Donald D
Donald-D | |
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Birth name | Donald Lamont |
Also known as |
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Origin | The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations | |
Years active | 1978–present |
Labels |
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Donald Lamont, professionally known by his stage name Donald-D, is an American rapper and record producer from the Bronx, New York. He is a member of the Universal Zulu Nation, a member of the B-Boys, and is best known as a member of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate.[1][2]
Career
[edit]Late 1970s–1987: Universal Zulu Nation and the B-Boys
[edit]Donald D began his career in 1978 in the Bronx, New York, when he became a member of the Universal Zulu Nation joining forces with Afrika Islam, DJ Jazzy Jay, Kid Vicious and others as the group the Funk Machine. He was featured on Afrika Islam's radio show the Zulu Beats on WHBI in 1982.[3] Lamont and DJ Chuck Chillout formed a group named the B-Boys. From 1983 to 1985, the group has released several 12" singles via Vincent Davis' Vintertainment and Morgan Khan's Streetwave labels,[4] including a 12-inch extended play Cuttin' Herbie, which peaked at #90 on the UK Albums Chart.[5] When the group disbanded, Donald D released a single "Dope Jam / Outlaw" with DJ Chilly-D via Rockin' Hard Records in 1987.
1988–1992: Rhyme Syndicate
[edit]In 1985, Lamont met West Coast rapper Tracy 'Ice-T' Marrow and later went to Los Angeles, California to join the Rhyme Syndicate.[2] His first appearances were in 1988 on the track "The Syndicate" with Hen Gee from Ice-T's album Power, and on the track "Name of the Game" from Rhyme Syndicate compilation album Comin' Through. Donald-D was featured on the posse-cut single "What Ya Wanna Do" and released his debut studio album titled Notorious in 1989. Reaching a peak position of number 78 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, the album remained on the US chart for a total of 18 weeks,[6] spawning a single "F.B.I. (Free Base Institute)", which also peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs.[7] A year after, he made his guest appearance on his bandmate Everlast's debut album Forever Everlasting on the track "The Rhythm" with N'Dea Davenport and Ice-T. Lamont also appeared on two tracks from O.G. Original Gangster and provided audio production on Home Invasion. In 1992, Donald D released his sophomore studio effort titled Let the Horns Blow on Sire/Warner Bros. Records. The song "I'm Gonna Smoke Him" off the album was featured in Trespass (soundtrack).
1993–present
[edit]In 1995, Donald D, Kurtis Blow and Prince Whipper Whip were featured on the track "Old School Jam" from DJ Honda's self-titled album.
In 2003, he released a single "Hip Hop / The Return of the Culture", that was later included in his debut solo extended play B.R.O.N.X. (Beats Rhymes of New Xperience), released in 2006 under Dondee alias. In the same year (2003), he's featured duetting with Marco Masini in the song Generation, in which he sings in English the final rap part (personally significant is the line «as a boy growing up / in the South South Bronx»).
He has started a new group with another Universal Zulu Nation Rhyme Syndicate member, DJ MC Dynamax, called the Bronx Syndicate.
Discography
[edit]Solo albums
[edit]Year | Title | Labels | Chart position |
---|---|---|---|
1989 | Notorious | Rhyme $yndicate/Epic/CBS Records | Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: #78[6] |
1991 | Let the Horns Blow | Sire/Warner Bros. Records | — |
Extended plays
[edit]- 2006 — B.R.O.N.X. (Beats Rhymes of New Xperience)
Singles
[edit]Year | Title | Album | Labels | Chart position |
---|---|---|---|---|
1987 | "Outlaw"
B-side: "Dope Jam" |
— | Rockin' Hard Records | — |
1988 | "Name of the Game" | Rhyme Syndicate Comin' Through | Rhyme $yndicate Records | |
1989 | "F.B.I"
B-side: "Syndicate Posse" |
Notorious | Hot Rap Songs: #8[7] | |
"Notorious"
B-side: "Hell Raiser" |
Rhyme $yndicate/Epic/CBS | — | ||
1991 | "Let the Horns Blow"
B-side: "To the Beat Y'all" / "The Way It Used to Be" |
Let the Horns Blow | Warner Bros. Records | |
1992 | "I'm Gonna Smoke Him" | Let the Horns Blow and Trespass (soundtrack) | Sire Records | |
2003 | "The Return of the Culture"
B-side: "Hip Hop" |
B.R.O.N.X. (Beats Rhymes of New Xperience) | Hot Shit Records |
Guest appearances
[edit]Year | Track | Artist(s) | Album |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | "Anything Can Happen (Acid Condominium Mix)" | Was (Not Was) | What Up, Dog? |
"The Syndicate" | Ice-T, Hen-Gee | Power | |
"Name of the Game" | Bronx Style Bob | Rhyme Syndicate Comin' Through | |
1989 | "What Ya Wanna Do" | Ice-T, Bronx Style Bob, Divine Styler, Everlast, Evil E, Hen-Gee, M.C. Taste, Nat The Cat, Randy Mac, Shakell Shabazz, Toddy Tee | The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say |
1990 | "The Rhythm" | Everlast, Ice-T, N'Dea Davenport | Forever Everlasting |
1991 | "Mic Contract" | Ice-T | O.G. Original Gangster |
"Fly By" | Ice-T, Nat The Cat | ||
1995 | "Old School Jam" | DJ Honda, Kurtis Blow, Prince Whipper Whip | DJ Honda |
1996 | "Back Up Off Me" | No Doze Funkmob | Hooded Figures |
"180' in the Shade" | |||
2000 | "Hater" | DJ Yutaka, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel, Prince Whipper Whip | United Nations |
2001 | "Secret Wars" | Phoenix Orion, Team Eloheem, Big Foot, DK Toon, Dandelion, Darkzeid, Neb Luv, Peace, Quantum Gamma Zenith | Secret Wars |
2003 | Generation | Marco Masini | .. il mio cammino |
2004 | "Bring It 2 Me" | Large | Larger Than Life |
2014 | "Kings (Remixx)" | The Impossebulls, Chuck D | Everything Has Changed; Nothing Is Different (The Deluxe CeeDee) |
2017 | "Painstaking Arranger" | Carpetface | Cognitive Dis |
References
[edit]- ^ SPIN. SPIN Media LLC. August 1988.
- ^ a b "Donald D. | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
- ^ Coleman, Brian (2009-03-12). Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies. Random House Publishing Group. ISBN 9780307494429.
- ^ "The B-Boys". Discogs. Retrieved 2017-12-19.
- ^ "cuttin'-herbie | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Retrieved 2017-12-19.
- ^ a b "Donald-D Notorious Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "Donald-D F.B.I. Chart History". Hot Rap Songs. Retrieved December 18, 2017.