| Paul C | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Paul C. McKasty |
| Born | September 20, 1964 |
| Origin | NYC, New York, United States |
| Died | July 17, 1989 (aged 24) |
| Genres | Hip hop, East Coast hip hop, Pop rock |
| Occupations | Record producer |
| Instruments | Keyboards, turntables, synthesizer, drum machine, bass guitar |
| Years active | 1985–1989 |
| Associated acts | Ultramagnetic MC's, Organized Konfusion, Eric B. & Rakim, Mikey D & the L.A. Posse, The Mandolindley Road Show |
Paul C. McKasty (September 20, 1964 – July 17, 1989), better known as Paul C, was an East coast hip hop producer and engineer in the 1980s. McKasty was of Irish descent.[1]
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McKasty began his musical career as a bassist of the pop rock band the Mandolindley Road Show.[2] After the group disbanded, Paul joined the hip hop group Mikey D & the L.A. Posse.[3] He began working as a producer and engineer for numerous hip-hop acts. Paul C's best-known work is on Ultramagnetic MC's 1988 classic debut album Critical Beatdown[1] and the non-album singles the group released between 1988 and 1989. He only has one credit as a producer on the album for the track "Give the Drummer Some," but according to group member Ced Gee, Paul C was responsible for the overall sound of the album. Paul preferred to work without contracts, so he often did not receive credit for his production work.[1]
Paul C also worked for many other artists including Grandmaster Caz, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, Stezo, and Rahzel. He also served as a mentor of Large Professor in the use of the E-mu SP-1200. He overheard a recording session of a new local group named Simply Too Positive and offered to produce its entire demo. Simply Too Positive eventually became Organized Konfusion and its demo created a major buzz around the group.[1]
Paul C's status began to grow and he was hired to work for higher-profile artists. He produced tracks for Eric B. & Rakim's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em. He was planning on producing more songs for the group and also for Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, and Large Professor's group Main Source. However, in 1989, Paul C was shot to death in Rosedale, Queens, at the age of 24. His murder was featured on America's Most Wanted[1] leading to the arrest of Derrick "Little Shine" Blair, who was later released due to lack of evidence.[4] The case has yet to be solved.
Despite his short career, Paul C left a lasting legacy on hip-hop music.[1]
His protégé Large Professor took over production duties on much of the music Paul was working on before his death. He went on to become a well-known producer and emcee. Large Pro's publishing company is named Paul Sea Productions in honor of his late mentor.[1][5] Other hip hop producers such as Domingo,[6] Pete Rock, and Cut Chemist cite Paul C as an influence. Kool Keith, Pharoahe Monch, and Rahzel credit Paul C with helping them to grow as artists.[1]
A picture of Paul in appears in the liner notes of Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and the album is dedicated to his memory (though his name is not listed in the production credits). The liner notes of Main Source's debut album Breaking Atoms includes the inscription Paul C Lives. On Organized Konfusion's debut single "Fudge Pudge," the duo gives a shout-out that says, "Paul C to the organisms!"[1] Critical Beatdown was re-released in 2004 with the non-album singles that Paul produced as bonus tracks. In 2006, an unreleased album by Mikey D & the L.A. Posse was released under the title Better Late Than Never: In Memory Of Paul C.[7]