Audio Two
| Company type | Hip hop duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1985 |
| Headquarters | Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Hip hop music |
Audio Two was a hip hop duo originating from Brooklyn, New York, comprised of emcee Kirk "Milk Dee" Robinson and DJ Nat "Gizmo" Robinson. They are primarily recognized for their popular track "Top Billin'".
History
Their initial release, the single "Make it Funky," came out in 1987 and featured "Top Billin'" as its B-side, which ultimately became a notable chart success. The instrumental, crafted by Milk Dee and produced by Daddy-O from Stetsasonic, along with Milk Dee's vocals, has been extensively sampled and cited. Both their albums What More Can I Say? (1988) and I Don't Care: The Album (1990) derive their titles from lyrics in that song. Nevertheless, follow-up singles such as "I Get the Papers" and "On the Road Again" experienced only limited success due to the rise of gangsta rap altering hip hop's landscape, which complicated their ability to sustain label deals and maintain a fanbase.
Audio Two played a significant role in launching the career of their labelmate MC Lyte; her 1998 release Seven & Seven included a reimagined version of "Top Billin'" featuring Milk Dee. Despite common misconceptions, neither member of Audio Two is related to MC Lyte. In 1994, Milk Dee issued a solo EP titled Never Dated under Rick Rubin's American Recordings label, highlighted by the track "Spam," a collaboration with Beastie Boys' Ad-Rock, though it achieved modest commercial reception. Later, Milk Dee gained recognition for producing Eamon's 2004 hit "Fuck It (I Don't Want You Back)."
In 2007, Milk Dee contributed a verse to a remix of 50 Cent's "I Get Money," paying tribute to artists who sampled "Top Billin'," which ensured he received royalty payments.
Gizmo shifted his focus to audio engineering under the name "You Can Ask" Giz, working on projects for artists like Donell Jones, Calvin Richardson, Jaheim, and Tyrese.
Studio albums
| Album | Release information | Highest chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B/Hip-Hop | ||
| What More Can I Say? |
|
185 | 45 |
| I Don't Care: The Album |
|
— | 74 |
| A dash ("—") indicates the album either did not chart or was not released in that market. | |||
Unreleased albums
- The First Dead Indian (1992)
EPs
| Title | Release details | Track list |
|---|---|---|
| Flip-Flop Mini-Album (with The Alliance) |
|
As lead artist
| Title | Year | US Rap Hot Rap Songs |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A Christmas Rhyme" | 1985 | — | Template:N/A |
| "Make it Funky" | 1987 | — | What More Can I Say? |
| "Top Billin'" | — | ||
| "Hickeys Around My Neck" | 1988 | — | |
| "Many Styles/The Questions" | — | ||
| "I Don't Care" | — | ||
| "On The Road Again/Interlude One" | 1990 | 16 | I Don't Care: The Album |
| "I Get the Papers" | — | ||
| The symbol "—" indicates that the track did not chart or was not issued in that market. | |||
External links
- Who Is Milk D on BeastieMania.com
- Review of Milk D's Never Dated at RapReviews.com
- Interview with Milk Dee at HoodHype.com
- Milk Dee interview archived at RiotSound.com
- MC Milk Dee's profile on MySpace.com
- Articles with short description
- African-American musical duos
- Musical duos from New York (state)
- First Priority Music artists
- American hip-hop duos
- East Coast hip-hop groups
- Hip-hop groups from New York City
- Musical groups established in 1985
- Musical groups disestablished in 1992
- Musical groups from Brooklyn
- 1985 establishments in New York City