Search - Various Artists :: Cold Chillin's The Juice Crew Story Greatest Hits

As one of rap's pioneering families, the Juice Crew and their Cold Chillin' imprint churned out an improbable run of classic hits which virtually defined late-1980s hip-hop. Boasting a line-up of Craig G, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, Kool G Rap, MC Shan, and a young Masta Ace, the loose collective benefited from their contrasting personalities, varying moods, diverse styles, and prodigious output. And oh could they rhyme. Kane ("Ain't No Half Steppin'") and Kool G Rap ("It's a Demo") represented the Crew's grittier persona. With their twin assaults of rapid-fire flows and streetwise boasts, the pair was a heavy counterweight to the booger-picking clowning of Biz Markie, the deft freestyles of Craig G, or the young brashness of Roxanne Shante. With legendary in-house producer (and familial mastermind) Marley Marl behind the mixing board for classics such as "The Symphony," "Ain't No Half Steppin'," and "Droppin' Science," the Juice Crew was truly hip-hop's first "first family." --Hua Hsu