Former Zulu Nation Minister of Information Grandmaster T.C. Izlam (real name Tony Bell) has been killed in Atlanta, according to prominent New York City Hip Hop promoter Van Silk and DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell. Through uncontrollable tears, Kevie Kev called Silk towards the end of one of his routine Facebook Live posts to tell him the tragic news.
“They killed T.C. Izlam, man,” Rockwell can be heard saying in the video. “They got him. They killed my man.”
T.C. Izlam, who coined the “Hip-Step” subset of Hip Hop, was considered a “little brother” to countless pioneers of the culture, including Kurtis Blow, Grand Mixer DXT, Kool Kyle and Kevie Kev, who all spoke to HipHopDX together on a conference call. While DJ Kool Red Alert was present for the phone call with DX, he was unable to gather his thoughts about T.C.’s passing because he was in shock. DXT gathered a few words to share about his late friend.
“T.C. was and is one of the youngsters that came up among us that was a teacher,” DXT told DX. “He was a well-educated young man and his ambitions to lead and teach were profound. We don’t know what the circumstances are and were, but we know our brother is gonna be missed by the community. He had a wealth of knowledge through his research and studying to share, as far as in the community of uplifting people to move in a more positive direction despite organized and systemic dissemination of destructive behavior in our community.
“He’s one of these people who ‘over-stood’ the ills that affected our community and chose to take the position to be a spokesperson on behalf of the movement that we’re calling Hip Hop,” he continued. “He would try to educate people on the values that we have to maintain in order for us not to lose the cultural aspect of what we’re trying to build. He was trying his best to understand what’s actually happening to us in our desire to express ourselves through the medium we call Hip Hop.”
Alongside Grandwizard Theodore, Kevie Kev was not only drawn to T.C.’s talent on the mic, but also his deep breadth of knowledge.
“He was extremely powerful, especially with our youth,” Kevie Kev said. “He would take the ones doing bad things and educate them mentally to where he’d change young kids lives with wisdom and knowledge. A lot of people look at T.C. as one of the big MCs of his era of Hip Hop. He was nice and he was good, but people often overlooked his massive intellect. He was one of the most intelligent gentlemen I ever met. He could decipher anything for you and be correct. He shared his wisdom with everybody. Grandwizard Theodore and I brought him — not people around him —into the limelight with us because we liked the way he rocked the mic, but also because of how smart he was.”
The aforementioned Hip Hop luminary Kurtis Blow made an album with T.C. called Tricka Technology while working with DJ Krafty Kuts and A. Skillz, and consequently spent nearly two months with him on an extensive European tour. The two became extremely close during that time.
“When we met, I was making an album and we ended up recording one together,” Blow said. “We spent a lot of time together on tour. To see him on stage, he shocked and surprised me as a real legitimate force. He wasn’t just an MC. This guy was really good. He was masterful and incredible. To hear him live, he shocked me with his skills. I will never forget the times we had. We were an incredible duo together on stage. He made me love Hip Hop. I knew there were other people who loved it as much as I did and do. He was one of them. He had a lot of talent and creative energy. He was a real spirit. He had his own sound. That drum and bass thing he was doing [Hip-Step] — he was one of the pioneers of that. My hat goes off to him. He’s a legend in his own right we’ll miss him. Rest in peace.”
Kool Kyle the Starchild is another pioneering Bronx Hip Hop artist known for the 1980 track “Do You Like That Funky Beat” and shared similar sentiments on T.C.
“T.C. was a very wise brother for his time,” Kyle said. “We talked about a lot of personal things besides MCing. We did things together on the mic, but during our personal talks, we shared knowledge of our hood, what was going on in the culture, and what we had to do to support each other. He was very smart about what we had to do to take care of each other. He stood out to me on that level. He was a great MC, but what stood out to me was being able to analyze where we stood as MCs and pioneers. As MCs that did not reach a certain level commercial, he knew what we could do to get recognized.”
While details surrounding his sudden death are not yet available, the way the pioneers of Hip Hop culture came together so quickly to remember T.C. speaks volumes. DXT was in awe that he knew T.C. as a community leader more so than an MC.
“This is the first time I’m really hearing about him as an MC,” DXT said. “I was nurturing him as a community leader. The time I spent with him was solely on being a public speaker and directing energy into our youth. That’s what my relationship was. When he was the national spokesperson for Zulu Nation, I felt I needed to help him to take that position and have it stand on solid ground as a national person instead of regional. I find it very interesting that I’ve known him longer than everyone on the phone right now, but I never engaged him in music. He came up with his own ‘Hip-Step’ genre of Hip Hop and now that’s all around the world. That was his movement.”
