#149
Saturday · 3 min
CW
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast LLC
We will showcase and highlight underground artists, musicians, DJs, actors, athletes, authors, singers, fashion, news, sports, politics and ordinary people with a voice. We will also cover events, live performances, documentaries, movies, reality shows, tournaments, live streams and more. This podcast will be hosted by celebrity DJ, Djbutterrock, the CEO of Cx1DJs Coalition LLC.
- 20 episodes
- daily
- Avg 2 hr 7 min
- English
- CW
#148Friday · 1 hr 59 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Onyx" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Onyx" hosted by DJButterrock Onyx is an American hardcore hip hop group from New York City, formed in 1988 by Fredro Starr, Suavé (also known as Sonny Seeza) and the late Big DS. Sticky Fingaz joined the group in 1991. They are best known for their 1993 platinum hit single "Slam",[2] which The Source magazine described as a song that introduced the art of slam dancing into hip-hop.[3] The group has released eight studio albums, three of which have charted in the Billboard 200 albums chart Top 25. Their debut album, Bacdafucup, has been certified platinum,[4] won Best Rap Album at the Soul Train Music Awards and was selected as one of The Source magazine's 100 Best Rap Albums.[5] They have been quoted as describing their style as loud screaming, aggression, fighting with each other, stage diving, throwing water, rapping with grimy voices, and bald head fashion.[6][7][8][9][10][11] History Onyx was formed in 1988 by schoolmates Fredro Starr, Sonny Seeza, and Big DS. They decided to name the band after the onyx stone.[12] The band began recording their first demos in the basement of B-Wiz with drum machine beats from an SP-12.[13] In 1989, Onyx signed Jeffrey Harris as their manager, who helped them secure a contract with the label Profile Records. On April 25, 1990, the group released their first single, Ah, And We Do It Like This, to low sales.[14][15] On July 13, 1991, while in a traffic jam at The Jones Beach GreekFest Festival, the band members met music producer Jam Master Jay,[16][17] who agreed to give them two months to submit a demo to his record company. When the deadline came, Seeza and Big DS couldn't make it to the studio to record the demo,[18] so Jeffrey Harris, the manager of Onyx, asked Fredro to come to the studio with his cousin, Kirk Jones, who at the time was doing a solo career under the name Trop. Fredro and Jones recorded two records for the demo, "Stik 'N' Muve" and "Exercise".[19] The demo was accepted by Jam Master Jay, who signed the band to his record label, Jam Master Jay Records. Jones subsequently joined the band with the stage name Sticky Fingaz. In 1991 the band lost all of its records when its music producer, B-Wiz, was killed while selling cocaine in Baltimore.[15] Later that year, Onyx hired Chyskillz as its new music producer.[13] In 1993, Onyx released their debut album, entitled Bacdafucup. The album proved to be successful, receiving a platinum certification from the RIAA and peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, the group's highest debut at that point. In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Albums. Three of the album's songs reached the Billboard charts; "Throw Ya Gunz", "Slam", and "Shiftee". Their breakout single, "Slam", was aired on MTV and BET, causing the song to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Slam" was certified Platinum by the RIAA on August 10, 1993. In 1994, Big DS left the group to start a solo career, producing music under his own record label called Illyotic Music. In 1995 Onyx released its second album, All We Got Iz Us,[20] and founded its own record label, Armee Records, distributed through MCA Records. Through its record label, the band produced music by Gang Green, All City, Panama P.I., and Choclatt.[21] In April 1995 Marvel Music, a short-lived imprint of Marvel Comics, released a comic book based on the band called "Onyx: Fight!". Written by Karl Bollers and drawn by Larry Lee, the comic depicted a post-apocalyptic New York City where Onyx forms an underground rebellion.[22] In 1998 the band released their third album Shut 'Em Down, which featured appearances from other bands, including X-1, DMX, 50 Cent, All City, Mr. Cheeks, Wu-Tang Clan, N.O.R.E., and Big Pun. Produced by Keith Horne, Self, and others, the album peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, selling 500,000 units.[23] Three of the album's songs reached the Billboard charts; The Worst, Shut 'Em Down, and React. Shut 'Em Down was Onyx's last album on the Def Jam Recordings label.[24] In 2001, Onyx released their fourth album, Bacdafucup Part II, through Koch Records.[25] Produced by Davinci, DR Period, and others, the album included twelve new tracks,[26] including "Feel Me", which was recorded on the night of September 11, 2001, and was dedicated to the events that had happened that day.[27] In 2003 Onyx released their fifth album, Triggernometry, consisting of ten new tracks, with eleven stories from the lives the group's members in between the tracks. On May 22, 2003, former Onyx member Big DS died in a hospital in Queens, New York at the age of 31 after receiving chemotherapy for lymphatic cancer.[28][29][30]
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#147Thursday · 1 hr 41 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Gang Starr" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Gang Starr" hosted by DJButterrock Gang Starr were an American hip hop duo, consisting of Houston-born record producer DJ Premier and Boston-based rapper Guru.[1] Gang Starr was at its height from 1985 to 2003, and is considered a widely influential MC-and-producer duo.[2][3] They are recognized for being one of the pioneers of jazz rap active during the golden age of hip hop.[3][4] Some of their top hits include "Mass Appeal", "Take It Personal", "Moment of Truth", "Full Clip" and "Above The Clouds".[5] Career Original and second group lineups The original Gang Starr group was founded in Morehouse College by three friends from Boston, Massachusetts: Guru (then known as MC Keithy E.) who had planned to be a rapper/singer, Big Shug as the main MC and DJ Suave D (Shug's younger brother Dana) as their DJ. After Shug was imprisoned, Suave D quit the group, leaving Guru to enlist the services of MC Damo D-Ski and DJ 1, 2 B-Down (also known as Mike Dee)[6] with various producers, such as Donald D, J.V. Johnson or the 45 King helping out. Their earliest recordings were in 1986 where they made various demos.[7] In 1987 and 1988, Gang Starr released three 12-inch vinyl singles on Wild Pitch Records. Breakup and partnering with DJ Premier Gang Starr performing in Hamburg in 1999 In 1989, the group split for the second time and the only member willing to continue under the name was Guru. He got in touch with Houston, Texas native DJ Premier (then known as Waxmaster C) who submitted a tape of beats to Wild Pitch records, which Guru liked. He invited DJ Premier to join Gang Starr, relocate with him to Brooklyn and in that same year they released their first single "Words I Manifest" along with the album No More Mr. Nice Guy (1989).[1] In 1990, the group was signed to the Chrysalis record label by then A&R director Duff Marlowe, a former DJ and Los Angeles Times rap music critic. The label offered Guru and Premier unlimited artistic license and major-label distribution worldwide, a platform the group used to become one of the most influential hip hop acts of that decade. During their career Gang Starr helped pioneer the New York City hardcore hip hop sound. The Gang Starr catalog, especially Step in the Arena (1991), Daily Operation (1992), Hard to Earn (1994) and Moment of Truth (1998) are well respected among underground rap fans and critics. Their track "Jazz Thing" was featured on the soundtrack to Spike Lee's film Mo' Better Blues.[1] Gang Starr provided a track, "Battle", for the soundtrack of the 2002 movie 8 Mile. After several albums and tours, in late 2002 DJ Premier left Europe to go back to the United States. Once again Guru was faced with continuing alone and became involved in a European tour in 2003–04 with an alternate DJ. In 2006, Guru indicated in several interviews that Gang Starr had reached its end.[8]
