Positive K
Encyclopedia
Darryl Gibson, better known by his stage name Positive K (sometimes stylized as +K), is an American emcee
from the Bronx, New York City
, New York
, and is one of the original artists of the First Priority Music
camp. He is best known for his hits "I'm Not Havin' It" (a duet with MC Lyte
) and his 1992 hit "I Got a Man
", which borrows its male/female dialogue format from the aforementioned "I'm Not Havin' It".
. Later on, he was picked up by Nat Robinson's First Priority Music
under the management of Lumumba Carson
(the son of activist Sonny Carson) before Carson would become better known as X-Clan
founding member Professor X The Overseer
.
Positive K scored a major hit with 1992
's "I Got a Man
." The song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
in early 1993
. Leading up to that, he made appearances in underground compilations including one called "I'm Not Havin' It," a duet with MC Lyte
—that raised his profile. A guest spot on Brand Nubian
’s One for All and another on Grand Puba
's Reel to Reel, along with a self-released, Big Daddy Kane
-produced single, "Nightshift", set the stage for The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills
, his full-length debut, released on Island Records
. The album balanced themes of Nation of Gods and Earths with gangsta
-isms and more pop
-based moments. Meanwhile, he kept his Creative Control label in operation, signing and cultivating new talent. He was featured on WYBE
's Old School Show, where he was awarded the #3 slot on the list of early hip-hop pioneers.
In 1993, Positive K appeared with Beavis and Butthead on The Beavis and Butt-head Experience
in a remix of "Come to Butthead." The song is hidden at the end of the album on the same CD track as "I Got You Babe
," which Beavis & Butthead performed with Cher
. The same year, Positive K briefly appeared in the Robert De Niro
film A Bronx Tale
as one of the angry protesters.
In 2006, Positive K appeared on Nas
' "Where Are They Now
" '90s remix.
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”...
from the Bronx, New York City
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...
, New York
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...
, and is one of the original artists of the First Priority Music
First Priority Music
First Priority Music was an American hip hop record label of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which has diversified and found success in recent years with releases in contemporary R&B and country music genres, among others. A small independent, it formed successful distribution relationships, first...
camp. He is best known for his hits "I'm Not Havin' It" (a duet with MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
) and his 1992 hit "I Got a Man
I Got a Man
"I Got a Man" is a 1992 hip hop song by American rapper Positive K. It was released as the first single from his debut album The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills. Positive K provides not only the male vocals on the song but also the female vocals, raising the pitch of his voice with studio technology.The...
", which borrows its male/female dialogue format from the aforementioned "I'm Not Havin' It".
Music career
Positive K started his career in 1986, making his debut on a Hip-Hop showcase album Fast Money for a small, short-lived independent label called Star Maker. Aside from featuring a track by Hip-Hop legend Disco Dave, Fast Money also featured the debut recording of Rob Base & DJ E-Z RockRob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock are a hip-hop duo from Harlem, New York who are best known for their hit "It Takes Two." The duo consists of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock .- Career :Their first U.S...
. Later on, he was picked up by Nat Robinson's First Priority Music
First Priority Music
First Priority Music was an American hip hop record label of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which has diversified and found success in recent years with releases in contemporary R&B and country music genres, among others. A small independent, it formed successful distribution relationships, first...
under the management of Lumumba Carson
Professor X The Overseer (hip hop)
Lumumba Carson , known by his stage names Baba Professor X the Overseer, Professor X, or PXO was born the son of Brooklyn-based activist Sonny Carson...
(the son of activist Sonny Carson) before Carson would become better known as X-Clan
X-Clan
X-Clan is a hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York, originally consisting of Grand Verbalizer Funkin' Lesson Brother J, Professor X The Overseer, Paradise the Architect, and Sugar Shaft the Rhythm Provider...
founding member Professor X The Overseer
Professor X The Overseer (hip hop)
Lumumba Carson , known by his stage names Baba Professor X the Overseer, Professor X, or PXO was born the son of Brooklyn-based activist Sonny Carson...
.
Positive K scored a major hit with 1992
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
's "I Got a Man
I Got a Man
"I Got a Man" is a 1992 hip hop song by American rapper Positive K. It was released as the first single from his debut album The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills. Positive K provides not only the male vocals on the song but also the female vocals, raising the pitch of his voice with studio technology.The...
." The song peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in early 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....
. Leading up to that, he made appearances in underground compilations including one called "I'm Not Havin' It," a duet with MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
—that raised his profile. A guest spot on Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian
Brand Nubian is an American hip hop group from New Rochelle, New York, consisting of three MC's: Grand Puba , Sadat X and Lord Jamar , and two DJs: DJ Alamo and DJ Sincere...
’s One for All and another on Grand Puba
Grand Puba
Maxwell Dixon is an emcee best known as a member of the group Brand Nubian.-Biography:He made his debut with the group Masters of Ceremony. Its album Dynamite was hailed by critics, but probably due to lack of sales, the group soon disbanded, and Puba emerged as the lead emcee of Brand Nubian...
's Reel to Reel, along with a self-released, 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...
-produced single, "Nightshift", set the stage for The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills
The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills
The Skills Dat Pay da Bills was Positive K's debut album, released November 3, 1992. With "I Got a Man" making waves in the radio, he was doing underground compilation appearances, guest spots on other hip-hop artists' albums, and worked with emcee Big Daddy Kane on the single , which led to his...
, his full-length debut, released on Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. The album balanced themes of Nation of Gods and Earths with gangsta
Gangsta rap
Gangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
-isms and more pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
-based moments. Meanwhile, he kept his Creative Control label in operation, signing and cultivating new talent. He was featured on WYBE
WYBE
WYBE, channel 35, is an independent, non-commercial educational public television station located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Owned and operated by Independence Public Media of Philadelphia , WYBE's transmitter and offices are located at 8200 Ridge Avenue in the Roxborough section of...
's Old School Show, where he was awarded the #3 slot on the list of early hip-hop pioneers.
In 1993, Positive K appeared with Beavis and Butthead on The Beavis and Butt-head Experience
The Beavis and Butt-head Experience
The Beavis and Butt-head Experience is a compilation album, released in 1993 by Geffen Records. The name is a reference to Jimi Hendrix's original band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Overview:...
in a remix of "Come to Butthead." The song is hidden at the end of the album on the same CD track as "I Got You Babe
I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a 1965 #1 single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-Background and composition:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session...
," which Beavis & Butthead performed with Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
. The same year, Positive K briefly appeared in the Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
film A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale
A Bronx Tale is a 1993 American crime drama film set in The Bronx during the turbulent era of the 1960s. It was the directorial debut of Robert De Niro, and follows a young Italian-American teenager as his path in life is guided by two father figures, played by De Niro and Chazz Palminteri...
as one of the angry protesters.
In 2006, Positive K appeared on Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' "Where Are They Now
Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 15, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam...
" '90s remix.
Discography
| The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills The Skills Dat Pay da Bills was Positive K's debut album, released November 3, 1992. With "I Got a Man" making waves in the radio, he was doing underground compilation appearances, guest spots on other hip-hop artists' albums, and worked with emcee Big Daddy Kane on the single , which led to his...
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