Joseph Williams Jr. (born June 22, 1965), better known by the stage name Just-Ice, is an American

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. A former bouncer at punk clubs, Williams was the first of the New York rappers to embrace gangsta rap, and when he burst out of the Castle Hill neighborhood in the

borough of

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive—he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks—and with a mouthful of gold teeth, he certainly stood out. His debut album '' Back to the Old School'' came out on the independent New York label Sleeping Bag, and certainly sounded like no other hip-hop album, thanks to his fast and forceful rhymes, Ben "Human DMX" Paynes'sBradley, John Ed (1986)
Survival of the Hippest
, ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'', September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 29, 2017 beatboxing, as well as the distinctive production of Mantronix's Kurtis Mantronik. Williams' stage name was probably derived from the Supreme Alphabet, a lesson taught by the

Nation of Gods and Earths The Five-Percent Nation, sometimes referred to as the Nation of Gods and Earths (NGE/NOGE) or the Five Percenters, is a Black nationalist movement influenced by Islam that was founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, N ...

, a study group of the

Nation of Islam The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930. A black nationalist organization, the NOI focuses its attention on the African diaspora, especially on African ...

. Just-Ice is a twofold pun on "justice" and refers to the saying within NOI circles that "All those who can't deal with mathematics will be "just ice" at 32 degrees below zero." In 1986 he was charged with the murder of drug dealer Ludlaw DeSouza, but later proven innocent.Lazell, Barry (1997) ''Indie Hits 1980–1989'', Cherry Red Books, , p. 125 His third album, '' The Desolate One'' (1989), had minor success in the United Kingdom, reaching no. 16 on the UK Independent Chart. Williams relocated from the Ft. Greene area in Brooklyn to the Castle Hill section of the Bronx in his early adolescent years. He currently resides in the Bronx which he considers his hometown.

Bradley Nowell Bradley James Nowell (February 22, 1968 – May 25, 1996) was an American musician and the lead singer and guitarist of the ska punk band Sublime. Born and raised in Belmont Shore, Long Beach, California, Nowell developed an interest in mu ...

(

Sublime Sublime may refer to: Entertainment * SuBLime, a comic imprint of Viz Media for BL manga * Sublime (band), an American ska punk band ** ''Sublime'' (album), 1996 * ''Sublime'' (film), a 2007 horror film * SubLime FM, a Dutch radio station dedic ...

) brought Just-Ice's vinyl record '' The Desolate One'' to KROQ 106.7 FM Radio Station in California in the 1990s at the height of the band's success and proclaimed "You can drop the needle anywhere on this record and I guarantee you, GOLD!" Of which, the DJ allowed and played "NA TOUCH DA JUST".

Discography

* '' Back to the Old School'' (1986) * ''

Kool & Deadly ''Kool & Deadly (Justicizms)'' is the second album by old school/ hardcore rapper Just-Ice, it was released in 1987, and was produced by KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an a ...

'' (1987) * '' The Desolate One'' (1989) * ''

Masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

'' (1990) * '' Gun Talk'' (1993) * ''

Kill the Rhythm (Like a Homicide) '' Kill the Rhythm (Like a Homicide)'' is the sixth album by old school hip hop/ hardcore rapper Just-Ice, it was released in 1995. Track listing #"Bad Boy Back (In Town)" #"Bring ’Em Back Alive" #"Ladies ’Nuff Respect" #"Keep it Real" # ...

'' (1995) * '' VII'' (1998) * ''Gangster Boogie'' (2008) (digital download only) * ''32 Degrees'' (2009) (digital download only) * ''The Just-Ice and KRS-One EP Vol.1'' (2010) (digital download only)

References

External links

* AllMusic.com Biography - Just-Ice 1965 births Living people Five percenters Rappers from the Bronx Rappers from Brooklyn Gangsta rappers East Coast hip hop musicians African-American male rappers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians People from Fort Greene, Brooklyn Sleeping Bag Records artists 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people {{US-hiphop-bio-stub