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{{short description|American rapper}}
{{Infobox musical artist
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Grandmaster Caz
| name = Grandmaster Caz
| image = Grandmastercaz.jpg
| image = Grandmastercaz.jpg
| caption = Grandmaster Caz in 2007
| caption = Grandmaster Caz in 2007
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|4|18|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1960|4|18|mf=y}}
| alias = Casanova Fly
| alias = Casanova Fly
| birth_place = [[The Bronx, New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
| birth_place = [[The Bronx]], [[New York City]], U.S.
| birth_name = Curtis Brown<ref>https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/they-took-grandmaster-cazs-rhymes-without-giving-him-credit-now-hes-getting-revenge/2016/09/29/f519c35a-7f3e-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html</ref>
| birth_name = Curtis Brown<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/they-took-grandmaster-cazs-rhymes-without-giving-him-credit-now-hes-getting-revenge/2016/09/29/f519c35a-7f3e-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html |title=They took Grandmaster Caz's rhymes without giving him credit. Now, he's getting revenge. |date=2016-09-29 |author1=Geoff Edgers |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |place=Washington, D.C. |issn=0190-8286 |oclc=1330888409}}</ref>
| genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]
| occupation = DJ, songwriter, MC, author
| occupation = {{hlist|DJ|songwriter|MC|author|Host actor|CEO & President of GMC Entertainment Inc.}}
| instrument = [[Phonograph|Turntables]], vocals
| instrument = {{hlist|[[Phonograph|Turntables]]|vocals}}
| years_active = 1978–present<ref name="Caz">{{cite web|author=Steve Huey|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/grandmaster-caz-mn0000660135|title=Grandmaster Caz|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2019-11-24}}</ref>
| years_active = 1978–present<ref name="Caz">{{cite web|author=Steve Huey|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/grandmaster-caz-mn0000660135|title=Grandmaster Caz|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=2019-11-24}}</ref>
| label = [[Tuff City]] <small>(US)</small>, Ol' Skool Flava <small>(US)</small>, Jazz Child Records<small>(US)</small>, [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]] <small>(US)</small>, Toshiba EMI Ltd]] <small>(US)</small>, Beyongolia <small>(US)</small>, 360° Records<small>(US)</small>
| label = {{hlist|[[Tuff City]]|Ol' Skool Flava|Jazz Child|[[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]]|[[Toshiba-EMI Ltd|Toshiba-EMI]]|Beyongolia|360°}}
| associated_acts = The Notorious 2<br/>Mighty Force<br/>Cold Crush Brothers
| associated_acts = The Notorious 2<br />Mighty Force<br />Cold Crush Brothers
| website = {{url|http://www.coldcrushbrothers.com/}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.coldcrushbrothers.com/}}
}}
}}
'''Curtis Brown''' (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage names '''Grandmaster Caz''' and '''Casanova Fly''', is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group [[The Cold Crush Brothers]] from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best known as the (uncredited) main writer of [[Big Bank Hank]]'s raps on the seminal 1979 [[hip hop]] single by [[The Sugarhill Gang]], "[[Rapper's Delight]]".


'''Curtis Brown''' (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage name '''Grandmaster Caz''' or '''Casanova Fly''', is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He currently works as a celebrity tour guide for [[Hush Hip Hop Tours]], a hip-hop cultural sightseeing tour company in New York City, and is a board member of The Kennedy Center's Hip-Hop Council, Hip-Hop Ambassador and board member for Windows of HipHop and CEO of GMC Entertainment Inc.<ref>[http://www.hiphopfederation.net/the-team.asp The Hip Hop Federation Team Roster, retrieved July 30, 2011]</ref>
He worked with Debra Harris as a celebrity tour guide for [[Hush Hip Hop Tours]], a hip-hop cultural sightseeing tour company in [[New York City]], and is a board member of [[The Kennedy Center]]'s Hip-Hop Council, Hip-Hop Ambassador and board member for Windows of HipHop and CEO of GMC Entertainment Inc.<ref>[http://www.hiphopfederation.net/the-team.asp The Hip Hop Federation Team Roster, retrieved July 30, 2011]</ref>


