Jerome Albert Evans Jr., better known as Silkski is a Brooklyn, New York native. He is a PYN, Wutang Mgmt., Da Gutta Ent., Bungalo, Street Scholar, Universal Music Group artist, of ODB’s Brooklyn Zu, Wu-family.
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“The son of a singer and a music rep, Silkski says he has music in his blood. When your father is a R&B and doo wop singer and your mother is in music promotions, you naturally grow up with a feel for the industry," said Silkski; but even though Silkski’s family is so well connected in the music world, it is not what got him his start; just the opposite, really. “She (Silkski’s mom) tried to keep me in the nice area”, said Silkski, “but I went the other way.””[1] Silkski enjoyed the grimey life and cringed away from the luxuries his mother provided. He adopted all of the elements of hip hop in its early stages (b-boy, d-jaying, graffiti tagging, and emceeing), rebelling against his parents' R&B, disco, and Doo Wop music.
This rebelliousness led to one of the most defining moments in Silkski’s life, his mother turned him over to the state. “I felt like no one cared,” said Silkski. But the group home he was put in was in some ways a blessing; it showed him that there were people who did want him to succeed. The next few months consisted of jumping between the streets of New York and the group home (Mount Lorreto) “Mission of the Immaculate Virgin” in Staten Island. Eventually, Silkski left the group home and moved in with his cousin who lived in the roughest area of Jamaica Queens. While in Jamaica Queens, Silkski along with others contributed to the negativity of Queens inner city streets. Although he lived in a grimey area, he stood out with his extreme tagging graffiti techniques, and style of dancing. After moving from his cousin's apartment, Silkski landed on the streets again. “I told this shelter that I was a "teen" alcoholic so I could get a place to stay,” said Silkski.[1] After several months in the shelter, Silkski moved in with a friend in Harlem and took his dancing to the next level. It was then that he hooked up with famed breaker, Larry Love of the Zulu Nation, and took his first stage name, “Gangsta Boogie.” (This was the time when Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five were presumed the hottest thing in hip hop.) Silkski was right there breaking and tagging with some of the biggest names in the hip hop world. “Even though I was a baby compared to Grand Master Flash, I was still there from the start,” said Silkski. “I knew everybody from the gutter to the top”.[1]
Larry Love connected Silkski with the owner of one of the biggest hip hop clubs in New York at the time, Harlem World, and Silkski moved into an empty room in the club. “It was great,” he said, “I was breakin’ on the dance floor all the time, even when the club was closed.”[1] One day when he was practicing his breaking, Kurtis Blow came in to set up for a show later that night. “I was like, ‘Kurtis, check me out,’ and I would just electric boogie,” said Silkski.[1] That night Silkski was on stage dancing for Kurtis Blow. From time to time Silkski would move to live with his grandparents in Los Angeles, going from New York to Los Angeles, back and forth, bringing and taking new hip hop trends with him. In California, Silkski joined Ice-T’s rap group Rhyme Syndicate; and in 1988 he met back up with Kurtis Blow, became his protégé, and later went on a forty city European Tour. After the tour Silkski continued to work with Kurtis Blow for a number of years. He danced as a member of his crew, was a dee jay at major events, and worked behind the scenes as Kurtis Blow’s producer.
