Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1981 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York. It is remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and their positive, uplifting lyrics have made the group forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz hip hop.
Stetsasonic |
|---|
Membership
- Wise
- Daddy-O
- Frukwan
- Prince Paul
- DBC (Devastating Beat Creator)
- MC Delite (producer, musician)
- Bobby Simmons
History
Originally, the group was known as The Stetson Brothers, after Stetson hats, but it changed its name to Stetsasonic for its debut, On Fire (1986). [1] The album received mixed reviews, though the follow-ups, In Full Gear and Blood, Sweat & No Tears were critically acclaimed. A 1988 New York Times article said that the group mirrored the rise of artistic, profound rap music: "While pop's political commentary often seems secondary to catchy melodies and commercial acceptability, rap's tough sound sharpens its commentary".[2] As a "hip hop band", dependent on instruments as well as turntables, the group was also known for live shows, though sometimes the "rap-show format prevented Stetsasonic from employing the band instrumentation and studio layering that make their records so distinctive."[3]
Breakup
The group disbanded soon after the release of Blood, Sweat & No Tears.
Frukwan and Prince Paul were founding members of the Gravediggaz, while the latter also became a well-respected record producer, as did Daddy-O, who worked with Freestyle Fellowship, Mary J. Blige, Positive K, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others.[1]
Former member Bobby Simmons pursued work in public access, forming the show Flava Videos in the mid-'90s on Channel 26 (New York).
Wise is known as one of the pioneers of beatboxing along with Doug E. Fresh.
Discography
- On Fire
- Released: 1986
- Billboard 200 chart position: -
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #32
- Singles: "Just Say Stet," "Faye" and "A.F.R.I.C.A."
- In Full Gear
- Released: 1988
- Billboard 200 chart position: -
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #20
- Singles: "Sally," "Talkin' All that Jazz", "Float On"
- Blood, Sweat & No Tears
- Released: July 1, 1991
- Billboard 200 chart position: -
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #75
- Singles: "No B.S. Allowed," "So Let the Fun Begin"
References
- ^ a b Stetsasonic at AllMusic
- ^ Watrous, Peter. Recordings; Rappers Keep Their Music's Content Fresh, The New York Times, 10 January 1988.
- ^ Palmer, Robert. Rock: 'Def Jam 87,' Rap at the Garden, The New York Times, 5 September 1987.
External links
- Interview with Daddy-O; indicates the beginnings of the band were in 1979