Monica Lynch

Last updated
Monica Lynch
Birth nameMonica Lynch
Born Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Hip hop, R&B, Rap
Occupation(s) Record producer, record company executive, A&R director
Years active1981–present
Labels Tommy Boy Records

Monica Lynch (born Chicago, Illinois) [1] is a music business executive, record producer, and former President of hip-hop/dance music label Tommy Boy Records. [2] She has hosted radio programs on free-form WFMU since 1997, [3] and worked as an A&R consultant for Queen Latifah and Martina McBride.

Contents

Lynch was born and raised in Chicago, and moved east in the late 1970s. "I was pretty starry-eyed when I got to New York. I came from Chicago to work in a fashion show in '78 and it was one of those impetuous things — I just didn't go back," she said in a 1999 interview. "I had no money, so a make-up artist I knew let me crash on her floor." [2]

According to a 2007 interview in Bust magazine, "Like many of the young hip-hop acts she helped turn into stars in the '80s and '90s, Lynch started out in the business with nothing more than a strong work ethic and a love of music, eventually becoming one of hip-hop's most powerful women. In the 19 years she spent at Tommy Boy, ... Lynch helped launch the careers of major acts, including Afrika Bambaataa, De La Soul, [and] Naughty by Nature." [4]

Tommy Boy Records

Tommy Boy Records was founded by Tom Silverman in 1981, and Lynch was his first employee, hired in December of that year. She was named president of the label in 1985. [4] [5] [6]

"[Lynch] can vividly remember the night in March [1982] when she drove with [Silverman] to the basement studios of WHBI-FM to deliver the [new album by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force containing the song "Planet Rock"] to hip-hop DJs Mr. Magic and Marly [sic] Marl, not really grasping that the song would help to launch a sonic revolution whose effects are still being felt today," wrote Randy Reiss at MTV News. "With Sugar Hill being the only rap label with widespread acceptance at the time and other major rap players such as Jive and Priority just getting started, success was a gamble for the hip-hop entrepreneurs." [7] Lynch recalled: "Very soon after [dropping it off], we began hearing ["Planet Rock"] pouring out of windows as Mr. Magic broke the record. For a label that, at the time, was just two people, it was a very heavy experience. This was a period when rap itself was very young, very much like a cottage industry. We were just getting started, Profile was just getting started and Jive wasn't in the rap game yet." [7]

The label did not have immediate followup success. However, as chronicled by the magazine Complex , "After some fallow years, Tommy Boy experienced a rap resurgence, in no small way attributable to the cool aesthetic of [the label's] fashionable president, Monica Lynch, who opened her doors to all kinds of artistic expression." [8] She signed Queen Latifah and De La Soul, and played a key role in the development of the careers of various artists and executives, including RuPaul, Dante Ross, Naughty by Nature, Coolio, House of Pain, Stetsasonic, Force M.D.'s, Soulsonic Force, Digital Underground, 808 State, and Prince Paul. [2]

Lynch helped to develop the label's clothing line (which was designed and overseen by the label's Rap Marketing Director Albee Ragusa [9] ). She also helped to produce its popular compilation and soundtrack albums, including MTV Party to Go, Jersey Drive, Nothing to Lose, and others. [10] She also served as art director for many of the label's packages. [11]

About the huge 1991 hit "O.P.P." by Naughty by Nature, Lynch recalled: "Tommy Boy always did well with acts that had something different about them. And with Naughty by Nature, having cornrows and being proud to be from New Jersey was not a very cool thing at the time. Of course, no matter what, a great record trumps everything else. ... [A]nyone from a 3-year-old to a 93-year-old could sing that chorus. It had a nursery-rhyme appeal to it." [12] DJ KayGee of Naughty by Nature credited Lynch for the band's successful branding. "Monica Lynch [at Tommy Boy] is a marketing genius, and she's totally, totally, if not solely responsible for branding Naughty by Nature," KayGee told Spin magazine. "You know that logo? She got Mark Weinberg to draw that logo for us. And that logo he drew at dinner on a napkin with a crayon. ... That's why the original logo has those ridges on it, that's from him pushing down on the crayon and the crayon breaking off." [13]

In 1992 she was given a demo tape of songs by RuPaul. "I thought the idea of a drag queen recording artist would be great if the music was there," she told Paper magazine. "Otherwise it wouldn't stand alone on its two high heels." Lynch did like the music, and signed RuPaul to the label. While working on the artist's premiere Tommy Boy release, Lynch heard a demo of the song "Supermodel (You Better Work)," and added that to the album. She told Paper, "I knew that it was going to be the single." [14]

Lynch originated the massively successful Jock Jams and Jock Rock series of compilations, starting in 1994.

