Sporty Thievz was a Yonkers, New York hip-hop group, originally a
trio, composed of King Kirk (a.k.a. Thieven Stealburg), Big Dubez
(a.k.a. Safecracker) and Marlon Bryant Brando (a.k.a. Robin Hood)
(1997–2001). They are notable for their parody of TLC's
hit "No Scrubs" entitled "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. But despite the
parody, the group have been acknowledged for their lyrical skill,
also making other notable hits such as "Cheapskate", which
also has a music video and released under Ruffhouse Records.
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 #21 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 rebutal
to Destiny's Child's hits "Bills, Bills, Bills" (written
by the same songwriter as "No Scrubs", Kandi Burruss) and "Independent
Women". Entitled "No Billz (Why, Why, Why?)" the group "humorously" question "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 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.
Marlon Brando is believed to have saved a by standing childs life
by pushing him out of the way.[citation needed] Since then, Sporty
Thievz fell back until now 2011. King Kirk member and producer of
Sporty Thievz is currently working on his new Solo Compilation album
Street Cinema 1.5 "The Sporty Show" and the official follow
up to their first street classic album Street Cinema 2. Go to Sporty-Thievz.com
for more info.
[edit] Discography
1998: Street Cinema
2000: Sporty Thievz
2011: "King Kirk's Street Cinema 1.5 The Sporty Show"
2012: "Sporty Thievz Album Street Cinema 2