name	Juice Crew
background	group_or_band
alias	The Juice Crew All-Stars
origin	Queensbridge, New York
genre	Hip hop
years active	1983–1991
label	Cold Chillin'
associated acts	Dimples D.
current members	Marley MarlMr. MagicRoxanne ShantéMC ShanBiz MarkieBig Daddy KaneKool G RapMasta AceCraig GTragedy the Intelligent HoodlumGrand Daddy I.U.
notable instruments	}}

The Juice Crew was a hip hop collective of largely Queensbridge-based artists in the mid- to late-1980s. Founded by producer Marley Marl and radio DJ Mr. Magic and housed by Tyrone William's Cold Chillin' Records, the Juice Crew would introduce New School artists Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté and Kool G Rap. The crew produced many answer records and "beefs" - primarily with rival radio jock Kool DJ Red Alert and the South Bronx's Boogie Down Productions - as well as the "posse cut", "The Symphony".

History

Marley Marl started his career as Mr. Magic's sidekick and DJ on the influential radio show ''Rapp Attack'', the first exclusively-hip hop music program to be aired on a major radio station, New York's WBLS-FM; the show would be instrumental in spring-boarding the careers of the group's various artists. The crew derived its name from Mr. Magic's alias, "Sir Juice".

As a record producer, Marley Marl began the Juice Crew's long tradition of answer records with their first release - 1983's "Sucker DJs (I Will Survive)" by Marley's then-girlfriend Dimples D., a response to Run-D.M.C.'s "Sucker MCs" - but this initial effort failed to provoke much of a reaction, and was a whimper compared to what was to come.

A chance encounter in 1984 between Mr. Magic, Marley Marl and manager Tyrone Williams and 15-year old rapper Roxanne Shanté resulted in their breakout hit "Roxanne's Revenge". A scathing attack on UTFO's "Roxanne, Roxanne", the song became so popular it not only garnered a response from the original group (with the help of a young female rapper claiming to be The Real Roxanne) but inspired dozens of imitators in a series of records known as the Roxanne Wars.

Keeping his attentions to his Queensbridge public housing project, Marley's next artist was his cousin MC Shan. Shan's second single, 1986's "Beat Biter", went after local Queens superstar LL Cool J for allegedly stealing Marley's music. What was significant about the 12-inch release was not its intended single however but its B-side "The Bridge", which proved much more popular, finding not only considerable radio play but the ire of Boogie Down Productions. BDP, an upstart rap group from the South Bronx led by rapper KRS-One, took offense to a contested interpretation of MC Shan's lyrics: they understood Shan to be claiming Queens as the birthplace of hip hop, when it in fact originated largely in the Bronx. Adding to the beef was an ongoing feud between Mr. Magic and his arch-rival Kool DJ Red Alert, who played a similar role in supporting Boogie Down Productions' nascent career - Mr. Magic on the other hand derided their early efforts. BDP launched the first attack with "South Bronx", which was premiered live in concert after an MC Shan performance of "The Bridge". Shan and Marley responded with "Kill That Noise", released on MC Shan's 1987 debut ''Down By Law'' (the first full-length release from Tyrone Williams newly-formed Cold Chillin' Records), calling out KRS-One's attention-grabbing methods. The battle was widely regarded as having been won however by KRS-One and the BDP Crew, with the diss track "The Bridge Is Over". Nonetheless, the so-called "Bridge Wars" would be drawn-out over a number of proxies.

The Juice Crew began to expand around this time, most notably with the inclusion of two high school friends from Brooklyn, rapper Big Daddy Kane and "human beatbox" Biz Markie. Biz had already collaborated with Shanté for 1986's "Def Fresh Crew" and found success with his Marley-produced debut "Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz", which also introduced Juice Crew singer TJ Swan. In February 1988, Biz's album ''Goin' Off'' was released by Cold Chillin', which had just signed a five-year distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records. By the following year, Biz would become a national celebrity with a hit single ("Just A Friend") in the US Top Ten. Big Daddy Kane went on to become not only one of the biggest selling but most respected and influential rappers of his time. Kool G Rap, together with musical partner DJ Polo, was met with similar critical acclaim, albeit less commercial success. The other artists added to the Juice Crew/Cold Chillin' roster were Masta Ace and Queensbridge up-and-comers Tragedy the Intelligent Hoodlum and Craig G.

To showcase both his expanding crew and evolving musical productions, Marley Marl released in 1988 the label-showcase ''In Control Volume 1''. "The Symphony", with its sparse drum sample, simple piano melody and back-to-back line-up of lyrical heavyweights (Masta Ace, Craig G, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane), made an indelible impression on hip hop, and is widely regarded as the quintessential "posse cut". The Juice Crew rode out the decade firmly at the top of hip-hop.

Marley Marl spent the early 1990s as a producer, including work with LL Cool J in 1990 on ''Mama Said Knock You Out''. It would be the last year he would contribute to a Juice Crew member's album. 1991's ''In Control Volume II (For Your Steering Pleasure)'' featured appearances from LL Cool J and Chuck D but also featured little of the original crew and many unknowns who would never be heard from again. Cold Chillin' Records struggled in the early 1990s, and less successful acts like Masta Ace were dropped.

