Wild Pitch Records | |
---|---|
Founded | 1985 |
Founder | Stu Fine |
Defunct | 1999 |
Distributor(s) | EMI Records |
Genre | Golden age hip hop |
Country of origin | United States |
Location | New York City, New York, US |
Wild Pitch Records was an American Golden age hip hop record label, started in 1987 by Stuart Fine, that was eventually distributed by EMI. [1] [2] Artists who released records on the label included Gang Starr, Chill Rob G, Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth, Main Source, The U.M.C.'s, Hard Knocks, Brokin English Klik, Street Military, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, The Coup, Ultramagnetic MCs, O.C., as well as Latee, Jamose, and female rapper N-Tyce. [1] [3] [4]
Together, Fine and Howard re-established and released the label's catalogue, while also releasing records by Bigmouth, The Wallmen, Mary Lee's Corvette and Mighty Purple. The hip hop music catalogue was eventually acquired by Jay Faires, who tried to reactivate it as part of his short-lived JCOR Entertainment label.
As the majority of its albums were released in the early 1990s and went out of print, Faires re-released the label's catalog on April 22, 2008, through Fontana Distribution. [5]
In 2013, Complex placed Stu Fine at No. 25 of their 'The 25 Best A&Rs in Hip-Hop History' list. [6]
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B | UK | UK R&B | ||
1980s | Gang Starr – No More Mr. Nice Guy
| — | 83 | — | — |
Chill Rob G – Ride the Rhythm
| — | 60 | — | — | |
1990s | Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth – Funky Technician
| — | 93 | — | — |
Main Source – Breaking Atoms
| — | 40 | — | — | |
The U.M.C.'s – Fruits of Nature
| — | 32 | — | — | |
Hard Knocks – School of Hard Knocks
| — | — | — | — | |
Brokin English Klik – Brokin English Klik
| — | — | — | — | |
The Coup – Kill My Landlord
| — | 83 | — | — | |
Ultramagnetic MCs – The Four Horsemen
| — | 55 | — | — | |
The U.M.C.'s – Unleashed
| — | 63 | — | — | |
Main Source – Fuck What You Think
| — | — | — | — | |
The Coup – Genocide & Juice
| — | 62 | — | — | |
Wild Pitch Classics
| — | — | — | — | |
O.C. – Word...Life
| — | 34 | — | — | |
Bigmouth – Bigmouth
| — | — | — | — | |
Bryan Steele Group – Bryan Steele Group
| — | — | — | — | |
Wallmen – Electronic Home Entertainment System
| — | — | — | — | |
Mary Lee's Corvette – True Lovers of Adventure
| — | — | — | — | |
Mighty Purple – Para Mejor ó Peor...Mighty Purple Live
| — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US | US R&B | UK | UK R&B | ||
1993 | Street Military – Don't Give a Damn
| — | — | — | — |
Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud – Blow Up the Spot
| — | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in the Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as a road manager and backup DJ. Big.D was put down with the crew by Kool Keith in 1989. A former member, Rooney Roon, was fired following an assault arrest. Beat-boxer Rahzel was also involved with the group early in its career. The group's work was associated with unorthodox sampling, polysyllabic rhymes, and bizarre lyrical imagery.
The new school of hip hop was a movement in hip hop music, beginning in 1983–84 with the early records of Run–D.M.C., Whodini, and LL Cool J. Predominantly from Queens and Brooklyn, it was characterized by drum machine-led minimalism, often tinged with elements of rock; rapped taunts, boasts, and socio-political commentary; and aggressive, self-assertive delivery. In song and image, its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude. These elements contrasted sharply with funk and disco, novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers, and party rhymes of artists prevalent in the early 1980s. Compared to their older hip hop counterparts, new school artists crafted more cohesive LPs and shorter songs more amenable to airplay. By 1986, their releases began to establish hip hop in the mainstream.
Keith Edward Elam, better known by his stage name Guru, was an American rapper, record producer and actor. He was a member of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, along with DJ Premier. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts.
Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Houston-born record producer DJ Premier and Boston, Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based in Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2003, and are considered one of the best MC-and-producer duos in hip hop history. They are recognized for being one of the pioneers of jazz rap. Some of their top hits include "Mass Appeal", "Take It Personal", "Moment of Truth", "Full Clip" and "Above The Clouds".
Mark Howard James, professionally known as The 45 King and also known as DJ Mark the 45 King, was an American hip hop producer and DJ from The Bronx, New York. He began DJing in the mid-1980s. His pseudonym, the 45 King, came from his ability to make beats using obscure 45 RPM records.
