T La Rock

Terrence Ronnie Keaton known by the stage name T La Rock, (born September 16, 1961) is an American old-school emcee best known for his collaboration with Def Jam Recordings co-founder Rick Rubin and the 1984 single "It's Yours."

Biography Early years Keaton was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City. A former break dancer, he is the older brother of fellow old-school MC Special K of the Treacherous Three as well as rapper T.O.N.E.-z also known as Style or Tony Tone.

Hip-hop career In 1984, Rick Rubin released "It's Yours" 12-inch single (Cat. PT-104/DJ000), which was the very first release on Def Jam Recordings. Although some might argue that LL Cool J's "I Need a Beat" 12-inch single was the first, this is not exactly true. The "It's Yours" recording was something that Rubin put out a few months before joining forces with Russell Simmons. The song was the first single to feature a Def Jam logo, but it was released through producer Arthur Baker's independent label Partytime, The recording was never part of Def Jam’s collection of master recordings. an album also produced by Rick Rubin and released on Def Jam Recordings. On the Sirius XM show "Sway In The Morning," Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys pointed out that he can be heard on the backing vocals of "It's Yours."

Wu-Tang Clan did not sample Keaton in the track "It's Yourz" on its album Wu-Tang Forever, but the chorus of that song clearly emulated him. Southern emcee Mystikal did a remake of "It's Yours" on his 1997 album Unpredictable. The song sampled the original drums and had a similar hook, but it had a southern twist to it as it was titled "It Yearns."

On the strength of "It's Yours," Keaton was signed by Fresh/Sleeping Bag Records and released two albums: Lyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx in 1987, and On a Warpath in 1989. He performed in Brazil in August 2008.

Discography Albums Album informationLyrical King (From the Boogie Down Bronx) Released: 1987 Chart positions: No. 64 Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums RIAA certification: Singles: "Tudy Fruity Judy," "It's Time to Chill," "Back to Burn," "Big Beat in London" (UK only)On a Warpath Released: 1989 Chart positions: RIAA certification: Singles: "Runaway," "I'm Gettin Mine," "Keep That Groove"The Lost Tapes Released: 2000 Chart positions: RIAA certification: Singles: