This week’s Record Club entry was mailed to us (figuratively) by Vintage Vinyl
Josh: From the second we press “Play” on our record player, Julie and I know one thing for sure: We’re about to get schooled.
Early D’s single ”Culture Shock” is dripping St. Louis hip-hop history. It oozes 80′s beats and effects. It casts references to Jesse and Michael Jackson. I’m painting the mental image of a pre-Tivoli, pre-Vintage Vinyl Loop with a few roughnecks still lingering and colorful culturalites beginning to seep in and take over—and of course, everyone’s wearing neon. On “Culture Shock,” the chorus “Stop the violence!” feels like an anthem and a launching pad for a hip-hop scene that would transcend into one of the city’s most valuable assets.
Julie: The vinyl we have in our hands is a genuine artifact from the early days of St. Louis hip-hop! What’s really great about this 12″ from 1988 is that the label, Wiz-A-Tron Records, was actually funded by Vintage Vinyl owners, Tom Ray and Lew Prince back in the 80′s alongside one of St. Louis’ hip-hop founding fathers, Ronald “G. Wiz” Butts. While spinning some of the hottest records at the local skate rink, G. Wiz also ran St. Louis’ most prominent roster of hip-hop artists in the city. Even though none of his artists got signed to a major label, the impact they had on the local rap scene was profound. Early D and G. Wiz even got national attention for “Culture Shock.”
Josh: I’m still floored about what this represents. What happens if St. Louis never finds hip-hop? (Hip-hop collective) The Force doesn’t exist. Nelly probably never gets his start, much less his big break, if he’s not steeped in the Lou’s special flavor of hip-hop. Maybe he’s a famous blues act instead.
Julie: I love how it starts with a clip from a speech by civil-rights leader A. Philip Randolph, saying, “Let the nation and the world know the meaning of our numbers.” Early D elaborates on this in his lyrics: “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, read the pages. Stop the violence, the fight between the races.”
Josh: Big thanks to Jim at Vintage Vinyl for picking this one out; this is a gem for any St. Louisian’s record collection. I feel like each week we’ll be setting a new bar—there’ll be blood soon.
The Eleven Record Club is sponsored in part by your local St. Louis record stores, Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records, APOP Records, and Phono Mode.
