Tracey Waples on Def Jam, Discovering Wu-Tang, and Signing Method Man

Marley Marl turned a Queensbridge apartment into hip hop’s hit factory. Jeffrey Sledge sits down with the legendary DJ and producer to talk about Roxanne Shanté’s one-take record, scratching live on W...

11 Marras 1h 5min

Louise West read Missy Elliott’s first contract line by line. She taught Missy and Timbaland the business, shopped Roc-A-Fella’s label deal, and became the lawyer down the hall for Drake’s right hand,...

4 Marras 48min

Merlin Bobb went from bagging groceries in Murray Hill to running A&R at Atlantic, co-founding EastWest, and steering Elektra through Missy Elliott, Busta Rhymes, and En Vogue. He tells Jeffrey Sledge...

28 Loka 1h 14min

Steve Rifkind invented the modern street team, built Loud Records into the home of Wu-Tang Clan, Mobb Deep, and Big Pun, then broke Akon at SRC. He tells Jeffrey Sledge how his dad strong-armed him in...

21 Loka 1h 2min

Jonathan Shecter cofounded The Source out of a Harvard dorm room with a mailing list and about $200. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk growing up on Philly radio, borrowing Lady B's station drops to lau...

14 Loka 1h 9min

Bryan-Michael Cox wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Jagged Edge, Usher, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige. He joins Jeffrey Sledge to talk about cutting his first demos on Beyoncé, getting put on by Jer...

7 Loka 1h 5min

Chris Atlas has worked every side of the record. Promotion, A&R, marketing, distribution. Tommy Boy, Cornerstone, Def Jam, Warner, and now Fat Beats. He sits down with his friend of thirty years, Jeff...

24 Syys 53min