Having initially started his career in 1978 in The Bronx after joining forces with Universal Zulu Nation, Donald-D, née Lamont, would soon be featured on Afrika Islam’s radio show the Zulu Beats on WHBI in ‘82. Shortly thereafter, Lamont and DJ Chuck Chillout formed a group called the B-Boys, before later heading out West where he would then meet Ice-T, thus becoming a member of the Rhyme Syndicate, and the rest, as it is written, is history…still in the making.
First things first, last year (August 11th 2023 to be exact) marked the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop — What exactly does that mean to and for you?
It means everything to me, it’s a milestone for Hip Hop. Just think about it, somethin’ that started in the Bronx from the baby stage into the teenage stage into a young man stage into a grown man stage @ 50, “yes yes y’all, and we won’t stop!”
To quote the late, great The Notorious B.I.G., “You never thought that Hip Hop would take it this far!” — Was this something that you ever could’ve imagined?
Never could have imagined what we was doin’ in the inner city would become massive. Not when the outsiders said it would never last, that it was just a fad. Hip Hop is now global, so, yes, it’s been taken very far.
What are some of your fondest, most stand-out moments / memories during your lengthy tenure in this thing called Hip Hop?
Wow, I got so many stand-out moments, and memories…here are some.
1- The first time I saw Busy Bee Starski rhyming, that made me want to MC.
2- Me rhyming @ my first jam in the group the As Salaam Brothers.
3- Rhyming with the Soulsonic Force @ Bronx River (Art) Center as a member of The Funk Machine.
4- Walking into The Roxy club, and seein’ that Hip Hop was now in midtown Manhattan.
5- Being a part of the Zulu Beat radio show with Afrika Islam and Red Alert.
6- Recording my first song as a member of The B-Boys.
7- Meeting Ice-T in 1985, and 3 years later we formed the Rhyme Syndicate.
8- Goin’ on The Dope Jam tour in 1988, and bein’ on stage in front of 20,000 people every night.
That said, what are your future plans and / or goals throughout the remainder of 2024 and beyond?
My plans are to continue recording music, doing shows, producing music for TV & films, and lectures.
Switching gears here, what exactly do you want people to get from your music?
I want the people to get that feel good feelin’ of classic Hip Hop that’s truly missing in today’s Hip Hop. You know, back to when it was fun and made you dance.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, who would it be and why?
That’s a great question, because I’ve done songs with Melle Mel, Caz, Whipper Whip, Kurtis Blow, Ice-T, Kool G Rap, Peter Gunz, Chuck D, Everlast, and Newcleus. So the artist living…
1- Rakim, and why? Because Rakim was on another level, and I think it would be a dope song; plus, he really never did collabos.
2- DJ Premier and Pete Rock, and why? Man, to be able to flow on any of their tracks would be it for me.
3- Treach, and why? He’s the master of the anthems, and I always loved how he flowed; plus, his wordplay is incredible.
4- Large Professor, and why? Great producer, and when I heard “Just a Friendly Game of Baseball” I was mad I didn’t make that song, lol! Because I once was so deep into playing the game.
5- Sade, and why? She is my favorite female singer of all time, and the soundtrack of when I was livin’ in the Bronx. I wanted to redo “Cherry Pie” with her so bad. The artist that passed away.
6- 2Pac, and why? He was a fan of my music, and I was a fan of his. We became friends while on the Public Enemy Tour, when he was in Digital Underground. I recorded a verse for what was supposed to be a remix of “How Do U Want It” with Johnny “J,” but it never came out.
7- Rammellzee and Biz Markie, and why? The both of them wanted to redo my B-Boys’ classic song “Girls” with me. Ram hit me up back when Myspace was poppin’. I was like, “let’s do it,” but he passed away before we could record it. Biz would call me rappin’ the verses in his style, lol! But we never got around to makin’ it happen.
8- The Temptations, and why? Man, my favorite group of all time. Saw them performing when I was a kid @ the Apollo. If I could have laid a verse on any of their classics, it would be a dream come true.
If you could play any venue in the world, which one would you choose and why?
Madison Square Garden, and why? It’s the Mecca!
On a more serious note, are you happy with the current state of Hip Hop?
The Current state of Hip Hop is fine, because it’s a culture of elements that’s built on a foundation. Now the current state of rap, that’s another story. It all sounds the same, all the females under-dressed and that’s the image the youth sees daily online. The male’s killin’ each other over what is supposed to be music and entertainment. But, the industry don’t care as long as the $$$$$$ is coming in.
What do you feel has and will continue to be the key to your longevity?
Just stayin’ in my lane, and true to my art, and being original. Not followin’ what others are doin’.
Do you have any other outside / additional (future) aspirations, maybe even completely away from entertainment?
Yes, would love to go back to coachin’ kids in baseball.
What’s an average day like for you?
Makin’ music, family, video games.
Please discuss how you interact with and respond to fans…
I interact with my fans as much as possible. See it was much different back when fans had to send letters to our fan club, lol! With social media, fans can hit you up worldwide…so I would go on YouTube and read the comments fans leave on my videos, and I would reply back thankin’ them. I also interact with them on my other social media platforms.
What is your favorite part about this line of work? Your least favorite? And, why?
My favorite part is that I really enjoy makin’ music and gettin’ to perform the music I make, travelin’ the globe, and teachin’ the early Hip Hop years to the kids. My least favorite is when it became a corporate takeover and they dictated to us what Hip Hop is supposed to be. Put an age limit on who could still be a recording artist, when no other genre of music does that.
What advice would you have for someone wanting to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t do it, it’s not the same like back in the day. It’s a hard industry to take part in and only the strong survives, as we see all that’s happenin’ in this modern day.
Looking ahead, say five or maybe even ten years from now, where do you see yourself?
Retired on a beach somewhere, telling old school Hip Hop stories.
Are there any upcoming projects?
Right now, we have the new B-Boys album, We Get Down, out right now on all online stores. It features Ice-T and Chuck D on a song, and it’s released on Chuck’s label called SpitSLAM Records. I’m workin’ on a new Donald-D album called Celebrate. Workin’ on a Hip Hop Children book with my first rhyme partner Easy A.D. from The Cold Crush Brothers. My Documentary and Book, so I got a lot of things baking in the oven.
Any “parting” words for our readers?
If you are a true lover of the Hip Hop culture, Breakin’, Emceein’, DJin, Graffiti and Beat Boxin’; we as the bricklayers appreciate your support, because we all we got. Peace!
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