Stetsasonic

Stetsasonic was an American hip hop group formed in 1981 (see 1981 in music) in Brooklyn. They have become well-remembered as one of the first hip hop crews to use a live band, and their positive, uplifting lyrics have made the group forerunners of alternative hip hop and jazz rap.

Prince Paul, Wise[?], DBC[?], Daddy O[?], Delite[?] and Frukwan[?] formed the group as the Stetson Brothers but thcngaed their name to Stetsasonic for their debut, Fire[?] (1986, 1986 in music). The album received mixed reviews, though the follow-ups, Full Gear[?] and Blood, Sweat & No Tears[?] were critically acclaimed.

The group broke up soon after the release of Blood, Sweat & No Tears. Frukwan and Prince Paul worked with the Gravediggaz, while the latter also became a well-respected record producer, as did Daddy O[?], who worked for Mary J. Blige and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others.