Who out there remembers my man Kurious Jorge?
In ‘93, he released his debut LP A Constipated Monkey on Hoppoh/Columbia Records. I was an Executive Producer on it, but have known Jorge his whole life as we both lived on 97th St. growing up. Little known fact, but he played ball at Trinity School and with the Central Baptist Kings in the City-Wide AA summer league. No handle, couldn’t defend, but had a decent mid-range jumper with good form. He also had kicks! When I first came home after graduating from college in ‘88, homeboy was on the block in the only light blue nubuck Nike AF1 lows he copped at Jew Man’s up in the Bronx where the people were fresh. Nobody had his Carolinas in our ‘hood! Exclusive! He even lent them to me once to wear for a dance performance I had at a downtown club.
Another little known fact: Kurious was my first co-host on the WKCR 89.9FM DJ Stretch Armstrong Show starting in ‘90, years before Lord Sear would become infamous for baking cats on the mic opposite me on the boards. Once his rhyming career starting taking off, Jorge left the show, but he was an integral part in establishing a high standard for off the top of the head rhyme performances for us.
Last week, former HS All-American @ LaSalle Academy Craig Batchelor, Kadi Amin (formerly known as the “Man With the Yellow Hat”), and I got up behind Grant Projects to play some 1 on 1s. Jorge come through in his usual calm manner. He hasn’t changed much, and is still rhyming. He’s currently working on an album with Amalgam Records. To find out more, hit him up here.
For a refresher, peep his first single “Walk a Duck,” shot at the legendary “Goat Park” b-ball court:
May 13th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
mr. k1x says:
that album was hot !! is he boriqua or dominican??
May 13th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Chris says:
k1x, i believe he is half PR and half Cuban. his album is one of my favorites of all time. the production is so smooth courtesy of the beatnuts, pete nice and daddy rich etc; kurious was like the every-man’s MC, and that is what i loved most about him.. we could all relate to living in the inner city, so hip hop always related to us, but not all of us are drug dealers or killers or whatever.. in fact, most of were way more like kurious, than rich porter or alpo and all the MC’s who claim to have been like them prior to their recording careers (ha!)..
just true new york hip hop.. i still bump it to this day..
May 13th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
CasUno says:
Yo, some digital label based outta Boston re-issued his album not too long ago….
Does anyone know IF? RuffHouse/Columbia authorized this at all?
Same artwork, same everything including B sides from the 12 inches taken from the vinyl (you can hear the “sound quality”)….
He came up here (Mass) a few times this year to promote and perform…
Word has it (And I’m a BIG Kurious fan too, Hoppoh), that ya man couldn’t spit one word from said album and a local MC also performing that night ended up doing ALL his songs for him….
Say it ain’t so…..
I’ll always have faith in the Magician, he had a killer 12 inch not too too long ago on some Euro ish. Type tastey.
Honululu…..
May 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
illest says:
kurious was ill. i recall seeing him in dc in like 97 riding the train and asked him to be on my radio show.
those must be the uptowns that he was talking about in whered you get those. why doesnt nike produce some like that? or those chocolate joints? thanks bob for the ones you did.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
cas uno-
the UK 12″ was called ‘all great’ on stonesgroove records, came out around 2002 i think. as for jorge forgetting ALL his rhymes, i doubt that, but even back in teh day he was known to forget a line or two during shows, but he was always able to rhyme off the top of the head (i introduced him to that) so that’s what made it always sparkle. you never knew what was gonna happen when he grabbed the mic.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
oh, and regarding su nacionalidad, he had a rhyme,
‘half puerto rican, half cuban, not fidel,
castro, like an astro, so you know i excel . . .’
May 13th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
CasUno says:
“Got a Aunt named Tom, an Uncle named Jemima…”
Bongos, no doubt, Kurious was by far one of my favorite Latino rappers and I’d buy anything new he had to offer, I was just regurgitating grape vine chatter for conversations sake….It was just what I had heard from that show’s host that night….
Good looks on the 12 inch infokill. That ish was correct fah sho’….
Bring back FruitMeat man, so we can deal w/ these legends in real time, damn it!!!!! hahaha
PS: My favorite Latino rapper by far is Anthony Cruz aka A Butta, but Jorge of The Projects is definitely up there!!!!
There it is, here’s the sound, got a blunt, bust me down 45 not St. Ide’s is the beer that we down”…Wait, is that even right? I suck at remembering the 90s yo…
May 13th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
lord sear says:
WoooooW! Fruit Meat!! A classic well I rememba doez dayz! Cause “I DID IT” that’s a quick lyric from the almighty eli the rapper (youtube.com) I wish I can go back in time but hey life goes on ya heard one L to robert, jorge, kadi RIP to KAENIT (C.M)! UNO
May 13th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Drew Peets says:
I remember some rumor that Puff wanted to sign Kurious to Bad Boy at one point? True/False?
I love that album but I couldn’t play it anytime Sear was in the car. Even though his crooning on “Uptown Sh*t”, is my well sh*t.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
Jeremy Ripley says:
“I’m Kurious” was my favorite joint off of his Constipated Monkey LP….
May 13th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
ayo, “I DID IT!” sear, that may be the funniest rhyme i’ve ever heard you play. you gotta bring back the love poems on sirius. cm fam forever
May 13th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Teddy "Doowop" says:
Whatever happened to Jew Man’s?
May 14th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Senor Kaos says:
Crackhead broke in my car and stole this Album. I haven’t been able to find a original copy since! Damn… I aint never know Lord Sear was actually Skinny at one point either, Crazy!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
CasUno says:
Sear was skinny then? He was?
Sear, can you please bust the illy raggae inspired dance you rocked at the end of the “UpTown Sh*t” next time I get the blessed opportunity to visit your upstairs neighbor?
PS: You needa bring it back to large fro w/ a bandana styles, son…..
Hindu Love was my sh*t btw….
May 15th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
teddy-
jew man’s is still open, but haven’t sold sneakers in years. incredible to think, but the brands gave them problems keeping their accounts open. and to think, after all they did for the culture. go figure.
yes, sear was skinny at one point in his teenage years, before the inventino of the sassy slide mini-burger which you can’t hide the sassy slide, a say what? even though i put out ‘hindu love,’ my actual favorite 12″ release of his is “hello.” way better than lionel ritchie version of that title . . .
May 15th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Eric R. says:
And Craig B. (in the background I presume) STILL hasn’t met a shot he didn’t like…
May 17th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
CasUno says:
Yo, I almost forgot (didn’t catch it), Jorge reppin the strong Syracuse sweatshirt!!!
frESH…