In 2009 they recorded a tribute to Mr. Magic, "Mr. Magic Tribute".

Legacy

The Intelligent Hoodlum, later known as Tragedy Khadafi in the 1990s, played a personal role in shaping the lyrics and imagery of Capone-N-Noreaga and his younger cousin Havoc of Mobb Deep.

As Nas said in an interview in 1998: 2000s ''QB's Finest'' sought to honour this heritage with "Da Bridge 2001", an all-star update of MC Shan and Marley Marl's classic, this time joined by Tragedy, Mobb Deep, Capone, and Nas.

In 2007, the feud between the Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions was officially laid to rest when Marley Marl and KRS-One released the collaborative album, ''Hip Hop Lives'' - a quasi-sequel record to Nas' ''Hip Hop Is Dead''.

''The Vapors'', a biopic about the Juice Crew directed by Furqaan Clover and starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Marley Marl and Keke Palmer as Roxanne Shanté, began production in February 2008. Although right now the movie is on hold due to money issues.

References

See also

Cold Chillin' Records

The Roxanne Wars

The Bridge Wars

The Hip Hop History of The Symphony (Juice Crew)

Category:American hip hop groups Category:East Coast hip hop groups Category:Hip hop collectives Category:American rappers Category:Musicians from New York City Category:People from Queens

de:Juice Crew it:Juice Crew

name	Marley Marl
background	non_performing_personnel
birth name	Marlon Williams
born	September 30, 1962New York City, New York, United States
origin	Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S.
genre	Hip hop
occupation	CEO, DJ, record producer, rapper
years active	1983 present
label	Cold Chillin', Warner Bros.
associated acts	Juice Crew, Kool G. Rap, Rakim, King Tee, LL Cool J, KRS-One, Masta Ace
notable instruments	}}

Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962), 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

Marley Marl was the house producer of the Juice Crew, known for The Bridge Wars, a feud with Boogie Down Productions seen as one of the earliest and influential hip hop beefs. The Juice Crew included Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, MC Shan (his cousin) and Masta Ace, and produced many songs for outside artists including King Tee, LL Cool J, and Lords of the Underground. He was also an important figure in the careers of Eric B. & Rakim, producing their first hits "My Melody" and "Eric B Is President".

Marl was the first to sample a breakbeat and reprogram it, which he did with The Honey Drippers' "Impeach the President" breakbeat on the MC Shan single "The Bridge" from 1985. This was an extremely important feat as it completely changed the way hip hop beats were made, as well as other sample based genres. In his early records, Marl mixed James Brown samples and synthetic beats in a fashion previously unheard of, for the most part.

Marl started his career working for Tuff City Records. He debuted as an electro producer, with a track called "Sucker DJ's" in 1983 like a response to Run DMC's hit called "Sucker MC's", performed by his girlfriend Crystal Smith under the nickname of Dimples D.The next year, Marl also recorded a diss response to "Roxanne Roxanne" by UTFO, in the voice of Roxanne Shanté. In 1985 released his first own track, "DJ's Cuttin" under the pseudonym NYC Cutter. Soon however, Marl's records became more sample heavy, as can be seen by comparing the MC Shan LPs ''Down By Law'' (1987) and ''Born to be Wild'' (1988); the rhythms became less electronic, with drum machines becoming more prominent.

One of hip-hop's first superproducers, Marley Marl was an early innovator in the art of sampling, developing new techniques that resulted in some of the sharpest beats and hooks in rap's Golden Age. His trademark raw sound became from triggering short samples loaded in 3 Korg SDD-2000 sampling-delay units through the trigger out of the Roland TR-808. As the founder of Cold Chillin' Records, Marl assembled a roster filled with some of the most prominent hip hop talent then working in New York: MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & Polo, and Masta Ace. His production work for those and many other artists generally boasted a bright, booming, and robust sound that—along with his ear for a catchy sample—helped move street-level hip-hop's sonic blueprint into more accessible territory. Most important, though, were his skills as a beatmaker; Marl was among the first to mine James Brown records for grooves and also learned how to craft his own drum loops through sampling, which decreased hip-hop's reliance on tinny-sounding drum machines and gave his '80s productions a fresh, modern flavor.

The end of the '80s is often referred to as hip-hop's Golden Era, a time when the form's creativity was expanding by leaps and bounds. Marl's Juice Crew was an important force in ushering in this era thanks to its advances in lyrical technique and the distinctive personalities of emerging stars like Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane. With business at Cold Chillin' booming, Marl put out the first full-length release under his own name in 1988 (he'd previously recorded the single "DJ Cuttin'" in 1985 with the alias NYC Cutter). In Control, Vol. 1 was mostly a showcase for various Juice Crew affiliates to strut their stuff, notably on the larger-than-life posse cut "The Symphony." Marl scored his greatest crossover success in 1990 by helming LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out; bolstered by Marl's state-of-the-art production, the album restored LL's street cred while becoming his biggest seller ever, making Marl an in-demand remixer. 1991 brought the release of In Control, Vol. 2, which unfortunately displayed signs that the Cold Chillin' talent pool was being depleted.

