Kool Moe Dee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kool Mo Dee (fka Kool Moe Dee) | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Mohandas Dewese |
| Born | August 8, 1962 |
| Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
| Genre(s) | Hip-hop |
| Years active | 1978-present |
| Label(s) | Jive Records |
Mohandas Dewese (born 8 August 1962), better known as Kool Mo Dee, was an American old-school rapper prominent in the late 1980s and early '90s. He was born in Manhattan, New York.
In the late 1970s, he met Special K and DJ Easy Lee. Kool Mo Dee joined with other rappers Special K and L.A. Sunshine as well as DJ Easy Lee to form the influential old school hip hop group the Treacherous Three. It is with The Treacherous Three that Kool Mo Dee performed his freestyle, on stage roast of old school party rapper Busy Bee Starski, a performance frequently cited as a pivotal moment in the development of the battle rap. He appeared in the breakdance cult-movie Beat Street in 1984. In 1986, Kool Mo Dee went solo, releasing a self-titled album. Most of his solo work was produced by New Jack Swing sound-founder Teddy Riley.
He is also well-known for his long-running rivalry with LL Cool J; he claims that LL Cool J stole his rapping style. The cover of Kool Mo Dee's 1987 album How Ya Like Me Now features a red Kangol hat (LL Cool J's trademark) being crushed under the wheel of a Jeep.
His song "I Go to Work" from the album Knowledge Is King is considered by some the pinnacle of his work, with high speed, high energy and intricate lyrics masterfully mixed in to the staccato sounds of a marching band.
Kool Mo Dee also appeared on Will Smith's #1 pop hit "Wild Wild West" from Smith's 1999 motion picture, Wild Wild West, on which he re-performs the chorus to his 1988 single also named "Wild Wild West".
In 2003 he authored a book called There's a God on the Mic (ISBN 1-56025-533-1). The book breaks down his 50 favorite MCs in terms of originality, concepts, versatility, vocabulary, substance, flow, flavor, freestyle, vocal presence, live performance, poetic value, body of work, industry impact, social impact, longevity, lyrics and battle skills, where he ranked himself as number #5, ahead of MC's such as The GZA, and Tupac (ironically, he placed LL Cool J at #7, despite the past beef that the two had, even referring to him as an "unbreakable master"). Kool Mo Dee performed at a Grammys ceremony that other rap nominees boycotted. Some say this was the cause of his downfall in he lost what would later be called "street cred." Kool Mo Dee was also the first recipient of the NAACP Image award.
[edit] Discography
| Year | Title | Sales[1] | Chart positions[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | Top R&B/Hip hop albums | |||
| 1986 | I'm Kool Moe Dee | – | 83 | 23 |
| 1987 | How Ya Like Me Now | Platinum | 35 | 4 |
| 1989 | Knowledge Is King | Gold | 25 | 2 |
| 1991 | Funke, Funke Wisdom | – | 72 | 19 |
| 1993 | Greatest Hits | – | – | – |
| 1994 | Interlude | – | – | – |
| 1995 | Jive Collection Vol. 2 | – | – | – |
[edit] References
In one episode of the Simpsons Bart was quoted trying to name a sibling "Kool Moe Dee", whilst Lisa wanted to name the child "Aerial".
