Keith Shocklee
Encyclopedia
Keith Matthew Boxley better known as Keith Shocklee or Wizard K-Jee, is an American hip hop producer and DJ. He was an original member of Public Enemy and The Bomb Squad
. He has contributed his talent to several albums including "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"
and "Fear of a Black Planet."
Shocklee also co-produced the singles "Bring the Noise
” and "Fight The Power,"
which were included on Rolling Stone’s
list of the “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.”
. He was childhood friends with rappers Chuck D
and Flavor Flav
.
and DJ Plumber. He also cites Fatback Band's
""King Tim III (Personality Jock)
" as the pioneering rap song that triggered his interest in recording. The Bomb Squad's
first songs were produced in Shocklee's mother's basement and recorded on tape and acid plate. He has since gone on to work with the following recording artists: LL Cool J
, Ice Cube
, Janet Jackson
, Sinéad O'Connor
and several other big act names.
LL Cool J
3rd Bass
Paula Abdul
Public Enemy
K-9 Posse
Young Black Teenagers
Bell Biv DeVoe
Ice Cube
Son Of Bazerk
Debelah
Film & Television Soundtracks
The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
. He has contributed his talent to several albums including "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back"
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
and "Fear of a Black Planet."
Fear of a Black Planet
Fear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 10, 1990, on Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. Production for the album was handled by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the dense, sample-layered sound of the...
Shocklee also co-produced the singles "Bring the Noise
Bring the Noise
"Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back...
” and "Fight The Power,"
Fight the Power
"Fight the Power" is a single by American hip hop group Public Enemy. First released on the soundtrack for the film 1989 Do the Right Thing, a different version was released on the group's third studio album, Fear of a Black Planet . The single reached number one on Hot Rap Singles and number 20 on...
which were included on Rolling Stone’s
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
list of the “500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.”
Early life
Shocklee was born and raised in Roosevelt, New YorkRoosevelt, New York
Roosevelt is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,258 at the 2010 census.Roosevelt is in the town of Hempstead.-Geography:Roosevelt is located at ....
. He was childhood friends with rappers Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
and Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
.
Career
Shocklee began his career DJing at various parks, house parties and clubs in New York City during the early 1980s. His style was inspired by several Brooklyn-based DJs including Grandmaster FlowersGrandmaster Flowers
Grandmaster Flowers was a DJ from Brooklyn, New York. One of the earliest DJs to mix records together in sequence, Flowers was known as one of the earliest pioneers of Hip Hop. Flowers was heavy on the Disco and Funk scene and used to hold block parties. Flowers is cited as having a "formative...
and DJ Plumber. He also cites Fatback Band's
Fatback Band
The Fatback Band is an American funk and disco band. Most popular in the 1970s and 1980s, The Fatback Band is most known for their Top Ten R&B hits, " Spanish Hustle", "I Like Girls", "Gotta Get My Hands on Some ", and "Backstrokin'"...
""King Tim III (Personality Jock)
King Tim III (Personality Jock)
"King Tim III " is a 1979 song by the Fatback Band from the disco album XII. Released on July 25, 1979, several weeks before "Rapper's Delight" , this song is often cited as the beginning of recorded hip hop...
" as the pioneering rap song that triggered his interest in recording. The Bomb Squad's
The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is an American hip hop production team, known for their work with the rap group Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track...
first songs were produced in Shocklee's mother's basement and recorded on tape and acid plate. He has since gone on to work with the following recording artists: LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
, Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....
and several other big act names.
Discography
The 783The 7A3
The 7A3 was a hip hop group based out of Los Angeles, California, which released one album in 1988 called Coolin' in Cali. It was composed of brothers Brett and Sean Bouldin, and DJ Muggs, who later achieved greater fame with Cypress Hill...
- Coolin' in Cali (1988)
LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
- Walking with a PantherWalking with a PantherWalking with a Panther is the third studio album by high-selling hip-hop artist LL Cool J. Released in 1989, the album was a commercial success, with several charting singles...
(1989)
3rd Bass
3rd Bass
3rd Bass was an American hip-hop group that rose to fame in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip-hop groups.-Career:...
- The Cactus Album (1989)
Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
- Cold Hearted Quiverin' (1989)
Public Enemy
- Welcome to the Terrordome (1989)
- Fight the Power (1989)
- Fear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black PlanetFear of a Black Planet is the third studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 10, 1990, on Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. Production for the album was handled by the group's production team The Bomb Squad, who expanded on the dense, sample-layered sound of the...
(1990) - He Got GameHe Got Game (soundtrack)He Got Game is the sixth studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 21, 1998 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. It also serves as the soundtrack companion album to Spike Lee's 1998 film of the same name and is the group's last album for the Def Jam label. The album...
(1998)
K-9 Posse
- It Gets No Deeper (1989)
Young Black Teenagers
Young Black Teenagers
Young Black Teenagers was an early 1990s American rap group consisting of Kamron, First Born, Anthony DelCioppo, Tommy Never, and DJ Skribble. Despite their name, none of the group was black...
- Nobody Knows Kelli / Proud to be Black (1990)
- Young Black TeenagersYoung Black Teenagers (album)Young Black Teenagers is the self titled debut album by rap group, Young Black Teenagers. The album was released in 1991 for Hank Shocklee's Sound of Urban Listeners, or Soul Records. Although the album did not do as well as the group's follow-up album, the album featured one hit single, "Loud &...
(1991) - Roll with the Flavor (1993)
- Dead Endz Kidz Doin' Lifetime Bidz (1993)
Bell Biv DeVoe
Bell Biv DeVoe
Bell Biv DeVoe is an American R&B musical group which branched off from New Edition. It consists of three of New Edition's previous members, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, and Ronnie DeVoe...
- PoisonPoison (album)-Album:-Singles:"—" denotes releases that did not chart.-Chart procession and succession:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic and Discogs.*arranging – Carl Bourelly, Roney Hooks, Hank Shocklee*art direction – Bell Biv DeVoe...
(1990) - BBD (I Thought It Was Me)?BBD (album)BBD is the third studio album by R&B group, Bell Biv DeVoe, their first recording since 1993's "Hootie Mack". In his review of the record, Jason Birchmeier gave it 2.5 stars, and said "It all amounts to an unapologetically brash album, one that turns seduction into sport...
(1990) - Let Me Know Something?! (1991)
Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
- AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)
Son Of Bazerk
Son of Bazerk
Son of Bazerk is an American hip hop group consisting of Son of Bazerk ; Almighty Jahwell ; Daddy Rawe ; Half Pint . It was formed by Hank Shocklee, member of the producer team the Bomb Squad.- History :The band formed in the mid-1980s, originally as Townhouse 3...
- Change the Style (1991)
Debelah
Debelah
Debelah is the first album of American singer Debelah Morgan. It was released in the United States by Atlantic Records on June 14, 1994....
- Free (1994)
Film & Television Soundtracks
- House PartyHouse Party (soundtrack)House Party is the soundtrack to the 1990 film, House Party. It was released on March 9, 1990 through Motown Records and consisted of a blend of hip hop and R&B...
(1990) - JuiceJuice (soundtrack)Juice is the soundtrack to the 1992 crime drama film, Juice. It was released on December 31, 1991 through MCA Records and consisted mainly of hip hop music. The soundtrack was a success, making it to #17 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Top R&B Albums and featured four charting singles "Uptown...
(1991) - Mo' MoneyMo' Money (soundtrack)Mo' Money is a 1992 soundtrack for the movie Mo' Money. The soundtrack was very successful, it reached and peaked at number six on the US Billboard 200, and peaked at number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart...
(1992) - The Meteor Man (1993)