Godfather Don

by Johnny Loftus
A creative force within New York Citys underground hip-hop scene, Godfather Don first appeared in 1991 with Hazardous, released on the Select imprint. The album established the Godfather as an MC influenced by the blatant, hard-hitting style of Chuck D. A few years later, the Don appeared on and produced the Ultramagnetic MCs Four Horsemen, which led to a collaboration with that groups standout, Kool Keith. The Cenobites EP was issued on Fondle Em Records, which was started by New York b-boy, DJ, and man about town Bobbito Garcia. The material on the EP had originally been recorded as gags or promos for Garcias underground hip-hop radio show on New Yorks WKCR. The Cenobites EP was then reissued by Fondle Em as a full-length LP. Throughout the 1990s, Godfather Don continued to work as a producer, working on tracks from Kool Keith, Hostyle, and Ayatollah, among others. In 1999, he released his second album, Diabolique, on which his flow was very similar to the bludgeoning raps of his 1991 debut. The album included cameo appearances from Kool Keith and Sir Menelik, and appeared on the Hydra Entertainment imprint, for which Godfather Don continued to record, releasing several 12 singles in 1999, 2000, and 2001.