Boogie Down Productions
Encyclopedia
Boogie Down Productions was a hip hop
group that was originally composed of KRS-One
, D-Nice
, and DJ Scott La Rock
. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the South Bronx, one of the five boroughs of New York City
. The group pioneered the fusion of dancehall
reggae and hip hop music
and their debut LP Criminal Minded contained frank descriptions of life in the South Bronx of the late 1980s thus setting the stage for what would eventually become gangsta rap
.
, rival hip-hop group Juice Crew
's lyrics were misunderstood to contain a claim in the song "The Bridge" that hip hop was directly a result of artists originating from Queensbridge
. Boogie Down and KRS retorted angrily with songs like The Bridge is Over and South Bronx, which started one of the first notable hip hop wars as MC Shan
, Marley Marl
, Roxanne Shanté
and Blaq Poet
all released songs featuring verses personally attacking KRS and Scott La Rock. The Bridge Wars, however, were only short-lived and after the death of Scott La Rock prior to the group's second album, KRS began to concentrate on consciously focused music.
While Criminal Minded contained vivid descriptions of South Bronx street life, BDP changed after Scott's death. Producer Lee Smith was dropped and KRS-One adopted "The Teacha" moniker and made a deliberate attempt at creating politically and socially conscious Hip-Hop. BDP were hugely influential in provoking political and social consciousness in Hip-Hop however they were sometimes overshadowed by the political hip hop group Public Enemy.
The Jamaican influence present in Criminal Minded is well illustrated by the use of the "Mad Mad" or "Diseases" riddim
started in 1981 with reggae star Yellowman's
song, "Zunguzung". BDP uses this riff in their song "Remix for P is Free", and it was later resampled by artists like Black Star and dead prez
. As an album regarded by many as the start of the gangsta rap
movement, Criminal Minded played an important role in reaffirming the social acceptance of having Jamaican roots. BDP referenced reggae in a way that helped to solidify Jamaica's place in modern hip-hop culture.
. BDP members and collaborators included Lee Smith, Scott La Rock
, D-Nice
, Kenny Parker, Mad Lion
, Channel Live
, McBoo, Ms. Melodie
, Heather B.
, Scottie Morris, Tony Rahsan, Willie D., RoboCop, Harmony, DJ Red Alert
, Jay Kramer, D-Square, Rebekah Foster, Scott Whitehill, Scott King, Chris Tait and Sidney Mills. BDP as a group essentially ended because KRS-One began recording and performing under his own name rather than the group name.
Original member Lee Smith, who has co-producer credit on the original 12” "South Bronx" single, was the last to be inexplicably jettisoned by KRS-One and the future new label after Scott’s love.
In the liner notes on BDP's 1992 album Sex and Violence, KRS-One writes: "BDP in 1992 is KRS-One, Willie D and Kenny Parker! BDP is not D-Nice, Jamal-ski, Harmony, Ms. Melodie and Scottie Morris. They are not down with BDP so stop frontin'." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com claims that this initiated the ultimate breakup of BDP.
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
group that was originally composed of KRS-One
KRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, D-Nice
D-Nice
D-Nice is the stage name of discjockey, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-Career:...
, and DJ Scott La Rock
Scott La Rock
Scott "La Rock" Sterling was the original DJ of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-BDP:Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS lived. The pair, together with DJ D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions...
. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of BDP's debut album, Criminal Minded. The name of the group, Boogie Down, derives from a nickname for the South Bronx, one of the five boroughs of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The group pioneered the fusion of dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
reggae and hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and their debut LP Criminal Minded contained frank descriptions of life in the South Bronx of the late 1980s thus setting the stage for what would eventually become gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
.
History
While the origins of hip-hop are believed to be from The BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, rival hip-hop group Juice Crew
Juice Crew
The Juice Crew was a hip hop collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr. Magic and housed by Tyrone William's Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew would introduce New School artists Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie,...
's lyrics were misunderstood to contain a claim in the song "The Bridge" that hip hop was directly a result of artists originating from Queensbridge
Queensbridge, Queens
Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America. It is located in Long Island City in Queens, and opened in 1939. The 3,142-unit complex is owned by the New York City Housing Authority. The complex is located in Community Board 1...
. Boogie Down and KRS retorted angrily with songs like The Bridge is Over and South Bronx, which started one of the first notable hip hop wars as MC Shan
MC Shan
MC Shan is an American rapper. He is perhaps best known for collaborating with Snow in "Informer", an international number one hit single.-Biography:...
, Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, Roxanne Shanté
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 Blaq Poet
Blaq Poet
Wilbur Bass , better known as Blaq Poet is an American rapper from Queensbridge, New York, USA.Blaq Poet was first heard in the track "Beat You Down" from the Bridge Wars during 1987, a diss song towards KRS-One and Boogie Down Productions. At that time Poet was at least 17 years old, as stated in...
all released songs featuring verses personally attacking KRS and Scott La Rock. The Bridge Wars, however, were only short-lived and after the death of Scott La Rock prior to the group's second album, KRS began to concentrate on consciously focused music.
