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Special Ed (rapper)

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Special Ed
Birth nameEdward K. Archer
Born (1972-05-16) May 16, 1972 (age 52)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
OriginFlatbush, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresHip-Hop
Occupation(s)Rapper, record producer
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1988–present
Labels

Edward K. Archer (born May 16, 1972),[1] known professionally as Special Ed, is an American rapper and producer. Ed is perhaps best known for the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm The Magnificent" from his debut album Youngest in Charge, released in 1989 when he was 16 years old.[2][3]

Biography

Born in Brooklyn, New York City to an Afro-Jamaican father and Indo-Jamaican mother, Ed was raised in Flatbush before moving to Canarsie, and is identified with east coast hip-hop. Ed attended Erasmus Hall High School.[4] At the age of fifteen, he established a rapport with his neighbor Howie Tee, who worked with him on his demo.[5][conflicted source] Ed's debut album Youngest in Charge was released in 1989 and included the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm The Magnificent", which were produced by "Hitman" Howie Tee. In an interview with Billboard (magazine) writer James Richliano, Special Ed, who co-wrote his songs, said that he, "used to like writing poetry and creative writing in school," and that he, "wrote a lot of lyrics that amused my teachers. Even when I was younger, I could kick a beat with my hands and rhyme at the same time."[5][conflicted source]

Youngest in Charge sold more than half a million copies.[6] In 1990, Ed released his album Legal, the title a reference to his turning eighteen, with the singles "Come On Let's Move It" and "The Mission".[3][7] Ed was later a member of Crooklyn Dodgers, a supergroup put together in order to perform songs for the Spike Lee films Clockers and Crooklyn,[4][3] and he performed "Crooklyn" with Shillz on the 2003 compilation album MuskaBeatz. Ed released a third solo album, Revelations, with the single "Neva Go Back" in 1995,[8] with the track "Freaky Flow" receiving a remix by DJ Premier.

In 2004, Ed released the album Still Got It Made on his own label "Semi." Ed appeared in the film Ganked, alongside Kel Mitchell of Kenan and Kel, and had an uncredited cameo in Juice.[3] He also made an appearance on The Cosby Show as fictional rapper JT Freeze and in a Rick Ross music video entitled "Magnificent".[4][3] He also appeared in the 1992 movie Fly By Night.

Discography

References

  1. ^ Hip-Hop Golden Age - Special Ed
  2. ^ DiBella, M.F. "Youngest In Charge Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-30
  3. ^ a b c d e Shapiro, Peter (2005) The Rough Guide to Hip Hop, 2nd ed., Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-263-8, p. 341
  4. ^ a b c Jones, Charisse (1995) "Still Hanging in the 'Hood; Rappers Who Stay Say Their Strength Is From the Streets", New York Times, September 24, 1995, retrieved 2011-01-30
  5. ^ a b Richliano, James (June 24, 1989). "New On The Charts". Billboard Magazine.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (1999) The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music, Virgin Books, ISBN 0-7535-0252-6, p. 320
  7. ^ Henderson, Alex "Legal Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-30
  8. ^ Henderson, Alex "Revelations Review", Allmusic, retrieved 2011-01-30
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