Steady B

Along with Schoolly D and the Fresh Prince (now better known as actor/rapper Will Smith), Steady B (born Warren McGlone) was one of the first wave of Philadelphia-area rappers to gain notoriety. With an appealing blend of battle raps and freestyle lyrics, Steady's style is an accurate representation of post-Run-D.M.C./pre-Public Enemy era hip-hop. At his best, Steady mixed well-written metaphors and wordplay with sparse yet catchy drum tracks. As was often the case in 1980s rap though, Steady just as frequently relied on gimmicky themes and corny yarns to fill out his albums. After releasing five albums with mixed success, Steady formed the hardcore group C.E.B. in an effort to update his style, and sales. The C.E.B. album failed, and Steady faded into obscurity. It would have been far better for Steady if he'd simply remained unheard from, but in 1996, Steady and his old C.E.B. partner Cool C were convicted of a botched armed robbery and murder. To avoid a possible death sentence, Steady confessed to the robbery and was sentenced to life without possibility of parole. ~ Mtume Salaam