In 1995 Silkski performed and produced the song “Techno Boy” for the movie score and soundtrack of the film Copycat, which stars Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, and Harry Connick, Jr..[2] The film grossed $32,051,917 in the United States, and £2,023,443 in the UK.[3] In 1996 Silkski produced the song "Pimp'n Ain't EZ" for the movie and soundtrack of the 1996 animated feature film Beavis and Butt-head Do America, starring Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Cloris Leachman, Robert Stack, Greg Kinnear, Richard Linklater, David Letterman, and Tony Darling; which grossed $20.11 million in its opening weekend, and grossed a total of $63.11 million in North America.[4] This soundtrack also feature songs from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, LL Cool J, No Doubt, Engelbert Humperdinck, and the late Isaac Hayes. Silkski also produced songs that went over platinum on the Bloods & Crips "Bangin' on Wax” albums,[5][6][7] as well as an album for Ice-T that went gold.[8]
Silkski was put on and made official to the legacy of the infamous Wu-family in 1995, touring the world and writing, rapping and producing with god-brother ODB, member and co-founder of the "Wutang Clan", and Brooklyn Zu, which include: songs on ODB’s “Nigga Please” album, also ODB’s “The Trials and Tribulations of Russell Jones” album, and ODB’s remix single: ”Dog- Sh-t”, as well as ghost writing, and (Silkski’s) own hit single:”No Money”, which led an all-star cast in the video, including some of the most infamous Rapp legends and movie stars to this day, which include, “ODB (“Wu-tang- Clan”)(rip), “Kurtis Blow”(The Breaks), “Dana-Dane”(Cinderfella Dana Dane), “Flavor Flav” (Vh1’s: Flavor of love) , “Raheem” and “Scorpio”(Furious Five), “Buddha Monk”(Brooklyn Zu), “Michael Wright” (The Five Heartbeats, and “Sugar Hill” starring: Wesley Snipes), and “Steve Van Zandt”, (Little Steven) ”Bruce Springsteen” - (E-Streetband) and from HBO’s original hit drama series (The Sopranos).
Silkski has appeared on Vh1 “Inside out, ODB on Parole”, “The Disciples Of The 36 Chambers” (DVD) concert from ODB’s last major Wutang concert July, 17, 04’ before ODB's untimely passing, and “Rock the Bells”[9] movie documentary of the same concert now on DVD. He also appeared on BET’s “Access Granted” with “Ghostface” and “Rza” from Ghostface featuring Missy Elliott “Tush” video. Recently, Silkski appeared in the movie “The Wutang Story”, and documentary “Dirty, One Word Can Change The World”, as well as appearing in numerous other Wu-related media events.
| Title | Credit | Label |
|---|---|---|
| NiNi X - She's Dangerous (Take That Mutha F-Cka) | producer[11] | Dangerous Records |
| Ice T "VI – Return of the Real" | producer[12] | Priority Records |
| Ronnie Ron* - Gangsta Boom - Sample Your Ass Off | producer | Dangerous Records, Pump Records, Warlock Records |
| Raiders of the Lost Art[13] | Bass, Keyboards, Vocals: Background, Chant[13] | PolyGram, DCC Compact Classics/Sony Music Special Products, Columbia Records |
| Copycat[2] Soundtrack (Techno Boy)[14] | performer / writer | Milan Records |
| Sista Love (What Happened)[15][16] | artist / producer | Bungalo Records, Universal Music Group |
| No Holds Barred (Tweedy Bird Loc album)(Outta Here) | artist | Quality Records / Warlock Records / Capitol Records |
| Bloods & Crips "Bangin' on Wax, Vol. 2: The Saga Continues" (Slob 187) | producer[17] | Quality Records / Warlock Records / Capitol Records |
| Bloods & Crips "Bangin' on Wax" (C-Sick , K's Up) | producer[14][18] | Quality Records / Warlock Records / Capitol Records |
| Bloods - Bang'n On Wax: The Best Of The Damu's | producer | Quality Records / Warlock Records / Capitol Records |
| Zu-Chronicles, Vol. 2 - Like Father, Like Sonn "Watchin Me" | producer / artist | Duck-Lo Records / Chambermusik |
| Beavis and Butt-head Do America "Pimpin Aint EZ" | producer[19] | Geffen Records, Paramount Pictures |
| Madd Head - Tripp2nite (remix) | producer | Geffen Records |
| LL Cool J - Ain't Nobody / Madd Head - Pimp'n Ain't Ez Single | producer | Def Jam Recordings |
| Silkski Shawborn Featuring Project "X" - Depression "99" / Ya! On A Mission | producer / artist | DSX Records |
| Tha Don Of All Donz[14] | producer / artist | Protect-Ya-Neck Records, Wutang Management, DaGutta Entertainment |
| No Money[14] | producer / artist | Protect-Ya-Neck Records, Wutang Management, DaGutta Entertainment |
| Shawneci – Killa Angelz "Fist of The Drunken Tiger"[14] | artist / co-producer | Icecold Entertainment |
| Ice-T's The Final Destination Vol 1 "The Cure" | artist / producer | Final Level Radio |