Stagga Lee
Encyclopedia
Eric Newman, better known by his stage name Stagga Lee, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 rapper from Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...

. His stage name was adopted after hearing the classic 1959 No. 1 hit "Stagger Lee" by Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price
Lloyd Price is an American R&B vocalist. Known as "Mr. Personality", after the name of one of his biggest million-selling hits...

.

He signed to Artistdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...

 in 2004, and had a minor hit in his debut single, "Roll Wit M.V.P. (We Be Like! The La La Song)," which sampled Minnie Riperton
Minnie Riperton
Minnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...

's 1975 hit "Lovin' You
Lovin' You
-Film:*Loving You, an Elvis Presley movie and soundtrack album*Loving You , a melodramatic love story film produced and distributed by Regal Films-Music:...

," and peaked at #13 on the Rhythmic Top 40 in 2003. This began after a buzz was created from the video play the song was receiving on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...

's late night video show "Uncut
BET: Uncut
BET: Uncut was a television program that aired on BET. The music video program contained highly sexualized imagery. Because of its content, the show was rated TV-MA and accompanied by an on-air message stating that it is not suitable for children under the age of 17. The show aired on Wednesdays...

." Following a 28 city promotional tour, his second single, as a featured artist of the Hip-Hop/Dance collective M.V.P
MVP (band)
MVP is a hip hop act from New York. The line-up of the group featured an R&B singer from The Bronx, Vice Verse ; MC Stagga Lee ; and Robert Clivillés ....

., (which also featured Robert Clivilles
Robert Clivillés
Robert Clivillés is a record producer, songwriter, arranger, music video director most noted for his work with C+C Music Factory, a group he founded with musical partner David Cole...

, Vice Verse and Jasmine Ray), "Roc Ya Body (Mic Check 1 2)
Roc Ya Body (Mic Check 1 2)
"Roc Ya Body " is the debut single from hip hop/rap group MVP featuring rapper, Stagga Lee released to radio in 2004,and shot to #1 on the top dance format station in New York,103.5 KTU. Roc Ya Body is their most popular single to date. It peaked at #5 in the UK and topped the Official UK Ringtone...

", which had a similar sound to the dancehall Diwali Riddim instrumental, was released to radio in 2004,and shot to #1 on the top dance format station in 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...

,103.5 KTU. The exposure from this success allowed him to sign, as part of M.V.P., to Tommy Mottola
Tommy Mottola
Thomas Daniel "Tommy" Mottola is an American music executive, co-owner of Casablanca Records in a joint venture with the Universal Music Group. He is the ex-husband of Mariah Carey and is married to Mexican singer Thalía...

's Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...

. They parted ways with the label the following year. The song was released in the U.K. in 2005 on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

. Positiva Records
Positiva Records
Positiva Records is a subsidiary of EMI Records and is one of the biggest dance music labels in the UK. The record label was set up in 1993, by Nick Halkes, who previously ran XL Recordings . Its headquarters are at the EMI offices in Brook Green in West London, where it is currently the only large...

, peaking at #5 on the Billboard Top 100, and quickly spread to other markets around Europe including Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

(#11), Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

(#1), and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

(#4). He was the opening act on the European leg of the Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...

 tour from July to August, and the Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...

 tour in September/November, performing at venues such as Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

, Manchester Evening News Arena
Manchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...

, and Cardiff City Stadium. Live television appearances include Top of The Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...

 (U.K.and Germany), Ballerman Hitz(Spain), and Popworld
Popworld
Popworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....

(London).

In October 2011, it was announced that Stagga Lee will be working on a new mixtape and EP, both with expected release dates 1st quarter 2012.

Discography

  • 2003: Roll Wit M.V.P.
  • 2003: Game Of Breath (unreleased)
  • 2004: Roc Ya Body
  • 2005: Hip-Hop, Clubs, Girls and Life

External links

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