The Madd Rapper

Brooklyn native Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, an MC and producer, performed under the Madd Rapper alias. He first gained notice as half of the conscious rap duo 2 Kings in a Cipher, whose underground single "For the Brothers Who Ain't Here" drew attention. Angelettie later joined Bad Boy Entertainment as an intern and advanced to A&R Director; Sean "Puffy" Combs then enlisted him as a staff producer. Working under the D-Dot credit, he shaped the hit singles "Been Around the World" and "All About the Benjamins," while also serving as executive producer for Mase's Harlem World, the LOX's Money, Power & Respect, Faith Evans's Keep the Faith, and Black Rob's Life Story. Angelettie created the Madd Rapper character as a satiric skit figure for the Notorious B.I.G.'s Life After Death album; listener enthusiasm prompted plans for a solo project. The persona's identity stayed tightly protected until November 1998, when Angelettie drew headlines for an alleged assault on then-Blaze editor-in-chief Jesse Washington after the publication ran photos that revealed the performer's real name. The 1999 single "D-Dot vs. the Madd Rapper" came out ahead of the full-length Tell 'Em Why U Madd.