Darren Robinson

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Darren Robinson (June 10, 1967 – December 10), also known as Big Buff, Buff Love, Buffy, The Human Beat Box, and DJ Doctor Nice, was a rapper, beatboxer, and actor, who was also member of the 1980s hip hop group The Fat Boys. He was the first person to perform the art of beatboxing and to also call himself "human beat box".

Darren Robinson's family home on Schenk Avenue

Life and career

Early life

Darren Robinson was born in Manning, Clarendon County, South Carolina, on June 10, 1967. He was the third child of John and Ellaveen Robinson and had three siblings, his older brother Curtis, his sister Barbara and his younger sister Renee.[1]

P.S. 190 Sheffield (Elementary School) on 590 Sheffield Avenue

When Robinson was still young his family moved to New Lots, Brooklyn, and first lived on Sheffield Avenue, where he also attended the elementary school P.S. 190 Sheffield from 1974 to 1979.

In 1981 his family moved the same block on which his later band members Kool Rock Ski and Prince Markie Dee already lived with their families.

Beatboxing

According to his own statement in the TV show Midday hosted by Bill Boggs Robinson explained that in 1975 he wanted a drumset, but could not afford one. So he just started to listen to records to trace his beats off them.

https://youtu.be/Hwb9-3UQ5nE

Whereas in The Morning Show hosted by Regis Philbin and Cyndy Garvey, which was aired on ABC7 in 1984, he Robinson said that he started seven years ago.

According to Darren's brother Curtis the New York City Blackout of 1977 was crucial for the genesis of beatboxing. In 1977 Curtis had purchased a radio cassette recorder (model Realistic ???) from RadioShack at Pennsylvania Avenue before he went to summer camp out of town. He lent this boombox – or beatbox as it was also called – to his younger brother Darren under the condition not to take it off the porch. But on July 13th Darren ignored his brother's request and took the readio and went around the corner to impress some girls from the neighborhood. At about 9:37 p.m. all lights went out due to the big Blackout and Darren was so scared that he dropped the radio and ran home. When his brother came back from summer camp, he asked him where his radio was. Darren was very nervous and anxious to tell the truth. But right after he had told him, he offered Curtis to play any song he would like to hear just with his mouth and then he started beatboxing for him.

musical career

From 1979 to 1982 he went to J.H.S. 166 George Gershwin, who had a strong music program at the time, but was later closed and changed into a middle school. Here Robinson and Damon Wimbley (aka Kool Rock-Ski) played a lot of football before they turned to rap.

https://youtu.be/XZQHXvxj-cw?t=246


George Gershwin Junior High School on 800 Van Siclen Avenue


In 1983 Robinson spend a short time on Thomas Jefferson High School, but later received private tutoring in favour of his musical career.


Datei:Thomas Jefferson High School.JPG
Thomas Jefferson High School on 400 Granville Payne Avenue

His Musical Career

In 1983




Queen Pen was 17 and Buffy was 20 when they had their son Quinton.

Quinton is a rapper who goes by the name Q NHannaz.


Death

Buff died in Rosedale, Queens County, New York and was burried on the Amityville cemetary in Suffolk County (Long Island), 55 Harrison Ave, Amityville, NY 11701.

Buff's brother and later manager Curtis Robinson died in 2018.

Legacy

Robinson invented beatboxing and added the art form as a fifth element to hip hop culture, which originally consisted of graffiti, DJing, breakdancing and rapping.

Nowadays Beatboxing is practiced and known in most countries still mesmerizing audiences all over the world.

Most a cappella groups that perform popsongs have a beatboxer, who provides the rhythms.


https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/13/arts/darren-robinson-fat-boys-rapper-28.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20121105135546/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-17817811.html

https://apnews.com/article/65b104ed12fa84f85488bcdbdf6c36b5

https://thesource.com/2020/12/10/today-in-hip-hop-history-the-fat-boys-human-beat-box-died-25-years-ago/

https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/19799/darren-robinson#source


Notes