Busy Bee Starski
| Busy Bee Starski | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | David Parker |
| Also known as | Chief Rocker Busy Bee |
| Born |
October 26, 1962 Bronx, New York, United States |
| Genres | Old school hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, MC |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels |
Strong City/Uni/MCA Records Pandisc Records |
| Associated acts | Melle Mel, Afrika Bambaataa, Kool DJ AJ |
David Parker (born October 26, 1962), known by the stage name Busy Bee,[1] is an old school hip hop musician, and MC. First coming on the New York City music scene in 1977, Busy Bee worked with many of hip-hop's founding fathers, including Melle Mel, Afrika Bambaataa, and Kool DJ AJ.
Career
Known for his comedic rhymes, Busy Bee originally gained a large following through MC rap battles in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. He was famously roasted by Kool Moe Dee at Harlem World in Manhattan, NY, December 1981, in one of the earliest documented rap battles.[2] In 1985, he won the New Music Seminar's MC World Supremacy Belt. In the early 1980s Afrika Bambaataa asked Busy to join his Zulu Nation where the young MC would DJ for Bambaataa's Zulu Nation parties.[3] Busy Bee continues to rhyme today, most recently appearing on KRS-One and Marley Marl's collaborative 2007 album, Hip-Hop Lives.
Busy Bee was featured in the 1983 film Wild Style, billed as the first hip-hop motion picture, directed by Charlie Ahern. More recently, he played himself in the 2002 inner-city drama Paid in Full. In 2007, he was included in the video documentary Hip Hop Legends.[4]
Personal life
He currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, with Michelle, his wife of over 20 years. He has two daughters.
Discography[5]
Albums
- Running Thangs (Strong City/Uni/MCA Records UNID-2, 1988)
- Thank God for Busy Bee (Pandisc Records, 1992)
- Look In da Sky Who Do Ya See (Jazz Child Records, 1998)
Singles
- "The Marvelous Three and the Younger Generation" (Busy Bee, DJ Small, AJ, Cowboy, Kid Creole, Melle Mel, Mr. Ness, Rahiem) - Rappin' All Over (Brass Records - 1980)
- "School Days" (Master Five - 1981)
- "Making Cash Money" (Sugar Hill - 1982)
- "Busy Bee's Groove" (Sugar Hill - 1985)
- "Suicide" (Strong City/Uni/MCA - 1987)
- "Express" (Strong City/Uni/MCA - 1988)
- "Keep It Movin'" (Blazin' - 2002)
- "Rock the House" (Blazin' - 2002)
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "MC Battle" "Street Rap" "Chief Rocker Busy Bee & DJ AJ At The Amphitheatre" |
V/A | Wild Style OST |
| 1985 | "Vice" | V/A | Miami Vice Soundtrack |
| 1989 | "Ndodemnyama (Free South Africa)" | V/A | Hip Hop Artist Against Apartheid |
| 1991 | "First Black History Jam Live At The Bronx River Centre" | V/A | Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation In Conjunction With Music Of Life Presents Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 2 |
| 1992 | "First Black History Jam Live At The Bronx River Centre (Part 2)" | V/A | Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 2 |
| "Hip Hop Throwdown" | V/A | Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation In Conjunction With Music Of Life Presents Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 3 | |
| 1994 | "Real" | V/A | Raiders of the Lost Art... |
| 1998 | "Freestyle" | Funkmaster Flex | The Mix Tape Volume III: 60 Minutes Of Funk |
| 2000 | "Words From The Chief Rocker" | De La Soul | Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump |
| 2002 | "Make It Hot" | V/A | Legends Of Hip Hop |
| 2007 | "House of Hits" | KRS-One & Marley Marl | Hip Hop Lives |
| 2008 | "Busy Bee Shout Out" | KRS-One | Maximum Strength |
| 2009 | "Intro" "Dance Sucka (Interlude)" "Hip Hop Is Something We Live (Interlude)" "Kickin' Flava (Interlude)" "We'll Be Here Forever (Interlude)" |
V/A | Wilshire District Music Presents: Miracle Mile Volume One |
| 2010 | "Married Girl 3462" | Greenie | It's All Good[6] |
References
- ↑ Spin Magazine, October 1985, Vol. 1, No. 6, p.39
- ↑ "Blow Average". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ↑ "Busy Bee Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
- ↑ "Hip Hop Legends". IMDB. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- ↑ Von Wallenrod, Werner. "Chief Rocker Busy Bee Starski". Retrieved 26 October 2012.
- ↑ http://www.rapweekly.com/?p=7616