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Biography
Infobox musical artist|name = Spoonie Gee|image =|caption =|image_size =|background =solo_singer|birth_name = Gabriel Jackson|alias = The Godfather, Spoonin Gee|origin = Harlem , New York City , New York , U.S.|genre = Hip hop music|Hip hop , funk , hardcore hip hop |occupation = Rapping|Rapper |years_active = 1978& ndash;present|label = Enjoy Records|Enjoy& #33; Records Tuff City Records|Tuff City Sound of New York, USA|associated_acts = The Sequence The Treacherous Three |website = |current_members = |past_members = Spoonie Gee (born Gabriel Jackson ) is one of the earliest Rap music|rap artists, and one of the few rap artists to release records in the 1970s. He has been credited with originating the term 'hip hop' and some of the themes in his music were precursors of Gangsta rap .
Career
Jackson was born in Harlem , New York City , receiving his 'Spoonie' nickname as a child because the spoon was the only utensil that he used to eat with.Larkin, Colin (1999) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music , Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0252-6, p. 322-3Shapiro, Peter (2005) The Rough Guide to Hip-Hop , Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-263-8, p. 344-5 His mother died when he was twelve years old, and he went to live with his uncle, the record producer Bobby Robinson (record producer)|Bobby Robinson , in whose apartment he began to practice rapping.Toop, David (1984) The Rap Attack: African Jive to New York Hip Hop , Pluto, ISBN 978-0861047772
His first recording came about after Peter Brown visited Robinson's record store and mentioned that he was looking to make a rap record. Spoonie's name was suggested, and he recorded "Spoonin' Rap", which was released on Brown's Sound Of New York, USA imprint, featuring a lyric that included jailhouse references that would later become common in Gangsta rap, and with echo applied to vocals in a similar way to many Jamaica n deejay records. Spoonie Gee has been described as "the original gangster rapper". John Leland (journalist)|Leland, John (1989) " http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/12/arts/recordings-rap-as-public-forum-on-matters-of-life-and-death.html? pagewanted=1 RECORDINGS; Rap as Public Forum on Matters of Life and Death", New York Times , March 12, 1989, retrieved 2010-03-28Leland, John (1990) " http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/77388041.html? dids=77388041:77388041& FMT=ABS& FMTS=ABS:FT& type=current& date=Aug+26%2C+1990& author=BY+JOHN+LELAND& pub=Newsday+%28Combined+editions%29& desc=HIP+HOP+FOR+BEGINNERS+A+Parents%27+Guide+to+What%27s+Dookie+and+Fly HIP HOP FOR BEGINNERS A Parents' Guide to What's Dookie and Fly", Newsday , August 26, 1990, retrieved 2010-03-28
He then recorded for Robinson's Enjoy Records|Enjoy& #33; Records , his first release for the label being the similarly minimalistic "Love Rap" (on which he was accompanied on Conga s by his brother Pooche Costello), issued on the B-side of the Treacherous Three 's "New Rap Language" (on which he also featured), leading to his early nickname of 'The Love Rapper'.Pierson, Richard "Allmusic|class=artist|id=p79370/biography|pure_url=yes Spoonie Gee Biography", Allmusic , retrieved 2010-03-28 Jackson was a founding member of the Treacherous Three , along with L.A. Sunshine and Kool Moe Dee . The group added Special K (artist)|Special K as a member when Jackson left to record his first single. The group was named Spoonie Gee and the Treacherous Three when Jackson returned for a period before going solo.Fricke, Jim; & Ahearn, Charlie (2002). ''Yes Yes Y'all: the Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip-Hop's First Decade . Experience Music Project . p. 265.
He left Enjoy& #33; and moved to Sugarhill Records , where he enjoyed further hits with "Spoonie's Back" and the collaboration with The Sequence on "Monster Jam". He moved on again to Aaron Fuchs' Tuff City Records|Tuff City label, on which the majority of his later output was issued, including "That's My Style", on which he attacked Schoolly D for copying his style. By the mid-1980s, he was also working in a rehabilitation centre for people with learning disabilities. His career took off once again in 1987 with his debut album, The Godfather of Rap , produced by Marley Marl and Teddy Riley (producer)|Teddy Riley , and issued on the Tuff City label. His career has since been hampered by several spells in prison.
In the mid-1990s a compilation of his work, Godfather of Hip Hop , was issued on the Ol' Skool Flava label, In the mid-2000s he returned with a new Extended play|EP , The Boss is Back .
In 2008, "Love Rap" was ranked number 65 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop" http://stereogum.com/archives/vh1s-100-greatest-hiphop-songs_024391.html VH1’s 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs", Stereogum, retrieved 2010-03-28
Spoonie Gee has been credited with inventing the term 'Hip hop', as well as originating phrases such as "yes, yes y'all" that have become rap staples.
Discography
Albums
The Godfather of Rap (1987), Tuff City Records|Tuff City
Old And New Jams (1989), BCM (compilation)
Old and New Jams/The Godfather (1993), BCM (compilation)
Godfather of Hip Hop (1996), Ol' Skool Flava (compilation)
Singles
"Spoonin' Rap" (1979), Sound of New York
"Love Rap" (1979), Enjoy Records|Enjoy! - B-side of Treacherous Three 's "New Rap Language"
"The Big Beat" (1983), Tuff City/ Epic Records|Epic
"Get Off My Tip" (1985), Tuff City
"New Love Rap" (1985), Enjoy!
"Street Girl" (1985), Tuff City
"That's My Style"/"I'll Serve You Right" A-side and B-side|b/w "Take It Off " (1986), Tuff City
"I'm All Shook Up" (1987), Tuff City
"The Godfather" (1987), Tuff City
"(You Ain't Just A Fool) You's An Old Fool" (1988), Tuff City
"Mighty Mike Tyson" (1988), Tuff City
"Spoonin' Rap" (1999), Ol' Skool Flava
"Bodyrock" Moby ft Spoonie G (2000) (Promo)
The Boss Is Back EP (2005), New Sound of Harlem
References
reflist
External links
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Spoonie+Gee? anv=Spoonie+G Discography at Discogs
Persondata | NAME = Gee, Spoonie | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Gee, Spoonie Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:People from Harlem Category:Rappers from New York City
it:Spoonie Gee pt:Spoonie Gee
Copyright Citations
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