Tuff City Records

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Tuff City Records is a hip hop record label started in 1981. The story of Tuff City begins with founder/owner Aaron Fuchs. The year was 1981 and Fuchs was working as a trade journalist / editor for Cash Box and other music publications. At the time, rap was just a minor blip on the radar screen for most music fans. Fuchs sensed that there was something special about this music when he would see DJ Hollywood blowing away headliners at the Apollo Theatre in the late '70s. What proved to be the turning point for Fuchs and his involvement with rap was when he realized that Bobby Robinson and Paul Winley (both old doo-wop producers from the '50s) were coming around with rap 12" records by such artists as Grandmaster Flash and The Treacherous Three and Afrika Bambaataa. Seeing these trends, Fuchs felt that he should get involved with the scene. With an idea in his head and an entrepreneurial spirit in his heart, Fuchs quit his journalism gig to start Tuff City Records.

Fuchs recognized what was special about this burgeoning rap scene and found the talent to bring things to the next level. Tuff City was among the first to release material by such notable artists as The 45 King, The Cold Crush Brothers, Davy DMX, Lakim Shabazz, Spoonie Gee and a multitude of others.

As the rap scene has grown over the years, many of these names have come to be considered some of the founding fathers of hip hop. Tuff City took an underground approach to the music (largely because rap, at the time, was still very far from mainstream). Also, the amount of money that can be spent by an independent to promote and produce albums cannot compare to that of the major labels. Of course, being an "underground" record company did help to build a lot of street credibility since rap, at its essence, comes from the underground. Anything this good, however, cannot be buried underground forever.

As rap grew in popularity during the mid to late '80s, the desire to capitalize on a fad by the majors became more of a threat to a label like Tuff City. For a while Fuchs was determined to stick to the label's roots, but it was clear that a change was necessary in order to survive among the big fish. In the early '90s Fuchs had the foresight to release breakbeat and accapella records that would appeal to both DJs and producers alike. The 45 King was a major contributor to this campaign, producing a multitude of breakbeat 12" and Eps, many of which are still kept in print by the label today. Tuff City also released numerous accapella albums featuring well-known, oft sampled musicians such as Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Bernard Purdie, Wilbur Bascomb, Weldon Irvine, Eddie Bo, Cornell Dupree, Eddie Henderson and many others.

As many of Tuff City's original lineup of rappers and DJs drifted away for a variety of reasons (often drugs and/or jail), the need to update the hip hop roster became essential. Some of the acts to appear from this new surge were Ghetto Philharmonic, Optimist Prime and Buddah and the Bandit.

As the years progressed and rap began to become mainstream, Fuchs' interest in releasing hip hop began to wane. Turning to the music that he loved long before hip hop was first heard, Fuchs began a reissue campaign which explored obscure, underappreciated and previously unreleased blues, soul, funk and R&B. This was the mark of a new era in Tuff City's history.

Today the major focus at Tuff City Records remains its reissue program, with an occasional artist development project when something special comes along. What began as an effort to bring a few unknown gems to light has become a full-fledged archaeological crusade. This relentless mission to bring great music to new audiences has spawned a number of subsidiary labels:

Night Train International issues obscure blues, jazz, and R&B by such artists as Ray Charles, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy Witherspoon, Johnny Otis, Charles Brown, Jay McShann, Joe Liggins and many, many more.

Funky Delicacies issues should-have-been-classic funk that collectors salivate over, featuring artists like Ike Turner, Andre Williams, Trouble Funk and dozens and dozens of others.

Soul-Tay-Shus has brought forth powerful soul from Andre Williams, Lee Rogers, Joe Hunter and others.

Although the Night Train, Funky Delicacies and Soul-Tay-Shus labels host music from coast to American coast, of particular interest is the soul, funk and R&B they have unearthed from New Orleans. Tuff City's New Orleans catalog includes rare and unreleased music from James Booker, Professor Longhair, Eddie Bo, Earl King, Johnny Adams, Irma Thomas, Huey Smith, Ernie K-Doe, and many, many lesser-known but stellar artists.

Ol' Skool Flava is the label on which the most popular of Tuff City's original old school hip hop releases are once again pressed. This label includes reissues of the music of Spoonie Gee, Marley Marl, The Ultramagnetic MCs, and DJ Hollywood to name but a few. In addition to these subsidiaries, many of the original releases on Tuff City and Smokin' are still available.