Special K

One of the founding members of the Treacherous Three, Special K is an old-school rapper from New York City who was active throughout 1980s and early '90s. Born Kevin Keaton in the Bronx, NY, he is the younger brother of fellow old-school rapper T la Rock. In addition to rappers Kool Moe Dee and L.A. Sunshine, plus DJ Easy Lee, he was one of the Treacherous Three. 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). In 1982 the group moved to Sugar Hill Records, and released another series of singles. They also made their full-length debut on the label with The Treacherous Three (1984), which compiled past singles such as "The Body Rock." In 1985 the Treacherous Three splintered, and Kool Moe Dee swiftly embarked on a successful solo career, teaming with up-and-coming producer Teddy Riley in 1986 for the hit single "Go See the Doctor." Meanwhile, Special K also embarked on a solo career, though it proved considerably less fruitful. He made his solo debut in 1987 with "Special-K Is Good" on Public Records, and in 1988 he released the single "Knockout" on PKO Records. Neither of these singles led to a full-length album, however, and Special K instead turned toward production work. Most notably, he co-produced the full-length debut of Ed O.G & da Bulldogs, Life of a Kid in the Ghetto (1991), which spawned the hit single "Be a Father to Your Child." A few years later Special K reunited with the other members of the Treacherous Three and released the reunion album Old School Flava (1994) on Wrap Records. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi