Whodini: the first industry plants?

[Digital Omen]

Reading Jonathan Abrams' "The Come Up"

The Come Up by Jonathan Abrams: 9781984825155 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The essential oral history of hip-hop, from its origins on the playgrounds of the Bronx to its reign as the most powerful force in pop culture—from the award-winning journalist behind All the Pieces...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

And he details Whodini's origin story. It all started when Jive's Barry Weiss tapped Mr. Magic to make a record. He knew no rappers and just wanted Mr. Magic to spit whatever to try to get on the radio. Mr. Magic was going to do it too, knowing he wasn't an MC. But he had Jalil and Ecstasy writing his shyt, including what would become "Magic's Wand"

But when the day of recording came, Mr. Magic couldn't make it. Barry was heated and Mr. Magic told him to relax, he knew 2 rappers who could get to the studio and record.



Are plants automatically wack? Whodini weren't wack, and did make platinum hits. But look at how they got put on. On some straight industry assembly line "here's your name, here's how it's spelled. By the way, we own you."

 

[zayk35]

Always been a dirty game. It always sucks when you find out how the sausage is made.

 

[King_Kamala61]

I wonder can you apply this to the other arts besides music?

It's been said the art world is plant city and I wonder about theatre and as I have heard whispers about literature too.

 

[Digital Omen]

I wonder can you apply this to the other arts besides music?

It's been said the art world is plant city and I wonder about theatre and as I have heard whispers about literature too.

Plants are usually manufactured wack ass no talent "artists" who get put on through nepotism, payola, favor for a favor, sucking dikk, casting couch...whatever shortcut that's not available to those outside the gates. The creative arts (at least here) have always been on some "who you know" shyt.

According to the book, Barry Weiss (Jive records exec) knew Mr. Magic from servicing records to him to play on the radio. When Mr. Magic blew up, Barry reached out to him to cut a record since he didn't know any rappers. Instead, Magic (after saying he would cut the record) didn't show and sent 2 unknown guys. They weren't a group, didn't even have a name. Just 2 guys that Magic knew and who were writing jingles and rhymes for him to say on air.

So they weren't the traditional "we're rhyming, we're MC's, we're hot in the streets, trying to get a deal." But now thinking about it, back then rap was a "fad" and the industry was whatever, just put some shyt out to cash in real quick before the fad gets played out. That's what they did to breaking. It just so happened that the guys Magic sent actually knew how to rhyme and make hit records, and that's where the plant question comes in.

 

[L. Deezy]

Reading Jonathan Abrams' "The Come Up"

The Come Up by Jonathan Abrams: 9781984825155 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

The essential oral history of hip-hop, from its origins on the playgrounds of the Bronx to its reign as the most powerful force in pop culture—from the award-winning journalist behind All the Pieces...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

And he details Whodini's origin story. It all started when Jive's Barry Weiss tapped Mr. Magic to make a record. He knew no rappers and just wanted Mr. Magic to spit whatever to try to get on the radio. Mr. Magic was going to do it too, knowing he wasn't an MC. But he had Jalil and Ecstasy writing his shyt, including what would become "Magic's Wand"

But when the day of recording came, Mr. Magic couldn't make it. Barry was heated and Mr. Magic told him to relax, he knew 2 rappers who could get to the studio and record.



Are plants automatically wack? Whodini weren't wack, and did make platinum hits. But look at how they got put on. On some straight industry assembly line "here's your name, here's how it's spelled. By the way, we own you."

interesting story... wow

great group