Kool Moe Dee

rap musician; actor

Personal Information

Born Mohandas DeWese in 1963 (some sources say 1962), in Harlem, NY
Education: State University of New York, B.A. in communications.

Career

Rapper. Began rapping in high school; formed the Treacherous Three; released "The New Rap Language," "Body Rock," and "Feel the Heartbeat," 1980-81; solo single "Go See the Doctor," c. 1986; signed with Jive Records and released I'm Kool Moe Dee, 1986; released platinum-selling How Ya Like Me Now, 1987; released gold-selling Knowledge is King, 1989; became the first rapper to perform at the Grammy awards, 1989; collaborated on the Stop the Violence Movement's "Self-Destruction" and Quincy Jones's Back on the Block, 1989; released Funke, Funke Wisdom, 1991; released Greatest Hits, 1993; dropped from Jive Records, 1993; released Treacherous Three reunion album, 1993; released Interlude, 1994; started film career 1995-; appeared in movies such as Gang Related, 1997; Storm Trooper, 1998; Cypress Edge, 1999; Out Kold, 2001; The New Guy 2002.

Life's Work

As part of the seminal rap trio Treacherous Three, rapper Kool Moe Dee became one of rap's "founding fathers," according to Rolling Stone. A platinum-selling solo artist, the old-school rapper built his rhymes on politically conscious lyrics with such albums as I'm Kool Moe Dee, How Ya Like Me Now, Knowledge Is King, and Funke, Funke Wisdom. Moe Dee was part of a wave of socially conscious rap that directly countered the message of guns, drugs, and misogyny promoted by such acts as NWA. He encouraged his listeners to read the Bible, avoid drugs and crime, and develop self-pride.

Formed the Treacherous Three

Moe Dee was born Mohandas DeWese in 1963 (some sources say 1962), in Harlem, New York. He was as inspired by Muhammad Ali's verbal poeticism as he was by his boxing, and Dr. Seuss's rhymes in the Cat in the Hat captivated him as a child. He practiced his own rapping and rhyming skills at Norman Thomas High School in New York City, commandeered the mic at house parties to get himself heard, and soon formed the Treacherous Three with fellow rappers L.A. Sunshine and Special K. The trio recorded three tracks, "The New Rap Language," "Body Rock," and "Feel the Heartbeat," on producer Bobby Robinson's Enjoy record label. They also recorded on the seminal hip-hop record label Sugar Hill. Interest in the group waned when acts like Run D.M.C. came onto the scene, so Moe Dee left the group and bowed out for a while. He used his time off to earn a bachelor's degree in communications from the State University of New York at Old Westbury on Long Island. "Rap is repetitious," Moe Dee was quoted as saying in the Encyclopedia of Popular Music. "It gets to the point where you wanna hear hard beats, then it goes back to where you wanna hear melodies. You just gotta be on the right vibe at the right time."

Moe Dee returned to the scene as a solo act with the underground hit "Go See the Doctor," which was produced by 17-year-old Teddy Riley. The single caught the attention of Jive Records, and Moe Dee released his successful debut album, I'm Kool Moe Dee, on the Jive label in 1986. Moe Dee sounded somewhat arrogant on his second release, How Ya Like Me Now, which followed a year later. The liner notes included a carefully constructed report card of 24 rappers of the time, and Moe Dee himself earned the best grades of all. The rapper earned his marks, however, when the album earned platinum status for record sales. His third album, Knowledge is King, was released in 1989 and went gold. Louis Farrakhan and Jesse Jackson are cited in the liner notes for their public speaking. Following the album's release, Moe Dee performed at the Grammy awards ceremony, becoming the first rapper to do so.

Moe Dee collaborated on "Self-Destruction," an anti-crime rap for the Stop the Violence Movement, an organization of rappers who believed they could, and should, be seen as role models. "[Rappers] are more effective reaching kids than Jesse Jackson because they're listening to us," Moe Dee said in an interview with USA Today. "They know our raps word for word. It's up to us to be role models and give something back to our community." Moe Dee also appeared on Quincy Jones's important Back on the Block album.

