Daniel Dimitri Rodriguez (November 10, 1967 – October 6, 1990),Uncloudy Days book, P. 356 alias D-Boy Rodriguez, was a

Christian rap Christian hip hop (originally gospel rap, also known as Christian rap, gospel hip hop or holy hip hop) is a subgenre of contemporary Christian music and hip hop music. It emerged from urban contemporary music and Christian media in the United S ...

artist. He released two albums that received moderate commercial success, before being murdered in 1990. His third album was released posthumously.

Career

Debut album

Rodriguez was signed to Frontline Records, who released his debut album ''Plantin' a Seed'' in 1989. Christian

blue-eyed soul Blue-eyed soul (also called white soul) is rhythm and blues (R&B) and soul music performed by white artists. The term was coined in the mid-1960s, to describe white artists whose sound was similar to that of the predominantly-black Motown and Stax ...

singer Tim Miner was instrumental in creating the album in a technical role as well as assisting with songwriting, playing various instruments and singing background vocals on the disc. Miner's future wife

Cindy Cruse Cindy may refer to: People *Cindy (given name), a list of people named Cindy, Cindi, Cyndi or Cyndy *Tugiyati Cindy (born 1985), Indonesian footballer Music * ''Cindy'' (musical), an off-Broadway production in 1964 and 1965 * "Cindy" (folk song ...

also sang backing vocals.CMA - Plantin' a Seed
"Pick Yourself Up", co-written with Miner and Tommy Sims of

White Heart White Heart, also listed as Whiteheart, was an American contemporary Christian music and pop-rock band which formed in 1982. White Heart's discography includes thirteen albums, the most recent of which was released in 1997. Original members Bill ...

hit No. 8 on Christian radio from the album. It would be the only song D-Boy ever charted.

Second album

Rodriguez' second album, 1990's ''Lyrical Strength of One Street Poet'' (street poet was Rodriguez' preferred term for himself rather than 'rapper') was one of the first in

to make extensive use of sampling, using soundbites from Pee-Wee Herman ("Nobody hipped me to that, dude..") and Bill Cosby ("Read your Bible..Bible states") along with musical elements from Sly and the Family Stone, Steve Miller Band, The Isley Brothers amongst others. The album also has an early appearance on backing vocals by Nicole Bruce,CMA - Lyrical Strength of One Street Poet
who after marrying Christian rocker David Mullen would go on to greater recognition as Nicole Mullen. It peaked at No. 35 on Billboard's CCM album chart in early 1991. Christian radio, however, was not ready for its more raw rap sound and it got little airplay.

Death

Rodriguez died in 1990 after being shot upon leaving his

East Dallas East Dallas, also referred to by the East Dallas Chamber of Commerce as the Lake & Garden District, is an expansive area of numerous communities and neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas (United States) that border nearby suburban cities to the east s ...

apartment. No official motive has yet been revealed for the shooting. According to his mother: "They say it was everything from mistaken identity to a robbery attempt, but nobody really knows."Dallas Morning News , News for Dallas, Texas , Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth , Dallas Morning News
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Posthumous releases

In 1993 his final album, ''Peace to the Poet'', was released. It contained a collection of outtakes and other scraps put out by his label posthumously.CMA - Peace to the Poet
Labelmate Angie Alan recorded "Until We Meet Again" in his memory on her CD ''The Bottom Line''. Rappers included tobyMac and Vanilla Ice. His sister, Genie Rodriguez-Lopez, began recording rap music herself to carry on his legacy as MC Gee Gee. Fellow musicians Corey Red and Precise dedicated the song "Martyr's Anthem" to him. It is found on the 2004 album, ''Resistance Iz Futile''. On April 28, 2006, his mother was in attendance as a concert in West Oak Cliff was held to mark the release of a Christian rap CD entitled ''The Fallen Soldier Compilation : A Tribute To D-Boy''. The album features contributions from fellow Christian rap pioneer Fred Lynch (of P.I.D.),

Dynamic Twins The Dynamic Twins were a Bronx-born Christian rap group composed of identical twins Noel and Robbie Arthurton. Origins The twins moved to California circa 1989. The group's members began to make guest appearances on albums by other Christian ...

, IDOL King, Lingo, Heata and others.

Discography

*''Plantin' a Seed'' (Frontline 1989 CD-09082) *''The Lyrical Strength of One Street Poet'' (Frontline 1990 CD-09216) *''Peace to the Poet'' (Frontline 1993 FLD-9295)

Compilation Contributions

*''Yo Ho Ho'' (Forefront 1990 CD02694) - Track 7 "Winter Wonderland"

References

External links

*
The Lyrical Strength of One Street Poet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez, Danny 1967 births 1990 deaths 1990 murders in the United States 20th-century American musicians Deaths by firearm in Texas Male murder victims American murder victims Musicians from Dallas People from the Bronx People murdered in Texas Performers of Christian hip hop music Unsolved murders in the United States