Kidd Creole’s fall from hip-hop to rock bottom

The iconic 1983 anti-drug anthem — along with seminal hip-hop hit “The Message” — made the group a household name. But by the time “White Lines” hit the airwaves, cocaine had already torn the group apart, a split that would send many of the members spiraling into addiction, obscurity, even the grave.

With his band and backing singers (including Darnell's then-wife, Adriana Kaegi), collectively known as Kid Creole and the Coconuts, he established an exuberant musical style drawing on such influences as big bands, notably that of Cab Calloway, salsa, jazz, pop music and disco. Darnell wrote the lyrics, which "satirised the high life at a time when America was ravaged by recession."^[6] The group released three albums, Off the Coast of Me (1980),Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places (1981) andTropical Gangsters (1982), that became especially popular and successful in Europe. Darnell also worked as aproducer with acts on ZE Records.^[2]However, the band were much less successful in the US, and were eventually dropped by Sony.