Marley Marl

One of hip-hops first (and finest) superproducers, Marley Marl was an early innovator in the art of sampling, developing new techniques that resulted in some of the sharpest beats and hooks in raps Golden Age. As the founder of Cold Chillin Records, Marl assembled a roster filled with some of the finest hip-hop talent in New York: MC Shan, Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, and Masta Ace. His production work for those and many other artists generally boasted a bright, booming, and robust sound that — along with his ear for a catchy sample — helped move street-level hip-hops sonic blueprint into more accessible territory. Most important, though, were his skills as a beatmaker; Marl was among the first to mine James Brown records for grooves and also learned how to craft his own drum loops through sampling, which decreased hip-hops reliance on tinny-sounding drum machines and gave his 80s productions a fresh, modern flavor.
Marl was born Marlon Williams on September 30, 1962, and grew up in the Queensbridge housing project in Queens, NY. He became interested in music through local talent shows and neighborhood parties and became an accomplished DJ during raps early days. He did mixing work on a number of singles for the old-school hip-hop/electro label Tuff City and started up his own Cold Chillin label, which he initially ran out of his sisters apartment in Queensbridge. Marl set about recruiting for what became one of raps first talent collectives, the Juice Crew. He caught his first big break in 1984 when he produced Roxanne Shantés Roxannes Revenge, one of many answer singles inspired by U.T.F.O.s underground smash Roxanne, Roxanne; luckily, Roxannes Revenge was the biggest and it put artist, label, and producer on the map. Marl trumped it by helming The Bridge, an ode to Queensbridge by his cousin MC Shan that became the unofficial Queens rap anthem and inspired a spirited feud with Bronx native KRS-One. With Marls success came the opportunity to produce artists outside the Cold Chillin stable, which he did with the monumental Eric B. & Rakim single Eric B. Is President, as well as full-length albums by Heavy D & the Boyz.
The end of the 80s is often referred to as hip-hops Golden Age, a time when the forms creativity was expanding by leaps and bounds. Marls Juice Crew was an important force in ushering in this era thanks to its advances in lyrical technique and the distinctive personalities of emerging stars like Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane. With business at Cold Chillin booming, Marl put out the first full-length release under his own name in 1988 (hed previously recorded the single DJ Cuttin in 1985 with the alias NYC Cutter). In Control, Vol. 1 was mostly a showcase for various Juice Crew affiliates to strut their stuff, most thrillingly on the legendary, larger-than-life posse cut The Symphony. Marl scored his greatest crossover success in 1990 by helming LL Cool Js Mama Said Knock You Out; bolstered by Marls state-of-the-art production, the album restored LLs street cred while becoming his biggest seller ever, making Marl an in-demand remixer. 1991 brought the release of In Control, Vol. 2, which unfortunately displayed signs that the Cold Chillin talent pool was being depleted.
After working with TLC on their 1992 debut, Marl remained mostly quiet for a few years; 1995 brought the release of House of Hits, an excellent retrospective of his best productions over the years. Splitting off from Cold Chillin, Marl spent several years in a legal battle over money and ownership rights that, in 1998, finally resulted in his being awarded control of all the songs hed produced for the label. In the late 90s, Marls status as a high-profile producer was restored thanks to his work with artists like Rakim, Queensbridges own Capone-N-Noreaga, and Fat Joe. In 2001, Marl put together another compilation of original productions with guest rappers for the British BBE label, titled Re-Entry.