StoriesAboutSongs with Kevin Beacham

The season one finale takes us right back to the days I spoke about in Episode #1. It’s 1983, and my final days living in Germany are upon me, before permanently moving back to the United States. This is the story of one of the last movies I was able to see before leaving, Star Wars Return of the Jedi, and the one I learned I was going to have to miss because of that same move, Wild Style.

How much influence that factor had on the Wild Style Soundtrack becoming one of my all-time favorite albums I don’t know, but the importance and brilliance of that album still drives me to listen to it regularly to this day. Plus, as a young inspiring MC, the performances of Grandmaster Caz, Prince Whipper Whip, Shock Dell, Rammellzee, and especially Lil Rodney Cee, were monumental. Plus, as an avid fan of the art of DJing, the sounds of Grandmixer D.st, Grand Wizard Theodore, and DJ Charlie Chase, the focus on the turntable on this soundtrack had an additional impact.

Admittedly, putting the names (Rudy Ray Moore and Tragedy) in this episode title feels a bit like giving away the punchline to the joke, but also sometimes the power of the punch is solid enough, it’s able to retain its potency, or so I believe in this case.

This is one of those stories that every time I tell, or think of, it I have to pause and reassure myself it’s not a false memory or a dream that blended with reality. But nope, there was a day, 5-13-93 to be exact, where I was able to introduce Tragedy to Rudy Ray Moore, and then spend a day hanging out with the both of them, as well as Evan (E-Man) Forster, who was running Tuff Break Records for A&M. This was all possible due to my promotions company, Rage Promotions, that did work for Tuff Break on a few projects including Intelligent Hoodlum, Dred Scott, Top Choice Clique and The Posse Soundtrack.

This episode also touches very briefly on major labels gaining interest in rap music in the early 80s, with more of a focus on A&M Records early flirtations and history with signing rap artists, leading up to their first true full effort, Tuff Break Records.

The story itself is so bizarre and unexpected that I still have to chuckle at the spectacle of it. R.I.P to the myth, the man, the pioneer, and one of the great forefathers of Rap, Rudy Ray Moore a.k.a Dolemite.

If you don’t know about the legend of the Medusa, I'm hoping this episode can change that. Although there is a career spanning many decades, with a trail of great songs, explosive live shows, and continuous dynamic vocal performances, there are far too many who are still in the dark. Regardless, whenever Medusa has an opportunity to wield a microphone, her namesake is earned. Any educated listener is captivated and frozen in time by the sheer vocal dominance, if only for a moment.

This episodes speaks about the tales of whispered legend about Medusa that I would hear and read about, leading to finally witnessing it with my own ears, and eventually leading to a unforgettable moment where she became one of my favorite performers, as well as secured her place as one of those artists who I’m permanently tuned in to, curious as to what they shall do next.

Unfortunately, her relatively limited catalog is not easily accessible on the internet, including most of the songs that I talk about in the podcast, hopefully that will eventually change. In the meantime, for those that want to dig deeper, I suggest tracking these down:

Feline Science-Power of the P (early 90s)

Feline Science-How To Serve Man (early 90s)

Medusa-You Better Be! (‘97)

Medusa-It’s A Gift (‘97)

Medusa & Aceyalone-Yes (‘99)

Nobody featuring Medusa-Fiend Or the Fix (‘00)

Medusa-Cold Piece Of Work (‘02)

Medusa-My Momma Raised A G (‘02)

This Kid Named Mile featuring Medusa-New Definition (‘04)

As we entered the new millennium in 2000, I started to seriously think about finally starting my own record label. From doing my Time Travel Radio Show, being Co-Owner of Caught In The Middle Magazine, and running my Rage Promotions company, I was regularly meeting indie or unsigned artists with no outlet for their music, and I hoped I could help make a difference. Aesop Rock and Vordul of Cannibal Ox were planned to help me launch the label with exclusive releases, so I could then shift the focus to promoting some new and upcoming talent; Monkey Wrench Factory, Alltruisms, and more! But, this is the label that never was, so what happened?

