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Examiner Bio DJ Thief Est. 1984 Milwaukee rap pioneer is back part 1
August 12, 5:53 PMMilwaukee Hip-Hop Music ExaminerNicholas MontoyaPrevious
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1997 classic Lyrical Liquor DJ THIEFThief Da High Priest is a 25 year Brew City rap vet who's been repping the scene since 1984. Along with rapping he also produces and DJ's. Contest winner of 1986 African World Festival (Afro-Fest) while apart of the rap group "Two-Tone", his talents were recognized by a Dallas DJ in the crowd looking for a group to promote, who just so happened to be the personal physician of the legendary Stevie Wonder. Thief was flown out to California to work on his debut album at the age of 18 years old. In Cali he made numerous contacts and also the affiliation of Ice-T and The Rhyme Syndicate. He was also on the set of Everlast's first music video.
DJ Mike T from Compton's Most Wanted was his DJ shortly before Mike-T hooked up with MC 8. The project which was produced by the Cold Crush Brothers unfortunately never materialized and Thief headed back to Milwaukee with an SP-12 Turbo and a broken dream. From that point on he went solo, learned how to sample and began producing his own music. In 1992 he was instrumental in providing talent found on Milwaukee's first ever released rap CD. "Dying Breed". He was given his first co-production for the project. In 1997 DJ Thief released his first full-length CD entitled "Lyrical Liquor" considered by many a rare Mil-town G-funk classic. Along with fellow Brew City legends Coo-Coo Cal and A-G-2-A-Ke, his CD appeared in listening stations in the now defunct Sam Goody stores across the city. He also had a memorable video for his song "High Paid Professional" which was in heavy rotation at the time. In 2000 he released the EP, "Mil-Town Mack". Frustrated with not attaining the level of success he had hoped for thief pulled back from the music scene for eight years. But there's only so long you can stay away from something you love, and so in march of 2008 he found his way back to the scene. You can catch him and some of his new material at MYSPACE.COM/THIEFDAFUNKPRIEST. In April of this year he began digital distribution and released his third CD "Frozen in Rhyme" and also has video work for the title track. Directed by Dying Breed founder Jay-Roll. On July 28th his single "Roots in Rock" was released on iTunes and Amazon.com and is doing well. National radio stations across the country are giving this one some well deserved attention. Milwaukee is an odd place, lots of talent, lacks of respect. Thief the High Priest is certainly a pioneer in the Milwaukee rap movement. Long before the entire city was flooded with Mr. me too rappers and posers this guy has been putting it down for his city since before it was the norm. He once wrote "before these dark circles / i was/ helpin clear them hurdles/ pretty much sums up the DNA of this original MC. Poignant lyrics from a humble man and a talented OG, this city should take note and pay homage those who done it first and do it right. They say history repeats its self so it's no surprise Thief Da High Priest Is back for more. Its too bad a lot of these Milwaukee MCs pay no mind to their history, so to help with some of that ill be doing an interview with Da High Priest to gain some insight into just who this cat really is and what his music is all about. stay tuned, until then watch this sample of Thief below.
www.youtube.com/watch
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Discography
Lyrical Liquor LP, Milltown Mack EP, Next Big Heist LP, True School LP, Frozen in Rhyme Lp & Roots in Rock maxi-single on itunes & Amazon.
