Kool G Rap Biography
Kool G Rap never rose to superstar status during his late-'80s reign as a leading member of Marley Marl's Juice Crew, but the Queens-bred hardcore rapper endured for over a decade, eventually enjoying a renaissance in the early 2000s. Throughout his tour of duty, G Rap maintained a reverent following, mainly among his original late-'80s/early-'90s fan base and the subsequent wave of gold-age revivalists. Cold Chillin' furthermore repackaged his key recordings with DJ Polo periodically over the years, so G Rap remained visible even as his productivity slowed considerably. While countless other golden-age rappers thus fell by the wayside, G Rap quietly ascended to legendary status, perhaps as recognized in the early 2000s as he had been during his late-'80s prime.
The "Kool Genius of Rap" began life as Nathaniel Wilson in a rough section of Queens, where he first met Eric Barrier and Polo, two friends with a mutual interest in hip-hop. While Barrier went onto a short-lived yet successful career as the less-acknowledged half of Eric B and Rakim, Polo and G Rap collaborated and released the It's a Demo/I'm Fly 12" on Cold Chillin' in 1986. This legendary single was the first of several; "Streets of New York," "Poison," and "Road to the Riches" also being noteworthy singles. G Rap also graced Marl's "The Symphony," a performance that promised him legendary status in itself. By 1989 he was making LPs rather than 12" singles, signaling G Rap's rise from the underground to mainstream recognition. Yet while Juice Crew peers such as Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie scored crossover singles, had big-selling LPs, and soon found themselves on MTV, G Rap struggled with his sudden position on the uncomfortable brink of crossing over. Sure, his LPs had their share of highlights such as "Road to the Riches" and "Erase Racism," in addition to the aforementioned singles, but his albums with Polo never achieved what many had hoped for in terms of popularity.
By the mid-'90s, G Rap parted ways with his longtime partner and attempted a solo career with 4,5,6 (1995) on Cold Chillin', followed by Rated XXX (1996) and Roots of Evil (1998). None of these albums garnered too much attention, commercial or critical, and it seemed as though G Rap was bound to suffer old-school status like most of his '80s peers. As G Rap's name became less and less acknowledged among contemporary rap listeners in the late '90s, the stalwart MC simultaneously began channeling his efforts toward guest appearances. Collaborating with the likes of Fat Joe, Big Pun, M.O.P., Mobb Deep, Nas, RZA, Big L, and Talib Kweli -- along with a surprising appearance on U.N.K.L.E.'s high-profile Psyence Fiction album as well as the Lyricist Lounge 2 compilation -- G Rap gained substantial momentum. Once joining forces with Rawkus, the rapper's renaissance officially began as the label began promoting his comeback album months before its proposed 2001 release. The album, The Giancana Story, unfortunately wouldn't street until late 2002, as Rawkus became increasingly entangled in major-label affiliations. Though some of the anticipation simmered during the long delay, the album nonetheless impressed many and forcibly signaled another of G Rap's periodic returns. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Pixinguinha Biography: Brazilian Popular Music is individualized around the second half of 19th century, and the end of that century witnessed the presence of the African rhythmic tradition in an urban setting. Humble...
Sugarcult Biography: The Santa Barbara, CA, alternative rock quartet Sugarcult (singer/guitarist Tim Pagnotta, guitarist Marko DeSantis, bassist Airin Older, and original drummer Ben Davis (who was later replaced by...
Funeral for a friend Biography: Welsh quintet Funeral for a Friend featured vocalist Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Roberts and Darran Smith, bassist Gareth Davies, and drummer Randy Richards. The quintet's energized blend of emo,...
Akwid Biography: Akwid's Sergio Gomez and Francisco Gomez immigrated to California from Mexico as children and settled into the cross-cultural live wire of South Central Los Angeles. There they formed the Juvenile...
Gameface Biography: Under the talented wingspan of Jeff Caudill (aka Jeff Gameface), Gameface has been actively playing and touring out of Orange County, CA, since the early '90s. Caudill's talent spreads beyond the...
Dive Biography: One of the major players on Belgium's early electro scene, Dirk Ivens started out as the lead singer of the Klinik; he subsequently formed the industrial- and jungle-oriented Dive as a solo outlet....
Old man gloom Biography: Originally formed in New Mexico by guitarist/vocalist Aaron Turner (Isis) and drummer Santos Montano, the Massachusetts-based group Old Man Gloom has since expanded into a sort of supergroup among...
Plaid Biography: Although Plaid pre-existed the association, the duo's Ed Handley and Andy Turner spent most of their early recording years with Ken Downie as the dancefloor-confounding Black Dog Productions. Meshing...