1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: From I Heeart Podcasts. 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,319 Speaker 2: I Am five five Freddy and this is fifty years 3 00:00:08,320 --> 00:00:12,639 Speaker 2: of hip hop podcast series. The most cutting edge rap 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 2: label with our question deaf Jam Recordings. 5 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: It's worldwide. 6 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 2: Founded back in nineteen eighty four by Russell Simmons and 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 2: Rick Rubert, death Jam has given us major acts showing 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,480 Speaker 2: enough one hundred percent superstars like Ll cool J, Beastie Boys, 9 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 2: Slick Rick, Public Enemy, Rihanna, Kanye West, and many more. 10 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 2: This is death Jam Recordings, hip hop's most iconic label. 11 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,840 Speaker 1: SHAUTI das music industry executive. 12 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 3: I mean they're innovators of hip hop. You know, hip 13 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 3: hop wouldn't be where it is today if Russell Simmons, 14 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 3: you know, hadn't have had the. 15 00:00:57,160 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 4: Foresight to do what he did. 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 3: When you think about labels and genres of music, like, 17 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 3: to me, death Jam is to hip hop. It's what 18 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 3: Motown was to R and B music right for Black 19 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:18,199 Speaker 3: Americans and so being able to break artists very early on. 20 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 4: Like a run DMC. 21 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:25,559 Speaker 3: And I think what a large part of what death 22 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 3: Jam did not only just coming with great artists, death 23 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 3: Jam knew how to market the artists from a hip 24 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 3: hop perspective. And I think Russell Simmons and Death Jam 25 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 3: were responsible for making hip hop a global phenomenon is 26 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,680 Speaker 3: if you remember when Run DMC, you know, we're at 27 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 3: the height of their career. They did that deal with Adidas. 28 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 3: We had never seen anything like that, or they did 29 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 3: these matchups with rock artists, like you never saw hip 30 00:01:53,400 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 3: hop infused with another genre and so that was like 31 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 3: brown breaking for the genre. And so they put hip 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 3: hop on global stage. That's what Russell Simmons did, and 33 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 3: you know he was one of the best to ever 34 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: do it. 35 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 2: Russell Simmons record executive and entrepreneur oh Rick Rubin, he. 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,640 Speaker 5: Said it was earlier at Graffiti Rock, but I wouldn't 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 5: know him. Some kid comes up to me, some white kids, saying, oh, 38 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 5: I love rap. But then I the way I remember 39 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,560 Speaker 5: meeting Rick Ruben was I heard the record It's. 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 4: Yours What's that? 41 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 5: And I Daddy Jason, I know, and Yaddy d brought 42 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,639 Speaker 5: it and I was like, this made It's yours white 43 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 5: and it was him. It was Rick Rubin and played 44 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 5: me all the you know, for me, I was really 45 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 5: a B boy back then, Like the records I really 46 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 5: cared about and everything else was kind of like that 47 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:49,960 Speaker 5: was commercial. 48 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 4: Like that was commercial. 49 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 5: Doc m S was part of Percent from the Heart 50 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 5: and it spoke to a hole in the market. Knowing 51 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 5: made record like that sound anything like that. And then 52 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 5: Rick had a drum machine full of beats. I mean 53 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:06,640 Speaker 5: beat was a hit in my mind. And then I 54 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,079 Speaker 5: started to manage him and the Beastie Boys, and then 55 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 5: we found Aloka at King ad Rock found Llokoo Jay's tape, 56 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 5: and then that was it. You know, that was the 57 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 5: beginning of he was gonna start. He was starting a label. 58 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 5: He had the logo Depth Jam, but he wanted to 59 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 5: start an independent label and he wanted me to be 60 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 5: his partner. I was gonna already make a deal for 61 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 5: Rush Records because we had so many artists that we 62 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 5: were such a big management company and hip hop. We 63 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 5: were patrolling that he might even save culture. But the 64 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 5: beats he made and the stuff he was doing was fascinating, 65 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,600 Speaker 5: so I said, I just share with him, and I'll 66 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 5: still manage, and I'll just put money in his lapel. 67 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 4: We put in three five hundred dollars apiece I think we. 68 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 5: Put out I Need a Beat by and ad Rock 69 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 5: found him. It was a version of I need a beat, 70 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 5: but Rick reproduced it and well Darren was the first 71 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 5: def Jam record independent. Well, I didn't have any talent, 72 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 5: you know. I produced records that was artist street, that 73 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 5: was about ball. I wrapped on some records for the 74 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 5: fun of it, a couple one with l oh Cool 75 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 5: J and one with Jazzy J. But no, I never 76 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:20,360 Speaker 5: had I still can't there they'll beat. I ain't never 77 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 5: been no rhythm, you know. I mean, but I could. 78 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:24,560 Speaker 5: I really made good records, and people don't know that 79 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 5: I was produce. I like sometimes slip that in. I 80 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 5: made that record, I wrote that. But I can say 81 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 5: that sometimes good people, you know, like running See we 82 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 5: made two albums before we met RICRU and you know, 83 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 5: Larry Smith and I made those records and we made 84 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 5: them unique. 85 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 4: You know, there's some records we've made with MC, where's 86 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:43,680 Speaker 4: the music said? And ten people begging me, we're gonna 87 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 4: play the base line ain't got no baby. That is itself. 