Died On This Date (February 14, 2014) Tim Dog / Popular East Coast Rapper

Tim Dog (Born Timothy Blair)
January 1, 1967 – February 14, 2013

tim-dogStraight 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

Click to find at amazon.com
Click to find at amazon.com



Died On This Date (January 16, 2012) Jimmy Castor / ’70s Funk Great; Had Hit With “Troglodyte (Cave Man)”

Jimmy Castor
January 23, 1947 – January 16, 2012

Jimmy Castor was one of the greats of funk. Period.  Born in New York City, Castor began his career as a doo wop singer during the mid ’50s.  He made his first record in 1956 – the self-penned “I Promise To Remember.”  The following year, he replaced Frankie Lymon in the Teenagers.   By the mid ’60s, he was playing saxophone on others’ records while making his few of his own that were starting to find an audience on the dance floors of New York City.  His first hit came in 1966 with “Hey Leroy, Your Mama’s Callin’ You.”  In 1972, he formed the Jimmy Castor Bunch who were quickly signed to RCA Records.  Later that year, they released It’s Just Begun, which contained the part novelty, but all funk classic, “Troglodyte (Cave Man).”  The song quickly lit up radio request lines across the US and is now a must-have for  any respectable funk collection.  The song hit #6 on the Billboard pop charts and sold over a million copies within weeks.  It has since become one of the most heavily sampled songs of the era.  The list of those who have borrowed from it include Kool Moe Dee, N.W.A., Neneh Cherry, Lil’ Kim, Ginuwine, the Beastie Boys, Ice Cube, and Christina Aguilera.    Castor followed with other hits like “The Bertha Butt Boogie (Part 1)” and “King Kong (Part 1).”   During the ’80s, Castor made several more records and ran his own record label.  Jimmy Castor was 64 when he passed away in a Nevada hospital on January 16, 2011.  Cause of death was not immediately released.

What You Should Own

Click to find at amazon.com

Jimmy Castor Bunch