Kool Moe Dee
Born: August 8, 1962
Birthplace: Manhattan, NY
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Mohandas Dewese aka Kool Moe Dee, is an American hip hop MC prominent during the late 1970s through the early 1990s. Kool Moe Dee was a member of the rap group Treacherous Three, and also one of the first rappers to earn a Grammy Award and was the first rapper to perform at the Grammys.
Kool Moe Dee attended the State University of New York at Old Westbury, where he received a degree in communications in 1985.
One of Kool Moe Dee's first feats was being part of the first major rap battle in history. He lyrically attacked Busy Bee after one of his performances in 1981. He was extremely mad at Busy Bee, for talking smack about other MC's, claiming that none of them could beat him in a contest. Moe Dee used some of his rhymes from "The New Rap Language" and "Whip It." He also used a little bit of Busy Bee's style during the battle. In 1985, the Treacherous Three disbanded. In 1986, he went solo, releasing a self-titled album that ranked 83 on Billboard. After meeting a young up and coming artist at Sugar Hill records by the name of Lavaba Mallison, who would later become his manager, Kool Moe Dee left Sugar Hill records to join Lavaba Mallison, Robert "Gusto" Wells, Greg Marius and up and coming Producer Teddy Riley at the newly founded ROOFTOP records. He co-operated with the young producers Teddy Riley and Lavaba Mallison which contributed greatly to the new jack swing movement that would gain popularity in the years to follow.
Kool Moe Dee released his second album, How Ya Like Me Now which was his most successful album commercially, achieving platinum status. He then went on to release his third album, Knowledge Is King in 1989, which went gold. In 1990, he performed on Quincy Jones' album Back on the Block along with fellow rappers Melle Mel, Big Daddy Kane and Ice-T. The album gained considerable critical and financial success and winning the 1991 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In 1991, the release of his album Funke, Funke Wisdom signaled Kool Moe Dee's decline. Moe Dee himself has stated that this was his worst album. He induced his release from Jive Records in 1992. After a two-year lay off, he released his greatest hits album which regained some of his former success and acclaim. In 1994, his album Interlude was released and failed to gain Moe Dee much of his former success of the mid '1980s. In 1993, he re-united with his fellow ex members of the Treacherous Three to release the album Old School Flava on Ichiban. His last commercial release was the single "Love Love/What You Wanna Do" which was released on Spoiled Brat Entertainment Inc. Moe Dee appeared in the MTV box office bomb Crossroads as a bartender.