Keef Cowboy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Keith Wiggins (1960-09-20)September 20, 1960 |
| Origin | The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 8, 1989(1989-09-08) (aged 28) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 1978–1989 |
| Labels |
|
| Formerly of | Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five |
Robert Keith Wiggins (September 20, 1960 – September 8, 1989), known by his stage namesKeef Cowboy andCowboy,[1] was an American rapper and a member ofGrandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. He is widely credited as having invented the term "hip hop".[2]
Wiggins was first recruited to MC for his friendGrandmaster Flash (then DJ Flash) by 1977.[3] He was a dancer andhype man for the band, and was a pioneer in the use of thecall and response style to communicate with the audience. In 1983, he left the group and joinedMelle Mel, with whom he recorded the single "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)", followed by the albumGrandmaster Melle Mel and the Furious Five in 1985.
He has been credited with coining the term "hip hop"[4] in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined theUnited States Army. He did so byscat singing the made-up words "hip/hop/hip/hop" in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the "hip hop" cadence into his stage performance.[5][6]
He was addicted to cocaine in the last two years of his life and died of a drug overdose in 1989.[7]
He is mentioned in the 1998 song "In Memory Of…" byGang Starr, which references multiple hip hop figures who have died.[8]
Partially based on:[7]
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