Kool G Rap

Born Nathaniel Wilson on July 20, 1968, in Queens, New York, the artist later nicknamed the Kool Genius of Rap first rose to attention as half of the late-'80s and early-'90s tandem Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, whose golden-age partnership proved both commercially viable and lastingly influential before he moved into an uneven solo phase. His recorded entrance came in 1986 via the It's a Demo/I'm Fly 12-inch on Cold Chillin' Records, a Marley Marl production credited at the time to DJ Polo & Kool G Rap; subsequent singles arrived in the form of Rikers Island/Rhyme Thyme in 1987 and Poison the following year. That same year he appeared on Marley Marl's Juice Crew staple The Symphony, and in 1989 the duo issued their debut album Road to the Riches on Cold Chillin'. The set collected the earlier singles plus fresh cuts such as "Road to the Riches" and "Truly Yours," establishing itself as a standout first effort whose reach extended well beyond its release. The follow-ups Wanted: Dead or Alive in 1990 and Live and Let Die in 1991 matched that influence; although they receive less frequent acclaim than the debut, both are routinely cited as genre benchmarks and, by many accounts, surpass the initial LP in quality.

Stepping out alone, Kool G Rap delivered 4, 5, 6 on Cold Chillin' in 1995. After that label folded he placed his next effort, Roots of Evil, on Illstreet Records in 1998; the album drew comparatively muted response and prompted a period of withdrawal. He resurfaced with the Rawkus 12-inch The Streets in 2000 and the follow-up single My Life in 2001. Rawkus had slated the full-length The Giancana Story for fall 2001, yet the label's sudden closure and sale to MCA delayed its appearance until November 2002, when it surfaced on Koch Records. Thereafter Kool G Rap operated independently, issuing the collaborative Click of Respect on Blaze the World Records in 2003; the project attracted scant notice and marked the start of several quiet years. Guest spots kept his name circulating, notably alongside Big Daddy Kane on the Roots' "Boom!" and UGK's "Next Up." Renewed activity followed with the albums Dead or Alive in 2006, Half a Klip in 2007, The Veteran in 2008, and Riches, Royalty & Respect in 2011. In 2013 he paired with underground rapper Necro for the project Once Upon a Crime, released under the name the Godfathers. Four years later Return of the Don appeared, an album helmed by Canadian DJ Moss and boasting contributions from Raekwon, Sean Price, N.O.R.E., and additional guests. Kool G Rap's longtime partner DJ Polo passed away on July 27, 2024.