tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post4670530057578631182..comments2024-03-06T03:34:02.844-05:00Comments on Werner von Wallenrod's Humble, Little Hip-Hop Blog: Who Were the Gifted 4?Werner von Wallenrodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-48427650471217126882021-11-15T02:25:58.262-05:002021-11-15T02:25:58.262-05:00Interesting - can't say I saw EDM-Trap coming!...Interesting - can't say I saw EDM-Trap coming! I'll definitely be checking it out when it goes live. Werner von Wallenrodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-18674052548142038382021-11-01T16:32:30.091-04:002021-11-01T16:32:30.091-04:00Hey majorbeats. We came close to completing a Gift...Hey majorbeats. We came close to completing a Gifted 4 master mix titled " Birth of a Genre". The samples were great, the birth of a genre verse didn't sound aggressive enough. SorryAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757915733932494361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-84344991921224258952021-11-01T16:24:41.141-04:002021-11-01T16:24:41.141-04:00Howdy WVW, thanks for the platform.
Mr.j of the ...Howdy WVW, thanks for the platform.<br /> Mr.j of the Gifted 4 with an update. <br />first- Hope everyone has been COVID safe.<br />My efforts to get the fellas to record a final jam fell a little short ( sorry Majorbeats) however. <br /><br />All smart emcees have a little something in that back pocket, so. Mark 12/ 7/ 2021 and join me as I drop a little " Hip Hop Geritol ". Afrika Bambaataa style. EDM-Trap musically( crank it up ). Vocally- acknowledging the elements of the culture.<br /> Long live HIP HOP PeaceAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757915733932494361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-38851216930465332092020-08-02T00:03:42.617-04:002020-08-02T00:03:42.617-04:00Hey Gifted 4. Can you through us an EP so we can c...Hey Gifted 4. Can you through us an EP so we can complete the cycle of life in this thing called Hip Hop. Majorbeatshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15217329705910798566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-34189014563528216642019-10-10T08:50:55.500-04:002019-10-10T08:50:55.500-04:00Thanks Werner von Wallenrod! I still have my Break...Thanks Werner von Wallenrod! I still have my Breakdance Fever compilation cassette from 1984 in Barcelona (way harder to find classics than in New Jersey) and back then Temper was one of our crew favorite songs. This is the first time I found the names and COMMENTS from the Gifted 4! Please, share some group picture from the 80s to put faces!!!Dreadfulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669471046700230049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-14541638980258074822018-07-09T20:54:46.361-04:002018-07-09T20:54:46.361-04:00Hey Werner Von,
Mr.J on the check in to attach a...Hey Werner Von,<br /> Mr.J on the check in to attach an addendum to my post dated 10/09/16. <br /> In the 5th paragraph I made mention of the new car our manager/ producer was driving after the signing of our record contract. <br />Fact check revealed, the manager's new car had no relation to the record deal.<br /> But keep your radars up as we ( The Gifted 4 ) plan to release a CD dedicated to that First Class of hip hop. <br /> Long live Hip Hop ( The worlds greatest youth movement ever). <br /> Peace G4<br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13757915733932494361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-17414395685571005732016-10-11T01:50:10.287-04:002016-10-11T01:50:10.287-04:00Hey! Werner Von Wallenrod
My name is Rick James (...Hey! Werner Von Wallenrod<br /> My name is Rick James (AKA) Mr.J. I held down the lead position in the group. The gifted 4 emcees.<br />First of all, let me thank you for your interest in the group. It certainly makes me think. There may be some unfinished business to tend to.<br /> I was born in the U.S.Virgin Islands and raised in the Bronx, NY. I attended Dewitt HS, Lehman college and served in the U.S.Navy (Pearl Harbor).I'm a happily married family man and a supervisor with the NYC Transit authority.<br /> If I recall correctly, In 1981 or so Guy R.(AKA) Guy Master asked me to come and rap for a DJ who was attempting to form his own group(crew). That's when i met Chris Cross and his mc partner lloydie Gee.The 4 of us started out doing house parties with this DJ. There was a little issue between two of the members and lloye left the group. Guy R, then brought in Mike(AKA) Mighty Mike. The DJ moved onto other endeavors and we began to focus on becoming recording artist.