Grandmaster Caz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grandmaster Caz
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Grandmaster Caz in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Curtis Brown |
| Also known as | Casanova Fly |
| Born | April 18, 1960 The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, songwriter, MC, author, Host actor, CEO & President of GMC Entertainment Inc. |
| Instruments | Turntables, vocals |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Tuff City (US), Ol' Skool Flava (US), Jazz Child Records(US), Chrysalis (US), Toshiba-EMI Ltd (US), Beyongolia (US), 360° Records(US) |
| Associated acts | The Notorious 2 Mighty Force Cold Crush Brothers |
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.
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Musical career
Caz first encountered rap in 1974 at a Kool Herc block party. 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.
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.
In 2015, Caz was featured on the single "Downtown" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
Other work
He currently hosts Hush Hip Hop Tours, the official sightseeing tour of Harlem and The Bronx.
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.
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.
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.
In June 2008, Grandmaster Caz was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. 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
Artists who cite Grandmaster Caz as an influence include Will Smith, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and Jay-Z.
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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
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 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
- Wild Style Original Soundtrack 1982
- Crotona Park Jams (CD, Comp, Mixed) (Grandmaster Caz Self-released) 2008
- RareHipHop.com & Grandmaster Caz – Underground Heat Vol 1
