Anthony Williams (May 17, 1972 – September 19, 2009), better known as Roc Raida or Grandmaster Roc Raida, was a DJ, Turntablist and Producer. He was also a member of the legendary DJ group, The X-Ecutioners.
He was the 95' DMC Champion World DJ Champion, Busta Rhymes DJ and produced joints for Big Pun, Jungle Brothers and laced some amazing scratches on several songs.
I had the pleasure of knowing Raida during the Arsonists days and being the X-ecutioners tour M.C.. He laughed alot, wore a horse mask at times and put me on to the comedy "Kung Pow", he was a character. I remember going to his house and seeing him and DJ Babu watching "Good Times" high as hell. On tour, he always trained with the X-Ecutioners manager, doing Martial Arts while me and Total Eclipse would workout.
The most memorable thing I could remember about Roc Raida is not only how he scratched but the flavor he scratched in. His facial expressions and his body just had such a rhythm. I never seen it before nor after and I doubt I'll ever see it again. Lot of Hip Hop dudes who seen him rock, know what i'm talking about.
He died on September 19, 2009 from cardiac arrest due to complications a few weeks earlier relating to an accident while training in Krav Maga. Anthony "Grand Master Roc Raida" Williams is survived by his wife and three daughters Asia, Nyra and Tia.
Raida's funeral service was not only a who's who in NYC Hip Hop but also just overall out of a movie not because of those in attendance but it was so grand. Which was fitting for Grand Master Roc Raida.
Check out this classic Pepsi Commercial he was in. Rest Peacefully Roc Raida. I Love You.
Edward Archer AKA Special Ed (May 16, 1972), a rapper of Jamaican descent. From Flatbush, Brooklyn later moved to Canarsie. Ed is best known for the songs "I Got It Made" and "I'm The Magnificent", produced by "Hitman" Howie Tee and released in 1989 on theYoungest in Charge album, recorded when Ed was 16 years old. The album sold more than half a million copies.In 1990, he released his album Legal, the title a reference to his turning eighteen, with the singles "Come On Let's Move It" and "The Mission".
He was later part of first Crooklyn Dodgers project with Buckshot, Masta Ace which was produced by A Tribe Called Quest frontman Q-Tip. The song was featured in the 1994 film Crooklyn. It contains scratches from "Who Got Da Props?" by Black Moon and "The Place Where We Dwell" by Gang Starr. It also features samples of a radio broadcast of a Brooklyn Dodgers game. The music video featured appearances by Brooklyn-born athletes Michael Jordan and Mike Tyson.
This is the cover to his first album "Youngest in Charge", I remember thinking "He's missing a hand?!"
In the video below, Special Ed discusses the making of his hit recording I Got It Made. He also gives his thoughts on the Rick Ross & John Legend collaboration Magnificent, which was inspired by Ed's song I'm The Magnificent.
Marley Marl tells the story of how a young Biz, who was referred to at the time as The Diabolical Biz Markie and The Inhuman Orchestra, tracked him down in Queensbridge one weekend and introduced himself. When Marley Marl's beats and melodies were combined with Biz Markie's beat-boxing and rhymes, the chemistry was instantaneous.
In this video Marley Marl reconstructed the beat from "Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz" using the Akai MPC Renaissance. He uses his trusted kick and snare (The Honey Drippers' "Impeach The President" intro drum beat) but this time around he has switched-up the beat pattern, using the hi-hats to create ghost notes. To complete the beat, Marl adds a sub-heavy, off-beat 808 kick drum, a sampled/sped-up piano melody from Issac Hayes, and some shakers which he created by recording his own voice.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW: Remember Shyhiem? had that song "On and On" at 14 yrs. old, down with Wu-Tang? The lyrics to his 1st album were written by RZA and other Wu guys. He spent his youth in the midst of the rap life living with his cousin GhostFaceKilla, He was in 3 movies and a song including Big Daddy Kane, Old Dirty and Jay-Z. Actually, the BIG/Tupac freestyle you hear on the radio, he rhymes but was later edited out. When that didn't pay the bills, he lived the street life. Forward to 2003 he did 16 months in jail for second-degree robbery and gun charges. Now 33, he was arrested last week on felony and gun charges after police raided his apartment. They also found 41 envelopes of heroin, a scale and empty plastic bags indicative of a small-time drug operation.
Now
