Tuff City Records

Tuff City Records
Founded 1981 (1981)
Founder Aaron Fuchs
Distributor(s) self-distributed
Genre Hip hop, doo-wop, dancehall
Country of origin U.S.
Location New York
Official Website www.tuffcity.com

Tuff City Records is a New York-based record label founded by journalist Aaron Fuchs in 1981.[1] Initially concentrating on hip hop music, the label's roster expanded to include doo-wop, dancehall, and hip hop-jazz fusion, and releases included reissues of music from as far back as the 1940s.[1]

History

Aaron Fuchs was a journalist with Cash Box, and Tuff City was one the earliest hip hop labels, with Fuchs quitting his job to run the label.[1] After the label's first two releases, a distribution deal was signed with CBS Associated Records, although Tuff City severed the link after only a year.[1] The label pioneered the release of albums of break beats—the building blocks for others to use in their recordings.[1] Fuchs also bought the rights to earlier recordings that were sampled by others, bringing money into the label via licensing costs.[1][2] One of these, "Impeach the President" by the Honey Drippers was the subject of a court case with Fuchs filing a lawsuit against Sony Music and Def Jam for illegally sampling the track on recordings by LL Cool J and EPMD.[3] The case was settled out of court.[4]

In the mid-1990s, Tuff City launched the Ol' Skool Flava sub-label for reissues of classic hip hop material.[5][6] Another sub-label, Night Train International, was established to re-release "rare and unreleased Chicago & Louisiana Outsider Rock 'n' Roll, etc. (1959-1979) from the vaults of Academy, Lucky Four and Magic Touch." Works of Professor Longhair, James Booker, Tuts Washington and Lenny LaCour, among others, have been released by the label.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Verna, Paul (1994) "Tuff City Records Moves Forward and Looks Back", Billboard, July 16, 1994, retrieved 2010-08-29
  2. ^ Aswell, Tom (2010) Louisiana Rocks! The True Genesis of Rock & Roll One, Pelican, ISBN 978-1589806771, p. 125
  3. ^ Perkins, William Eric (1995) Droppin' Science: Critical Essays on Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture, Temple University Press, ISBN 978-1566393621, p. 9
  4. ^ Forman, Murray & Neal, Mark Anthony (eds.) (2004) That's the Joint! The Hip-hop Studies Reader, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415969185, p. 455
  5. ^ Reynolds, J.R. (1995) "Tuff City Plans Aggressive Campaign for Rap Reissues", Billboard, June 24, 1995, retrieved 2010-08-29
  6. ^ Sansone, Glen (1995) "Bonus Beats", CMJ New Music Monthly, October 1995, retrieved 2010-08-29
  7. ^ Tuff City Records, Night Train International Product Overview. Retrieved 2012-01-02.