In the late 1970’s there was a new sound bubbling up from New York City’s South Bronx, this was Hip-Hop. Everyone knows about the first commercially successful hip hop record, “Rappers Delight” by The Sugarhill Gang.
That record is a multi-platinum single and an anthem for everything from roller rinks and discos to weddings and class reunions. What many don’t know about is the 30 or so rap and Hip-Hop singles that preceded the 1980s. Many of these were released on independent record labels based in New York and were produced by musicians and producers who spent the majority of their careers working with genres such as R&B, Soul and Reggae.
One of these producers and record label owners was reggae star Keeling Beckford. Beckford, known for his catalog of roots reggae and rocksteady dating back to the late 1960’s, heard this new sound and wanted to get in on the ground floor of the emerging musical phenomenon.
From 1979-1984, Keeling Beckford produced and released a strong catalog of early Hip-Hop singles on a variety of small, independent labels that he owned. In the first 5 years of hip hop being a recorded genre, the sound changed drastically, from live bands playing disco style music for the emcees to rhyme over to a more electronic, synthesizer based sound. As you listen to Rap City In Dub, Vol. 2 you can hear these changes between songs like 1979’s “And You Know That” to 1983’s “We’re Chilly”.
Previously reserved for the serious record collector who took the time (and often spent a great deal of money to obtain these original records), Rap City In Dub, Vol. 2 now makes these groundbreaking songs available for the first time to a wide audience. Please enjoy this audible walk through the beginnings of a genre that would go on to change the music industry as we know it forever.
On Friday, March 6th 2020, Keeling Records and Unlimited Sounds Publishing & Distribution have this 14 track compilation, digitally re-mastered, set to release to all digital platforms!