88 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 4: The simplicity of that suck MC record was unique. 89 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 5: Taking the record and scratching on top of record in 90 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 5: a recording studio was never done. 91 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 4: We made Jam after J it was new, you know, 92 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:05,280 Speaker 4: check off the ship we may know that for the job, and. 93 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 5: Yeah, I would saying that I produced a bunch of 94 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 5: records and I started producing records like Alison Williams. 95 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 4: She had a couple of hits, especially in Europe, but 96 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 4: it was me producing records. 97 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 5: I produced a Blue Magic album This is Perfect, and 98 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 5: Rick produced The Headless Horseman and a bunch of his 99 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 5: hit was Slayer. 100 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 4: My hit was Jukes Jones and Aliston and so I. 101 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 5: Spent a lot of time doing my choledge and he 102 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:34,840 Speaker 5: spent a lot of time doing his challenge. 103 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 4: And then who was running the ship? 104 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 5: So I bore in the l A posse could make 105 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,880 Speaker 5: LL's second album. They did a good job, very different 106 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,359 Speaker 5: from what Rick would have made, right, but it was 107 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,839 Speaker 5: all LL. The inspiration came from LL. So in a 108 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 5: record like I Need Love played, you know, it was 109 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,359 Speaker 5: not something Rick would have made, and he kind of 110 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 5: you know, it showed, you know, we're becoming companied now 111 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 5: to manage the. 112 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 4: Process more than to make it. 113 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 5: Rick, although he was always going to be one of 114 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 5: the great produced of all time, he was off making 115 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 5: heavy metal. So we separated at that time and that's 116 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 5: when we started to really I think depth Jem started 117 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:14,880 Speaker 5: to really excel, because that's when we started to become up. 118 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 4: Machine. 119 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 2: Music producer Rick Rubin and music manager and producer Russell 120 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 2: Simmons co founded Depth Jam Records, only to become creators 121 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 2: of hip hop's most prominent record label. Russell Simmons, a 122 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: young black kid from Queens, New York, would be a 123 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,280 Speaker 2: part of designing the blueprint to commercial success in rap music. 124 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 2: LL cool J actor, rapper, entrepreneur considered one of the 125 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 2: best to ever do it. 126 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 4: It's funny, you know when it first started. 127 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:43,560 Speaker 2: You know, first of all, I went I went up 128 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 2: to Rick Storm, you know, saying went up in the dorm. 129 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,359 Speaker 2: Ad Rock had played, you know, the Beast of Boys 130 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 2: had played my demo team for Rick Rubin. 131 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 4: Ad Rock actually programmed to beat on my first song, 132 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 4: I Need to Beat. 133 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: Rick Rubin produced it like spectacularly, did a great job, 134 00:06:58,640 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 2: add kind of program the programming. Jason Jay did the 135 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 2: cut and but before that we did a song called 136 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: catch This Break. We went over to Russell's office and 137 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 2: it's so funny, had an office like one secretary of him, 138 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 2: and he's in there and we played. 139 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 4: The demo for him. 140 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 2: He's like, ah, the same old sound like the Churcher's 141 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 2: three so like a Samuel' fak. So me and Rick 142 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 2: looked at each other and was like, oh yeah, so 143 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:21,640 Speaker 2: we were back in the studio. Made I Need a Beat. 144 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 2: When he earned I Need a Beat, he was like okay, yeah, 145 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 2: And they decided to make their own record because they 146 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: were labeled, because Rick was having problems getting money from 147 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: Party Times street Wide because remember he just had a 148 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: production deal with them, he didn't have a label. So 149 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 2: we did that and the rest was history. Ashannaz music 150 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 2: executive and founder of the Heirs Agency. 151 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 6: Russell Simmons is what we call the godfather of hip hop. Ambitious, 152 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 6: brilliant man from Queens where I'm from Queen's get the 153 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 6: money from Queens who started a record label with his 154 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 6: friend and their college dorm. They laid the foundation for 155 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:08,560 Speaker 6: what the business of music or hip hop music looks 156 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 6: like for generations and generations and generations. They were visionaries 157 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 6: and understood the value of hip hop and built a 158 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 6: business that millions and billions and billions of people are 159 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 6: benefiting from today. 160 00:08:24,920 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: Shahim read music journalists. 161 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 7: Wow, when you think about deaths, then you got to 162 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 7: say that to me, that's the most started label out there, right. 163 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 4: I mean, you. 164 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 7: Definitely got other labels, But to me, Russell Simmons and 165 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 7: with Willman, they they loved the blueprint for everything that's 166 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 7: going on, as far as having your label, as far 167 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 7: as having superstar artists, as far as putting the power 168 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 7: into the artist's hands, as far as putting up the 169 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 7: power into your hands as an executive. These are guys 170 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 7: that started one of the most powerful entities and most 171 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 7: one of the most influential entities, and all of them, 172 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 7: not just hip hop, but black culture period. When you 173 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 7: look at everything that spawned off from Death Damn Death, 174 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 7: Promy Jan clothing behind it, you know, just everything. And 175 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 7: these are guys who they were selling rapports out of 176 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 7: Rick Willman is DRM well olegend. 