Feuded with L.L. Cool J

Despite his positive message, Moe Dee formed one-half of a bitter hip-hop rivalry with fellow rapper L.L. Cool J. The feud began in 1987, when the cover of How Ya Like Me Now? featured a Kangol hat--Cool J's trademark--being crushed under a Jeep tire. Two years later, after "Rapmania," a festive, all-star jam featured on pay-per-view, tensions appeared to have cooled. The two stars later had dueling releases when Cool J's Walking With a Panther and Moe Dee's Knowledge is King were on the charts at the same time. Moe Dee panned Cool J in "Let's Go," and Cool J returned the favor in his own "Jack the Ripper." When Cool J released the songs "To Da Break O' Dawn" and "Mama Said Knock You Out," Moe Dee took offense, and he claimed to Billboard that Cool J "took stabs at me in those songs."

Moe Dee came back in 1991 with the song "Death Blow," which he aimed at Cool J, and which was a street and radio hit, in no small part because of Cool J's popularity. "Because L.L. has blown up even more, people love it, they just want more," one record company executive told Billboard. "Kool Moe Dee is like a ... monkey on my back," Cool J said in a radio interview quoted by USA Today. He added, "He's contradicting himself. He always says he's so positive, but he's always tearing me down." Rolling Stone critic Alan Light agreed. Light considered "Death Blow" Moe Dee's only "serious misstep" on Funke, Funke Wisdom, one that seemed to "contradict the communal message he's trying to convey."

Moe Dee's 1990 EP, God Made Me Funkee, missed its mark. The release's lack of success suggested that Moe Dee had lost some of his edge, or became a little alienated from his roots, so the artist went back to the streets for inspiration for his next release, asking young rap fans what they thought was hot. Funke, Funke Wisdom, Moe Dee's 1991 release, was his fourth on the Jive label. The "last survivor of the first-generation 'old-school,'" as Rolling Stone critic Alan Light called him, was still pushing his socially conscious lessons, but was doing so with more attention to danceability on this release. The album featured samples from Sly and the Family Stone, P-Funk, James Brown, and the Average White Band.

"Funk is definitely necessary [to get serious points across]," Moe Dee told Billboard. "The idea is to entertain first. The new album is focused more toward making people dance." Light called the album "a return to the joyous words-for-word's sake looseness that powered hip-hop's early classics." Funke, Funke Wisdom's first single, "Rise 'N' Shine," featured legendary rappers KRS-One from Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy's Chuck D. The success of the single built anticipation for the album's release and was a number-one hit on the rap charts for two weeks, but the album sales proved disappointing when compared to Moe Dee's earlier releases.

Moved From Music to Movies

Moe Dee, an avid writer of screenplays, once dreamed of launching a "black entertainment empire," he told GQ. He saw enormous potential as fellow rappers Ice T, Ice Cube, and L.L. Cool J began to make their names on the big screen. He set up a production company in the hopes of becoming the next Spike Lee or Quincy Jones. However, others went on to achieve his dream, and Moe Dee's recording career began to fade in the 1990s. A 1993 Greatest Hits album successfully documented some of rap's formative years and recaptured the era when Moe Dee was a king of rap. It was his last album for Jive, which dropped him after its release. Moe Dee came back with a Treacherous Three reunion album that year, and a solo release, Interlude, on the Wrap label in 1994.

While Moe Dee never got his idea of launching an entertainment production company off of the ground, he did eventually break onto the Hollywood scene. Starting in 1995, Moe Dee appeared in the Mario Van Peebles movie Panther, which explored the history of the Black Panther Party during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Since 1995, Moe Dee has continued to appear in small film roles in movies such as Gang Related, 1997; Storm Trooper, 1998; Cypress Edge, 1999; and Out Kold, 2001. His most recent role in the 2002 film The New Guy paired Moe Dee with other musicians such as Henry Rollins, Jermaine Dupri, Tommy Lee, Gene Simmons, and Vanilla Ice.