==Career==
==Musical career==
Caz first encountered rap in 1974 at a [[Kool Herc]] block party.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/grandmastercaz.asp |title=Hip Hop Network biographies, retrieved July 29, 2011 |access-date=July 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613153326/http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/grandmastercaz.asp |archive-date=June 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shortly after, he teamed with [[DJ Disco Wiz]] under the name Casanova Fly to form one of the first DJ crews, Mighty Force. Caz was also the first rapper to perform both DJ (record) and MC (vocal) duties.<ref name="hess">{{Cite book |first=Mickey |last=Hess |title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide |year=2009 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page= xxxiii |isbn=978-0-313-34323-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphoppress.com/2011/04/hip-hop-legend-grand-master-caz-joins-rapathon-5.html|title=hiphoppress.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Sanchez|first=Ivan|author2=Luis Cedeño|isbn=978-1-57687-494-3|title=It's Just Begun|date=28 April 2009|publisher=Perseus Books Group|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/itsjustbegunepic00djdi}}</ref>
Caz first encountered rap in 1974 at a [[Kool Herc]] block party.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/grandmastercaz.asp |title=Hip Hop Network biographies, retrieved July 29, 2011 |access-date=July 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613153326/http://www.hiphop-network.com/articles/djarticles/grandmastercaz.asp |archive-date=June 13, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Shortly after, he teamed with [[DJ Disco Wiz]] under the name Casanova Fly to form one of the first DJ crews, Mighty Force. Caz was also the first rapper to perform both DJ (record) and MC (vocal) duties.<ref name="hess">{{Cite book |first=Mickey |last=Hess |title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide |year=2009 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page= xxxiii |isbn=978-0-313-34323-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphoppress.com/2011/04/hip-hop-legend-grand-master-caz-joins-rapathon-5.html|title=hiphoppress.com}}{{Dead link|date=June 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Sanchez|first=Ivan|author2=Luis Cedeño|isbn=978-1-57687-494-3|title=It's Just Begun|date=28 April 2009|publisher=Perseus Books Group|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/itsjustbegunepic00djdi}}</ref>


In the late 1970s, he joined [[The Cold Crush Brothers]]. Caz admits that he himself stole new equipment during the [[New York City blackout of 1977]].<ref name="Slate podcast">{{cite news|last1=Mars|first1=Roman|last2=Hall|first2=Delaney|title=Was the 1977 New York City Blackout a Catalyst for Hip-Hop's Growth?|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/16/roman_mars_99_percent_invisible_was_the_1977_nyc_wide_blackout_a_catalyst.html|date=October 16, 2014|access-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref>
In the late 1970s, he joined [[The Cold Crush Brothers]]. Caz admits that he himself stole new equipment during the [[New York City blackout of 1977]].<ref name="Slate podcast">{{cite news|last1=Mars|first1=Roman|last2=Hall|first2=Delaney|title=Was the 1977 New York City Blackout a Catalyst for Hip-Hop's Growth?|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_eye/2014/10/16/roman_mars_99_percent_invisible_was_the_1977_nyc_wide_blackout_a_catalyst.html|date=October 16, 2014|access-date=October 21, 2014}}</ref>


⚫
In 2015, Caz was featured on the single "[[Downtown (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song)|Downtown]]" by [[Macklemore and Ryan Lewis]].
⚫
He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hushtours.com/|title=Hush Hip-Hop Tours. Celebrity Guides. Famous Hotspots. One Company. One Official Experience.|work=Hush Hip Hop Tours.}}</ref>