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#146Wednesday · 2 hr 35 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Bo$$" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Bo$$" hosted by DJButterrock Lichelle Marie Laws (September 12, 1969 – March 11, 2024),[2] better known by her stage name Boss (stylized as Bo$$), was an American rapper from Detroit. Her debut album, Born Gangstaz, reached number three on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 1993. Laws became best known as a part of the burgeoning West Coast gangsta rap scene in the early ’90s.[3] Life and career Laws was born in Detroit to Joe Laws, an autoworker, and Lillie, who took her master's degree in education and was a teacher at junior high and middle schools, formerly a teacher of business education at Lewis College of Business, Detroit. Her parents were both church deacons. She had two elder sisters.[4][5] Laws relocated to Los Angeles after graduating high school, accompanied by her DJ Irene 'Dee' Moore. She was spotted by DJ Quik who stuck her on a track with AMG[citation needed]. Russell Simmons liked the track and promptly signed her to Def Jam West.[4] Her debut album Born Gangstaz was released in 1993,[6] and the singles, "Deeper" and "Recipe for a Hoe", hit number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart.[7] On the track "Progress Of Elimination", Bo$$'s line "Yes sir master, no sir master- I'll work faster" is an homage to the rapper who influenced her style, Detroit's Derek "Chef Word" Washington. It was a frequent Chef Word bar. In 1994, Laws was interviewed by a reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who revealed that she grew up in a middle-class neighborhood (on the West Side, Detroit), studied ballet and piano, and attended Catholic private school (where she was a cheerleader), before majoring in business for two years at Oakland University.[4][5][8][9] Laws had never attempted to disguise the truth of her upbringing; the intro of her 1993 album Born Gangstaz, "Intro: A Call from Mom", has her mother Lillie describe her as "a young lady who was brought up through Catholic school for 12 years; and dance schools, tap dance, jazz, piano lessons and all of that; plus, you went to college for three years..."[10] "The album is, in fact, bracketed with a mockery of her rearing; phone messages from mama and papa particularizing a privileged suburban upbringing (Catholic-school, piano-playing, tap-dancing)" belying the record's "unyielding vulgarity and embroidered aggression" with a "brilliant... self-mocking disclaimer". Def Jef, who produced the album and suggested the inclusion of Laws's parents, observed, "I can't believe none of the reviews saw the irony of that. No one did!" Having left Detroit for south-side Los Angeles in 1990, Laws and Moore encountered its "squalid side... derelict hotels, feudal gangs, dealing and hustling". Prior to securing a record deal, they lived in poor circumstances, selling drugs, sleeping on benches, and living in low-rent hotels. Her parents were unaware of the lifestyle she was leading. In the wake of her first album, Laws and Moore stopped working together, Laws noting, "We couldn't work together anymore, but we were still cool"; Moore's Def Jam deal never came to anything.[4][5] In the mid-1990s, Laws relocated to Texas to record songs with Ricardo Royal, a.k.a. "Coco Budda", a rapper whose work she had admired. Laws settled in Houston, entered a relationship with Royal, and had a son, Lamar. Although living a more relaxed life, Laws recorded demos for a second album, funded by Def Jam, but the label rejected them, and she was dropped from the label. Laws took this development in stride, noting, "I was used to that kind of shit... I thought I was good enough to get another deal. But I just chilled in Texas. Then I got sick." Still performing shows despite waning popularity in light of her lack of new releases, Laws moved to Dallas with Royal, where she took a job as co-host of a nightly hip-hop radio show on KKDA-FM, where she stayed for five years, recalling in 2004 "that was a bomb job". By 1999, she was suffering kidney failure; she and Royal amicably split up, and she went to live with her parents, undergoing dialysis for three and a half years, experiencing "every complication that you have with... bad kidneys", and given a poor prognosis. At times of comparatively better health, Laws recorded with Def Jef, who praised her dedication, lack of self-pity, and resolve in the face of her health problems. In 2001, she
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#145Tuesday · 2 hr 10 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Slick Rick" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Slick Rick" hosted by DJButterrock Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters[1] (born January 14, 1965),[2] known professionally as Slick Rick, is a British and American rapper and record producer based in New York City. He rose to prominence as part of Doug E. Fresh & the Get Fresh Crew in the mid-1980s. His songs "The Show" and "La Di Da Di" are considered early hip-hop classics, and "La Di Da Di" is considered one of the most sampled songs in history.[3] As Slick Rick, Walters became the third artist to sign with Def Jam Recordings in 1986.[4] He debuted with The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988), showcasing his storytelling structure mixed with humor and complex rhymes, including his signature song, "Children's Story". Facing murder charges and incarceration, Walters released two albums: The Ruler's Back (1991) and Behind Bars (1994). After being released from prison in 1997, Walters made a comeback with his fourth studio album, The Art of Storytelling (1999).[5] In 2025, he dropped Victory on Mass Appeal Records. A VH1 Hip Hop Honors honoree, About.com ranked Slick Rick No. 12 on its list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time,[6] while The Source ranked him No. 15 on its list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time.[7] Early life, family and education Ricky Martin Lloyd Walters was born January 14, 1965 in the southwest London area of Mitcham to Jamaican parents.[8] He was blinded in the right eye by broken glass as an infant, which led him to adopt his signature eye patch in his career.[9] In 1976, when Walters was 11, his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Baychester area of the Bronx in New York City[10]. While he attended the Fiorello H. Laguardia High School of Music & Art, Walters majored in visual art and met fellow student Dana Dane. The pair became close friends and formed the Kangol Crew,[11] performing in school contests, parks, and small local clubs. Walters met Doug E. Fresh at a 1984 talent showcase.[12] Fresh was impressed by Walters' talent and made Walters a member of his Get Fresh crew. Fresh's beatbox and Walters' fresh flow turned "The Show"/"La Di Da Di" into international anthems that showcased hip-hop in its early years. Walters became the launching pad for "hip-hop's greatest storyteller."[13] Career
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#144August 31 · 2 hr 5 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of 2 Live Crew" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of 2 Live Crew" hosted by DJButterrock 2 Live Crew is an American hip-hop group from Miami, Florida, formed in 1984. The group was originally composed of DJ Mr. Mixx (David Hobbs), Fresh Kid Ice (Christopher Wong Won), and Amazing Vee (Yuri Vielot). However, its most well-known lineup emerged later with the addition of Brother Marquis (Mark Ross) and the replacement of Amazing Vee by Luther "Luke Skyywalker" Campbell, who also served as the group's manager and promoter. Known for their provocative lyrics and sexually explicit content, 2 Live Crew gained widespread attention in the late 1980s and early 1990s, becoming pioneers of the Miami bass genre and influential figures in the development of Southern hip hop. Their breakthrough album, The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are (1986), introduced their signature sound, blending booming basslines with humorous and risqué themes.[1] The group achieved both commercial success and controversy with their 1989 album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and featured the hit single "Me So Horny." The album's explicit content led to legal battles over obscenity, most notably when it was declared legally obscene by a federal judge in 1990—an unprecedented ruling for a music recording in the United States. This decision sparked a high-profile First Amendment case, eventually overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in 1992, cementing the group's legacy as defenders of free expression in music. Despite lineup changes and legal challenges, 2 Live Crew continued to release albums, including Banned in the U.S.A. (1990), the first album to bear a Parental Advisory label, and remained active until their official disbandment in 2016 following the death of Fresh Kid Ice in 2017. The group's influence endures in hip hop culture, particularly for their role in pushing boundaries of artistic freedom and popularizing bass-heavy production.