RIP TC IZLAM. Thanks DX for representing for the culture and reporting on some real shit.
who? are we supposed to care!? nobody done heard of dude until now.. now watch the Twitter circle-jerk commence we will see every Kylie Jenner and Young Thug tweeting “omg so tragic we will miss u forever”
YES. CARE, DICK. SOMEBODY DIED YOU INSENSITIVE ASSHOLE.
“SOMEBODY DIED YOU INSENSITIVE ASSHOLE.” – what about all the people, including innocent children, being killed in the middle-east by the US regime and its allies (Israel, Saudi Arabia, Nato) to uphold Israel’s hegemony there? what about the dumb white western christian gentiles dying in the wars of these international bankers?
While that IS terrible, what the fuck does it have to do with this topic? You comin’ up here with an ignorant reply to the passing of TC Islam and when people give you hell in reply to that, you all of a sudden try to divert the whole convo by bringing up the killings in the Middle East by The US Regime. As significant as that may be, it’s utterly irrelevant to this topic.
I assume YOU CARE, as you wrote these trolling comment on every single obituary on DX. get a life fucker.
Why are you still breathing?
You fuckin’ pathetic, dude.
I did know about the man, but not what he made, but a few searches helped me out and learned me something.
Jordan is an internet troll. Don’t feed them. He will go away eventually…
The man was known and loved in the underground scene way before the mainstream edm took the culture. And a Zulu king. Are you investing into the culture, or taking? With the internet at finger tips, why not research, and gain knowledge.
Peace Ahki.
You are a fool. Tc izlam is known throughout the drum and bass community since the 90s. This is a man who cared for the worse off around him. Unlike you.
I hung out with him once in the late 90s in the Miami drum n bass scene. To say he wasn’t known is both dishonest and an understatement. Huge following where I was and I’m fairly certain it was magnified elsewhere. RIP TC
From all of your brothers and sisters from The Soul Providers
Hip-Step Massive. Respect to all USA DnB MCs. RIP MC TC IZLAM. Peace Akhi!
This is Phoenix Orion checking in. Condolences to my brother.
Who killed him and why? He said “They killed him” who is they?
Aliens son.. aliens
(((They))).. that means the chozenites
Eye realize from the comment by this young person that wants us to acknowledge All the killing in the world as significant…. We agree and T.C. would too, because thats the kind of Being he was. That being said, T.C. was and is a personal friend and Brother of mine. He is a Wonderful and Amazing spirit. We wish you could have known him. Acknowledging his passing by no means diminishes the passing of All or any of the other Spirits and Beings that have come or gone and will come and go. All We are doing by, “Giving Props” Where Props Are Due, is Celebrating the passing of an Enlightened Being, a Being, while he existed among us, that sought out and taught the path to Enlightenment through the “HipStep” movement. We ThankYou for your comments and acknowledgements and are asking you to Please kindly respect our Mourning Period and subsequent Celebration of the passing of our Brother. ThankYou and may your path lead you to Enlightenment. Love and Blessings -Phyzek…ZuluNation
*I
Rest Power 4ever my friend for Life !
“He was extremely powerful, especially with our youth,” if he is one of the original zulu nation members then we can be sure he is one of those LOVING the youth (pedo)
Ah yeah man, I forgot. If you’re a (original) member of the Zulu Nation, you’re automatically guilty through affiliation.
Yup, that’s how it works.
Satanic Rock is right. Is is one of those LOVING the youth. TC Slept with a lot of young girls in the 90’s. Girls still in High school. He loved those High School Girls. If you want to know more. Look for members who were in the Khayan Chapter of zulu
Pioneer and a person who pushed the boundries. Was booked with the man a few times and before had never heard of him in the mid 1990’s. Major love and comfort to all of his family and friends. Unity people. All race.. all color .. all creed and all faith. Please let us NOT have another person die without us making change for the better. For those who have not heard T.C. Izlam and his music … well here is tou time to find why thus is a big deal.
He was a crazy man. His past history was good as far as music but that man really was messed up in the head, robbing people, jumping people, he is a predator. He was not a good friend and he was not a loyal one at that. People from different states were looking for TC to hurt him because of what he done to people
HIPHOP DX , WHY DO YOU COVER AMBER ROSE STUPID CHALLENGE AND MUMBLE RAPPERS BUT FAIL TO REPORT THAT REMY MA INVITED QUEEN LATIFAH , LIL KIM , CARDI B AND MORE!!!!! TO GRACE THE STAGE WITH HER AT HOT. 97 SUMMER JAM? THIS WAS OVER 8 HOURS AGO. THIS WAS TO TEACH NICKI MINAJ A LESSON IN FEMALE UNITY IN HIP HOP.