⚫
=== Sugarhill Gang controversy ===
⚫
Caz was interviewed for the documentary [[Just to Get a Rep]] released in 2004.
Grandmaster Caz is generally acknowledged to have been the main writer of the lyrics of [[Big Bank Hank]] (real name Henry Lee Jackson) on the 1979 [[The Sugarhill Gang]] single "[[Rapper's Delight]]", which sold around 5 million copies<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thesource.com/2020/09/16/today-in-hip-hop-history-sugar-hill-gang-releases-rappers-delight-41-years-ago/|title=Today In Hip-Hop History: Sugar Hill Gang Releases 'Rapper's Delight' 41 Years Ago|author=Sha Be Allah|publisher=[[The Source]]|date=September 16, 2020|accessdate=June 8, 2022}}</ref> and introduced hip hop music to the mainstream.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hess|first=Mickey|title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast|isbn=978-0-313-34323-0|publisher=Greenwood|year=2009}}</ref> Jackson had been Grandmaster Caz's manager, and was working at a pizza parlor when music executive [[Sylvia Robinson]] overheard him rapping Grandmaster Caz's lyrics, and asked him to be part of the group she was forming, The Sugarhill Gang. Jackson who had never rapped before had Caz's lyric notebook which he lifted directly from for the song. This is most evident in his opening verse, when, instead of introducing himself as Big Bank Hank, he raps, "Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A-, N-O-V-A, and the rest is F-L-Y". (Casanova Fly is Grandmaster Caz's alternate moniker.)<ref name=wapo>{{cite news |title=They took Grandmaster Caz's rhymes without giving him credit. Now, he's getting revenge. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/they-took-grandmaster-cazs-rhymes-without-giving-him-credit-now-hes-getting-revenge/2016/09/29/f519c35a-7f3e-11e6-8d0c-fb6c00c90481_story.html |first=Geoff |last=Edgers |date=September 29, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref> Big Bank Hank's verse in the song about seducing [[Lois Lane]] away from [[Superman]] was also lifted from Caz's notebook.<ref>{{cite web |title=Say It Ain't So, Hank |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HTMuhxamaFEC&pg=PA130 |work=Spin Magazine |date=October 2000}}</ref>


In 2000, Caz released the song "MC Delight", a parody of "Rapper's Delight" which told his side of the story.<ref name=wapo /> In the song, Caz states about giving away his lyrics, "I gave it to him thinking/ Check books, credit cards, more money/ Than a sucker could ever spend/ But he never gave a nigga a god damn dime/ And was supposed to be my friend".<ref>[https://genius.com/Grandmaster-caz-mc-delight-lyrics Grandmaster Caz "MC Delight" Lyrics], Genius</ref>
⚫
In 2008, he was one of the participants at the Cornell University Library conference on Hip Hop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/hiphop/conference.html|title=The Cornell University Hip Hop Collection|work=cornell.edu}}</ref>


==Other work==
⚫
Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include [[Will Smith]],<ref>{{cite av media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8voG_o2g-4&t=1m44s,|title=Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Live At The Union Square (Complete Full Version)|date=5 June 2014|work=YouTube}}</ref> [[Rakim]], [[Big Daddy Kane]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dxxnyc.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=160|title=doublexxposure|access-date=2011-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328085357/http://www.dxxnyc.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=160|archive-date=2012-03-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Jay-Z]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/S_C_/status/875510146671099905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http://theboombox.com/jay-z-thanks-every-rapper-who-inspired-him-rakim-kane-krs-chuck-cube-jaz-em-andre-nas/|title=Lauryn Nicki lite latifah common ye drake and meek . Run caz LL chainz cam tip (both of them) thought pharaoh , face . De la . Ice T. Wait|last=Carter|first=Mr|date=2017-06-15|website=@S_C_|access-date=2017-07-15}}</ref> and many more.
⚫
He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hushtours.com/|title=Hush Hip-Hop Tours. Celebrity Guides. Famous Hotspots. One Company. One Official Experience.|work=Hush Hip Hop Tours.}}</ref>


Caz was a prominent feature in Ice-T's 2012 documentary "[[Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap]]".
⚫
In 2015, Caz featured on a single by [[Macklemore and Ryan Lewis]] named "[[Downtown (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis song)|Downtown]]".


⚫
Caz was interviewed for the 2004 documentary ''[[Just to Get a Rep]]''.
⚫
=== Sugarhill Gang controversy ===
{{BLP sources section|date=April 2017}}
A 2009 book claims that the lyrics for [[The Sugarhill Gang]]'s seminal "[[Rapper's Delight]]" were plagiarized from the then-unpublished Caz's lyrics.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hess|first=Mickey|title=Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast|isbn=978-0-313-34323-0|publisher=Greenwood|year=2009}}</ref> In 2000, he set his account of the controversy in the song "MC Delight". He claims in the song that he wrote the lyrics of [[Big Bank Hank]] (Henry Jackson), who had been the manager of his band, but never received any royalties or thanks for it. Jackson himself substantiated these claims as he neglected to change his verse on "Rapper's Delight" to reflect his own stage name, instead of beginning his verse with the now famous, "Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A-, N-O-V-A, and the rest is F-L-Y". Casanova Fly is Grandmaster Caz's alternate moniker.


