King Tee
Encyclopedia
Roger McBride, mostly known as King Tee (formerly known as King T), is an American West coast rapper
from Compton, California
.
and Kid Frost
and acted as a pioneer for the genre. In 1988 he made his debut with Act a Fool
, considered a classic amongst west coast fans.
During his time with Capitol, Tee began mentoring a young trio of rappers called Tha Alkaholiks
, or "Tha Liks," as well as their loosely affiliated collective called the Likwit Crew
. The Likwits included Xzibit
, who would later rise to fame and bring king Tee close to Compton producer Dr. Dre
. Tha Liks put out their debut album under King Tee's guidance on Loud Records
in 1993. Tee greatly influenced The Notorious B.I.G.
with his deep voice, flow and rhyme style, which Big would at times imitate on his 1994 album Ready to Die
. Tee later paid homage to Biggie on the track "6 In'a Moe'nin" on his album Thy Kingdom Come, using a similar setup to and vocal samples of Biggie's track "Somebody's Got to Die." Recently, Ice T confirmed in an interview that King Tee was B.I.G's favorite MC.
After 1994's Tha Triflin' Album
, on which Tee worked with Marley Marl
, he left Capitol for MCA
and put out IV Life
in 1995. After leaving MCA as well, he built with Dr. Dre
and ended up signing to the producer's label, Aftermath Entertainment
. However, Tee only released three songs while on the label, "Str8 Gone" and "Fame" which appeared on Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
and "Some L.A. Niggaz" which appeared on 2001; the two began recording for King Tee's Aftermath album, but the project was subject to repeated push-backs. Eventually, King Tee requested a release from the label.
King Tee has also worked extensively with Oakland rapper/producer Ant Banks
. He first appeared on Banks' 1997 compilation Big Thangs
, in the song 'West Riden' and in 2000 he was featured in the "Lead the Way" album of Banks' supergroup T.W.D.Y., in the song "No Win Situation".
In 2002, King Tee independently released his Aftermath album, Thy Kingdom Come
, produced by Dr Dre and Battlecat. He also released The Ruthless Chronicles in 2004, which had songwriting by Tee's protégé Young Maylay
and featured some of the songs seen on Thy Kingdom Come and others produced by DJ Quik
. In the interim, Tee has guested on DJ Muggs
' Soul Assassins II
album. He was mentioned on Nas' song "Where Are They Now?" and appeared on the West Coast remix, along with Kam
and Ice-T
and other California artists Breeze
, Candyman
, Threat
, Sir Mix-A-Lot
and The Conscious Daughters
. After this appearance, he put out a mixtape called Boss Up Vol. 1 with music by Snoop Dogg
, The Game
, J-Ro
and several other West Coast artists. In 2006 he made a guest appearance on the song "Poppin' Off" from Xzibit
's album Full Circle. He has also reportedly started his own label, though no artists are yet signed to it.http://www.dailymotion.com/tag/interview/video/x2948n_kingtee-interview
A remix of the song Money has appeared on Dr. Dre
's son Hood Surgeon's The Autopsy Mixtape. The song was renamed "Fast Money" and features King Tee and Dr. Dre
. The original song was on Thy Kingdom Come.
King Tee's daughter Heaven McBride was killed in a car accident on May 19, 2009. She was 16 years old.
West Coast hip hop
West Coast hip hop is a hip hop music subgenre that encompasses any artists or music that originates in the westernmost region of the United States, as opposed to East Coast hip hop, based originally in New York alone...
from Compton, California
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
.
Career
Tee had been around the Los Angeles hip hop scene for many years alongside Ice TIce T
Tracy Marrow , better known by his stage name Ice-T, is an American musician and actor.He was born in Newark, New Jersey and moved to the Crenshaw district of Los Angeles when he was in the 7th grade. After graduating from high school he served in the United States Army for four years...
and Kid Frost
Kid Frost
Arturo Molina Jr. , better known as Frost , is a Mexican American hip hop artist.-Early life:...
and acted as a pioneer for the genre. In 1988 he made his debut with Act a Fool
Act a Fool (album)
Act a Fool is the debut album by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. It is considered to be one of his better albums. Its success can be attributed to its production which is handled by DJ Pooh and King Tee himself, or the lack of guest appearances...
, considered a classic amongst west coast fans.
During his time with Capitol, Tee began mentoring a young trio of rappers called Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks
Tha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Since the early 1990s they have produced funky, upbeat, hedonism-themed party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift and the lively, comedic rhymes of...
, or "Tha Liks," as well as their loosely affiliated collective called the Likwit Crew
Likwit Crew
The Likwit Crew is a West Coast hip hop collective. It was founded by King Tee who recruited Tha Alkaholiks and Xzibit as his first acts. Then, other artists such as J. Wells, Phil da Agony, Lootpack, Defari, Styliztik Jones, Declaime, Montage One and The Barbershop MC's joined...
