Legendary Rapper Doug E. Fresh Makes Surprise Appearance at Birmingham’s A.H. Parker School

By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times Ahead of his performance during a Magic City Classic showcase last week, legendary rapper Doug E. Fresh participated in an anti-violence panel discussion at Birmingham’s A.H. Parker High School. The rapper talked about growing up in Harlem, New York, in the 80s, at the height of the crack era and asked, “How many of y’all know somebody that used drugs, and later they’re not the same anymore? So guess what? So as much as you believe that the drug is making you feel good, it’s actually destroying you,” he said. In the early 1980s Fresh was part of two songs, “The Show” and “La Di Da Di“, which are considered early hip hop classics. “La Di Da Di”, in particular, is one of the most sampled songs in music history. His Birmingham visit was hosted by State Representative Juandalynn Givan who was joined on the panel by Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr as well as other law enforcement officials who spoke words of encouragement to the ninth through 12th graders. Fresh encouraged the students to have conversations with those older who have their best interests in mind. “What you’re going to see...