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#143August 28 · 2 hr 16 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Beastie Boys" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Beastie Boys" hosted by DJButterrock The Beastie Boys were an American hip-hop and punk group formed in New York City in 1981.[1] Their main line-up consisted of Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums). The Beastie Boys were previously members of the hardcore punk band the Young Aborigines, with Diamond on drums, Jeremy Shatan on bass guitar, and John Berry on guitar. Kate Schellenbach later joined on drums.[2] When Shatan left in mid-1981, Yauch replaced him on bass and the band was renamed the Beastie Boys. Berry left shortly thereafter and was replaced by Horovitz, the guitarist of The Young and the Useless. After achieving local success with the 1983 comedy hip-hop single "Cooky Puss", the Beastie Boys made a full transition to hip-hop and Schellenbach subsequently left, with the group's final lineup consisting of Diamond, Horovitz and Yauch. Yauch, a filmmaker, directed many of the Beastie Boys' music videos under the alias Nathanial Hörnblowér. The Beastie Boys toured with Madonna in 1985, after she discovered them while frequenting Danceteria.[3] In 1986, they released their debut album, Licensed to Ill, the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 chart and was heavily influenced by their beginnings in rock.[4] Their second album, Paul's Boutique (1989), was made with the Dust Brothers and consisted almost entirely of samples. It was a commercial failure but received critical and cult acclaim. Check Your Head (1992) and Ill Communication (1994) found mainstream success, followed by Hello Nasty (1998), To the 5 Boroughs (2004), The Mix-Up (2007), an entirely instrumental album, and Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011), their final album. Their last live performance was at the 2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival, before they stopped due to Yauch's diagnosis of parotid cancer.[5] In 2012, the Beastie Boys became the third rap group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Later that year, Yauch died and the Beastie Boys disbanded.[6] Retrospective works include the Beastie Boys Book, a documentary and a compilation album.
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#142August 27 · 2 hr 26 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Mystikal" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Mystikal" hosted by DJButterrock Michael Lawrence Tyler (born September 22, 1970), better known by his stage name Mystikal, is an American former rapper and actor from New Orleans, Louisiana. He is noted for his brash and explosive vocal delivery, characterized by a Southern rasp. He signed with the New Orleans-based record label Big Boy Records to release his self-titled debut studio album (1994), which was re-released by Jive Records the following year as his major label debut, Mind of Mystikal (1995). He then parted ways with the former label in favor of its local competitor, Master P's No Limit Records, through which he released his second and third albums, Unpredictable (1997) and Ghetto Fabulous (1998), and Goodfellas (1999) as a member of its flagship group, 504 Boyz. Following his departure from No Limit, he remained signed in a joint venture with Jive Records. His 2000 singles, "Shake Ya Ass" (featuring Pharrell Williams) and "Danger (Been So Long)" (featuring Nivea), peaked at numbers 13 and 14 on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Both preceded the release of his fourth album, Let's Get Ready (2000), which debuted atop the Billboard 200; followed by Tarantula (2001). Early life and education Tyler was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana's 12th Ward. His father, who ran a small neighborhood store, died when Tyler was seven. He attended Cohen High School and afterward joined the United States Army, where he served as a combat engineer during the Gulf War.[1] Career 1994–1996: Early career and stint with Big Boy Records As an aspiring rapper, he opened for Run-DMC and Doug E. Fresh at an outdoor concert at the Treme Center. Leroy "Precise" Edwards, the in-house producer for the Kenner, Louisiana-headquartered independent record label Big Boy Records, was in the audience, and granted him a contract with the label.[2] Mystikal's debut album, Mystikal, was released on Big Boy in 1994. The album was one of Big Boy's most successful albums and gained major success for Mystikal. The album's success caught the attention of major record labels, which resulted in Mystikal signing to Jive Records later that year.[3] In 1995, he found himself involved in conflict with fellow New Orleans rappers signed to rival Cash Money, including U.N.L.V. and The B.G.'z. They dissed him on tracks like "Drag 'Em in Tha River" by U.N.L.V. and "Fuck Big Boy" by The B.G.'z. He struck back with "Beware" and "Here I Go" which were on his second album, Mind of Mystikal. Mystikal's sister, Michelle Tyler, sang the chorus on "Not That Nigga" and her fate became a major influence on Mystikal's music after her death in September 1994.[1] The songs "Dedicated to Michelle Tyler", "Murder" (both on Mind of Mystikal), "Murder 2", "Shine" (both on Unpredictable) and "Murder III" (on Let's Get Ready) refer to her death. Mystikal and Lil Wayne would eventually squash their feud and become collaborators.[4] 1995–2000: Mind of Mystikal and stint with No Limit In 1995, Mystikal signed to Jive and released Mind of Mystikal. In 1996, he signed to Master P's No Limit and released Unpredictable in November 1997. He appeared on many of the No Limit albums released from 1997 to 2000. He also collaborated with Mariah Carey on her Rainbow album on the track 'Did I Do That'. In late 1998, he released Ghetto Fabulous. That was his last album with the label. He and No Limit parted ways in July 2000 during the recording of Let's Get Ready.[5] 2000–2004: Let's Get Ready, Tarantula and prison In 1999, he had begun recording his fourth album before leaving No Limit. Let's Get Ready was released in 2000 and contained "Danger (Been So Long)", which featured rising pop star Nivea, and was the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number-one single in June 2001. Let's Get Ready debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it Mystikal's only chart-topping album to date. The album also featured the popular, Neptunes-produced hit "Shake Ya Ass". Mystikal's most recent solo release was the 2001 album Tarantula, which contained the hit single, "Bouncin' Back (Bumpin' Me Against The Wall)". Though it presented Mystikal's typical and funky flow style, which had the distinction of drawing comparison to legendary R&B soul screamers Little Richard and James Brown,[6] the song also saw a blending of jazz and swing elements with hip-hop. The well received album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in 2003, and Mystikal was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance that same year.[7] Mystikal was also featured prominently in the single, "Move Bitch" by Ludacris as well as "I Don't Give a Fuck" by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz along with Krayzie Bone, both in 2002. In 2003 he starred in the film 13 Dead Men.