Up to this point, I would guess that most anyone interested in listening to this podcast has thus far been aware of all the artists I’ve covered, but Rhyme might be the first exception. For the entire of my career in the music business, from my days running a home studio(Rage Cage Studios) in the late 80s to the early 90s, to my various other adventures, I’ve always sought to be an artist advocate, especially for those who I feel are the unheard. In 1995, Rhyme, from Chicago, was one of those artists to make an instant and long lasting impression on me. This is the story of his “Warrior’s Ink” Demo, as well as how his career developed from that moment, as well as how Daddy-O, from Stetsasonic was involved.

Personally, DJ Pooh was one of my biggest inspirations as a producer in the 1980s. Additionally, his career clearly showcases that he is one of the most intriguing, creative, and diverse producers of his time. His work as a producer (and in some cases as a DJ) with King Tee, Deadly Threat, Nefertiti, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Del The Funkee Homosapien, Ultramagnetic MC’s, Dogg Pound, Snoop, Too Short, Breeze of L.A. Posse, Run-DMC, Yo-Yo, Mixmaster Spade, 2Pac, and more, illustrates a resume that easily cements that point. And, his history as a producer is only a part of what he has accomplished in his amazing career.

Also, super shout out to King Tee, who I am a big fan of, and it was his music that initially led to me hearing DJ Pooh.

For anyone who is an attentive listener and has a grasp of understanding the merits of lyricism, it should be clear that Kool G Rap is one of the most skilled rhyme writers of all time. His road to this level of praise was hinted at ever since his debut in 1986, but “Poison” (‘88) was truly a moment that marked his ascension to that prestigious level as inevitable.

This episode talks about the quick rise to the ranks of the MC elite, starting with his debut in 1986, and making a notable statement with his debut album, Road To The Riches (‘89).

In 1995/96, rap icon Ice Cube ignited a feud with rising talent Common Sense from Chicago. Though the situation was short-lived, it made a lasting impact, and the story has been told many times over, but in nearly all of those stories, a perhaps trivial, but notable factor has been left out, the smart part I played in that story.

The art for this episode is from the cover of Caught In The Middle Magazine, of which I was the Co-Owner, alongside Jason "J-Bird" Cook. This was the first issue of the magazine and also Common's first time being on a magazine cover, and was released in December of 1994. Designed by Boom Design!

-Kevin Beacham

With rap music being born in New York, and quickly spreading throughout the upper East Coast in areas such as Philly and throughout New Jersey, that section of the world dominated the rap industry from the music’s conception in the mid 1970s until well into the 80s.

However, around 1988 a shift started to occur as the West Coast rose to be a force to be reckoned with, courtesy of the powerful and influential sounds of Too Short, 2 Live Crew, N.W.A, and Ice-T. “Colors” is an integral part of that shift.

This episode also takes a walk through Ice-T’s amazing career as a MC, and it also touches a smidgen on some history of rap soundtracks.

My dad was drafted into the army in 1968, and approximately two years later, I was born in a hospital in Frankfurt, Germany, joining him, my mother, and older sister living in Hanau. In my first 14 years of life, we lived in three different parts of Germany, including our second trip back to Germany living on military bases in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart, between the years of 1977-1984. It was during that time, October of 1979 specifically, that I learned about rap music, courtesy of my dad buying me “Rappers Delight” while on a trip to Indiana for some work training.

This episode talks about how living on army bases affected how I, and others living a similar lifestyle, experienced the growth of rap music and eventually Hip Hop culture as it exploded out of the upper East Coast. Additionally, it touches on the scarcity of rap music at the time, as well as a lack of outlets to easily discover it, learn more about the artists, find the music and so on, especially if you didn’t live in one of the few major metropolitan areas were the scene was thriving at this time; Philly, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Oakland, and of course, it’s place of birth, New York.

Based on the way this episode flows, I thought it best to keep the spotlighted artists a secret, but they are early pioneers, who helped bring a sense of elegance, style and materialistic outlandishness to the rap game…