when the video was finally produced a few months into 1994. The latter would soon ink a deal with Sony Music's Epic Records for three years, although he would only release one album, Destination Brooklyn.
In 1995, Slick Rick and Fresh reunited for a track on an album titled Play, which found Fresh back on his feet. The album received positive reviews; Bret Love wrote, "A welcome flashback to the days when guns, drugs, sex, and violence were not the genre's primary lyrical focus." Off the Play album also was a track title "Freak It Out" which featured Uncle Luke produced by platinum producer Frankie Cutlass and was also on the Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtrack, and was certified a Gold Album by RIAA.
On May 23, 2007, Fresh performed variations upon "The Show" with finalist Blake Lewis on the season-six finale of American Idol, the first ever hip-hop performance on the show.
2010 saw Fresh make a small comeback in popular culture as rap group Cali Swag District brought back some of his trademark dance moves with their song "Teach Me How to Dougie." Members of Cali Swag District saw Texas college students doing a local dance created in Dallas called the D-Town Boogie. They recognized it as a modified version of Fresh's dance moves and decided to create a song that would feature the dance, but also give Fresh his due credit.
On June 27, 2010, Fresh came out and performed with Cali Swag District while they were performing their song "Teach Me How to Dougie" at the BET Awards Pre-show.

On November 8, 2010, Fresh appeared at the Soul Train Awards, where he taught CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer how to Dougie on stage as part of the show.
On December 10, 2010, Fresh appeared on ESPN First Take to speak about the phenomenon of the Dougie as a sports celebration. As part of the show he, Lomas Brown, and Skip Bayless voted on the best sports related Dougie's. The Dougie performed by Bayless himself on ESPN First Take was voted by Fresh as the best, although he rated Wolf Blitzer's Dougie at the Soul Train Awards the best but it had no sports association.
On July 9, 2012, Fresh served as a celebrity judge on the Apollo Live TV show.
On May 25, 2013, Fresh debuted the classic hip-hop and r&b show called "The Show" on 107.5 WBLS 9-11PM Saturday nights.
Fresh served as a guest mentor to Jeff Dye and Joe Jonas, as well as performed with them, on the show I Can Do That on June 30, 2015.
Fresh is currently working on a new album with artist/producer Rufus Blaq.

Personal life:
Fresh is a member of the Church of Scientology. He has performed for large audiences of its adherents at the Scientology Celebrity Center's Anniversary Gala in 2004. He also performed two tracks on the Scientology music album The Joy of Creating (other artists appearing include Isaac Hayes, Chick Corea, Edgar Winter, and Carl Anderson).
Fresh is the spokesperson for the Hip Hop Public Health Education Center at Harlem Hospital Center, in New York City.
Fresh opened a restaurant in New York City called Doug E.'s Chicken and Waffles. He also has stated he has a club called Fresh. He also performed at the Paradise Theater on August 12, 2010. The concert was titled The Show, brought to you by David L David (Spinback Entertainment). On October 28, 2011 Fresh performed at the Paradise Theater for a concert to benefit New York City's public hospitals; the show was part of "STAT! for NYC's Public Hospitals" to raise funds to reduce gun violence in New York City. STAT! was produced by The Fund for HHC, the philanthropic arm of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation - the agency that runs the public hospital system in the City.
Doug, who is married and is the father of six, manages his sons Trip's and Slims' hip hop group Square Off. Dayquan "Slim's" Davis and his brother, Solomon "Trips" Davis released their debut CD "Money, Moet & Memories " in June 2011. The digital-only release was orchestrated completely by the brothers with Little assistance from Doug. "When he is involved in something, that's us coming to him...mainly everything we do is our concepts, our own direction," Slim said to the NY Daily News.

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Kurtis Blow Biography

Kurt Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is a Dj, Bboy American rapper and film/tv and record producer. He is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label. "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Throughout his career he has released 15 albums and is currently an ordained minister.