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Bio
THIEF DA HIGH PRIEST IS A 25 YR BREW TOWN RAP VET WHO HAS BEEN REP'N SINCE 84. ALONG W RAPPING HE ALSO PRODUCES, & DJ'S. HE WAS THE WINNER OF A RAP CONTEST AT WHAT WAS THEN CALLED "AFRO-FEST" IN 86 WEN HE RAPPED W A GROUP CALLED TWO-TONE. A DALLAS DJ IN THE CROWD KNEW THE PERSONAL PHYSICIAN OF STEVIE WONDER WHO WAS LOOKING 4 A RAP GROUP 2 PROMOTE. THIEF WAS FLOWN OUT 2 CALIFORNIA TO WORK ON HIS DEBUT ALBUM AT THE AGE OF 18. WHILE IN CALI HE BECAME AFFILIATED W ICE T & THE RHYME SYNDICATE & WAS ON THE SET 4 EVERLAST'S FIRST VIDEO. HE ALSO HAD DJ MIKE T FROM COMPTON'S MOST WANTED AS HIS DJ, B4 T HOOKED UP W MC 8. THE PROJECT WHICH WAS PRODUCED BY THE LEGENDARY COLD CRUSH BROS, UNFORTUNATELY NEVER MATERIALIZED, & THIEF CAME BACK 2 THE MIL W AN SP-12 TURBO & A BROKEN DREAM. HE WENT SOLO, LEARNED HOW 2 SAMPLE & BEGAN PRODUCING HIMSELF. IN 1992 HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PROVIDING A GOOD SHARE OF THE TALENT FOUND ON MILWAUKEE'S 1ST EVER RELEASED RAP CD, "DYING BREED", & WAS GIVEN HIS 1ST CO-PRODUCTION CREDIT. IN 1997 UNDER THE MONIKER "DJ THIEF", HE RELEASED HIS 1ST CD "LYRICAL LIQUOR", WHICH IS CONSIDERED BY MANY 2 B A RARE MILWAUKEE G-FUNK CLASSIC! ALONG W FELLOW MIL-TOWN LEGENDS COO-COOL CAL, & A-G-2-A-KE, HIS CD APPEARED IN LISTENING STATIONS IN THE NOW DEFUNCT SAM GOODY STORES ACROSS THE CITY. HE ALSO HAD A MEMORABLE MATA VIDEO 4 HIS SONG "HIGH PAID PROFESSIONAL", WHICH WAS IN HEAVY ROTATION AT THAT TIME. IN 2000 HE WAS RELEASED THE EP, "MIL-TOWN MACK", ANUTHA HARD 2 FIND COLLECTORS ITEM. FRUSTRATED W NOT ATTAINING THE LEVEL OF SUCCESS HE HAD HOPED 4, THIEF PULLED BACK FROM THE LOCAL SCENE 4 8 YRS. IN MARCH OF 2008 HE ESTABLISHED A MYSPACE PAGE (MYSPACE.COM/THIEFDAFUNKPRIEST) WHICH EVENTUALLY ENCOURAGED HIM 2 RELEASE ANUTHA PROJECT. IN APRIL OF THIS YEAR HE OBTAINED A DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION DEAL & RELEASED HIS 3RD CD, "FROZEN IN RHYME". THE TITLE TRACK IS ALSO AN HD VIDEO DIRECTED BY DYING BREED FOUNDER JAY-ROLL, WHICH HAS GENERATED A GREAT DEAL OF PLAYS ON YOU TUBE. ON JULY 28TH, HIS SINGLE "ROOTS IN ROCK" WAS RELEASED ON I-TUNES & AMAZON, & IS GETING SOME AIRPLAY ON NATIONAL RADIO STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY! HE IS LOOKING TO SOLIDIFY HIS LEGACY IN A CITY THAT HAS BECOME OVER-SATURATED W MC'S, & HONESTLY HAS NO DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF THE MANY MIL-TOWN PIONEERS WHO PAVED THE WAY 4 2DAY'S YOUNGER MC'S! A HEARTFELT RAPPER IN A HEARTLESS WORLD, THIEF DA HIGH PRIEST IS A BREW CITY VET WHO HAS INSPIRED MANY 2 PURSUE THEIR DREAMS & BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES AS WELL! 2 QUOTE 1 OF HIS LYRICS, "B4 THESE DARK CIRCLES, I WAS HELPIN CLEAR THEM HURDLES!" POIGNANT LYRICS SPOKEN FROM A HUMBLE, TALENTED OG. THAZ WUSSUP!
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