Good riddance im sure him and afrika were pedo buddies sharing stories probably the same reason he was offed knew too much about afrika and the others pedo background and coulda been a liability in court shit nowadays $50K-$75K scores you a pro hitman who can make it look real clean and most these celebs are playing with MILLIONS whats a few thousand to them to get rid of a potential problem
All of you are mourning a Pedophile. TC slept with countless numbers of young girls , still in High school at the time. It was well known he was sleeping with different young girls. Many people just turned a blind eye, others were too afraid to speak out against it due to the backlash and hurting they would experience back then. He had many different enforcers do his dirty work for him.
As a former member of the PARTY chapter , I know first hand its true. If you want to know more, then seek out any of the following members or chapter leaders.
Queen Tyco, Biggie, Valentine, Ahmed, Christina, Divine (Yari), Manny, Queen Rhamel, King Lou, Rhaheem, Tic, Power, Lil Rac, Anthony, Bishop, Phraze, Carlos, Knuckles, Gigi, Dens, Nico, Venus, Zero, Jazz, Divine, Timothy, Members of Tres Puyas, members of Chapter 9, members of the Party Chapter and members of Khayan. Find any of those and they can confirm. Those are key people that have insight into all of this.
Wow. I was also in Zulu, head Queen to Chapters 4 and 11, Black Spades (under Valentine’s leadership). I’ve NEVER heard of anything negative about T.C. He was always so uplifting and empowering to black youth. He discouraged knucklehead behavior.
As a Junglist Emcee of some note in the Portland, OR community (I co-founded the 4yr running weekly Tetsuo and have been Host MC for the NW DnB Battles for the last decade) I had a few opportunities to meet TC… Man, homey was OUT THERE! He really brought that Old School NY party Hip-Hop vibe to Drum n Bass like nobody I ever knew. I’ve always emceed Hip-Hop over DnB as opposed to the more standard ragga style and a lot of people just plain didn’t appreciate it. Too Hip-Hop for DnB purists and too DnB for Hip-Hop heads, but fuck y’all I’ma do what I love, so I did just that… TC showed up to town kickin’ it with my man The Dirt Merchant and was like HOMEY this already has a NAME! You’re not alone! … I really appreciated his energy and his willingness to build with cats he didn’t know and big up the younger generation… I can see how he came off crazy to many; but straddling HIp-Hop and Electronic Music in any serious capacity can be a seriously alienating endeavor… There’s a huge gap there ideologically and having done it for years I can tell you the man was way ahead of his time… Rest In Power T.C. … You definitely made your mark.
RIP to a legendary artist. Man. See bunch cats trying to defame his character. Wtf ya’ll on the man is gone. Let him RIP. Fuck boys.
Because a chomo is a chomo and anyone who helps defends or covers up for a chomo deserves worse than death in my opinion fuck this motherfucker when he was living and fuck him in his rotting eye socket while hes dead
WoW did all these people with all this negative ish to say about A man they never knew.. Im confused how can we grow as people with this kind if response to a man’s death.. please let me know when one of your Fam is laid to rest so I can write negative Shit about your loved ones even tho I don’t know them but hey! I guess it’s cool to degrade the dead too along with calling him names while he or she is dead. SMH.. comments like this is what helped take my friend to a better place. Im glad he is not around to hear these non productive comments about a man who actually did things with his life some of us could never accomplish…. Thanks ..also keep in mind Zulus pedo situation was not TCs situation..I actually talk to him about everything..miss Him dearly great friend powerful brother..Ok you can continue with your negative feedback..
He knew and kept quiet like the rest of them he is as guilty as bambata dont care how you spin it and difference is no one in my family helped protect a child molestor
Wouldn’t the “minister of information” know that Bambataa was sucking off little kids?
I can’t believe that this beautiful soul has been snatched from us. RIP, AHK!
Wow! Bambaata did it. WHy they ain’t snatched him up yet
Zulu is a group of racist pedophiles.
As someone who was abused as a child, I have zero sympathy for someone who looked the other way when children were speaking out about being molested by predators in YOUR orginazation. I don’t give a shit what you did for music.
The so called Minister of information should have done something about that revolting pedo f aggot Afrika BamBooty but no. He chose to stay silent, for this u will be punished.
i’m sure he was the one that went on shot 97 and stated that he thought Afrika BamDusky is a flaming homo and he didn’t put the pedo thing past him… hmm
LIKE NO ONE EXPECTED THIS CLOWN TO BE A PEDO . ISLAM IS A PEDO RELIGION . MUHAMMAD MARRIED A 6YEAR OLD .