177 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 4: Rick Wilvern went on. 178 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,839 Speaker 7: To be a super successful and impactful producer. Russell is 179 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 7: one of our great success stories as black people. When 180 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:41,839 Speaker 7: you look at this is this is a kid from Queen's. 181 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 2: Fat Joe, recording artists, Bronx, hip hop legend and author 182 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 2: me and you. 183 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 8: Wouldn't have a job if it wasn't for Russell Simmons 184 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 8: because he took hip hop to the next level. Of 185 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 8: where you could actually make a living and pay bills. 186 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 8: And so before that we had the underground rappers to 187 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 8: Drammaster kaz is that this step he made it mainstream. 188 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,959 Speaker 8: He wasn't closed minded. He had run DMC, work with 189 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 8: Walk this Way. You know, they signed the Beastie Boys, 190 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 8: They invent the Death Jab Records to where that is 191 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 8: the prototype for all record labels and boutiques like you know, 192 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 8: like a terror squad, like a rocketfeller, like a rough Riders. 193 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 8: So so deaf on this, you know. He showed us 194 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 8: how to be entrepreneurs. He showed us how to get 195 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,839 Speaker 8: to the back. He taught us how to dream, be 196 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 8: and be visionary and be creatives, to imagine that we 197 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:45,679 Speaker 8: can be bigger than we ever be in our life. 198 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 8: And so I personally have never made one dollar with 199 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:55,320 Speaker 8: Russell Simmons. I have never done business with him, but 200 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 8: to this day I attribute my success to Russell Simmons, 201 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:01,240 Speaker 8: and she showed us away. 202 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:05,439 Speaker 2: Curtis Bloom, legendary rapper and hip hop's first rap superstar. 203 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 7: Oh Def Dam became the label that Russell and I 204 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:14,760 Speaker 7: dreamed about when we were in college. During that time 205 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 7: are related to a movie The Star Wars the Jedi Knights. 206 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 7: See that was the name of the basketball team at 207 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 7: City College, the Jedi Knights, and so we all became 208 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 7: Jedi Knights, and we went to those movies and I 209 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 7: was Curtis sky Walker. 210 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:34,959 Speaker 4: We had an. 211 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 7: Obie Wan Canobe. His name was Bob Loane Russell. Funny story, 212 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 7: we called Russell c three Bo because he was always talking. 213 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 7: He was a talker. He was the Blonnie Stone. Russell 214 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 7: was a great communicator. And so during those times when 215 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 7: we figure it out and Star Wars, you know that 216 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 7: part of they talk about the planet All Duron. That's 217 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 7: where the home base of the Jedi Knights, and so 218 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 7: our dream of success was going to All do We're 219 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 7: trying to get to all Doroon. So that was our mission. 220 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 7: You know, success was all garnt for us, and Russell 221 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:26,840 Speaker 7: did it. We all owe him gratitude and a big 222 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 7: thanks and give him his flowers because he did it. 223 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 7: He made it happen. Along with le Or Cohen and 224 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 7: also Rick Rubin, they took this idea, this dream, this wish, 225 00:12:43,480 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 7: and it made it a reality. I remember Russell going 226 00:12:46,760 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 7: over to the Grammys and protesting the Grammys with picted 227 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 7: signs and all that, trying to say we need a 228 00:12:55,559 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 7: rap category, you know, we need a wrap award, you know, 229 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 7: and stuff that fighting when it was unheard of, and 230 00:13:04,440 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 7: they put this man out. You know, now you see 231 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 7: him front row. He's sitting at the Grammys, right and 232 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 7: the Oscars and all that. So man, you made it, Russell, 233 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 7: you did it. My hat goes off to you all 234 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 7: the wrong babies. 235 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: How sea is? 236 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 6: I think LLL from the perspective of you know, deaf 237 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 6: jam and hip hop, I think he showed what the 238 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 6: commercial viability of hip hop was. I think you know, 239 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 6: his you know, the songs, the record sales, radio airplay, 240 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 6: like all of those things, I think showed what commercial 241 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 6: success looked like for hip hop. There were hip hop 242 00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:49,719 Speaker 6: artists obviously before him, but I think he was the 243 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 6: first to have like massive global commercial success and that 244 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 6: was important because I think again, like that said, the 245 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 6: tone for what the future of hip hop looked like 246 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 6: from a commercially viable standpoint, from a you know, not 247 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:12,400 Speaker 6: just developing you know, these successful you know rappers, but 248 00:14:12,559 --> 00:14:18,880 Speaker 6: also building businesses and establishing careers and employees being able 249 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 6: to see their families. Like it wasn't just the success 250 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,120 Speaker 6: of LLL himself and what that looked like for the 251 00:14:26,200 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 6: rap community or the rap genre. But it was also 252 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 6: like it built a sustainable business that allowed, you know again, 253 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 6: allowed for a murder ink to exist, allowed for a 254 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 6: death row to exist, and all of the employees and 255 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,640 Speaker 6: people that came from those companies to have thriving jobs 256 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:48,440 Speaker 6: and legacies for years and years and years to come. 257 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 2: LLL Cool jet Rick was had a very specific taste 258 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 2: and he also was able to translate the things that 259 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 2: me or my friends would want him to do. So 260 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 2: I'd be like, yo, Rick, I would hum a beating 261 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 2: and he would play the bat. I would tell him, 262 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:04,480 Speaker 2: you'll do it like this, and he would do it. 263 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 2: So he was really expressing a lot of my stuff, 264 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 2: my ideas, and then he would take my ideas and 265 00:15:10,680 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 2: he would make the better. 