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Rap Music - The New Frontier?

Through the early to mid '70s, visionaries like Kool DJ Herc introduced new tips for the way music was played. Like some other music-loving 'bredren and sistren' together with myself, Kool DJ Herc was born in Kingston, Jamaica. Following the footsteps of Jamaicans that came before him, he relocated towards the Bronx, NYC and took root. Using a sound program like no other, there was constantly a celebration when Herc spun records. Folks from all city boroughs showed up, and brought their pals. The majority of them had never ever experienced anything like Herc's thunder inside the clubs or at 'block parties,' where he was a hometown favorite. There'll be extra on these distinctive, social gatherings a little later. Kool DJ Herc was one of these cats that was considering outside the box for a long time, and inspired other DJs to adhere to suit. Everywhere Herc touched down, he left a distinctive mark imprinted inside the minds, bodies, and souls of music lovers in and about the vicinity. Afrika Bambaataa was homegrown within the Bronx. He is best-known for taking the radical, independent factions in the Hip-Hop life-style and organizing it all into an urban music society...and for being the very first rapper, ever. In 1984, he worked on the song "Unity" together with the not too long ago departed Godfather of Soul, James Brown. (We're gonna miss ya, 'Soul Brother #1.') By mixing block parties with DJs and break-dancers, he synergized all of the varying entities of Hip-Hop by way of his Zulu Nation. The Zulus educated inner-city youth about their history and empowered them to become productive citizens. His ears were open to all kinds of music as he became a catalyst for blending rhythmic designs from Africa with Funk, Go-Go, Jazz, Reggae, Rock, Salsa and Soca for the very first time in music history. Bambaataa's affiliations included the Rock Steady Crew and Double Dutch Girls. There was also a spray-painting graffiti artist who parlayed his love for 'visual art' into becoming the host of a common show that engaged the minds of America's Black and White youth. It ended up changing Rap music history around the globe. Now using a 'retired' can of spray paint, Yo MTV Raps' Fab five Freddy was also a important player within the classic film, "New Jack City." There'll be far more on that captured moment in time just a little later, just after we finish up with Afrika Bambaataa (& pals), and dig further into the chapter: there's some real meat in thar! That's what's up. Afrika Bambaataa became a major music producer in his own right. He spent a lot of time logged in at Tommy Boy Records between 1982 and 2005. While there, he produced a huge hit for the New York club and radio scene, 1982's "Funky Sensation." To me, that song defined a new era of music for both myself and the City of New York. "Funky Sensation" helped to establish a path that many dance music producers followed, well into the new millennium. Another historical Rap label that Bambaataa put some time in with was Profile Records. Profile was the home of a trio that made music history: Run-DMC and the late Jam Master Jay. Their chronicles defined the next wave of Hip-Hop and fashion by way of brimmed Fedoras, leather pants, blues jeans, and unlaced, Adidas sneakers. Throughout the winter, they sported snorkels with fur around the hood. In New York winters from the 70s, we sported hats like Kangols (still preferred) and 'Robin Hoods'(with side feathers) on the dome. Some folks liked toboggins and ski caps for their 'masking' feature. Brooklyn later picked up a pseudonym--Crooklyn. Our 70s fashion also consisted of colorful silk shirts (Versace predecessors), polyester pants with stitched pleats running down the sides called Swedish Knits, and bell-bottom blue jeans with zippers at the foot. Squares (L-7's) wore no name 'rejects,' but our well-known footwear incorporated Converse All-Stars, red, black and green Pro Keds, Pumas (my favored were rust-colored), PONY's, and shell-toe Adidas. We had interesting acronyms for the latter two brands. "I could tell you, but..." you know the story. Looking back now, I notice that Adidas kept the same body style longer than the Ford Explorer did! My New York winter-wear included snorkels, sheepskins, leathers, 'Maxie' and 'Cortefiel' coats with soft fur around the collar; they have been the