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#141August 26 · 2 hr 8 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of C Murder" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of C Murder" hosted by DJButterrock Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971),[1] better known by his stage name C-Murder, is an American rapper. He initially gained fame in the mid-1990s as a part of his brother Master P's label No Limit Records, primarily as a member of the label's supergroup, TRU. Miller went on to release several solo albums of his own through the label, including 1998's platinum Life or Death. C-Murder has released nine albums altogether on six different labels, No Limit Records, TRU Records, Koch Records, Asylum Records, RBC Records, and Venti Uno. In 2002, Miller was arrested in connection with the murder of 16-year-old Steve Thomas, and was sentenced to life in prison on August 14, 2009. Miller is serving his sentence at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.[2][3] Controversy surrounding witnesses involved in Miller's trial came to light in 2018 when two key witnesses recanted their statements, stating they had been pressured into testifying against Miller by authorities. Miller maintains his innocence, and he, his brothers, and his nephew have all called for a new trial numerous times.[4][5] Early life Corey Miller was born in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana on March 9, 1971.[1] He grew up in the Calliope Projects in the 3rd Ward of New Orleans with his sister Germaine, and brothers Silkk the Shocker and Master P and Kevin Miller. Military service After graduating from high school, Corey Miller enlisted in the United States Army. He served as a combat medic and was deployed to the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War.[6][7][8] Music career In 1998, Miller released his first album Life or Death[1] which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200[9] and was eventually certified platinum.[citation needed] He also was featured on the theme for the nWo Wolfpac.[10] In 1999, he released Bossalinie which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200[9] and was certified gold.[citation needed] In 2000, he released Trapped in Crime which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200.[9] The album included the single "Down for My N's"[11] In 2001, he released C-P-3.com, his last album with No Limit Records. It peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200[9] and included the singles "What U Gonna Do" and "Im Not Just".[citation needed] In 2003, he was convicted of the murder of fan Steve Thomas.[2] He recorded three hit albums while under house arrest awaiting re-trial: The Truest Shit I Ever Said (2005) which reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200, Screamin' 4 Vengeance (2008) which reached No. 130, and Calliope Click (2009) which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.[9] In 2009, he lost his appeal[12] and pleaded no contest to two counts of attempted murder in an unrelated incident.[13] While in prison he self-released a mixtape Ricochet (2013) and four albums, Tomorrow (2010), Ain't No Heaven in the Pen (2015), Give Me Freedom Or Give Me Death (2021), and the compilation Oldies but Goodies (2018).[citation needed] In 2016, he released a diss track accusing rapper 2 Chainz of using the slogan and name style of his former group TRU[14][15] and record label TRU Global Records.[16]
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#140August 25 · 1 hr 51 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of EPMD" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of EPMD" hosted by DJButterrock EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an initialism for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon ("E" a.k.a. E Double) and Parrish Smith ("PMD" a.k.a. Parrish Mic Doc). During an interview on college radio station WHOV in 1987, Parrish Smith stated that the name evolved from the original: "We were originally known as "EEPMD" (Easy Erick and Parrish the Microphone Doctor), but chose to go with EPMD because it was easier to say." He also stated that they dropped the two "E's" because N.W.A's Eric Wright was already using "Eazy-E" as his stage name. The group has been active for 39 years (minus two breakups in 1993 and 1999). History Early years and mainstream success: 1987–1992 Hailing from Brentwood, Long Island, New York, EPMD's first album, Strictly Business, appeared in 1988 and featured the underground hit "Strictly Business," which sampled Eric Clapton's version of Bob Marley's "I Shot the Sheriff." Many critics cite this first album as the group's most influential.[citation needed] The group's brand of funk-fueled sample-heavy hip-hop proved to be a major force in the genre. Unlike old school hip hop, which was originally based on disco hits but eventually became more electronic, EPMD based its music mainly on lifting funk and rock breaks for samples and helped to popularize their usage, along with Marley Marl and Public Enemy. "You're a Customer" combined snippets of Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle," Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie, the bass line from ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses" and drum beat (Roger Linn LM-2 machine). "Jane," about a romantic rendezvous gone bad, would be revisited on no less than five sequels; a first for hip-hop. "You Gots to Chill" used 1980s funk band Zapp's "More Bounce to the Ounce," which has become one of the most enduring sample sources for hip-hop. EPMD later appeared on the single "Everybody (Get Up)" by Zapp frontman Roger Troutman on his last solo album, Bridging The Gap, in 1991. "I'm Housin'" was covered some 12 years later by Rage Against the Machine. Managed early on by Russell Simmons' RUSH Management, the group toured with such hip-hop luminaries as Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.[2] Promotional EPMD T-shirt for its 1990 Business as Usual album EPMD signed with Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records, which eventually released its debut album, Strictly Business, by electro funk pioneer Kurtis Mantronik, who also worked as an A&R representative for the label. Propelled by several strong singles ("You Gots to Chill" and the album's title track), the album was eventually certified gold, selling over 500,000 copies[citation needed], as did 1989's follow-up, Unfinished Business. Financial frustrations followed when Sleeping Bag went under in 1992. The two EPMD albums and Nice & Smooth's debut album were acquired by Priority/EMI Records before the label was sold to Warlock Records. The duo's Sleeping Bag contract was acquired by Def Jam. EPMD returned in 1990 with Business As Usual and Business Never Personal two years later. By 1992, the group presided over an extended family dubbed the Hit Squad, which included Redman, K-Solo, Das EFX, Hurricane G, and Knucklehedz.[2] In 1992, EPMD had a hit with its song "Crossover," which lamented rappers making blatant concessions to pop sensibilities in order to get mainstream attention from music audiences.[2] The song became a hit, peaking at No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in doing so becoming their biggest hit to date.
