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Today In Hip Hop History: Kwame Dropped His Sophomore LP ‘A Day in the Life: A Pokadelick Adventure’ 34 Years Ago

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Screenshot 2024 05 01 at 8.08.12 AM

On this date in 1990, Queens native Kwame Holland released the second album of his career entitled A Day in the Life: A Pokadelick Adventure on Atlantic Records. As a follow up to his debut album Kwamé the Boy Genius: Featuring a New Beginning, A Day In The Life was a 12-track concept album that described a day in the life of Kwame and his newfound fame.

Quarterbacked by famed producer Herby Luv Bug and production by Brothers Grimm and Kwame himself, sessions took place at Science Lab Studios and Bayside Sound Studios in New York City from March 1989 to February 1990. This album gave birth to two of the biggest singles in Kwame’s career; “Oneovdabigboiz” and “Ownlee Eue”.

Borrowing samples from Syl Johnson’s “Different Strokes” and Bobby Byrd’s “You Know I Got Soul”, Ownlee Eue is arguably one of, if not, Kwame, biggest hit that is associated with his trademark polkadot fashion. Only a few years later, the late Notorious B.I.G. stuck a pin in Kwame’s balloon as he rapped on “Unbelieveable”, “..your life is played out like Kwame and those f****n’ polkadots/ who rocks the spot? Biggie!..”, which signaled the end of Kwame’s popularity and fashion sense.

Salute to Kwame, Herby and the Brothers Grimm for such an important piece of Hip Hop history!

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Kwame Dropped His Sophomore LP ‘A Day in the Life: A Pokadelick Adventure’ 34 Years Ago first appeared on The Source.

The post Today In Hip Hop History: Kwame Dropped His Sophomore LP ‘A Day in the Life: A Pokadelick Adventure’ 34 Years Ago appeared first on The Source.

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Kwamé Takes Us Back to The Old School with ‘One Song Classic Hip-Hop Breakfast Jam’

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Biggie was wrong.

There is nothing played out about Kwamé Holland. Proof of that fact could be seen in the six-hour Old School Jam.

80s and 90s Hip-Hop fans were treated on Saturday, March 28 from 11 AM to 5 PM, to live performances on Instagram from some of the top artists from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop who joined super-producer and 80s rapper Kwamé as he celebrated his birthday. “The Man We All Know and Love” decided to share his birthday with fans to lift who due to the mandated social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to technology, fans from all over were able to tune into the live IG Day Party for what the rapper called his “One Song Classic Hip-Hop Breakfast Jam.” With over 10K followers joining within the first five minutes! Between the herald rap anthems, the rapper infused the theme songs from classic Saturday morning cartoons from the 80s and the 90s, offering these digital party-goers flashbacks of times when all you did on Saturday mornings was listen to Hip-Hop, eat your favorite bowl of cereal, watch the Transformers or the Smurfs and wait for the Kung Fu shows to come on.

Viewers basically relive their favorite memories: starting from their childhood all the way up to the time where they were old enough to get into Latin Quarters or The Tunnel.

The “Breakfast Jam” featured Chubb Rock, Dana Dane, Dres of Black Sheep, DJ Kool, Hakeem Green from Channel Live, Kangol Kid from UTFO, J.J. Fad, Kid from Kid ‘n Play, King Tee, Sweet Tee, DoItAll from the Lords of the Underground, Mad Skillz, Master Ace, Money B from Digital Underground, Monie Love, Prince Markie Dee from Fat Boys, Nonchalant, Roxanne Shanté, Tat Money, Bobby from Far Rockaway, and Special Ed.

Amongst the audience were some of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop’s who’s who (artists, industry professionals, and influencers: Big Daddy Kane, Black Thought, Brely Evans, Chill Will, Chuck Creekmur, D-Nice, Dorian Missick, Eddie F, Erick Sermon from EPMD, Funk Flex, Greg Nice from Nice & Smooth, Kay Gee from Naughty by Nature, Kid Capri, Mannie Fresh, Melba Moore, Charlie Mack, Ralph McDaniels, Shanti Das, Spice Adams, Damon Lott, Danielle Lott, Michael McArthur, DJ Aktive, Tracey Lee, Vivian Green & Whodini.

