The First Hip-Hop Magazine: A Common Misconception
Looking back, many hip-hop fans believe that the first hip-hop magazines were The Source, Rap Pages, and Ego Trip. However, the narrative about the overlooked publication Hip-Hop Hitlist should also be included in the conversation, especially since it played a crucial role in breaking DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince’s career. [1]
The Birth of Hip-Hop Hitlist
In the 1980s, three young men from New Jersey—Jae Burnett and brothers Vincent and Charles Carroll—launched Hip-Hop Hitlist, which claimed to be the very first rap magazine. An abundance of ads from record labels supported the outlet, including Tommy Boy, Def Jam, Select, and Jive Records.[2]
Ann Carli’s Role in Hip-Hop Journalism
In 1986, media personality and Jive Records Artist Development executive Ann Carli (aka Tokyo Rose) covered Tom Silverman’s flourishing New Music Seminar for her recently launched rap gossip column in Hip-Hop Hitlist.[3][4]
The Breakthrough of DJ Jazzy Jeff
While attending the event, Carli witnessed DJs show off their technical skills, mixing and scratching up records in hopes of winning the Battle for World Supremacy competition.[5] To her and the crowd’s surprise, an underdog DJ Jazzy Jeff from Philadelphia defeated the mostly New York competitors while his musical partner, The Fresh Prince, rooted him on throughout the battle.[6]
The Impact on Jive Records
Ann Carli wrote about Jazzy Jeff’s victory in Hip-Hop Hitlist, unaware that her partner Barry Weiss was tracking the sales of the duo’s independently released single, “Girls Ain’t Nothing but Trouble.”[7] Weiss frequently used this strategy to expand Jive’s rap roster: find singles on small labels that were already selling well and acquire them.[8] Through this method, Weiss signed three Philadelphia acts: Schoolly D, Steady B, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.[9]
During the duo’s first meeting at Jive Records, when Carli introduced herself, the pair expressed that they already knew her as Tokyo Rose.[10] Hyped about their first press article, The Fresh Prince recited her Hip-Hop Hitlist article about Jeff’s victory word for word.[11]
With the help of the small magazine, Ann Carli had just launched the media career of Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff who eventually signed to Jive.[12]
Recognizing Hip-Hop Hitlist’s Legacy
In retrospect, it is crucial to recognize the significant impact of Hip-Hop Hitlist. This early publication not only provided a platform for emerging artists, but also helped propel the careers of artists who would go on to shape the genre and documented crucial moments in hip-hop history.
[1]https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Big_Payback/idYFcmXcRm4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hip-hop%20hitlist&pg=PT244&printsec=frontcover
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] https://jazzyjefffreshprince.com/forum/topic/15884-check-the-technique-the-making-of-the-dj-jazzy-jeff-the-fresh-prince-classic-%E2%80%9Che%E2%80%99s-the-dj-i%E2%80%99m-the-rapper%E2%80%9D/
[5]https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Big_Payback/idYFcmXcRm4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=hip-hop%20hitlist&pg=PT244&printsec=frontcover
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Ibid.
