Classic hip-hop fans are mourning the death of Queens legend DJ Polo, who died this weekend aged 63. Born Thomas Pough, DJ Polo would become half of one of rap’s preeminent DJ/MC duos alongside Nathaniel “Kool G Rap” Wilson. Kool G Rap and DJ Polo would form the bedrock sound and aesthetic for a certain brand of hardcore East Coast hip-hop. Their influence can be felt in virtually every street artist that followed; from the Notorious B.I.G. to The LOX to Benny The Butcher. And as members of the famed Juice Crew — which also featured Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shante, MC Shan and others, they helped establish the impactfulness of a hip-hop collective.
It was Polo who brought a young G Rap to super producer Marley Marl and the duo recorded their first single, the blazing “It’s a Demo” in Marley’s house. They would land on the legendary Cold Chillin’ label, where Kool G Rap and DJ Polo would go on one of the best runs in Golden Age hip-hop; delivering classic albums like Wanted: Dead Or Alive and Live and Let Die between 1989 and 1992.
G Rap’s solo career further cemented the Kool Genius Of Rap as a lyrical dynamo, while Polo released his own stylistically-varied Polo’s Playhouse compilation in 1998. Featuring everyone from pioneers like Melle Mel and Scorpio of the Furious Five, as well as contemporaries like Diamond D and members of the Juice Crew, it’s a strong showcase for Polo’s production and DJ talents.
The loss of DJ Polo leaves a void in the legendary Juice Crew — which has seen a few of its core pass away in recent years; Long Island rhymer Grand Daddy I.U. died in 2022 aged 54; and the one and only Biz Markie passed away a year earlier at the age of 57. Mister Cee died earlier this year. Crew godfather Mr. Magic died back in 2009.
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