In 1981 electro was body-popping its bones across the urban centres of the US, bringing a new coalition of beats to the masses in underground clubs. Its genesis began at the tail end of 1970s, blending funk with an emergent hip-hop scene and new synthesizer technology. In the same year, Tom Silverman, a middle-class upstate New Yorker found himself to be the only white attendee in some of the Bronx's biggest rap clubs. It was there that he encountered one of the leading players on this scene: Afrika Bambaata, better known then as a DJ and promoter of block parties and Bronx rap club nights.
Having set up a DJ newsletter, Silverman utilised his press position to wrangle an interview and acquaint himself with Bambaata. Influenced by him, and the burgeoning scene hip-hop scene - a term invented by the Zulu Nation mainman - Silverman secured the necessary finance (from his folks) to set up his own record label.
Tommy Boy was born into a musical zeitgeist of cross-cultural platforms that embraced rap, hip-hop, electro and dance. The label's ethic was colourful and all-inclusive, and after a couple of break-even singles, its first cult classic came from Bambaata himself in 1982, in the form of 'Planet Rock'. It was a wake-up call that spanned the youth spectrum, from Project kids to white middle-class wannabes.
This innovative template infused hip-hop backbeats and Kraftwerk-style keyboards with a hook that reeled in electro and breakdance b-boys and girls alike. Its reputation was consolidated with the Grandmaster Flash anthem 'The Message' and underground kudos soon translated into international critical acclaim.
With the success of such influential singles, the label quickly became an emblem of early hip-hop, despite an oeuvre that encompassed dance, rap, electro or whatever else was kickin' in the clubs of Manhattan. Throughout the 1980s, Tommy Boy was never a commercial hard-hitter, preferring to nurture talent, and the standard of releases tended to vary greatly. It wasn't until a pioneering producer called Paul Huston (aka Prince Paul) a former Stetsasonic member and Beastie Boys producer came to the attention of Tommy Boy.
Huston's work with the seminal Brooklyn outfit was consistently praised but it was his current project with Long Island trio that intrigued Silverman. When he first heard the trio known collectively as De La Soul, he instantly knew he had an all-or-nothing potential success story on his hands. He released '3 Feet High and Rising' in 1989 and it instantly became an international bestseller. Little did he know that three humourists wearing CND pendants, sporting asymmetric haircuts and singing about the daisy age would do more to dispel hip-hop's inherent misogyny and broaden its audience than any act up to that point.
As a record label, Tommy Boy has worn its diversity like a badge, perpetuating a degree of independent egalitarianism unrivalled in the world of rap and hip-hop. Many British acts also found a home in the TB stable for US releases including the inimitable turntablists Coldcut and 808 State' s Ex:El. Even Bowie in the early 1990s found a release niche. If that wasn't diverse enough, they released tracks by Anthrax, Meat Loaf and bizarrely, Gary Glitter in the late 1990s.
The most recent success story is the collaboration of an old hand and a newer addition to their catalogue. Eminent producer Prince Paul and Dan 'The Automator' Nakamura, himself an established producer (Dr. Octagon, DJ Shadow, Stereolab, Beastie Boys, Primal Scream) and Gorillaz member, forged links on 1999's 'So...How's Your Girl?' (under the moniker of Handsome Boy Modelling School). It had Darby O'Gill type samples, 1960s TV show edits and guest appearances from DJ Shadow, Alec Empire, Sean Lennon and Moloko's Roisin Murphy.
The album itself is a lesson in eclecticism, a vast mesh of styles, tempos and influences that are a microcosm of the great label itself. The oblation of De La Soul, Africa Bambaata, Queen Latifah and HBMS to the music-weary masses at critical times, demonstrates one primary fact: Tommy Boy's sui generis and true originality.
Sinéad Gleeson
Afrika Bambaata, Maseo (De La Soul) and Dan the Automator play the Temple Bar Music Centre on Friday 7 July 2001.
