Born Nicholaus Alexander, a Detroit rapper from the Plymouth Gardens area and member of the trio Wasted Youth along with Andrew Big Tone Jackson and Marlow Loose Cannon Green. The Wasted Youth story begins at childhood bus stops and basketball courts in the early ’90s. They didn’t hook up through a love of hip hop or drug deals, as most crews claim; they were pals first. Then, in high school, the three emcees would hit Maurice Malone’s fabled Hip-Hop Shop on Saturday afternoons for battles. Their rhyming styles intrigued one another and a musical camaraderie developed. The trio’s path since has been fraught with enough hardship, rewards, and hood sagas to fill a new Donald Goines novel. Those familiar with Wasted Youth’s sound might not know that they first gained local notoriety as solo artists and producers. “Those shows we rocked, up at the Blind Pig and at St. Andrew’s, were crazy,” 87 says in agreement, “They taught us a lot about rockin’ in front of a crowd.” In the early 2000s, 87 fell into street hustling. One night, while the three were driving to the liquor store, a speeding car ran a stop sign and plowed directly into the group’s ride. 87 suffered painful but non-life threatening injuries and skipped the ER because he didn't have insurance. His debut album View From T.O.D. (Top of Detroit) is nearing completion and should have been released by midsummer 2005. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.