Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (group)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde was a 1980s hip hop
group consisting of Andre "Dr. Jeckyll" Harrell
and Alonzo "Mr. Hyde" Brown. The group was known for its corporate business image, wearing designer suits and ties while they rapped
. The group first performed under the name "Harlem World Crew" and recorded on Tayster in 1980.
Alonzo Brown joined Profile Records
in 1981 under the name "Lonnie Love," and recorded the song "Young Ladies."
That same year, Brown teamed with Andre Harrell to make "Genius Rap," a well-received record which was one of the first hip hop records to used the famous Tom Tom Club
sample
, "Genius of Love
."
The pair ended their professional relationship in 1987, but Mr. Hyde continued recording with Profile Records, recording the solo 12", "The Witch" b/w "Hyde's Beat".
After the group's demise, Andre Harrell became the founder and CEO of Uptown Records
. He later went on to head Motown Records
.
Alonzo Brown went on to become a producer and screenwriter, serving as executive producer for the Judge Mathis
show.
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group consisting of Andre "Dr. Jeckyll" Harrell
Andre Harrell
Andre Harrell is founder of the now defunct record label, Uptown Records. Harrell also served as president/CEO of Motown Records. He was also the first half of the hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde.-Biography:...
and Alonzo "Mr. Hyde" Brown. The group was known for its corporate business image, wearing designer suits and ties while they rapped
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. The group first performed under the name "Harlem World Crew" and recorded on Tayster in 1980.
Alonzo Brown joined Profile Records
Profile Records
Profile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop, active until 1996..- History :In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be...
in 1981 under the name "Lonnie Love," and recorded the song "Young Ladies."
That same year, Brown teamed with Andre Harrell to make "Genius Rap," a well-received record which was one of the first hip hop records to used the famous Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz, both also known for being bandmembers of Talking Heads.-Biography:...
sample
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, "Genius of Love
Genius of Love
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 song by Tom Tom Club from their eponymous debut album.-Song:"Genius of Love" was Tom Tom Club's second single. Although the album had not been released in North America, over a hundred thousand copies of the single sold as imports from Island Records's UK, at which point...
."
The pair ended their professional relationship in 1987, but Mr. Hyde continued recording with Profile Records, recording the solo 12", "The Witch" b/w "Hyde's Beat".
After the group's demise, Andre Harrell became the founder and CEO of Uptown Records
Uptown Records
Uptown Records was an American record label, founded by Andre Harrell in 1986. It went on to become one of the most popular Hip-Hop and R&B labels of the late 1980's and early 1990s. Featured on the roster were such luminaries as Guy, Heavy D & The Boyz, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, and Soul for Real...
. He later went on to head Motown Records
Motown Records
Motown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
.
Alonzo Brown went on to become a producer and screenwriter, serving as executive producer for the Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis
Judge Mathis is a syndicated television legal reality show produced originally by Black Pearl Productions. In 2008, it entered its tenth season produced by AND Syndicated Productions and Telepictures. It is taped at NBC Tower in Chicago, but includes cases and litigants from other U.S....
show.