Lord Finesse

Lord Finesse
Lord Finesse at a Combat Jack Show in 2014
Background information
Birth name	Robert Hall Jr.
Born	(1970-02-19) February 19, 1970 The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper producer
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Wild Pitch EMI Giant Reprise Warner Bros. Penalty Tommy Boy

Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of the Top-50 Hip-Hop Producers.

Early life and education

Finesse was born Robert A. Hall, Jr. on February 19, 1970 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was raised in the South Bronx during the 1970s His grandmother raised Finesse when he was younger living in Forest Projects, a public housing project in neighborhood of Morrisania in the Bronx. He met future D.I.T.C. rapper/producer Diamond D at St. Augustine Catholic School. He attended Morris High School. While spending time at his school, Finesse would visit one of his friends high school (DeWitt Clinton High School) who he grew with up, where he would do freestyle battles sessions with other students. At that time, he met A.G. (Andre Barnes) who was a student at DeWitt Clinton High School, another future D.I.T.C. member who was an inspiring rapper. He first started rapping at the age of 12.

Career

In 1989, Finesse and his former partner DJ Mike Smooth signed with Wild Pitch Records, home of other popular hip hop artists such as Gang Starr, Main Source, Chill Rob G, Percee P and O.C. In 1990, the duo released their debut album Funky Technician. The album featured production from future star beat-makers DJ Premier, Diamond D and Showbiz. Soon after, Finesse formed the popular New York underground crew D.I.T.C., an acronym for "Diggin In The Crates", together with Showbiz and A.G. and Diamond D. Future members included Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild, and Big L.

Finesse returned as a solo artist in early 1992 with his second effort, Return of the Funky Man. The album featured guest appearances from Percee P and AG. The album's title track peaked at number 13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. Return of the Funky Man also included a couple of songs that were produced by Finesse himself, and this would be the start of a career as a much respected hip-hop producer. In 1994 Finesse made a production appearance on The Notorious B.I.G.'s classic debut Ready to Die, on the track "Suicidal Thoughts". In 1995, he produced a big portion of Big L's debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, including the single "M.V.P." and made an appearance on one of the album's highlight songs "Da Graveyard". He returned as an artist in 1996 with the now rare 12" single "Check The Method" and then the acclaimed album The Awakening. Finesse produced the entire album himself, and enlisted a large number of guests, including KRS-One, MC Lyte, Akinyele, Diamond D, Showbiz & A.G., O.C. and Kid Capri. The underground single "Actual Facts" featuring Sadat X, Large Professor and Grand Puba, was included as a hidden track on the album.

Finesse hasn't released a studio album since this effort, but has continued his production work. In 1997, he produced the title track to O.C.'s acclaimed effort Jewelz and the track "Channel 10" off of Capone-N-Noreaga's debut The War Report. Finesse released a mixtape called Diggin' On Blue in 1999. Later in the year, he produced the track "The Message" on Dr. Dre's seminal 2001 album. Finesse is currently working on a Funky Technician remix project, as well as a new D.I.T.C. album. Along with these projects, he and DJ Premier are working on a posthumous Big L album.

In 1998, Finesse provided the vocal sample on the hook to "The Rockafeller Skank", a hit single by British musician Fatboy Slim from his album You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The song features Finesse's repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother. Check it out now, the funk soul brother". This line was lifted from the song "Vinyl Dogs Vibe" by the Vinyl Dogs with the spoken word intro provided by Finesse, edited from the full line, "Check it out right about now. It's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse. And you're welcome to the world of the Vinyl Dogs right about now. So if you're diggin', peep how we do it like this"

Lord Finesse returned to the mic on Handsome Boy Modeling School's album White People in 2004. He was featured on the song entitled "Rock 'N' Roll (Could Never Hip-Hop Like This) pt. 2", collaborating with famous old-school DJ's Grand Wizard Theodore and Jazzy Jay. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park make appearances, as well as Rahzel, then of The Roots.

In June 2012, Finesse filed a $10 million lawsuit against Rostrum Records and DatPiff for the use of a sample of Finesse's song "Hip 2 Da Game" used in Mac Miller's 2010 song "Kool-Aid and Frozen Pizza." In January 2013 the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.

In 2014, Lord Finesse produced a remix for Swedish rap group Looptroop Rockers single "Another Love Song".

In July 2020, he released a new remix album, Motown State Of Mind.