One of her last roles at the label was as a producer of the two-volume film soundtrack compilation albums 54 (Music From The Miramax Motion Picture). [15]

She left Tommy Boy Records in February 1998.

Post-Tommy Boy career

Lynch joined the staff of radio station WFMU in 1997, during a sabbatical from Tommy Boy. At WFMU she hosted a weekly show for many years, and still hosts fill-in programs. "After 16 years at [Tommy Boy], she was burned out by the music business's overwhelming commercial imperative, as well as its constant extramusical annoyances," wrote Jaime Wolf in the New York Times in a station profile from 1999. "[W]orking at WFMU, Lynch says, has helped her reconnect to her original passion. When she talks about her fellow D.J.'s, she quickly falls into a wonderstruck tone, describing their knowledge as 'Talmudic.' Being at the station, she says, is 'like running away and joining the circus.'" [16] Lynch last hosted a regular weekly show on WFMU in 2013, [17] but continues to host sporadic fill-ins.

She served as A&R Director for Queen Latifah's 2004 release The Dana Owens Album , [18] and on Latifah's 2007 followup, Trav'lin' Light . The latter album's co-producer, Ron Fair, referred to Lynch as a "walking encyclopedia" of music. [19] Lynch also served as A&R Director for Martina McBride's 2014 R&B and soul covers album, Everlasting . [20] In 2015 she served as Executive Producer for the Queen Latifah HBO film Bessie . [21]

In 2020, she co-organized for Sotheby's the first auction dedicated to vintage hip-hop art and collectibles. [22] [23] In 2022, Lynch curated the auction for the third consecutive year. [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Latifah</span> American recording artist and actress (born 1970)

Dana Elaine Owens, better known by the stage name Queen Latifah, is an American rapper, actress and singer. She has received various accolades, including a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and two NAACP Image Awards, in addition to a nomination for an Academy Award. In 2006, she became the first hip hop artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt-N-Pepa</span> American girl group

Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella. Their debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), sold more than 1 million copies in the US, making them the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the single, "Push It", which was released in 1987 as the B-side to their single "Tramp", and peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>All Hail the Queen</i> 1989 studio album by Queen Latifah

All Hail the Queen is the debut studio album by American rapper Queen Latifah. The album was released on November 7, 1989, through Tommy Boy Records. The feminist anthem "Ladies First", featuring Monie Love, remains one of Latifah's signature songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naughty by Nature</span> American hip hop trio

Naughty by Nature is an American hip hop trio from East Orange, New Jersey, consisting of Treach, Vin Rock, and DJ Kay Gee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Boy Records</span> Record label

Tommy Boy Records is an American independent record label and multimedia brand founded in 1981 by Tom Silverman. The label is credited with helping and launching the music careers of Queen Latifah, Amber, Afrika Bambaataa, Stetsasonic, Digital Underground, Coolio, De La Soul, House of Pain, Naughty By Nature, and Force MDs. Tommy Boy is also credited with introducing genres such as EDM, Latin freestyle, and Latin hip hop to mainstream audiences in America.

<i>Naughty by Nature</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Naughty by Nature

Naughty by Nature is the second album from Naughty by Nature, released on September 3, 1991, through Tommy Boy Records. The album was recorded through November 1990 to August 1991. It was a critical and commercial success, having been certified platinum on February 6, 1992, thanks in large part to the hit single, "O.P.P.," which reached #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1991.

