1000 Clowns was a four-person rap group most notable for two songs: "(Not The) Greatest Rapper

(Not The) Greatest Rapper

" Greatest Rapper" is a song by 1000 Clowns, which appeared on the soundtrack to Good Burger. The single was released in the UK in 1999 and charted at #23....

" which appeared on the Good Burger

Good Burger

Good Burger is a 1997 American comedy film by Tollin/Robbins Productions and Nickelodeon Movies, released by Paramount Pictures, directed by Brian Robbins, and starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell...

soundtrack, and "Kitty Kat Max" which sampled "For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

Buffalo Springfield

Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...

. "Kitty Kat Max" was 1000 Clowns' debut single, released in late 1997.

The group's backing vocalists were sisters Anita and Michelle, and the band's leader, composer, lead singer and rapper was Kevi. DJ Mr. Pao was the turntablist

Turntablism

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...

, and he co-produced many of the songs.

Discovery

Based in Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, 1000 Clowns came to the attention of Elektra Records during a rare live performance. 1000 Clowns had played a total of four dates, all at the Viper Room. Within months of being discovered, work began on Freelance Bubblehead.

Kevi

Born and raised in Philadelphia where he listened to Run-D.M.C.

Run-D.M.C.

Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...

, Schooly D, Roxanne Shante

Roxanne Shanté

Roxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....

, and Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...

, Kevi attended Bennington College

Bennington College

Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...

 in Vermont where he majored in Theater and Sculpture. Upon graduating, he moved to Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

Kevi was the rapper on Forest for the Trees

Forest for the Trees

Forest for the Trees was a group started by Carl Stephenson in 1993. The project produced only a single full length album during its duration. Self-titled, the album was released in 1997 after being delayed by a nervous breakdown that kept Stephenson from working on it for several years. Forest for...

' single, "Dreams".

Formation of the band

"Basically, if you lived near me, or were my friend, then you could be in my band. Mr. Pao lived downstairs from me. He told me he was a club DJ, I asked him if he wanted to be in my band. He said, 'O.K.' And then I was looking for wholesome, intelligent, fun girls to be my singers. My friend Yvonna introduced me to her sisters Anita and Michelle. When I met them, I said, "Do you want to be in my band?' and they were, like. 'Sure. O.K.'"

Naming of the band

Kevi had rented the 1960s film

Film

A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...

, A Thousand Clowns

A Thousand Clowns

A Thousand Clowns is a 1962 American play by Herb Gardner, which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. A 1965 movie version was adapted from the play by Gardner and directed by Fred Coe.-...

, and it occurred to him that would be the perfect name for a band.

"When I first moved out here, everybody was like, 'I'm a producer. I'll put you in my movie.' Or 'I'm a director, I'm an executive, I control the whole industry.' All these people were actually assistants or whatever. They all had fancy business cards. I was so inundated with these cards that I had one made that said 'Professional Shepherd.' I would tell people,' I have my own flock, but I freelance.' Don't get me wrong, though. I love it out here. But it really is the city of 1000 Clowns."

Album

The group released an album in 1999 entitled Freelance Bubblehead, mixed by the Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

 record producer

Record producer

A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

, Mario Caldato Jr.

External links

• The group's MySpace page