Roc Raida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roc Raida
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Anthony Williams |
| Also known as | Grandmaster Roc Raida |
| Born | May 17, 1972 Harlem, New York City, NY |
| Origin | New York City, NY |
| Died | September 19, 2009 (aged 37) New York City, NY |
| Genres | |
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| Years active | 1989–2009 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | The X-Ecutioners Rob Swift MF Grimm Knobody |
Anthony Williams (born May 17, 1972 – died September 19, 2009) was a super talented American DJ. He was known as Roc Raida or Grandmaster Roc Raida. He was also a turntablist, which means he was an expert at using turntables to make music. Roc Raida was also a music producer. He was a key member of the famous DJ group called The X-Ecutioners.
Roc Raida joined a group called the X-Men in the late 1980s. Later, the group changed its name to The X-Ecutioners because of copyright rules. This group released three studio albums. These albums were X-Pressions in 1997, Built from Scratch in 2002, and Revolutions in 2004.
In the 1990s, Roc Raida worked with rapper MF Grimm. Roc Raida's DJ skills can be heard on MF Grimm's album Scars & Memories. Besides his work with MF Grimm and The X-Ecutioners, Roc Raida also released his own music. His most famous solo album was Rock Phenomenon in 2005. He made this album with DJ Vlad. It was a "mash-up" album, which means it mixed rock music with hip hop. This album won an award for the best Mash-Up Mixtape of the Year.
Roc Raida also produced songs for many other artists. These artists included Ill Al Skratch, Showbiz and A.G., the Jungle Brothers, Mad Skillz, Smif-N-Wessun, Jehst, and Big Pun. He was also the DJ for the famous rapper Busta Rhymes.
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Roc Raida's Achievements
Roc Raida was a true champion in the DJ world. In 1995, he won the DMC World DJ Championships. This is a very big competition for DJs from all over the world. Four years later, he was honored by being added to the DMC Hall of Fame. This means he was recognized as one of the best DJs ever.
He also appeared in movies and TV shows. In 2001, he was in the film Scratch. He also appeared in the international TV series Kung Faux.
Roc Raida passed away on September 19, 2009. He had complications from an accident that happened a few weeks earlier.
Remembering Roc Raida
On March 20, 2012, another DJ named Rob Swift released an album. This album was called Roc for Raida. It was a collection of songs and DJ routines that showed Roc Raida's amazing talent. The album also included old interviews. All the money made from this album went to Roc Raida's family.
Roc Raida's Music
Here are some of the albums Roc Raida released during his career.
Solo Albums
- 1997: The Adventures of Roc Raida... One Too Many!
- 2000: Crossfaderz
- 2001: We Them ...
- 2003: Champion Sounds
- 2004: Kung Faux
- 2005: Rock Phenomenon (This album won an award for best mash-up mixtape)
- 2007: Beats, Cuts and Skits
Albums with The X-Ecutioners
- 1997: X-Pressions
- 2002: Built from Scratch
- 2004: Revolutions
