Cool C
Encyclopedia
Christopher Roney known by the stage name
Cool C, is an American rapper
whose musical career peaked in the late 1980s. He is perhaps best known today for the notoriety surrounding his involvement in the murder of a Philadelphia Police
officer in a bank robbery
in January 1996. He is currently incarcerated in a Pennsylvania state prison awaiting execution
. He was to have been put to death on March 9, 2006, but his execution has been stayed.
crew. His 1987 debut single, "Juice Crew Dis," which took aim at the New York
-based hip hop crew run by influential rap producer
Marley Marl
(a group that included heavyweights Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane
), gained Roney a good amount of attention.
A pair of 1988 singles for Hilltop and City Beat Records landed Roney a contract with Atlantic Records
, where he released two full-length solo albums: his debut I Gotta Habit
in 1989 and Life in the Ghetto, in 1990.
career aside to join hardcore rap group C.E.B. (which stood for "Countin' Endless Bank"), with fellow Philadelphia rappers Warren McGlone (Steady B
) and Ultimate Eaze. The trio released their only album, Countin' Endless Bank, on Ruffhouse Records
in 1993, to disappointing sales and reviews. The single "Get the Point" reached #5 on Billboard
s Hot Rap Singles.
, Roney, along with C.E.B. band mate McGlone (a.k.a. Steady B
), and another local Philadelphia rapper, Mark Canty, attempted a bank robbery
at a PNC bank
branch in Philadelphia. During the botched heist, Roney shot and killed Philadelphia Police Officer
Lauretha Vaird, who responded to the bank's silent alarm. As he exited the bank, Roney exchanged fire with another police officer, before he and Canty dropped their weapons at the scene and fled in a stolen minivan
driven by McGlone.
Vaird, an African-American woman and the single mother of two children, was the first female Philadelphia Police officer killed in the line of duty.
Roney was arrested and on October 30, 1996, convicted of first degree murder. At his subsequent sentencing hearing, Roney was sentenced to death by lethal injection
. On January 10, 2006, his death warrant was signed by Pennsylvania
Governor Ed Rendell
and his execution date was set for March 9, 2006. He was granted a stay of execution
from Pennsylvania Judge Gary Glazer on February 1, 2006 until all post-conviction litigation is resolved.
Roney has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout the trial
and appeal
s process, despite the testimony of three eyewitnesses who placed him at the scene of the robbery, as well as ballistic
and forensic
evidence and surveillance video that linked him to the murder. He is currently an inmate at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Greene.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Cool C, is an American rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
whose musical career peaked in the late 1980s. He is perhaps best known today for the notoriety surrounding his involvement in the murder of a Philadelphia Police
Philadelphia Police Department
The Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
officer in a bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
in January 1996. He is currently incarcerated in a Pennsylvania state prison awaiting execution
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. He was to have been put to death on March 9, 2006, but his execution has been stayed.
Early career
In the mid-1980s, Roney was an original member of the Philadelphia-based Hilltop Hustlers hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
crew. His 1987 debut single, "Juice Crew Dis," which took aim at the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based hip hop crew run by influential rap producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
(a group that included heavyweights Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who started his career in 1986 as a member of the rap group the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MC's in Hip Hop...
), gained Roney a good amount of attention.
A pair of 1988 singles for Hilltop and City Beat Records landed Roney a contract with Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, where he released two full-length solo albums: his debut I Gotta Habit
I Gotta Habit
I Gotta Habit is the debut album by Philadelphia-based, old school rapper Cool C, released in 1989. The album reached #51 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart in 1989, and had a single, "Glamorous Life," that almost cracked the Top 10 Hot Rap Singles chart that same year .-Track listing:# "Enemy...
in 1989 and Life in the Ghetto, in 1990.
C.E.B.
In 1991, Roney put his soloSolo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career aside to join hardcore rap group C.E.B. (which stood for "Countin' Endless Bank"), with fellow Philadelphia rappers Warren McGlone (Steady B
Steady B
Warren McGlone , known by the stage name Steady B, was an American rapper and emcee who, along with Schoolly D, the Fresh Prince, and Three Times Dope, was one of the first wave of Philadelphia-area rappers to gain notoriety in the mid to late 1980s...
) and Ultimate Eaze. The trio released their only album, Countin' Endless Bank, on Ruffhouse Records
Ruffhouse Records
Ruffhouse Records is a record label founded in 1989 by Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo as a joint venture with Columbia Records. In 1999, Schwartz and Nicolo stopped the label. Schwartz and Kevon Glickman continued with RuffNation Records; Chris Schwartz has worked in the music and film industry for...
in 1993, to disappointing sales and reviews. The single "Get the Point" reached #5 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Rap Singles.
Legal issues
On January 2, 1996, during the same time period that he was recording a comeback EPExtended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Roney, along with C.E.B. band mate McGlone (a.k.a. Steady B
Steady B
Warren McGlone , known by the stage name Steady B, was an American rapper and emcee who, along with Schoolly D, the Fresh Prince, and Three Times Dope, was one of the first wave of Philadelphia-area rappers to gain notoriety in the mid to late 1980s...
), and another local Philadelphia rapper, Mark Canty, attempted a bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
at a PNC bank
PNC Financial Services
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is a U.S.-based financial services corporation, with assets of approximately $264.3 billion...
branch in Philadelphia. During the botched heist, Roney shot and killed Philadelphia Police Officer
Philadelphia Police Department
The Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
Lauretha Vaird, who responded to the bank's silent alarm. As he exited the bank, Roney exchanged fire with another police officer, before he and Canty dropped their weapons at the scene and fled in a stolen minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
driven by McGlone.
Vaird, an African-American woman and the single mother of two children, was the first female Philadelphia Police officer killed in the line of duty.
Roney was arrested and on October 30, 1996, convicted of first degree murder. At his subsequent sentencing hearing, Roney was sentenced to death by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
. On January 10, 2006, his death warrant was signed by Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Governor Ed Rendell
Ed Rendell
Edward Gene "Ed" Rendell is an American politician who served as the 45th Governor of Pennsylvania. Rendell, a member of the Democratic Party, was elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 2002, and his term of office began January 21, 2003...
and his execution date was set for March 9, 2006. He was granted a stay of execution
Stay of execution
A stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgment or other court order. The word "execution" does not necessarily mean the death penalty; it refers to the imposition of whatever judgment is being stayed....
from Pennsylvania Judge Gary Glazer on February 1, 2006 until all post-conviction litigation is resolved.
Roney has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout the trial
Trial (law)
In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
and appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
s process, despite the testimony of three eyewitnesses who placed him at the scene of the robbery, as well as ballistic
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
and forensic
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action...
evidence and surveillance video that linked him to the murder. He is currently an inmate at Pennsylvania’s State Correctional Institution at Greene.
Solo albums
| Album information |
|---|
| I Gotta Habit I Gotta Habit I Gotta Habit is the debut album by Philadelphia-based, old school rapper Cool C, released in 1989. The album reached #51 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart in 1989, and had a single, "Glamorous Life," that almost cracked the Top 10 Hot Rap Singles chart that same year .-Track listing:# "Enemy...
|
| Life in the Ghetto
RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... : |
Group album
| Album information |
|---|
Countin' Endless Bank
|
External links
- [ AllMusic.com Biography - Cool C]
- ThugLifeArmy.com article about Cool C's trial & sentencing