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#139August 24 · 2 hr 12 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kurtis Blow hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kurtis Blow" hosted by DJButterrock Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959),[2] known professionally by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer.[3] Walker is the first commercially successful rapper and the first to sign with a major record label.[4] "The Breaks", a single from his 1980 self-titled debut album, is the first certified gold record rap song. Over his career he released 17 albums. He is an ordained minister.[2] He also serves as leader of the group Hip Hop Alliance.[5][6] Early life, family and education Walker was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. He attended CCNY[7] and Nyack College, studying communications/film and ministry.[4] Career In 1979, at the age of twenty, Blow became the first rapper to be signed by a major label, Mercury, which released "Christmas Rappin'".[8] It sold over 400,000 copies, becoming one of the first commercially successful hip-hop singles.[9] Its follow-up, "The Breaks", sold over 840,000 copies.[3] He released ten albums over the next eleven years. His first album was Kurtis Blow, then his second was the top 40 R&B album Deuce. Party Time featured a fusion of rap and go-go. Ego Trip included the hits: "8 Million Stories", "AJ Scratch", and "Basketball". His 1985 album, America, garnered praise for its title track's music video. From this album, the song "If I Ruled the World" became a top 5 hit on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs R&B chart. By 1983, he moved into production.[8] He lived in Co-op City in the Bronx in the mid-1980s.[10] Besides his own work, Blow has been responsible for hits by the Fat Boys and Run DMC.[3] Run began his career billed as "The Son of Kurtis Blow". Lovebug Starski, Full Force, Russell Simmons and Wyclef Jean all have been produced by, or collaborated with, Walker. Former label mates René & Angela had their R&B chart topping debut "Save Your Love (For #1)" was gift rapped by Blow. Walker produced, with Phillip Jones as co-producer and Dexter Scott King as executive producer, the song "King Holiday", celebrating the first Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a U.S. federal holiday inaugurated in January 1986.[11] He performed as an actor and in music coordination in several feature films including Leon Kennedy's Knights of the City and the hip-hop film Krush Groove. He was host and co-producer for Das Leben Amerikanischer Gangs (1995), an international film production focusing on the West Coast gang scene. As host and associate producer for Miramax's Rhyme and Reason, he gave an informative account of the status of hip-hop, while he participated in the three volume record release The History of Rap for Rhino Records in 1998. Blow also co-produced "Slippin, Ten Years with the Bloods" and won praises from Showtime for being the most viewed documentary in 2003. Blow was recently a producer for the Netflix show The Get Down. Blow has spoken out emphatically against racism. He was an active participant in the Artists United Against Apartheid record "Sun City". He worked with Rev. Jesse Jackson's Operation Push and National Rainbow Coalition in Chicago and with Rev. Al Sharpton's Action Network in New York City. In 1995, he started working on-air in radio, Power 106, the No. 1 CHR radio station in Southern California. He hosted The Old School Show on Sunday nights, featuring hits from the past. He also worked for Sirius Satellite Radio on the Classic Old School Hip Hop station Backspin (Channel 46) from 2000 to 2004. Beginning in 1996, Kurtis Blow was featured in a hip-hop display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the same year, rapper Nas debuted at No. 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his version of Blow's "If I Ruled the World".[2] The song went on to double platinum. In 1998, the group Next released "Too Close", in which the music of "Christmas Rappin'" was sampled. ASCAP honored Blow and Next at a gala affair on May 26, 1999 for having the number one song for 8 months. In 2002, he traveled to the Middle East to tour the Armed Forces bases performing seventeen shows for the troops. In December 2014, Blow was the Guest MC for the world premiere of The Hip Hop Nutcracker at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a well received update of Tchaikovsky's holiday classic. A national tour of the show was scheduled to launch in November 2015 with Kurtis Blow reprising his role as Guest MC opening the show. The show has presently been up and running with 50–60 sold-out performances during the holidays.
