Steady B
Warren Sabir McGlone (born September 17, 1969, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), known by the stage name Steady B, is an American hip hop emcee who, along with Schoolly D, the Fresh Prince, and Three Times Dope, was one of the first wave of Philadelphia-area emcees to gain notoriety in the mid to late 1980s. Steady B was a member (and de facto leader) of Philadelphia's Hilltop Hustlers crew. Steady B's musical career was relatively short-lived, and he is currently serving a life sentence in a Pennsylvania state prison for his role in the murder of Philadelphia Police officer Lauretha Vaird, during a botched bank robbery in January 1996.
Steady B | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Warren Sabir McGlone |
| Born | September 17, 1969 |
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop, old school rap, hardcore rap |
| Years active | 1985–1996 |
| Labels | Pop Art Records Jive/RCA Records Ruffhouse/Columbia/SME Records |
| Associated acts | Cool C, C.E.B., DJ Tat Money, Da Youngstas, Three Times Dope, Mentally Gifted, DJ Grand Dragon K.D. |
Warren Sabir McGlone | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 17, 1969 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US |
| Other names | Steady B, Abdus Sabir Salaam |
| Criminal status | In custody at SCI Houtzdale |
| Conviction(s) | Guilty on all counts, October 30, 1996; sentenced to 75 years |
| Criminal charge | Second-degree murder, bank robbery, grand larceny |
| Penalty | Life without parole |
Music career
Early career
Steady B's original DJ was Grand Dragon K.D., later replaced by DJ Tat Money, who later became the DJ for Kwamé and a New Beginning. At his best, Steady mixed well-written metaphors and wordplay with sparse yet catchy drum tracks. Steady B released five albums over the course of his career, with mixed success.
Steady B and Grand Dragon K.D. released a few early classic Hip Hop 12" singles on the Pop Art label in 1985, neither of these early 12" singles feature on albums: Take Your Radio (an answer record to LL Cool J's " I Can't Live Without My Radio") / Fly Shanté featuring Roxanne Shanté Just Call Us Def / Just Call Us Def (Instrumental)
Steady B and his DJ, Grand Dragon K.D., appeared at "UK Fresh 86" at Wembley Arena on July 19, 1986, known as the Hip Hop Woodstock. Recordings of his set disappointingly only featured one track "Do The Fila" his answer to Joeski Love's "Pee-Wee's Dance".
C.E.B.
In 1991, Steady B formed the hardcore hip hop group C.E.B., with fellow, local Philadelphia emcees Cool C and Ultimate Eaze, in an effort to update his style and record sales. C.E.B.'s name was a backronym for Countin' Endless Bank, but it was also an acronym for the names of the group's three members. The trio released its only album, Countin' Endless Bank, on Ruffhouse Records in 1992. The single "Get the Point" reached #5 on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles.[1] The album was poorly received.[2]
Armed robbery and murder
On January 2, 1996, Steady B, along with C.E.B. bandmate Cool C, and another local Philadelphia rapper, Mark Canty, attempted a bank robbery at a PNC bank branch in Feltonville. During the botched heist, in which Steady B served as the getaway driver in a stolen minivan, Philadelphia Police Officer Lauretha Vaird, who responded to the bank's silent alarm,[3] was shot and killed by Cool C.[4] Vaird, an African American woman and the single mother of two children, was the first female Philadelphia Police officer slain in the line of duty.[3] The incident inspired the song "Slipped Away (The Ballad of Lauretha Vaird)," which appeared on Philadelphia trio G. Love and Special Sauce's album Yeah, It's That Easy.
Steady B was arrested at his apartment shortly after the bank robbery. Two handguns left at the scene by Cool C and Canty, including the murder weapon, were traced back to Steady, and he eventually confessed to his role in the crimes to police during interrogation.[5]
At his trial, the State presented evidence, including testimony from Steady's wife, that Steady B, Cool C, and Canty met at Steady's apartment shortly after the robbery, where they watched media coverage of the event on television, and discussed their escape.[5] Incriminating statements by Canty were also admitted into evidence at Steady's trial.[5]
On October 30, 1996, Steady was convicted of the second-degree murder of Officer Vaird.[4] On December 13, 1996, Steady B was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[5][6]
Discography
Solo albums
| Album information |
|---|
Bring the Beat Back
|
What's My Name
|
Let the Hustlers Play
|
Going Steady
|
V
|
Group album
| Album information |
|---|
Countin' Endless Bank
|
References
- "Hot Rap Singles: Get The Point". Billboard. 1993-04-03. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved 2009-03-20.
- "Countin- Endless Banking". Discogs. 2019-09-06.
- Steve Volk (2003-09-24). "Shoot the Messenger?". Philadelphia Weekly. Retrieved 2015-04-19.
- "Law Enforcement News: Around the Nation - Pennsylvania". John Jay College of Criminal Justice. 1996-12-15. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
- Beck, Hon. J. (1998-09-08). "Pennsylvania v. McGlone" (PDF). Superior Court of Pennsylvania. J.A13034/98: 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-29. Retrieved 2006-11-05.
- "How Cool C and Steady B Robbed a Bank". Medium.com. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2019-09-06.
External links
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