266 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,600 Speaker 4: He would enhance them as a producer and take them 267 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 4: to another level. And that's how it was. It was crazy. 268 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 4: It was a math. 269 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:20,680 Speaker 1: Russell Simmons hellow Pool. 270 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 5: Jay was when most sounds and Boltless, I mean run 271 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 5: used to always say that's the guy at the best 272 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 5: vocless and he was young both his next generation that 273 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 5: not not only he was the first one that really 274 00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 5: I think that I worked with that really spoke to 275 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 5: the recording generations. Run remember was a rapper before they 276 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:43,280 Speaker 5: were rap records. Was DJ Run from Curtis Flow that 277 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 5: just goes done and Curdy Flow. So they all came 278 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,280 Speaker 5: from the ballroom and the performing art. Ello pool J 279 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 5: was a recording art. He heard records to make him 280 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 5: make a record. They heard tape to make them make 281 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 5: their performances and eventually their record. So Old Cool J 282 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 5: for me was the first artist that I mad July 283 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 5: Foe percent to the next generation, the first generation of 284 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 5: hip hop as a recording art. 285 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 4: Ll cool J. 286 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 2: I mean I made ten platinum albums in a row. 287 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 2: Be that's pretty good for coming for an independent label. 288 00:16:18,360 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 2: Have an artist come out and make ten platinum albums 289 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 2: in a row. At that time, it wasn't gonna be 290 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 2: no number one spect It was hip hop. This was 291 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 2: rap music. It was no pop radio play. There was 292 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 2: no you know, you get a little bit of airplayer 293 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: on the weekend. And I made ten number one albums 294 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: in a row. So that's a big, big important thing 295 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 2: for the LABE from a label side. Now in terms 296 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,680 Speaker 2: of hip hop showing people that you could be legitimately 297 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 2: and I say this would humility, but that you could 298 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 2: really be a rap star, like like I showed people 299 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 2: how to be a rap star be there was no 300 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,320 Speaker 2: real rap stars before me. 301 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 4: They were except for run DMC as a group. 302 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,320 Speaker 2: And it was a little different because my thing struck 303 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 2: a little different chord because I struck the teen heartthrob 304 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 2: chord and the like the cultural rhyming chord. 305 00:17:08,119 --> 00:17:09,640 Speaker 4: It was a little different, right. 306 00:17:09,840 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 2: So I'm like, I'm on the cover with new addition, 307 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:14,400 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying, Like I'm you know, I'm 308 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 2: on magazines with new addition. 309 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 4: I'm on magazines with Michael Jackson. 310 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 2: So you have to think about it, like like you 311 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 2: have to think about it like that. So and then 312 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 2: what I did was I showed people that you could 313 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 2: have emotional intelligence. I introduced like it was guys who 314 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,480 Speaker 2: wrapped the females on records before, you know, like introducing 315 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:35,080 Speaker 2: the love thing to the game, like before I made 316 00:17:35,119 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 2: I Need Love and before I started really embracing the 317 00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 2: females even on my B sides, like I want you 318 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 2: on the other side of the B side of dangerous 319 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,879 Speaker 2: dudes weren't comfortable with that and that was a whole 320 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:51,440 Speaker 2: dimension of hip hop that was not open. The only 321 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 2: one that would dabble in it a little bit more 322 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 2: would be Spoony G. But he was still keeping it. 323 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 2: He wasn't He was never allowing himself to be vulnerable. 324 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 2: So so I really like opened up the world of 325 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 2: you know, love, the idea of love being introduced to hip. 326 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 4: Hop like I did that. 327 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: I did, oh man, so many memories. 328 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 2: I was definitely deep in the mix at that time 329 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 2: and seeing all this go down first hands. Let me 330 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 2: tell you my little story about me Rick Rubin for 331 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 2: the first time. I was at the Roxy one night 332 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:27,600 Speaker 2: back in the early eighties and a record came on 333 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 2: which really made me freeze in my steps. It was 334 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 2: the record was It's yours right, Tiga Rock, And I'm. 335 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 4: Like, what is this record? Right? 