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#138August 21 · 2 hr 29 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Public Enemy" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Public Enemy" hosted by DJButterrock Public Enemy is an American hip-hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav.[1][2] The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as American racism and the American media. Their debut album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987 to critical acclaim, and their second album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988), was the first hip-hop album to top The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll.[3] Their next three albums, Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), and Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age (1994), were also well received. The group has since released eleven more studio albums, including the soundtrack to the 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game and a collaborative album with Paris, Rebirth of a Nation (2006). Their most recent album, Black Sky Over the Projects: Apartment 2025, was released in 2025. Public Enemy has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with Chuck D and Flavor Flav remaining the only constant members. Co-founder Professor Griff left in 1989 but rejoined in 1998, before parting ways again some years later[when?]. DJ Lord also joined Public Enemy in 1998 as the replacement of the group's original DJ Terminator X. In 2020, it was announced that Flavor Flav had been fired from the group.[2] His firing was later revealed to be a publicity stunt that was called an April Fools' Day prank.[4][5] Public Enemy, without Flavor Flav, would also tour and record music under the name of Enemy Radio which consists of the lineup of Chuck D, Jahi, DJ Lord and the S1Ws.[6] Public Enemy's first four albums during the late 1980s and early 1990s were all certified either gold or platinum and were, according to music critic Robert Hilburn in 1998, "the most acclaimed body of work ever by a hip hop act".[7] Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine called them "the most influential and radical band of their time".[8] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.[9] They were honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
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#137August 20 · 2 hr 20 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Juice Crew" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Juice Crew" hosted by DJButterrock The Juice Crew was an American hip-hop collective made up largely of Queensbridge, New York–based artists in the mid-to-late 1980s. Founded by radio DJ Mr. Magic, and housed by Tyrone Williams' record label Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew helped introduce new School artists MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Masta Ace, Tragedy, Craig G and Kool G Rap. The crew produced many answer records and engaged with numerous "beefs" – primarily with rival radio jock Kool DJ Red Alert and the South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions, as well as the "posse cut", "The Symphony". History Early years Marley Marl started his career as Mr. Magic's sidekick and DJ on the influential radio show Rapp Attack, the first exclusively hip-hop music program to be aired on a major radio station, New York's WBLS-FM. The show was influential in launching the careers of the group's various artists. The crew derived its name from Mr. Magic's alias, "Sir Juice".[2] Previously, Magic had created an "original" Juice Crew consisting of himself, record executive Sal Abbatiello, and artists Sweet Gee, DJ June Bug, and Kurtis Blow.[3][4] As a record producer, Marley Marl began the Juice Crew's long tradition of answer records with their first release, 1983's "Sucker DJ's (I Will Survive)" by Marley's then-girlfriend Dimples D.; a response to Run-D.M.C.'s "Sucker M.C.'s". Although this initial effort failed to provoke a reaction of any discernible magnitude, it foreshadowed the groups' ultimate path to success. Roxanne Shante A chance encounter in 1984 between Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, and manager Tyrone Williams, as well as 15-year-old rapper Roxanne Shante, resulted in their breakout hit "Roxanne's Revenge". A scathing attack on UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne", the song became so popular that it not only garnered a response from the original group (with the help of a young rapper claiming to be The Real Roxanne), but also inspired dozens of imitators in a series of records known as the Roxanne Wars. MC Shan and dispute with KRS-One In 1986, Marley produced his cousin MC Shan's second release "The Bridge"/"Beat Biter". "Beat Biter" included lyrics dissing local Queens superstar LL Cool J, who was allegedly stealing Marley's music. However, the true significance of the 12-inch release was not its headliner, but the B-side track, "The Bridge", which proved much more popular, finding not only considerable radio play but also the ire of Boogie Down Productions (BDP). BDP, an upstart rap group from the South Bronx led by rapper KRS-One, took offense to MC Shan's lyrics, their contested interpretation[5] being that Shan was claiming Queens was the birthplace of hip-hop, when in fact, it originated largely in the Bronx. Adding to the beef was an ongoing feud between Mr. Magic and his arch-rival Kool DJ Red Alert, who played a similar role in supporting Boogie Down Productions' budding career, involving Mr. Magic deriding their early efforts. BDP launched the first attack with "South Bronx", which was premiered live in concert after an MC Shan performance of "The Bridge". Shan and Marley responded with "Kill That Noise", released on MC Shan's 1987 debut Down By Law – the first full-length release from Tyrone Williams newly formed Cold Chillin' Records – calling out KRS-One's attention-grabbing methods. However, the battle was widely regarded as having been won by KRS-One and the BDP Crew, with the diss track "The Bridge Is Over". Nonetheless, the so-called "Bridge Wars" would be drawn out over a number of proxies. Cold Chillin' and Juice Crew expansion Cold Chillin' Records soon became home to most Juice Crew artists. The Juice Crew began to expand around this time, most notably with the inclusion of two high school friends from Brooklyn: rapper Big Daddy Kane and "human beatbox" Biz Markie. Biz previously collaborated with Shanté for 1986's "Def Fresh Crew" and found success with his Marley-produced debut single "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz", which also introduced Juice Crew singer TJ Swan. In February 1988, Biz's album Goin' Off was released by Cold Chillin', which had just signed a five-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records. By the following year, Biz would become a national celebrity with the hit single "Just A Friend" reaching the US Top Ten. Big Daddy Kane went on to become not only one of the biggest selling but also one of the most respected and influential rappers of his time. Kool G Rap, together with musical partner DJ Polo, was met with similar critical acclaim, albeit less commercial success. The other artists added to the Juice Crew/Cold Chillin' roster were
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#136August 19 · 2 hr 13 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kool Moe Dee" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kool Moe Dee" hosted by DJButterrock Mohandas Dewese[1] (born August 8, 1962),[2][4] better known by his stage name Kool Moe Dee, is an American rapper, songwriter, and actor.[5] Considered one of the forerunners of the New Jack Swing sound in hip hop, he gained fame in the 1980s as a member of one of the pioneering groups in hip hop music, the Treacherous Three, and for his later solo career. During his career he released a total of seven studio albums (five of them solo), with 1994's Interlude being the last to date.[6] His fast and aggressive rap style[7] influenced rap figures such as Big Daddy Kane, Beastie Boys, KRS-One, Rakim, Will Smith, N.W.A, Tupac Shakur, Nas, Jay-Z, among others.[8] Among his most famous songs are "Go See the Doctor", "Wild Wild West" and "How Ya Like Me Now".[9] Kool Moe Dee was ranked No. 33 on About.com's list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987–2007).[10] Early life Mohandas Dewese was born in Harlem. He attended the State University of New York at Old Westbury, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 1985.[9][11] Career Kool Moe Dee participated in one of the first major rap battles, facing Busy Bee after one of his performances in 1981. After the Treacherous Three disbanded, he went solo, releasing a self-titled album that ranked 83 on Billboard. After meeting Lavaba Mallison, who would later become his manager, Kool Moe Dee left Sugar Hill Records for the newly-founded ROOFTOP Records. He co-operated with the young producers Teddy Riley and Mallison, which contributed to the New Jack Swing movement. Kool Moe Dee released his second album, How Ya Like Me Now, which became his most successful album commercially, achieving platinum status. He then went on to release his third album, Knowledge Is King in 1989, which went gold. In 1990, he performed on Quincy Jones' album Back on the Block along with Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane, and Ice-T. The album gained critical and financial success and won the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1991, the release of his album Funke, Funke Wisdom signaled Kool Moe Dee's decline. Moe Dee himself has stated that this was his worst album.[12] He induced his release from Jive Records in 1992. After a two-year hiatus, he released a greatest hits album. In 1994, his album Interlude was released and failed to gain traction. In 1993, he reunited with his fellow ex members of the Treacherous Three to release the album Old School Flava on Ichiban. His last commercial release was the single "Love Love/What You Wanna Do" which was released on Spoiled Brat Entertainment Inc. Moe Dee appeared in the MTV box office bomb Crossroads as a bartender.
