T La Rock

Infobox musical artist
Name = T La Rock


Img_capt =
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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Clarence Ronnie Keaton
Alias = The Lyrical King
Born = 1961
Died =
Origin = Bronx, New York, U.S.
Instrument = Microphone
Genre = Old school hip hop
Occupation =
Years_active = 1984–1989; 2008–present
Label = Def Jam/Partytime/Streetwise Records
Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records
Virgin/EMI Records (Europe)
Associated_acts = Kurtis Mantronik
Nice & Smooth
Just-Ice
L.L. Cool J
Quincy "QD3" Jones
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments =

Clarence "Terry" Ronnie Keaton (born 1961), known by the stage name, T La Rock, is an American old school emcee best known for his collaboration with Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin and the 1984 single, "It's Yours."

Biography

Early years

T La Rock was born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City.cite web | url = http://www.jayquan.com/tla.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = JayQuan | title = T La Rock Interview | publisher = Magnetic Soundworx/JayQuan.com | date = 2001-09-23] A former break dancer, he is the older brother of fellow old school emcee Special K of The Treacherous Three.cite web | url = http://www.jayquan.com/tla.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = JayQuan | title = T La Rock Interview | publisher = Magnetic Soundworx/JayQuan.com | date = 2001-09-23] T La Rock stands 6'3" tall.cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E3DE103EF930A25753C1A960958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=2 | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = Radomsky, Rosalie R. | title = T La Rock and His New Posse | publisher = The New York Times | date = 1996-10-13] T La Rock has been a part of hip hop since its birth, having been a DJ/emcee since the early 1970s.

Hip-hop career

In 1984, T La Rock and his brother Special K wrote "It's Yours," which was the first song ever produced by Rick Rubin and his fledgling Def Jam production company. The song was the first single to feature a Def Jam Recordings logo, but it was released through producer Arthur Baker's independent label Party Time, which was the hip hop division of his dance music label Streetwise Records.cite book | last =Guerasava | first = Stacy | title = Def Jam, Inc. : Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, and the Extraordinary Story of the World's Most Influential Hip-Hop Label | publisher = One World| year = 2005 | pages = pp. 28–29 | isbn = 0-345-46804-X] The recording was never part of Def Jam’s collection of master recordings.cite web | url = http://www.jayquan.com/tla.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = JayQuan | title = T La Rock Interview | publisher = Magnetic Soundworx/JayQuan.com | date = 2001-09-23]

In a 1996 interview with "The New York Times", Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons commented about the effect T La Rock and "It's Yours" had on the early hip hop scene:cquote|It ["It's Yours"] was big, big in the underground. T [La Rock] started the trend and a new direction in hip-hop. He used 40-letter words. He created a special poetry. LL Cool J was the second release on the label. He borrowed ideas and attitude from T. LL would agree.cite web | last = Radomsky | first = Rosalie R. | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E3DE103EF930A25753C1A960958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=1 | title = T La Rock and His New Posse | format = | work = "The New York Times"October 13, 1996 | publisher = The New York Times | accessdate = January 20 | accessyear = 2007]

The influence of T La Rock's "It's Yours" has been seen in sampling by hip-hop group Public Enemy in "Louder than a Bomb" from its 1988 release "It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back"; emcee Nas in "The World is Yours" from his seminal 1994 album "Illmatic"; by many sample-based house-music tracks by Todd Terry, and by emcee and DJ Edan in "Fumbling over Words that Rhyme" from his 2005 album "Beauty and the Beat." The song was later in the soundtrack of the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV", in the old school hip hop radio station the Classics 104.1.

On the strength of "It's Yours," T La Rock was signed by Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records and released two albums: "Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx" in 1987, and "On a Warpath" in 1989. "Lyrical King" was produced by T La Rock and DJ Louie Lou, while Todd Terry produced "On a Warpath".cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:l1azqj5uojja~T1 | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = Kellman, Andy | title = All Music Guide Biography - T La Rock | publisher = AllMusic.com | date = ]

1994 injury and recovery

In 1994, T La Rock suffered a traumatic brain injury that almost killed him while breaking up a fight in front of his brother's Bronx apartment building.cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E3DE103EF930A25753C1A960958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=2 | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = Radomsky, Rosalie R. | title = T La Rock and His New Posse | publisher = The New York Times | date = 1996-10-13] He spent part of his recovery at the Haym Salomon Home for Nursing and Rehabilitation in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where he recovered from memory loss and a loss of motor skills.cite web | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9402E3DE103EF930A25753C1A960958260&sec=health&spon=&pagewanted=2 | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = Radomsky, Rosalie R. | title = T La Rock and His New Posse | publisher = The New York Times | date = 1996-10-13]

Now fully recovered, T La Rock began work on a film project about his life written by Antwone Fisher in 2001.cite web | url = http://www.jayquan.com/tla.htm | accessdate = 2007-01-20 | author = JayQuan | title = T La Rock Interview | publisher = Magnetic Soundworx/JayQuan.com | date = 2001-09-23] He also began to record new music. He is back on stage performing all of his hits, both in the United States and internationally. Soon to rock Brazil in August 2008.

Discography

Albums

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/tlarock1 The official MySpace page of T La Rock]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:l1azqj5uojja~T1 AllMusic.com Biography - T La Rock]
* [http://www.artistopia.com/t-la-rock Artistopia Page - T La Rock]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/T+La+Rock Discogs.com Profile - T La Rock]
* [http://www.unkut.com/2008/06/t-la-rock-interview-pt-1-the-story-of-its-yours/ The Unkut Interview Pt. 1 - The Story of 'It's Yours']
* [http://www.unkut.com/2008/06/t-la-rock-interview-pt-2-the-lost-tapes/ The Unkut Interview Pt. 2 - The Lost Tapes]