Just-Ice
| Just-Ice | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Joseph Williams, Jr |
| Born | June 22, 1965 |
| Origin | Castle Hill, Bronx, New York, United States |
| Genres |
Hardcore hip hop Gangsta rap Golden age hip hop East Coast Rap Hip hop |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels |
Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records Savage/BMG Records Warlock Records |
| Associated acts |
KRS-One Kurtis Mantronik |
Joseph Williams Jr. (born June 22, 1965), better known by the stage name Just-Ice, is an American rapper from New York City.
A former bouncer at punk clubs, Williams was the first of the New York rappers to embrace gangsta rap, and when he burst out of the Castle Hill neighborhood in the New York City borough of the Bronx as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive—he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks—and with a mouthful of gold teeth, he certainly stood out. His debut album Back to the Old School came out on the independent New York label Sleeping Bag, and certainly sounded like no other hip-hop album, thanks to his fast and forceful rhymes, Ben "Human DMX" Paynes's[1] beatboxing, as well as the distinctive production of Mantronix's Kurtis Mantronik.
In 1986 he was charged with the murder of drug dealer Ludlaw DeSouza, but later proven innocent.[1][2] His third album, The Desolate One (1989), had minor success in the United Kingdom, reaching no. 16 on the UK Independent Chart.[2]
Williams relocated from the Ft. Greene area in Brooklyn to the Castle Hill section of the Bronx in his early adolescent years. He currently resides in the Bronx which he considers his hometown.
Discography
- Back to the Old School (1986)
- Kool & Deadly (1987)
- The Desolate One (1989)
- Masterpiece (1990)
- Gun Talk (1993)
- Kill the Rhythm (Like a Homicide) (1995)
- VII (1998)
- Gangster Boogie (2008) (digital download only)
- 32 Degrees (2009) (digital download only)
- The Just-Ice and KRS-One EP Vol.1 (2010) (digital download only)
References
- 1 2 Bradley, John Ed (1986) "Survival of the Hippest", Washington Post, September 7, 1986. Retrieved April 29, 2017
- 1 2 Lazell, Barry (1997) Indie Hits 1980–1989, Cherry Red Books, ISBN 0-9517206-9-4, p. 125