Discography

Albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US R&B
Funky Technician (with DJ Mike Smooth)	Released: February 6, 1990 Label: Wild Pitch/EMI Records Format: CD, CS	93
Return of the Funky Man	Released: February 11, 1992 Label: Giant/Reprise/Warner Bros. Records Format: CD, CS	95
The Awakening	Released: February 20, 1996 Label: Penalty/Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records Format: CD, CS, LP	36

Singles

1989 - 1990 "Baby, You Nasty"/"Track the Movement", "Funky Technician"/"Bad Mutha", "Stricly for the Ladies"/"Back to Back Rhyming"

"Return of the Funky Man"/"Fuck Em", "Party Over Here"/"Save That Shit"

"Hip 2 Da Game"/"No Gimmicks", "Gameplan"/"Actual Facts"

Guest appearances

• [1992]~~~ 'Set It Off Troop'-- Class Act (soundtrack)
• [1992]~~~ 'Represent'-- Runaway Slave, Showbiz and A.G.
• [1992]~~~ 'You Know What I'm About'-- Trespass (soundtrack)
• [1993]~~~ "You Can't Front'-- Diamond D 12"
• [1993]~~~ "On da M.I.C."-- The Untold Truth, Illegal
• [1994]~~~ "Dig on That"-- One, Two, Ground Floor
• [1994]~~~ "The Rhythm"-- The Mouth That Roared...?, Bas Blasta
• [1995]~~~ 'Da Graveyard'-- Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, Big L
• [1995]~~~ 'Add On'-- Goodfellas, Showbiz and A.G.
• [1997]~~~ 'Collaboration of Mics'-- That's Them, Artifacts
• [1997]~~~ 'Day One'-- Single, D.I.T.C.
• [1997]~~~ '5 Fingers of Death'-- Hatred, Passions and Infidelity, Diamond D
• [1998]~~~ 'All Love'-- Single, D.I.T.C.
• [1998]~~~ 'Dignified Soldiers / DS (Remix)'-- Full Scale, Showbiz and A.G.
• [2000]~~~ 'Foundation'; 'Stand Strong'; 'Tribute'-- D.I.T.C.
• {2000}~~~ 'The Club'-- The Piece Maker, Tony Touch
• {2001}~~~ 'Know the Legend'-- By Design, Grand Agent
• [2004]~~~ 'Rock and Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Pt. 2'-- White People, Handsome Boy Modeling School
• [2020]~~~ 'Do the Math'-- Single, The Xav

Selected Productions

Album	Artist	Track(s)	Year
Right Here 12"	SWV	Right Here (Funkyman Remix)	1992
Trespass (soundtrack)	Lord Finesse	You Know What I'm About
Who's the Man? (soundtrack)	3rd Eye & The Group Home	Ease Up {co-produced by Jesse West}	1993
	The Notorious B.I.G.	Party & Bullshit (Lord's Dirty Remix)
Show You 12"	Jeff Redd	Show You (Finesse Remixes)
Represent	Fat Joe da Gangsta	Livin' Fat
Soul Street 12"	Carson Wheeler	Soul Street (Puffy's Remix)
The Untold Truth	Illegal	On da M.I.C.
Trendz...	Trends of Culture	Off & On
Uptown Style 12"	Kirk	Uptown Style (Laidback Remix)	1994
Ready to Die	The Notorious B.I.G.	Suicidal Thoughts
Word...Life	O.C.	Ga Head
Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous	Big L	MVP; All Black; Street Struck; Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous; Fed Up wit the Bullshit	1995
Goodfellas	Showbiz and A.G.	Add On
Ruff, Rugged & Raw	Double X Posse	Money Talks {co-produced by Double X}
Game Plan 12"	Lord Finesse	Soul Plan	1996
		Underworld Operations
Chronicle of Two Losers	Ill Biskits	Let 'Em Know
Check the Flava 12"	Ak Skills	Check the Flava
That's Them	Artifacts	Collaboration of Mics	1997
Rhythm & Beats	Leschea	Hip Hop
Microphone Pager 12"	Microphone Pager	病む街 (Lord Finesse Remix)
Run the Line 12"	Peanut Butter Wolf	Run the Line (Lord Finesse Remix)
Do That 12"	Walkin' Large	Do That (Remix)
The War Report	Capone-N-Noreaga	Channel 10
Alone	Stephen Simmonds	Alone (Funkyman Remix)
Jewelz	O.C.	Jewelz
I.K. 12"	D.I.T.C.	Internationally Known {co-produced by Showbiz}
All Love 12"		All Love	1998
Full Scale	Showbiz and A.G.	Put It in Your System {co-produced by Showbiz}
Show & Prove 12"	Pitch Black	Show & Prove
Broadcasting Live 12"	DJ Cam, Channel Live	Broadcasting Live (Remix)
Foundation	Brand Nubian	The Beat Change; Love vs. Hate; Straight Outta Now Rule; U for Me
Big City 12"	Moomin	Big City (Sunrise Mix)	1999
The Dirty Version	A.G.	Muddslide; Underground Life
2001	Dr. Dre	The Message
When Will You See 12"	Rell	When Will You See
Aktapuss	Akinyele	Sky's the Limit
D.I.T.C.	Milano	Hey Luv	2000
Big L	The Big Picture	'98 Freestyle; The Heist Revisited
Capone-N-Noreaga	The Reunion	Don't Know Nobody {co-produced by Chris Liggio}
Grand Agent	By Design	Know the Legend	2001
Bon Appetit	O.C.	Dr. Know
Anaconda	Akinyele	Love My Bitch
Terror Squad	True Story	Bring Em Back	2004
Get Dirty Radio	A.G.	We Don't Care	2006
1999 (mixtape)	Joey Badass	Funky Ho'$	2012
The Bar Code	David Bars	Next Season	2019

External links

• Media related to Lord Finesse at Wikimedia Commons