Doug E. Fresh
- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
New York-raised Doug E. Fresh, born Douglas Davis, got his initial
notoriety for being the original human beat-box, inventing a method to
imitate a drum machine using breath control through the teeth, lips,
and gums. He had a string of hit singles with his then-partner Slick Rick
in the early and mid-1980s, most notably on "The Show" and
"La-Di-Da-Di" in 1985. A subsequent album, "Oh, My God," included guest
stints from veteran jazz trumpeter Jimmy Owens and synthesizer player
Bernard Wright. Fresh also released a 1988 follow-up album, "The World's
Greatest Entertainer," and recorded an album in 1992 for M.C. Hammer's
short-lived Capitol/EMI Records-distributed label, Bust It Records.
After recording another album for Gee Street Records in the mid-1990s
and appearing on many other artists' albums, Fresh disappeared for a
few years. He has just resurfaced as a solo artist with a new release
on a small independent label, but he remains an active force in hip-hop
music, appearing as a guest artist on many records, to the present
day.
