Bushwick Bill
A visually distinctive and provocative force in the Geto Boys, whose confrontational style helped define the gritty reality of Southern hip-hop.
1966–2019 (age 53)·Jamaican-American rapper·Birthday: December 8·Generation X
Biography
Richard Shaw, born in Jamaica and raised in Brooklyn's Bushwick section, joined Houston's rap scene as a dancer. His small stature and energetic presence caught the Geto Boys' attention; they brought him in as Little Billy, a hype man and breakdancer. He proved his mettle on the mic, adopted the name Bushwick Bill, and formed the group's most potent lineup with Scarface and Willie D. His high-pitched, frantic delivery and unflinching lyrics about violence, mental anguish, and street life became a signature element of albums like 'We Can't Be Stopped'—its cover featured Bill in a hospital gown after a shocking, self-inflicted gunshot wound. His solo work explored dark, personal themes, securing his status as a complex and unforgettable character in hip-hop history, his art inextricably linked to his tumultuous life.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bushwick was born in 1966, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bushwick Was Born
The biggest hits of 1966
#1 Movie
The Bible: In the Beginning
Best Picture
A Man for All Seasons
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Bushwick's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1966Born
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1971Started school
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1979Became a teenager
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Could drive
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1984Could vote
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Turned 21
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1996Turned 30
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 40
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 50
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Died at 53
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Was a core member of the Geto Boys on their seminal albums 'Grip It! On That Other Level' and 'We Can't Be Stopped,' which achieved platinum status.
- His solo album 'Little Big Man' featured the hit 'Ever So Clear,' which graphically detailed the 1991 incident where he lost an eye.
- The Geto Boys' work is widely credited with putting Southern hip-hop on the national map and influencing the horrorcore subgenre.
Did You Know?
He was only 3'8" tall due to a form of dwarfism.
The famous cover of 'We Can't Be Stopped' was taken in a hospital emergency room after he was shot in the eye during an altercation with his girlfriend.
Before his music career, he was a member of a breakdancing crew called the Tiny Tots.
He converted to Christianity later in his life.
“I'm not a rapper, I'm a demon disguised as a midget.”
