Kevin Smith (May 16, 1960 – February 8, 2018), Starski claimed that he coined the phrase, while trading the two words back and forth, while improvising lines with Keef Cowboy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, at a farewell party for a friend who was headed into the Army.
Career
Starski recorded his first single, "Positive Life", on the Tayster record label in 1981. (The British Group MARRS would sample this in 1987 with the No. 1 single "Pump Up the Volume".) Later, he recorded a song for the soundtrack of the 1986 film Rappin, in 1986. Lovebug Starski sank into cocaine dependency and was imprisoned for possession of illegal substances in 1987.
Starski's name is forever immortalized in the opening verse of The Notorious B.I.G.'s legendary single "Juicy". In a line filled with unintentional irony, Biggie asks, "Who ever thought that hip-hop would take it this far?" while also giving credit to some of the foundational DJs in hip-hop. "Peace to Ron G, Brucie B, Kid Capri, Funkmaster Flex, Lovebug Starski."
Death
Starski died of a heart attack in Las Vegas on February 8, 2018, at the age of 57, while moving speakers out of storage into his apartment. Smith had recently relocated to Las Vegas, where he was working to revive his DJ career with gigs that included a weekly residency at a rooftop lounge of an Indian restaurant. His final appearance there was just hours before his death, according to his manager, Jeremy Crittenden.