One of the first rap groups to use a live band, Brooklyn's
Stetsasonic formed in 1981 and were also among the first to promote a positive Black consciousness that found its ultimate expression in the so-called "Daisy Age" sounds of
De La Soul and
the Jungle Brothers. The group consisted of DJs
"Prince Paul" Huston and
Leonard "Wise" Roman, keyboardist/drummer/DJ
Marvin "DBC" Nemley, and rappers
Glenn "Daddy O" Bolton,
Martin "Delite" Wright, and
Bobby "Frukwan" Simmons.
Daddy O and
Delite founded the group as
the Stetson Brothers, after the hat company, and began performing in New York hip-hop clubs, picking up other members along the way. Their debut,
On Fire, was released in 1986, but it was the follow-up,
In Full Gear, that brought them critical acclaim and an R&B hit, "Sally." 1991's
Blood, Sweat & No Tears was considered by many to be their best and most diverse album, but
Daddy O decided that they had run out of ideas and broke up the band. He went on to work with
Mary J. Blige,
Queen Latifah,
Big Daddy Kane, and
the Red Hot Chili Peppers as a producer and remixer. In 1993, he released a solo album
You Can Be a Daddy, But Never Daddy-O. Meanwhile,
Prince Paul had already established himself as a producer for his work with
De La Soul and
Fine Young Cannibals, and later worked with
Frukwan in
the Gravediggaz, co-founded the
Handsome Boy Modeling School and released a string of solo albums. ~ Steve Huey