| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Ruffhouse, Def Squad, Cash Money Records |
| Associated acts | 2Pac, Lil Wayne, Eve, Redman, Wrecking Crew |
| Members | King Kirk Big Dubez |
| Past members | Marlon Brando (deceased) |
Sporty Thievz was a hip-hop group, originally a trio, comprised of King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealberg), Big Dubez (a.k.a. Safecracker) and Marlon Brando (a.k.a. They are notable for their parody of TLC's hit 'No read more. 'No Pigeons' has been added to current pressings of the 1998 Sporty Thievz album, Street Cinema, which includes 'Cheapskate,' the song that first introduced the pigeon reference. Ya just another fan, applause, encores And when I fly through world tours on Concords Don't need no chicken drippin, save that for Lipton No scrubs here, strictly Mo' Thugs, dear Check the listings, no Pigeons Flat broke chicks, out to get rich off the next bro's shit Instead of TLC, you give us brotha's B.I.G. Trouble We're just Sporty Thievz.
Sporty Thievz is a Yonkers, New York-based hip-hop duo—originally a trio—composed of King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealburg), Big Dubez (a.k.a. Safecracker) and Marlon Bryant Brando (1979–2001; a.k.a. Robin Hood).[1] They are notable for their parody of TLC's hit 'No Scrubs' titled 'No Pigeons', which attempted to tell things from the male perspective, and their song 'Hit It Up' on the soundtrack to The Best Man. They are also known for satirically providing a male counterpoint to the female-oriented R&B music popularised in the late 1990s and early 2000s, something that was not done by any other group at the time. The group have been acknowledged for their lyrical skill,[citation needed] also making other notable hits such as 'Cheapskate', which also has a music video and was released under Ruffhouse Records
No Pigeons Co-producer – DJ Rhude, Sporty Thievz Producer – Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs: 4:32: 2: Even Cheaper (Cheapskate Remix / Main Mix) Featuring – Liz Leite, Mocha Latte Producer – Ski: 4:14: 3: Even Cheaper (Cheapskate Remix / Instrumental) Producer – Ski: 4:14. Sporty Thievz - No Pigeons - Amazon.com Music. Skip to main content. Try Prime EN Hello, Sign in Account. To view this video download Flash Player RELATED VIDEOS 360° VIEW IMAGES No Pigeons. Westwood pulls a Wu Tang freestyle from 1994 out of the archives and there's a nice mix by Kenny Dope.Track ListSporty Thievz - No PigeonsJT Money feat. Sporty Thievz, Category: Artist, Albums: Fck Sporty Thievz, What I Look Like (The Album), Vol. 1, Street Cinema, Singles: What I Look Like (The Original), Oh-Uh, Top Tracks: No Pigeons, Cheapskate, What I Look Like (The Original), Hit it Up, Fedz / Freeks Skit, Biography: The hip-hop trio Sporty Thievz comprised former Wrecking Crew members King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealberg) and Big Dubez (a.
In 1998, their album Street Cinema was released on Roc-A-Bloc/Ruffhouse Records. The majority of the production was handled by Ski, famous for his work on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt. It had a unique concept in which every track had its own storyline that could also serve as a premise for a movie. This concept would reprise a decade later on rapper Ludacris's 2008 album, Theater of the Mind.
They did not get much airplay until the 'No Pigeons' single was released, which hit #16 in the UK Singles Chart and stayed on that chart for six weeks.[2]Street Cinema was re-released with 'No Pigeons' appearing as a bonus track.
In an attempt to capitalize, Sporty Thievz also released a rebuttal to Destiny's Child's hits 'Bills, Bills, Bills' (written by the same songwriter as 'No Scrubs', Kandi Burruss) and 'Independent Women'. The 'Bills Bills Bills' rebuttal, entitled 'Can't Pay Your Bills', demands 'I need a lady working 9-5 to help her man out' (not to be confused with the track entitled 'No Billz (Why, Why, Why?)' in which the group 'humorously' questions 'Why we gotta spend, because we men?'). In the 'Independent Women' rebuttal 'Independent Men' they consider the unfairness of child support, stating 'She won't let me see my seed acting like it's funny, She gettin' her hair done with that diaper money'.
The group contributed to the Rawkus Records 2000 compilation Hip Hop for Respect, a project put together by Mos Def and Talib Kweli to put out an EP recording 41 emcees in protest over the 41 shots fired at African immigrant and innocent man, Amadou Diallo, by the NYPD.
