88-Keys
Encyclopedia
Charles Misodi Njapa, better known by his stage name 88-Keys, is an American
record producer
and rapper
.
, New York
to West African parents, 88-Keys first took an interest in hip-hop after hearing Prince Paul
's production on De La Soul
's 1989 critically acclaimed album 3 Feet High and Rising
. In the early '90's, 88-Keys met A Tribe Called Quest
's Q-Tip
, DJ-producer Pete Rock
and producer Large Professor
working as an intern at West Hempstead's The Music Palace recording studio. It was Large Professor who gave Charles his 88-Keys moniker after witnessing his skills on the Ensoniq ASR-10
keyboard.
However, 88-Keys's parents were strict on education and less enthusiastic about his interest in the then-newly emerging cultural phenomenon of hip hop. Both of 88-Keys's parents are registered nurses, his brother is a doctor, one of his older sisters is a nurse and another sister is on her way to becoming a doctor. Upon considering a serious career in music, 88-Keys's parents and older brother began trying to point him into the field of medicine because it was a more "professional field" and the music industry didn't seem like a lucrative move. After briefly attending Hofstra University
and Queens College, 88-Keys dropped out to pursue his dreams of being a record producer. His decision was fueled by an opportunity to record some tracks with The Pharcyde
who were recording in California. 88-Keys currently resides in New York with his wife and two daughters. In addition to his passion for music, 88-Keys has expressed his love for fashion, most notably Ralph Lauren
. During an interview with Metro
88-Keys revealed that he has worn Polo Ralph Lauren
every day for 16 years.
According to the article, 88-Keys began wearing Polo Ralph Lauren as a Long Island high school student in 1992 when he developed a liking for its classic, preppy style. Since then, he's worn a complete look from the brand every day, without fail. His wardrobe includes over 700 Polo pieces.
Since his days as an assistant engineer, 88-Keys has produced records for numerous artists including Mos Def
, Talib Kweli
, Macy Gray
, Musiq Soulchild and Consequence
. Recently, 88-Keys extended beyond his production credits to highlight his skills on the mic as MC, singer and collaborator
, most notably on his solo debut album The Death of Adam
released on November 11, 2008. Executively produced by 88-Keys's close friend Kanye West
, the concept album
tells the story of a man named Adam who has been murdered in a loft apartment in Harlem. In August 2008 a fifteen-track mixtape
titled Adam's Case Files was released as a prequel to The Death of Adam. The album's first single titled "Stay Up! (Viagra)
" was officially released through iTunes on September 9, 2008. In December 2008, 88-Keys was highlighted as Spin (magazine)
Artist of the Day. In 2009, 88-Keys worked in Atlanta with new female duo Addictive on a track for a forthcoming album.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
and rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
.
Biography
Born in Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to West African parents, 88-Keys first took an interest in hip-hop after hearing Prince Paul
Prince Paul
Paul Huston, better known by the stage name Prince Paul, is an American disc jockey and hip-hop record producer. He was also a founding member of the Gravediggaz where he used the name The Undertaker.- Biography :...
's production on De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
's 1989 critically acclaimed album 3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising
3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
. In the early '90's, 88-Keys met A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
's Q-Tip
Q-Tip (rapper)
Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
, DJ-producer Pete Rock
Pete Rock
Peter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
and producer Large Professor
Large Professor
Large Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
working as an intern at West Hempstead's The Music Palace recording studio. It was Large Professor who gave Charles his 88-Keys moniker after witnessing his skills on the Ensoniq ASR-10
Ensoniq ASR-10
The Ensoniq ASR-10 was a sampling keyboard produced by Ensoniq between 1992 and 1994. It is the keyboard model of the ASR-10R rackmount module. It was a follow up product to the very popular Ensoniq EPS and Ensoniq EPS-16+ performance samplers, and was also available with a piano style weighted...
keyboard.
