Firsts

I remember walking down the alleyway while listening to my AM/FM, cassette deck thingamajiggy. My head bopping to whatever was on the radio at the time. Probably LL Cool J or Janet Jackson...something popular in 1987. The sun was beaming on my fresh press and curl and sweat rolled down my back. I waved at the little, caramel old lady sitting on the porch watching her special needs grandson play. They always seemed to be out when I walked to the store. Deciding I'd take the back entrance into the store's parking lot, I heard the deejay on 93.1 (WZAK) solemnly announce that Scott La Rock had been shot and killed.


KRS-ONE, D Nice, & Scott La Rock (BDP)

My eleven year-old mind couldn't wrap itself around the concept of Scott La Rock no longer being a part of B(oogie) D(own) P(roductions), much less no longer living. Even though I had experienced the death of my father only six years prior, I still didn't understand this death thing. Scott was shot. And so was my father.

At this time, I thought everyone died by being shot.

Share with me the first musician's death you remember and how it impacted your thoughts on the world at the time.

Here's a list to prompt your memory...