Spoonie Gee

• Genre: East Coast Old School
• Hometown: Harlem

About

The nephew of Sylvia Robinson (Sugarhill Records), Spoonie Gee debuted in 1979 at age 16 with the classic single "Spoonin' Rap." The next year, he appeared with the Treacherous Three on "New Rap Language" and dropped the solo joint "Love Rap," backed by only drums and congas, on the flip-side. Several more singles followed, including "Spoonie Is Back," "The Big Beat," and "Monster Jam." A master of storytelling, Spoonie's rhymes transcended the party-centric vibe of the era, and influenced countless emcees. In the mid-eighties he teamed up with Marley Marl, resulting in "Take It Off" and "The Godfather." His later work paired him with a young Teddy Riley (who had also laid tracks for Kool Moe Dee and Doug E. Fresh), but his spotlight was fading. Tuff City put out a collection of Spoonie Gee's hits called The Godfather Of Rap Vol. 1 in '96, and he can still be found on dozens of Old School compilations today.

- Brolin Winning