⚫
In 2008, he was one of the participants at the [[Cornell University]] Library conference on Hip Hop.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/hiphop/conference.html|title=The Cornell University Hip Hop Collection|work=cornell.edu}}</ref>
⚫
This controversy is referenced in episode 3 of part 2 of ''[[The Get Down]]''. While listening to ''Rapper's Delight'' on the radio, The Get Down Brothers' member, Boo, tells his date that Grandmaster Caz is rapping the line and says that Caz is the "nicest MC around".


In November 2021, Grandmaster Caz and female MC [[Sha-Rock]] started co-hosting the show ''That's The Joint'' on the [[Sirius XM]] channel Rock The Bells Radio, run by [[LL Cool J]]. The show runs Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM.
⚫
==Legacy==

At present Grandmaster Caz is working with and for A&E, MTV, Paramount, De La Calle, and the History Channel.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}

==Awards and honors==
In 1998, Caz was listed #11 out of Blaze Magazine's Top 50 MCs of all Time. He was also inducted into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame in 1999.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}
In 1998, Caz was listed #11 out of Blaze Magazine's Top 50 MCs of all Time. He was also inducted into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame in 1999.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}


In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilovethebronx.com/?pg=load&loc=walkofame&tab=celebs&year=2008|title=I Love the Bronx - Bronx Tourism Council|work=ilovethebronx.com}}</ref> A street plaque bearing his name is now on permanent display on the [[Grand Concourse (Bronx)|Grand Concourse]], the most famous thoroughfare in the Bronx.
In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the [[Bronx Walk of Fame]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilovethebronx.com/?pg=load&loc=walkofame&tab=celebs&year=2008|title=I Love the Bronx – Bronx Tourism Council|work=ilovethebronx.com}}</ref> A street plaque bearing his name is now on permanent display on the [[Grand Concourse (Bronx)|Grand Concourse]], the most famous thoroughfare in the Bronx.

On April 18, 2022, Grandmaster Caz's birthday, newly-appointed [[Bronx Borough President]] [[Vanessa Gibson]] proclaimed April 18 "Grandmaster Caz Day".

⚫
==Legacy==
⚫
Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include [[Will Smith]],<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8voG_o2g-4&t=1m44s,|title=Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Live At The Union Square (Complete Full Version)|date=5 June 2014|work=YouTube}}</ref> [[Rakim]], [[Big Daddy Kane]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dxxnyc.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=160|title=doublexxposure|access-date=2011-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328085357/http://www.dxxnyc.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=160|archive-date=2012-03-28|url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Jay-Z]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/S_C_/status/875510146671099905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http://theboombox.com/jay-z-thanks-every-rapper-who-inspired-him-rakim-kane-krs-chuck-cube-jaz-em-andre-nas/|title=Lauryn Nicki lite latifah common ye drake and meek . Run caz LL chainz cam tip (both of them) thought pharaoh , face . De la . Ice T. Wait|last=Carter|first=Mr|date=2017-06-15|website=@S_C_|access-date=2017-07-15}}</ref>


Grandmaster Caz was portrayed by [[Jaleel White]] in the ''[[Drunk History]]'' episode "American Music".
Grandmaster Caz was portrayed by [[Jaleel White]] in the ''[[Drunk History]]'' episode "American Music".

⚫
In episode 3 of part 2 of ''[[The Get Down]]'', while listening to "Rapper's Delight" on the radio, The Get Down Brothers' member, Boo, tells his date that Grandmaster Caz is the real writer of the line and says that Caz is the "nicest MC around".


