HIP-HOP ROYALTY ** BOOKING NOW **

Slick Rick – Slick Rick foreshadowed and epitomized the pimpster attitude of many rappers during the late ’80s and early ’90s, with gold chains, and his trademark eye-patch. His debut 1988 record, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick was a certified platinum classic. “Treat Her like a Prostitute” became a sensation on the streets and his duet with Al B. Sure!, “If I’m Not Your Lover,” made number two in 1989. “Children’s Story” hit the R&B Top Five that same year. The 1999 release of the Art of Storytelling proved to be an artistically successful comeback, pairing him with MC’s like Outkast and Snoop Dogg.

MC Lyte – MC Lyte was one of the first female rappers to point out the sexism and misogyny that often runs rampant in hip-hop and helped open the door for such future artists as Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott. Her debut full-length, Lyte As a Rock, surfaced in 1988, while a follow-up, Eyes on This, followed a year later with the hit single “Cha Cha Cha” (peaking at number one on the rap charts). “Ruffneck,” the popular single off of the 1993 release, Ain’t No Other, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Single and became the first gold single ever achieved by a female rap artist. 1998’s Seven & Seven, released by Elektra/Asylum, included guest appearances by Missy Elliott, Giovanni Salah, and LL Cool J.

Big Daddy Kane – Big Daddy Kane was the ultimate lover man of rap’s first decade, yet there was more to him than the stylish wardrobe, gold jewelry, and sophisticated charisma. Possessing a prodigious rhyming technique honed from numerous B-boy battles, Kane could be an Afrocentric consciousness-raiser or smooth urban soul crooner. His 1987 debut single, “Raw,” became an underground sensation, and his first album, Long Live the Kane, followed not long after, produced another underground classic in “Ain’t No Half-Steppin’.” Kane consolidated his success with 1989’s It’s a Big Daddy Thing, which spawned arguably his most effective love-man song in “Smooth Operator.”

Whodini – Along with Run-DMC and The Fat Boys, Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to cultivate a high-profile national following for hip-hop music and made significant inroads on Urban radio. The Brooklyn , New York-based trio, managed by Russell Simmons, were signed with London-based indie Jive Records in 1982. Whodini made its name with good-humored songs like “Magic’s Wand” (the first rap song to feature an accompanying video), “The Haunted House of Rock” (a rewrite of “Monster Mash”), and “Freaks Come Out at Night.” Their live shows were the first rap concerts to feature official dancers, and their records have now become sample sources for contemporary emcees like Nas, Master P, Prodigy, and MF Doom. In October 2007, Whodini was an honoree at the 4th Vh1 Hip Hop Honors, acknowledged for their enormous contribution to the history and development of hip-hop music.

Naughty by Nature – Naughty By Nature pulled off the neat trick of landing big, instantly catchy anthems on the pop charts while maintaining their street-level credibility among the hardcore rap faithful; one of the first groups to successfully perform such a balancing act. After being discovered by Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature’s self-titled debut was released in 1991 and produced an inescapable Top Ten hit in “O.P.P.” They repeated their success with the 1993 follow-up album, 19 Naughty III, which produced another ubiquitous crossover smash in the “hey! ho!” chant of “Hip Hop Hooray”; the album hit the Top Five and, like its predecessor, went platinum. 1995’s Poverty’s Paradise went on to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album, and their 1999 release on Arista, 19 Naughty Nine: Nature’s Fury, featured the sizable hit, “Jamboree.”

EPMD – The rapping styles of EPMD were among the best in hip-hop’s underground during the late ’80s and early ’90s. The duo’s debut 1988 album Strictly Business, propelled along by several strong singles, including “You Gots to Chill” and the title track, went gold, as did 1989’s follow-up, Unfinished Business. Signed to Def Jam in 1990, EPMD returned with Business as Usual. Members Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith released several successful solo albums in the late ‘90s and early 200s, and Sermon partnered with Redman and Keith Murray as part of the Def Squad super group.

Too Short – As the undisputed Godfather of Bay Area hip hop, Too $hort has earned the hip hop community’s undying respect and admiration. His legendary status is backed up by incredible track record spans over twenty years and sixteen albums, ten of which earned gold and/or platinum status. In 1986, Too $hort dropped his monumental album Born to Mack, followed by the platinum selling Life is Too Short. “The Ghetto” – a single from 1990’s Short Dog’s in the House — made number 12 on the R&B charts, even enjoying a brief stay just outside the pop Top 40. His 2006 LP, Blow The Whistle, features a title track produced by Lil Jon and is arguably his best work to date.