Robert Frazier, known professionally as Chill Rob G, is an American hip hop artist from Jersey City, New Jersey, United States.
Critical Beatdown is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, released on October 4, 1988, by Next Plateau Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by the group's rapper and producer Ced-Gee, who employed an E-mu SP-1200 sampler as the album's main instrument. Music journalists have noted the album for its innovative production, funk-based samples, self-assertive themes, ingenious lyricism, and complex rhyme patterns by Ced-Gee and fellow rapper Kool Keith.
Lord Finesse is an American rapper and hip-hop record producer from The Bronx, New York best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. crew. About.com ranked him number 29 on its list of the Top-50 Hip-Hop Producers.
Golden age hip hop is mainstream hip hop music created from the mid-1980s to the early-mid 1990s, particularly by artists and musicians originating from the New York metropolitan area. A precursor to the new school hip hop movement, it is characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence on hip hop after the genre's emergence and establishment in the old-school era, and is associated with the development and eventual mainstream success of hip hop. There were various types of subject matter, while the music was experimental and the sampling from old records was eclectic.
Omar Gerryl Credle, better known by his stage name, O.C., is an American rapper and member of the group D.I.T.C. He has been involved with several underground hip hop groups, namely Crooklyn Dodgers '95, Luv NY, and Perestroika.
Showbiz and A.G. is an American hip hop duo from The Bronx borough of New York City, composed of record producer Rodney "Showbiz" Lemay and rapper Andre "A.G." Barnes. The duo formed soon after their debut on the song "Back to Back Rhyming" from Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album and joined the hip hop collective D.I.T.C. along with Lord Finesse, Diamond D, Fat Joe, O.C., Buckwild and Big L.
Hip Hop Connection (HHC) was the longest running monthly periodical devoted entirely to hip hop culture. It was described by rapper Chuck D as "the best magazine in the world".
Return of the Funky Man is the second studio album by American hip hop recording artist Lord Finesse of Diggin' in the Crates Crew. It was released on February 11, 1992 via Warner Bros. subsidiary label Giant Records. Production was handled by seven record producers, including Diamond D, Showbiz, DJ Aladdin, SLJ, Latif, Petawane, and Lord Finesse himself. It also features guest appearances provided by A.G., Percee P, Harry-O and Shelrumble. The album peaked at number 95 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and its self-titled single made it to number 13 on the Hot Rap Songs.
Ride the Rhythm is the debut full-length studio album by American rapper Chill Rob G. It was released on May 23, 1989 via Wild Pitch Records. Recording sessions took place at Air Wave Sound in New York. Production was handled by The 45 King, Nephie Centeno, Pasemaster Mase and Prince Paul. The album did not make it to the Billboard 200, however, it peaked at number 60 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in the United States.
Funk Your Head Up is the second studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs. It was released on March 17, 1992, via Mercury Records/PolyGram.
The Four Horsemen is the third studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs. It was released on August 10, 1993, via Wild Pitch Records. Audio production was handled by Ultramagnetic MCs, except for four tracks produced by Godfather Don, who helped to incorporate a darker, jazzier sound than the group's previous work. "Checkin' My Style" and "See the Man on the Street" were originally recorded in 1992 during Godfather Don-produced sessions for a projected solo album for Kool Keith's alias Rhythm X. Those same sessions also produced songs released on Cenobites LP, the CD edition of which contains the original extended version of "Checkin' My Style," retitled "Return To Zero." The Four Horsemen includes recurring science fiction and baseball themes and was viewed by fans as a welcome return to the group's hardcore roots. Because of a manufacturing error, the current Fontana Distribution pressing is identified as the U.M.C.'s on the covering sticker under the shrink wrap. The album peaked at number 55 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 15 on the Heatseekers Albums.
"Funky President (People It's Bad)" is a funk song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1974, it charted No. 4 R&B. It also appeared on the album Reality. According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S. President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House shortly before it was recorded.
Cedric "Ced-Gee" Miller is an American hip hop producer and rapper from the Bronx, New York. He is best known as a member of Ultramagnetic MCs. He received special thanks for his production on Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded, and he produced Tim Dog's "Fuck Compton". He has also worked alongside Antoinette, Bill Cosby, Blak Prophetz, Doug E. Fresh, Jeff Redd, Paperboy, Spaceman Patterson, Sybil, and Treacherous Three.
Osten S. Harvey Jr., better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is an American hip hop and R&B record producer and DJ, known for his production work for artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Miles Davis, as well as his affiliation with Bad Boy Records in its early years, and his production involvement in The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album, Ready to Die. He also produced two songs on 2Pac's album, Me Against the World.