Hip hop: Steady B – Just Call Us Def
Steady B is a Philadelphia born and raised MC who’s promising hip hop career was sadly cut short by crime. With 5 albums under his belt, not to mention production credits — laying beats down for other members of his crew the Hilltop Hustlers, Steady B should have gone on to great things. Instead, he is serving a life sentence in prison for his part in the murder of a police officer.
Along with Schoolly D, Three Times Dope & The Fresh Prince, Steady B came from the first wave of Philly rappers to rise to fame in the late eighties. A member of Philly’s Hilltop Hustlers Crew, Steady B was known for his fresh battle style shout raps, and well delivered wordplay over heavy hitting but catchy drum tracks.
The man released 5 solo albums and a few banging 12″s between 1985 and 1994, as well as appearing on joints with Cool C, Three Times Dope and other members from the Hilltop Hustlers Crew. In 91, along with Cool C and Ultimate Eaze he started the project C.E.B — Countin’ Endless Bank. This name went on to become ironic. They released their first and only album in 92 but it was poorly received. Steady B also produced some dope but relatively obscure 12″s for several heads from the Philly scene.
In 1996, Steady B was the getaway driver in an attempted bank robbery with Cool C and another Philly local, Mark Canty. A silent alarm was raised during the robbery, and Lauretha Vaird, a police woman who attended the scene was shot and killed by Cool C during the attempted getaway. Two guns left at the scene, including the murder weapon were traced back to Steady B and he was arrested soon after at his home and is now serving a life sentence with no chance of parole.
The world can be a pretty wack place, but yo, we would rather remember Steady B for his music! This track is from the man’s first record, a 12″ single released in 1985. A classic mid-eighties style flow over a slamming beat from Hilltop Hustlers producer Lawrence Goodman and featuring cuts by Steady’s original DJ Grand Dragon K.D. Bump it up loud and let your head nod!
