Some audio that’s been floating around of the Fearless Four performing live in 1985. Part One, part Two. Below is an excerpt of a 2007 interview with Silver Fox by Troy L Smith where he talked in detail about being influenced by the Fearless Four.
Another crew I really appreciate was the Fearless Four. One of the members, Tito, was a little guy who was young and it seemed as though Head Hunters record was his theme song. It was his rhymes, the cadence, and the way Peso and the rest of group would flow in. All the group members were good but they were all very different.
So is Tito the very first person that made you say this is what I want to do?
Well he is the first guy that made me see there was more that could be done with Rap. Tito was lyrical so he made me feel you could take rap to another level.
Let me say this, you are older than all of the members of the Fearless Four and maybe 1 or 2 years older then Peso who was the oldest member. You came more from the Hollywood, Eddie Cheba cats or Disco guys. At least that was the impression I got hearing about you. So if Tito influenced you like that, what about Fantastic, Cold Crush Etc.?
I was gone before that started, I was in Alaska. So when I came back from Alaska it was like 1977 or 78. Tito and them did not do their records Its Magic or Problems of the World just yet, but they were known on the streets for just doing their thing before they blew up.
I listened to a lot of emcees but Tito and the rest of his crew were the first to make me start writing rhymes because they had that edge and great lyrical skills. I have to say this about Tito, Mike and the rest of the crew, emcees all over Harlem thought they were good or the best but the Fearless Four were real good. Plus they were also humble.
I used to listen to Tito and his flow was like, “Man!” Head Hunters was like his favorite along with Cat Stevens Dog a Donut. His flow and the way he articulated him self really impressed me. I liked his flow because I too would try and flow like a drum over rhythm and that is what I heard him doing. I thought they were all good so I ran in the house and started to write my own rhymes. One day the Fearless Four had their equipment out and I was like, “Yeah I got something, they are going to put me down.” I walked out of my building up to their building in the projects, which is up La Salle and 124th street hill. They were having a block party and they let me get on the mic and I started saying my rhymes. Well quite naturally I was very new and green at this so my brother snatched me off the mic and said, “What are you doing?”.
So you were just going by what Tito and Mike Cee were doing and tried your hand at it!
Exactly, because I like what they were saying and doing but I tried to do it with no kind of guidance, nurturing,just nothing! I wrote some old corny ass rhymes and tried to say them and my brother snatched me off the mic and said, “yo what are you doing” and he took me back to our building into the staircases. My brother and your man Big Kev aka Kev Ski from out of 55 La Salle of the Grant Projects broke it down to me. They started beating on the wall and let me listen to their flow and cadence and my brother then said, “All that nursery rhyme s— is played out, talk about who you are and what you do and how can’t nobody deal with you and this and that.”
So I took notes and being as my mother was a member of the tenant association we were able to use the community room in my building and Crazy Eddie and Tito used to come over there with the equipment a lot and work on stuff. And now I am writing and listening to people and memorizing and trying new stuff with them, as well as creating my own style. See I really couldn’t listen to other emcees because I would start to emulate them, and I didn’t want to sound like them. So I would listen to them once and then throw it out of my head.
Right but I am not really trying to get them amped that way I am trying to get then into the mood of hearing stuff. I myself am already amped. I’m like feel this beat make your own head nod now listen to these rhymes. That was what I liked about Tito he would get me to want to listen. Mike and DLB were awesome also. But DLB used to twist his words around and it was like a musical collogue. DLB would twist things around and then pause at certain times when you didn’t think he was going to pause. Then come in with three words and then a breather here and he would bounce like a percussionist. By me watching these guys I said to my self that is what the next level is going to be like.
