Who was Keef Cowboy?
Keef Cowboy, born Robert Keith Wiggins, was an American rapper and a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He is widely credited as having invented the term hip-hop.
Questions about Keef Cowboy
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Keef Cowboy coin the term hip hop?
In 1978, Keef Cowboy teased a friend who had just joined the United States Army by scat singing the made-up words hip, hop, hip, hop in a cadence that mimicked marching soldiers. He later worked that same cadence into his own stage performances.
When did Keef Cowboy join Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five?
Keef Cowboy was recruited in 1977 by his friend Grandmaster Flash, then performing as DJ Flash, to serve as an MC for the group. He went on to work as its dancer and hype man and became a pioneer of the call and response style.
When did Keef Cowboy leave Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five?
Keef Cowboy left the group in 1983 and joined Melle Mel, with whom he recorded the single White Lines (Don't Don't Do It) and the 1985 album Grandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five.
How did Keef Cowboy die?
Keef Cowboy died of a drug overdose in 1989 after cocaine addiction marked the final two years of his life.
How is Keef Cowboy remembered in hip hop music?
Keef Cowboy is remembered as the rapper credited with coining the term hip hop. He was also named in Gang Starr's 1998 song In Memory Of…, which references multiple hip hop figures who have died.