King Holiday
Encyclopedia
King Holiday is an R&B/Hip hop
single released in January 1986 by the King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew. Composed by Phillip Jones, Kurtis Blow
, Grandmaster Melle Mel
and Bill Adler, it was released in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which was first celebrated as a national holiday in the United States
on January 20, 1986. All proceeds from the single were donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. The single peaked at #30 on the Billboard
Hot Black Singles chart.
The project was spearheaded by Martin Luther King, Jr.
's youngest son Dexter Scott King
, who is credited as the song's executive producer.
"King Holiday" was produced by Phillip Jones and Kurtis Blow
. The song features:
King Dream Chorus (vocalists)
Holiday Crew (rappers)
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...
single released in January 1986 by the King Dream Chorus and Holiday Crew. Composed by Phillip Jones, Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Blow
Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
, Grandmaster Melle Mel
Melle Mel
Grandmaster Mele Mel , also known as Melle Mel , is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.- Biography :...
and Bill Adler, it was released in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which was first celebrated as a national holiday in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on January 20, 1986. All proceeds from the single were donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change. The single peaked at #30 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Black Singles chart.
The project was spearheaded by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
's youngest son Dexter Scott King
Dexter Scott King
Dexter Scott King is the second son of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King. His siblings are Martin Luther King III, the Reverend Bernice Albertine King, and the late Yolanda Denise King....
, who is credited as the song's executive producer.
"King Holiday" was produced by Phillip Jones and Kurtis Blow
Kurtis Blow
Kurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
. The song features:
King Dream Chorus (vocalists)
- El DeBargeEl DeBargeEldra Patrick "El" DeBarge is an American R&B/pop falsetto singer and was the focal point and lead singer of the family group DeBarge throughout the early to mid-1980s....
- Whitney HoustonWhitney HoustonWhitney Elizabeth Houston is an American singer, actress, producer and a former model. Houston is the most awarded female act of all time, according to Guinness World Records, and her list of awards include 1 Emmy Award, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards, among...
- Stacy LattisawStacy LattisawStacy Lattisaw is an American R&B, dance, and gospel singer. Since the 1990s, she has exclusively sung gospel music, as a callback to her Christian roots.-Career:...
- Lisa LisaLisa Lisa and Cult JamLisa Lisa and her band Cult Jam were an urban contemporary band and one of first freestyle music groups to emerge from New York City in the 1980s. Cult Jam consisted of guitarist/bassist Alex "Spanador" Moseley, and drummer/keyboardist Mike Hughes...
with Full ForceFull ForceFull Force is a group of R&B performers and producers from Brooklyn, New York, USA, calling itself the original hip hop vocal band.-Members:*B-Fine - drums and drum programming*Shy Shy - bass guitar... - Teena MarieTeena MarieMary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
- MenudoMenudo (band)Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band that was formed in the 1970s by producer Edgardo Díaz, releasing their first album in 1977. The band achieved much success, especially during the 1980s, becoming the most popular Latin American teen musical group of the era....
- Stephanie MillsStephanie MillsStephanie Dorthea Mills is an American R&B and soul singer, and a former Broadway star.-Career:Mills began her career appearing in her first play at the age of nine. Two years later, Mills won Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater a record six times...
- New EditionNew EditionNew Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
- James "J.T." Taylor
Holiday Crew (rappers)
- Kurtis BlowKurtis BlowKurt Walker , better known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper and record producer. He is one of the first commercially successful rappers and the first to sign with a major record label...
- The Fat BoysThe Fat BoysThe Fat Boys are a successful African American hip-hop music trio from Brooklyn, New York City, that emerged in the early 1980s. Briefly, the group was known originally as the Disco 3.-Members:*Mark Morales a.k.a. "Prince Markie Dee"...
- Grandmaster Melle MelMelle MelGrandmaster Mele Mel , also known as Melle Mel , is an American hip-hop musician — one of the pioneers of old school hip hop as lead rapper and main songwriter for Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.- Biography :...
- Run–D.M.C.
- WhodiniWhodiniWhodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee.-Early years:Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to...
External links
- King Holiday (1986) - the original mvMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
at Youtube.comYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....