Works

Selected works

Albums
I'm Kool Moe Dee, Jive, 1986.
How Ya Like Me Now, Jive, 1987.
The Best, Jive, 1987.
Knowledge Is King, Jive, 1989.
God Made Me Funkee, Jive, 1990.
Funke, Funke Wisdom, Jive, 1991.
Greatest Hits, Jive, 1993.
Interlude, Wrap, 1994.
Jive Collection Series, Vol. 2, Jive, 1995.
Films
Panther, 1995.
Gang Related, 1997.
Storm Trooper, 1998.
Cypress Edge, 1999.
Brother, 2000.
Out Kold, 2001.
Crossroads, 2002.
The New Guy, 2002.

Biography

A member of one of the original hip-hop crews, Treacherous Three, Kool Moe Dee later became a solo star in his own right in 1986 by teaming with a teenaged Teddy Riley (later famed as the king of new jack swing) on the crossover hit "Go See the Doctor." The single earned him a contract with Jive Records, for which he recorded three successful late-'80s albums, dominated by his skillful speed-raps. A long-running feud with LL Cool J -- who stole his aggressive stance and rapping style, he claims -- gained Kool Moe Dee headlines for awhile, but he began to fade by the early '90s.

Born Mohandas Dewese in 1963, Dee was an early hit at local block parties, performing with high-school buddies L.A. Sunshine and Special K plus DJ Easy Lee as Treacherous Three. Introduced to longtime producer Bobby Robinson (Gladys Knight, the Orioles) by Spoonie Gee, Treacherous Three debuted on wax in 1980 with "The New Rap Language," released on Robinson's Enjoy Records. "Body Rock" and "Feel the Heartbeat" followed during 1980-1981 before Robinson sold the group's contract to Sugar Hill Records. Treacherous Three recorded several singles for Sugar Hill, but broke up by the mid-'80s.

Instead of climbing aboard the solo wagon after the breakup, Kool Moe Dee enrolled in college. After earning a communications degree from SUNY, he enlisted an unknown producer for his solo debut, "Go See the Doctor." The 17-year-old Teddy Riley more than vindicated himself, though, and the single became an underground hit. By 1986, Kool Moe Dee was signed to Jive Records, and his self-titled debut album appeared that same year.

With 1987's How Ya Like Me Now, Dee struck back at the brash young generation who had forsaken their forebears; the cover featured a red Kangol hat -- the prominent trademark of LL Cool J -- being crushed by the wheel of a Jeep. The album went platinum and was followed two years later by the gold-certified Knowledge Is King, for which Dee became the first rapper to perform at the Grammy Awards ceremonies. Also in 1989, Dee worked on two important projects: the single "Self-Destruction," recorded in conjunction with KRS-One's Stop the Violence Movement; and Quincy Jones' all-star Back on the Block LP, which united hip-hop stars with their musical forebears.

Kool Moe Dee's fourth album, Funke Funke Wisdom was a bit of a disappointment when compared to his earlier successes, and Jive/RCA dropped him after releasing his Greatest Hits package in 1993. Hardly washed up, though, Dee recorded a Treacherous 3 reunion album in 1993 and signed to DJ Easy Lee's label for the 1994 album Interlude. The title wasn't quite prophetic, however, it being his last album. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Discography: Kool Moe Dee

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Kool Moe Dee
Birth name	Mohandas Dewese
Born	1962
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Hip-hop
Years active	1978-present
Labels	Jive/BMG Records

Mohandas Dewese (born 1962), better known as Kool Moe Dee, is an American Hip Hop MC prominent in the late 1970s, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Manhattan, New York. He was one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy award and he was the first to perform at the Grammys. In addition to this he was also the first Hip Hop artist to receive the NAACP Image Award.

1 Early career
2 Solo career
3 Feud with LL Cool J
4 Other appearances
5 2009 Comeback
6 Acting career
7 Trivia
8 Discography
9 Appears On
10 References
11 External links

Early career

In the late 1970s, he met Special K and DJ Easy Lee. Kool Moe Dee joined with other rappers Special K and L.A. Sunshine as well as DJ Easy Lee to form the influential old school hip hop group the Treacherous Three. It is with The Treacherous Three that Kool Moe Dee performed his freestyle on-stage roast of old school party rapper Busy Bee Starski, a performance frequently cited as a pivotal moment in the development of the battle rap. In 1981, they moved to Sugar Hill Records along with another Enjoy act Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The Treacherous Three became well known for their singles Feel the Heart Beat and Whip It. They were featured in the 1984 film the breakdance cult-movie Beat Street performing the song Xmas Rap with Doug E Fresh, but disbanded shortly afterwards.

