Funky 4 + 1 was an

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

group 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 ...

, New York, composed of Jazzy Jeff, Sha-Rock (b. Sharon Green), D.J. Breakout, Guy Williams, Keith Keith, The Voice of K.K., and Rodney Cee (Stone). The group originally started with K.K Rockwell, Keith Caesar, Rahiem and Sha Rock, the rest of the members joined at later times. The latter two members also performed together as the duo Double Trouble, notably in the film '' Wild Style''. They were the first hip hop group to receive a record deal, as well as the first to perform live on national television. The group was also the first to start selling their records commercially. The group was also notable for being the first to have a woman MC, Sha-Rock.

History

"That's the Joint" was interpolated from A Taste of Honey's "Rescue Me". Music critic

Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...

of ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' named it the best song of the 1980s. In his 1981 review of the single, Christgau gave it an A rating and wrote of its musical significance:

The instrumental track, carried by Sugarhill bassist Doug Wimbish, is so compelling that for a while I listened to it alone on its B-side version. And the rapping is the peak of the form, not verbally—the debut has funnier words—but rhythmically. Quick tradeoffs and clamorous breaks vary the steady-flow rhyming of the individual MCs, and when it comes to Sha-Rock, Miss Plus One herself, who needs variation?"

Funky 4 + 1 was the first hip hop group to appear on a national television show; on February 14 (Valentine's Day) 1981 they performed on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' hosted by Blondie's

Debbie Harry Deborah Ann Harry (born Angela Trimble, July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the band Blondie (band), Blondie. Four of her songs with the band reached on the US charts between 1979 and 1 ...

. The group was subsequently asked by Harry to open up for Blondie on tour, but were forbidden to do so by Sugarhill Records' CEO, Sylvia Robinson. In 2008, its song " That's The Joint" was ranked number 41 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

Discography

Compilation albums

Promotional singles

Members

* The Voice of K.K. aka K.K. Rockwell (Kevin Smith) (1977–1981) * Keith Keith (Keith Caesar) (1977–1983) * Sha Rock (Sharon Green) (1977–1983) * Rahiem (Guy Todd Williams) (1977-1979) * Lil' Rodney C! (Rodney Stone) (1979–1981) * Jazzy Jeff (Jeff Miree) (1979–1983) * D.J. Breakout (Keith Williams) (1977–1983) * D.J. Baron (Baron Chappell) (1977–1980)

References

Notes

Citations

External links

Jayquan profile

Myspace

The Career Cookbook Rahiem Profile

Funky Four Plus One Discography at Discogs.com

{{Authority control Hip-hop groups from New York City Musical groups established in 1977 Sugar Hill Records (hip-hop label) artists