336 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,200 Speaker 2: So I go up to the DJ and I said, yo, man, 337 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 2: like what is this? Like what he says, Yo, it's 338 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 2: this new record is yours? I said, who made this? 339 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 2: And he pointed to this group He said, this guy 340 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 2: over here, And I saw several people over there and this, 341 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:52,920 Speaker 2: you know, several black folks and this white guy. 342 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:54,879 Speaker 1: And I was like, who who? 343 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 4: And he was like this guy right here, straight up. 344 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 4: It was the white guy. 345 00:18:58,359 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: And I went over and I introduced myself. It was 346 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: Rick Rubin, and Rick was really cool. 347 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:05,479 Speaker 2: And it was like I told him who I was, 348 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,320 Speaker 2: you know, he knew who I was, and he invited 349 00:19:07,359 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 2: me to his dorm room at m YU University, a 350 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 2: small dorm room with his little small bed and a 351 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 2: DJ turntable set up and a drum machine and boom. 352 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:23,879 Speaker 2: I definitely saw the beginning of deaf jam records, and 353 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 2: it was brilliant the way Rick. 354 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:28,960 Speaker 1: And Russell linked up with each other because. 355 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 2: Rick had a you know, understood like you know, pop 356 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:37,199 Speaker 2: music and the formula of making a tight four minute 357 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 2: record like a record because rappers at that time, some 358 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,199 Speaker 2: of the first rap records came out, people would wrap 359 00:19:42,320 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 2: it for ten and fifteen minutes. And Rick had a 360 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 2: sense of how to shape this into something that was 361 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 2: a much tighter, more condensed, explosive basically hit records that 362 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 2: could that could work on radio and work everywhere else. 363 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 2: It was pretty amazed at the seed beginnings of at 364 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 2: and where Rick. 365 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 1: And Russell took it to Russell Simmons. 366 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 9: Well, of it was hip hop, but you know, I 367 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 9: met people who inspired me to Quincy Jones to the world. 368 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:10,400 Speaker 9: They tried to remind me that it was nothing new 369 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:14,639 Speaker 9: when music doing the same thing when evolved, reminded me 370 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 9: of the jazz era Loui Ro you know, okay, here 371 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 9: black music doing it again. 372 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,160 Speaker 4: And they gave me perspective and you know. 373 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 5: Instead of being you know, cocky and young, they gave 374 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,199 Speaker 5: me another perspective, which I was cocky and young, but 375 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:32,520 Speaker 5: they gave me another perspective that how I fit in history. 376 00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 5: Quincy Jones took me the Beastie Boys, Fellow Pool, Jay 377 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,160 Speaker 5: Tela Robbs, Run DMC. I'm trying to think that Rick 378 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 5: was bit but he joined us about Christal Champaign took 379 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 5: it all out. 380 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 4: He wanted to know. It was late about eighty five. 381 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 5: I remember playing turn on the radio and run DMC 382 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 5: record played, and Quincy's got my House and get ready 383 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:58,879 Speaker 5: to go to Dinner played in the demo for Orange 384 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 5: Juice Jones walking into Ain't I had just produced. 385 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 4: We went to Dinner, But all Rush Band took a 386 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 4: lot of art. 387 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,880 Speaker 5: Again, there were so many that were pioneers and had 388 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 5: records on a different label. 389 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:15,119 Speaker 4: So remember we met Big Daddy Kane and Eric p 390 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:16,880 Speaker 4: and rocked him and. 391 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 5: We managed the Day of Soul and tried for a 392 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:22,159 Speaker 5: quest and we managed and we rushed management with all 393 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:22,640 Speaker 5: of that depth. 394 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,959 Speaker 4: Jem felt like all of that too, because we're all family, 395 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 4: all wore Dept. JM jacket. It was the cultural movement. 396 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 5: We were part of a family and the Slick Rakes 397 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:33,640 Speaker 5: and you know Big Daddy Kane where you know, they 398 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:38,240 Speaker 5: were the same right even though we couldn't. And I 399 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 5: never felt as a manager, I never felt any different 400 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 5: between those who are my label and those who I 401 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:43,919 Speaker 5: just managed. 402 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:44,240 Speaker 1: Well. 403 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 5: My family, the Rush family was expensive and plenty. Joels 404 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,240 Speaker 5: fed all of them and he inspired me so many 405 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 5: ways because he gave me for respective and that helped 406 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:57,120 Speaker 5: me a little bit over the years a lot over 407 00:21:57,119 --> 00:21:57,680 Speaker 5: the years. 408 00:21:57,800 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 2: Grant was It Dead or pioneering hip hop DJ credited 409 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 2: as the inventor of the scratching technique. 410 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 7: Not only is in Russell and Rick Rudman. One of 411 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 7: the ultimates is such stories, but you could just look 412 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:15,159 Speaker 7: at them for inspiration. Man, Like, there's a lot of 413 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,400 Speaker 7: people that want to do stuff and that could actually 414 00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 7: do it, but it's scared to do it. And there's 415 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 7: people that can actually do it. They're not scared to 416 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 7: do it, but they're too stubborn or too proud to 417 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 7: team up with somebody. These people form the team. And 418 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 7: when you look at the death Jam family tree, there 419 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,119 Speaker 7: was a record label, there was also a management team. 420 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 7: You understand, like they manage leaders of the New School, 421 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 7: trip or Request and from that, the family tree that 422 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 7: they have is nothing but hall of fame. It's like 423 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 7: death Jam, you can't really say enough. And when you 424 00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:59,160 Speaker 7: look at the catalog that they have from LL Cool 425 00:22:59,240 --> 00:23:05,120 Speaker 7: J Slick with Public Enemy, Rick Ross red Man, that's 426 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:09,880 Speaker 7: that man, the Rockefeller Record Label, jay Z and everything 427 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:16,679 Speaker 7: that he did after reasonable doubt, Kanye West, job Role Science, 428 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:22,679 Speaker 7: he Murder, and DMX with Rough Fridays. These guys not 429 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 7: only did they make and again, this is something that 430 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 7: we keep talking about, is that it's something special when 431 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 7: you're making classic music, but it's also extra extra special 432 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:42,640 Speaker 7: when you're making classic music and you're implementing a business infrastructure. 