rage. People got stuck up (ganked) for them, too. I once witnessed someone grab a friend's hat right off his head - as the train doors closed (this guy was quick!) Some of my 'classic' garments are still intact: a black Robin Hood hat using a now-wilted side feather, a colorful, winged (big collar) polyester shirt with a Disco theme around the front, my sky-blue high school graduation three-piece suit, 'Mack' full-length Maxie coat (it looked good; mom made it), and black Cortefiel coat are all stashed somewhere about Area 51. Don't ask me what I'm going to do with them, but my coats still have fur about the collar. Does "E.T.W." (Extra Terrestrial Wear) sound catchy to you? Let's check in with 'Rush' (Phat Farms), 'P-D' (Sean John), 'J towards the Z' and 'Double D' (RocaWear), 'Fiddy' (G-Unit), and WTC (Wu Wear) for the final answer. I'm getting told to nix the trip down memory lane and stick for the script, so it's back for the original 'bad boys' of 80s Rap. Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay opened up Pandora's box with their classic hit "Rock Box." I got a premonition of what was about the corner for Rock and Rap early on: sampled 'guitar crunches' fused with 'dem phat Hip-Hop beats, boyee!' Then the crystal ball revealed something else to me - up jumped Def Jam Recordings, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys, all using overdriven guitar sounds riding in conjunction with the big, deep 808 beat that caused car trunks (and the inside of your body) to vibrate. Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay un-laced their Adidas and went on to re-make Rock group Aerosmith's classic "Walk This Way," then invited the original rockers to get in on it. Along the way, Run-DMC sold a 'few million' records. Inside the background was one Russell Simmons, pushing buttons on his remote control. Then he got a cellphone. But just before groups like Run-DMC made it to the game, there was one of the first major league rappers--Afrika Bambaataa. Oh yeah; together with his group The Soulsonic Force, Bambaataa fired off a ground-breaking shot remembered as being 'most strategically launched' from the annals of New York's urban jungle. When the classic "Planet Rock" hit Billboard's charts (it hit the year 1982 in a BIG way too), the song considerably changed music history. It used a similar robotic, vocoder-like sound as the a single found in Kraftwerk's smash "Trans-Europe Express." "Planet Rock" was a smorgasbord of cool electronic sounds and Hip-Hop beats. Meshed together with samples from other records, it captured the attention of music lovers caught dancing to the non-stop, funky sensation of this incredible new beat. Afrika Bambaataa's Electro-Funk style went on to influence the sound of music types like Dance, Electronic, House, and Techno. If a sound system exists anywhere in the galaxy, I predict that "Planet Rock" will rock it. Inside the meantime, you can listen out for this classic hit on Internet radio, satellite radio, broadcast radio, clubs and dance parties everywhere. 'Nuff said--next! Creative minds of legendary pioneers such as Russell "Rush" Simmons, Eddie Cheeba, Spoonie G, Lovebug Starski, The Juice Crew, Marley Marl, MC Shan and D.J. Hollywood are also among these credited as becoming essential leaders within the surge that brought Rap music and Hip-Hop culture to mainstream society. Many people may think the Sugar Hill Gang was among a few initiating forces in Rap, but there have been actually many other hot acts out there grinding to earn their dues --like these affiliated with Rush Productions. Rush was building a name for itself as a music promotion company to be noticed. I'll expound upon the meteoric rise with the dynamic institution which followed this event shortly thereafter. With affiliations everywhere and credits that include the timely debut of Hip-Hop players like Kurtis Blow, Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation, Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, Scott La Rock, DJ Red Alert, and countless other faces hidden in the trenches, Rush was on a mission to conquer the planet. The first-generation of Rap and Hip-Hop spawned a godfather, Russell Simmons, in addition to all these other creative talents. Collectively and in unison, they helped to centralize the cultural origins and sound of this music for an evolving planet. The second-generation leaders of this