Loading details…
Artist
Stezo
12+ albums
Hip-HopUnited Statesraphip hopold school
about
Stezo, aka Stezo-E, (b. Steve Williams), was a Connecticut native turned Brooklyn transplant whose hip-hop aspirations led him to become a dancer for the hip-hop group EPMD. Leaving the group's auspices shortly after Run-DMC's "Run's House" tour of 1988, he was signed by Sleeping Bag/Fresh Records, and became a labelmate to his former crew. In 1989, Crazy Noise was released, to great acclaim in hip-hop circles and major spins on hip-hop friendly radio. Unfortunately, Sleeping Bag/Fresh would end up declaring bankruptcy in 1990, thus short-circuiting Stezo's career momentum. He would not make another mainstream album, but this LP is fondly remembered as a "done in one" snapshot. Production is credited to the artist (and during the LP, Stezo shouts-out to partners DJ Jimmy Slice & Chris Cos), though legendary, late hip-hop producer Paul C apparently had quite a bit of input on the album. Samples are plenty here, with breakbeats and riffs that have become trademarks of the Golden Era sound. Standout tracks on the album include "Bring The Horns", "Freak The Funk", "Talking Sense", and "Getting Paid", among others. "Girl Trouble", in the tradition of EPMD's "Jane", is a tale of misadventures with the opposite sex. The instrumental "Jimmy's Getting Funky" gives Stezo's turntable man the spotlight - a common practice in this era of hip-hop. The most remembered cut on the album is "It's My Turn", a just-under 4-minute jam that samples the legendary Skull Snaps track "It’s A New Day"
