We continue on our trip with the early late 80’s early 90’s Atlanta Hip Hop history in this episode with stories from former Elektra and Ichiban records A&R Ian Burke, who had a hand in signing and grooming artists here in Atlanta such as Akon, Mista, Xscape, Outkast, Organized Noize, MC Breed (of Michigan but signed to Atlanta-Based Ichiban Records), Kriss Kross and Arrested Development. We also hear again from Earwax Records’ Talib Shabazz and Top Cat of Mass Comm, formerly of So So Def and Elemental Magazine.

To download this and other episodes go to BrooklynRadio.com. They only keep the last 5 episodes but streaming audio of all episodes, rough drafts, track listings, story lines, photos and more are available right here on this tumblr.

In this episode we’re traveling through history right up to the doorstep of Freaknik. It’s the early 90’s still and ATL Hip Hop is scoring big hits on the national scene from labels like So-So-Def and Rowdy while still holding down the local ATL scene with indies like Raheem the Dream’s Arvis Records as well as Ichiban.

Stories are heard from Sol Messiah about his Rowdy days, Top Cat about his So-So-Def days, DJ Powerlord and DJ Applejac

Total Running Time: 17 minutes.

All music from the City of Atlanta:

DJ Variable - “Stalk”

TLC - “What about your friends”

Another Bad Creation - “Playground”

Youngbloodz - “Chop Chop” (Instrumental)

A.Leon Craft - “A Different World” (PROD: SMKA)

Muffy Mommy ft. Waka Flocka Flame - Ape Shit.

Raheem The Dream - Raheem The Dream

Mars Ill - “Backwater”

Mama’s Mustache - “I can make you smile”

This episode we’re into the early- mid 1990’s in Atlanta Hip Hop.  So-So-Def, Rowdy and LaFace records begin to take shape alongside the Bass music scene and the underground.  Gang activities and curfews have had an impact on Atlanta Hip Hop and the Break-dancing scene has ground nearly to a halt.  Graffiti writers, MCs, DJs and producers are still active.

Again, this episode concentrates on the early energy surrounding the underground with ciphers featuring Killer Mike aka Mike Bigga as well as Jermaine Dupri’s So-So-Def and Dallas Austin’s Rowdy records.

We begin with a look at one segment of the Atlanta underground as it pertains to the growth of what becomes strong National-impacting labels.  As we continue this journey, we’ll delve into the Bass scene, the strip club/neighborhood and college scenes.

Voices heard: Shannon McCollum, H20 of Mass Influence and Yall So Stupid, Top Cat of Mass Comm who worked at So-so-Def and with Atlanta’s  Elemental Magazine before it left the city, Divinity Roxx and DJ Nabs.

This is part of a series that aired on BrooklynRadio.net in late 2010 and early 2011 as a lead up to the Film and full version of this documentary.   As promised, the entire audio series is being podcasted for free. 

The film is in production.  We're brainstorming and raising money.  

All music featured is from the city of Atlanta:

DJ Variable (of the Audubon Society) - Stalk

Kriss Kross - Jump

TLC - Hat 2 Da back

Lyrical Giants (Bonecrusher’s old group) - Country Cousins

Yall So Stupid - Van Full of Pakistanis

FKi ft Travis Porter - Koo Koo

T.I. - Top Back (instrumental)

Divinity Roxx - Rebel (Live)

Big Boi  ft. Andre 3000 & Sleepy Brown - Looking for Ya.

Live on Arrival ft DJ Kurt - The Gift

 

Headland & Delowe: Atlanta Hip Hop from ‘79- ‘til by Dominick R. Brady is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.dominickbrady.com.

Atlanta Hip Hop has a rich tradition and history in radio.  It begins with WIGO and WAOK and quickly became stronger in the college radio scene with stations like WRAS (Georgia State) and WREK (Georgia Tech), The Fresh Party on V103 as well as community radio WRFG.  We all know about the stories of Greg Street and Frank Ski. Atlanta is blessed to have had those dynamic DJs help push the scene.

 This is the other side of the story, the story of DJs that year after year worked the club  circuit before graduating into ATL radio.

In this episode we hear stories from DJs that started their careers on these stations and others that witnessed these careers grow.  We learn more about Lil Jon’s House, Reggae and Hip Hop DJing days, The Beef © between P. Diddy and Atlanta DJs and how early DJs used the radio as a springboard into the Hip Hop industry.

Stories heard from: DJ Mars, Smoove Matty Matt, Brian Lassiter, Talib Shabazz, H20, DJ Jaycee, J of Earwax Records, Shannon McCollum, DJ Nabs, Marcel Daniels, DJ Applejac & DJ Mafioso.

These episodes first aired on Brooklyn Radio in late 2010 and early 2011.  They are being offered as a podcast, as promised, for free.  The film version of this documentary is in production.

Thanks for listening.

All tracks used are from Atlanta Hip Hop artists:

Triple Crush - “The Groove” (DUB)

D Rock & Swift C - “Who Rocks (Remix) 

Arrested Development - “Revolution”

GooDie MoB - “Goodie Bag”

P.A. aka Parental Advisory - “Ghetto Head Hunter”

Youngbloodz ft Lil Jon - “Damn”

Young Joc - “It’s going down”

DJ Unknown aka JBrew - “Untitled”

Grip Plyaz - “Untitled” (Live)

Headland & Delowe: Atlanta Hip Hop from ‘79- ‘til by Dominick R. Brady is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.dominickbrady.com.