new movement would include Russell's little brother Joseph, who together with Darryl McDaniels and the late Jason Mizell, made up Run-DMC: the initial artists of their kind to go platinum by selling a million Rap records on Profile Records. This was just the beginning; Def Jam Recordings was on the way. Now let's connect the dots with Sugar Hill: Back in 1957, a group called Mickey & Sylvia recorded a Bo Diddley song, "Love Is Strange." Guitarist Mickey Baker and a vocalist named Sylvia Vanderpool established themselves inside the music market as a potential hit-making duo. In 1964, Sylvia married a man named Joe Robinson. Their union led towards the formation of a legacy that wouldn't play itself fully out until the Rap craze hit. In 1973, Sylvia rolled the dice and released a huge hit, "Pillow Talk." This song established a format that would be followed straight into the Disco heydays. Originally written for Al Green, his pass became Sylvia's score when it tallied up a #1 R&B and #3 Pop hit. "Pillow Talk" was a sexy song that featured lots of heavy breathing, whispers, sighs and moans. It's reminiscent of Donna Summer's classic hit, "Love to Really like You Baby." Sylvia Robinson synergized her abilities as a singer, musician, producer, and record executive to take her whole game to another level. As a important player at All Platinum Records, she had a hand in Shirley & Company's 1975 hit "Shame Shame Shame." This became a top dance song, and hit #12 around the Pop charts. By 1979, Englewood, New Jersey's Sugar Hill Gang busted a big move by releasing a classic, "Rapper's Delight." Within the background had been Sylvia, Joe, and their Sugar Hill Record label. Passing their genes on to son Joey, Sugar Hill's West Street Mob went on to release hits like "Ooh Baby" and "Sing A Simple Song/Another Muther For Ya." Other aces in the deck incorporated groups called The Sequence and The Funky 4+1. They scored a few hits with "Funk You Up," "Simon Says," and "That's the Joint," which used a nice sample from my girl Cheryl Lynn's song "Got To become Real." We'll be taking her song apart and putting it back together again in another chapter of this book series, "What Is A Song." Using finance money from Roulette Records chief Morris Levy (you can find out a lot more about this guy inside the book "Hit Men"--a highly-recommended favorite of mine. "I could tell you additional, but..." You know the drill. As Sugar Hill grew, so did its artist roster, with the addition of Grandmaster Flash and his collective unit, The Furious Five. Although the Sugar Hill owners paid up a big balance and purchased the remaining interest in their company by the early 80's, things began to sour for them: a deal with MCA Records died and a fire toasted their legendary studio. The label eventually shut it doors by 1986. Almost 10 years later, retail-friendly Rhino Records picked up the Sugar Hill catalog and resuscitated the masters within the same way that they've done with many other lost or obscure masters. Via creative re-packaging, Rhino went on to revitalize the music (and some careers) of artists that have been probably still waiting on royalties from the previous owners of their master recordings. The Sugar Hill Gang, West Street Mob and Sequence all have been released on various Sugar Hill compilations. An interesting occurrence following the Sugar Hill assault was the massive availability on the sequencer, drum machine, synthesizer, sampler and MIDI about the early 80s. 'Creatives' and 'infamists' among the likes of Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, The Bomb Squad and producer Marley Marl locked themselves up in 'Big Apple laboratories' coming up with the next lethal mix of sound. When released, Def Jam and the 'Sound of Marl' quickly put music listeners into a 'yoke' as concoctions they whipped up became highly potent chemicals on the proverbial 'periodic music table of elements' upon hitting the airwaves; by means of radio station, mobile and club DJs. I cannot over-emphasize it enough: 'BIG UPS' to these guys! Just after the creative synergy of vocalists, musicians and producers, DJs are credited as becoming one of the most direct pipelines to exciting new music. You should take note that "DJ" makes up the initials of Def Jam. Now let's keep the record playing; teacher's not via with today's lesson yet... Independent labels like Profile, Sugar Hill, Priority, 