Solo career

In 1985 the Treacherous Three disbanded with each member pursuing solo careers. After leaving the group he attended college in NY and received a degree in communications. In 1986, Kool Moe Dee went solo, releasing a self-titled album, which ranked 83 on Billboard. He co-operated with the young producer Teddy Riley which contributed greatly to the New Jack Swing movement that would gain popularity in the years to follow. Kool Moe Dee released his second album, How Ya Like Me Now which was his most successful album commercially, achieving platinum status. He then went on to release his third album, Knowledge Is King in 1989, which went Gold. The single from this album, "I Go To Work" is considered by some to by the pinnacle of his work, with high speed delivery and superior lyrical content. He was chosen in 1990 to appear on Quincy Jones' album Back on the Block along with fellow rappers Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane and Ice T. The album gained considerable critical and financial success and winning the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1991 the release of his album Funke Funk Wisdom signaled his downfall and eventual decline. Moe Dee himself has stated that this was his worst album(1). He induced his release from Jive Records in 1992. After a two year lay off he released his greatest hits album which gained some of his former success and acclaim. In 1994 his album Interlude was released and failed to gain Moe Dee much of his former success on the mid 80's. In 1993 he re-united with his fellow ex members of the Treacherous Three to release the album Old Skool Flava on DJ EasyLee's record label Ichiban. His last commercially released was the single Love Love/What You Wanna Do which was released onSpoiled Brat Entertainment inc'.

Feud with LL Cool J

Main article: LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe Dee feud

Kool Moe Dee is perhaps most well known for his long running rivalry with fellow New York rapper LL Cool J, he, among other rappers such as MC Shan, claimed that LL had stolen their rap styles. He also felt that LL was disrespecting the reigning MCs at the time, himself, Melle Mel and Grandmaster Caz by proclaiming that he was the greatest without paying due respects to those who came before him. He challenged LL on his platinum selling album How Ya Like Me Now on the single of the same name. He also took a shot at LL by appearing on his album cover with a jeep in the background with the wheel crushing one of LL's trademark red Kangol hats. The feud continued on with both MCs proclaiming themselves the victor.

Other appearances

Kool Moe Dee appeared on Will Smith's #1 pop hit "Wild Wild West" from Smith's 1999 motion picture, Wild Wild West, on which he re-performs the chorus to his 1988 single also named "Wild Wild West".

In 2003 he authored a book called There's a God on the Mic (ISBN 1-56025-533-1), which breaks down his 50 favorite MCs in terms of originality, concepts, versatility, vocabulary, substance, flow, flavor, freestyle, vocal presence, live performance, poetic value, body of work, industry impact, social impact, longevity, lyrics and battle skills, where he ranked himself as number #5, ahead of MCs such as The GZA, and Tupac (ironically, he placed LL Cool J at #7, despite the past beef that the two had, even referring to him as an "unbreakable master").

In 2007 he appeared on the remix of Nas' "Where are They Now", with fellow old-school artists. On his Myspace page he has released some new tracks and a video to accompany one of the songs. He also appeared on the Ice T track "Fight Club" and re-recorded several of his more popular songs.

In 2008 he took the job of hosting a new Hip Hop talk show called SpitFire with Kool Mo Dee. The show contains discussion on issues relating to both hip hop culture and general issues that affect the world. Each show has a different panel of guests, including Xzibit, Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz, DMC, and many others. The show is broadcast on www.iamhiphop.com.