While Criminal Minded contained vivid descriptions of South Bronx street life, BDP changed after Scott's death. Producer Lee Smith was dropped and KRS-One adopted "The Teacha" moniker and made a deliberate attempt at creating politically and socially conscious Hip-Hop. BDP were hugely influential in provoking political and social consciousness in Hip-Hop however they were sometimes overshadowed by the political hip hop group Public Enemy.
The Jamaican influence present in Criminal Minded is well illustrated by the use of the "Mad Mad" or "Diseases" riddim
Riddim
Riddim is the Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "rhythm," but in dancehall/reggae parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. Thus, a dancehall song consists of the riddim plus the "voicing" sung by the deejay. The resulting song structure may be taken for...
started in 1981 with reggae star Yellowman's
Yellowman
Yellowman is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay, widely known as King Yellowman...
song, "Zunguzung". BDP uses this riff in their song "Remix for P is Free", and it was later resampled by artists like Black Star and dead prez
Dead Prez
Dead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
. As an album regarded by many as the start of the gangsta rap
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
movement, Criminal Minded played an important role in reaffirming the social acceptance of having Jamaican roots. BDP referenced reggae in a way that helped to solidify Jamaica's place in modern hip-hop culture.
BDP Crew
The membership of BDP changed continuously throughout its existence, the only constant being KRS-OneKRS-One
Lawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
. BDP members and collaborators included Lee Smith, Scott La Rock
Scott La Rock
Scott "La Rock" Sterling was the original DJ of the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-BDP:Sterling, a social worker, met rapper KRS-One in 1986 at the Franklin Men's Shelter in the Bronx where KRS lived. The pair, together with DJ D-Nice, formed Boogie Down Productions...
, D-Nice
D-Nice
D-Nice is the stage name of discjockey, beatboxer, rapper, producer and photographer who began his career in the mid-1980s with the hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.-Career:...
, Kenny Parker, Mad Lion
Mad Lion
Oswald Priest, better known as Mad Lion, is a dancehall, ragga musician and rapper. He frequently collaborates with fellow hip hop artist KRS-One — most recently on a DVD promoting the Temple of Hiphop...
, Channel Live
Channel Live
Channel Live is an American hip hop duo composed of Hakim Green and Vincent "Tuffy" Morgan, which recorded for Capitol Records and Flavor Unit Records....
, McBoo, Ms. Melodie
Ms. Melodie
Ms. Melodie was an emcee married to KRS-One in 1988, and was associated with his group Boogie Down Productions until the couple's divorce in 1992....
, Heather B.
Heather B.
Heather B. Gardner, billed professionally as Heather B. , is an African American hip hop artist who first gained fame as a cast member on The Real World: New York, the first season of MTV's reality show The Real World.-Career:...
, Scottie Morris, Tony Rahsan, Willie D., RoboCop, Harmony, DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert
DJ Red Alert is a disc jockey on 98.7 Kiss-FM, N.Y.C., and has been recognized as a hip hop pioneer...
, Jay Kramer, D-Square, Rebekah Foster, Scott Whitehill, Scott King, Chris Tait and Sidney Mills. BDP as a group essentially ended because KRS-One began recording and performing under his own name rather than the group name.
Original member Lee Smith, who has co-producer credit on the original 12” "South Bronx" single, was the last to be inexplicably jettisoned by KRS-One and the future new label after Scott’s love.
In the liner notes on BDP's 1992 album Sex and Violence, KRS-One writes: "BDP in 1992 is KRS-One, Willie D and Kenny Parker! BDP is not D-Nice, Jamal-ski, Harmony, Ms. Melodie and Scottie Morris. They are not down with BDP so stop frontin'." Steve 'Flash' Juon of RapReviews.com claims that this initiated the ultimate breakup of BDP.
Discography
- Criminal MindedCriminal MindedCriminal Minded by Boogie Down Productions is a highly influential hip hop album. Production on the LP is credited to 'Blastmaster' KRS-One and DJ Scott La Rock , but in interviews it has been revealed that an uncredited Ced-Gee of The Ultramagnetic MCs had a key role in crafting the sound of the...
(1987) - By All Means NecessaryBy All Means NecessaryBy All Means Necessary is the second album from hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, released in 1988, on Jive Records. After the murder of DJ/Producer Scott La Rock in 1987, MC KRS-One moved away from the violence that dominated their debut Criminal Minded and began to write socially conscious...
(1988) - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip HopGhetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip HopGhetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip Hop is the third album from Boogie Down Productions. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on September 25, 1989.-Track listing:-Instrumental credits:...
(1989) - EdutainmentEdutainment (album)Edutainment is the fourth album from Boogie Down Productions. It is an album whose lyrics are based around afrocentricity and socio-political knowledge. It has 6 skits/interludes known as 'exhibits' that all talk about or relate to Black people. Many skits feature Kwame Ture a leader of the U.S....
(1990) - Sex and ViolenceSex and Violence (album)Sex and Violence is the final album released by hip hop group Boogie Down Productions. The next year, 1993, the group's lead member, KRS-One, would begin recording under his own name....
(1992)
External links
- Boogie Down Productions bio The 411 on Boogie Down Productions
- Myspace Official Music: Boogie Down Productions