Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "Wanted Dead or Alive" LP OOP Orig Big L DITC Lord Finesse

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Kool G Rap & DJ Polo "Wanted Dead or Alive" LP Cold Chillin' (US)

Vinyl is VG++, Jacket is VG+.

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Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name Kool G Rap, is an American rapperfrom the Corona section of Queens, New York. He began his career in the mid-1980s as one half of the group Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and also as a member of the Juice Crew. He is often cited as one of the most influential and skilled MCs of all time, who is a pioneer and master of mafioso/street/hardcore content and multisyllabicrhyming. His name is short for "Kool Genius of Rap"Kool G Rap debuted with DJ Polo in 1986, on the single "It's a Demo"/"I'm Fly". They then released two more singles and Kool G Rap also rapped on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut 'The Symphony' before they released their debut album, Road to the Riches in 1989. This album and their two later albums, Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) and Live and Let Die (1992), are highly regarded and considered Hip-Hop classics.Nathaniel Wilson (born July 20, 1968), better known by his stage name 

Early Years

Wilson grew up in the poverty-ridden streets of Corona Queens, New York with legendary producer Eric B. In an interview with The Source he stated;

—Kool G Rap, The Source Magazine, issue 72, September, 1995]].

Around this time, Wilson was looking for a DJ, and through Eric B., he met DJ Polo, who was looking for an MC to colloberate with.

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo

Juice Crew producer, and Mr. Magic DJ; Marley Marl knew Polo, and allowed him and G Rap to go to his studio to do a demo, which resulted in the song "It's a Demo." The song was written and recorded in one night, and had Marley so impressed, that he instantly embraced Kool G Rap and DJ Polo as Juice Crew members (it's worth noting that this was the first time G Rap had ever met Marley.) In 1986 on Mr Magic's Rap Attack radio show on 107.5, the duo got their first exposure which created more buzz. They eventually released "It's a Demo" as a single with"I'm Fly", along with two more singles. Shortly after this, Kool G Rap appeared on the Juice Crew's classic posse cut 'The Symphony' before they released their debut album, Road to the Riches in 1989. This album and their two later albums, Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990) and Live and Let Die (1992), are highly regarded and considered Hip-Hop classics. Eventually in 1993, Kool G rap parted ways with DJ Polo in pursuit of a solo career.

Solo career

In 1995, G Rap started his solo career with the album 4,5,6, which featured production from Buckwild, and guest appearances from Nas and MF Grimm - it has been his most commercially successful record, reaching No.24 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. This was followed by Roots of Evil in 1998. He was then meant to release his next album, The Giancana Story in 2000, on Rawkus Records, but due to several complications with the label, the album was pushed back several times, and eventually released in 2002. In 2008 he released the EP Half A Klip on Chinga Chang Records, featuring production from Hip-Hop legends DJ Premier and Marley Marl.

Criticisms of Kool G Rap's solo albums usually focus on the production not being up to the standard of the rapping.

While Kool G Rap has always been popular and well respected in Hip-Hop circles for his lyrical skills, he never crossed over and saw the same level of commercial success as rappers such as Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane, both also members of the Juice Crew. He is known for consistently making records which are hardcore, dark, intelligent, and underground.

Legacy

Kool G Rap is regarded as a hugely influential golden age rapper. Music journalist Peter Shapiro suggests that Kool G Rap "created the blueprint for Nas, Biggie and everyone who followed in their path". Kool G Rap is described by Kool Moe Dee as "the progenitor and prototype for Biggie, Jay-Z, Treach, Nore, Fat Joe, Big Pun, and about twenty-five more hard-core emcees", and Kool Moe Dee also claims Kool G Rap is "the most lyrical" out of all of the artists mentioned. MTV describes Kool G Rap as a "hip-hop godfather", adding that he paved the way for a lot of MCs who we would not have heard of otherwise. Rolling Stone says, "G Rap excelled at the street narrative, a style that would come to define later Queens MCs like Nas (who was hugely influenced by G Rap on his early records) and Mobb Deep". Other artists who have named Kool G Rap as a major influence include Black Thought of The Roots, M.O.P., Scarface, Raekwon, R.A. The Rugged Man, Bun B of UGK, Rah Digga, RZA, Lady Of Rage, Big Pun, O.C. of DITC, Twista, Andre Nickatina, and Cage.

He is also often very highly rated in terms of his technical ability and is often ranked alongside other highly regarded golden age MCs, such as Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, and KRS-One. In Jay-Z's track 'Encore', Jay-Z raps, "hearing me rap is like hearing G Rap in his prime", comparing his skill level to that of Kool G Rap, and Allmusic calls him "one of the greatest rappers ever", "a master", and "a legend". A number of rappers put him in their Top 5 MCs lists, Kool Moe Dee ranks Kool G Rap at No.14 in his book There's A God On The Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs, and MTV gives him an 'Honorable Mention' in their Greatest MCs Of All Time list.

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