Too Bad to Be True, or TBTBT, was a Canadian hip hop group, based in Toronto, Ontario, active in the 1990s.[1] They were best known for their 1993 album One Track Mind, which won the Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year at the 1994 Juno Awards.[2] The group consisted of teenagers Jeromy "Lyric J" Robinson, Shaka "DJ Shaka" Dodd, Al "Al C" Cox, and Frankie "MC Styles" Scarcelli.[1]
Too Bad to Be True | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1990–1995 |
| Past members | Jeromy "Lyric J" Robinson Shaka "DJ Shaka" Dodd Al "Al C" Cox Frankie "MC Styles" Scarcelli |
History
editTBTBT began writing and recording raps in 1992 when they were still in school. They took part in Toronto's annual Stay Clear anti-drug campaign pop contest.[3] In 1993 the trio released the album One Track Mind on ISBA Records in Canada and Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros. Records internationally.[4][5]
The group received significant video airplay on MuchMusic for the album's title track,[4] but consistent with the commercial struggles faced by Canadian hip hop at the time, received almost no commercial radio airplay in Canada outside of the Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal markets.[4][6]
In 1994 the group released a second single, "Get Down to It", from their album.[7] The track appeared on the RPM Canadian Content chart for six weeks in April and May that year.[8]
Legacy
editBoth of TBTBT member Jeromy Robison's sons have pursued a career in rap under the stage names of Casper TNG and K Money.[9]
Discography
editAlbum
edit- One Track Mind (1993)
Singles
edit- "One Track Mind"
- "Get Down To It"
References
edit- ^ a b Canadian Composer, Volume 4. SOCAN, 1993.
- ^ "Juno Awards Celebrate Canada's Cultural Roots". Billboard, April 2, 1994.
- ^ "More music notes". Medicine Hat News, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. March 31, 1994, page 32.
- ^ a b c Larry LeBlanc (12 November 1994). "Major Rappers Rebound on Canadian Label". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 45–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ Kathy Kastner. "Teen rappers take ambition from Toronto to the charts". Lethbridge Herald, September 4, 1994, page 6. Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
- ^ "Can hip hop be a sustainable career for Canadian rappers?". The Buzz, CBC News, April 19, 2013, Peter Marrack
- ^ Larry Flick, ed. (16 April 1994). "Single Review". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 63–. ISSN 0006-2510.
- ^ "RPM CanCon to Watch". RPM Magazine, Apr 18, 1994
- ^ "CASPER TNG - THE NEIGHBOURHOOD GHOST : ARTIST BIO". caspertng.com. Retrieved 2020-01-15.