==Discography==
==Discography==
===Albums===
===Albums===
*''The Grandest Of Them All'' (LP) Tuff City 1992
*''The Grandest Of Them All'' (LP) Tuff City 1992
*''You Need Stitches: The Tuff City Sessions 1982-1988'' (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2004
*''You Need Stitches: The Tuff City Sessions 1982–1988'' (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2004
*''Rare & Unreleased Old School Hip Hop '86-'87'' (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2006
*''Rare & Unreleased Old School Hip Hop '86–'87'' (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2006
*''Mid Life Crisis'' (CD, Album) Jazz Child Records 2008
*''Mid Life Crisis'' (CD, Album) Jazz Child Records 2008


===Singles & EPs===
===Singles & EPs===
* Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1 Chrysalis p1983
* Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap 1 Chrysalis 1983
* Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap No.1 (12", Promo) Toshiba EMI Ltd 1983
* Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap No.1 (12", Promo) Toshiba EMI Ltd 1983
* Yvette / Mister Bill (12") Tuff City 1985
* Yvette / Mister Bill (12") Tuff City 1985
* Count Basey (12") Tuff City 1986
* Count Basey (12") Tuff City 1986
Line 61: Line 74:
* You Need Stitches (12") Tuff City 1989
* You Need Stitches (12") Tuff City 1989
* Star Search (12") Tuff City 1992
* Star Search (12") Tuff City 1992
* Grandmaster Caz with Whipper Whip* - To All The Party People (12") Tuff City 1994
* Grandmaster Caz with Whipper Whip* – To All The Party People (12") Tuff City 1994
* 45 King Old School Remixes Vol. 4 (12", EP) Ol' Skool Flava 1996
* 45 King Old School Remixes Vol. 4 (12", EP) Ol' Skool Flava 1996
* Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1 / Wild Style Subway Rap Beyongolia 1998
* Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap 1 / Wild Style Subway Rap Beyongolia 1998
* DJ Parker Lee Presents: Grandmaster Caz (12") Jazz Child Records 1999
* DJ Parker Lee Presents: Grandmaster Caz (12") Jazz Child Records 1999
* MC Delight (Casanova's Revenge) (12") Jazz Child Records 2000
* MC Delight (Casanova's Revenge) (12") Jazz Child Records 2000
* Grandmaster Caz & DJ Signify - Untitled (7") Grandgood Records 2003
* Grandmaster Caz & DJ Signify – Untitled (7") Grandgood Records 2003
* Grandmaster Caz & DJ Haitian Star - Move The Crowd / Scene Of The Rhyme (12", Ltd) 360° Records (2) 2005
* Grandmaster Caz & DJ Haitian Star – Move The Crowd / Scene Of The Rhyme (12", Ltd) 360° Records (2) 2005
* Capitol 1212 and Grandmaster Caz - Encore, Sure you Want More 12" Kool Kat records 2008
* Capitol 1212 and Grandmaster Caz – Encore, Sure you Want More 12" Kool Kat records 2008


===Compilations===
===Compilations===
* [[Wild Style Original Soundtrack]] 1982
* [[Wild Style Original Soundtrack]] 1982
* Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
* Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
* RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz - Underground Heat Vol 1
* RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz – Underground Heat Vol 1


==References==
==References==
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* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Grandmaster+Caz Discography at Discogs]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Grandmaster+Caz Discography at Discogs]
* {{IMDb name|1441057}}
* {{IMDb name|1441057}}
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dj-grand-master-caz DJ Grandmaster Caz Interview - NAMM Oral History Library (2012)]
*[https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dj-grand-master-caz DJ Grandmaster Caz Interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304115927/https://www.namm.org/library/oral-history/dj-grand-master-caz |date=2016-03-04 }} at [[NAMM Oral History Program|NAMM Oral History Collection]] (2012)
{{Hip hop}}
{{Hip hop}}


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[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:African-American male rappers]]
[[Category:African-American male rappers]]
[[Category:American hip hop DJs]]
[[Category:American hip-hop DJs]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:East Coast hip hop musicians]]
[[Category:East Coast hip-hop musicians]]
[[Category:Rappers from the Bronx]]
[[Category:Rappers from the Bronx]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:20th-century male singers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American male singers]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American musicians]]

