Toddy Tee Explained

Todd Howard, known professionally as Toddy Tee,^[1] is an American rapper based in Los Angeles.^{[2] [3]} He is best known for his 1985 protest song "Batterram",^[4] which protested against police brutality by the Los Angeles Police Department.^[5] He was an influence for prominent Los Angeles-based musicians such as Ice-T and King T, and the N.W.A hip hop group.^[6]

Howard first gained notoriety in Compton, California producing parody raps. He was first signed to Evejim Records.^[7] His song “Batteram” is described by Rolling Stone as an "underground success", and was named by the magazine as one of "The 100 Greatest West Coast Hip-Hop Songs of All Time."^[8]

Notes and References

1. News: Carson . A.D. . Viator . Felicia . 2023-06-02 . Will AI inspire hip-hop artists — or displace them? . 2024-03-02 . The Washington Post.
2. Reeves . Mosi . Drake . David . Lee . Christina . Weiss . Jeff . 2015-08-12 . 20 Best Pre-'Straight Outta Compton' West Coast Rap Songs . 2024-03-02 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
3. News: Sweet . Sam . 2015-08-13 . The Roller Rink Origins of N.W.A. . 2024-03-02 . The New York Times.
4. News: Piskor . Ed . 2015-06-30 . Toddy Tee's Batterram . 2024-03-02 . Boing Boing.
5. News: Cummings . Judith . 1985-10-28 . CALIFORNIA JOURNAL; SCHOOL OIL, LIVE PRINTS AND TUNES . 2024-03-02 . The New York Times.
6. News: Weiss . Jeff . 2023-08-10 . How LA proved hip-hop could go global — by staying thoroughly local . 2024-03-02 . National Public Radio.
7. Web site: Wilson . Vince . 2024-02-22 . The Legendary Tale of Toddy Tee and Mixmaster Spade . 2024-03-02 . 247 Live Culture Magazine . en-US.
8. 2023-05-02 . Toddy Tee . 2024-03-02 . Rolling Stone . en-AU.