OLD SCHOOL NEW SCHOOL....U KNOw THE RULES PT.2

OLD SCHOOL NEW SCHOOL....YOU KNOW THE RULES

The year is still 1985 and trend setting teenager James Todd Smith released one of the first formatted hip hop LP's, meaning previous rap records had not been set the way pop albums were with patterned verses. This album "Radio" did turn out to be a winning formula  because it went platinum and the first single "I Need A Beat" was the song that launched Def Jam Records. James aka LL Cool J also got an early taste of the acting bug with a cameo in Krush Groove. The movie was actually based on the life of Russell Simmons one of the moguls that created Def Jam. So even though he had only a cameo in the movie its safe to say he still played a major role. LL also played a behind the scenes role in hip hop sportswear company TROOP. So who would be surprised 26 years later, 9 Grammy nominations, 12 successful albums, a clothing line, and 4 novels, several movies LL would deem himself the GOAT. Greatest Of All Time



DJ Mantronik



SWIZZ Beatz



                                                   Also in 1985 Sleeping Bag Recording artist and A&R rep Kurtis el Kaleel, aka Kurtis Mantronik along with rapper MC Tee aka Crime Master Tee released the single "Fresh Is The Word" on the album Mantronix: The Album. The duo met in the Manhattan store where Mantronik worked as the in house DJ at Downtown Records. After two years with Sleeping Bag Records the group left Sleeping Bag and signed the first 7 figure deal for a hip hop group with Capitol Records. The album "In Full Effect" was the first to be mastered on DAT (Digital Audio Tape) instead of  standard reel to reel. Before leaving Sleeping Bag DJ Mantronik helped produce Just-Ice, T La Rock and Joyce Sims. Just-Ice and his career is another interesting topic. The exit of DJ Mantronik from Sleeping Bag left Just-Ice with production done by KRS ONE in back to back albums. This change was not the formula Just-Ice needed from the techno electric beats of Mantronik's to a more raw and urban sound. The British fans and hip hop New Yorkers didn't embrace the new sound at all. You would think because Just-Ice was one of the first east coast rappers to record hard core rap, that the combination of raw beats would be fitting. If you listen to the Red Man single "It's Like That" featuring K-Solo you will get a taste of one of those Mantronik beats although reworked its clearly the Just-Ice track "Cold Get Dumb". The rapper did take part in "Self Destruction" the 1989 Stop The Violence movement and later collaborated with Mantronik again in 93 with "Gun Talk". And even more recently did a series of 12-inch singles with super producer DJ Premier. So even though most of our last images of Just-Ice are from Stop The Violence in 89 the hip hop pioneer has an ever increasing catalog of music. As for Mantronix and the music style they created and maintained as a group from 1984-91 we are gonna need a third article to tie in the comparison to Swizz Beatz to pay the proper homage to the pioneer of music DJ Mantronik

If you didn't know, know you know

~DAJOURNALIST~