Stetsasonic

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

American hip hop group

title: "Stetsasonic" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["east-coast-hip-hop-groups", "tommy-boy-records-artists", "musical-groups-from-brooklyn", "american-hip-hop-groups", "african-american-musical-groups", "five-percenters", "musical-groups-established-in-1979", "musical-groups-disestablished-in-1991", "musical-groups-reestablished-in-2008", "alternative-hip-hop-groups"] description: "American hip hop group" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stetsasonic" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American hip hop group ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist "]

Field	Value
name	Stetsasonic
background	group_or_band
origin	Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
genre	Hip hop
years_active
label
current_members	Prince Paul (Paul Edward Huston)MC Delite (Marvin Shahid Wright)Wise The Human Mix Machine (Leonardo Roman)Daddy-O (Glenn K. Bolton)Bobby Simmons
past_members	Frukwan (Arnold Hamilton) DBC (Martin J Namley)Crown Supreme
::

Stetsasonic is an American hip hop band. Formed in 1981 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, Stetsasonic was one of the first hip hop acts to perform with a full band and use live instrumentation in their recordings, paving the way for future hip hop bands such as The Roots. The band combined beat-boxing, sampling technology, and live band performance, incorporating R&B, jazz, dancehall reggae, and rock into its sound. Stetsasonic is also considered one of the acts that pioneered jazz rap.

Though rumored to have disbanded in 1991, soon after the release of its third album, Blood, Sweat & No Tears, Stetsasonic continues to record and perform together, as evidenced by their subsequent release, "People In The Neighborhood", and their performance at the Urban Matterz Hip Hop Festival in 2019. Individual members branched out to explore solo careers, while still maintaining Stetsasonic. Frukwan and Prince Paul were founding members of the Gravediggaz, while the latter also became a record producer, as did Daddy-O.

History

Originally, the band was known as The Stetsasonic 3 MC's. The original group consisted of Daddy-O, Delite, and Crown Supreme. Daddy-O and Delite changed the group's name and style to Stetsasonic the Hip-Hop Band. Additional members were: Wise The Human Mix Machine; Prince Paul; the Devastating Beat Creator (DBC); drummer Bobby Simmons; and Frukwan, who replaced Crown Supreme. Stetsasonic clinched a deal with Tommy Boy Records when DBC created and played the funky bassline for its debut single "If You Can't Say It All Just Say STET", live for Tom Silverman, owner of Tommy Boy. After a few months of the single being in regular rotation on radio stations, the band released its first album On Fire (1986). The album received mixed reviews, though the follow-ups, In Full Gear and Blood, Sweat & No Tears, were critically acclaimed.

A 1988 The New York Times article said that the band mirrored the rise of artistic, profound rap music: "While pop's political commentary often seems secondary to catchy melodies and commercial acceptability, rap's tough sound sharpens its commentary". As a "hip hop band", dependent on instruments as well as turntables, the band was also known for live shows, though sometimes the "rap-show format prevented Stetsasonic from employing the band instrumentation and studio layering that make their records so distinctive."

Frukwan and Prince Paul were founding members of the Gravediggaz, while the latter also became a record producer. Daddy-O went on to a solo career, while also working as a record producer, working with Freestyle Fellowship, Mary J. Blige, Positive K and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. Prince Paul went on to produce the trio De La Soul. Drummer Bobby Simmons pursued work in public access, forming the show Flava Videos in the mid-1990s on Channel 26 (New York). In 2017, Simmons was a contestant on the FOX game show Beat Shazam where he was partnered with singer Shannon. MC Delite is currently the President and CEO of Flight Entertainment and a public speaker. DBC proceeded to produce tracks for Third World and the Cookie Crew, among others. In 1995, he became the owner and operator of Raw Beat Productions, a music & video recording studio, located in Philadelphia. In 2016, he invented the MN-1 Advanced Portable Power System, which is a sustainable energy source with a swappable battery compartment and solar-based charging system.

Wise also participated in a few commercials in which he lends his beatbox sounds. One was for Campbell's Soup in which a cartoon of a B-boy bear beatboxes. The commercial was broadcast amid Saturday morning cartoons. Wise was also featured in a documentary on the art of the human beatbox, Breath Control: the History of the Human Beat Box, which was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival and also featured fellow human percussionists such as Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Ready Rock C, and Emanon.