After working with TLC on their 1992 debut, Marl remained mostly quiet for a few years; 1995 brought the release of House of Hits, a retrospective of his best productions over the years. Splitting off from Cold Chillin', Marl spent several years in a legal battle over money and ownership rights that, in 1998, finally resulted in his being awarded control of all the songs he'd produced for the label. In the '90s, Marl's status as a high-profile producer was restored thanks to his work with artists like Rakim, Lords Of The Underground, Queensbridge's own Capone-N-Noreaga, Da Youngtas and Fat Joe. In 2001, Marl put together another compilation of original productions with guest rappers for the British BBE label, titled Re-Entry. In 1994, Marley Marl was referenced on Biggie Smalls' track "Juicy" as being one of his early influences.

In September 2007, Marley Marl received an award from the Berklee College of Music for his contribution to music. Marley Marl has also been a legend as a radio deejay along side Mr. Magic in the 80's on a show called Rap Attack on WBLS New York. Marley took the torch to start his own radio show called Private Radio, later with Pete Rock and K-Def. The radio show was called Future Flavas that was an online station and radio show that bounced around from New York radio stations like Hot 97, Power 105.1. Now Marley is currently back where it all started, WBLS, with his radio show called Golden Era Radio. Marley is still touring the world deejaying, playing his brand of funk for fans of Golden Era hip hop. He is also in the works of producing a film called The Vapors. The film will be based on Marl and the Juice Crew in the late 80's the golden era of Hip Hop.

He and KRS-One released Hip-Hop Lives in May 2007 with Marley Marl as the executive producer.

On June 5, 2007, Marley Marl suffered a heart attack. He was released from the hospital a few days later on the 8th. According to an interview in The Source, he blamed the heart attack on stress brought on by his worries about being a good father.

In 2008, Craig G and he released a collaborative album titled ''Operation: Take Back Hip-Hop''.

Marl's music has had influences on RZA, DJ Premier, as well as Pete Rock, who is also a longtime friend. Marley Marl is also a legendary DJ member of the worldwide DJ organization, The Core DJ's.

Discography

Albums

''In Control, Volume 1'' (1988)

''In Control, Volume 2: For Your Steering Pleasure'' (1991)

''Hip Hop Dictionary'' (2000)

''Re-entry'' (2001)

''Hip-Hop Lives'' (2007) (with KRS-One)

''Operation: Take Back Hip-Hop'' (2008) (with Craig G)

Compilations

''House of Hits'' (1995)

''Best of Cold Chillin''' (2001)

''Marley Marl's House of Hits'' (released 2007)

''Hip Hop's Hero w/ Nikal Fieldz'' (released 2010)

References

External links

Marley Marl bio The 411 on super-producer, Marley Marl [authored by Balance: 411@hiphop.sh]

[ Allmusic biography]

Globaldarkness biography

DJ Marley Marl - beatbuggy.com

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from Queens Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Cold Chillin' Records artists

de:Marley Marl es:Marley Marl fr:Marley Marl it:Marley Marl nl:Marley Marl ja:マーリー・マール pl:Marley Marl tr:Marley Marl

stadium name	Minute Maid Park
nickname	''The Juice Box''
location	501 Crawford Street, Houston, Texas 77002
coordinates
broke ground	November 1, 1997
opened	March 30, 2000 (Exhibition)April 7, 2000 (Regular Season)
renovated	2010 (Off season)
owner	Harris County-Houston Sports Authority
surface	Grass
construction cost	$250 million($}}

in dollars) | architect = HOK Sport (Populous since 2009) | former_names = The Ballpark at Union Station (2000)Enron Field (2000–2002)Astros Field (February 2002–July 2002) | tenants = Houston Astros (MLB) (2000–present) | seating_capacity = 40,967 with standing room at least43,836 2010 Houston Astros season | dimensions = Left Field - Left-Center - Left-Center (deep) - Center Field - Right-Center - Right Field - Backstop - | scoreboard = feet tall by feet wide }}

Minute Maid Park (also The Ballpark at Union Station, Enron Field, and Astros Field) is a ballpark in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States that opened in 2000 to house the Major League Baseball Houston Astros.

The ballpark was Houston's first retractable-roofed stadium, protecting fans and athletes from Houston's notoriously humid weather as did its predecessor, the Astrodome, but also allowing fans to enjoy outdoor baseball during favorable weather. The ballpark also features a grass field, compared to the Astrodome's artificial AstroTurf, which was generally disliked by professional baseball players. The largest entrance to the park is inside what was once Houston's Union Station, and the left-field side of the stadium features a train as homage to the site's history. The train moves along a track on top of the length of the exterior wall beyond left field whenever an Astros player hits a home run, or when the Astros win a game. The engine's tender, traditionally used to carry coal, is filled with giant oranges in tribute to Minute Maid's most famous product, orange juice. The ballpark has 4,774 club seats and 63 luxury suites.

