Damon Wimbley | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Damon Yul Wimbley |
| Also known as | Kool Rock-Ski |
| Born | November 9, 1966 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, electro funk |
| Years active | 1982-present |
| Labels | Kama Sutra Records, Tin Pan Apple, Polydor, PolyGram Records |
Damon Yul Wimbley [1] (born November 9, 1966), known professionally as Kool Rock-Ski, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and former member of the American hip hop trio The Fat Boys.
Damon Wimbley was born on November 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York, NY. In his early teens, he met two kids who would become his musical collaborators, Darren Robinson and Mark Anthony Morales. [2] His career began in the early 1980s alongside Robinson and Morales, the trio establishing themselves initially as The Disco 3. [3] After participating in and winning a contest called The Tin Pan Apple After Dark Dance & Rap Contest, put on in 1983 by Swiss producer Charles Stettler, [4] culminating in a performance at Radio City Music Hall, the group quickly rose to fame. [5] Wimbley was only 16 when The Fat Boys gained mass popularity, going on an international tour organized by their then-manager Charles Stettler, the same person who had organized the Tin Pan Apple After Dark Dance & Rap Contest. [6]
By 1984, the Fat Boys had participated in national marketing campaigns and had been featured in several movies, the trio’s first role being in the 1985 musical comedy-drama Krush Groove. [7] About that experience, Wimbley says "Krush Groove had things in there that were hot for a while, [but] it was about showing off the culture. It had to work and lay down the foundation [for how] hip-hop can be what it is today. With rap you have two to three months to have a good record—then they go to the next one. [But] our place in hip-hop history [still] isn’t recognized." [8]
By the mid-to-late 1980s, the group had begun releasing covers of surf-rock songs that had been popular in the 1950s and 1960s, their cover of the surf-rock classic Wipeout becoming a top 20 hit. [9] Two years after the release of “Wipeout,” Robinson left The Fat Boys to pursue a solo career. [10] The Fat Boys went on to release one more record, “Mack Daddy,” in 1991. [11] [12]
Wimbley is still active on social media, and regularly posts about the Fat Boys, and also produces Fat Boys merchandise which he promotes via Instagram. [13] He has been featured on multiple records, collaborating with New York rappers City the Great and Kokane in 2022. He is also the host of the annual Classic Hip-Hop and R&B Cookout in New York City, which began in the summer of 2021. [14] As of 2023, Wimbley is the only living member of The Fat Boys.
The Swiss hip hop culture began in the early 1980s.
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in The Bronx, New York City.
Nathaniel Thomas Wilson, better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapper. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely considered to be one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, and a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album The Giancana Story, he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana", but on other occasions he has stated that it stands for "Genius".
Beat Street is a 1984 American dance drama film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Set in the South Bronx, the film follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to various elements of early hip hop culture, including breakdancing, DJing and graffiti.
Antonio Hardy, better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper, producer and actor who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hip hop. Rolling Stone ranked his song "Ain't No Half-Steppin'" number 25 on its list of The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time, calling him "a master wordsmith of rap's late-golden age and a huge influence on a generation of MCs".
The Fat Boys were an American hip hop trio from Brooklyn, New York, who emerged in the early 1980s. The group was briefly known originally as the Disco 3, originally composed of Mark "Prince Markie Dee" Morales, Damon "Kool Rock-Ski" Wimbley, and Darren "Buff Love" Robinson.
The Big Picture is the second studio album by American rapper Big L. The album was slated for a 1999 release, but due to Big L's murder, it was posthumously released on August 1, 2000, on Rawkus Records. It was incomplete at the time of Big L's death, and was posthumously completed by his manager and partner in Flamboyant Entertainment, Rich King. Recording sessions for the album took place primarily at D&D Studios in New York City, New York throughout 1998 and early 1999. It was produced by DJ Premier, Ron Browz, Ron G, Lord Finesse, Pete Rock, Shomari, Mike Heron, Ysae, and Showbiz. The Big Picture features appearances from Fat Joe, Remy Ma, Guru, Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, 2Pac, Sadat X, and more. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in October 2000.
Krush Groove is a 1985 American musical comedy-drama film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures that was written by Ralph Farquhar and directed by Michael Schultz. This film is loosely based on the early days of Def Jam Recordings and up-and-coming record producer Russell Simmons, portrayed by Blair Underwood in his feature film debut. Simmons was the film's co-producer and story consultant; he also had a cameo in the film as a club owner named Crocket.
David Franklin Reeves Jr. is an American musician, DJ, and producer best known for his work in cooperation with Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, The Fat Boys, and Jam Master Jay. An early associate of Russell Simmons and Larry Smith, Dave first made his name in the 1980s.
Fat Boys is the self-titled debut studio album by American hip hop group the Fat Boys, released on May 29, 1984, by Sutra Records. It was produced by Kurtis Blow. The album is dedicated to the memory of Rebecca Wimbley and William (Divine) Santos. It peaked at number 48 on the US Billboard 200, and number 6 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on May 6, 1985.
Disorderlies is a 1987 comedy film starring the rap group, The Fat Boys, and Ralph Bellamy. The film was directed by Michael Schultz who previously directed The Fat Boys in Krush Groove.
Mark Anthony Morales, better known by the stage name Prince Markie Dee, was an American rapper. He was a member of the Fat Boys, a pioneering hip hop group that gained fame during the 1980s. Morales was the vice-president of Uncle Louie Music Group.
Domingo Padilla, better known as Domingo, is an American hip hop producer from Brooklyn, New York of Latino descent. He has produced for some well-known hip hop artists such as Das EFX, Immortal Technique, and Rakim, among others. He is closely associated with Kool G Rap.
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The Fat Boys Are Back is the second studio album by American hip hop group the Fat Boys, released on June 1, 1985, by Sutra Records. The album was produced by Kurtis Blow. The album peaked at number 63 on the US Billboard 200, and number 11 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 9, 1986.
Big & Beautiful is the third studio album by the hip hop group the Fat Boys, released in 1986 through Sutra Records. It was their last release on the label.
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Hip-Hop Evolution is a Canadian music documentary television series that originally aired on HBO Canada in 2016. Hosted by Juno Award-winning artist Shad, the series profiles the history of hip-hop music through interviews with many of the genre's leading cultural figures. The series is produced by Darby Wheeler, Rodrigo Bascuñán, Russell Peters, Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn and Nelson George. It won the 2016 Peabody Award, and the 2017 International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming.
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