Friday Funk: Chief Rocka

SOME KEY HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND'S "CHIEF ROCKA" VIDEO AND SONG:

*The song samples “Twine Time” by Alvin Cash and “Born to be Blue” by Jack Bruce
*Marley Marl was the song’s producer, along with K-def, who went on to appear in the group Real Live.
*Old School artist Busy Bee was known as Chief Rocka Busy Bee
*Cameo appearance in the video: Redman. Both Red and the Lords hail from Brick City aka Newark, NJ
*To this day, the only CD that I’ve had to buy twice due to the first one being “worn out” was the album this song appears on Here Come the Lords
*One half of the MCs, Doitall, appears in the final scene from the final episode of The Sopranos, Made In America. He is credited as “African American Male #1, who enters the diner where Tony Soprano and his family are dining. Theories abound that he might have shot Tony.
*The peak position of the album Here Come the Lords was #66 on April 17, 1993
*1993 Hip Hop Fashion: Carhart Hoodies, unbuckled belts, fisherman vests, army jackets, and of course…unlaced Tims.
*The breakers appearing in the video include the legendary Crazy Legs of the Rock Steady Crew, Ken Swift of Rock Steady, and Quickstep of Full Circle.
*The trio met while undergrads at North Carolina’s Shaw University.
*The song was #1 on Billboard’s Rap Singles and #55 on the overall Hot 100 Singles.
*The “boom shocka locka” line originally appeared in a House of Pain song by the same name.
*DJ Lord Jazz was originally from Cleveland and now is based in Paris.
*The Commish saw LOUTG perform at CU’s Glenn Miller ballroom in the mid-90s. Honestly, Doitall and Mr Funke played off eachother as well as any duo I’ve ever seen.
*Opening act: Fu-Schnickens
*Rahzel does a crazy beat box version of the song’s bass line
*The actual cut “chief rocka” comes from a previous song, “Here Comes the Lords.” Marley flips it with Mr Funke: Aiyyo, Marley! Aiyyo whassup knocka? Do you hear these suckas tryin to clock the Lord Chief Rocka?
*”What goes up, must come down”- the first line from Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ 1969 release “Spinning Wheel”