Biography
D.I.T.C., shorthand for Diggin' in the Crates, ranks among rap's most revered collectives, bringing together seasoned MCs, DJs, and beatmakers committed to hip-hop's core values of fresh rhymes and robust, groove-driven productions. Each participant—Showbiz & A.G. (Andre the Giant), Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild, and the late Big L—has delivered at least one landmark album, even though the crew never matched the commercial heights of multi-platinum contemporaries; instead, they earned enduring esteem inside the rap world by upholding artistic standards.
Born Robert Hall, Lord Finesse built a reputation as an elite MC who later turned to production, supplying beats for the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 album Ready to Die and Dr. Dre's 1999 project The Chronic. Early on, the self-assured rapper would venture across any New York borough to defeat the top local talent in battles. After circulating a demo tape, he issued his debut, the 1990 classic Funky Technician. Several cuts on that project were handled by his close associate Diamond (then known as Diamond D), formerly of the group Ultimate Force. Among the crew's senior figures, Diamond first encountered hip-hop by serving as a DJ for Jazzy Jay of the Zulu Nation in 1979. By the mid-1980s he was performing turntable routines at after-hours park jams, frequently squaring off against the city's strongest spinners—Showbiz counted among his early rivals. In 1992 the DJ-turned-producer highlighted underground New York artists alongside his own rhymes on the acclaimed debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop.
Bronx-raised Fat Joe became the first Latino solo rapper from New York to land a deal with a major label, releasing his 1993 debut Representin'. Four years later his album Don Cartagena achieved gold status by moving 500,000 units. Showbiz & A.G. embraced an independent approach from the start, selling their 1992 EP Can I Get a Soul Clap directly from car trunks. Showbiz derived his name from an older Richard Pryor recording and helped pioneer the technique of looping vocal samples over instrumentals. His partner A.G. earned recognition as the Bronx's leading "punchline" lyricist. Throughout the mid-1990s Showbiz maintained a busy production schedule, largely for underground acts, before A.G. resumed his solo career with the 1999 album Dirty Version.
Another Bronx native, Buckwild, began as an apprentice in Lord Finesse's production outfit before launching his own beat-making career around 1994. He soon crafted melodic tracks for established artists including Fat Joe, the Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Mic Geronimo, and Big Pun. His initial breakthrough arrived with the contributions to O.C.'s 1994 release Word Life, which cemented his standing in the underground scene. Prior to that album, O.C. had already emerged as one of hip-hop's most dynamic lyricists; afterward he balanced numerous guest spots on fellow D.I.T.C. projects with a relatively low public profile.
Completing the lineup, Big L stood out as a verbally ferocious MC whose lines struck with lethal precision and whose persona projected the cool detachment of the uptown pimp he portrayed on wax. Billing himself as the flamboyant MC, he released the 1994 Columbia album Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous. While preparing a follow-up for Rawkus, he was killed on February 15, 1999. Later that year the remaining members staged a memorial concert at Trammps in New York—later documented across several CD releases—and issued a self-titled group album in 2000.
Born Robert Hall, Lord Finesse built a reputation as an elite MC who later turned to production, supplying beats for the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1997 album Ready to Die and Dr. Dre's 1999 project The Chronic. Early on, the self-assured rapper would venture across any New York borough to defeat the top local talent in battles. After circulating a demo tape, he issued his debut, the 1990 classic Funky Technician. Several cuts on that project were handled by his close associate Diamond (then known as Diamond D), formerly of the group Ultimate Force. Among the crew's senior figures, Diamond first encountered hip-hop by serving as a DJ for Jazzy Jay of the Zulu Nation in 1979. By the mid-1980s he was performing turntable routines at after-hours park jams, frequently squaring off against the city's strongest spinners—Showbiz counted among his early rivals. In 1992 the DJ-turned-producer highlighted underground New York artists alongside his own rhymes on the acclaimed debut Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop.
Bronx-raised Fat Joe became the first Latino solo rapper from New York to land a deal with a major label, releasing his 1993 debut Representin'. Four years later his album Don Cartagena achieved gold status by moving 500,000 units. Showbiz & A.G. embraced an independent approach from the start, selling their 1992 EP Can I Get a Soul Clap directly from car trunks. Showbiz derived his name from an older Richard Pryor recording and helped pioneer the technique of looping vocal samples over instrumentals. His partner A.G. earned recognition as the Bronx's leading "punchline" lyricist. Throughout the mid-1990s Showbiz maintained a busy production schedule, largely for underground acts, before A.G. resumed his solo career with the 1999 album Dirty Version.
Another Bronx native, Buckwild, began as an apprentice in Lord Finesse's production outfit before launching his own beat-making career around 1994. He soon crafted melodic tracks for established artists including Fat Joe, the Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Mic Geronimo, and Big Pun. His initial breakthrough arrived with the contributions to O.C.'s 1994 release Word Life, which cemented his standing in the underground scene. Prior to that album, O.C. had already emerged as one of hip-hop's most dynamic lyricists; afterward he balanced numerous guest spots on fellow D.I.T.C. projects with a relatively low public profile.
Completing the lineup, Big L stood out as a verbally ferocious MC whose lines struck with lethal precision and whose persona projected the cool detachment of the uptown pimp he portrayed on wax. Billing himself as the flamboyant MC, he released the 1994 Columbia album Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous. While preparing a follow-up for Rawkus, he was killed on February 15, 1999. Later that year the remaining members staged a memorial concert at Trammps in New York—later documented across several CD releases—and issued a self-titled group album in 2000.
Albums
Singles