A hip-hop group from
Willingboro,
New Jersey, City High exploded on the scene in early 2001 with the single "
What Would You Do", a song about a girl named Loni who resorts to
prostitution in order to feed her kid. Their self-title debut album was released in May of 2001 to much critical acclaim. Produced by
Wyclef Jean and
Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis, the two-guys-and-a-girl group have been compared to
The Fugees.
City High was initially a two-man group, featuring the rhymes of Toby Ryan and the soul of Robby Pardlo. Toby had previously produced a number of artists including Will Smith, and appears in the film "Sister Act 2". Pardlo was the writer and arranger for the group. When Wyclef asked young Claudette Ortiz to join the group, their sound was complete. They were the first act signed to the new Booga Basement label.
The group blends hip-hop, rap, and R&B together fairly seemlessly, tackling issues like single motherhood, relationship infidelity, sleeping with 15 year olds, and drug-dealing boyfriends. While most of today's popular hip-hop focuses on crusing in Cadillac Escalades and getting laid, City High has managed to hit it big while attempting to raise social awareness. Of course, remixing a single with a guest appearance by Eve doesn't hurt, either.
Discography
City High (2001)