Busy Bee Starski
David James Parker (born October 26, 1962), known by the stage name Busy Bee,[1] is an American old-school hip hop musician from New York, NY. First coming on the New York City music scene in 1977, Busy Bee worked with many of hip-hop's founding fathers, including Melle Mel, Afrika Bambaataa, and Kool DJ AJ.
Busy Bee | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | David James Parker |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | October 26, 1962 Bronx, New York, United States |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Genres | Old-school hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels |
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Career
Known for his comedic rhymes, Busy Bee originally gained a large following through MC rap battles in Staten Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. He was famously roasted by Kool Moe Dee at Harlem World in Manhattan, NY, December 1981, in one of the earliest documented rap battles.[2] In 1985, he won the New Music Seminar's MC World Supremacy Belt.[3] In the early 1980s Afrika Bambaataa asked Busy to join his Zulu Nation where the young MC would DJ for Bambaataa's Zulu Nation parties.[4] Busy Bee continues to rhyme today, most recently appearing on KRS-One and Marley Marl's collaborative 2007 album Hip-Hop Lives.
Busy Bee was featured in the 1983 film Wild Style, billed as the first hip-hop motion picture, directed by Charlie Ahearn. More recently, he played himself in the 2002 inner-city drama Paid in Full. In 2007, he was included in the video documentary Hip Hop Legends.[5]
Thirty years after the song's initial release, in 2018 Robert Rippberger directed the official music video for “Suicide” by Busy Bee, the single off his gold album Running Thangs. The video features a cameo by artist Ice-T.[6]
Personal life
He currently resides in Las Vegas Nevada, with Michelle, his wife of over 20 years. He has two daughters.
Discography
Albums
- 1988 – Running Thangs (Strong City/Uni/MCA Records) - #48 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[7]
- 1992 – Thank God for Busy Bee (Pandisc Records)
Singles[8]
- "The Marvelous Three and the Younger Generation" (Busy Bee, DJ Small, AJ, Cowboy, Kid Creole, Melle Mel, Mr. Ness, Rahiem) - Rappin' All Over (Brass Records - 1980)
- "School Days" (Master Five - 1981)
- "Making Cash Money" (Sugar Hill - 1982)
- "Busy Bee's Groove" (Sugar Hill - 1985)
- "Suicide" (Strong City/Uni/MCA - 1987)
- "Express" (Strong City/Uni/MCA - 1988)
- "Keep It Movin'" (Blazin' - 2002)
- "Rock the House" (Blazin' - 2002)
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "MC Battle" "Street Rap" "Chief Rocker Busy Bee & DJ AJ At The Amphitheatre" |
V/A | Wild Style OST |
| 1985 | "Vice" | V/A | Miami Vice Soundtrack |
| 1989 | "Ndodemnyama (Free South Africa)" | V/A | Hip Hop Artist Against Apartheid |
| 1991 | "First Black History Jam Live At The Bronx River Centre" | V/A | Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation In Conjunction With Music Of Life Presents Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 2 |
| 1992 | "First Black History Jam Live At The Bronx River Centre (Part 2)" | V/A | Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 2 |
| "Hip Hop Throwdown" | V/A | Afrika Bambaataa & The Universal Zulu Nation In Conjunction With Music Of Life Presents Hip Hop Funk Dance Classics Volume 3 | |
| 1994 | "Real" | V/A | Raiders of the Lost Art... |
| 1998 | "Freestyle" | Funkmaster Flex | The Mix Tape Volume III: 60 Minutes Of Funk |
| 2000 | "Words From The Chief Rocker" | De La Soul | Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump |
| 2002 | "Make It Hot" | V/A | Legends Of Hip Hop |
| 2007 | "House of Hits" | KRS-One & Marley Marl | Hip Hop Lives |
| 2008 | "Busy Bee Shout Out" | KRS-One | Maximum Strength |
| 2009 | "Intro" "Dance Sucka (Interlude)" "Hip Hop Is Something We Live (Interlude)" "Kickin' Flava (Interlude)" "We'll Be Here Forever (Interlude)" |
V/A | Wilshire District Music Presents: Miracle Mile Volume One |
| 2010 | "Married Girl 3462" | Greenie | It's All Good |
References
- Spin Magazine, October 1985, Vol. 1, No. 6, p.39
- "Blow Average". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- Ettelson, Robbie. "The New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy: An Oral History". Red Bull Music Academy Daily. Red Bull. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
- "Busy Bee Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-04-27.
- "Hip Hop Legends". IMDb. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- "Busy Bee - Suicide - Official Music Video". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- "Busy Bee Running Thangs Chart History". Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- Von Wallenrod, Werner. "Chief Rocker Busy Bee Starski". Retrieved 26 October 2012.