Bronx Style Bob

Bronx Style Bob
Also known asBob Khaleel
Bronxstyle Bob Khaleel
Born
Robert Khaleel

1965 (age 60–61)[1]
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation
  • Rapper
Years active1985–present
Labels

Robert "Bob" Khaleel, better known by his stage name Bronx Style Bob, is an American rapper from the Bronx, New York City.

Early life

Robert Khaleel was raised in a strict Arab-Jamaican immigrant household and was exposed to the work of poets such as Langston Hughes and Khalil Gibran.

Khaleel started out in the Bronx, New York City, at a time when urban culture disciplines such as graffiti, breakin', electric boogie, DJing, scratching and cutting the record, and the MCs rhyming were found.

Khaleel attended John F. Kennedy High School with b-boy superstars Crazy Legs and Mr. Freeze of the Rock Steady Crew, Fastbreak (from Magnificent Force), DJ Kid Capri, and Glidemaster & Chino (New York City Breakers).

Career

From 1982 to 1985, Khaleel was the president of the Bronx Style Crew; influenced by growing up around 170 Street/Jerome Avenue, a few blocks from Disco Fever, and around the corner from the Ecstasy Garage, two famous nightclubs.

In the early '80s, Khaleel was a fixture on the Manhattan scene of clubs and art galleries where punk rock, hip hop and graffiti artists came together. From clubs like Danceteria, The Roxy, Peppermint Lounge, Negril, and the Mudd Club to the Fun Gallery. "I ran around with graffiti artists...you would have Andy Warhol Truman Capote Barishnikov in a room with Basqiat Futura 2000 Dondi or Zephyr, with rock steady breakin. Jazzy Jay on the set, and taggers hitting up, blunts flowin', and some graffiti artist gettin' stomped out in the corner by a rival crew...it was like a painting," he said.

Khaleel's first song as a member of Afrika Bambaataa's Universal Zulu Nation and taking the name "Bronx Style Bob", was in 1985 for the soundtrack to the movie New York Ninja, and he embarked on his first tour as a member of the Magnificent Force breakdance crew the following year.

Upon returning to the United States, Khaleel recorded a series of singles for Spring Posse Records with the group the Zulu Kings, which consisted of Grandmaster Melle Mel from the Furious Five, Ice-T, Grand Master Caz of the Cold Crush Brothers, Africa Izlam, Chief Rocker Busy Bee, and Microphone King Donald-D. As a group, they would also score the first hip hop animation series Street Frogs, produced by Steve Rifkind for S.R.C Records.

When Khaleel relocated to Paris in 1987, he partnered with French rapper Dee Nasty on the alternative radio program Radio Nova. Khaleel went to record three songs with Dee Nasty for his first major label release Pousse Les Bass on Polydor Records.

Upon his return to the United States in 1989, Khaleel recorded and tour with Ice-T and the Rhyme Syndicate for much of 1990–91. They embarked on the "Bring Tha Noiz" world tour, which featured Public Enemy, Eric B. & Rakim, EPMD, Big Daddy Kane, N.W.A, MC Hammer, Ice-T and The Rhyme Syndicate, Vanilla Ice, and Tone Lōc.

In 1992, Khaleel performed on the second stage at the Jones Beach Lollapalooza concert.[2]

In Los Angeles, in between tour dates with The Syndicate, Khaleel became a founding member of Los Angeles funk collective Trulio Disgracias, featuring members of Fishbone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Brand New Heavies, Parliament, Funkadelic, Thelonious Monster, Suicidal Tendencies, and The Untouchables.

Khaleel later signed with Hollywood Records and formed Super 8, an alternative rock band. After two years of nonstop touring, he began recording with longtime collaborator John O'Brien.

Later, Khaleel created a new professional identity, "Khaleel", and his new album People Watching, produced by Matt Wallace (The Replacements, Sheryl Crow, Maroon 5, Faith No More), featured guest artists such as members of Fishbone, Spearhead, Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, and Lyle Workman. "No Mercy", the album's first single, became a staple at pop radio, and Khaleel toured with Shawn Mullins and Everlast.

Khaleel appeared as a guest vocalist on Everlast's "What It's Like" and "Ends" on his 1998 album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues, as well as on 2000's Eat at Whitey's. He contributed to the John Lennon tribute album Working Class Hero.

In 2002, Khaleel collaborated with songwriter Brendan Lynch to form a new band, Contact.

Partial discography

Solo

  • 1992: Grandma's Ghost (as Bronx Style Bob)
  • 1999: People Watching (as Khaleel)

with Heming Borthne, Joel Shearer, John O'Brien, John Steward

Guest appearances

References

  1. ^ "Headings Results". Cocatalog.loc.gov. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Watrous, Peter (August 5, 1992). "The Pop Life; Good Things Happen to Lollapalooza". The New York Times. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
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