<i>19 Naughty III</i> 1993 studio album by Naughty by Nature

19 Naughty III is the third album from Naughty by Nature, released on February 23, 1993, through Tommy Boy Records. Recording sessions took place at Unique Recording Studios, Soundtrack Studios and Electric Lady Studios in New York City from February 1992 to January 1993. Three singles were released from the album, the group's second top 10 hit, "Hip Hop Hooray," as well as the minor hits "It's On" and "Written on Ya Kitten." Production was handled entirely by group member Kay Gee himself, with additional production from S.I.D. Reynolds. It includes guest appearances from Heavy D, Queen Latifah, Freddie Foxxx and Rottin Razkals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.N.I.T.Y.</span> 1993 single by Queen Latifah

"U.N.I.T.Y." is a song by American hip-hop artist Queen Latifah from her third studio album, Black Reign (1993). The single was released on November 9, 1993, in the United States, and on January 6, 1994, in the United Kingdom. "U.N.I.T.Y." focused on confronting disrespect of women in society, addressing issues of street harassment, domestic violence, and slurs against women in hip-hop culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O.P.P. (song)</span> 1991 single by Naughty by Nature

"O.P.P." is a song by American hip hop group Naughty by Nature, released in August 1991 by Tommy Boy as the lead single from the group's self-titled second album, Naughty by Nature (1991). It was one of the first rap songs to become a pop hit when it reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 35 on the UK Singles Chart. Rodd Houston and Marcus Raboy directed the music video for the song. Its declaration, "Down wit' O.P.P", was a popular catchphrase in the US in the early 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip Hop Hooray</span> 1992 single by Naughty by Nature

"Hip Hop Hooray" is a song by American hip hop group, Naughty by Nature, released in December 1992 as the first single from their third album, 19 Naughty III (1993). The song spent one week at number one on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. It contains samples from "Funky President" by James Brown, "Don't Change Your Love" by Five Stairsteps, "Make Me Say it Again, Girl" by Isley Brothers, "You Can't Turn Me Away" by Sylvia Striplin and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel. Pete Rock made a remix that samples Cannonball Adderley's "74 Miles Away". It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and has sold over 1,100,000 copies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planet Rock (song)</span> 1982 single by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force

"Planet Rock" is a song by the American hip hop artists Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. The song was produced by Arthur Baker and released by Tommy Boy Records in 1982. The recording came together after DJ and producer Baker met with Bambaataa and the two bonded over the idea of creating a song about their mutual appreciation for the band Kraftwerk. Baker and Bambaataa had worked together previously on the song "Jazzy Sensation" and decided to compose a more electronic based version of the hip hop song, as opposed to the more disco-oriented work popular at the time. Along with musician John Robie, the group recorded the single at Intergalactic Studios in New York. Robie duplicated the sound on the record and had Bambaataa's rappers in the Soul Sonic Force rap over it. To create the raps, the lyricist of the group, Emcee G.L.O.B.E., had to develop a style he called "mc popping", which involved rapping off time, an unusual style at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Looking for the Perfect Beat</span> 1982 single by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force

"Looking for the Perfect Beat" is a song by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. The song was produced by Arthur Baker and John Robie and was the follow-up track for the group following "Planet Rock". The track took much longer to develop than "Planet Rock" with Baker using cocaine and the pressure involved with creating a follow-up single. The group was developed for months in Robie's apartment while Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force were touring.

<i>Nature of a Sista</i> 1991 studio album by Queen Latifah

Nature of a Sista' is the second studio album by American rapper Queen Latifah. Released on September 3, 1991, it served as a follow-up to her 1989 debut album All Hail the Queen and was her final album with Tommy Boy Records. Latifah was an executive producer for Nature of a Sista' alongside American producer Shakim Compere. Although predominantly a hip hop album, it includes elements of reggae, jazz, R&B, new jack swing, and house music. The lyrics of the album's songs revolve around gender politics and romance. While discussing the album's overall style, Latifah said she moved away from hardcore hip hop to experiment with other music genres and have more creative control over her work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache (rapper)</span> American rapper (1964-2010)

Anthony Peaks, better known as Apache, was an American rapper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Latifah discography</span> List of songs and albums from the American recording artist

Queen Latifah is an American rapper, jazz/blues singer, and actress. Born Dana Owens, she has released seven studio albums, six of which were hip hop-influenced albums and two that were all-singing jazz-influenced albums. She has released a total of twenty-three singles as well. She has been given the title the "Queen of Jazz Rap".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Naughty by Nature song)</span> 1991 single by Naughty by Nature