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#135August 18 · 2 hr 10 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Whodini" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Whodini" hosted by DJButterrock Whodini is an American hip-hop group that was formed in 1982.[1] The Brooklyn, New York–based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; June 7, 1964 – December 23, 2020[2]); and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, a.k.a. Grandmaster Dee.[3] Coming out of the fertile New York rap scene of the early 1980s, Whodini was one of the first rap groups to add an R&B twist to their music, thus laying the foundation for a new genre: new jack swing. The group made its name with good-humored songs such as "Magic's Wand" (the first rap song accompanied by a music video), "The Haunted House of Rock", "Friends", "Five Minutes of Funk", and "Freaks Come Out at Night". Live performances of the group were the first rap concerts with the participation of breakdance dancers from the group UTFO. Russell Simmons was the manager of the group in the 1980s.[4] The group released six studio albums. Fourteen of the group's singles hit the Billboard charts. Four of the group's albums were certified Platinum
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#134August 17 · 2 hr 10 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Ginuwine" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Ginuwine" hosted by DJButterrock Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970),[3] better known by his stage name Ginuwine (/ˈdʒɪnjuwaɪn/ JIN-yoo-wyn), is an American R&B singer. He began his career as a member of the musical collective Swing Mob in the early 1990s. As a solo act, he signed with Epic Records[4] to release his 1996 debut single, "Pony". The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded the release of his debut studio album, Ginuwine...the Bachelor (1996), which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[5] His second and third albums, 100% Ginuwine (1999) and The Life (2001), both peaked within the top five of the Billboard 200, while the latter spawned the single "Differences", which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest-charting song.[5] His fourth album, The Senior (2003), spawned the top ten single "In Those Jeans", as well as the top 40 singles "Hell Yeah" (featuring Birdman) and "Stingy". His fifth, Back II da Basics (2005) peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200 and served as his final release with Epic; he signed with Warner Records to release his sixth album A Man's Thoughts (2009), which performed similarly despite mixed critical reception. Serving as his final release on a major label, his albums Elgin (2011) and A Ginuwine Christmas (2011) followed thereafter.[5] According to Billboard, as of 2013, Ginuwine has sold an estimated 6.98 million albums in the US.[6] Aside from his solo career, he formed the R&B trio TGT alongside contemporaries Tyrese Gibson and Tank in 2007, with whom he has released one studio album. Early life Elgin Baylor Lumpkin was born on October 15, 1970, in Washington, D.C. He is named after NBA legend Elgin Baylor, a fellow D.C. native. In 1988, he graduated from Forestville High School (later known as Forestville Military Academy) in Forestville, Maryland, and later graduated from Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland, with a paralegal associate's degree.[citation needed]
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#133August 14 · 2 hr 17 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Toni Braxton" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Toni Braxton" hosted by DJButterrock oni Michele Braxton (born October 7, 1967) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and television personality. Braxton has won seven Grammy Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, seven American Music Awards, and numerous other accolades. In 2011, Braxton was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. In 2017, she was honored with the Legend Award at the Soul Train Music Awards.[7] In the late 1980s, Braxton began performing with her sisters in the R&B group the Braxtons; the group was signed to Arista Records. After attracting the attention of producers Antonio "L.A." Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, she signed with their label LaFace Records as a solo artist to release her self-titled debut studio album (1993). The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart, sold 10 million copies worldwide, and spawned the international hit singles "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again". Also a critical success, the album yielded Braxton three Grammy Awards, including for Best New Artist. Her success continued with the album Secrets (1996), which included the Billboard Hot 100-number one singles "You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow" and "Un-Break My Heart". Braxton's third studio album, The Heat (2000), debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, spawning the international top-five single "He Wasn't Man Enough". Braxton's subsequent studio albums, Snowflakes (2001), More Than a Woman (2002), Libra (2005) and Pulse (2010), were released amid contractual disputes and health issues. In 2014, Braxton and former label boss Babyface released the duet album Love, Marriage & Divorce (2014), which won Best R&B Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. Further label changes saw the release of Sex & Cigarettes (2018) under Def Jam Recordings and Spell My Name (2020) under Island. Braxton is also active in television production and presentation. She competed in the seventh season of the reality competition series Dancing with the Stars. She executive produced and starred in Braxton Family Values, a reality television series that aired on We TV from 2011 to 2020. Braxton was also an executive producer of Tamar & Vince, a spinoff reality series starring her younger sister, Tamar.
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#132August 13 · 2 hr 24 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of En Vogue" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of En Vogue" hosted by DJButterrock En Vogue is an American girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones.[1] Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hold On", taken from their 1990 debut album Born to Sing. The group's 1992 follow-up album Funky Divas reached the top 10 in both the US and UK, and included their second US No. 2 hit "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" as well as the US top-10 hits "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and "Free Your Mind". In 1996, "Don't Let Go (Love)" became the group's third, and most successful, single to reach No. 2 in the US, and became their sixth No. 1 on the US R&B chart. Scoring more No. 1 singles on the US R&B chart than any other female group other than the Supremes.[2] Robinson left the group in 1997 shortly before the release of their third album EV3, which reached the US and UK top 10. Jones left the group in 2001, and Amanda Cole joined shortly thereafter. However, in 2003, Cole left the group, and Rhona Bennett joined the group during the recording of their album Soul Flower. In 2005, the original members briefly united before disassembling again. In 2009, the original members once again reunited for their "En Vogue: 20th Anniversary". Shortly after the tour, Robinson and Jones again departed from En Vogue, with Bennett rejoining the group as a trio. En Vogue has sold 20 million records worldwide.[3][4][5] The group has won seven MTV Video Music Awards, three Soul Train Awards, two American Music Awards, and received seven Grammy nominations.[6] They are the first and only female group to be awarded the Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year. In December 1999, Billboard magazine ranked the band as the 19th most successful recording artist of the 1990s. They ranked as the second most successful female group of the 1990s.[7] In March 2015, Billboard magazine named the group the ninth most-successful girl group of all time.[8] Two of the group's singles ranks in Billboard's most successful girl group songs of all-time list, "Don't Let Go (Love)" (No. 12) and "Hold On" (No. 23).[9] Billboard lists them as the third most successful female R&B group of the past 25 years, after TLC and Destiny's Child and seventh most successful group overall.[10]
