Grandmaster Caz

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.[3]

Grandmaster Caz
Grandmaster Caz in 2007
Background information
Birth nameCurtis Brown[1]
Also known asCasanova Fly
Born (1960-04-18) April 18, 1960
The Bronx, New York City, New York
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)DJ, songwriter, MC, author
InstrumentsTurntables, vocals
Years active1978–present[2]
LabelsTuff City (US), Ol' Skool Flava (US), Jazz Child Records(US), Chrysalis (US), Toshiba EMI Ltd]] (US), Beyongolia (US), 360° Records(US)
Associated actsThe Notorious 2
Mighty Force
Cold Crush Brothers
Websitewww.coldcrushbrothers.com

Career

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]

He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.[9]

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

In 2008, he was one of the participants at the Cornell University Library conference on Hip Hop.[10]

Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include Will Smith,[11] Rakim, Big Daddy Kane,[12] Jay-Z [13] and many more.

In 2015, Caz featured on a single by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis named "Downtown".

Sugar Hill Gang controversy

A 2009 book claims that the lyrics for The Sugar Hill Gang's seminal "Rapper's Delight" were plagiarized from the then-unpublished Caz's lyrics.[14] In 2000, he set his account of the controversy in the song "MC Delight".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, the O-V-A, and the rest is F-L-Y." Casanova Fly is Grandmaster Caz's alternate moniker.

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".

Legacy

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.

In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame.[15] A street plaque bearing his name is now on permanent display on the Grand Concourse, the most famous thoroughfare in the Bronx.

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

Discography

Albums
  • 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
  • Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1 Chrysalis p1983
  • 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
  • Wild Style Soundtrack 1982
  • Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
  • RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz - Underground Heat Vol 1

References
  1. 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
  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". hiphoppress.com.
  7. Sanchez, Ivan; Luis Cedeño. 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. "Hush Hip-Hop Tours. Celebrity Guides. Famous Hotspots. One Company. One Official Experience". Hush Hip Hop Tours.
  10. "The Cornell University Hip Hop Collection". cornell.edu.
  11. Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Live At The Union Square (Complete Full Version). YouTube. 5 June 2014.
  12. "doublexxposure". doublexxposure. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
  13. 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.
  14. Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast. Greenwood. ISBN 0-313-34323-3.
  15. "I Love the Bronx - Bronx Tourism Council". ilovethebronx.com.
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