MC Shan

According to legend, MC Shan (b. Shawn Moltke) got his big break in 1983 when the future boss of Cold Chillin' Records caught Shan trying to steal his car. Although the fact that old-school super-producer Marley Marl was Shan's cousin probably didn't hurt either, Shan took advantage of the opportunity to become a member of Marl's Juice Crew All-Stars. After several singles (including the old-school classic "The Bridge"), his 1987 album debut Down By Law established a b-boy persona over tracks produced by his cousin. The same held for the 1988 follow-up, Born to Be Wild; on 1990's Play It Again, Shan, he opted for a more mature outlook and a new producer, but it proved to be his final effort. Though he moved into production work, he made a return on "Da Bridge 2001," from Queensbridge's Finest, a 2000 LP released by Nas. ~ Steve Huey