Olin Langley ( O-Files) first started in the world of hip hop and poetry in the late 80's, wich later evolved into bass, rhythm, and sound production. Olin eventually became the bassist for the legendary acclaimed band, Marvin Tate's D-Settlement. He has been privileged to have shared the stage with artists such as Oscar Brown Jr, Bernie... [+] Read More

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The London-based duo known as Definition of Sound created an appealing and exciting blend of post-acid house hip-hop that merged freestyle, reggae, rap, funk, rock, and R&B. One minute the group sounded like Al Green, the next Van Morrison, the next the Ombres. Kevin Clark and Don Weekes met at a mutual friend's house while they were listening... [+] Read More

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On the surface, the sample-reliant productions and monotone rapping styles of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith had little to recommend them, but the duo's recordings as EPMD were among the best in hip-hop's underground during the late '80s and early '90s. Over the course of four albums (from the 1988 classic Strictly Business to 1992's Business... [+] Read More

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Although they predated the jazz-rap innovations of De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digable Planets, the Jungle Brothers were never able to score with either rap fans or mainstream audiences, perhaps due to their embrace of a range of styles -- including house music, Afrocentric philosophy, a James Brown fixation, and of course, the use of... [+] Read More

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MC Lyte was one of the first female rappers to point out the sexism and misogyny that often runs rampant in hip-hop, often taking the subject head on lyrically in her songs and helping open the door for such future artists as Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Lyte began rhyming at the age of 12, which eventually... [+] Read More

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Naughty By Nature pulled off the neat trick of landing big, instantly catchy anthems on the pop charts while maintaining their street-level credibility among the hardcore rap faithful; one of the first groups to successfully perform such a balancing act. The group was formed in East Orange, NJ, in 1986, while all three members -- MCs Treach... [+] Read More

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By the late '80s, hip-hop was on its way to becoming a male-dominated art form, which is what made the emergence of Salt-n-Pepa so significant. As the first all-female rap crew (even their DJs were women) of importance, the group broke down a number of doors for women in hip-hop. They were also one of the first rap artists to cross over into the... [+] Read More

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The sharply dressed Son of Bazerk and his equally dapper cohorts -- Cassandra (aka MC Halfpint), Almighty Jahwell, Daddy Rawe, and Sandman, collectively dubbed No Self Control -- delivered the remarkably explosive Bazerk Bazerk Bazerk for MCA in 1991. Produced by the Bomb Squad and boasting the turntable skills of Public Enemy's Terminator X,... [+] Read More

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The U-Krew (short for the Untouchable Krew) signed to Enigma and released one self-titled album before splitting. The Portland quintet was formed by programmer/producer Larry Bell and vocalist Kevin Morse in the mid-'80s, but their first and only album didn't come out until 1989. Supported by a trio of singles, only "If You Were Mine" managed to... [+] Read More

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Born in Los Angeles, but an Oakland resident by the age of 14, Too Short was the first West Coast rap star, recording three albums on his own before he made his major-label debut with 1988's gold album Born to Mack; his next four all went platinum. Anticipating much of the later gangsta phenomenon, he restricted his lyrical themes to tales of... [+] Read More

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