Candyman

Candyman cultivated a smooth yet commanding presence as an MC whose laid-back delivery mixed with an edge that helped drive his biggest commercial moment, the lighthearted pop-rap track “Knockin’ Boots.” That single first appeared on Billboard’s R&B chart in September 1990 before climbing into the Hot 100’s upper tier. Born John B. Shaffer III and occasionally credited as Candell Manson, the South Central Los Angeles native began rhyming in the early eighties and aligned himself with Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate. He also appears on the cover of N.W.A and the Posse, though his link to the group is generally viewed as incidental. Initial singles such as “Money Talk$,” which Afrika Islam helped produce, and “Hip Hop Addict” surfaced on Fila Ali’s King Quality imprint. A demo version of “Knockin’ Boots” secured a contract with Epic, which issued the polished studio cut along with the debut album Ain’t No Shame in My Game in 1990. Candyman and longtime collaborator Johnny J handled production on that Top 40 project and later steered the follow-up Playtime’s Over for the same label in 1991. Although the album itself did not register on the charts, the single “Oneighundredskytalkpinelevenotwosevenine” made a notable impact on Billboard’s rap listing. Subsequent efforts took a tougher turn with I Thought U Knew, released independently through BMG in 1993, and Phukk Whatcha Goin Thru, issued on Ruckus in 1995; both featured beats from DJ Quik, Prince Paul, and J-Swift yet reached only modest audiences. After a long hiatus, Candyman returned with Knockin’ Boots 2001: A Sex Odyssey in 2001. Later appearances remained infrequent, among them a verse on the 2007 remix of Nas’ “Where Are They Now” and a 2011 partnership with producer J Bigga on the Miracles parody “Fuck Machine.”