"Everything's Gonna Be Alright" is the second single released in November 1991 from American hip hop group Naughty by Nature's self-titled second album (1991). The song is titled "Ghetto Bastard" on uncensored versions of the eponymous album. While not as successful as their previous single, "O.P.P.", "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" managed to make it to 53 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 9 on the Hot Rap Singles. The song would later appear on both of the group's compilation albums, 1999's Nature's Finest: Naughty by Nature's Greatest Hits and 2003's Greatest Hits: Naughty's Nicest. It was rerecorded for the 2011 release, Anthem Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's On</span> 1993 single by Naughty by Nature

"It's On" is a song by American hip hop trio Naughty by Nature, released on June 8, 1993 by Tommy Boy as the second single from the trio's third album, 19 Naughty III (1993). The song was produced and written by the three members of the group, and found decent success on the US Billboard charts, making it to number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It samples jazz artist Donald Byrd's "French Spice", for which he received writing credits. The official remix was produced by the production duo The Beatnuts and featured on the B-Side of the single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naughty by Nature discography</span> Band discography

American hip hop group Naughty by Nature have released seven studio albums, two compilation albums and eighteen singles.

Neil Levine is an American music industry executive. He is best known as the founder of the hip-hop label Penalty Recordings, and is currently the CEO of its successor company, Penalty Entertainment. Levine helped to launch the careers of artists such as Capone-N-Noreaga, Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, and Tha Eastsidaz.

The following is a list of albums released by record label Tommy Boy Records.

References

  1. ↑ "28-year-old Monica Lynch, the white, Chicago-born, Catholic school-educated president of Tommy Boy", Chicago Tribune , Oct. 9, 1986
  2. 1 2 3 LaFreniere, Steve, Interview with Monica Lynch, Index magazine, 1999
  3. ↑ Monica Lynch program archives at WFMU.org
  4. 1 2 "Hey Get Down! Women Got Down, Too!". bust.com. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  5. ↑ Tucker, Bruce (1993-10-31). "Tommy Boy Can CD Future". Fast Company. Retrieved 2019-03-25.
  6. ↑ "Rosie Lopez Named Tommy Boy President", AllAccess.com, January 24, 2013
  7. 1 2 Reiss, Randy, "Tommy Boy's Greatest Beats Documents Hip-Hop History", MTV.com, Sept. 2, 1998
  8. ↑ Charnas, Dan, "The 25 Best A&Rs in Hip-Hop History" (#7: Tom Silverman and Monica Lynch), Complex.com, Feb. 1, 2013
  9. ↑ Gordon, Calum, "How Carhartt Became a Hip Hop Phenomenon", Another Man magazine, Jan. 5, 2018
  10. ↑ The Cipher, "Monica Lynch: We talk to the woman who was at the center of it all with Tommy Boy Records", episode 171, October 10, 2016
  11. ↑ "Monica Lynch Discography". Discogs. Archived from the original on Dec 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ Coleman, Brian, "The Oral History of Naughty by Nature's 'O.P.P.'", Thrillist , December 16, 2015
  13. ↑ Weingarten, Christopher, "An Oral History of Naughty By Nature's 'O.P.P.'", Spin, December 7, 2011
  14. ↑ Hershkovits, David, "Is the World Ready for RuPaul?", Paper, April 1993
  15. ↑ Producer credit for release at Discogs.com
  16. ↑ Wolf, Jaime, "No Hits, All the Time", The New York Times, April 11, 1999
  17. ↑ Monica Lynch weekly WFMU playlists from 2013
  18. ↑ AllMusic.com credits for The Dana Owens Album
  19. ↑ Coveney, Janine, "Queen Latifah: Nature of A Singer", JazzTimes , December 1, 2007
  20. ↑ Parker, Eric T., "McBride Samples 'Everlasting' for Nashville Industry", Music Row, April 2, 2014
  21. ↑ Bessie (Music From The HBO Film), soundtrack credits, Discogs.com
  22. ↑ Borrelli-Persson, Laird, "Sotheby's Celebrates Hip-Hop With a Historic Sale", Vogue , September 12, 2020
  23. ↑ Mamo, Heran, "Sotheby's First Hip-Hop Auction Headlined by The Notorious B.I.G. & Tupac Shakur's Prized Possessions", MSN.com, August 25, 2020
  24. ↑ Allah, Sha Be, "Sotheby's to Auction Off Over 100 Rare Hip Hop Artifacts from 2Pac, Biz Markie, and More", The Source , March 29, 2022
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.