Leaders of the New School
Encyclopedia
Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York
-based hip hop
crew.
, natives Charlie Brown (Bryan Higgins) and Dinco D (James Jackson); North Amityville, New York
native Cut Monitor Milo (Sheldon Scott); and Busta Rhymes
(Trevor Smith, Jr.), who was originally from Brooklyn
, New York
but later moved to Uniondale. The crew's big break was when they became an opening act for hip hop group Public Enemy. Public Enemy's Chuck D
gave Busta Rhymes and Charlie Brown their stage name
s.
The group made its first appearance on an Elektra Records
compilation titled Rubáiyát
: Elektra's 40th Anniversary, with a song called "Mt. Airy Groove". It was the only hip hop group on that album. LONS soon joined up with popular hip hop collective the Native Tongues
, along with the Jungle Brothers
, De La Soul
, A Tribe Called Quest
, and Black Sheep
.
In 1991
Busta Rhymes, Dinco D, and Charlie Brown made a guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's hit single "Scenario", and LONS joined ATCQ on The Arsenio Hall Show
to perform the track with that group. Their debut album A Future Without a Past
was also released in 1991. It included the hits "Case of the P.T.A.
", "Sobb Story
", and "The International Zone Coaster". The group was praised for its light-hearted content and old-school call-and-response deliveries.
The group's second and final album was T.I.M.E. ("The Inner Mind's Eye"), released in 1993
. The album was less acclaimed than the group's debut, but it spawned the hip hop hits "What's Next
" and "Classic Material".
As time passed, fans and critics began to focus less on LONS as a group, and more on Busta Rhymes as an individual. During an infamous appearance on the TV show Yo! MTV Raps
, the group was seen arguing, with member Charlie Brown becoming upset over Busta's show-stealing. The group soon split up, with Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Milo garnering very limited success individually, while Busta Rhymes' popularity continued to increase.
The group made an appearance on Busta's 1996
debut album The Coming
, on the track "Keep It Movin'" and was the last time they would collaborate as a group.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
crew.
History
The crew was composed of Uniondale, New YorkUniondale, New York
Uniondale is a hamlet as well as a suburb of New York City in Nassau County, New York, United States, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead. The population was 24,759 at the 2010 United States Census.-Geography:...
, natives Charlie Brown (Bryan Higgins) and Dinco D (James Jackson); North Amityville, New York
North Amityville, New York
North Amityville is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Located on Long Island in the Town of Babylon, the population of the CDP was 16,572 at the 2000 census. The area is served by the Amityville Postal District, the Amityville Union Free School...
native Cut Monitor Milo (Sheldon Scott); and Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
(Trevor Smith, Jr.), who was originally from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, 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...
but later moved to Uniondale. The crew's big break was when they became an opening act for hip hop group Public Enemy. Public Enemy's Chuck D
Chuck D
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour , better known by his stage name, Chuck D, is an American rapper, author, and producer. He helped create politically and socially conscious rap music in the mid-1980s as the leader of the rap group Public Enemy.- Early life :Ridenhour was born in Queens, New York...
gave Busta Rhymes and Charlie Brown their stage name
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:...
s.
The group made its first appearance on an Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
compilation titled Rubáiyát
Rubáiyát
Rubáiyát is a compilation album, released in 1990 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Elektra Records record label. The concept was to feature present-day Elektra artists covering songs from the historic catalogue of recordings of Elektra Records and its sister label Asylum Records.Two...
: Elektra's 40th Anniversary, with a song called "Mt. Airy Groove". It was the only hip hop group on that album. LONS soon joined up with popular hip hop collective the Native Tongues
Native tongues
Native Tongues is a book by the linguist Charles Berlitz.It is a list of words in different languages, etymology and questions with speculations far and wide about words....
, along with the Jungle Brothers
Jungle Brothers
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
, and Black Sheep
Black Sheep (hip hop group)
Black Sheep is an alternative hip hop duo from Queens, New York, composed of Andres "Dres" Titus and William "Mista Lawnge" McLean. The duo is from New York but met as teenagers in North Carolina, where both of their families relocated. The group was an affiliate of the Native Tongues, which...
.
In 1991
1991 in music
See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
Busta Rhymes, Dinco D, and Charlie Brown made a guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's hit single "Scenario", and LONS joined ATCQ on The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show
The Arsenio Hall Show is an American variety/talk show that aired late weeknights in syndication from January 3, 1989 to May 27, 1994. The show was created and hosted by comedian/actor Arsenio Hall.- Background :...
to perform the track with that group. Their debut album A Future Without a Past
A Future Without a Past
-Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*assistant engineering – John Gamble*engineering – Dr. Shane Faber, Mike Mangini, Christopher Shaw...
was also released in 1991. It included the hits "Case of the P.T.A.
Case of the P.T.A.
"Case of the P.T.A." is the first single by Leaders of the New School from their debut album A Future Without a Past. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Rap Singles charts...
", "Sobb Story
Sobb Story
Sobb Story is the second single from Leaders of the New School's debut album A Future Without a Past, where it followed up at #8 at Hop Hip Singles charts. It contains samples from a Hugo Montenegro recording, Aces High.-Music video:...
", and "The International Zone Coaster". The group was praised for its light-hearted content and old-school call-and-response deliveries.
The group's second and final album was T.I.M.E. ("The Inner Mind's Eye"), released in 1993
1993 in music
This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992....
. The album was less acclaimed than the group's debut, but it spawned the hip hop hits "What's Next
What's Next
"What's Next" is the lead single from Leaders of the New School's second album T.I.M.E. . The song peaked at number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1993....
" and "Classic Material".
As time passed, fans and critics began to focus less on LONS as a group, and more on Busta Rhymes as an individual. During an infamous appearance on the TV show Yo! MTV Raps
Yo! MTV Raps
Yo! MTV Raps was a two-hour American television music video program, which ran from August 1988 to August 1995 through its original Yo! MTV Raps name and later by Yo! . The program was the first hip hop music show on the network, based on the original MTV Europe show, aired one year earlier. The U.S...
, the group was seen arguing, with member Charlie Brown becoming upset over Busta's show-stealing. The group soon split up, with Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Milo garnering very limited success individually, while Busta Rhymes' popularity continued to increase.
The group made an appearance on Busta's 1996
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
debut album The Coming
The Coming
The Coming is the debut album by former Leaders of the New School member, Busta Rhymes, released in 1996 by Elektra Records. The Coming features rapping from Def Squad members Redman and Keith Murray as well as a guest appearance from Q-Tip and singing from Zhané and different future Flipmode Squad...
, on the track "Keep It Movin'" and was the last time they would collaborate as a group.
Discography
| Album information |
|---|
| A Future Without a Past A Future Without a Past -Album:-Singles:-Personnel:Information taken from Allmusic.*assistant engineering – John Gamble*engineering – Dr. Shane Faber, Mike Mangini, Christopher Shaw...
|
| T.I.M.E.
What's Next "What's Next" is the lead single from Leaders of the New School's second album T.I.M.E. . The song peaked at number one on the Hot Rap Singles chart in 1993.... " & "Classic Material Classic Material "Classic Material" was the last single from Leaders of the New School second album, T.I.M.E. , where a group announced their break up after their hit single song.... " |
External links
- Leaders Of The New School at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Charlie Brown interview
- Dinco D interview