Died On This Date (February 14, 2014) Tim Dog / Popular East Coast Rapper
themusicsover Tim Dog (Born Timothy Blair)
January 1, 1967 – February 14, 2013
Straight outta the Bronx, Tim Dog was not shy about proclaiming his disdain for West Coast rap with his 1991 hit, “Fuck Compton.” The popular N.W.A.-targeting “diss” song appeared on his 1991 debut, Penicillin on Wax and sparked wax responses from the likes of DJ Quik, Compton’s Most Wanted, and Dr. Dre among others. The song ultimately landing on XXL Magazine’s Top 25 Diss Tracks Of All Time. Dog followed up with Do Or Die two years later along with two other albums in the mid 2000s. Earlier in his career, Dog recorded with Ultramagnetic MCs as well as Ultra with Kool Keith. On the business side, Dog held high-ranking positions at Rap Legends Recordings, Our Turn Records, Big Xity Entertainment, and BMC Management. In 2012, Dog was the subject of a Dateline NBC episode due to his 2011 involvement in an online dating scam for which he was sentenced to five years probation. On February 14, 2013, Tim Dog died from a seizure reportedly triggered by a long battle with diabetes. He was 46.
What You Should Own
Shadow Morton was a much-respected record producer whose contributions to popular music include producing and writing hits for the Shangri-Las. He was particularly adept at composing songs loaded with teen melodrama that became staples of the era. His song-writing hits for the Shangri-Las include “Leader of the Pack,” “Give Him a Great Big Kiss,” and “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” which happens to be the first song he ever wrote. With just those four songs alone, it’s easy to argue that without Morton, the ’60s girl-group phenomenon might never have happened. In 1967, he produced “Society’s Child,” a hit for Janis Ian. He also is credited for discovering Vanilla Fudge and producing their first three albums, which included their hit, “You Keep Me Hanging On.” The production of Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” is also given to Morton. During the ’70s, Morton worked with the New York Dolls, producing their second album, Too Much Too Soon. Shadow Morton died of cancer on February 14, 2013. He was 72.