Biography

Cold Chillin'

Wilson began working with DJ Polo in 1986, releasing several underground hit singles including "It's a Demo"/"I'm Fly". Two other singles, "Streets of New York" and "Road to the Riches" (which borrows a sample from Billy Joel's "Stiletto"), received heavy rotation on Yo! MTV Raps and cemented his reputation as one of New York's top lyrical auteurs. His talent for telling a compelling, hard-luck story in a single song was considered second to only that of Rakim. While Wilson grew in popularity, he never crossed over like Biz Markie or Big Daddy Kane, both also members of the Juice Crew.

Solo Career

In 1995, he released 4,5,6, the first of his 3 solo albums. He also released Click of Respect with the 5 Family Click in 2003. His upcoming album, titled Half A Klip, will be released on the Koch Entertainment-distributed labels Chinga Chang Records and Latchkey Recordings on February 5, 2008 worldwide. Half A Klip features production by grammy winner DJ Premier. The first single by Kool G Rap is titled "Risin Up" produced by Domingo The next single "On The Rise Again" is produced by DJ Premier. The Queens-bred rapper inked a deal with Chinga Chang Records in December 2005. Kool also allegedly fathered a child with Karrine Steffans.

He was in a relationship with Karrine Steffans better known as "SUPERHEAD". Confessions Of a Video Vixen talks about how abussive Kool Rap G was to her and her son.

Legacy

Lyrics

Kool G Rap is considered a legendary golden age and mafioso rapper. He is also considered one of the most influential rappers ever. Early in his career, Kool G Rap's (short for "Kool Genius of Rap") hallmark was his rapid-fire, multisyllabic delivery. He trademarked the ability to rhyme the same syllables in the same combinations, though with different words, for a whole verse. This style is mostly apparent on the 1990 album Wanted: Dead or Alive, on such songs as "Play It Again, Polo", "Jive Talk", and "Kool is Back". The style was later adopted by Souls of Mischief, Big Daddy Kane, Cassidy, Fabolous, Busta Rhymes, Pharoahe Monch, and Juelz Santana to varying degrees, as well as Nas, Necro, Papoose, Black Thought, R.A. The Rugged Man, and Big Pun (of whom the latter two cited G Rap as their biggest influences). Today many rappers use this style, though few follow it as strictly as G Rap does (or Big Pun did).

Mafioso rap

G Rap's first single on his first album was "Road to the Riches" where he claims to be a small town's Al Pacino (aka Tony Montana) and Riker's Island, about NYC's infamous short term prison. He had hinted at this inclination on his second album with the song "Streets of New York." His later albums straddle the line between glorification and remorse in relation to the gangster lifestyle. He laments the violent lifestyle he rapped about on songs like "On the Run," yet boasts it on songs such as "Fast Life" (featuring Nas).

In his songs, album covers and titles, he has used various references to mob movies. For example, the first line of "Bad to the Bone" states: I'm bad to the bone / with a style like Al Capone. Also, the album "Live and Let Die" uses many samples from the film The Untouchables. The album cover of his 5th album, Roots of Evil, contains a reference to the poster for The Godfather, and is visually similar to the poster for the film Scarface. His 6th album is named The Giancana Story, referencing well-known Mafia boss Sam Giancana.

Discography

with DJ Polo

Solo

Compilations

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)
• 1992: "Death Threat" (from the Brand New Heavies album Heavy Rhyme Experience Vol. 1)
• 1996: "Representin'" (Ruffa featuring Kool G Rap)
• 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)
• 1999: "Friend Of Ours" (from the E-Moneybags album In E-Moneybags We Trust)
• 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)
• 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)
• 2003: "Animal Rap" (from the Jedi Mind Tricks album Visions of Gandhi)
• 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)
• 2007: "Hood Tales" (from the Marco Polo album Port Authority)
• 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)
• 2008" "On The Rise Again" Produced by DJ Premier, ft Haylie Duff