Previous names

The ballpark was first christened as Enron Field on April 7, 2000, with naming rights sold to the Houston energy and financial trading company in a 30 year, $100 million deal. Astros management faced a public relations nightmare when the energy corporation went bankrupt in the midst of one of the biggest corporate scandals in American history in 2001, and they bought back the remainder of Enron's thirty years of naming rights for $2.1 million, rechristening the ballpark as Astros Field on February 7, 2002. The field was unofficially known as "The Field Formerly Known As Enron" by fans and critics alike, in wake of the Enron scandal. On June 5, 2002, Houston-based Minute Maid, the fruit-juice subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, acquired the naming rights to the stadium for 28 years at an estimated price of $170 million.

Based on its downtown location next to the old Union Station buildings, one of the suggested names (and nicknames) is the Ballpark at Union Station, or the BUS. During its days as Enron Field, it was also dubbed "Ten-Run" or "Home Run" Field due to its cozy left-field dimensions. In keeping with this theme while paying homage to its current sponsor, the nickname "The Juice Box" is colloquially used today. The dubbing of the park as an extreme hitter-friendly park has been called into question in recent years. In fact, the 2009 season saw the park ranked 24th out of 30 Major League parks in terms of runs scored in the park, meaning only six other stadiums saw fewer runs scored during the season, and ten other ballparks saw more home runs hit. The extremely deep center-field and left-center-field dimensions help to balance out the park significantly, and Minute Maid's Batting park factor is consistently very near average.

Features

In dramatic contrast to the Astrodome, the most pitching-oriented stadium in Major League Baseball for most of its existence, Minute Maid Park is known for being particularly hitter-friendly down the lines, especially in left field where it is only 315 ft (96 m) to the Crawford Boxes, though the wall there is 19 feet (5.8 m) tall. In a challenge to home run hitters, Drayton McLane's office windows, located in the old Union Station and directly above the Crawford Boxes, are made of glass and a sign below his window is marked 422 ft (135 m) from home plate.

In contrast to the ease of hitting a home run to the Crawford Boxes, it is quite difficult to hit a ball out in center field, as the dead-center wall is 436 ft (133 m) from home plate. Fielding is a challenge there as well, due to the wide center field incline known as Tal's Hill, for team president Tal Smith, an element taken from Crosley Field and other historic ballparks (in a bit of gallows humor, the hill is also known as the "Grassy Knoll"), and the flagpole in play, an element taken from Yankee Stadium before its remodeling in the mid-'70s and Tiger Stadium among others. Milwaukee Brewers player Richie Sexson once hit a ball off the flagpole. There was a mark there until the 2011 season, when they repainted the pole. While Crosley Field's infamous left field terrace, which was half as steep (only 15 degrees) as Tal's Hill (30 degrees), was a natural feature of the site on which the park was located, Tal's Hill is purely decorative. Both structures have been held in equal disdain by the respective outfielders who have had to patrol those areas. This hill has caused some of the most replayed catches in recent baseball history, and plenty of controversy as well. Lance Berkman said, "If the ball rolls onto the hill, it's not steep enough to roll back, so you have to go get it. Then there's the chance of running into the flagpole that's on it and getting hurt.” Fans started an online petition to remove the hill and flagpole, though the petition has since been discontinued.

A concourse above Tal's Hill features the "Conoco Home Run Porch" in left-center field that is actually over the field of play, and features a classic gasoline pump that displays the total number of Astros home runs hit since the park opened.

The electrification of Minute Maid Park's retractable roof was developed by VAHLE, Inc.

The stadium can also be fully air-conditioned when required.

2004

In 2004, the Astros launched Wi-Fi throughout the ballpark, allowing fans to use the Internet while attending a game for a fee. In addition, the ballpark is the first major sports facility to have a closed captioning board for the hearing impaired.

The visiting team's bullpen is housed entirely in the exterior left field wall, next to the Crawford Boxes, making it one of the few bullpens in Major League ballparks to be completely indoors. Although windows in the outfield fence offer a view into and from the bullpen, its entrance is actually built into the side of the Crawford Boxes.

2006

In 2006, the Chick-fil-A cows were unveiled on the foul poles, saying EAT MOR FOWL, and the cows have Astros caps on. Anytime an Astros player hits the pole, the fans in attendance get a free chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A. Hunter Pence is the first and second Astro to hit the left field "Fowl Pole" when he did it twice in the 2007 season. Ty Wigginton became the third Astro to hit the left field pole on September 16, 2007. Kazuo Matsui hit the right field foul pole on August 3, 2009 with a 2 run homer in the 6th inning to beat the Giants. Carlos Lee hit the left field pole on July 28, 2010, giving the Astros a 8-1 win against the Cubs. 2 days later, Jeff Keppinger hit the Left Field pole to help the Astros win 5-0 against the Brewers.

2008

After the 2008 season, the Astros' groundskeepers began installing of a new turfgrass playing surface at Minute Maid Park. The new sod is called Platinum TE Paspalum. The Astros are the first sports organization in the world to use the product. The Astros also became one of the first to use the new Chemgrass, later known as AstroTurf after its first well-publicized use at the Houston Astrodome in 1966.

