Although he only had two albums and one major track, T La Rock is a pivotal figure in the history of hip-hop. Old school heads know him as the first act ever signed to Def Jam, with his 1984 single "It's Yours" becoming one of the most heavily sampled by artists that followed. But what makes T La Rock's story truly special is how he was there at the birth of the hip-hop movement, and years later he wouldn't even remember it happened.
20th Century Fox is developing a movie based on the life of Terrence Keaton aka T La Rock, based on Joshua Bearman's GQ article "The Man Who Forgot He Was A Rap Legend." T La Rock was there as rap music exploded in the 1970s, performing from the the Boogie Down Bronx to Manhattan as an emcee and DJ. In 1984 he signed with Def Jam and released "It's Yours", a classic. But in 1994 he attempted to break up a street fight outside of his brother's house and took a blow to the head that gave him amnesia and a loss of motor skills. He woke up in a kosher rehab facility far from home, and begins the process of putting his life back together.
Last I heard T La Rock was still out there doing shows on occasion, so this one should have a happy ending. The film doesn't have a director yet, but you know Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, on board here as a producer, will land a big name for the job.
