T La Rock
Encyclopedia
Clarence "Terry" Ronnie Keaton (born September 16, 1961), known by the stage name
T La Rock, is an American
old-school emcee
best known for his collaboration with Def Jam Recordings
co-founder Rick Rubin
and the 1984
single
"It's Yours." He disappeared from the hip hop scene after a traumatic brain injury in 1994, but as of 2008, he was back on stage.
borough of New York City
. A former break dancer, he is the older brother of fellow old-school MC Special K
of the Treacherous Three. T La Rock stands 6'3" tall. T La Rock has been a part of hip hop since its birth, having been a DJ and emcee since the early 1970s.
released "It's Yours" 12" (Cat. PT-104), the very first release on Def Jam Recordings. Although some might argue that LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" 12" was the first, this is not exactly true. The "It's Yours" recording was something Rick Rubin put out on the Streetwise Records subsidiary label Partytime Records, a few months before joining forces with Russell Simmons. The song was the first single to feature a Def Jam Recordings
logo, but it was released through producer Arthur Baker's
independent label Partytime, which was the hip hop division of his dance music label Streetwise Records. The recording was never part of Def Jam’s collection of master recordings.
In a 1996
interview with The New York Times
, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons
commented about the effect T La Rock and "It's Yours" had on the early hip hop scene:
The influence of T La Rock's "It's Yours" has been sampled
by hip-hop group Public Enemy in "Louder than a Bomb" from its 1988
release It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
; Nas
in "The World is Yours" from his seminal 1994
album Illmatic
; by many sample-based house-music
tracks by Todd Terry
. The song was later in the soundtrack
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
, on the old school hip hop
radio station the Classics 104.1. It was also used by the Beastie Boys
on its song “Paul Revere” off the famous 1986
album Licensed to Ill
, an album also produced by Rick Rubin
and released on Def Jam Recordings
. Southern rapper Mystikal did a remake of "It's Yours" on his 1997 album Unpredictable. The song had a similar beat intro and hook but had a southern twist to it as it was titled "It Yearns".
On the strength of "It's Yours," T La Rock was signed by Fresh
/Sleeping Bag Records
and released two albums: Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx in 1987
, and On a Warpath in 1989
. Lyrical King was produced by T La Rock, Kurtis Mantronik, and DJ Louie Lou (La Rock's original DJ), while Todd Terry
produced On a Warpath.
, T La Rock suffered a traumatic brain injury
that almost killed him while breaking up a fight in front of his brother's Bronx apartment building. He spent part of his recovery at the Haym Salomon Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
, where he recovered from memory loss and a loss of motor skill
s.
After recovering, T La Rock began work on a film project about his life written by Antwone Fisher
in 2001
. He also began to record new music. He is back on stage performing all of his hits, both in the United States and internationally. He performed in Brazil
on August 2008.
The Lost Tapes (2000)
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:...
T La Rock, is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
old-school emcee
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
best known for his collaboration with Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
co-founder Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
and the 1984
1984 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1984.-Janury-March:*January 21 – "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart, despite being banned by the BBC; it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the Top 40.*January 27 – Michael Jackson's...
single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"It's Yours." He disappeared from the hip hop scene after a traumatic brain injury in 1994, but as of 2008, he was back on stage.
Early years
T La Rock was born in Manhattan and raised in the BronxThe Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
borough of 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...
. A former break dancer, he is the older brother of fellow old-school MC Special K
Special K (artist)
Kevin Keaton, a.k.a. Special K was an American old-school MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980's and early '90s.- Early career :...
of the Treacherous Three. T La Rock stands 6'3" tall. T La Rock has been a part of hip hop since its birth, having been a DJ and emcee since the early 1970s.
Hip-hop career
In 1984, Rick RubinRick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
released "It's Yours" 12" (Cat. PT-104), the very first release on Def Jam Recordings. Although some might argue that LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" 12" was the first, this is not exactly true. The "It's Yours" recording was something Rick Rubin put out on the Streetwise Records subsidiary label Partytime Records, a few months before joining forces with Russell Simmons. The song was the first single to feature a Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
logo, but it was released through producer Arthur Baker's
Arthur Baker (musician)
Arthur Baker is an American record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, and the British group New Order.-Early career:...
independent label Partytime, which was the hip hop division of his dance music label Streetwise Records. The recording was never part of Def Jam’s collection of master recordings.