433 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 7: Like they showed us not just how to get it 434 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:49,199 Speaker 7: as artists, but how to get it as businessmen and 435 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:49,960 Speaker 7: business women. 436 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: A Shana is I. 437 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 6: Think deaf Jam any any relation to def Jam being 438 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 6: an artist or an employee. It's a badge of honor. 439 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 6: It's a club, a community, a college. It's almost like 440 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:07,160 Speaker 6: pledging if you were a part of Death Jam then 441 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 6: or now, it's a badge of honor for the music business. 442 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 6: It represents a certain level of excellence, It represents a 443 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 6: certain purity, a certain attachment to the culture or or 444 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,879 Speaker 6: not even attachment, symbolism that you're a culture creator, like 445 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,439 Speaker 6: you are driving. 446 00:24:25,920 --> 00:24:26,800 Speaker 4: The culture forward. 447 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 6: Death Jam was the leader in driving the culture forward 448 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 6: and being a part of it in any way, be 449 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,360 Speaker 6: it you know, as a musician, as an artist, as 450 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 6: an executive, meant that you were a part of a 451 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:40,919 Speaker 6: team that was driving culture forward. 452 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,600 Speaker 3: Das it was just their flavor. Like for example, when 453 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:47,439 Speaker 3: I worked in New York, Damn had this Christmas party 454 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 3: every year, like they always had their hand on the 455 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 3: pulse of the culture. 456 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 4: Everybody always wanted to go to. 457 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,520 Speaker 3: The Deaf Jam parties and the Deaf Jam vents because 458 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 3: they know how to do it on the big scale. 459 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 3: And I have to shout out one of my former mentors, 460 00:25:01,320 --> 00:25:03,880 Speaker 3: Kevin Lyles, who used to be president of Death Jam Records. 461 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:07,960 Speaker 3: Like if Kevin hosted an event at a music conference, 462 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 3: you knew all the like cool people were gonna be there, 463 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 3: like all the actors. 464 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,920 Speaker 4: He brought people in from other worlds. 465 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 3: Like they mixed fashion and hip hop and art, and 466 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 3: you had all the cool people. And that was to me, 467 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:26,800 Speaker 3: that was really utilizing hip hop in a way that 468 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 3: hadn't been done before. That's when we really knew that 469 00:25:29,280 --> 00:25:32,879 Speaker 3: hip hop was currency, right, hip hop was big business, 470 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,160 Speaker 3: and so that's when you started seeing a lot of 471 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:40,440 Speaker 3: you know, sneaker brands and spirit brands and other people 472 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,119 Speaker 3: want to collaborate with these artists because death Jam not 473 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 3: only was good with the music, but again they were 474 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,280 Speaker 3: good with the marketing and promotions. And so that's something 475 00:25:47,280 --> 00:25:49,400 Speaker 3: that we always looked to and I was like, how 476 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,000 Speaker 3: do they do it? Like they mixed the world together, 477 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,359 Speaker 3: and they really they have to shape what culture looks 478 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 3: like for us to this day, because again, the culture 479 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:01,760 Speaker 3: and the currency is music, fashion, in sports, it's entertainment. 480 00:26:01,800 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 3: But Death Jam was really at the forefront of that, 481 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 3: putting their artists in other rooms that people in the 482 00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 3: genre hadn't necessarily been exposed to before. 483 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 4: I think Snoop. 484 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 3: Dogg does a great job of it now and how 485 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 3: he's expanded his brand, but early on, I don't think 486 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 3: anybody did it like death Jam in terms of being 487 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 3: able to cross collaborate and bring those worlds together. And 488 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 3: so that was what was cool. It was like going 489 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 3: to a deaf Jam event. You just felt like, Wow, 490 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 3: this is the culture. 491 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:30,080 Speaker 4: This is it. 492 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 3: This is where we all want to be. Athletes want 493 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 3: to be artists. Artists want to be athletes. And it 494 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 3: was nothing to like look up and seeing an NFL 495 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:42,240 Speaker 3: player or NBA star or seeing death Jam artists participate 496 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:45,320 Speaker 3: in NBA All Star Weekend. Like they really started a 497 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 3: lot of that from a cultural perspective, and I think 498 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 3: that really also helped catapult the genre to a global 499 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 3: status and put us in other worlds and in corporate 500 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 3: America and making these big. 501 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,520 Speaker 4: Deals that we hadn't seen that before. 502 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 3: So that was Russell, That was you know, Rick, that 503 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 3: was Kevin Laws, all those folks, Ronnie coll and Tracy Waypool's, 504 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:07,440 Speaker 3: all those folks who worked over there, like they really 505 00:27:07,520 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 3: had the blueprint down for like how to work records, 506 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 3: but also how to market them and how to bring 507 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 3: the culture together to how a good time and to 508 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 3: make good money and to make good records. 