. The Likwits included Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, who would later rise to fame and bring king Tee close to Compton producer Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
. Tha Liks put out their debut album under King Tee's guidance on Loud Records
Loud Records
Loud Records is a subsidiary of SRC Records founded by Steve Rifkind in 1992.Loud was a hip hop label which has released material by acts such as Wu-Tang Clan, Big Punisher, Mobb Deep, Krayzie Bone, The Beatnuts, M.O.P., Tha Alkaholiks, Pete Rock, Lil' Flip, Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat, Xzibit,...
in 1993. Tee greatly influenced The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
with his deep voice, flow and rhyme style, which Big would at times imitate on his 1994 album Ready to Die
Ready to Die
Ready to Die is the debut album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The first release on the label, it features production by record producer and Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse,...
. Tee later paid homage to Biggie on the track "6 In'a Moe'nin" on his album Thy Kingdom Come, using a similar setup to and vocal samples of Biggie's track "Somebody's Got to Die." Recently, Ice T confirmed in an interview that King Tee was B.I.G's favorite MC.
After 1994's Tha Triflin' Album
Tha Triflin' Album
Tha Triflin' Album is the third album by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. It was panned critically for being dated and containing a "lighter rap approach." It contains two singles; "Got It Bad Y'all" featuring Tha Alkaholiks and "Black Togetha Again." Neither of them charted, but Tha Triflin'...
, on which Tee worked with Marley Marl
Marley Marl
Marlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
, he left Capitol for MCA
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
and put out IV Life
IV Life
IV Life is the fourth album by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. It is his first album released by MCA Records in 1994 after his split with Capitol Records...
in 1995. After leaving MCA as well, he built with Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and ended up signing to the producer's label, Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
. However, Tee only released three songs while on the label, "Str8 Gone" and "Fame" which appeared on Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath
Dr. Dre Presents the Aftermath is a compilation album by Dr. Dre. It was released in 1996 after leaving Death Row Records, and was the first release on his then newly established Aftermath Entertainment. In spite of Dr...
and "Some L.A. Niggaz" which appeared on 2001; the two began recording for King Tee's Aftermath album, but the project was subject to repeated push-backs. Eventually, King Tee requested a release from the label.
King Tee has also worked extensively with Oakland rapper/producer Ant Banks
Ant Banks
Anthony Banks, known simply as Ant Banks, is a producer and rapper from Oakland, California.-Biography:As a child he took part in a band at school and from there learned to play a variety of instruments along the way. At school he only learned Classical, but at home he taught himself to play Funk...
. He first appeared on Banks' 1997 compilation Big Thangs
Big Thangs
Big Thangs is a compilation presented by American rapper and producer, Ant Banks. It was released July 8, 1997 on Priority Records. The album contains no tracks on which Ant Banks himself raps but instead is a compilation of tracks that Ant Banks produced and composed, performed by various West...
, in the song 'West Riden' and in 2000 he was featured in the "Lead the Way" album of Banks' supergroup T.W.D.Y., in the song "No Win Situation".
In 2002, King Tee independently released his Aftermath album, Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy Kingdom Come is the eighth solo album from Grammy Award-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans. It was released on April 1, 2008 and debuted at number 57 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album received the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album award at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009...
, produced by Dr Dre and Battlecat. He also released The Ruthless Chronicles in 2004, which had songwriting by Tee's protégé Young Maylay
Young Maylay
Christopher "Chris" Bellard also known by his stage name, Young Maylay, is an American West Coast rapper from Los Angeles...
and featured some of the songs seen on Thy Kingdom Come and others produced by DJ Quik
DJ Quik
David Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
. In the interim, Tee has guested on DJ Muggs
DJ Muggs
Lawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
' Soul Assassins II
Soul Assassins II
-Track listing:...
album. He was mentioned on Nas' song "Where Are They Now?" and appeared on the West Coast remix, along with Kam
Kam (rapper)
Kam is an American political emcee known primarily among hip hop fans and music critics during the 1990s. Born in Los Angeles, he is considered an esteemed West Coast underground rapper. He is known for his Nation of Islam-influenced lyrics and membership, and affiliation with his cousin, fellow...
and Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
and other California artists Breeze
Breeze
Breeze or The Breeze can refer to:* Sea breeze, an onshore afternoon wind, caused by warm air rising over the land in sunny weather-Media:* The Breeze , a group of radio stations in New Zealand....
, Candyman
Candyman (rapper)
Candell Manson known by his stage name Candyman, is an American rapper and record producer. He is best known for his only hit single, "Knockin' Boots".-Biography:...
