Marley Marl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marley Marl
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Marley Marl in 1999
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marlon Lu'Ree Williams |
| Born | September 30, 1962 Queens, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day |
| Genres | East Coast hip hop |
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| Years active | 1983–present |
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Marlon Lu'Ree Williams, born on September 30, 1962, is known as Marley Marl. He is a famous American DJ, music producer, rapper, and even started his own record label. He is a big name in hip hop music.
Marley grew up in the Queensbridge Houses in Queens, New York. He performed in local talent shows when rap music was just starting. This helped him become even more interested in music.
He also worked on the song "Paid in Full" by Eric B. & Rakim. This song was recorded in his studio. Many famous hip hop artists look up to Marley Marl. These include Biggie Smalls, RZA, DJ Premier, Madlib, and Pete Rock. Producer Madlib said Marley was the first producer who made him want to create beats. Vibe magazine wrote that he "forever changed the sound of hip-hop."
Contents
How Marley Marl Started in Music
Marley's music journey began with his interest in electronica. In the early 1980s, he was an intern at Unique Recording Studios. This gave him a chance to try out expensive music machines called samplers. One day, while working with an artist named Captain Rock, he accidentally discovered how to sample sounds.
He was trying to get a sound from a record. He made a mistake and got a drum sound (a snare) mixed in. This snare sound played with the beat, and it sounded even better than the drum machine he was using. This happy accident changed everything!
Soon after, a well-known hip-hop radio DJ named Mr. Magic heard Marley Marl's remix of "Buffalo Gals." This led to Marley becoming his DJ. In 1983, they started a hip-hop group called the Juice Crew.
Cold Chillin' Records
In 1986, the record label Cold Chillin' Records was started. Marley worked there as the main producer for many projects. He earned a lot of money for his work. Many Juice Crew artists also released their music through this label.
Marley got his first big success in 1984. He produced the hit song "Roxanne's Revenge" for artist Roxanne Shante. Roxanne Shante said that Marley was very serious about recording. Even with a simple setup in his living room, he always made sure the music was perfect.
Another important early song was "Marley Marl Scratch" from 1985. It featured MC Shan. This song was recorded using basic equipment.
Using the Roland TR-808
Many of Marley's early songs used the Roland TR-808 drum machine in new ways. On MC Shan's 1986 song "The Bridge," Marley used the 808 to trigger different samplers.
According to Biz Markie, a button on Marley's 808 got stuck while recording his hit "Make the Music with Your Mouth, Biz." This created a unique sound heard on the record today. Big Daddy Kane, another Juice Crew member, praised Marley's skill. He could combine 808 drum sounds with sampled drums. He made sampled sounds feel "gritty" and "heavy."
Producing for the Juice Crew
In the late 1980s, the Juice Crew became more famous. Spin magazine wrote that they made "some of the genre's toughest music." Around this time, Marley started producing entire albums for several Juice Crew members.
He produced all the songs on these albums:
- Craig G's The Kingpin (1989)
- Big Daddy Kane's Long Live The Kane (1988)
- Biz Markie's Goin' Off (1988)
- Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's Road to the Riches (1989)
- MC Shan's Down By Law (1987) and Born to Be Wild (1988)
- Roxanne Shante's Bad Sister (1989)
In 1988, he produced the famous Juice Crew song "The Symphony." He used a record from the WBLS radio station library as a sample source.
After Cold Chillin' Records
In 1996, Marley Marl took legal action against Cold Chillin' Records. This was because he had not been paid all the money he was owed.
In 2007, he produced the entire Hip Hop Lives album. This album was for KRS-One, who had been a rival in the past.
Marley Marl's Music Albums
Studio Albums
- In Control, Volume 1 (1988)
- In Control Volume II (For Your Steering Pleasure) (1991)
- Hip-Hop Dictionary (2000)
- Re-Entry (2001)
Albums with Other Artists
Collection Albums
- House of Hits (1995)
- Best of Cold Chillin' (2001)
- Marley Marl's House of Hits (released 2007)
- Hip Hop's Hero w/ Nikal Fieldz (released 2010)
See also
In Spanish: Marley Marl para niños
