Doug E. Fresh

The first human beatbox in the rap world, and still the best of all time, Doug E. Fresh amazed audiences with his note-perfect imitations of drum machines, effects, and often large samples of hip-hop classics. He was introduced to most hip-hop fans with his astonishing performance in the 1984 film Beat Street. By 1985, Fresh was one of the biggest names in rap music, and his first single “The Show/La Di Da Di,” became a hip-hop classic. Presented as part of City as Canvas.