509 00:27:17,840 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 2: Ed Lover, rapper, actor, radio personality, and former. 510 00:27:22,840 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: MTV v J. 511 00:27:24,359 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 10: Oh my God, it's that deaf Jam is everything. There 512 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 10: was a time and if you wasn't on deaf Jam, 513 00:27:30,640 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 10: you wasn't really on the label. And even though Running 514 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 10: It was on Profile, it was almost like they were 515 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:39,280 Speaker 10: on deaf Jam because that was Russell's brother. And I 516 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 10: think for Russell, of them got a lot of credit 517 00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 10: because they did manage Running D for a while. And 518 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:48,800 Speaker 10: I think Russell and Rick Rubin, the music that they 519 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 10: were able to create. The stuff that Rick Rubin was 520 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,879 Speaker 10: able to create as a producer is still unmatched to 521 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 10: this day. Russell's business acumen learning on the fly. It's 522 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 10: not like he's you know, he's a graduate of Wharton 523 00:28:01,800 --> 00:28:05,160 Speaker 10: School of Business. But it's just a street wise, dope, 524 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:08,600 Speaker 10: dope dude that was smart enough to see that Rick 525 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:12,520 Speaker 10: was doing something or going somewhere and made Deaf Jam 526 00:28:12,560 --> 00:28:16,200 Speaker 10: Records and it is probably the most important hip hop 527 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 10: label ever because everybody else wanted to have. 528 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:20,639 Speaker 4: A label because of Death Name. 529 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:24,399 Speaker 10: You know, Tommy Boy put out a lot of dance records, 530 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:29,000 Speaker 10: Electro Funk Records, Sleeping Bag, everybody put out a lot 531 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 10: of different kinds of music. Death Jam for a long 532 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 10: time was strictly hip hop before they started dabbling into 533 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 10: R and B. That was just like the ultimate hip 534 00:28:40,440 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 10: hop label. Dude, I can't tell you what year it was, 535 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 10: but I remember when they gave me a deaf Jam jacket, 536 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 10: like they gave me a deaf damn jacket. That jacket 537 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 10: was that was part of the club. If you had 538 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 10: a death Jam jacket which your name on it, Oh 539 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:55,880 Speaker 10: my god. 540 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 7: Wow. 541 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,720 Speaker 10: So deaf Jam for us was everything, and especially from 542 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 10: us from Queens because it was Russell. He's from Hollands, 543 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:07,600 Speaker 10: He's from out Oot, so that's what made it even bigger. 544 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,160 Speaker 10: And my sister used to work at deaf Jam at 545 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 10: the front desk, and so it's all full circle. Man. 546 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:17,400 Speaker 10: Deaf Jam meant everything to us. It was the premier 547 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 10: hip hop label, the premier label. The best of the 548 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 10: best were on deaf Jam. 549 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: I shun it is. 550 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 6: I think it's safe to say that deaf Jam was 551 00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:31,080 Speaker 6: at the forefront of disruptive marketing for sure, things like 552 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 6: street teams, things like you know, merch, you know brand 553 00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 6: The deaf Damn jacket was something that you know, people 554 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 6: would pay for back then, massive billboards and just kind 555 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:49,000 Speaker 6: of over the top, like grassroots street marketing is the 556 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,320 Speaker 6: deaf Jam way. And I definitely think it influenced how 557 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,960 Speaker 6: not just record companies, but how any brand who wanted 558 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 6: to reach that hip hop community began to mark it 559 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 6: after seeing the way Death Jam. 560 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: Marketed Shaheim Weed music journalists. 561 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 7: They've empowered so many greats from our culture that have 562 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 7: empowered other people. And it's the gift that keeps on giving. 563 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 7: You know, so many women that work that Death Jam, 564 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 7: so many young people that work that Death Jam. And 565 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 7: it's not just the music. Music. Music is fantastic. You 566 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 7: look at the Death Jam catalog and it's it's in 567 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 7: this classic's young jeezy, you know, it's inless classes. But 568 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 7: you gotta also look at the people and what it 569 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 7: meant Like Death Jam meant us as young even though 570 00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 7: Rick Ruben was white, right, it just meant like us 571 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:52,560 Speaker 7: as young rebels doing what we wanted to do. And 572 00:30:52,640 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 7: it wasn't reckless. It wasn't reckless. These guys were successful. 573 00:30:56,320 --> 00:30:59,120 Speaker 7: It wasn't like, oh, we just gonna give these young kids. 574 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 7: Let's see what these young kids do with tens of 575 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:06,680 Speaker 7: millions of dollars. Nah, they pulled their money together the 576 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,280 Speaker 7: Soul records, and then when he started getting all of 577 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 7: the millions of dollars, they started doing like all of 578 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 7: these other businesses across Rick Rubin. He stepped away from 579 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 7: death Gym and he started doing his own thing. And 580 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:23,120 Speaker 7: then it was more like Russell Simmons, Kevin Lows and 581 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 7: le Or Cohen that was doing it. Then you know 582 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,680 Speaker 7: later Mike Kayser and Julie and all of these people. 583 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 7: But this is a young young black kid from from 584 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 7: queens Man, Russell, and he built the empire like this 585 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 7: is This is the stuff that has influenced every executive 586 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 7: in the game. They've all looked at Russell Simmons at 587 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:47,880 Speaker 7: a point, I don't care what, I don't care who 588 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 7: you are. 589 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 4: Black, all white. 