The Raw Addict, 10.04.09: Right Argument - Wrong Label
Posted by Phil Watts, Jr on 10.04.2009
KRS’s skewed look at Def Jam’s legacy...and a salute to the man who started his career...
"Def Jam is the dopest label in the culture of Hip-Hop. There wouldn't be no Hip-Hop as we know it today if it wasn't for Def Jam. BUT--you don't get that respect without being the label that SINGLE-HANDEDLY DESTROYED HIP-HOP.
Every time you think of what's wrong with Hip-Hop--the lyrics, the commercialized music, artists getting played on the radio all day--that's all Def Jam."
Hello, everyone…
With Def Jam Records being honored at this year's VH-1 Hip-Hop Honors, someone took the initiative of asking KRS-One about the label's legacy. Look, I love Kris to death…but you know how he can sometimes get a little unhinged when he gets on a tangent. This is one of those times.
While Def Jam has done some shady shit throughout its existence (and frankly hasn't really been the same since Rick Ruben left), you can't really pin all the label politics on Def Jam. In order to make a case like that about a Hip-Hop label, you have to go all the way back to the Hip-Hop label that started them all…
SUGAR HILL RECORDS.
The Sugar Hill Gang and their landmark single, "Rapper's Delight", became Mainstream America's first exposure to Hip-Hop. To many that have been involved in Hip-Hop through its formative years of the early-to-mid 70‘s, it felt good to hear Hip-Hop get play on the airwaves for the first time. It also felt good to see a record label that was founded by people who usually dealt with R&B start giving Hip-Hop the time of day. This gave many rappers hope that their music can start getting more exposure after years of street corners and block parties.
BUT--
You see, back in those days, when you had more than one rapper in your crew, you had to do routines. Instead, The Sugar Hill Gang simply did back to back verses. Contrary to popular opinion, everything wasn't all ABC/1-2-3/Simple-Simon shit. There was a level of lyricism and spontaneity in Hip-Hop back then. "Rapper's Delight" barely scratched the surface of it. This was pretty much a simplified version of what Hip-Hop was…and since this is MAINSTREAM AMERICA'S FIRST EXPOSURE TO HIP-HOP, they thought that this was all there was too it.
Then there's THIS---
"I'm the C-A-S-A-N-O-V-A and the rest is F-L-Y
Ya see I go by the code of the doctor of the mix and these reasons I'll tell ya why--"
You see, CASANOVA FLY was Grandmaster Caz' nickname. Big Hank, who was once Caz' manager, got a hold of a verse that Caz wrote and used it as his own--including the damn NICKNAME (and without permission to boot!) This is like shoplifting an item without even bothering to take the tag off! The fact that the label would okay something like this is more to my point.
As for the argument about Def Jam artists getting more play than other artists, well, I guess Kris didn't get the memo that Jigga no longer runs Def Jam. Regardless, since Jigga is on an established major label, had the kind of material that's radio-friendly, and has more industry pull, of course he's going to get more play than Raekwon's CUBAN LINX 2, M.O.P.'s FOUNDATION, The SLAUGHTAHOUSE album, or KRS/Buckshot's SURVIVAL SKILLS. Thing is, stuff like this has never been exclusive to Def Jam or any other label or any genre of music.
All that stuff that Kris accused Def Jam of bringing to Hip-Hop--the commercialism and the shadiness--that's been around forever. Stubborn record execs? Motown-head Berry Gordy almost shelved Marvin Gaye's WHAT'S GOING ON because he didn't think that conscious shit would sell---sound familiar? Payola deals? As much as I love Gamble & Huff and their Philly International Records (which gave us the O'Jays and Teddy Pendergrass), even THEY were involved in payola scandals in the mid-70's, which almost killed the label. Needless to say, that's nothing new, either. Artists getting played to death? In the late 70's, people were pissed because Disco (Particularly the Bee-Gee's) was shoved down everyone‘s throats, which eventually lead to THIS:
In closing, Hip-Hop would never be in the position it's in today if not for Sugar Hill Records. It helped bring Hip-Hop out of the block parties and exposing it to people who would‘ve never known about Hip-Hop any other way. However, so much was lost during the move from BLOCK PARTY to INDUSTRY and in their move to give Hip-Hop mass exposure, they've also subjected Hip-Hop to all the stuffy rules, regulations, limitations, and trappings of the music industry. Whether it was Sugar Hill Records, Mercury (the first long-established major label to sign a rapper), Def Jam, Pop Art, Prism, B-Boy, Cold Chillin', or whatever, all those trappings were eventually going to latch on to Hip-Hop anyway…especially when you have a whole lot of young, impressionable artists who are tunnel-visioned by the money and fame.
What should be done about it? Considering that the industry has had all these problems way before there was a Hip-Hop to blame it on, it'll take nothing short of a full-fledged house-cleaning to straighten it all out. Since that will NEVER happen, every artist needs to study the system before ever thinking of stepping foot in it.
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IN MEMORY OF…
I want to send out the utmost respect and condolences to the memory of John Rivas — aka Mr. Magic.
He passed away this morning (Oct 2) of a heart attack.
True hip hop heads know that his history is so long due to him being the first rap mixshow to ever be on commercial radio on New York's WBLS (107.5) with Marley Marl and Fly Ty in 1982-1984. Then went on to WHBI in October 1984 and then back to WBLS in 1985 and WDAS in Philly. Simultaneously he paved the way for all radio stations that ever did mixshows and also sparked the career of Boogie Down Productions due to the ids he showed when they came to shop their demo to him and was turned away which then sparked "South Bronx" and "The Bridge Is Over". He was known for his direct and sarcastic attitude on the air and every artist wanted his approval when it came to breaking new records. He even had songs dedicated to him by the legendary Whodini ("Mr. Magic's Wand") which was surprisingly produced by one of my favorite artists, Thomas Dolby.
Shouts out to Marley Marl & Fly Ty for the correct information on this.
