Doug E. Fresh

New York-raised 'Doug E. Fresh' (qv), born Douglas Davis, got his initial notoriety for being the original human beat-box, inventing a method to imitate a drum machine using breath control through the teeth, lips, and gums. He had a string of hit singles with his then-partner 'Slick Rick' (qv) in the early and mid-1980s, most notably on "The Show" and "La-Di-Da-Di" in 1985. A subsequent album, "Oh, My God," included guest stints from veteran jazz trumpeter 'Jimmy Owens' (qv) and synthesizer player 'Bernard Wright' (qv). Fresh also released a 1988 follow-up album, "The World's Greatest Entertainer," and recorded an album in 1992 for 'M.C. Hammer' (qv)'s short-lived Capitol/EMI Records-distributed label, Bust It Records. After recording another album for Gee Street Records in the mid-1990s and appearing on many other artists' albums, Fresh disappeared for a few years. He has just resurfaced as a solo artist with a new release on a small independent label, but he remains an active force in hip-hop music, appearing as a guest artist on many records, to the present day.::Alex Guise <drewyummy@yahoo.com>