The Kay-Gees were an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
and
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
group during the 1970s, protégés of
Kool & the Gang. The group featured Amir Bayyan (Kevin Bell), younger brother to
Kool & the Gang's
Robert "Kool" Bell and
Ronald Bell (Khalis Bayyan), who subsequently joined his brothers in Kool & the Gang, as well as Kevin Lassiter, Michael Cheek, Callie Cheek, Dennis White, Glen Griffin, Fernando Arocho, Greg Radford, Huey Harris, Peter Duarte, Ray Wright and Wilson Becket.
Legacy
In 1988, their 1974 song "Who's the Man (With the Master Plan)" was sampled by
Big Daddy Kane
Antonio Hardy (born September 10, 1968), better known by his stage name Big Daddy Kane, is an American rapper who began his career in 1986 as a member of the Juice Crew. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential and skilled MCs in hi ...
for his album ''
Long Live The Kane'' ; Also, in 1992,
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and ...
sampled the song for his
hip hop album, ''
The Chronic''. The same year,
House of Pain sampled the song in the chorus of their own version of the song, released the next year under
the same name (but without the sub-name) and featured in a 1993 film, also of
the same name. In 2005, their song ''Heavenly Dream'' was sampled by hip hop artist
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
, for his second album, ''
Late Registration''.
Discography
*''Keep On Bumpin' & Masterplan'' (1974) U.S. #199
*''Find a Friend'' (1976)
*''Kilowatt'' (1977)
*''Burn Me Up'' (1979)
References
American funk musical groups
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