Eazy-E "Radio" World Premiere on Rap Attack // UTFO Rap Attack Trivia

From June 17, 1988, here's the world premiere of Eazy-E's Radio on Mr. Magic's Rap Attack!

Eazy-E Radio World Premiere (06.17.88) -

And check this out, Mr. Magic's reaction to the world premiere of Radio, as well as an edition of Rap Attack trivia, this time around focusing on UTFO knowledge...

Mr. Magic talks Eazy-E / Rap Attack UTFO Trivia (06.17.88) -

Magic: How 'bout the LA boys in effect, Eazy-E! Yeahhh, seems like rap is getting big coast to coast. Reminds me of this very good looking DJ, know what I'm saying Marley?

Marley: Oooh

Magic: Anyyyyway

...

Magic: UTFO's first recording was Beats and Rhymes! Remember that? I don't think so, we didn't remember it either.

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Rox-and Roxanne... Just When You Thought It Was Over

 

Today I got a little inspired when I was checking out Fatlace Magazine and saw that once again they are killing it, scooping up all the Roxanne battle records known to mankind.  It appears that they have almost completed their saga, which is extremely commendable when we're talking about vinyl and not MP3s.  I figured now's the time for me to reach into my drawers... wait, that sounds a little questionable... reach into my archives and post up a couple goodies.  To the Fatlace crew, you know I'll be hitting you up tonight, not on some "look what I got" shit, but more on some "let's hold hands and archive a saga" steeze.  Scratch that, this miniscule contribution can't touch what they got.  Here's the goods:

Roxanne Shante and Fly Ty Update From Studio 54- March 16, 1985

This one came off a Rap Attack (2nd WHBI era) tape dated March 16, 1985.  Yeahhhh babay!  I'm so happy this tape survived over the years.  A young and (of course) confident Shante giving us the scoop on the evening alongside Fly Ty.  Shante says "Studio 54, what a bore," but becomes a better sport when Ty asks her if she's having a good time. 

"Yes I enjoyed it, you know they paid me to say that, right?"

Classic.  

Starrlite- Watch Out Roxanne (Previously Unreleased... I think)-

I found this at the end of a Mr. Magic Rap Attack tape that came from Mr. Magic's personal collection, dated Wednesday, January 16, 1985.  Starrlite used to run the Juice Crew fan club and taped a great deal of the tapes that Magic let me check out.  If her voice sounds vaguely familiar, you are recognizing it from Force Desire's record, "Jazzy Keith," on which she rhymes.  While the "Jazzy Keith" track was released as a Profile 12", it was also featured on the Street Sounds Hip Hop 18 compilation.  "Watch Out Roxanne," however, I don't think ever saw the light of day.

So, check this out, as some added incentive to my Fatlace buddies, not that you need the added motivation, but you know.... when you complete the saga, I got a couple more very rare Shante goodies that I'll put up on the blog.  Hopefully you'll appreciate them as much as I do, but I don't want to get you guys too amped for something that ain't worthy.  Word.

One more thing- in regards to the Elease the Original Roxanne "The Real Deal" record up on Fatlace.  While I'm not familiar with that record, here's Elease's story as I understand it.  Forgive me if I'm stating the obvious here or am blatantly wrong. Elease Jack was the first The Real Roxanne.  She is the female emcee rapping on the Select Records Roxanne with UTFO record "The Real Roxanne."  At the age of 14 she met B-Fine of Full Force outside of The Funhouse which led to the creation of "The Real Roxanne" record.  Since Jack was so young, I have been told that label relations with Select fell through quickly, and as a result, Full Force reached out to another female performer, Adelaida Martinez, to become The Real Roxanne.

 

UTFO, Full Force, and the Martinez would then film the video for “Roxanne Roxanne,” with Martinez appearing in the video as the object of the group’s affection.  Martinez is the lady who went on to have future singles and albums as The Real Roxanne (Bang Zoom, self titled LP, Go Down But Don't Bite It, etc).  Keep in mind some of my story is sparse and pieced together through myspace claims, so I could have just flexed false knowledge.  Let's hope not!  Fatlace, SchoOoOooOl me!

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Mr. Magic Week # 4 (Thursday) - "The Real Story Behind The 'Magic's Message' Record"

Mr. Magic... a rapper? Not exactly. The man himself was dubbed "The Official Voice of Hip Hop" for his dominating presence on radio waves, not because of his superb lyrical abilities. Then why is it that he managed to have his own 12" release on Posse Records in 1984 where he's kicking the truth to the young black youth? How did this happen?

Mr. Magic- "Magic's Message (The Has To Be A Better Way) (Vocal Version)

Upon taking a glance at the credits on the 12" label, it becomes clear that Duane Hughes is the actual writer for this release. So Magic didn't write the lyrics? Who's Duane Hughes?

Spyder-D, motherfucker...