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#131August 12 · 2 hr 41 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of SWV" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of SWV" hosted by DJButterrock 1988–1991: Early career and big break SWV was formed by founding members Cheryl "Coko" Gamble and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons, with Gamble later recruiting Tamara "Taj" Johnson to join the group along with a fourth member named Samantha, who would eventually leave for unknown reasons.[2] After getting their demo together, their manager at the time, Maureen Singleton sent out demo tapes along with bottles of Perrier ("We couldn't afford champagne", says Taj) to catch the attention of record execs all over America. In 1991, after being invited to sing live in front of RCA executives, SWV was signed to an eight-album record deal. 1992–1995: It's About Time and The Remixes It's About Time, the debut studio album by SWV, was released by RCA Records on October 27, 1992. It was certified multi-platinum by the RIAA for more than two million copies shipped to store.[3] SWV's first single, "Right Here", was released in the fall of 1992, reaching No. 13 on the R&B charts. Their second single, "I'm So into You", peaked at No. 2 on R&B and reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, "Weak", reached No. 1 on both the R&B and Hot 100 charts. "Right Here/Human Nature", the fourth single and a remix of their first single, "Right Here", featured samples of Michael Jackson's hit "Human Nature". Pharrell Williams performed a small rap solo on "Right Here (UK Remix)". "Right Here/Human Nature" peaked at No. 1 on R&B and No. 2 on the Hot 100 and it stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts for 7 weeks, making it one of the longest-running singles of 1993. It was followed up with the additional Top10 R&B hits, "Downtown" (No. 2), and "You're Always on My Mind" (No. 8).[3][4] The album peaked at 8 on the US Billboard 200. Following the success of their first album, SWV appeared on the soundtrack for the 1994 film Above the Rim. The single, "Anything", became a top ten R&B hit and reached No. 18 on the Hot 100 in the spring of 1994. That same year, SWV released The Remixes, which went gold by the end of the year. In the summer of 1995, the trio lent vocal harmonies to Blackstreet's Top 40 R&B hit "Tonight's the Night". SWV also recorded the track, "All Night Long", which appeared on the Waiting to Exhale: Original Soundtrack Album in late 1995. 1996–1997: New Beginning, Release Some Tension and A Special Christmas Released on April 23, 1996, New Beginning was the second album from SWV. The first single, "You're the One", became one of their signature songs peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart. The second single, "Use Your Heart", saw the debut of the super producers The Neptunes. This song peaked at twenty-two on the Hot 100 and number six on the R&B chart. The last single, "It's All About U", found Taj taking most of the lead as opposed to Coko. The album was certified platinum for shipping 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone.[5] Release Some Tension is SWV's third album. It arrived on July 29, 1997. Guest appearances are made by E-40, Puff Daddy, Missy Elliott, Foxy Brown, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim, Snoop Doggy Dogg, and Redman. The album features hits like "Rain" (which samples Jaco Pastorius's classic "Portrait of Tracy"), "Someone", "Can We" (which was originally included on the soundtrack for the Jamie Foxx film Booty Call), and canceled single "Lose My Cool". "Someone", although featuring one of the biggest producers/artists of the year, Puff Daddy, only reached No. 19 on the Billboard charts which sampled The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ten Crack Commandment's and Les McCann's "Valantra". "When U Cry" also sampled Tyrone Davis' "In The Mood". The album was certified gold for shipping 500,000 copies in the U.S. alone.[5] A Special Christmas, a holiday album featuring both cover versions and original material, was released in the United States on November 18, 1997, by RCA Records. A Special Christmas would be the penultimate album the trio recorded together before they disbanded the following year. 1998–2010: Hiatus and reuniting of SWV The group split in 1998. Shortly after SWV disbanded, the members began leading their own careers. Coko went on to release her first solo album under RCA, titled Hot Coko, in August 1999. The first single, "Sunshine", which was dedicated to her son Jazz, reached the Top 40 position in the R&B charts that summer. However, neither the album nor the singles gathered the same mainstream success as Coko did with SWV. Coko began working on a second solo album titled Music Doll in early 2001, but RCA closed the black music division and the project was shelved. Since then, she has concentrated more on her family. She eventually married gospel producer and drummer for Israel and New Breed, Mike "Big Mike" Clemmons, the father of her second son, Jaylen. She currently resides in Virginia Beach,
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#130August 11 · 2 hr 3 minCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Total" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Total" hosted by DJButterrock Total is an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of the Bad Boy Records imprint during the mid-1990s.[1] The group consists of founding members Kima Raynor, Keisha Spivey, and Pamela Long.[1] Total is best known for their feature on Mase's "What You Want", as well as their hits "Kissin' You", "Can't You See" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.), and "What About Us?" and "Trippin'", both featuring Missy Elliott. Long also sung the chorus of The Notorious B.I.G.'s hit song "Hypnotize", although she was not officially credited.[1] Total made their first appearance singing the hook on The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single for Bad Boy Records, "Juicy", widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.[1][2][3][4] In 2019, Pamela Long announced that she is working on her debut solo album. She released a video for her single "Why".[5] Career The trio made their first appearance singing the hook on The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single, "Juicy".[1] Garnering attention for the new group, they were also featured on the original version and "Hip Hop Remix" of his next single "One More Chance". They then immediately hit the studio with Bad Boy Records CEO Sean Combs and began work on their debut album. The first single "Can't You See?" first appeared on the soundtrack to 1995 motion picture, New Jersey Drive. The song featured The Notorious B.I.G. and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as number 2 on the R&B Chart.[1] Their self-titled debut album was released nearly a year after the single. Total produced two more R&B top ten singles including: "No One Else" (and its remix featuring Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, and Da Brat) and '"Kissin' You" (and its remix featuring Sean Combs).[1] The album was certified platinum by the RIAA. While recording their second album, they appeared on numerous top ten singles, including LL Cool J's "Loungin (Who Do Ya Luv)", Foxy Brown's "I Can't", and Mase's "What You Want" featuring Keisha Epps, and Pamela Long sung the chorus on the hit "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G. The group also released another single, the Missy Elliott and Timbaland track "What About Us?" from the Soul Food soundtrack. Their follow-up album, Kima, Keisha, and Pam,[1] debuted to strong reviews, sales, and was certified gold by the RIAA. The first single, another Missy Elliott collaboration, "Trippin'", reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[1] Their next release, "Sitting Home", which made Top 10 of the Billboard R&B Singles did not garner the same attention. While in heavy rotation on video networks like BET, radio chose not to play the song. A remix of the track featured rap artist Shyne.