December 8, 1966 - June 9, 2019
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The Geto Boys: Willie D, Scarface, Bushwick Bill
and DJ Reddy Redd
Willie D, Bushwick Bill and Scarface
Bushwick Bill and Eazy-E
Bushwick Bill and Chuck D
George Clinton and Bushwick Bill
Richard Stephen Shaw was born on December 8, 1966 in the Trench Town neighborhood of Kingston, Jamaica. Afflicted with dwarfism, Shaw would never grow to be more than 3'8'' inches tall. By the time that he was eight years old, his family had immigrated to Brooklyn, New York's Bushwick neighborhood. Shaw's father was a merchant marine and his mother earned a living as a hotel housekeeper. Shaw's first foray into hip hop came as a teenage graffiti writer, using the tag "INFANT".
Shaw moved to Houston, Texas in the mid-1980s, where he was introduced to Rap-A-Lot Records founder James "Lil' J" Smith by friend Lonnie Mack. Initially hired as a break dancer under the stage name "Little Billy", Shaw was convinced by Prince to try his hand at rap. In 1985, after developing his skills, he was recruited into the label's flagship group, Geto Boys, and contributed to their debut album, Making Trouble, released in 1988.
That same year, Shaw, along with fellow Rap-A-Lot star, Gangsta N-I-P, developed the horror-core subgenre of hip hop.
Shaw lost his right eye after an incident in which he visited the home of his then-girlfriend inebriated on grain alcohol and high on PCP. Shaw, brandishing a .22-caliber handgun, insisted that she shoot him; her initial refusal angered the rapper, resulting in a struggle for the weapon that ended with him sustaining a gunshot to the face.
Group mates Brad "Scarface" Jordan and William "Willy D" Dennis joined Shaw in the hospital where he was treated for his injuries. The trio posed for a photo -- with Davis and Jordan flanking a sedated Shaw seated on a gurney -- in one of the facility's hallways. According to Jordan, the bandage covering Shaw's injured eye was removed for the shot at the urging of the group's then-manager. The picture would infamously grace the cover of the Geto Boys' 1991 album, We Can't Be Stopped. Propelled by the song "Mind Playing Tricks on Me", the sophomore release would go on to sell in excess of 1 million copies.
In 1992, Shaw released his debut solo album, Little Big Man. That same year, he appeared on the song "Stranded On Deathrow", from producer Andre "Dr. Dre" Young's debut solo album The Chronic.
In 1993, rapper Michael "Big Mike" Barnett replaced Dennis, who'd departed the group. The new line-up released the album 'Till Death Do Us Part that same year. Ironically, Barnett would exit the group himself the following year, only to be replaced by the returning Dennis. The reunited trio would release the album The Resurrection in 1995.
Shaw was charged with marijuana possession in Houston in 1996. However, the prosecutor assigned to the case, Fort Bend County Assistant District Attorney Gil Epstein, dropped the charges when the rapper agreed to deliver motivational speeches at local high schools.
Shaw withdrew from the Geto Boys by 1998 and didn't return until seven years later, when he, Dennis and Jordan released their final album together, The Foundation.
In 2006, Shaw became a born again Christian and enrolled in a Minnesota Bible College. In 2008, he did a two-month stint at Heritage House, a nonprofit dedicated to helping at-risk teens, located in Hazelhurst, Mississippi. The following year, Shaw released the gospel rap album My Testimony of Redemption.
On May 11, 2010, Shaw's longtime friend Lonnie Mack was killed. The following day, the rapper was pulled over during a traffic stop in Decatur, Georgia and found to be in possession of marijuana and cocaine. Following his arrest, authorities discovered that although Shaw had been granted legal permanent resident status and issued a green card, he'd never become a naturalized U.S. citizen. Georgia police subsequently notified Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, who determined that his potential drug conviction and criminal record put Shaw at risk of deportation.
In June, Shaw was forced to miss a scheduled performance of "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" with Dennis dedicated to Southern rap music at the VH-1 Hip Hop Honors.
In May of 2019, Shaw revealed that he had Stage 4 pancreatic cancer that February and disclosed that he was undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatments. After being admitted on May 24, he died in a Colorado hospital at approximately 9:35 p.m. CST on June 9.
Making Trouble
Grip It! On That Other Level
We Can't Be Stopped
