Lord Finesse

Biography

Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and hip-hop producer from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of the Top-50 Hip-Hop Producers.

Early life and education

Finesse was born Robert A. Hall, Jr. on February 19, 1970 in The Bronx. He was raised in the South Bronx during the 1970s His grandmother raised Finesse when he was younger living in Forest Projects, a public housing project in neighborhood of Morrisania in the Bronx. He met future D.I.T.C. rapper/producer Diamond D at St. Augustine Catholic School. He attended Morris High School. Finesse would often visit a childhood friend at DeWitt Clinton High School, where they held freestyle battle sessions with other students. At that time, he met A.G. (Andre Barnes) who was a student at DeWitt Clinton High School, another future D.I.T.C. member who was an aspiring rapper. He first started rapping at the age of 12.

Career

In 1989, Finesse and his former partner DJ Mike Smooth signed with Wild Pitch Records, home of other popular hip-hop artists such as Gang Starr, Main Source, Chill Rob G, Percee P and O.C.. Around that year, he signed a deal with Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate Management after he lost in a rap battle in a music seminar when he competed with other rappers. In 1990, the duo released their debut album Funky Technician×Funky Technician1990 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Lord Finesse’s Theme Song Intro1:132Baby, You Nasty (new version)5:353Funky Technician4:424Back to Back Rhyming3:535Here I Come5:106Slave to My Soundwave3:257I Keep the Crowd Listening4:298Bud Mutha5:119Keep It Flowing4:0810Lesson to Be Taught5:4511Just a Little Something3:0212Strictly for the Ladies5:1513Track the Movement5:58. The album featured production from future star beat-makers DJ Premier, Diamond D and Showbiz. Soon after, Finesse formed the popular New York underground crew D.I.T.C., an acronym for "Diggin In The Crates", together with Showbiz and A.G. and Diamond D. Future members included Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild, and Big L.
Finesse returned as a solo artist in early 1992 with his second effort, Return of the Funky Man. The album featured guest appearances from Percee P and AG. The album's title track peaked at number 13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart.Return of the Funky Man×Return of the Funky Man1992 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Lord Finesse Intro2:022Return of the Funky Man5:073I Like My Girls With a Boom4:174Yes You May4:585Hey Look at Shorty3:196Praise the Lord4:417Save That Shit5:238Show ’Em How We Do Things5:389Isn’t He Something4:4310Fat for the 90’s4:2711Stop Sweating the Next Man4:2412Funky on the Fast Tip2:3313That’s How Smooth I Am5:1914Party Over There4:2115Fuck ’Em5:0916Kicking Flavor With My Man4:22 also included a couple of songs that were produced by Finesse himself, and this would be the start of a career as a much respected hip-hop producer. In 1994 Finesse made a production appearance on The Notorious B.I.G.'s classic debut Ready to Die, on the track "Suicidal Thoughts". In 1995, he produced a big portion of Big L's debut album Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, including the single "M.V.P." and made an appearance on one of the album's highlight songs "Da Graveyard". He returned as an artist in 1996 with the now rare 12" single "Check The Method" and then the acclaimed album The Awakening×The Awakening20 February 1996 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Da Sermon (intro)2:162Time ta Bounce1:223True & Livin’4:424O’ Lord1:225Brainstorm / P.S.K (remix)4:466Taking It Lyte1:067Gameplan5:108Words From da Ak1:349Flip da Style3:4310Showtime1:0411Speak Ya Peace4:5512Food for Thought4:0513Da Kid Himself0:4514Hip 2 da Game4:0315No Gimmicks5:4616Actual Facts5:09. Finesse produced the entire album himself, and enlisted a large number of guests, including KRS-One, MC Lyte, Akinyele, Diamond D, Showbiz & A.G., O.C. and Kid Capri. The underground single "Actual Facts" featuring Sadat X, Large Professor and Grand Puba, was included as a hidden track on the album.
Finesse hasn't released a studio album since this effort, but has continued his production work. In 1997, he produced the title track to O.C.'s acclaimed effort Jewelz and the track "Channel 10" off of Capone-N-Noreaga's debut The War Report. Finesse released a mixtape called Diggin' On Blue in 1999. Later in the year, he produced the track "The Message" on Dr. Dre's seminal 2001 album. Finesse is currently working on a Funky Technician remix project, as well as a new D.I.T.C. album. Along with these projects, he and DJ Premier are working on a posthumous Big L album.
In 1998, Finesse provided the vocal sample on the hook to "The Rockafeller Skank", a hit single by British musician Fatboy Slim from his album You've Come a Long Way, Baby. The song features Finesse's repeated line "Right about now, the funk soul brother. Check it out now, the funk soul brother". This line was lifted from the song "Vinyl Dogs Vibe" by the Vinyl Dogs with the spoken word intro provided by Finesse, edited from the full line, "Check it out right about now. It's no other than the funk soul brother, the Lord Finesse. And you're welcome to the world of the Vinyl Dogs right about now. So if you're diggin', peep how we do it like this"
Lord Finesse returned to the mic on Handsome Boy Modeling School's album White People in 2004. He was featured on the song entitled "Rock 'N' Roll (Could Never Hip-Hop Like This) pt. 2", collaborating with famous old-school DJ's Grand Wizard Theodore and Jazzy Jay. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park make appearances, as well as Rahzel, then of The Roots.
In June 2012, Finesse filed a $10 million lawsuit against Rostrum Records and DatPiff for the use of a sample of Finesse's song "Hip 2 Da Game×Hip 2 Da Game1995 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1Hip 2 da Game2Hip 2 da Game (remix)3Hip 2 da Game (instrumental)4Brainstorm / P.S.K. (feat. KRS-One)5Brainstorm / P.S.K (No gimmicks remix instrumental)6Hip 2 da Game (remix instrumental)" used in Mac Miller's 2010 song "Kool Aid & Frozen Pizza". In January 2013 the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount.
In 2014, Lord Finesse produced a remix for Swedish rap group Looptroop Rockers' single "Another Love Song".
In July 2020, he released a new remix album, Motown State Of Mind×Motown State of Mind26 June 2020 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1I Wanna Be Where You Are (Underboss remix)3:572I Want You (Underboss remix)5:233I Like It (Soul Synopsis mix)5:474There’ll Never Be (Solidified Soul mix)3:135Body Talk (TBG mix)4:486Now Is the Time (The Mack Revisted mix)3:217Tribute Medley: I Want You Back/ABC/The Love You Save (Underboss remix)4:41.

