Leaders of the New School

Leaders of the New School
Origin	Long Island, New York, US
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	1989–1993
Labels	Elektra Records
Associated acts	Rumpletilskinz A Tribe Called Quest De La Soul
Past members
Busta Rhymes (Trevor Smith, Jr.) Charlie Brown (Bryan Higgins) Dinco D (James Jackson) Cut Monitor Milo (Sheldon Scott)

Leaders of the New School was a Long Island, New York-based hip hop crew.

History

The crew was composed of Uniondale, New York, natives Charlie Brown (Bryan Higgins) and Dinco D (James Jackson); North Amityville, New York native Cut Monitor Milo (Sheldon Scott); and Busta Rhymes (Trevor Smith, Jr.), who was originally from Brooklyn, New York but later moved to Uniondale. The crew's big break was when they became an opening act for hip hop group Public Enemy. Public Enemy's Chuck D gave Busta Rhymes and Charlie Brown their stage names.^[1]

The group made its first appearance on an Elektra Records compilation titled Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary, with a song called "Mt. Airy Groove". It was the only hip hop group on that album. LONS soon joined up with popular hip hop collective the Native Tongues, along with the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep.^[1]

In 1991 Busta Rhymes, Dinco D, and Charlie Brown made a guest appearance on A Tribe Called Quest's hit single "Scenario", and LONS joined ATCQ on The Arsenio Hall Show to perform the track with that group. Their debut album A Future Without a Past was also released in 1991. It included the hits "Case of the P.T.A.", "Sobb Story", and "The International Zone Coaster". The group was praised for its light-hearted content and old-school call-and-response deliveries.

The group's second and final album was T.I.M.E. ("The Inner Mind's Eye"), released in 1993. The album was less acclaimed than the group's debut,^{[citation needed]} but it spawned the hip hop hits "What's Next" and "Classic Material".^[1]

As time passed, fans and critics began to focus less on LONS as a group, and more on Busta Rhymes as an individual. During an infamous appearance on the TV show Yo! MTV Raps, the group was seen arguing, with member Charlie Brown becoming upset over Busta's show-stealing. The group soon split up, with Charlie Brown, Dinco D, and Milo garnering very limited success individually, while Busta Rhymes' popularity continued to increase.

The group made an appearance on Busta's 1996 debut album The Coming, on the track "Keep It Movin'" and was the last time they would collaborate as a group.

Discography

Album information
A Future Without a Past Released: July 2, 1991 Billboard 200 chart position: #128 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #53 Singles: "Case of the P.T.A.", "Sobb Story" & "The International Zone Coaster"
T.I.M.E. Released: October 12, 1993 Billboard 200 chart position: #66 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #15 Singles: "What's Next" & "Classic Material"

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Allmusic Biography

External links

• Leaders of the New School on Myspace
• Leaders Of The New School at Discogs
• Charlie Brown interview
• Dinco D interview