On May 11, 2001, group member Marlon Bryant Brando was killed after being struck by a car in North Bronx at the age of 22. It is reported that the driver of the car was intoxicated and swerving onto the sidewalk.[3]Marlon Bryant is believed to have saved a bystanding child's life by pushing him out of the way.[citation needed]
In 2013, King Kirk released his new Sporty Thievz compilation album mixtape called 'Cinema, Beats & Brawdz'.[citation needed] In 2014, Sporty Thievz released their official follow up to their first album, Street Cinema Part 2.[citation needed]
Discography[edit]
- 1998: Street Cinema
- 2000: Sporty Thievz
- 2013: 'Speak Ya Mind - Cinema, Beats & Brawdz Pt.1 Mixtape'
- 2013: 'The Best of Sporty Thievz Classic Freestyles Mixtape'
- 2014: 'Sporty Thievz Album Street Cinema 2'
References[edit]
- ^allmusic ((( Sporty Thievz > Biography )))
- ^Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 521. ISBN1-904994-10-5.
- ^'Marlon Brando killed by van - MTV News'. MTV news. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
External links[edit]
Sporty Thieves Pigeon
| 'No Pigeons' | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Sporty Thievz | |||
| from the album Street Cinema | |||
| B-side | 'Cheapskate (You Ain't Gettin' Nada)' | ||
| Released | May 1999 | ||
| Recorded | March 1999; D.A.R.P. Studios[1] (Atlanta, Georgia) | ||
| Genre | Hip hop, R&B, Dance-pop | ||
| Length | 4:24 (album version) 3:26 (mix version) | ||
| Label | Ruffhouse | ||
| Songwriter(s) | Diallo 'Mr. Wood$' Edmond, Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs, Kandi Burruss, Tameka Cottle, Marlon 'Robin Hood' Brando | ||
| Producer(s) | Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs | ||
| Sporty Thievz singles chronology | |||
| |||
'No Pigeons' is the second and final single by Sporty Thievz, released from their 1999 album Street Cinema.
It was a rebuttal to TLC's smash hit single 'No Scrubs' and received much radio play at the time of its release. It peaked at #12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, at about the same time the TLC single was enjoying a successful chart run. The music video also features female rapper Eve.
Sporty Thievz No Pigeons Downloads
Song information[edit]
'No Pigeons' was originally written & recorded by rap artist 'Mr. Wood$' alongside of one New York's highly respected mix tape DJs, DJ Rhude. Mr. Wood$ & Dj Rhude wanted to create a male-aimed response after the widespread international success of TLC's song 'No Scrubs,' a song that discusses the unwillingness of women to engage in a relationship with men who are unemployed, grimy, unsophisticated, or poorly-mannered. The song then was titled 'No Vultures' and released independently via 'DJ Rhude mix tape' that DJ Rhude was known for in the early to late 1990s.
The record 'No Vultures' landed into the hands of WQHT/Hot 97's DJ & On Air Personality Funkmaster Flex who quickly realized that the record would be a hit and would be perfect for a group that he produced and mentored called Sporty Thievz. Funkmaster Flex quickly contacted Mr. Wood$ & DJ Rhude to re-record the record along with the Sporty Thievz to be released nationally under the name 'No Pigeons' after taking a unanimous vote that a pigeon would work better commercially as being called a vulture may offend some female listeners.
Nationally released as 'No Pigeons' by the Sporty Thievz featuring Mr. Wood$ the song discusses the dilemma that 'No Scrubs' alluded to, but rather than name women 'scrubs,' they were denoted as 'pigeons.' Throughout the course of the song, the artists on the track make overt references to unsightly, substandard women, accusing them of wearing hair weaves, having 'more than one baby father,' receiving public assistance, personal hygiene & 'stripping all week to go clubbing.'
The entire song uses a slightly faster instrumental of the original 'No Scrubs' with added bass. No Pigeons was also produced by Kevin 'She'kspere' Briggs.
In 2007 California indie band Brighten covered the song for a Warped Tour compilation album entitled 'Yo! Indie Rocks Raps,' which was never released via retail outlets but was available for purchase at tour stops. Several of the tracks from this project were eventually re-released with Fearless' compilation Punk Goes Crunk, however No Pigeons was omitted from this list.
Music video[edit]
The music video was made in March 1999, it also features female rapper Eve, Gang Starr's Guru, Ras Kass & Harlem World rapper Blinky Blink. Parts of the video were filmed in the Parkchester section of the Bronx.
Charts and certifications[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] | 12 |
| U.S. BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs[3] | 5 |
| U.S. BillboardHot Rap Singles[4] | 1 |
| U.S. BillboardHot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales[5] | 1 |
| Canadian Digital Sales[6] | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart[7] | 21 |
Certifications[edit]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 600,000[8] |
References[edit]
- ^http://www.discovered.com/viewimages?release=1849163
- ^Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
- ^Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
- ^Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
- ^Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
- ^Top Music Charts - Hot 100 - Billboard 200 - Music Genre Sales
- ^Chart Log UK
- ^'Best-Selling Records of 1999'. Billboard. BPI Communications Inc. 112 (4): 63. January 22, 2000. ISSN0006-2510. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ^'American single certifications – Sporty Thievz – No Pigeons'. Recording Industry Association of America.If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.