King Tee is an artist I've yet to explore. My people used to rock his shit in the mid 90's but I never really payed much attention. Just reading this wiki page has me all kinds of excited to begin the journey.
What say you? What King Tee album is your favorite?
some King wiki swipes:
-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 began mentoring a young trio of rappers called Tha Alkaholiks, or "Tha Liks,"
-In 2002, King Tee independently released his Aftermath album, Thy Kingdom Come, produced by Dr Dre and Battlecat
8. "you can hear his influence on BIG on the Ready to Die album" In response to Reply # 0
you can't go wrong with his IV Life and Tha Triflin' Album. Those two are my favorites from him. He's also on Ice Cube's Death Certificate album and most of Tha Alkaholiks and Xzibit albums.Dude is nice and definitely slept on.
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10. "All his albums are great, IMO.." In response to Reply # 0
He had/has the voice, delivery, diction, annunciation, beat choice, etc..
I would say to go down the line in chronological order. You can tell Tee is a big Hip-hop fan in general throughout his discography. I especially liked the ATCQ-influenced openers on both The Triflin' Album and IV Life. I also loved the fact that he never felt the need to cater to stereotypical expectations of what a West Coast or "gangsta rap" album should sound like.. He made the music that moved him and influenced him, without biting/sounding NYC.
"Act a Fool" is his classic, "IV Life" is his most polished, and "Triflin'.." is his most fun 90's hip-hop sounding album. I have never heard his later stuff besides a d/l of Thy Kingdom Come.. I remember really liking the song he did with Kool G Rap and dude from the Eastsidaz. My personal favorite LP from him is "At Your Own Risk" as it was the first whole album of his that I owned and listened to all the way through.
12. "He also had the best St. Ide's radio spot.." In response to Reply # 10
I think it was also the first.. as far as the ones I heard.
He interpolated that Toddy Tee/Mixmaster Spade "Do You Wanna Go To the Liquor Store?" jingle at the end of his verse. Yeah, they were marketing malt liquor to the rap/r&b/dance music audience on commercial radio, but it sounded so funky to me. I wasn't even drinking yet, but I still loved to hear it when it came on.
11. "Favorite album of his is PROBABLY "Tha Triflin' Album"" In response to Reply # 0
But I've been bumping his shit since "Act a Fool." Grew up on all his shit.
And as everyone's been saying, "IV Life" is REALLY fucking good. From the o.g. "Dippin'" to "Duck" to "Supa N@#$a) to "3 Strikes ya Out" to "Freestyle Ghetto" to "Way Out There."
46. "Breeze from LA Posse put out an album in '89" In response to Reply # 40
>a year before that liks joint... > >"you couldn't hold my style with a pair of handcuffs..." > >on a side note, i always liked breeze from the la posse, but >cant ever find anything he's on...if anyone could steer me in >the right direction...
The name of his album was "T.Y.S.O.N" (The Young Son Of Noone). You can probably find the album on the net, or at least find some of the other songs on youtube.
25. "My best friend bumped the shit out of it freshman year of HS" In response to Reply # 21
Cranked "Bass" and "Payback's a Mutha" all the damn time. I dubbed the tape from him, putting it one of those old school 120 minute TDK tapes. I personally favored "Ko Rock Stuff" and "Guitar Playin'" on the album. Anyway, that album was probably my "gateway" from listening to Public Enemy and gangsta rap (NWA, Ice-T, Too Short, etc.) to more beats and lyrics oriented shit.
As for the second album, I was hyped for it as soon as I saw the "Ruff Rhyme" video on Yo! MTV Raps. "Played Like a Piano" sealed the deal (one of Cube's most underrated verses). Yes, "Diss You" was corny, but I never really listened to it (and that wack-ass dance track on it, but that was a product of the times).
I will also concur that King Tee murdered all of his appearances on Tha Liks albums. Even something like "Funny Style," which dropped just as he was getting ready to be signed by Dre.
Between this one and IV Life, those are my favorite King Tee albums.
Favorite song by King Tee is The Triflin' Nigga, which has more to do with the interludes peppered in the song than anything else. But yeah, King Tee is/was that dude.
17. "I remember having the one with the orange car cover" In response to Reply # 0
but it never grabbed me like the liks did. I had a friend that was into him and WC but I was a little to east coast biased at the time (though MC eiht was one of my favorites). I should give it a re-try.
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
"Slaves got options...cowards aint got shit." --PS "Once upon a time, little need existed for making the distinction between a nigga and a black—at least not in this country, the place where niggas were invented" -- Donnell A
42. "Thanks for this thread..." In response to Reply # 0
I've been wanting to check dude out for almost 20 years but never got around to it for some reason and eventually just forgot so this is like a reminder. I always liked the various verses I heard from him and he has a dope style. I will get up on this pronto...
Consider myself a longtime lover of hip hop...but never had a KT album. Always heard songs here and there...but never fully got into his thing.
And had no idea how big an influence he was on Big. Going through some youtube stuff....it's very clear to me now. I think a main difference to point out is that Big went a little more off-kilter before he resolved his flow. And he sometimes delayed that resolve longer than KT. But yah...the tone, inflection, rhythms....Can't think of anyone that would be a better root/lineage for Big's style.
48. "I remember the 1st time I heard You Can't See Me" In response to Reply # 47
That shit made a '91 Camry thump. I was impressed.
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
56. "I just grinned reading this post" In response to Reply # 0
and yeah... it didn't hit me immediately; first I heard Big, I was like, "this dude sounds like SOMEONE..." now it makes sense. it's kind of like Masta Ace/Eminem in how you don't even think to relate the two until you just sit down and listen.
One of teh things I always loved about King Tee is that although he's from Compton and reps the West and all that people may associate with it (funk, gands, low riders, etc), he always was on some emcee shit first and foremost.
<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up... __________________________
Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect. Game: Like Gladys Knight. Jay: Aretha Franklin. Game: Word, I like her too. Jay: Nigga...
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