Showbiz and A.G. (also shortened as Show and AG) is an American hip hop duo from

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, composed of record producer Rodney "Showbiz" Lemay (born July 7, 1969) and rapper Andre "A.G." Barnes (born September 26, 1970). The duo formed soon after their debut on the song "Back to Back Rhyming" from

Lord Finesse Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of ...

's '' Funky Technician'' album and joined the hip hop collective D.I.T.C. along with Lord Finesse,

Diamond D Joseph Kirkland (born April 5, 1968), better known by his stage name Diamond D (or simply Diamond), is an American hip hop MC and record producer from The Bronx, New York City, and one of the founding members of the Diggin' in the Crates Crew ...

Fat Joe Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...

, O.C., Buckwild and

Big L Lamont Coleman (May 30, 1974February 15, 1999), known professionally as Big L, was an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Emerging from Harlem in New York City in 1992, Big L became known among underground hip-hop fans for his f ...

Career

1990s

The duo's first release was an extended play '' Soul Clap'', self-released in late 1991 via their own

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

, Showbiz Records. The EP included a song "Diggin' in the Crates" with verses from Diamond D and Lord Finesse, which became the name of a bigger group called D.I.T.C. They signed with

Payday A pay day or payday is a specified day of the week or month when one is paid, usually workers collecting wages from their employers. Pay Day, PayDay or Payday may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Pay Day'' (1918 film), a ...

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

and re-released the EP on March 17, 1992, as "Party Groove"/"Soul Clap" (also known as ''Showbiz & A.G.''). On September 22, 1992, the duo released their debut studio album, ''

Runaway Slave ''Runaway Slave'' is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Showbiz and A.G. It was released on September 22, 1992, via Payday/London Records. The album was produced by Showbiz and fellow D.I.T.C. crew member Diamond D. It features g ...

'', with guest appearances from Diamond D, Lord Finesse, Dres, and the first album appearance of

. In 1993, Showbiz became popular for producing

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

's single "

Sound of da Police "Sound of da Police" is a song by American rapper KRS-One. Recorded at D&D Studios in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York Sta ...

". In 1994, Showbiz and A.G. had a guest spot on

Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

's second album ''

Non-Fiction Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is any document or content (media), media content that attempts, in good faith, to convey information only about the real life, real world, rather than being grounded in imagination. Non-fiction typically aims to pre ...

'', on the track "E.F.F.E.C.T.". Showbiz soon shortened his name to Show, changing the group name to 'Show & A.G.'. 1995 saw the release of their second studio album, '' Goodfellas'', which featured a darker sound than their debut, as well as the absence of Showbiz rapping. It featured contributions from artists who were on ''Runaway Slave'', plus the Ghetto Dwellas (D Flow and Party Arty), Big Cathy,

Roc Raida Anthony Williams (May 17, 1972 – September 19, 2009), better known as Roc Raida or Grandmaster Roc Raida, was an American DJ, turntablist and producer. He was also a member of the DJ group the X-Ecutioners. Biography Williams joined the X-Me ...

Method Man Clifford Smith, Jr. (born March 2, 1971), known professionally as Method Man, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. He is a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, and is half of the hip hop duo Method Man & R ...

, Wali World and

DJ Premier Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He has been frequently lauded as one of hip hop's greatest producers by publications such as '' ...

. The most successful song from the album was DJ Premier's 'Nyte Time' remix of the track "Next Level", an instrumental version of which was later featured in the 2002 film '' 8 Mile''. Following the release of EP-turned-LP ''Full Scale'' project in 1998, the duo began concentrating on their work with D.I.T.C., as well as solo projects. In 1999, the duo appeared on A.G.'s first solo studio album, ''

The Dirty Version ''The Dirty Version'' is the first solo studio album by American rapper and producer A.G. of Diggin' in the Crates Crew. It was released on September 21, 1999 through Silva Dom Records with distribution via Landspeed Records. Production was h ...

'', which also featured contributions from 7 out of 8 D.I.T.C. members (Big L was the only absent member due to being murdered on February 15 later same year), as well as the Ghetto Dwellas,

Gang Starr Gang Starr was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo, consisting of Houston-born record producer DJ Premier and Boston-based rapper Guru (rapper), Guru. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2003, and is considered a widely influential MC-and-pr ...

and

Big Pun Christopher Lee Rios (November 10, 1971 – February 7, 2000), better known by his stage name Big Pun (short for Big Punisher), was an American rapper. Emerging from the underground hip hop scene in the Bronx, he came to prominence upon discover ...

. Showbiz was one of the executive producers on D.I.T.C.'s self-titled group album, which was released in 2000 via

Tommy Boy Records Tommy Boy Records is an American independent record label and multimedia brand founded in 1981 by Tom Silverman. The label is credited with helping and launching the music careers of Queen Latifah, Amber, Afrika Bambaataa, Stetsasonic, Digita ...

2000s

After a hiatus between the release of the D.I.T.C.'s 2001 ''Wild Life'' EP and 2005, Show released his first solo album '' D.I.T.C. Presents Street Talk'' in November 2005. The album featured 18 new tracks performed by the likes of O.C., Party Arty, Milano,

Sean Price Sean Duval Price (March 17, 1972August 8, 2015) was an American rapper and member of the hip hop collective Boot Camp Clik. He was one half of the duo Heltah Skeltah, performing under the name Ruck, along with partner Rock. Early life and edu ...