This episode really sets the table for the next two episodes on the DJ which will debut further along in the series. It explains the beginnings of some of the gang violence that changed the course of how Atlanta Hip Hop culture evolved. The origins of the street gang Down By Law are discussed as well as it’s impact on what was at one time a vibrant Breakdancing & Club scene.

Stories heard from: Tony MF Rock aka Woodchuck, DJ Applejac, Brian Lassiter, DJ Powerlord, H2O & DJ Jelly.

Soundtrack (All Atlanta acts):

DJ Variable - Stalk (Instrumental)

Tony MF Rock - “She put me in a trance”

Master Rocker Kid Finesse & DJ Fonzo - “Put you to rest”

Trillville ft Lil Scrappy - “Some Cut”

REESE - “HighRise”

Parental Advisory ft. 8ball & MJG - “Sundown”

Killer Mike ft Sleepy Brown - “Nigg*z Down South”

Wacka Flocka Flame - “Let’s do it”

Lee Harvey Oswald - “Good Ones”

DJ Unknown aka J Brew ft Dillon Maurer - “Show Love”

EarthGang - Ms. Evette

Count Bass D & DJ Pocket ft. H20 - “…Guess This”

Fewture - “Frankenstein” (Live at Lenny’s)

Headland & Delowe: Atlanta Hip Hop from ‘79- ‘til by Dominick R. Brady is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.dominickbrady.com.

The history of the Hip Hop DJ in atlanta is an intricate one. There are controversies, there are legacies and there are rivalries. 

 We're going to touch on these dynamics in this episode.

   Key names like Edward J and Nation Time Syndicate are mentioned as are some early DJs like Smoove Matty Matt of College Park , DJ Toomp & DJ Nabs (formerly Kriss Kross’ DJ, Columbia and of So-So-Def)

After setting the scene we take a brief look at the developing Downtown scene and Decatur.  Brevity is the key word here.  We’ll jump in with both feet into the neighborhood scenes, the suburbs and take a look at how radio helped shape the development of Atlanta Hip Hop in parts two and three.

Voices heard:  DJ Applejac, DJ Jaycee, Brian Lassiter, DJ Powerlord, DJ Nabs, Smoove Matty Matt, DJ Mafioso & Cufrock

Again, as promised, this series is being offered here for free podcast after had run on BrooklynRadio.net in late 2010 and early 2011.  The film version is currently in production.

For  outtakes, video, photos and a look into my process check out the tumblr page for Headland & Delowe.

 Thanks for listening. 

All music heard in this episode is Rap/Hip Hop from the city of Atlanta:

Dj Variable  - “Stalk” (instrumental)

Outkast - “Wheels of Steel” (Instrumental)

Pastor Troy - “This The City”

Damage - “Can’t Get no Lower”

Yelawolf ft. Gucci Mane - “Wanna Party”

Collective Efforts ft. H2O - “Civilized Dreams”

Witchdoctor - “Holiday”

Zae - “Thyow”

Attic Crew ft T.I. - “Dope Boy Fresh”

Stanza - “The First Move”

Clan Destined - Unknown

Live on Arrival (L.O.A) - “Live at Emory Medley”

Ghetto Mafia - “In Decatur”

Da BackWudz- “Welcome 2 Da Backwudz”

Playboy Tre - “Liquor Store Mascot”

 

 

Headland & Delowe: Atlanta Hip Hop from ‘79- ‘til by Dominick R. Brady is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.dominickbrady.com.

The city of Atlanta has a complex and long history with Hip Hop going back into the late 1970’s.

Much of this history pre-LaFace records, pre-Outkast and GooDie MoB isn’t known.

Headland & Delowe is a documentary series attempting to weave together the

story lines of the artists, managers, promoters and journalists of Atlanta Hip Hop over the past three decades to get an understanding of where Atlanta Hip Hop has been and where it might be going.

In this episode I speak with pioneers like B-Boy Zapper of ATL’s HBO crew, MC Shy D and DJ Jelly, current stars like Cee-lo, Pill and DJ Mars and underground stalwarts like Senor Kaos and H20.

Welcome to Headland and Delowe.

This Internet radio series initially aired on BrooklynRadio.net in late 2010 and 2011. A film version of this audio documentary is in production.

As promised, I'm offering the entire series for free.

The series theme music changes with each episode. The instrumental is produced by ATL’s DJ Variable of the Audubon Society DJ tandem.

All of the music beds and bumpers featured in this series is Rap & Hip Hop from the City of Atlanta.

In order of appearance:

Lil Will ft Cool Breeze - “Looking for Nikki”

MC Shy D - Shake it

Mojo - “Jump Stomp & Twist”

Crime Mob - “Knuck if you Buck” (Instrumental)

Cee-Lo ft GooDie MoB - “Night Train”

Grip plyaz - “You already Know” (Live)

Shawty Lo - “Dey Know” (Instrumental)

Outkast - “Crumblin’ Erb”

Success ‘N Effect - “Freeze”

Mass Influence - “Rhyme Placement”

Sammy Sam - “The Hitman”

Kilo ft. Big Boi - “Love in your Mouth”

Pill - “Hear Somebody Coming”

DJ Spinna ft Senor Kaos - “Just call me Senor”

Ghetto Mafia - “Trap Be Jumping” (Instrumental)

Donnis - “More Fiya”

DG Yola live with the XO Band - “I aint gon’ let up”