Life and career:
Originally from Harlem, Walker began DJ'ing under the name Kool DJ Kurt. In 1979, aged twenty, Kurtis Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, Mercury, which released "Christmas Rappin'". It sold over 500,000 copies. Its follow-up, "The Breaks", also sold over half a million copies. He was also the first rapper to perform overseas. He released ten albums over the next eleven years. His first album was Kurtis Blow, while his second was the Top 50 pop album Deuce. Party Time featured a fusion of rap and go-go. Ego Trip included the hits: "8 Million Stories", "AJ Scratch", and "Basketball". His 1985 album, America, garnered praise for its title track's music video. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a Top 5 hit on Billboard's R&B chart. Besides his own work, Kurtis has been responsible for hits by The Fat Boys and Run DMC. Run began his career billed as 'The Son of Kurtis Blow'. Lovebug Starski, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Full Force, Russell Simmons and Wyclef Jean all have been produced by, or collaborated with, Walker. Former label mates René & Angela had their R&B chart topping debut "Save Your Love (For #1)" was produced by him. Along with Dexter Scott King, Walker co-ordinated "King Holiday", a song to celebrate Martin Luther King's birthday, released in January 1986.
His acting performances and music coordination in several films includes Leon Kennedy's Knights of the City and the hip hop film Krush Groove. As host and co-producer for Das Leben Amerikanischer Gangs, an international film production's focus on the West Coast gang scene, Kurt crossed international waters for inner city justice (1995). As host and associate producer for Rhyme and Reason Kurtis gave an informative account of the status of hip hop, while he participated in the three volume release The History Of Rap in 1998.
Kurt has spoken out emphatically against racism. He was an active participant in the Artists Against Apartheid record "Sun City". Kurt has worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation Push and National Rainbow Coalition in Chicago. Kurt has also worked with Rev. Al Sharpton's Action Network in New York City. In 1995, he started working on-air in radio, Power 106, the #1 CHR radio station in Southern California. He hosted 'The Old School Show' on Sunday nights, featuring hits from the past. He also worked for Sirius Satellite Radio on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin on Channel 46.
Beginning in 1996, Kurt was featured in a hip hop display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While in the same year, rapper Nas scored triple platinum with his version of "If I Rule The World". In 1998, the group Next released "Too Close", in which the music of "Christmas Rappin'" was sampled. ASCAP honored Kurt and Next at a gala affair on May 26, 1999. In 2002, he traveled to the Middle East to tour the Armed Forces bases performing seventeen shows for the troops. He was a judge for the 8th annual Independent Music Awards. In December 2014, Kurt was the Guest MC for the world premiere of "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a well received update of Tchaikovsky's holiday classic. A national tour of the show launched in November 2015 with 25 shows and Kurtis reprised his role as MC and host opening and closing the show.

Minister:
As the founder of The Hip Hop Church, Kurtis serves as rapper, DJ, worship leader and licensed minister. He became an ordained minister on August 16, 2009.

References in popular culture:
The They Might Be Giants song "Where Your Eyes Don't Go" on their second album, Lincoln, featured the lines "You're free to come and go / Or talk like Kurtis Blow.",
The Ice Cube song "Now I Gotta Wet 'Cha" featured the line "I'll Kurtis Blow yo ass away like AJ".,
The R.A. the Rugged Man song "L.I.'s Finest" featured the line "These are the breaks like Kurtis." and his song "On the Block (Golden Era)" features the line "At the roller rink no skates on, early '80s girl chasing, Kurtis Blow 'These are the Breaks' on.",
The Tom Tom Club song "Genius of Love" featured the lines "Steppin' to the rhythm of a Kurtis Blow / Who needs to think when your feet just go.",
The song "Christmas Rappin'" was featured during a Christmas episode of the TV sitcom Martin.,
Bruce Haack's 1982 single "Party Machine" featured the lyric "Low low low like Kurtis Blow / Down down down like James Brown.",
The song "Music Matters" by Faithless mentioned Kurtis Blow: "From Bamma Lamma to Tamla Mo, Curtis Mayfield to Kurtis Blow".,
Blow is mentioned in the film Notorious. When The Notorious B.I.G. was a child, he is shown to be a fan of Blow. As an adult, The Notorious B.I.G. sings Blow's "The Breaks" with his young daughter listening and learning it.,
The 2Pac song "Old School" featured the line "Remember poppin' and lockin' to Kurtis Blow, the name belts".,
In the fourth chapter of Chronicles: Volume One, Bob Dylan says he knew Blow, and that it was Blow who introduced Dylan to the rap genre of the time (mentioning contemporary artists like Ice-T, N.W.A and Public Enemy). Dylan also appears on the first track "Street Rock" of Blow's 1986 album Kingdom Blow.,
A brief reference to "8 Million Stories" was made in the 2009 hit "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z.,
In 50 Cent's film debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin', there is a party scene in Marcus's house where two girls are holding a Kurtis Blow album and are singing lyrics from "The Breaks".,
In Chris Rock's Hip-Hop mockumentary "CB4", MC Gusto (played by Chris Rock) says he's going to send a search party and find Kurtis Blow.,
In the video game NBA 2K12, "Basketball" is used in the opening video and is also part of the game's soundtrack.,
A poster of Kurtis Blow can be seen in the episode "Everybody Hates Houseguests" of Everybody Hates Chris.,
"The Breaks" is a featured song on the game Dance Central 2 for the Xbox Kinect.,
"The Breaks" is also a featured song on the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, on the radio station Wildstyle Pirate Radio.,
In Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake's duet "History of Rap", they sample the opening line to "The Breaks.",
On February 27, 2014, Jimmy Fallon and LeBron James performed a parody of the Basketball music video called Wastepaper Basketball.