On April 28th, 1966, one of the many rappers responsible for the Parental Advisory stickers being placed on albums in the 80s-producer, drummer, Oakland Representative, record executive, and actor-Too $hort aka $hort Dogg (Todd Anthony Shaw) was born in Los Angeles, California. Too $hort is well known for raunchy lyrics, that tell the story of players and pimps in The Bay Area. His family moved north to Oakland, when he was in his early teens, and he attended Fremont High School (he was a drummer in his school band). $hort grew up during the height of The Black Panthers, and pimp culture in Oakland, CA. Songs like Freaky Tales, Dope Fiend Beat, and So You Want To Be A Gangster all relay to the public the subculture of Pimpology.
In 1983, when he was only 17, he released his first LP Don’t Stop Rappin’. It was an underground, out the trunk cassette, with drum machine sequences and sparse synthesizer. It was also the first rap album to use the word "bitch" in the lyrics (which became $hort Dogg’s signature word-Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiitchhhhhhhh). $hort said it so much, that it became a staple for his intro/outro to songs. A shocking and demeaning word to ‘L7 squares’ (an L and a 7 together make a square in pimp terminology), Too $hort found the word to be a common term used by the men and women in the world of pimping. He made custom songs for hustlers, players, and pimps-which were compiled into LPs later. Too $hort has collaborated with dozens of rappers and singers throughout his career. He’s 53 years old today.
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On April 28th, in 1973, singer, rapper, part of the Dungeon Family, spouse of Joi Gilliam (singer and daughter of Joe Gilliam-Jefferson Street Joe QB-Tennessee State University & Pittsburgh Steelers) and co-founding member of Goodie Mob-Big Gipp AKA Gipp Goodie (Cameron Gipp) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s most known for his verses on Goodie Mob and Outkast songs like-Git Up-Git Out, Cell Therapy and Soul Food. Gipp rhymes about the social, economic and political plights that people of color face in America with a slow southern drawl. He hung out daily at the Dungeon with fellow members: Outkast (Andre 3000 & Big Boi), Cee-Lo, Khujo, T-Mo, Rico, Cool Breeze, Sleepy, Big Rube (elder statesman-narrator-poet) and Ray. They created a new sound for rap in a dank basement that fused hip hop from the east, Midwest, TX (Geto Boys, UGK) and west coast with a laid-back southern tinge to it.
Gipp’s first official recording came on the Outkast song Git Up-Get Out. Shortly after this, Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo and Cee-Lo AKA Goodie Mob-released their seminal single-Cell Therapy (1995). It’s a pinnacle song for several reasons. First, the beat! The instrumental track alone with the ill piano riff, 808 kicks and occasional rhythmic squeals and screeches? Let’s just say, play it in any cipher and watch MCs go off. Second, the lyrics. Goodie Mob, Gipp in particular, was one of the first to speak on scanners under your skin, Bluetooth technology, Apple pay, etc. over 20 years before they came into existence. Third, it was something you can play anywhere. It was universal in that everyone can relate to something in the song. He’s 46 today.
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On April 28th, in 1953, singer, journalist, guitarist, visual artist, songwriter, bassist, actress and co-founding member of Sonic Youth (with Thurston Moore-her first husband)-Kim (Althea) Gordon was born in Rochester, New York. Gordon is most known for her work with Sonic Youth, Body/Head (noise guitar band), her paintings and book-Girl in a Band. She was raised in Los Angeles, California when she was 5. She started off as a graphic artist, being astute at drawing and painting at a young age. She went to high school and college (Santa Monica College, York University-Toronto) for her artistic skills. She moved to NYC in 1980 in hopes of making becoming a professional artist. While there, she was introduced first-hand to punk and joined a band called CKM (1981) with Stanton Miranda and Christine Hahn.
Up to this point in her life, Gordon had never really sang in a formal sense and had never played an instrument. She states that punk influenced her to do both because it was ‘free’, something she could do. The band didn’t last long, but she met her future husband and Sonic Youth band member-Thurston Moore while she was with CKM. They released their debut LP in 1983-Confusion is Sex, with an equally stout second album two-years later-Bad Moon Rising (1985). They recorded several LPs during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. The band dissolved around 2009-2010 and Gordon switched to painting feeling her music career had stifled her art aspirations. She’s 66 today. TOV would like to send a special Shout Out to Dee Jay Tron for suggestion the YouTube track selections.
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HONORABLE MENTION: On April 28th, in 1943, singer, songwriter, Philadelphia soul innovator and multi-label recording artist-The Fantastic Johnny C (Johnny Corley) was born in Greenwood, SC. He's most known for his seminal soul LP and hit single of the same name-Boogaloo Down Broadway (1970). His discography, albeit short, is considered some of the best Northern Soul of the late 60s. He had a slow start to his music career, joining his first gospel group after he returned from the war in the late 50s. He was discovered by Jesse James who became his manager and signed to Phil-L.A. of Soul Records in 1965. He got the name Fantastic from several of his friends referring to his first single as such-Boogaloo Down Broadway (1967). He’s 75 today.
On April 28th, in 1950, Island music pioneer, steelpan player and member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band-Robert Greenidge was born in Success Village, Laventille, Trinidad. He’s most known for popularizing the steelpan and playing on several recordings with artists during the 70s like: Earth Wind & Fire, John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, JJ Cale, Taj Mahal, Ringo Starr and Michael Utley. He also was a member of the Trinidad and Tobago National Steel Orchestra and played with the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. He started off on piano when he was 8 and started performing professionally in his teens. He’s 69 today.
On April 28th, in 1975, we lost one of the three DJs that were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame-Tom Big Daddy Donahue (Thomas Coman). He’s most known for his work at station KYA (currently KOIT) in San Francisco, his label Autumn Records where Sly Stone was a staff producer and his psychedelic nightclub-Mothers on Broadway (San Francisco, CA). He also managed, produced and recorded the Beau Brummels. Donahue coordinated the Beatles last public appearance at Candlestick Park on Aug 29th, in 1966. He was an advocate for Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 60s and promoted several concerts in the San Francisco area. He was 46 when he passed.
On April 28th, in 2005, we lost a seminal jazz musician, eldest brother from the infamous sibling jazz trio-The Heath Brothers, bassist, composer, sideman, arranger and producer-Percy Heath. The Wilmington, NC native is most known in the hip hop world for his classic breakbeat cut with his brothers-Smilin’ Billy Suite (Heath Brothers, Strata-East Records, 1976). The trio included his younger brother-Jimmy on sax, and his youngest brother-Albert on drums. The Heath Brothers are an unsung jazz trio like Young Holt Unlimited & the Three Sounds. They created music with a hard bop foundation that used elements of fusion jazz. He was 81 when he passed.
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