*1963
Producer of Hip-Hop/Rap
A.k.a. Gabriel Jackson
Spoonie Gee was the nephew of veteran R&B producer Bobby Robinson and one of the earliest rap artists. He was known as the "love rapper," an image that was established by his first record, "Love Rap", released on his uncle's Enjoy label as the flip side of the Treacherous Three's "The New Rap Language". The bulk of early rap records reproduced an MC's party routine with a loose sequence of narrative, boasting, and call and response. Spoonie's initial outing, however, organized a hip-hop styled record around a romantic theme, coming closer to the lyrical norms of pop music. The intimate "Love Rap" was accompanied only by drum set and congas, and Spoonie's next record continued in a similarly minimalist vein. The voice-over on 1979's "Spoonin' Rap" stuck to more conventional old-school boasting but looks forward to the gangsta attitude in its jailhouse references. "Spoonin' Rap" was also prophetic in its use of flexatone and heavily echoed voice, suggesting the Jamaican connection that was denied in early interviews by some of the rap originators. In 1980, Spoonie collaborated with Sequence on a classic single, "Monster Jam", probably the last word on the series of "Good Times" / "Another One Bites the Dust" variations, and a classic in the Sugar Hill vein, complete with a bone-crushing bass line and ecstatic crowd noises.
Track list and 30sec audio provided by
Title | Artist | Year | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Rockin' It / Love Rap | The Fearless Four / Spoonie Gee & Treacherous Three | 2010 | Single |
The Boss Is Back | Spoonie Gee | 2008 | Album |
Spoonie Is Back / Monster Jam | Spoonie Gee Meets The Sequence | 2004 | Album |
Spoonin' Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1999 | Album |
Take It Off / Black Is Back / Pure Righteousness | Spoonie Gee / Lakim Shabazz | 1998 | Album |
Godfather Of Hip Hop | Spoonie Gee | 1996 | Compil. |
The Big Beat / One Time Two Time Blow Your Mind | Spoonie Gee / MC Rock Lovely | 1995 | Album |
Impeach The President / (You Ain't Just A Fool) You's An Old Fool | The Honey Drippers / Spoonie Gee | 1994 | Album |
Old And New Jams / The Godfather Of Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1993 | Compil. |
Old And New Jams | Spoonie Gee | 1989 | Compil. |
Mighty Mike Tyson / Did You Come To Party | Spoonie Gee | 1989 | Album |
(You Ain't Just A Fool) You's An Old Fool | Spoonie Gee | 1988 | Album |
Hit Man | Spoonie Gee | 1988 | Album |
I'm All Shook Up | Spoonie Gee | 1987 | Album |
The Godfather Of Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1987 | Album |
The Godfather | Spoonie Gee | 1987 | Album |
Take It Off | Spoonie Gee | 1986 | Single |
That's My Style | Spoonie Gee | 1986 | Album |
Get Off My Tip | Spoonie Gee | 1985 | Album |
Street Girl | Spoonie Gee | 1985 | Album |
New Love Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1985 | Album |
Rapper's Enjoyment - Greatest Rap Hits from 125th, Harlem | Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Disco Four, The Fearless Four, Spoonie Gee, Treacherous Three, Funky 4 + 1 | 1984 | Compil. |
45 King Old School Remixes Vol. 3: The Big Beat | Spoonie Gee | 1983 | Album |
The Big Beat | Spoonie Gee | 1983 | Album |
Re-mix Of Spoonie Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1982 | Single |
Spoonie Is Back | Spoonie Gee | 1981 | Album |
Monster Jam | Spoonie Gee Meets The Sequence | 1980 | Album |
The New Rap Language / Love Rap | Spoonie Gee And Treacherous Three | 1980 | Album |
Spoonin Rap | Spoonie Gee | 1979 | Album |
The Godfather / The Rappin Spree | Spoonie Gee / The Jazzy Three | Album |