His first record was “It’s Yours” (prod. Rick Rubin) which was recorded for Arthur Baker’s Streetwise Records but was the first release in 1984 for Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons Def Jam Records and featured Jazzy Jay on turntables. “Its Yours” was a double act with “Jazzy Jay on tha Decks”. Another 12 inch single “He’s Incredible” followed in 1985 featuring the hit “Break Down”. 1986 and 1987 were arguably his best years. The biggest singles were “Breaking Bells” (produced by DJ Louie Lou and T La Rock) and “Back to Burn”. The album “Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx)” came out in 1987 on Sleeping Bag/Fresh Records featuring Louie Lou and Mantronik on production. 1989 saw the release of a second album called “On a Warpath” which was produced by house music king Todd Terry (also signed to Fresh at the time). One record of note was “T-N off” which sampled “New Rap Language” heavily. The original version of the record, which had taken four months to record, was scrapped in favor of a new Terry production. He had initially come to the Sleeping Bag offices to offer La Rock the chance to rap over one of his productions. The resulting album, which was originally to have included on stage banter and was vaunted to the press as On Tour, contained a much less hardcore, more commercial slant than expected. As a concession to his long-term supporters it also included ‘Its Yours’, which had previously been a much sought after and unobtainable old school classic. Alongside this were excursions into swing beat, and a return to old B-boy styling in ‘Warpath’. He has returned to a regular correspondent for Phat Lace magazine in the UK and he made “It’s Yours Pt 2” on Bad Magic in 2001. He cut one album, produced by himself, DJ Doc and DJ Mark The 45 King in 1987 for Virgin subsidiary Ten Records . When he resurfaced in the 90s with ‘On The Warpath’, Todd Terry was in the producer’s chair. There is currently a movie being made about his life. |
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