Do you have proof of that other than running your mouth?
Rest In Peace my friend…you will be missed but never forgotten…I would like to say i knew TC but i can’t…i met him,in Portland Or.,I hung out with him on multible occasions at Salmon Street Studios,503 Zulu…we had mutual friends…when I met him I was in a bad place,mentally,and he was a man trying to reconnect with a son he did not know,I guess you could say we were both were in a bad place,I know his words,to me,inspired me to believe in myself and help me get back on with life and through our mutual friends sounded like he was happy again also,now I’ve read y’alls posts and I’m shocked,and I am saddened to see so much hate..I will miss him along with alot of people…this is not the news i wanted to wake up to on my monday morning…I’m not trying to defend the man but we all made mistakes in the past,some we can solve,some we have to live with…but the short time I spent around him changed my life,for the better…forever and for that i am thankful,I just wish i could of told him…and for that I say “RIP TC IZLAM”…
I was a member of the PARTY Chapter of Zulu Nation. My chapter leader was Phraze and Divine aka Yari. Out of fear for my safety I will not say my name. but if you want to know the truth about TC Izlam, Then contact them. Contact Big Lord aka Zero aka Clyde Cochran (He had a BBQ yesterday), Jazz aka Jamin McCray, Nico aka Jessica, Gigi aka Sara Kana, Brother Righteous aka PortaRock, Bishop aka Chris, Divine Justice, Silver Dollar, Brother Treach, Venus, Power, Tic, King Lou who used to be the New York Regional Director at the time. I call out any ex member or present member of PARTY, Chapter 9, Khayan, Elite, Chapter 33 to step forth and tell the truth. I know many of your government names and will begin to list them so people know who you are.
The truth is you are no better than TC. We are all sinners. The man passed on. Show your blatant disrespectful nature elsewhere. Nobody is interested in your negativity.
Plenty of people are interested. Just because the man passed away doesnt absolve him of all the young girls lives he destroyed. If you didn’t know he did that. Then you were not in the KNOW.
Listen let TC Rest In Peace!! Honestly this can’t bring him back by gossip! What y’all or persons saying about this man and saying ask myself Jazz Aka Jamin McCray. I loved the brother and have nothing bad to say about this man or Bambaataa. By the way HipHopDx I sent you an email leave the brothers Be! I love the nation I came out of . Blackspades, Gestapo, the organization, Zulu nation, the almighty zulu nation, the universal zulu nation. Simple as that! Stop causing division we need unity !
Jamin,
As a community we need to stop defending those who are in the wrong. Did he not sleep with all those young girls? If you say no, then you are lying. I know he slept with one of your queens. Nico was her name , was it not? So you are denying that he slept with a high school girl who was under age. What if she was your daughter? What would you do?
Peace be upon him
DX Community is scared of me posting the truth. They keep deleting my posts because of what I am speaking . THE TRUTH.
The Truth shall set us Free. Apparently not on this site.
It’s a hole lot of them that had sex with kids boo from the the Gs pat to ad that’s not all born to so that man got what was coming
Who Are You? What puss filled whole did you climb out of speaking on men you do not know on any type of personal level because if you did you would know they are not down with any of the poison you speak of but I’m only here to ask about one this Born you spoke upon what chapter is he from and what is the full known name of said brother because you have now come for my blood line not A Zulu Nation Ex Member but A father A Uncle And a protector of all he holds dear, not to mention his body of work for the Nation at one point in time was never under fire. Some of us are not a brand and have a New legacy. So speak fraud your little editorial funded by the boogeyman himself holds no weight here your a Coward Dave whoever the fuck you are and if your heart doesn’t pump kool-aid then ashe a man your heart of hearts stand for something be a Man come out and let these brothers who you chose to defame them atleast allow them the right to bring their thoughts to the man behind the keyboard your a Sucka.
Dave you are right . Alot of them had sex with kids. Girls and boys.
May Allah grant u A Better afterlife Free from The Devils Work.Rest in Peace.
Boo and Tc use to have sex with 10 year old boys that was going to happen just ask boo form the G family what went down
As a Current Gestapo member I will say we know that Dave is Silva Dollar and as you know REAL GZ move in silence but just know every “DOLLA” WILL HAVE HIS DAY…..get it You put out alot of lies and BS against my G family so therefore WE HAVE A PROBLEM
It amazes me how people can bad mouth someone when they are dead, on trial or going through so other turmoil.
