Harlem World Presents The Treacherous Three's Grand Anniversary Celebration, May 15, 1982

Party flyers were a staple in the early years of Hip-Hop and hard-copy invitations were the main medium for communicating information and promoting an event. The flyers symbolized many key appearances, acts, conventions, DJ performances, and contests in the Hip-Hop scene. Many flyers were created by local graffiti artists such as Buddy Esquire and Phase 2. The flyers were often presented by Hip-Hop promoters, DJs, and MCs who hosted the parties. Money was given to the artist to draw creative art and graphics for about $40-$60 for around 1,000 party flyers. The parks’ open public spaces have provided the perfect venues for park jams, impromptu dance-offs, and rap battles that established the sound, fashion, art, and message of Hip-Hop. Most of the Hip-Hop parties were a space for positivity where many of the Hip-Hop community could escape the realities of racism that included police brutality, drug abuse, and gang violence in their surrounding communities.

Known as the Harlem World Cultural and Entertainment Complex everyone called it “The World.” Located at 116th and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue), from 1978 to 1985, it was the home of legendary Disco. Harlem World was a three-story club with a lighted dance floor, chandeliers, wall-to-wall gold shag carpeting, mirrored walls, and a one-of-a-kind, one-hundred-foot lightning bolt-shaped bar.  Chuck Foster was the co-owner of the Harlem World and was known as one of the men that were responsible for building Harlem World before becoming an owner. Harlem World hosted some of Rap music’s most historic M.C. battles and many of Rap’s earliest lyricists who birthed the idea to put Rap music on records were found at Harlem World. Anyone who was important came to perform at Harlem World such as Busy Bee, Love Bug Starski, Grand Master Flash & the Furious, Fantastic Romantic, Lady Smiley, Cold Crush, L. A. Sunshine, Treacherous Three, Doug E. Fresh, and Kool Moe Dee.

Treacherous Three is considered one of the pioneering old school Hip-Hop groups from Harlem, formed in 1978, consisting of Kool Moe Dee (Mohandas Dewese, b. 1963), LA Sunshine (Lamar Hill, b. unknown), Special K (Kevin Keaton, b. 1963), and DJ Easy Lee (Theodore Moy'e, b. unknown). One of the very first Rap acts put to wax, the Treacherous Three made their debut in 1978 on Enjoy Records and released several singles on the label, most notably "The Body Rock" (1980). The Treacherous Three became well known for their singles "Feel the Heartbeat" and "Whip It". They released their debut full-length album and were featured in the 1984 breakdance cult-movie Beat Street, performing the song "Xmas Rap" with Doug E. Fresh. As one of the members of one of the first Rap groups on record, Treacherous Three were also signed to Sugar Hill Records. Their talent influenced the emergence of a fast style of rapping called speed rapping which influenced the later course of Hip-Hop.

The Fearless Four is a Hip-Hop group from Harlem, New York. The group was made up of four MCs and two DJs, including Master O.C. (Oscar Rodriquez, Jr.), The Great Peso, Devastating Tito, Mighty Mike C, DLB alongside DJs Krazy Eddie. Their Fearless Four’s two biggest rap hits were “Rockin’ It,” which was released in 1982, and “Problems of the World Today,” which followed in 1983. It was the first crew to be signed to a major label, Elektra Records. The group only released one studio album, Creepin' up on Ya, which was released in 1994.

Cold Crush Brother’s original lineup consisted of DJ Tony Tone (Angelo King), Easy AD (Adrian Harris), DJ Charlie Chase (Carlos Mandes, b. 1959), Grandmaster Caz (Curtis Brown, b. 1960), Almighty KG (Kenneth Pounder), JDL (Jerry Dee Lewis) and Money Ray (Eric Hoskins). Whipper Whip (James Whipper) and DotA-Rock (Darryl Mason) were original members, but eventually, Whipper Whip and Dot-A-Rock left and joined the Fantastic Five, which they considered to be a more established group at the time. Soon, the group brought in Grandmaster Caz (formerly DJ Casanova Fly) who is known to be one of the top 50 MCs of all Time, and an inductee into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame and the Bronx Walk of Fame. The Cold Crush Brothers were known for their remarkable routines which included harmonies, melodies, and stage-stomping performances. The Cold Crush Brothers set the standard for emceeing. They built the reputation as the Rolling Stones of Hip Hop. Because of the attention they began to attract, many groups would try to battle them to gain rap credibility and Hip-Hop superiority.

Spoonie Gee (Gabriel Jackson, b. 1963), is one of the earliest Rap artists, and one of the few to have released rap records in the 1970s. some of the themes in his music were precursors of Gangsta Rap. Spoonie Gee received his 'Spoonie' nickname as a child because the spoon was the only utensil that he used to eat with. Spoonie's name was suggested, and he recorded "Spoonin' Rap", which was released on Brown's Sound of New York, USA imprint, featuring a lyric that included jailhouse references that would later become common in Gangsta Rap, and with echo applied to his vocals. Spoonie G was a founding member of the Treacherous Three, along with L.A. Sunshine and Kool Moe Dee. Spoonie Gee has been described as "the original gangsta rapper”. His career took off once again in 1987 with his debut album The Godfather of Rap, produced by Marley Marl and Teddy Riley, and issued on the Tuff City label.