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| Delicious Vinyl | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1987 (1987) |
| Founder | Matt Dike Michael Ross |
| Distributor(s) | Concord Bicycle Music |
| Genre | Hip hop, dance |
| Country of origin | U.S. |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
| Official website | www |
Delicious Vinyl is an American independent record label founded by Matt Dike and Michael Ross in 1987 and based in Los Angeles. The label is distributed by Concord Bicycle Music via Universal Music.
History
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Michael Ross was a student at UCLA when he met Matt Dike, a DJ from New York City, during the 1980s. Dike was working at the Rhythm Lounge in Hollywood. They discovered that they were both members of Impact Record Pool, a service that provided new 12" records to club DJs, and that they shared an interest in soul, funk, and hip-hop. Soon Dike became the top DJ at Power Tools, a club in Los Angeles.
In 1987, they founded Delicious Vinyl, an independent record label. Almost immediately the label was a success. Delicious Vinyl's first release was "Crackerjack" by Master Rhyme and "On Fire"/"Cheeba Cheeba" by Tone Loc, a Los Angeles gang member. "Cheeba Cheeba" and "Crackerjack" got played on L.A.'s rap radio station KDAY. It caused controversy for criticizing N.W.A.
Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" sold three million copies. It was helped by a video parody of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love". Tone Loc's follow-up single, "Funky Cold Medina," an ode to an aphrodisiac beverage, sampled Foreigner and Kiss, and cemented Dike's and Ross's method of inserting rock riffs into rap singles.
Young MC recorded the million-selling hit single "Bust a Move." Def Jef was the most lyrical rapper in the label's early years, though his two albums Just a Poet with Soul (1989) and Soul Food (1991) never achieved the crossover success of Tone Loc and Young MC.
The label's third release was a single by Mellow Man Ace that is one of the earliest instances of rap recorded in Spanish. But the label was not strictly a rap label, as they signed London-based rare-groove group The Brand New Heavies, who with lead vocalist N'Dea Davenport recorded the 1991 hit single "Never Stop." In 1991, Delicious Vinyl reissued the self-titled Masters of Reality (originally released on Def American in 1988).
Matt Dike left the label in 1992. Michael Ross retained ownership of Delicious Vinyl, making it one of the longest-running independent labels in hip-hop history.
Delicious Vinyl signed The Pharcyde, whose debut album Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992) featured the hit single "Passing Me By." Produced by J-Swift, the album sold half a million copies. Masta Ace joined the label delivering two strong albums, 1993's Slaughterhouse and 1995's Sittin' on Chrome (under the group moniker Masta Ace Incorporated). Other significant acts on the label in the mid '90s included Born Jamericans and The WhoRidas.
A remix project, Delicious Rmxxology, was curated by DV's Rick Ross with Peaches, Breakbot, Mr. Flash, Cory Nitta, Aaron LaCrate & Samir, Hot Chip, Don Rimini, Diplo & Philippians) reworking the Delicious Vinyl catalog. The first single from the remix project was Peaches' version of Tone Loc's "Wild Thing".
In 2018, Delicious Vinyl co-founder Matt Dike died in Los Angeles at the age off 55 after a brief illness.
Discography
Albums
Main page: Category:Delicious Vinyl albums- 1989 : Master Rhyme - "Go Off Shot"
- 1999: Waxing Off: The First Decade
- 2000: Delicious Vinyl Presents...Prime Cuts Vol. 1
- 2007: Jay Deelicious: The Delicious Vinyl Years
- 2008: RMXXOLOGY
Notable singles
- Romeo & Master Rhyme : "Crackerjack"
- Tone Loc: "Wild Thing" (#2)
- Tone Loc: "Funky Cold Medina" (#3)
- Young MC: "Bust a Move" (#7)
- The Pharcyde: "Passin' Me By"
- The Pharcyde: "Drop"
- The Pharcyde: "She Said"
- Masta Ace: "Sittin' on Chrome" (#84)
Artists
Further information: Category:Delicious Vinyl artists- Born Jamericans
- Brand New Heavies
- Bucwheed
- Casey Veggies
- Def Jef
- Dom Kennedy
- Duce Duce
- Fatlip
- Frank Nitt
- The Pharcyde
- J Dilla Aka Jay Dee (and his younger brother, Illa J)
- Jansport J
- Jesse Jaymes
- Tone Loc
- Masta Ace
- Young MC
- Mr Vegas
- Mellow Man Ace
- The Wascals
- Machel Montano
- Master Rhyme
- The ZZYZZX (Mellow Man Ace and his son, Cazal Organism)
References
- "About Delicious Vinyl". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - Slotnik, Daniel E. (20 March 2018). "Matt Dike, Hit-Making Founder of Hip-Hop Label, Dies at 56". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- Morris, Chris. "Matt Dike, Music Producer and Delicious Vinyl Co-Founder, Dies at 55". variety.com. Penske Business Media LLC. Retrieved 2018-03-20.
- Various - Delicious Vinyl - Waxing Off: The First Decade
- Various - Delicious Vinyl Presents... Prime Cuts Vol. 1
External links
- Delicious Vinyl Official Website