Jesse West, a.k.a. 3rd Eye (born December 4, 1967, in the South Bronx, New York) is a producer/rapper. Jesse grew up in the Bronx River Projects, where the Master/Teacher DJ Afrika Bambaataa founded the Universal Zulu Nation.
Jesse West | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jesse Williams III |
| Also known as | "3rd Eye", "Dirty Apple Slim", "Dirty Traxx" |
| Born | December 4, 1967 |
| Origin | Bronx, New York |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1989 – present |
| Labels | Motown/MCA |
| Website | [1] |
History edit
Born Jesse Williams III, he was one of the first rappers signed to Motown Records and, in 1989, released the album "No Prisoners". He then went on to produce hit songs with many artists including GZA, Xzibit, Heavy D and KRS-One among others. One of Bad Boy Records' original "Hitmen", West recorded Biggie Smalls first demo as well as produced remixes for songs on Mary J. Blige's album, What's the 411?
As rapper 3rd Eye, it has been argued that Jesse West was the first rapper to use the term "bling" [1] on Super Cat's 1993 hit "Dolly My Baby (Remix)" - a song that West produced and also featured Puff Daddy and a young Biggie Smalls in his recording debut.
Jesse West continues to create tracks and produce music for artists.
Discography edit
Solo Albums
| Year | Song/Album | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | No Prisoners | Motown |
| 1997 | 360° (single) | Sure Shot Records |
| 1998 | 24/7 (single feat. NINE) | Loud Records |
| 1999 | Planets | DeClic & Alpha Entertainment |
Production Credits
| Year | Song | Artist | Album/Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Come Do Me" | GZA | Words From A Genius/Cold Chillin' Records |
| 1992 | "Slow Down", "Silky", "A Bunch of Niggas" | Heavy D & The Boys/Uptown | Blue Funk/Uptown |
| 1993 | "Ease Up" | 3rd Eye & Group Home | Who's The Man (soundtrack)/Uptown |
| 1994 | "What", "You Know My Name" | Top Quality | Magnum Opus/PMD Records |
| 1994 | "No Shorts and No Sleep" | PMD | Shade Business/PMD Records |
| 1996 | "Exclusive Debut" | Ill Biskits | Chronicles of Two Losers/Atlantic |
| 1996 | "Richman, Poorman" | Nine | Cloud 9/Profile Records |
| 1997 | "Step Into A World" | KRS-One | I Got Next/Jive Records |
| 1998 | "What U See Is What U Get" | Xzibit | 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz/Loud Records |
| 2001 | "Supreme Alphabet" | Positive K | Creative Control Records |
| 2004 | "Lyrical High" | 3rd Eye & Zone 7 | Hit Squad-Zero Tolerance/Boondox Records |
| 2006 | (entire album) | Beans 'N' Apples | Come Fuk Wit Us/GLOK |
| 2010 | (3 tracks) | Krs-One & Greenie | "It's All Good"/Azoos[2][3] |
Remixes
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Dolly My Baby" | Super Cat w/ 3rd Eye, Puff Daddy, Biggie Smalls, Mary J. Blige | Columbia/SME Records |
| 1993 | "What's the 411" | Mary J. Blige | Uptown/MCA Records |
| 1993 | "Reminisce" | Mary J. Blige | Uptown/MCA Records |
Other Appearances edit
"Guest Appearances"
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "How You Really Want It" | Busta Rhymes | Back on My B.S. (iTunes only) | Conglomerate, Universal Motown |
Sampling edit
- "For James" - James Brown "Funky Drummer", "Soul Power"
- "The Master" - Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime", Grace Jones "Slave to the Rhythm"
- "I Saw You" - Jackson Five "My Little Baby"
References edit
- ^ Bling Etymology Archived 2011-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Jesse West : Brooklyn Bodega". Archived from the original on 2010-06-28. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- ^ "Hip-Hop Pioneer KRS-One Producing Rap Music for Greenie | RAPWEEKLY.COM". Archived from the original on 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2010-06-29.
- Platform 8470: The Official Hip Hopzine [2]
External links edit
- Jesse West discography at MusicBrainz
- Jesse West discography at Discogs
- Jesse West at MySpace
