Toddy Tee

Born in Compton, Los Angeles, California, USA, Toddy Tee ranks among the foundational figures of the Los Angeles old school and holds a place in west coast rap’s evolution comparable to the role Afrika Bambaataa played in shaping the New York scene, yet he seldom earns equivalent recognition. The scarcity of recorded material from his career largely accounts for this oversight. Among the few surviving artifacts is the Batteram tape, a live recording that circulated in the same manner as the Zulu Nation’s throwdowns. Ice-T later referenced it in the track “Six,” where it captured the LAPD’s deployment of an armoured vehicle capable of breaching suspect residences during operations targeting crack houses. The recording formed part of an exchange of material between Toddy Tee and fellow rhymer Mixmaster Spade, though it far surpassed earlier installments in popularity. Following its reception, the piece appeared as a single on Evejim in 1986, with “Just Say No” added to Tee’s discography two years afterward. Even so, these releases offer only minimal evidence of his broader impact.