I have been a member of the G-family/ Gestapo for over 30 years. You claim these things hiding in the shadows of the internet and truely making false accusations. Just because you happen to know someone’s government name, doesn’t mean you know anything.
What should happen, you should be arrested for trying to incite a riot with false information.
GM TC Islam was a father, grandfather, junglist, MC, DJ, Artist & Friend.
You remove the foot in your mouth and crawl back in your hole.
TC Slept with many young girls. Don’t know about boys. But I know he slept with young girls. Thats the truth. he slept with girls from Tyco’s chapter, Tic’s Chapter, Bishop’s chapter, Lil Rac’s Chapter, Silver Dollar’s Chapter. He slept with so many young girls.
Peace be upon him in the after life death to our enemies and white Amerikkka!!!
Rest in Peace Tc Izlam my Zulu brother… we just talked on the phone like 2-weeks ago…. You were about to do an interview with some lady in Chicago… We talked like about 2 hrs… we talked about Bam, all the shit that was to come upon you… Damn my dude…. damn… damn… damn… my eyes drip, my heart aches, my head hurts, my thoughts are dizzy. I don’t know WTF to do…. But I do know one thing TC talked to me on some real Zulu to Black Spades shit and he was so angry about the Bam situation, he wanted everybody to know don’t group the bullshit Bam is going through with Zulu, or the Black Spades. it’s not everybody’s dilemma… that’s Bambaataa shit, definitely not Black Spades shit and definitely not TC Izlam shit… (I’m Black Spades not Zulu me Jaye Swift) I wasn’t there through the Zulu shit, I kept my life in order as did Tc Izlam. Don’t persecute him now that he’s passed on back into the essence for another mans wages of sins, we different… That’s all I got to say…
Then you really didn’t know the man. He DID sleep with young girls. That is a fact.
Bro, I don’t know you, but I do know TC, I’ve known him since he was 14 years old…he and I along with one other started this music thing in the mid 80’s….he was a brother to me and quite frankly I’m very aware of the Zulu situation…his personal life as far as females, your way off base! And, incorrect…he delt with a lot of woman thru the years and non of them were under age whatever the fuck that means to you…non of them were minors and non of his children mothers were minor….chill with your nonsense…bring one under age female forward and let her speak, stop spreading your bull shit son….
Actually my remarks are to the truth shall set you free not to Jaye swift
Hey I know TC on a personal level and I live in London England everyone has pasts.He was alitle crazy but very much loved by many and me all over.Its so tragic.R.I.P. TC ISLAM….MUCH LOVED….TOOK TOO YOUNG
if you could not say any of this while tc was a live then you are the coward so if you don’t have nothing nice to say then don’t say nothing
This has been brought up so many times while he was alive. There is proof out there that he slept with girls under aged. Its a fact. Go ask that Jamin McCray guy. He can tell you. If he says no, then he is lying. Go ask others who were privy to what was going on. Go search for those. The truth is out there. Its a fact that he was a pedophile.
even if that is true you don’t wait till some passes and talk bad about them have some respect for his family
I knew TC many years ago. He lived in my house with me and my family for about a year back in the early 90’s. He was a young man working towards a goal at that time…fresh in the Industry. My children were young at the time and they loved to fool around on the mic and turn tables. I was so sorry to hear of his passing. May you Rest in Heaven!!
R.I.P.
One of the greatest MC’s of all time. He is featured on some of my favorite songs.
who are “they”? Why are details surrounding his death so vague and no news is reporting anything ? If he was really murdered why are we not seeing any police reports about this? I see photos of police cars and ambulance popping up and talk of a murder in Atlanta but no answers!!
ZULU NATION KILLED HIM because he knew too much or was about to come forward about the molestations…there were 2 Zulus that were soooo high up in the rank who said they were molested by Bambaataa but this only stayed internally…
Peace,
I knew TC for many years, met here in Brazil, UK and N.Y.
He was one of the pioneers of the drum&bass: jungle scene in America with D.J. Soul Slinger. Everyone knows he was a traveler, he was cool, don’t know why he was killed? He was short temper as well, don’t know, the Zulu Nation crap and the Afrika Bambaata alegations is nothing new…I respect Bambaaata for his contribution but his afrocentric dr. malachi cultist crap of thoughts only persuades the weak looking for identity!
I been there and believe me took me a while to come out of this spell of conspiracy crap!
Like De La It’s just me, my self and I
R.I.P. TC
I grew up with TC and he inspired
me to create, Host and Produce my TV show Teens Only. RIP my Brother