590 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:54,200 Speaker 7: Everybody that came up after Russell had to look at 591 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 7: this man as being one of the blue prints. 592 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,320 Speaker 1: Russell Simmons, we had office all over the wall. 593 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 4: We have offices today, my office gutshtout I was talking about. 594 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:05,080 Speaker 4: We're in thirteen eleven countries. 595 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:08,560 Speaker 5: They're a deaf jem office in almost every World Asian country, 596 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 5: eleven ten of the countries of East Asian we have 597 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 5: two officers in America, but jen of the eleven countries 598 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,000 Speaker 5: are in East Asia. They're a deaf Gym office in 599 00:32:17,080 --> 00:32:20,560 Speaker 5: every country, and hip hop is prominent in every country. 600 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 5: The biggest show in China called The Wrap of China 601 00:32:23,720 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 5: one show, first episode, a billion people going. They're only 602 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 5: three hundred million in America. So the impact of hip 603 00:32:31,280 --> 00:32:34,480 Speaker 5: hop globally, deaf Gym has been there as part of 604 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 5: the staying the taste. 605 00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:38,640 Speaker 4: So it had a good impact. 606 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 5: You know, it was alone when we were doing what 607 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:44,400 Speaker 5: we were doing international, and it was kind of alone 608 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:46,400 Speaker 5: we were doing in America for a very long time 609 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 5: because we saw the artists as not disposable. We sought 610 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 5: them as as great artists with long term possibility, and 611 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 5: the labels thought them as twelve inch autist that would 612 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,400 Speaker 5: make a recorded We'd get the next records in somebody else. 613 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:09,440 Speaker 5: We built album and careers, We managed images. We took 614 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 5: the people who made the mean seriously and that's what 615 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 5: made Rush Management special, and that's what made Death Damn 616 00:33:15,400 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 5: special too. That same mentality, Now, whoja not here for 617 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:20,840 Speaker 5: this single I need a beat, but for the album 618 00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 5: Radio and Run. 619 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 4: DMC was an album, not a record with. 620 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,520 Speaker 5: An artist that would be here for years, and so 621 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,160 Speaker 5: we had that lead good luck, good watching to see 622 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 5: that crystal clear to me. 623 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:36,720 Speaker 4: But it was at the time very different thinking. 624 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,040 Speaker 2: Man, so many amazing memories, so much incredible work, does 625 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:45,239 Speaker 2: so many major doors broken down, kicked in, opened up 626 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,440 Speaker 2: wide to let us in, made by Deaf jam. 627 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 1: And one of the most important groups is Public Enemy. 628 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 2: The impact the voice that conscious hip hop hit so 629 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 2: hard at. 630 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: A critical time. 631 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:00,840 Speaker 2: And I was honored to get the show that stuff 632 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:04,000 Speaker 2: on my show, your MTV raps. But it was amazing 633 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 2: to have Rick Rubin tell me one day how Public Enemy. 634 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: Rick had heard a little. 635 00:34:09,560 --> 00:34:12,000 Speaker 2: Bit of a demo that they used on their college 636 00:34:12,080 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 2: radio station. And Rick Rubin, for almost an entire year 637 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 2: called Chuck d relentlessly to try to get him to 638 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:25,040 Speaker 2: come in and make an album. And Chuck, who was 639 00:34:25,120 --> 00:34:28,440 Speaker 2: probably about twenty one at the time, felt like he 640 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,359 Speaker 2: was actually too old because LLLL had just hit and 641 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:35,200 Speaker 2: ll hit the game hard at sixteen seventeen years old, 642 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:40,359 Speaker 2: you know what I'm saying. But Rick's persistence with what 643 00:34:40,760 --> 00:34:45,160 Speaker 2: Public Enemy became and Chuck said, man, okay, give me 644 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:48,120 Speaker 2: this budget and step back and let us do our thing. 645 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 4: And that's the story behind Public Enemy. 646 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 2: Once again, impactful group and the message that they had 647 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 2: a lot of people would not have been ready to 648 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,560 Speaker 2: get down and to push a group like that message 649 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 2: so strong and so clear. Once again, another tribute to 650 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 2: what def JM did, thankfully and Rick Rubins just you know, 651 00:35:08,440 --> 00:35:12,319 Speaker 2: instincts and intuition to like let Public Enemy go and 652 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 2: do what they did. Fight the power. On the next 653 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 2: episode of the fifty Years of Hip Hop podcast series, 654 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 2: The Shipping Hill Gangs, Rap is Delight had the first 655 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:26,879 Speaker 2: music video, but it wasn't until six years later when 656 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:31,239 Speaker 2: MTV Network's first show dedicated entirely to rap music hit 657 00:35:31,320 --> 00:35:31,760 Speaker 2: the screen. 658 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:33,600 Speaker 4: Y'all know what that is. 659 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,480 Speaker 2: This next episode is going to remind this so the 660 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,960 Speaker 2: first rap video to make its way into MTV's rotation 661 00:35:40,719 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 2: run DMC's Rock Box, and that was also back in 662 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:46,399 Speaker 2: nineteen eighty four. And the journey of a show that 663 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,359 Speaker 2: launched as an experiment only to become and hit and 664 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:54,759 Speaker 2: you know I'm talking about yo. This episode has been 665 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,839 Speaker 2: executive produced by Dolly S. Bishop, hosted and produced by 666 00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 2: your Boy Fab five Freddy, Produced by Aaron A. 667 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:02,880 Speaker 1: King Howard. 668 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:08,240 Speaker 2: Edit mixed sound by Dwayne Crawford, music scoring by Trey Jones, 669 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:10,440 Speaker 2: Talent booking by Nicole Spence,