What started as a fleeting idea that Kwamé and his mentee Bobby from Far Rockaway developed in passing, manifested into a beautiful day of fellowship. So much excitement was generated Digital Day Party, that many rappers who were scheduled to come through to perform could not. The lines were backed-up with fans that who wanted to slide in to wish Kwame a personal birthday party wish.

Like other InstaLive parties, fans immediately wanted to CashApp the Queens emcee something for his troubles, but he wanted his birthday to be a give back to the community. The only CashApp opportunity that he allowed was for Prince Markie Dee’s service project $SpreadLove305 that helps to buy groceries for families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The six-hour concert hearing classics like “Ain’t Gone Hurt Nobody,” “Have a Nice Day,” “I Got it Made,” “Let Me Clear My Throat,” “Supersonic,” “Treat Me Right,” and “5 O’Clock.”  

Artists made sure to remind viewers of the importance of adhering to the social distancing mandate. DoItAll from The Lords of the Underground spoke to how COVID-19 has affected those close to him, “People are not taking this pandemic serious, I can’t even tell you the amount of people I know, who have been directly affected, please be safe and follow the precautionary measures!”

The party also showed what an O.G. Kwamé really is, as he was able to reminisce about with Money B about being on tour and that time that he had to bail Tupac Shakur out of jail because he had…

Artists thanked Kwamé for putting it together and suggested to make it an ongoing thing. And while the artists loved it, the fans loved it even more… hoping to join him for another jam session.

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Kwamé Says That Hurby “Luv Bug” Slept On Rakim and Big Daddy Kane

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Rapper, producer, label owner, concert promoter and Founder of The Alumni, Kwamé Holland is one of the hardest working rappers from the Golden Era. He is recently took a break from touring and producing hit records for R&B artists and made waves with a revelation about his former boss, Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor’s nose for sniffing out legends.

On The Soren Baker Show while talking about his career, he dropped a little gem the is sure to knock anyone who loved 80s Hip-Hop to the ground.

The first gem was about how his debut album, The Boy Genius, got made.

Though he grew up with Hurby Luv Bug, he was taking too long to produce a demo for the then teenaged Kwamé. Upon referral from a mutual friend, he went to a spot called The Music Building and cut his first joint. He produced a song entitled, “She’s Not Just Another Woman.” No one liked this song. He went back to the drawing board. The day was Christmas morning… and that’s how hit songs like “The Rhythm” and “The Mic is Mine” on that magical night. Six of the eight songs on that debut album was made in that 8 hour session. Kwamé shares the songs with Hurby and Sylvia Robinson (of Sugar Hill Records Fame). Hurby is not responding face enough, and so Robinson offers him a recording contract based off the demo. At the same time, his dad slipped the demo to Sony and they had an interest. This is exciting and upon returning back to Hurby, he finds out that the reason Hurby did not respond as quickly is because he was shopping it to a gang of labels and they were interested. Warner Bros., Atlantic and Epic records were presented by his neighborhood friend. He had a bidding war for the young gent. He wound up signing with another Sylvia… The Sylvia in the business… Sylvia Rhone.

The second gem is why he did not use vulgar language. Mostly for Kwamé, he never wanted to disrespect his Islamic faith or say/do something that would embarrass people that he cared about. He talks about his struggle to be authentic to who he saw himself, and what the crew wanted him to be. Just think about the polka-dots. He was 16, and had a few choice pieces to rock. He inter-swapped three pieces that he had, but some how created a movement. He could not spend money that he did not have.

The biggest gem that he dropped was about two of the dopest rappers of all time. Hurby apparently beat into his head that lyrical rappers would never work in Hip-Hop. The producer had his eyes on the bigger pie in the music industry, and was very much into making a cross-over rap record.

“He would say ‘Kane will never go anywhere. Rakim will never go anywhere. The people I was loving and the people I wanted to be on par with, he was just like it is not going to work. There are a million lyrical tough guys out here. You got to be ‘this,’ the light hearted high school kid that likes to have fun and chase girl.’”

But Kwamé again struggled to challenge his mentor. He understood in his heart that the artists who lasted forever focused more on artistry than gimmicks.

“On one end of the spectrum, you have Hurby saying ‘We got to go pop, we got to go pop’” Kwamé reflects. Then he continues “And then on the other end of the spectrum, I don’t want to be forgotten.”

Kwamé also gave props to people like Slick Rick, LL Cool J, KRS1 and Big Daddy Kane for not only being some of the top rappers of his time, but also for their production skills.

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