Darren Robinson
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 a "human beatbox".
Life and career
Early life
Darren Robinson was born in Manning(???), Clarendon County, South Carolina, on June 10, 1967. He was the youngest child of John and Ellaveen Robinson and had three siblings, his brother Curtis, who later became his manager, and his two sisters Barbara and Renee.[1]
Robinson grew up in New Lots, Brooklyn (formerly known as East New York) and attended the elementary school P.S. 190 Sheffield from 1974 to 1979.
In the mid 1970s his family moved from Brownsville to Schenk Avenue in New lots (former East New York).
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Beatboxing
According to his own statement in the TV show Midday hosted by Bill Boggs Robinson explained that in 1975, when he was 8 years old, he wanted a drumset, but could not afford one at the time. So he just started to listen to records to trace his beats off of it. Midday with The Fat Boys hosted by Bill Boggs
Whereas in The Morning Show hosted by Regis Philbin and Cyndy Garvey, which was aired ABC 7 in 1984, he said that he started seven years ago.
According to Darren's brother Curtis the New York City Blackout of 1977 was instrumental for the genesis of beatboxing. In 1977 Curtis had purchased an expensive Radio Model Realistic ??? from RadioShack at Pennsylvania Avenue before he went to summer camp out of town. He lent this boombox – or beatbox as is was also sometimes 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 in the neighborhood. At about 9:37 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 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.
In 1983 Robinson spend a short time on Thomas Jefferson High School, but later received private tutoring in favour of his musical career.
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://de.findagrave.com/memorial/19799/darren-robinson#source