In a 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...
interview with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
commented about the effect T La Rock and "It's Yours" had on the early hip hop scene:
The influence of T La Rock's "It's Yours" has been sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by hip-hop group Public Enemy in "Louder than a Bomb" from its 1988
1988 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1988.-January-March:* January 1 – André Rieu's Johann Strauss Orchestra plays its first concert....
release It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group Public Enemy, released April 14, 1988, on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place at Chung King Studios, Greene Street Recording, and Sabella Studios in New York City...
; 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...
in "The World is Yours" from his seminal 1994
1994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
album Illmatic
Illmatic
Illmatic is the debut album of American rapper Nas, released April 19, 1994, on Columbia Records. Following his signing to Columbia with the help of MC Serch, recording sessions for the album took place during 1992 to 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording...
; by many sample-based house-music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
tracks by Todd Terry
Todd Terry
Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
. The song was later in the soundtrack
Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack
The soundtrack to the game Grand Theft Auto IV, like the previous games in the series, is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu...
of the video game Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
, on the old school hip hop
Old school hip hop
Old school hip hop describes the earliest commercially recorded hip hop music , and the music in the period preceding it from which it was directly descended . Old school hip hop is said to end around 1983 or 1984 with the emergence of Run–D.M.C., the first new school hip hop group...
radio station the Classics 104.1. It was also used by the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
on its song “Paul Revere” off the famous 1986
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
album Licensed to Ill
Licensed to Ill
In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Sources 100 Best Rap Albums.It is still the only album by a white hip-hop act to receive the coveted 5 mics from The Source....
, an album also produced by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
and released on Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
. Southern rapper Mystikal did a remake of "It's Yours" on his 1997 album Unpredictable. The song had a similar beat intro and hook but had a southern twist to it as it was titled "It Yearns".
On the strength of "It's Yours," T La Rock was signed by Fresh
Fresh Records (US)
Fresh Records is a defunct New York City-based independent record label that operated from 1985 to 1992. The label was a subsidiary of Sleeping Bag Records that featured hip hop music...
/Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records
Sleeping Bag Records is a defunct New York City-based old school hip hop and dance music independent record label that operated from 1981 to 1992...
and released two albums: Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx in 1987
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, and On a Warpath in 1989
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
. Lyrical King was produced by T La Rock, Kurtis Mantronik, and DJ Louie Lou (La Rock's original DJ), while Todd Terry
Todd Terry
Todd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
produced On a Warpath.
1994 injury and recovery
In 19941994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
, T La Rock suffered a traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
that almost killed him while breaking up a fight in front of his brother's Bronx apartment building. He spent part of his recovery at the Haym Salomon Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
Bensonhurst is a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.-Geography:Sometimes erroneously thought to include all or parts of such neighborhoods as Bath Beach, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park, or to be defined by the streets where the concentration of...
, where he recovered from memory loss and a loss of motor skill
Motor skill
A motor skill is a learned sequence of movements that combine to produce a smooth, efficient action in order to master a particular task. The development of motor skill occurs in the motor cortex, the region of the cerebral cortex that controls voluntary muscle groups.- Development of motor skills...
s.
After recovering, T La Rock began work on a film project about his life written by Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher
Antwone Quenton Fisher is an American director, screenwriter, author and film producer. His 2001 autobiographical book Finding Fish is a New York Times Best Seller...
in 2001
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
. He also began to record new music. He is back on stage performing all of his hits, both in the United States and internationally. He performed in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
on August 2008.
Albums
| Album information |
|---|
| Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx) Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx) Lyrical King , from 1987, was the debut album of hip-hop emcee T La Rock. It was released after the EP He's Incredible, and none of the tracks from that record were on the original release of the album...
|
| On a Warpath
1989 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR... 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... : |
The Lost Tapes (2000)
External links
- The official MySpace page of T La Rock
- [ AllMusic.com Biography - T La Rock]
- Discogs.com Profile - T La Rock
- The Unkut Interview Pt. 1 - The Story of 'It's Yours'
- The Unkut Interview Pt. 2 - The Lost Tapes