4th. & Broadway and Tommy Boy scooped up young, talented Hip-Hop artists. Major labels like Columbia, Epic, MCA, Mercury and Warner Brothers got an early jump on the game as they formed alliances with Rap labels and artists. Moves like these were executed through street-savvy labels like Def Jam. It grew into the premier, multi-faceted music conglomerate in the century. Started in a college dorm room, Def Jam is now managed from a corporate boardroom, and worth hundreds of millions. Founder Russell Simmons parted from his share in the company in 1999, immediately after the Universal Music Group made him a $100 million offer that he couldn't refuse. We're not talking pesos here, people! Let's breeze by way of a few landmark events regarding Def Jam Recordings: In 1983, the company was founded by Russell, who was called "Rush" when he was business partners with one particular Rick Rubin. Prior to this form of osmosis occurred, Simmons 'did the business' behind pioneers like Kurtis Blow, the initial Rap artist having a major record deal. He signed on with Mercury Records; it was a part of the PolyGram distribution machine. The label went on to forge a long-lasting relationship with Kurtis Blow, Russell 'Rush' Simmons, and his growing company. In spring of 1984, I began a two season internship with Def Jam's distributor. By fall quarter, I was a college rep. Throughout Def Jam's first decade, I marketed and promoted every record released via the pipeline. This integrated music by the distributor's affiliated Epic label. Epic was born to CBS Records (a division of CBS, Inc.) throughout the early 50s. It was a cute small Classical/Jazz label and grew to become a strong, healthy major label with many active body parts (Rock, R&B, Country). Epic picked up other siblings. Among them was T-Neck Records. An influential Soul/R&B/Funk collective of your 50s, 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond the new millennium terrain, The Isley Brothers ran a music empire tucked inside this fully-functional sibling unit's clothes. And bank account--let's contact it a budget. Another sibling was Portrait Records. By the 80's, Portrait had sold millions of records by major stars like Cyndi Lauper, Sade and Stanley Clarke. Since Epic was the oldest kid, it acquired a firm place in history as the foundation that supported the throne of none other than the King of Pop music, Michael Jackson. As a matter of fact, the former lead singer of Motown's Jackson Five actively participated (in conjunction with wildly colorful CBS Records group president Walter Yetnikoff) in the disbursement of CBS' unwanted offspring (CBS Records, Inc.) towards the Sony Corporation in 1988. By 2004, Sony Music Entertainment had consolidated its monster Columbia and Epic labels, then merged with another major record label: BMG. On the Internet, iTunes was selling millions of digital downloads. But that's a story for later. Stay tuned. Def Jam product began flowing via shortly after I jumped inside the big game to see if I could swim. I witnessed the music of many groundbreaking artists 'rushed' through the technique. Notable executives like Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles entered the fold, as promoters like Wes Johnson and Johnnie Walker locked down efforts to turn the airwaves into 'Def Jam radio.' Def Jam became certainly one of the hottest commodities in distribution by the other major label within a major label. This record company made its mark by using a red trademark around the product it manufactured. Columbia Records was the big brother of Def Jam: the hottest Rap label within the Hip-Hop market. Def Jam had million-selling acts like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, and later arrivals like DMX, then Jay-Z and Roc-A-Fella Records. Columbia, also known as "Big Red," was owned by music giant CBS Records. By 1991, CBS Records was purchased by the Sony Corporation for some $2 billion that I'll say came out with the 'petty cash fund' (they had OLD money, and plenty of it). CBS Records later became Sony Music Entertainment. If you haven't guessed already (where've you been?), here's a prediction: you'll read about more adventures with 'the firm' as we move along. Between all of this 'promoting' (as a college rep), I managed getting an introduction to Russell Simmons at a Jack The Rapper convention in Atlanta by Columbia's national director of Black music