Guest appearances

[1992]~~~ 'Set It Off Troop'. -- Class Act (soundtrack)
[1992]~ 'Represent'. -- Runaway Slave, Showbiz and A.G.
[1992]~ 'You Know What I'm About'. -- Trespass (soundtrack)
[1993]~~~ "You Can't Front'. -- Single. Diamond D
[1993]~ "Off and On (freestylin' mix)". -- Single, Trends of Culture
[1993]~ "Flip da Script". -- Mesanjarz of Funk, Mesanjarz of Funk, Lauryn Hill
[1993]~ "On da M.I.C." -- The Untold Truth, Illegal
[1994]~~~ "Dig on That". -- One, Two, Ground Floor
[1994]~ "The Rhythm". -- The Mouth That Roared...?, Bas Blasta
[1995]~~~ 'Da Graveyard'. -- Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, Big L
[1995]~ 'Add On'. -- Goodfellas, Showbiz and A.G.
[1997]~~~ 'Collaboration of Mics'. -- That's Them, Artifacts
[1997]~ 'Day One'. -- Single, D.I.T.C.
[1997]~ '5 Fingers of Death'. -- Hatred, Passions and Infidelity, Diamond D
[1997]~ 'Run the Line (Remix)'. -- Single, Peanut Butter Wolf
[1998]~~~ 'All Love'. -- Single, D.I.T.C.
[1998]~ 'Dignified Soldiers / DS (Remix)'. -- Full Scale, Showbiz and A.G.
[1998]~ 'Troopas Represent'. -- Planets, 3rd Eye
[1999]~~~ "The Vinyl Athletes (Lord Finesse Remix)". -- Single, Muro
[2000]~~~ 'Foundation'; 'Stand Strong'; 'Tribute'. -- D.I.T.C.
{2000}~ 'The Club'. -- The Piece Maker, Tony Touch
{2001}~~~ 'Know the Legend'. -- By Design, Grand Agent
[2004]~~~ 'Rock and Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Pt. 2'-- White People, Handsome Boy Modeling School
[2020]~~~ 'Do the Math'-- Single, The Xav