Queens, New York's Kool G Rap (born Nathaniel Wilson; his stage name stands for "Kool Genius of Rap") and partner DJ Polo were discovered by Marley Marl, who produced and co-wrote material for their 1989 debut Road to the Riches. The follow-up, Wanted: Dead or Alive, was produced by Eric B., featured guest appearances from Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie, and contained the duo's best-known song, "Streets of New York." Censorship advocates targeted 1992's Live and Let Die for its cover, which depicted Kool G and Polo feeding steak to Rottweilers while two white men stood on chairs with nooses around their necks in the background. In spite of his distinctive lisping delivery, Kool G Rap failed to attract a following; the highlights from his rather inconsistent albums are collected on the 1994 anthology Killer Kuts. He returned in 1996 with Rated XXX.