Stetsasonic released the single "(Now Ya'll Givin' Up) Love" in 2020. They proposed an upcoming album called Here We Go Again.

Discography

Studio albums

::data[format=table title="List of studio albums, with selected chart positions"] | Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | US R&B /HH | UK Dance | On Fire | In Full Gear | Blood, Sweat & No Tears | Here We Go Again | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | | 32 | — | | | | | | | | | 20 | 34 | | | | | | | | | 75 | — | | | | | | | | | - | — | | | | | | | | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | | | | | | | | | ::

EPs

::data[format=table title="List of extended plays"]

Title	Details	Track listings	People in the Neighborhood 1991-1994 EP	(Now Y'all Giving Up) Love


::

Singles

As lead artist

::data[format=table title="List of singles with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name"] | Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | US Dance | US R&B | US Rap | AUS | NED | UK | UK Dance | UK Ind. | "Just Say Stet" | "Faye/Forever My Beat" | "Go Stetsa I" | "A.F.R.I.C.A." (featuring [[Jesse Jackson|The Rev. | "Sally/DBC Let the Music Play" | "Talkin' All That Jazz" | "Float On" (featuring Force M.D.s) | "A.F.R.I.C.A. (Norman Cook Remix)" | "Speaking of a Girl Named Suzy/Anytime, Anyplace" | "No B.S. Allowed" | "So Let the Fun Begin/Hip Hop Band" | "Talkin' All That Jazz (Dimitri from Paris Remix)" | "The Hip Hop Band/Talkin All That Jazz" | "(Now Y'all Giving Up) Love" | "Here We Go Again" | "Fallen Soldiers" | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1985 | — | — | }} | — | — | — | — | — | On Fire | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1988 | — | 25 | — | — | 100 | — | — | In Full Gear | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 22 | 34 | 87 | — | 73 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1989 | — | 56 | 24 | — | 91 | 91 | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1990 | — | — | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | Blood, Sweat & No Tears | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | 54 | 1 | 7 | A Night at the Playboy Mansion | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Blood, Sweat & No Tears and In Full Gear | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | rowspan="3" | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. "" indicates a chart that did not exist at the time. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

As featured artist

::data[format=table title="List of singles as featured artist, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name"] | Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | US Dance | US R&B | US Rap | NZ | UK | "Self Destruction" (as part of Stop the Violence Movement) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1989 | — | 30 | 1 | 33 | 75 | | | | | | ::

Guest appearances

::data[format=table title="List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released and album name"]

Title	Year	Album	"I Ain't Making It"
1989	Lean on Me Soundtrack
::

Notes

References

Price, Emmett George. (2006). "Hip Hop Culture". [[ABC-CLIO]].
(1998). "[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music". [[Virgin Books]].
{{AllMusic
Watrous, Peter. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1DB1238F933A25752C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=2 "Recordings; Rappers Keep Their Music's Content Fresh"], ''The New York Times'', 10 January 1988.
Palmer, Robert. [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE1DE1E30F936A3575AC0A961948260 "Rock: 'Def Jam 87,' Rap at the Garden"], ''The New York Times'', 5 September 1987.
(7 April 2014). "Takeoff".
(2018-08-09). "3. DOKIO 80 Watt Solar Panel and the MN -1 and Base Charger by D.B.C. Stetsasonic".
(29 May 2022). "Daddy-O Talks Stetsasonic's First Album in Nearly 30 Years: 'Classic Hip Hop Has a Place'".
"Stetsasonic Chart History". [[Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums]].
(2016). "(Now Y'All Giving Up) Love". The SpitSLAM Record Label Group.
"Stetsasonic Chart History". [[Dance Club Songs]].
"Stetsasonic Chart History". [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs]].
"Stetsasonic Chart History". [[Hot Rap Songs]].
{{cite Ryan
"Stetsasonic Chart History (Dutch Charts)".
"Stetsasonic - UK Chart". The Official Charts Company.
(1997). "Druglord Superstar". [[East West Records.
"MC Lyte Chart History (Recorded Music NZ)".
"Dance Singles Sales".
{{cite certification
"''Lean on Me'' – Original Soundtrack > Overview".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::