2011

For the 2011 season, the park added a large HD screen nicknamed "El Grande" replacing the original one in center field. At 54 feet high and 124 feet wide, it is the second largest scoreboard in Major League Baseball, behind Kaufmann Stadium (home of the Kansas City Royals). The old screen was taken out and replaced by billboards. Additionally they added a smaller HD screen on the far left field wall. The ring of advertisement screens around the park have also been replaced in favor of HD ribbon boards.

Major events

On July 13, 2004, Minute Maid Park hosted the 2004 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which the American League won 9–4.

On October 9, 2005, Minute Maid Park hosted the longest postseason game in Major League Baseball history, both in terms of time and number of innings. The Astros defeated the Atlanta Braves 7–6 in a game lasting eighteen innings, which took 5 hours and 50 minutes to play. On October 25, 2005, Minute Maid Park hosted the first World Series game ever played in Texas, and the longest World Series game ever played, which the Astros lost to the eventual World Series champion Chicago White Sox 7–5 in 14 innings; this game lasted 5 hours and 41 minutes. The following night, the White Sox won the World Series—first in 88 years—at Minute Maid Park.

On June 28, 2007, Craig Biggio hit his 3000th career hit, the first Astro to do so. The hit was a 2-out RBI-single against the Colorado Rockies.

On September 30, 2007, in Craig Biggio's last game of his career, Minute Maid Park hit the highest attendance in its eight-year history by selling 43,823 tickets, 107% of its capacity.

On April 5, 2010, Opening Day of 2010, Minute Maid Park surpassed its highest attendance total once again by selling 43,836 tickets, 13 more tickets that its previous record.

Ballpark firsts

{| | Statistic || Person(s) || Date |- | First Ceremonial First Pitch || Kenneth Lay || April 7, 2000 |- | First Hit || Doug Glanville (Philadelphia Phillies), single to right || April 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Hit || Craig Biggio, single to center|| April 7, 2000 |- | First Double || Rico Brogna (Philadelphia Phillies) || April 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Double || Craig Biggio || April 8, 2000 |- | First Triple || Tim Bogar || April 8, 2000 |- | First Home Run || Scott Rolen (Philadelphia Phillies) || April 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Home Run || Richard Hidalgo || April 7, 2000 |- | First Grand Slam || Thomas Howard (St. Louis Cardinals) || April 11, 2000 |- | First Astros Grand Slam || Ken Caminiti || May 9, 2000 |- | First Cycle || Luis Gonzalez (Arizona Diamondbacks) || July 5, 2000 |- | First Astros Cycle || Jeff Bagwell || July 18, 2001 |- | First Winning Pitcher || Randy Wolf (Philadelphia Phillies) || April 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Winning Pitcher || Mike Maddux || April 8, 2000 |- | First Save || Wayne Gomes (Philadelphia Phillies) || April 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Save || Billy Wagner || April 8, 2000 |- | First Shutout || Minnesota Twins 2-0 || June 7, 2000 |- | First Astros Shutout|| 3-0 over the Chicago Cubs || July 22, 2001 |- | First postseason game|| 7 - 4 loss to the Atlanta Braves || October 9, 2001 |}

Events other than baseball

While primarily a baseball venue, Minute Maid Park can adequately host sports such as American football, soccer, and both codes of rugby. The venue can also play host to large-scale rock concerts.

Its debut as a soccer venue happened during the 2006 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The stadium hosted the first leg of the quarterfinal between Portmore United of Jamaica (the "home" team) and Club América of Mexico. Portmore United effectively sold the rights to their home leg (Portmore's usual home stadium is the 2,000 seat Ferdi Neita Sports Complex in Portmore, Jamaica) to an American sports marketing company who placed the tie in Houston hoping to attract Mexican-Americans to the match. 12,988 (a "home" record for Portmore) saw America run out 2-1 winners with goals from Christian Gimenez, and Aaron Padilla after Remeel Wolfe had given the CFU side a shock lead.

The stadium also is the host of the Houston College Classic college baseball, part of the winter fan festival held in February. The tournament features local schools the University of Houston and Rice University every year, a pair of Big 12 schools, alternating between the University of Texas at Austin and Texas Tech University, and Texas A&M; University and Baylor University, as well as two other teams from around the country.

Madonna performed a concert as part of her Sticky & Sweet Tour on November 16, 2008, marking her first Texas appearance in 18 years. The attendance for the concert was 41,498.

The nationally syndicated TV talk show ''Rachael Ray'' held a mass wedding at the park following Hurricane Ike for 40 couples who were unable to get married after a company they paid to hold the weddings went bankrupt. Comedian Jeffrey Ross served as best man for all 40 couples. The ceremony was aired as part of a special episode of the talk show on November 21, 2008.

Gallery

References

Minute Maid Park: Facts and Figures. Accessed May 24, 2006.

Ballpark Digest Visit to Minute Maid Park

Astros Daily - Your best source for news and information on the Houston Astros

Notes

}}

External links

Stadium site on astros.com

Levine, Zachary. "Astros looking at the bigger picture." ''Houston Chronicle''. October 8, 2010.

