Half of the
DJ Premier-produced golden age duo
Group Home,
Lil' Dap is an East Coast rapper closely affiliated with
Gang Starr. Born James Heath, he made his recording debut in 1992 on the classic
Gang Starr album
Daily Operation (1992) on the song "I'm the Man." He was also featured on
Gang Starr's subsequent album,
Hard to Earn (1994), on the song "Speak Ya Clout." Around this same time period,
Lil' Dap made his recording debut as half of the duo
Group Home on the
Gang Starr Foundation Sampler (1993). Produced by
DJ Premier and
Guru of
Gang Starr, the three-track 12" release on Ill Kid Records features the
Group Home song "So Called Friends" alongside songs by
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and
Big Shug. Also featuring
Melachi the Nutcracker,
Group Home released their debut single, "Supa Star," in 1994 on
Gang Starr's label, Payday; their full-length album debut,
Livin' Proof, followed in 1995. Produced almost entirely by
DJ Premier,
Livin' Proof is a cult classic among
Gang Starr aficionados. Unfortunately, four long years passed before
Group Home's follow-up album,
A Tear for the Ghetto (1999), on which
DJ Premier produced only one track, "The Legacy." Released this time on Replay Records,
A Tear for the Ghetto wasn't as well received as
Livin' Proof, more or less marking the end of
Group Home's recording career. In the years that followed, little was heard from
Lil' Dap. Nearly a decade passed before he mounted a comeback with
I-A-Dap (2008), his long-awaited full-length solo album debut. Released on Babygrande,
I-A-Dap features production by
Large Professor,
Big Noyd, and
the Alchemist.
–
Jason Birchmeier, Rovi