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Grandmaster Caz

American rapper

Curtis Brown (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage name Grandmaster Caz or Casanova Fly, is a Black American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He worked with Debra Harris as a celebrity tour guide for Hush Hip Hop Tours, a hip-hop cultural sightseeing tour company in New York City, and is a board member of The Kennedy Center's Hip-Hop Council, Hip-Hop Amb*ador and board member for Windows of HipHop and CEO of GMC Entertainment Inc.

Musical artist

Caz first encountered rap in 1974 at a Kool Herc block party. Shortly after, he teamed with DJ Disco Wiz under the name Casanova Fly to form one of the first DJ crews, Mighty Force. Caz was also the first rapper to perform both DJ (record) and MC (vocal) duties.

In the late 1970s, he joined The Cold Crush Brothers. Caz admits that he himself stole new equipment during the New York City blackout of 1977.

He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.

Caz was interviewed for the do*entary Just to Get a Rep released in 2004.

In 2008, he was one of the participants at the Cornell University Library conference on Hip Hop.

Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include Will Smith, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Jay-Z and many more.

In 2015, Caz featured on a single by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis named "Downtown".

As of November 2021, Grandmaster Caz started working with and for LL Cool J at Rock The Bells Radio. Partnering with MC Sha Rock HipHop's First Ladie, name of the show, Monday through Friday, 11am-1pm. is "That's The Joint.

April 18, 2022, on Grandmaster Caz Birthday, newly appointed Bronx Borough President, Vanessa Gibson Proclaimed, April 18th, "Grandmaster Caz Day"At present Grandmaster Caz is working with and for A&E, MTV, Paramount, De La Calle, history Channel, on Do*entary, Podcast and more, His Story Continues.

Contents

  • 1 Sugarhill Gang controversy
  • 2 Legacy
  • 3 Discography
    • 3.1 Albums
    • 3.2 Singles & EPs
    • 3.3 Compilations
  • 4 References
  • 5 External links

Sugarhill Gang controversy

A 2009 book claims that the lyrics for The Sugarhill Gang's seminal "Rapper's Delight" were plagiarized from the then-unpublished Caz's lyrics. In 2000, he set his account of the controversy in the song "MC Delight". He claims in the song that he wrote the lyrics of Big Bank Hank (Henry Jackson), who had been the manager of his band, but never received any royalties or thanks for it. Jackson himself substantiated these claims as he neglected to change his verse on "Rapper's Delight" to reflect his own stage name, instead of beginning his verse with the now famous, "Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A-, N-O-V-A, and the rest is F-L-Y". Casanova Fly is Grandmaster Caz's alternate moniker.

This controversy is referenced in episode 3 of part 2 of The Get Down. While listening to Rapper's Delight on the radio, The Get Down Brothers' member, Boo, tells his date that Grandmaster Caz is rapping the line and says that Caz is the "nicest MC around".

Legacy

In 1998, Caz was listed #11 out of Blaze Magazine's Top 50 MCs of all Time. He was also inducted into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame in 1999.

In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. A street plaque bearing his name is now on permanent display on the Grand Concourse, the most famous thoroughfare in the Bronx.

Grandmaster Caz was portrayed by Jaleel White in the Drunk History episode "American Music".

Discography

Albums

  • The Grandest Of Them All (LP) Tuff City 1992
  • You Need S*ches: The Tuff City Sessions 1982-1988 (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2004
  • Rare & Unreleased Old School Hip Hop '86-'87 (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2006
  • Mid Life Crisis (CD, Album) Jazz Child Records 2008

Singles & EPs

  • Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1 Chrysalis 1983
  • Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap No.1 (12", Promo) Toshiba EMI Ltd 1983
  • Yvette / Mister Bill (12") Tuff City 1985
  • Count Basey (12") Tuff City 1986
  • Get Down Grandmaster / I'm Caz (12") Tuff City 1987
  • You Need S*ches (12") Tuff City 1989
  • Star Search (12") Tuff City 1992
  • Grandmaster Caz with Whipper Whip* - To All The Party People (12") Tuff City 1994
  • 45 King Old School Remixes Vol. 4 (12", EP) Ol' Skool Flava 1996
  • Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1 / Wild Style Subway Rap Beyongolia 1998
  • DJ Parker Lee Presents: Grandmaster Caz (12") Jazz Child Records 1999
  • MC Delight (Casanova's Revenge) (12") Jazz Child Records 2000
  • Grandmaster Caz & DJ Signify - Un*led (7") Grandgood Records 2003
  • Grandmaster Caz & DJ Haitian Star - Move The Crowd / Scene Of The Rhyme (12", Ltd) 360° Records (2) 2005
  • Capitol 1212 and Grandmaster Caz - Encore, Sure you Want More 12" Kool Kat records 2008

Compilations

  • Wild Style Original Soundtrack 1982
  • Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
  • RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz - Underground Heat Vol 1

References

    External links

    • Discography at Discogs
    • Grandmaster Caz at IMDb
    • DJ Grandmaster Caz Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2012)
    DerivativesRegional scenesOther topics
    • Auto-Tune
    • Contemporary R&B
    • Disc jockey
      • DJ mixer
      • Record player
      • Turntablism
    • Drum machine
    • Sampler
    • Synthesizer
    • Music sequencer
    • Video vixen
    • Category