, Threat
Threat
Threat of force in public international law is a situation between states described by British lawyer Ian Brownlie as:The 1969 Vienna convention on the Law of Treaties notes in its preamble that both the threat and the use of force are prohibited...
, Sir Mix-A-Lot
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
and The Conscious Daughters
The Conscious Daughters
The Conscious Daughters is a female rap duo, consisting of members Special One and CMG, out of Northern California's Bay Area. The duo signed in 1993 to rapper/activist Paris's record label Scarface Records after passing him a demo tape at a club...
. After this appearance, he put out a mixtape called Boss Up Vol. 1 with music by Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
, J-Ro
J-Ro
James Robinson, known by his stage name J-Ro is a hip-hop performer and former member of Tha Alkaholiks. He is also a regular guest/contributor of Combat Radio - Discography :818 Antics*Mix-CD*Released: May 5, 2006...
and several other West Coast artists. In 2006 he made a guest appearance on the song "Poppin' Off" from Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
's album Full Circle. He has also reportedly started his own label, though no artists are yet signed to it.http://www.dailymotion.com/tag/interview/video/x2948n_kingtee-interview
A remix of the song Money has appeared on Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's son Hood Surgeon's The Autopsy Mixtape. The song was renamed "Fast Money" and features King Tee and Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
. The original song was on Thy Kingdom Come.
King Tee's daughter Heaven McBride was killed in a car accident on May 19, 2009. She was 16 years old.
Albums
| Act a Fool Act a Fool (album) Act a Fool is the debut album by West Coast hip hop artist King Tee. It is considered to be one of his better albums. Its success can be attributed to its production which is handled by DJ Pooh and King Tee himself, or the lack of guest appearances...
|
|---|
Singles
- 1986 "Payback's a Mutha"
- 1987 "The Coolest"
- 1988 "Bass"
- 1989 "Act A Fool"
- 1990 "Ruff Rhyme (Back Again)"
- 1990 "At Your Own Risk"
- 1990 "Diss You"
- 1990 "Played Like a Piano" w/ Ice CubeIce CubeO'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
and Breeze - 1992 "Got It Bad Y'all"
- 1992 "Bust Dat Ass"
- 1993 "Black Togetha Again"
- 1994 "Dippin'"
- 1995 "Way Out There"
- 1995 "Free Style Ghetto" w/ XzibitXzibitAlvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, Tha AlkaholiksTha AlkaholiksTha Alkaholiks, also known as Tha Liks, was an American hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. Since the early 1990s they have produced funky, upbeat, hedonism-themed party music with a hardcore hip hop edge, powered by the beats of DJ and producer E-Swift and the lively, comedic rhymes of...
, MC Breeze - 1998 "Got It Lock'd" (from original 1998 Aftermath-planned release of Thy Kingdom ComeThy Kingdom ComeThy Kingdom Come is the eighth solo album from Grammy Award-winning gospel singer CeCe Winans. It was released on April 1, 2008 and debuted at number 57 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album received the Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album award at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009...
- 2003 "Get Ready 2 Ride" w/ Battle CatBattlecat (producer)Kevin Gilliam, better know by his stage name Battlecat, is an American hip hop producer from Long Beach, California.-Biography:He is well known for producing artists such as Snoop Dogg, The Game, Xzibit and Tha Eastsidaz along with a number of other West Coast rappers...
- 2003 "Stop On By" w/ Tray DeeeTray DeeeTray Deee is a rapper who was once signed to Death Row Records and later signed with Snoop Dogg's label Dogghouse Records .-Career:...
- 2004 "Back Up" w/ Phil Da Agony
Appearances
- 1997: Str-8 Gone (From the Compilation Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath by Dr. Dre), Fame / R.C feat. King T (from the Compilation Dr. Dre Presents... The Aftermath by Dr. Dre)
- 1999: Some L.A. Niggaz / Dr. Dre feat. DeFari, Xzibit, Knoc-Turnn'Al, Time Bomb, King T, MC Ren & Kokane (From the Album 2001 by Dr. Dre)
- 2000: You Better Believe It / Xzibit & King Tee (From SOUL ASSASSINS CHAPTER II by DJ Muggs)
- 2001: Southland Killers / Cypress Hill, MC Ren & King Tee (From STONED RAIDERS by Cypress Hill)
- 2004: Wake Up / Proof (from D12) & King Tee (From THE LAST ASSASSIN by DJ Muggs & Chace Infinite)
- 2006: P.T.A. (Feat. J Ro, King Tee & Masta Ace) (From Sloppy Seconds by CunninLynguistsCunninlynguistsCunninLynguists are a hip hop trio from Lexington, Kentucky and Atlanta, Georgia. The group currently consists of Deacon the Villain, Kno, and Natti...
)