2009 Comeback

In a recent interview with www.houseofhiphop.nl, Kool Moe Dee stated that he would be releasing a new album in 2009. 'I will be the first oldschool artist in 2009 to have a very relevant record in stores. That’s right, Kool Moe Dee is coming out with a new album, for the first time in fifeen years! And I will be doing more albums in the future. That’s the paradigm shift right there. The next album is called Immortality, and it’s coming out in August. As far as production goes, I got some stuff from Teddy Riley, I’m also reaching out to Pharrel. I actually have some young guys that gave me some nice beats too. It’s as good as finished right now. It’s just a matter of what single I’m coming out with, and what direction I want to promote it in. Even with all the development and growth in hiphop I just described, I feel like we still don’t have grown man hiphop. I’m not going to be gangster, baller or player, it’s just going to be beats and rhymes. It will be interesting to see how people respond to everything, from the dresscode to what I’m actually talking about. I will be talking about topics from an older perspestive. Come on, I’m in my forties, haha! I’m not in a club behind the bar, you know? This is grown men stuff.' ^[1] He has also confirmed that he is releasing a new album in an interview with Davey D on 9th October where he stated that he has 'cracked what should be expected from a 40 plus MC' ^[2]

Acting career

Kool Moe Dee had a brief cameo appearance in the movie Wild Style and appeared in the film Beat Street with the Treacherous Three and Doug E. Fresh. Since then, he has appeared in a total of 17 Movies and TV shows as an actor and 21 as himself. He also had a role as a bartender in Crossroads with Britney Spears.

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (May 2009)

Kool Moe Dee's Trademark sunglasses are Porsche 5620

Discography

Year	Title	Sales^[3]	Chart positions^[4]
Year	Title	Sales^[3]	Billboard 200	Top R&B/Hip hop albums
1986	Kool Moe Dee		83	23
1987	How Ya Like Me Now	Platinum	35	4
1989	Knowledge Is King	Gold	25	2
1991	Funke, Funke Wisdom	–	72	19
1993	Greatest Hits	–	–	–
1994	Interlude	–	–	–
1995	Jive Collection Vol. 2	–	–	–
2009	TBA	–	–	–

Appears On

The Isley Brothers "Come Together" on the album Spend the Night (Warner Bros - 1988)
Quincy Jones w/ Melle Mel & Big Daddy Kane & Ice T "Back On the Block" from the album Back On the Block (Qwest Records - 1989)
Quincy Jones w/ Ice T Big Daddy Kane "Jazz Corner of the World" from the album Back On the Block (Qwest Records - 1989)
Stop the Violence Movement "Self Destruction" (Jive/ RCA Records - 1989)
HEAL w/ various artists Civilization Vs. Technology (Elektra - 1991)
Zebrahead "Good Time" from the album Zebrahead Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Ruffhouse - 1992)
CB4 w/ Daddy-O & Hi-C "Rapper's Delight" CB4 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (MCA - 1993)
Regina Bell "Tango In Paris" from the album Passion (Columbia - 1993)
Babydol "I Want You Back" (Miracle - 1993)
"Keep It Real" from the album Raiders Of the Lost Art (Scotti Bros - 1994)
w/ Treacherous Three "Raiders Of the Lost Art" from the album Raiders Of the Lost Art (Scotti Bros - 1994)
Animaniacs Hip-Hopera Christmas (Rhino - 1997)
The Spinners "I'll Be Around" from the album At Their Best (Intersound - 1999)
"I Go To Work" from the album Bad Boy Bill's Vocal Mix" (Jive - 1999)
Will Smith w/ Dru Hill "Wild Wild West" from the album Willenium (Columbia - 1999)
Pablo "Next Level" (Howlin - 2003)
Nas w/ various artists "Where Are They Now (80's Remix)" (Ill Will Records - 2007)
Ice T "Darc Fight Club" EP also features "Revolution" 2009

References

External links

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	Best (1987 Album by Kool Moe Dee)
	East Vs. West: Rap Battle Royale (1991 Album by Various Artists)
	Stop the Violence Movement: Self Destruction (1990 Music Film)

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		Black Biography. Contemporary Black Biography. Copyright © 2006 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
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Interlude Buy this CD	I'm Kool Moe Dee [Bonus Track] Buy this CD	I'm Kool Moe Dee [Bonus Track] Buy this CD	Jive Collection, Vol. 2 Buy this CD	Funke, Funke Wisdom Buy this CD
Greatest Hits [Legacy] Buy this CD	Greatest Hits [Jive] Buy this CD	Knowledge Is King Buy this CD	How Ya Like Me Now Buy this CD	Best Buy this CD