| Lord Finesse | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Birth name |
Robert A. Hall Jr. |
|
Also known as |
The Funky Man, Underboss |
|
Born |
19 February 1970 |
|
Origin |
The Bronx, New York, United States |
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Genres |
|
|
Occupation(s) |
Rapper, record producer, DJ |
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Years active |
1987-present |
|
Label |
Wild Pitch Records (1989-1990) |
|
Associated acts |
Big L, Diamond D, Diggin' in the Crates Crew, DJ Mike Smooth, DJ Premier, Fat Joe, Jazzy Jay, O.C., Rhyme Syndicate Showbiz and A.G. |
Robert A. Hall Jr. (born February 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Lord Finesse, is an American rapper and record producer from The Bronx, New York. He is the leader of the East Coast hip hop collective Diggin' in the Crates Crew, and has helped artists such as AG, Big L and Showbiz begin their music careers.
In 1989, he signed with DJ Mike Smooth to Wild Pitch Records, and released the album Funky Technician in 1990. The album featured production from DJ Premier, Diamond D and Showbiz, and features the debut appearance of rapper AG, who appears on two songs. Soon afterwards, Finesse formed the Diggin' in the Crates Crew with Showbiz, AG and Diamond D, and they would later be joined by Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild and Big L.
Finesse split up with his DJ to release the solo album Return of the Funky Man in 1992, with the title track peaking at #13 on the Hot Rap Singles chart. The album also included a few songs that were produced by Finesse himself, and this would be the start of a career as a much respected hip hop producer. He made a production appearance on The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut album Ready to Die, on the final song "Suicidal Thoughts". In 1995, he produced a significant portion of Big L's debut album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, including the single "M.V.P.", and he also made a rapping appearance on the posse cut "Da Graveyard". That same year, he released his third studio album, The Awakening, which he produced solely by himself and enlisted a large number of vocal guests, including O.C., KRS-One, MC Lyte, Sadat X, Grand Puba, Large Professor, Akinyele, Showbiz, AG, Diamond D and Kid Capri.
Finesse has not released a studio album since The Awakening, but has continued his production work. He produced the song "The Message" from Dr. Dre's album 2001. Since signing a distribution deal with record label Slice-of-Spice in 2012, Hall has released numerous instrumental and remix projects.
Discography
Studio albums
- 1992: Return of the Funky Man
- 1996: The Awakening
Collaborative albums
- 1990: Funky Technician (with DJ Mike Smooth)