However, 88-Keys's parents were strict on education and less enthusiastic about his interest in the then-newly emerging cultural phenomenon of hip hop. Both of 88-Keys's parents are registered nurses, his brother is a doctor, one of his older sisters is a nurse and another sister is on her way to becoming a doctor. Upon considering a serious career in music, 88-Keys's parents and older brother began trying to point him into the field of medicine because it was a more "professional field" and the music industry didn't seem like a lucrative move. After briefly attending Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
and Queens College, 88-Keys dropped out to pursue his dreams of being a record producer. His decision was fueled by an opportunity to record some tracks with The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde are an alternative hip hop group based in South Central Los Angeles. The original four members of the group are Imani , Slimkid3 , Bootie Brown and Fatlip . DJ Mark Luv was the group's first DJ, followed by producer J-Swift and then J Dilla...
who were recording in California. 88-Keys currently resides in New York with his wife and two daughters. In addition to his passion for music, 88-Keys has expressed his love for fashion, most notably Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
. During an interview with Metro
Metro International
Metro International is a Swedish media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the Metro newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41% since launch of the first newspaper edition in 1995. It is a freesheet, meaning that distribution is...
88-Keys revealed that he has worn Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is a luxury clothing and goods company of the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren. Ralph Lauren specializes in high-end casual/semi-formal wear for men and women, as well as accessories, fragrances, home and housewares...
every day for 16 years.
According to the article, 88-Keys began wearing Polo Ralph Lauren as a Long Island high school student in 1992 when he developed a liking for its classic, preppy style. Since then, he's worn a complete look from the brand every day, without fail. His wardrobe includes over 700 Polo pieces.
Since his days as an assistant engineer, 88-Keys has produced records for numerous artists including Mos Def
Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
, Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli
Talib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
, Macy Gray
Macy Gray
Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...
, Musiq Soulchild and Consequence
Consequence (rapper)
Dexter Mills , better known as Consequence, is an American rapper. He is the cousin of rapper Q-Tip of the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, and was formerly an affiliate of Kanye West's GOOD Music family. Consequence debuted in 1996 on A Tribe Called Quest's album Beats, Rhymes, and Life...
. Recently, 88-Keys extended beyond his production credits to highlight his skills on the mic as MC, singer and collaborator
Collaboration
Collaboration is working together to achieve a goal. It is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to realize shared goals, — for example, an intriguing endeavor that is creative in nature—by sharing...
, most notably on his solo debut album The Death of Adam
The Death of Adam
The Death of Adam is the debut album by producer and rapper 88-Keys. Released on November 11, 2008, the album features guest appearances by Kanye West, Kid Cudi, J Davey, Redman, Bilal, Phonte of Little Brother, and alternative rock group Shitake Monkey....
released on November 11, 2008. Executively produced by 88-Keys's close friend Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
, the concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
tells the story of a man named Adam who has been murdered in a loft apartment in Harlem. In August 2008 a fifteen-track mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
titled Adam's Case Files was released as a prequel to The Death of Adam. The album's first single titled "Stay Up! (Viagra)
Stay Up! (Viagra)
"Stay Up! " is the first single released from producer-rapper 88-Keys' debut album The Death of Adam and features the album's co-executive producer Kanye West. The song samples "All Night Loving" by British R&B three-piece band Imagination. The single was released digitally on August 25, 2008...
" was officially released through iTunes on September 9, 2008. In December 2008, 88-Keys was highlighted as Spin (magazine)
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
Artist of the Day. In 2009, 88-Keys worked in Atlanta with new female duo Addictive on a track for a forthcoming album.
Discography
- Adam's Case Files Mixtape (2008)
- Stay Up! (Viagra) Prescription Pack – EP (2008)
- The Death of AdamThe Death of AdamThe Death of Adam is the debut album by producer and rapper 88-Keys. Released on November 11, 2008, the album features guest appearances by Kanye West, Kid Cudi, J Davey, Redman, Bilal, Phonte of Little Brother, and alternative rock group Shitake Monkey....
(2008) - Green Light Means Go! (2012)