<br />We started holding our rehearsal's at Chris Cross's place, and Guy introduced us to a musician Diamond Brown. Diamond became our Manager/ Producer. Our first two singles "The Arrival" and "Rocking all night long", turned out to be only house party worthy. We then went back into the studio and recorded "Temper" and "Sounds Of The Mic".Mike came up with the concept( What motivates the party people. The music or the MC ?). Mike wrote the first half and Diamond wrote the second half, to solidify the concept. The rest of the members wrote their own introductory rhymes.Mike was inspired by the music from the song."There's something going on" by Frida (From the group Abba). <br /> Jive/Arista A&R Barry Weiss heard our conceptual songs and offered us a contract.This is always where things get a little fuzzy. The other members may or may not recall. A few weeks after the signing.Our Manager/Producer was driving a new car.In a conversation with him.He explained to me that he had sold the group, to the record company. Whoa!<br />Our vanishing act came as a result of haste. the record company wanted new material. We went up to DB's place. He played some new music. Within 2-3 hours we had a song. We had never worked that fast before. I can't even recall what I said on that recording. I only recall the Hook and the bridge.You know the rest. It was presented to the record company with disastrous results.Termination of contract.So regardless of record sales at that time. If we had put in the time to create a well thought out conceptual song. There would have been a Gifted 4 3rd release.<br /> So at the end of the day.Experience is the best teacher of all. And i'm glad to be among the few that can say, Been there. Done that. Recordings, Performances and Royalty checks. <br /> Once again, Thank You Werner Von for your interest.<br /> Peace to my Gifted 4 brothers and DJ Amin<br /> GOD Bless<br /> Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-37079546810235505012016-10-10T11:02:43.118-04:002016-10-10T11:02:43.118-04:00Yes, please! I've listed to "Sounds Of t...Yes, please! I've listed to "Sounds Of the Mic" more times throughout my life than many of Hip-Hop's all-time biggest records.Werner von Wallenrodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04102856408266833762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-59034112889207766382016-10-09T23:45:23.509-04:002016-10-09T23:45:23.509-04:00Hey Werner Von
It's true. If you seek, you&#...Hey Werner Von<br /> It's true. If you seek, you'll find. The baby of the bunch (Mighty Mike) was the first to respond. I'll come thru in a bit to share my thoughts as well<br /> Mr.J on the check . PeaceAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-29365652991436634122016-10-06T04:49:00.809-04:002016-10-06T04:49:00.809-04:00Whoah! Werner, schedule an interview, stat!Whoah! Werner, schedule an interview, stat!Slappy White https://www.blogger.com/profile/10448407750699623421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1532830659867404404.post-75426626457751300342016-10-05T16:22:30.802-04:002016-10-05T16:22:30.802-04:00Hello,I am one of the members of the Gifted 4. My ...Hello,I am one of the members of the Gifted 4. My mc name at that time was "Mighty-Mike." The other 3 members were "Mr.J", "Guy Master" and "Chris Cross". We were the creators and writers of the group. we wrote our own rhymes and came up with our own hooks. Dimon Brown was our producer. We also had a DJ that was down with us called "DJ Amin" We were on Jive at a time when Houdini and Billy Ocean were hitting the industry pretty hard and the record label was sort of putting all of their energies into those two groups. So we had to pretty much market and promote ourselves. And at the time we were all pretty young and inexperienced in those matters. But we started a slight buzz in the industry even making it onto one Billboard magazine new artist lists and even having our song played on "American Bandstand" which was almost unheard of in rap at that time. But we got lost in the sauce with the label and got dropped from the label a few years later.And this was also before rap videos really hit the scene. But all in all it was an amazing experience being a part of the progression of original Hip-Hop music. We were also on a few compilation albums and tapes over the years. We appreciate the acknowledgement from this Blog and those responsible for the site! It put a big smile on this 51 year old grandfathers face!We are still all alive and kicking!!! "For Those Of You Who Don't Know My Name/Before I Was The Master,The M&M Plain/But Then I Had To Get A Title,To Soothe Your Delight/ Created The Name With Power!Now They Call Me Mighty Mike!!" Real Hip-Hop Lives on! " We Are The Gifted 4! And We'll Be Back For More! RRRAHH!" Peace! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com