Leonardo Roman (born August 20, 1965), better known by his
stage name
A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
Wise, is an American
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- ...
record producer and member of hip hop group Stetsasonic, commonly hailed as hip hop's first live band.
Early life
Born in
Fajardo, Puerto Rico
Fajardo () is a town and a municipality part of the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area in Puerto Rico.
Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and ...
, Wise moved to
the Bronx, New York
The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County to its north; to its south and west, the New York City bo ...
, where his parents resided with his two older brothers Juan & Jose. At the age of four, his family moved to East New York,
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
.
Hip hop career
Daddy-O and MC Delite were the founding members of the group Stetsasonic, then known as the Stetsasonic 3 MC's, in
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
. Joining the group in 1983, the group had another level of creativity and talent with the presence of the PRINCE OF SOUND himself, who is also known in the group by the moniker the Stetsa-Human Mix Machine provided
beatboxing
Beatboxing (also, and sometimes, called beat boxing) is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of mimicking drum machines (usually a Roland TR-808, TR-808), using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice.Just Say Stet" b/w "Rock de la Stet," which was released in 1985. There was also another single from the album in which Wise and Daddy-O collaborated. While Daddy-O performs the vocals, Wise gives his version of " Impeach the President," which happens to be the very first time that a human beatbox was heard adding a song-like rhythm to the beat that was coming out of his mouth on the song "Faye" which was on the group's first album, '' On Fire'' (
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
** Spain and Portugal en ...
). With Stetsasonic, Wise toured the world with rap acts like
Run-DMC
Run-DMC (also formatted Run-D.M.C., RUN DMC, or some combination thereof) was an American hip-hop group formed in Hollis, Queens, New York City in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the mos ...
,
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow new school hip ho ...
,
Whodini
Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York–based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; Jun ...
EPMD
EPMD is an American hip hop duo from Brentwood, New York. The duo's name is an initialism for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referring to its members: emcees Erick Sermon ("E" a.k.a. E Double) and Parrish Smith ("PMD" a.k.a. Parrish Mi ...
and
Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
.
In 1989, Wise (with fellow Stetsasonic members Daddy-O, Delite, and Fruitkwan) participated in
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
Stop the Violence Movement
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 ...
, an assembly of hip hop artists including
Kool Moe Dee
Mohandas Dewese (born August 8, 1962), better known by his stage name Kool Moe Dee, is an American rapper, songwriter and actor. Considered one of the forerunners of the new jack swing sound in hip hop, he gained fame in the 1980s as a member of ...
,
Heavy D
Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. '' Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Hea ...
,
MC Lyte
Lana Michele Moorer (born October 11, 1970), better known by her stage name MC Lyte, is an American rapper. Considered one of the pioneers of female rap, MC Lyte first gained fame in the late 1980s, becoming the first female rapper to release a ...
, Public Enemy, and Doug E. Fresh. This artistic collaboration yielded the
posse cut
A posse cut is a popular form of song in hip hop music that involves successive verses by four or more rappers.Edwards, Paul, 2009, ''How to Rap: The Art & Science of the Hip-Hop MC'', Chicago Review Press, p. 221.
Tracks described as posse cuts ...
protest song
A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre.
...
decrying black-on-black violence and media stigmatisation of all hip hop as violent. Unusually, Wise was featured not as a human percussionist, but as a vocalist, sharing his verse with Daddy-O. Released in 1989, the single reached #75 in the US Top 40.
Wise has also participated in a few commercials in which he lends his beatbox sounds. One was for Campbell's Soup in which a cartoon of a
B-boy
A b-boy is a person devoted to breaking or break dancing.
B Boy may also refer to:
Music
* "B-Boy", a song by Tech N9ne featuring Big Scoob, Bumpy Knuckles, Kutt Calhoun, and Skatterman from the album '' K.O.D.'', 2009
* "B Boy" (song) by Meek ...
bear kicks a ferocious beat. This commercial was aired amidst Saturday morning cartoons.
Wise was also featured in a
documentary
A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
and also featured fellow human percussionists such as Doug E. Fresh,
Biz Markie
Marcel Theo Hall (April 8, 1964 – July 16, 2021), known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper, singer, songwriter, DJ, and record producer who gained prominence during hip hop's golden age. He was particularly recognized for ...
Emanon
Emanon is an American musical duo formed in 1995, in Los Angeles, California, composed of rapper and singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc and record producer Exile.
History
Emanon released the extended play (EP) ''Anon and On'', on Ill Boogie Record ...
.
These days Wise & Stetsasonic are presently working on their new album that is scheduled for release in 2024. In this album, Wise is more vocal and less percussionist as his skills have grown greatly. While his moniker as a human percussionist/beatbox is The Human Mix Machine, his new moniker as a Vocalist/MC is Lito Brigante.
Discography
Albums
* ''On Fire'' (1986)
* ''In Full Gear'' (1988)
* ''Blood, Sweat & No Tears'' (1991)
*''People In The Neighborhood'' EP/ Chopped Herring Records (1991)
* ''Here We Go Again'' (2024)
Singles
* "Just Say Stet" (1985)
* "Go Stetsa 1" (1986)
* "Faye/Forever My Beat" (1986)
* "A.F.R.I.C.A. (1986)
*"Float On" (1988)
* "Sally" (1988)
* "Talkin' All That Jazz" (1988)
*"Speaking Of A Girl Named Suzy (1990)
* "No B.S. Allowed" (1991)
* "Now Ya'll Giving Up Love" (2021)
* "Here We Go Again" (2022)
* "Fallen Soldiers" (2022)
* "Handled/Notes of Impression" (2023)
Credits
* On Fire - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1986) Producer, Vocals
*DBC Let The Music Play - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1988) Producer, Vocals
*Float On - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1988) Producer, Vocals
* Stet Troop '88 - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1988) Producer, Vocals
*No BS Allowed - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Uda Man - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Speaking Of A Girl Named Suzy - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Go Brooklyn 3 - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Heaven Help The M.F.'s - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Took Place In East New York - Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
*Free South Africa emix- Stetsasonic / Tommy Boy Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
* People In The Neighborhood - Stetsasonic / Chopped Herring Records (1991) Producer, Vocals
* Now Y'all Giving Up Love - Stetsasonic / Odad Truth Records (2021) Vocals
* Here We Go Again - Stetsasonic - Odad Truth Records (2022) Vocals
* Fallen Soldiers - Stetsasonic - Odad Truth Records (2022) Vocals
* Handled/Notes of Impression - Stetsasonic - Odad Truth Records (2023) Producer, Vocals
Guest appearances
* Self Destruction - The Stop The Violence Movement / Jive Records (1989)
*Human Element: The World's First Human Beatbox Compilation / 108 Records (2006)