MC Shy D

Bronx to Atlanta

Peter T. Jones, known as MC Shy D, was born in 1966 and spent his early years in the Bronx River Projects in New York, near his cousin Afrika Bambaataa. In 1978 his family relocated to the Atlanta area, settling in Ellenwood, and he brought Bronx-style rap south while Atlanta's scene was still in its infancy; before him the city had produced only scattered rap records, such as Mo-Jo's 1982 single “Battmann.”

First records

In 1985 he released “Rapp Will Never Die” on 4 Sight Records, a Miami label run by Billy Hines, along with “Shy D Is Back.” After meeting Fresh Kid Ice of 2 Live Crew in Florida he signed with Luther Campbell's Luke Skyywalker Records, and he became known as one of the first rappers to come out of Atlanta.

Luke Records era

His debut album “Got to Be Tough” arrived in 1987, and “Comin' Correct in 88” followed with contributions from DJ Toomp and Mike Fresh. The 1988 single “Shake It,” produced by Toomp, and “Atlanta – That's Where I Stay” cast him as the city's representative in rap, as his sound drifted toward Miami bass. Later albums included “Don't Sweat Me” (1990) and “The Comeback” (1993).

Disputes and legacy

An aggravated assault conviction kept him in prison until 1993. In a small-world link to the next generation, André 3000's mother had worked with Shy D's father at General Motors. Shy D later won about $1.6 million in back royalties and punitive damages from Luther Campbell over his two 1980s albums on Campbell's label. Subsequent projects included “Recordnize” with DJ Smurf (1996) and “Against the Odds” with Tha Rhythum (1999). He is widely cited as a founding figure of recorded Atlanta rap and of the bass sound that later generations built on.