Thirstin Howl III

Victor DeJesus, better known by his stage name Thirstin Howl the 3rd, is an American rapper, producer, author and entrepreneur from Brownsville, Brooklyn.[1] Howl owns and operates his own label, Skillionaire Enterprises.[2] He is also a founding member of the Lo Lifes.[3]

This article is about the rapper. For the character from Gilligan's Island, see Thurston Howell III.
Thirstin Howl the 3rd
Birth nameVictor DeJesus
OriginBrownsville, Brooklyn, New York, New York, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • Music Producer
  • Author
  • Fashion Entrepreneur/Designer
Years active1997–present
Labels
  • Skillionaire Enterprises
  • LandSpeed Records
WebsiteThirstin Howl The 3rd

Lo Lifes

In 1988, Thirstin Howl the 3rd and Rack-Lo co-founded the Lo Lifes, a Ralph Lauren Polo "boosting" (shoplifting) crew that formed from the union of two smaller crews: Ralphie's Kids from Crown Heights and Polo USA (United Shoplifters Association) from Brownsville.[3] In the original 2016 edition[4] of Howl's book Bury Me With the Lo On (a second edition was released in 2017),[5] Howl writes:

"Every day was a fashion show and a shoplifting spree throughout upstate malls and Manhattan stores."[3]

Howl has also stated of the Lo Lifes:

“We were like fight club meets the runway. It feels accomplished to us, we feel like we did something instead of being looked at as hoodlums and thieves in the past. Through that, we see something we created live longer than we’re actually gonna live or live beyond our time and passed down for generations and it’s become traditional."[6]

Bury Me With the Lo On takes its name from the lyrics of Howl's song, "The Polo Rican" ("When I die, bury me with the Lo on / Official to the death, all eternity and so on"), as well as a photo that appears in the book of a Lo Life member wearing a Polo ski sweater in his coffin.[7]

In August 2015 Howl launched a Lo Life clothing line inspired by vintage Ralph Lauren, in partnership with Willie Esco of Coogi.[8]

Music career

Howl was first recognized by music publications in 1997, when he was profiled in The Source's Unsigned Hype column, but continued to exercise creative control by producing his own music and videos.[9] His music has been featured on Lyricist Lounge, Volume One (“Bathroom Cipher”) and Soundbombing II (“Brooklyn Hardrock”).[10]

Of Puerto Rican descent, Howl is bilingual and is known for rapping in both Spanish and English.[11] With his catalogue including tracks about topics as various as living with his mom, Hanna-Barbera character Penelope Pitstop, and Ralph Lauren Polo, he has been described by Nate Patrin of Stereogum as "one of the least-precedented, never-imitated voices in underground hip-hop."[11]

Discography

Studio albums
  • Skillionaire (1999)
  • Skillosopher (2000)
  • Serial Skiller (2001)
  • Skilligan's Island (2002)
  • Fire & Ice (2003) with Father Time & Godforbid as Alaskan Fishermen
  • Skillitary (2004)
  • La Cura (2006)
  • Lo Down & Dirty with Rack-Lo (2006)
  • Natural Born Skiller (2011)
  • Mami & Papi (2013) with Hurricane G
  • Survival of the Skillest (2013)
  • Skillmatic (2017)
  • Thoughts Skillustrated (2023)

Mixtapes
  • Skilluminaty (2005)
  • The Lo-Life General (2006)
  • Chuletas Con Tostones (2009)
  • Skill Recognize Skill with J-Love (2010)
  • Brother Lo The 37th Chamber (200?)

Compilations
  • Love And Loyalty - The Sound Track (2000)
  • Licensed to Skill (2003)

Singles
  • "Brooklyn Hard Rock" (12") (1999)
  • "The Polorican" (12") (1999)
  • Statik Selektah - "Ralph Lauren’s Closet” (from the album The Balancing Act) (2020)
  • The Nicewun JM - “Underground Livin’” (from the album Celebratin’ Hip Hop... Over Here) (2021)
  • The Mighty Rhino - “We Gon’ Stomp Shit” (also featuring Tragedy Khadafi, Guilty Simpson, Bonshah, Fraction and Ultra Magnus, from the album To Relieve The Sorrow-Laden Heart) (2022)

References
  1. Shabazz, Sherron (26 June 2017). "Thirstin Howl the 3rd: Skillmatic". The Real Hip-Hop. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  2. "Thirstin Howl the 3rd: Skillmatic". Discogs. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  3. Adler, Dan (16 August 2016). "The History of Hip-Hop's Obsession With Polo Ralph Lauren". Esquire. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  4. Howl the 3rd, Thirstin; Gould, Tom (2016). Bury Me With the Lo On. Victory Journal LLC. ISBN 9780991533725.
  5. "Victory Journal Is Dropping a New Edition of Its Polo Tome". Hypebeast. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  6. Braboy, Mark (5 October 2017). "Iconic Street Crew The Lo Lifes Release New Book and Documentaryn". Vibe. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  7. Caramanica, Jon (28 June 2016). "The Gang That Brought High Fashion to Hip-Hop". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  8. Diaz, Angel (7 July 2015). "Exclusive: Lo Life Founder Thirstin Howl the 3rd Is Launching a Clothing Line Inspired by Polo Ralph Lauren". Complex. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  9. Castillo, Arielle (6 March 2008). "Thirstin Howl III Speaks". Miami New Times. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  10. Koslow, Jessica (27 September 2002). "Thirstin Howl III: The Source's "Unsigned Hype"!". HipHopDX. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  11. Patrin, Nate (24 December 2018). "Breaks With Tradition: "Ripped Open By Metal Explosions"". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
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