Latest revision as of 21:27, 28 December 2024

Grandmaster Caz
Grandmaster Caz in 2007
Grandmaster Caz in 2007
Background information
Birth nameCurtis Brown[1]
Also known asCasanova Fly
Born (1960-04-18) April 18, 1960 (age 64)
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • DJ
  • songwriter
  • MC
  • author
  • Host actor
  • CEO & President of GMC Entertainment Inc.
Instruments
Years active1978–present[2]
Labels
Websitewww.coldcrushbrothers.com

Curtis Brown (born April 18, 1960), better known by the stage names Grandmaster Caz and Casanova Fly, is an American rapper, songwriter, and DJ. He was a member of the hip hop group The Cold Crush Brothers from 1979 to the mid-1980s. He is best known as the (uncredited) main writer of Big Bank Hank's raps on the seminal 1979 hip hop single by The Sugarhill Gang, "Rapper's Delight".

He worked with Debra Harris as a celebrity tour guide for Hush Hip Hop Tours, a hip-hop cultural sightseeing tour company in New York City, and is a board member of The Kennedy Center's Hip-Hop Council, Hip-Hop Ambassador and board member for Windows of HipHop and CEO of GMC Entertainment Inc.[3]

Musical career

[edit]

Caz first encountered rap in 1974 at a Kool Herc block party.[4] Shortly after, he teamed with DJ Disco Wiz under the name Casanova Fly to form one of the first DJ crews, Mighty Force. Caz was also the first rapper to perform both DJ (record) and MC (vocal) duties.[5][6][7]

In the late 1970s, he joined The Cold Crush Brothers. Caz admits that he himself stole new equipment during the New York City blackout of 1977.[8]

In 2015, Caz was featured on the single "Downtown" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

Sugarhill Gang controversy

[edit]

Grandmaster Caz is generally acknowledged to have been the main writer of the lyrics of Big Bank Hank (real name Henry Lee Jackson) on the 1979 The Sugarhill Gang single "Rapper's Delight", which sold around 5 million copies[9] and introduced hip hop music to the mainstream.[10] Jackson had been Grandmaster Caz's manager, and was working at a pizza parlor when music executive Sylvia Robinson overheard him rapping Grandmaster Caz's lyrics, and asked him to be part of the group she was forming, The Sugarhill Gang. Jackson who had never rapped before had Caz's lyric notebook which he lifted directly from for the song. This is most evident in his opening verse, when, instead of introducing himself as Big Bank Hank, he raps, "Check it out, I'm the C-A-S-A-, N-O-V-A, and the rest is F-L-Y". (Casanova Fly is Grandmaster Caz's alternate moniker.)[11] Big Bank Hank's verse in the song about seducing Lois Lane away from Superman was also lifted from Caz's notebook.[12]

In 2000, Caz released the song "MC Delight", a parody of "Rapper's Delight" which told his side of the story.[11] In the song, Caz states about giving away his lyrics, "I gave it to him thinking/ Check books, credit cards, more money/ Than a sucker could ever spend/ But he never gave a nigga a god damn dime/ And was supposed to be my friend".[13]

Other work

[edit]

He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.[14]

Caz was a prominent feature in Ice-T's 2012 documentary "Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap".

Caz was interviewed for the 2004 documentary Just to Get a Rep.

In 2008, he was one of the participants at the Cornell University Library conference on Hip Hop.[15]

In November 2021, Grandmaster Caz and female MC Sha-Rock started co-hosting the show That's The Joint on the Sirius XM channel Rock The Bells Radio, run by LL Cool J. The show runs Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 1 PM.

At present Grandmaster Caz is working with and for A&E, MTV, Paramount, De La Calle, and the History Channel.[citation needed]

Awards and honors

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In 1998, Caz was listed #11 out of Blaze Magazine's Top 50 MCs of all Time. He was also inducted into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame in 1999.[citation needed]

In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.[16] A street plaque bearing his name is now on permanent display on the Grand Concourse, the most famous thoroughfare in the Bronx.

On April 18, 2022, Grandmaster Caz's birthday, newly-appointed Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson proclaimed April 18 "Grandmaster Caz Day".

Legacy

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Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include Will Smith,[17] Rakim, Big Daddy Kane[18] and Jay-Z.[19]

Grandmaster Caz was portrayed by Jaleel White in the Drunk History episode "American Music".