Category:Houston Astros stadiums Category:Major League Baseball venues Category:Retractable-roof stadiums Category:Event venues established in 2000 Category:Baseball venues in Houston, Texas Category:Baseball venues in Texas Category:Coca-Cola buildings and structures

da:Minute Maid Park de:Minute Maid Park es:Minute Maid Park fa:ورزشگاه مینت مید پارک fr:Minute Maid Park ko:미니트 메이드 파크 it:Minute Maid Park nl:Minute Maid Park ja:ミニッツ・メイド・パーク pt:Minute Maid Park

Name	Craig G
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Craig Curry
Origin	Queensbridge, New York, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Years active	1985–present
Label	Cold Chillin'
Associated acts	Juice Crew
Notable instruments	}}

Craig G (born Craig Curry in Queensbridge, New York) is an American rapper. He is known as one of the members of hip hop producer Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' Records group the Juice Crew.

He recorded with Marley Marl in 1985, and in 1988 recorded "The Symphony" with the Juice Crew, described by Allmusic as "a landmark moment in the evolution of hardcore rap", later influencing artists such as the Wu Tang Clan. He was then signed by Atlantic Records who released two albums, in 1989 and 1991, with little success. After his experience with Atlantic his career went quiet for much of the 1990s although later in the decade he regained popularity with underground rap fans. He released another album in 2003 on the D&D; label, ''This Is Now'', featuring collaborations with Marley Marl, DJ Premier, and Da Beatminerz.

Craig G was a leading freestyle battle rapper, memorably battling Supernatural on several occasions, and in the early 2000s wrote and coordinated the battle verses used by Eminem's opponents in the film ''8 Mile''.

In 2008, he was part of a reunited Juice Crew, performing at the A3C Hip Hop Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Discography

''The Kingpin'' (1989), Atlantic

''Now, That's More Like It'' (1991), Atlantic

''This Is Now'' (2003), D&D;

''Operation: Take Back Hip-Hop'' (with Marley Marl) (2008), Traffic Entertainment Group

Appearances

Referenced in the Shad song "Yaa I Get It" for his notorious free-style battles against Supernatural.

References

External links

Craig G at IMDB

Category:African American rappers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Rappers from New York City Category:People from Queens

de:Craig G fr:Craig G it:Craig G

Name	Kool G Rap
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Nathaniel Thomas Wilson
Alias	Kool G. Rap, G Rap, Giancana
Origin	Corona, Queens, New York, U.S.
Born	July 20, 1968Queens, New York, U.S.
Genre	Hip hop, mafioso rap, hardcore hip hop
Occupation	Rapper, record producer, screenwriter, author
Years active	1987–present
Label	Cold Chillin'/Warner Bros. RecordsCold Chillin'Cold Chillin'/Epic Street/SME RecordsKOCH'
Associated acts	DJ Polo, Juice Crew, Marley Marl, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Five Family Click, Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, MF Grimm, Mobb Deep, R.A. The Rugged Man
Website	}}

Nathaniel Thomas Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage names Kool G Rap (or simply G Rap), Kool G. Rap, and Giancana (Meaning of the abbreviation ''"G."''), is an American rapper, from the Corona neighborhood of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo and as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time as he is a pioneer of mafioso rap/street/hardcore content and multisyllabic rhyming. On his album ''The Giancana Story'', he stated that the "G" in his name stands for "Giancana" (after the mobster Sam Giancana), but on other occasions he's stated that it stands for "Genius".

He has also been cited as a major influence to some of hip-hop's most critically acclaimed figures such as Eminem, Nas, Jay Z, Big Pun, RZA and more.

Biography

Early Years

Wilson grew up in the poverty-ridden streets of Corona Queens, New York with legendary producer Eric B. In an interview with The Source he stated;

Around this time, Wilson was looking for a DJ, and through Eric B., he met DJ Polo, who was looking for an MC to collaborate with. In 1986 on Mr Magic's Rap Attack radio show on 107.5, the duo got their first exposure which created more buzz. They eventually released "It's a Demo" as a single with "I'm Fly", along with two more singles. Shortly after this, Kool G Rap appeared on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut 'The Symphony' before they released their debut album, ''Road to the Riches'' in 1989. This album and their two later albums, ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1990) and ''Live and Let Die'' (1992), are highly regarded and considered Hip-Hop classics. Eventually in 1993, Kool G rap parted ways with DJ Polo in pursuit of a solo career.

Solo career

In 1995, G Rap started his solo career with the album ''4,5,6'', which featured production from Buckwild, and guest appearances from Nas, MF Grimm and B-1 – it has been his most commercially successful record, reaching No.24 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. This was followed by ''Roots of Evil'' in 1998. He was then meant to release his next album, ''The Giancana Story'' in 2000, on Rawkus Records, but due to several complications with the label, the album was pushed back several times, and eventually released in 2002. "My Life" the hit single from the album featuring Talk Box legend G-Wise reached No.5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts. In 2008 he released the EP ''Half a Klip'' on Chinga Chang Records, featuring production from, among others, DJ Premier and Marley Marl.

Criticisms of Kool G Rap's solo albums usually focus on the production not being up to the standard of the rapping.