I don't know why I just felt the need to swear about that. However, you can see Spyder-D performing above with an onlooking plaid-jacket-wearing Run in the background (pretty badass). Mr. Hughes is also the producer of this fine release. One day when I was kicking it with Magic and his partner in crime, Fly Ty, I decided to ask them about this mystery record. Oh yeah, and I decided to record it as well, 'cause I do odd things like that. You can check out the audio from the interview below, as well as a transcript of what was said in case you miss anything.

Interview with Mr. Magic and Fly Ty on "Magic's Message" Origin

[Fly Ty]: "A Better Way," Spyder D wrote that.

[Mr. Magic]: Right

[Fly Ty]: Right, that's when we had just got... 'BLS had just dogged us, we was off 'BLS, right. So Spyder D came and said "Yo Magic, I got this record you could do." Magic did the record. Basically he told him "You could make some money."

...Magic would never do that record in New York.

[Will C.]: No?

[Mr. Magic]: (Attempts to interject)

[Fly Ty]: Let me tell you... no... in the beginning, I remember we had a BIG show at the Roxy, 'cause my artists were: Roxanne Shante, Fearless, Stetsasonic, and Debbie D and the US Girls. So we had this show at the Roxy. So umm... the whole thing was Magic was supposed to perform "Magic's Message" for the first time...* (starts laughing), hold up.

[Will C.]: (For no reason starts humming the melody to "Magic's Message," like an idiot)

[Fly Ty]: Magic kept putting off everything! Magic was bringing people out the audience to rap
(everyone laughs).

(Ty imitates Magic that night)

So after awhile I peeked... I could tell Magic was calmer. I knew he didn't really wanna do it 'cause there

were rappers there, and Magic wasn't a rapper, he didn't wanna chump himself at the Roxy.
So then I went to Roman... he was like the DJ, the house DJ. I said "Yo man, we gotta figure out a way..."
'Cause it was like... 4 o'clock in the morning by now anyway.

So he said, "I know what to do." He came and told everybody, "We gotta shut down... fire department

says we gotta shut down." AND this is what Magic does...

"DAMN MAN?! I CAN'T EVEN DO MY RECORD??!!"

(everyone laughs)

[Mr. Magic]: So now years later it's coming out. But I'm cool with it though.

[Fly Ty]: Right, but what I'm saying is... when we went on tour with it, alright, and by the time we got back to New York, he was ready to do it. 'Cause it's all a part of the show.
'cause, let me tell you how we did it...

We never committed to one tour...

[Mr. Magic]: Right, it was always the "Rap Attack" World Tour.

[Fly Ty]: It was always the "Rap Attack" World Tour no matter whose tour we was on...

So, there you have it, that clears it up (not that anybody asked haha). At the beginning, when Ty says that 'BLS had dogged them, he is referring the the era of the Rap Attack where WBLS wanted to move away from rap and asked Magic to do the new R&B show called The Quiet Storm. When Magic refused, he was let go, and the Rap Attack returned to the smaller independent station, WHBI, where you had to pay I believe $75 / hour to broadcast. However, the Rap Attack continued to grow in popularity. Over at "Magic 106 FM," Sir Juice helped break the monster record "Roxanne, Roxanne" by UTFO, and shortly after would help orchestrate the phenomenon which is now referred to as the "Roxanne Wars."

WBLS realized they needed a jock to compete with DJ Red Alert at 98.7 KISS FM. It didn't take long for them to bring Mr. Magic back.

But anyways, back to the subject at hand...

The instrumental to "Magic's Messsage" would constantly be played as background music for years to come on the Rap Attack while Sir Juice would do the shouts to super listeners on the check in, etc. Peep the Bonus Beat mix:

Magic's Message (Bonus Beat Mix by Davey DMX & DJ Marley-Marl

There were actually a lot of good people involved in this obscure 12". We got, as mentioned above, Mr. "One For The Treble" himself, Davy D, alongside an early Marley Marl appearance. Unfortunately though, there's no cutting or anything added by them. Actually, what the hell did they do? Sequencing? Hard to tell, labels aren't liners.

Steve Rifkind, founder of the legendary Loud Records and SRC Records, is an executive producer on this record. Rifkind is the son of Spring Records' Jules Rifkind.

Also, on the mix and edit tip with Spyder is musical legend Patrick Adams. P&P Records affiliate Patrick Adams has won the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year award at least three times, but his drum programming on Eric B and Rakim's "I Ain't No Joke" ALONE is enough to make him a legend in my book.

Patrick has worked with artists including Dana Dane, Salt 'N' Pepa, Heavy D and the Boys, Sister Sledge, Loleatta Holloway, Main Ingredient, Shannon, Spinners, Gladys Knight, Candi Staton, Eddie Kendricks, Herbie Mann, Rick James, Keith Sweat, Teddy Riley, Black Ivory, and R. Kelly. If you haven't already, check out the 2006 compilation "The Master of the Masterpiece: The Very Best of Mr. Patrick Adams," which features two discs of some of his dance, R&B, and disco classics.

Alright, I'm getting sidetracked, so that about does it for today's entry. Check back tomorrow for Day 5 of Mr. Magic Week.

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