Enjoy-ing Bobby Robinson’s Legacy

The word “pioneer” gets used a lot when it comes to hip-hop. But understand this, people: Bobby Robinson, who passed away last Friday, at age 93, defined the words “rap industry pioneer.” He opened up his own record shop in Harlem in 1946 (which is well beyond old school or even ancient school; more like prehistoric school). And as word spread of his expertise in Black music, he started producing his own doo-wop sides, rehearsing singing groups in the back room of his store, and releasing them on his own labels. One of these labels, , would eventually play a huge role in hip-hop’s development when Robinson became one of the first entrepreneurs to understand the music’s creative and commercial potential.

“Doo-wop originally started out as the Black teenage expression of the ’50s and rap emerged as the Black teenage ghetto expression of the ’70s. Same identical thing,” he told David Toop in The Rap Attack in 1984. And Enjoy became the label associated with many of hip-hop’s earliest and best recordings. Sugarhill may have gotten the glory, but Enjoy now and forever gets the props. In celebration of Mr. Robinson’s legacy here are ten of our favorite recordings – from the obvious to the obscure – from his iconic hip-hop catalog. Salute!

10. Funky Four Plus One More – “Rappin’ and Rocking the House” (Enjoy, 1979)

The label’s first rap single pretty much presents the formula for several subsequent releases: funky drummer/bandleader Pumpkin lays down the irrepressibly groovy backing, the rappers take a deep breath… and they don’t stop rocking till the running time reaches double digit minutes. They couldn’t have done many takes of this. Someone woulda ended up in the hospital.

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9. Spanish Fly & the Terrible Two – “Spanglish” (Enjoy, 1981)

The first bilingual rap record? It’s funky enough. The bass player sounds likes he’s playing “Seven Minutes of Funk” half the time. The rest of the time he’s playing “Siete Minutos de Funk.”

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8. Masterdon Committee – “Funkbox Party” (Enjoy, 1982)

Techno tough electro boogie, Masterdon’s groundbreaking employment of groaning as a rap hook lives on in the songbook of fellow Master Percy Miller.

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