promotion, Miss Mike Bernardo, who is such a sweet lady. At this time, she was next in line for the vice-president of Columbia's national promotion department: Vernon Slaughter and Mike Bernardo had been responsible for the overall performance of Columbia's Black radio and club promotion department. Vernon later became among Atlanta's top power brokers. He was LaFace Record's very first general manager, personally signing artists like Toni Braxton to the label. He later became a key player at a law firm headed up by powerhouse entertainment lawyer Joel Katz, and was the legal muscle behind many artist deals, movie soundtracks and no telling what else! As vice-president and national director respectively, Vernon and Mike implemented the national strategies set forth by Columbia. The staff consisted of dozens of regional promotion people strategically placed in important American cities. Throughout my career at the label Vernon, Mike, and the promotion people I knew showed me plenty of like, and have been first-class players inside the game, too. Not extended soon after Def Jam's arrival, I became an account service rep, then a Black music marketing rep for Sony's southeast regional branch in Atlanta. I doubt if there was any connection. Anyway, Def Jam left Sony for PolyGram in 1994 (also the year that I parted company with Sony and launched a recording studio); that same year, PolyGram purchased 50% of Sony's holdings in Def Jam. By 1996, PolyGram bought another 10%, and in 1998 the Universal Music Group (UMG) acquired PolyGram Group Distribution (PGD) to become the world's biggest record label. Following a series of major operational changes, longtime staffers Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles severed ties with Def Jam, which by now had grown to include other hot labels like Atlanta-based Def Jam South (headed up by The Geto Boys' Mr. Scarface), Disturbing Tha Peace (Ludacris), Def Soul, Jay-Z, Damon Dash and Roc-A-Fella. Though DMX's product was released via Def Jam, his Ruff Ryders crew got a label deal with Interscope. Within the post Cohen/Liles era, former LaFace/Arista big-wig L.A. Reid re-appeared at the helm in the big ship. Then, multi-platinum rapper Jay-Z became the new chief of Def Jam (now part of Island Def Jam Music Group), proving that he too, could do what Rap music guru Russell Simmons' legendary rapper Kurtis Blow said he wanted to do: 'Rule The World.' The future of Def Jam integrated plans for more affiliations with labels like Atlanta's Slip-N-Slide Records (Ying Yang Twins). Atlanta was now a city on the move, and Simmons made it a frequent stop on his international itinerary. From Rush Productions and Kurtis Blow to Def Jam, OBR and Rush Associated Labels, to Rush Communications and Phat Farms, the Visa 'Rush Card,' a beautiful model-wife and kids, to astronomic amounts of future cash flow, Russell Simmons demonstrated his ability to serve as the Rap game's foremost guiding hand...and 'head of the household,' too. He was the proverbial captain of a ship, navigating by way of those often-bumpy waters on the constantly shifting Rap/Hip-Hop industry. Def Jam Recordings became an extraordinary multimedia company because of a determined visionary's ability to reach out and touch people-- by way of the power of Rap music and the Hip-Hop culture. Simply put, none of these entities could be spoken of without mention from the great and powerful, "Mr. Rush." A valedictorian and contributing author to Bernard Percy's books for the duration of elementary school, L.A. finished high school in Brooklyn, then went to L.A.City College. He graduated in 1987 from Georgia State University in Atlanta. An internship led to 10 years with CBS Records/Sony Music, exactly where L.A. worked with almost every act, implemented sales/marketing campaigns, received numerous gold/platinum albums, awards, and traveled throughout the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to events. As a recording studio owner, AV technician and manager for a global audiovisual company (TAVS), L.A. owns MKM Multimedia Works. In 2001 he executive-produced the Million Mom March?s Atlanta Artists Against Gun Violence compilation CD, featuring top Atlanta acts. In 2002, L.A. secured a commercial using the GAP for Arrested Development?s Baba Oje. L.A. now initiates his ?6 books in five years? plan.

#Bun B

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