Biography
Lil’ Rodney Cee’s early involvement with the street-jiving Magnificent Seven spanned 1977 to 1978, setting the stage for what became the Funky Four. KK Rockwell and DJ Breakout assembled the initial lineup by bringing in Keith Keith, followed by the addition of MC Sha Rock. Rahiem, born Guy Todd Williams, entered the group only to exit soon afterward for a role with Grandmaster Flash, and Keith Keith departed as well. The crew solidified when Lil’ Rodney Cee joined and Jazzy Jeff came aboard, establishing the Funky Four. At the time they inked their deal with Enjoy Records, every member was still under 17, and the imprint’s first rap release arrived in the form of the track “Rappin’ And Rockin’ The House.” Built around the Cheryl Lynn break “Gotta To Be Real,” the recording stretched into a 16-minute commentary, with Pumpkin supplying the drum programming that helped mark him as one of rap’s earliest production figures. The ensemble soon moved to Sugarhill Records, where they appended the Plus or + One More designation, while DJ Mark The 45 King served as Breakout’s designated record boy, pulling and feeding the requested discs to the turntables. Their Sugarhill debut, “That’s The Joint,” received arrangements from jazz-funk organist Clifton “Jiggs” Chase. At Bronx house parties the crew delivered elaborate dance routines that foreshadowed the kinetic stage shows later popularized by Stetsasonic. Following a clash album against the Cash Crew, momentum faded, although Jazzy Jeff later pursued a short-lived solo stint on Jive Records. Lil’ Rodney Cee and KK Rockwell subsequently teamed up in the similarly under-the-radar outfit Double Trouble.
Albums