While Kool G Rap has always been popular and well respected in Hip-Hop circles for his lyrical skills, He is known for consistently making records which are hardcore, dark, intelligent, and underground. Kool G Rap is described by Kool Moe Dee as "the progenitor and prototype for Biggie, Jay-Z, Treach, Nore, Fat Joe, Big Pun, and about twenty-five more hard-core emcees", MTV describes Kool G Rap as a "hip-hop godfather", adding that he paved the way for a lot of MCs who we would not have heard of otherwise. Rolling Stone says, "G Rap excelled at the street narrative, a style that would come to define later Queens MCs like Nas (who was hugely influenced by G Rap on his early records) and Mobb Deep".

Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Jay-Z, Tajai of Souls of Mischief, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Steele of Smif-n-Wessun, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Termanology, Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P., R.A. The Rugged Man, Bun B of UGK, Rah Digga, RZA and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, Adil Omar, Lady Of Rage, Big Pun, O.C. of DITC, Memphis Bleek, Kurupt, Pharoahe Monch, and Twista, among others.

He is also often very highly rated in terms of his technical ability comparing his skill level to that of Kool G Rap. Allmusic calls him "one of the greatest rappers ever", "a master", and "a legend". A number of rappers, such as Ice Cube, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Lloyd Banks, and Nas have put him in their lists of favorite rappers. Kool Moe Dee ranked Kool G Rap at No.14 in his book ''There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs'', sometimes all in the same rhyme scheme for a whole verse, such as on Sway & King Tech's 'The Anthem'.

He has also been cited as one of Hip-Hop's greatest storytellers, alongside Slick Rick and Notorious B.I.G., with "laser-like visual descriptions", also providing insight into his rhyming technique.

Mafioso/Street content

Kool G(Genius)Rap is often credited as the first rapper to include mafioso content, as well as a lot of hardcore street content, into his lyrics. – this was long before albums such as Raekwon's ''Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…'' (1995), and Jay-Z's ''Reasonable Doubt'' (1996) made such references popular.

Since his debut, he has used various references to mob movies in his lyrics, album covers, and titles. For example, the first line of 'Bad to the Bone' from ''Wanted: Dead or Alive'' (1990) is, ''I'm bad to the bone / with a style like Al Capone'', the album ''Live and Let Die'' (1992) uses samples from the film ''The Untouchables'', the album cover of ''Roots of Evil'' (1998) uses elements from ''The Godfather'' and ''Scarface'' theatrical posters, and ''The Giancana Story'' (2002) album title references Mafia boss Sam Giancana.

Rolling Stone says, "before Kool G Rap, New York didn't really have the street rap that could hold its own against what artists such as L.A.'s Ice-T and N.W.A were churning out" and that "G Rap excelled at the street narrative".

His take on crime, violence, and the mafioso lifestyle ranges from remorse and contemplation (e.g. 'Streets of New York', described by Rolling Stone as "a vivid look inside the misery of the hood"), to glorification (e.g. 'Fast Life' featuring Nas). '''

Personal life

Wilson was once married to Karrine Steffans. They have one son. He also has children with other women.

Discography

with DJ Polo	Year
''Road to the Riches''
Solo Albums	Year
''4,5,6''
''Roots of Evil''
''The Giancana Story''
''Half a Klip''
''Riches, Royalty, Respect''
Compilations	Year
''Killer Kuts''
''Rated XXX''
''Greatest Hits''
''Kool G Rap & Twinn Loco Present - I Live Hip Hop – The Mixtape''

Collaborative Albums	With	Year
''Click of Respect''	''The 5 Family Click''
''Legends Vol. 3'' (digital album – Napster)	''J-love Enterprise''
''The Godfathers''

Featured appearances

1988: "The Symphony" (on the Marley Marl album ''In Control Volume 1'')

1991: "Don't Curse" (from the Heavy D album ''Peaceful Journey")

1991: "The Symphony Vol. II" (on the Marley Marl album ''In Control Volume 2: For Your Steering Pleasure'')

1992: "Death Threat" (from the Brand New Heavies album ''Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1'')

1993: "You Must Be Out of Your Fuckin' Mind" (from the Fat Joe album ''Represent'')

1993: "Pee-Nile Reunion" (from the MC Shan ''Don't Call It Comeback 12"'')

1993: "This Is How We..." (from the Pudgee Tha Phat Bastard album ''Give Em The Finger'')

1996: "Representin'" (Ruffa featuring Kool G Rap)

1996: "Stick To Ya Gunz" (from the M.O.P. album ''Firing Squad'')

1996: "Know Da Game" (from the Frankie Cutlass album ''Politics And Bullshit'')

1998: "Truly Yours 98" (from the Pete Rock album ''Soul Survivor'')

1998: "Guns Blazing (Drums of Death, Pt. 1)" (from the UNKLE album ''Psyence Fiction'')

1998: "40 Island" (from the N.O.R.E. album ''N.O.R.E.'')

