King Tim III (Personality Jock)

Hip-hop and the Fatback Band Hip-hop music originated in the Bronx, and its birthdate, although disputed, is traditionally said to be an August 11, 1973 party by DJ Kool Herc. By 1979, the only hip-hop recordings that had been made were cassette tapes of live performances. These were bought and sold locally, but a record intended for the mass market had never been produced. They were initially a funk and jazz band, but by the end of the decade they were playing an equal amount of disco too. Washington was reportedly friends with Anthony Bee, one of Fatback's roadies. It was also reported that Gerry Thomas, the band's keyboardist and Curtis's creative partner, was impressed after hearing a cassette of Washington rapping over the song "Running Away" by Roy Ayers. == Release ==

After adding Washington's rapping, the song's title was changed from "Catch the Beat" to "King Tim III (Personality Jock)". "King Tim III" was released on July 25, 1979, as the B-side of a single, with another song from Fatback XII, "You're My Candy Sweet", as the A-side. Curtis had pushed for "King Tim III" to be the A-side, but the band's label, Spring Records, was concerned that radio DJs would take offense to the song and refuse to play it. Curtis was also amused that "You're My Candy Sweet" was chosen as the A-side, as it features him on vocals and he "can't even carry a tune in a bucket!" The rap song peaked at number 26 on the Billboard R&B chart while "You're My Candy Sweet" only reached number 67. == Notes ==