, and late Big Pun and Big L over Show's productions. It also saw A.G. and Show reunite as A.G. was featured on 2 of the album's songs, "Chase Game" and "You Ain't a Killer". A.G.'s second solo album titled '' Get Dirty Radio'' was released October 31, 2006, through Look Records, which featured a Show-produced song "The Struggle". In 2007, they released a new EP entitled '' Live Hard'' on D.I.T.C. Records, their first new material in nearly a decade. Showbiz teamed up with fellow producer Eric "E-Blaze" Blaze forming a production duo Born Lords. Following 2008's D.I.T.C.'s compilation album ''

The Movement The Movement may refer to: Politics * The Movement (Iceland), a political party in Iceland * The Movement (Israel), a political party in Israel, led by Tzipi Livni * Civil rights movement, the African-American political movement * The Movement ...

'', members O.C. and A.G. released a collaborative album called ''

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Godsville ''Godsville'' is a collaborative studio album by American record producer Showbiz and rapper KRS-One. It was released digitally on February 15, 2011, via D.I.T.C. Records; although the physical release didn't hit stores until May 8, 2011. The rec ...

'' album. On September 9, 2012, Show and AG released the album ''Mugshot Music'', and in 2017, they released the EP ''Take It Back''.

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Guest Appearances (in toto)

* ~~ 'Back to Back Rhyming'; 'Keep It Flowing'--- Funky Technician,

and DJ Mike Smooth * ~~ 'Yes You May'; 'Fat for the '90s'--- ''Return of the Funky Man'',

* ~~ 'On da Mic'--- '' The Untold Truth'', Illegal * ~~ 'Who's It On Pt 1'--- ''Theme + Echo = Krill'', The Legion * ~~ 'Ya Don't Stop'--- ''

B-Ball's Best Kept Secret ''B-Ball's Best Kept Secret'' is a compilation album released by Epic Records that featured NBA players performing songs with hip hop artists including Shaquille O'Neal. Track listing #"Hip Hop Basketball Genie"- :48 #"Check It"- 4:07 ( Dana Bar ...

'', Various * ~~ 'E.F.F.E.C.T.'--- ''Non-Fiction'',

* ~~ 'Speak Ya Piece'; 'Showtime'--- ''The Awakening'',

* ~~ '5 Fingers of Death'--- ''

Hatred, Passions and Infidelity ''Hatred, Passions and Infidelity'' is the second album from hip hop producer and emcee Diamond D, released five years after his acclaimed debut, '' Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop''. The reason for the extended time between albums was due prima ...

'',

* ~~ 'True to Hip Hop'--- '' Cold Water Music'', AIM * ~~ 'Rework the Angles'--- '' This or That'',

Dilated Peoples Dilated Peoples is an American Los Angeles-based Hip hop music, hip hop trio, composed of rapper and record producer Evidence (musician), Evidence, rapper Rakaa, and Beat Junkies deejay and record producer DJ Babu. The group is better known in t ...

* ~~ 'The Club'--- '' The Piece Maker,''

Tony Touch Joseph Anthony Hernandez (born July 2, 1969), professionally known as Tony Touch, is an American hip hop break dancer, rapper, record producer and DJ of Puerto Rican descent. Career Tony Touch began as a B-boy during the rap music renaissance e ...

* ~~ 'Holdin' It Down'--- '' The Big Picture,''

* ~~ 'Weed & Drinks'--- ''Bon Appetit'', O.C. * ~~ 'Rap Niggaz'--- ''By Desig''n, Grand Agent * ~~ 'How It Sounds'--- ''D&D Project II,'' D&D All Stars * ~~ 'Square Biz'--- ''Walk of Life,'' Square One * ~~ 'A Day in the Life'--- ''White People'',

Handsome Boy Modeling School Handsome Boy Modeling School is an American collaborative project between hip hop producers Dan the Automator (Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030) and Prince Paul ( Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz). The collaboration originally lasted ...

* ~~ 'It's Nothing'--- '' Milk Me'', The Beanuts * ~~ 'Deceived Me'--- ''Skillitary'',

Thirstin Howl III Victor DeJesus, better known by his stage name Thirstin Howl the 3rd, is an American rapper, producer, author and entrepreneur from Brownsville, Brooklyn. Howl owns and operates his own label, Skillionaire Enterprises. He is also a founding membe ...

* ~~ 'Getyourmindright'--- ''Dedication'', Belief * ~~ 'Chase Game'; 'You Ain't a Killer'--- ''Street Talk'', Showbiz * ~~ 'My Life'--- ''Two/Three,'' Dabyre * ~~ 'Low Life'--- ''Exodus into Unheard Rhythms,'' Oh No * ~~ '2K007'--- ''2K7'',

Dan the Automator Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark. Early life Daniel M. Nakamura wa ...

* ~~ 'Poppin' Pockets (Remix)'--- ''Brokelore'', Grip Grand * ~~ 'There Will Be Blood'--- Nineteen Ninety Now, Buckwild &

Celph Titled Victor Mercer (born November 16, 1980), better known by his stage name Celph Titled, is an American rapper and record producer who is a member of the hip hop supergroup Army of the Pharaohs, as well as the Demigodz along with Connecticut rappe ...

* ~~ 'Glory (Finish Hard)'--- ''PA2,'' Marco Polo * ~~ 'Hakim'--- The Cornerstone of the Corner Store,

Vinnie Paz Vincenzo Luviner ( Luvineri born October 5, 1977), better known as Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram), is an Italian-born American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks. He ...

* ~~ 'Children of Never'--- ''Eastern Medicine, Western Illness,'' Preservation

Showbiz Production Creds

References

External links

Interview with Show (2007)A.G. DITC Myspace siteA.G. on Red Apples Forty-FiveHip Hop Icon Series: A.G.
{{Authority control African-American musical duos American hip-hop duos American hip-hop record producers Diggin' in the Crates Crew members East Coast hip-hop groups Five percenters Hip-hop groups from New York City Musical duos from New York (state) Rappers from the Bronx Record producers from New York (state) FFRR Records artists PolyGram artists 1969 births 1970 births Living people