1999: "Friend of Ours" (from the E-Moneybags album ''In E-Moneybags We Trust'')

1999: "The Anthem" Also feat. RZA, Tech N9ne, Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Jayo Felony, Chino XL & KRS-One and "3 to the Dome" also feat. Big Daddy Kane & Chino XL (from the Sway & King Tech album ''This or That'')

1999: "The Realest" (from the Mobb Deep album ''Murda Muzik'')

2000: "Fall Back" (from the Big L album ''The Big Picture'')

2000: "Ghetto afterlife" (from the Reflection Eternal album ''Train of thought'')

2000: "Legendary Street Team" (from ''Lyricist Lounge 2'')

2001: "Let 'Em Live" (from the Chino XL album ''I Told You So'')

2001: "I Am" (from the G. Dep album ''Child of the Ghetto'')

2001: "Gorillas" (from the Screwball album ''Loyalty'')

2001: "No Surrender" (Shabaam Sahdeeq featuring Kool G Rap)

2002: "Allied Meta-Forces" (from the Canibus album ''Mic Club: The Curriculum'')

2002: "Nuthin Has Changed" (from King Tee album ''The Kingdom Come'')

2003: "Animal Rap" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album ''Visions of Gandhi'')

2005: "AIDS" (from the MF Grimm album ''Scars and Memories'')

2005: "Ghost & Giancana" (from the Ghostface Killah album ''Put It on the Line'')

2006: "We Gone Go Hard" (from the Ras Kass album ''Revenge of the Spit'')

2006: "Reckless Eye-Ballin" (from the VERBAL THREAT album ''The Golden Era'')

2006: "Full Metal Jacket" (from the Molemen album ''Killing Fields'')

2007: "Hood Tales" (from the Marco Polo album ''Port Authority'')

2007: "100 Roundz" (from the Domingo album ''The Most Underrated'')

2007: "Come one, come all" (from the Styles P album ''The Ghost Sessions'')

2007: "Next Up" (from the UGK album ''Underground Kingz'')

2007: "6 in the Morning" (from the Statik Selektah album ''Spell My Name Right: The Album'')

2007: "Buck Buck" (on the Red Cafe and DJ Envy album ''The Co-Op'')

2007: "And Wot (Remix)" (Album "Unified: He Whanau Kotahi Tatou" featuring Sweet Tooth & Carbon Kid)

2007: "Terrorise the City(on the Klashnekoff album ''Lionheart: Tussle with the Beast featuring Kyza'')

2008: "Queens" (from the LL Cool J Exit 13 Promo EP)

2008: "One Shot" (album ''Hood 2 Hood: The Blockumentary Soundtrack, Pt. 1'')

2008: "The Next Step" (from the Big John album ''The Next Step'' featuring R.A The Rugged Man)

2008: "Same Old Hood" (Saul Abraham featuring Kool G Rap & St Laz)

2009: "Das Leid / The Light" Azad featuring Kool G Rap (from Brisk Fingaz album Einzelkämpfer'')

2009: "Gunz From Italy" (from the Club Dogo album ''Dogocrazia'')

2009: "Ill Figures" (from the Wu-Tang Clan compilation album ''Wu-Tang Chamber Music'')

2009: "Legendary" (from the 67 Mob album ''Raising The Bar'')

2009: "ALC Theme" (from The Alchemist album ''Chemical Warfare'')

2009: "KGR & Honda" (from the DJ Honda album ''IV'')

2010: "Cursed" (from the Diabolic debut album "Liar & A Thief")

2010: "Boot Rap" featuring Canibus (from the Mark Deez album "Bootstrap Theory")

2010: "White Sand Part 2" Rick Ross Ft. Triple C's from The Albert Anastasia EP

2010: "Knife Fight" Rick Ross Ft. Kool G Rap from The Albert Anastasia EP

2010: "Ready For War" CHI-ILL Ft. Kool G Rap from The Last Chance Lounge EP.

2010: "Controlling Tha Game" Tyger Vinum FT. Kool G. Rap from "Grindin Muzik" album

2010: "Frozen" (From The Left album "Gas Mask")

2010: "3 Extremes" (from Dusty Philharmonics album "The Audiotopsy", Unexpected Records)

2011: "Kies in tha game" (from Duo Kie album "De Cerebri Mortis")

2012: "Summertime" (from Adil Omar album The Mushroom Cloud Effect)

References

Further reading

Paul Edwards, foreword by Kool G Rap, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC''. Chicago Review Press.

Kool Moe Dee, 2003, ''There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs'', Thunder's Mouth Press.

Brian Coleman, 2007, ''Check The Technique: Liner Notes For Hip-Hop Junkies'', Villard, Random House.

Peter Shapiro, 2005, ''The Rough Guide To Hip-Hop, 2nd Edition'', Penguin.

William Jelani Cobb, 2007, ''To The Break Of Dawn: A Freestyle On The Hip Hop Aesthetic'', NYU Press.

Mickey Hess, 2007, ''Icons Of Hip Hop'', Greenwood Publishing Group.

External links

Kool G Rap interview March 5, 2008 – Kool G Rap interview with HipHopDX

Kool G Rap interview 2003 – Kool G Rap interview with MVRemix

Conspiracy Worldwide Radio September 2010 Uncensored Interview

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:Cold Chillin' Records artists Category:E1 Music artists Category:Members of the Nation of Gods and Earths Category:People from Corona, Queens Category:Underground rappers Category:Rappers from New York City

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