In episode 3 of part 2 of The Get Down, while listening to "Rapper's Delight" on the radio, The Get Down Brothers' member, Boo, tells his date that Grandmaster Caz is the real writer of the line and says that Caz is the "nicest MC around".

Discography

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Albums

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  • The Grandest Of Them All (LP) Tuff City 1992
  • You Need Stitches: The Tuff City Sessions 1982–1988 (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2004
  • Rare & Unreleased Old School Hip Hop '86–'87 (LP) Ol' Skool Flava 2006
  • Mid Life Crisis (CD, Album) Jazz Child Records 2008

Singles & EPs

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  • Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap 1 Chrysalis 1983
  • Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap No.1 (12", Promo) Toshiba EMI Ltd 1983
  • Yvette / Mister Bill (12") Tuff City 1985
  • Count Basey (12") Tuff City 1986
  • Get Down Grandmaster / I'm Caz (12") Tuff City 1987
  • You Need Stitches (12") Tuff City 1989
  • Star Search (12") Tuff City 1992
  • Grandmaster Caz with Whipper Whip* – To All The Party People (12") Tuff City 1994
  • 45 King Old School Remixes Vol. 4 (12", EP) Ol' Skool Flava 1996
  • Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein – Wild Style Theme Rap 1 / Wild Style Subway Rap Beyongolia 1998
  • DJ Parker Lee Presents: Grandmaster Caz (12") Jazz Child Records 1999
  • MC Delight (Casanova's Revenge) (12") Jazz Child Records 2000
  • Grandmaster Caz & DJ Signify – Untitled (7") Grandgood Records 2003
  • Grandmaster Caz & DJ Haitian Star – Move The Crowd / Scene Of The Rhyme (12", Ltd) 360° Records (2) 2005
  • Capitol 1212 and Grandmaster Caz – Encore, Sure you Want More 12" Kool Kat records 2008

Compilations

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  • Wild Style Original Soundtrack 1982
  • Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
  • RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz – Underground Heat Vol 1

References

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  1. ^ Geoff Edgers (2016-09-29). "They took Grandmaster Caz's rhymes without giving him credit. Now, he's getting revenge". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  2. ^ Steve Huey. "Grandmaster Caz". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-24.
  3. ^ The Hip Hop Federation Team Roster, retrieved July 30, 2011
  4. ^ "Hip Hop Network biographies, retrieved July 29, 2011". Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  5. ^ Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide. ABC-CLIO. p. xxxiii. ISBN 978-0-313-34323-0.
  6. ^ "hiphoppress.com".[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ Sanchez, Ivan; Luis Cedeño (28 April 2009). It's Just Begun. Perseus Books Group. ISBN 978-1-57687-494-3.
  8. ^ Mars, Roman; Hall, Delaney (October 16, 2014). "Was the 1977 New York City Blackout a Catalyst for Hip-Hop's Growth?". Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  9. ^ Sha Be Allah (September 16, 2020). "Today In Hip-Hop History: Sugar Hill Gang Releases 'Rapper's Delight' 41 Years Ago". The Source. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  10. ^ Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast. Greenwood. ISBN 978-0-313-34323-0.
  11. ^ a b Edgers, Geoff (September 29, 2016). "They took Grandmaster Caz's rhymes without giving him credit. Now, he's getting revenge". The Washington Post.
  12. ^ "Say It Ain't So, Hank". Spin Magazine. October 2000.
  13. ^ Grandmaster Caz "MC Delight" Lyrics, Genius
  14. ^ "Hush Hip-Hop Tours. Celebrity Guides. Famous Hotspots. One Company. One Official Experience". Hush Hip Hop Tours.
  15. ^ "The Cornell University Hip Hop Collection". cornell.edu.
  16. ^ "I Love the Bronx – Bronx Tourism Council". ilovethebronx.com.
  17. ^ Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Live At The Union Square (Complete Full Version). YouTube. 5 June 2014.
  18. ^ "doublexxposure". Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  19. ^ Carter, Mr (2017-06-15). "Lauryn Nicki lite latifah common ye drake and meek . Run caz LL chainz cam tip (both of them) thought pharaoh , face . De la . Ice T. Wait". @S_C_. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
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