Gee Street Records
Encyclopedia
Gee Street Records was a British
hip hop
record label
started by Jon Baker
in 1985. The label's name came from its original location, a converted warehouse on Gee Street in London
.
Between 1980 and 1984, label head Baker lived in New York City
. After returning to London in 1984, Baker became a hip hop promoter. In 1985, Baker opened Gee Street records and began releasing white-label dance and hip hop records. Many of these broke new ground. The label developed a roster of prominent domestic UK acts, including DJ Richie Rich, Outlaw Posse
, and Stereo MC's, and US acts, including P.M. Dawn, Doug E. Fresh
, Gravediggaz
, and New Kingdom.
in 1990, Gee Street was acquired by Chris Blackwell's
Island Records
. After Blackwell left Island and the PolyGram group in 1998, Baker bought back Gee Street and sold it to Richard Branson
's fledgling V2 Records
. The label was shuttered in 2001.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
hip hop
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...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
started by Jon Baker
Jon Baker (producer)
Jon Baker is a music industry executive. He has worked as a fashion designer, promoter, and is currently co-owner of Geejam, a luxury resort and recording studio located in San San, near Port Antonio, Jamaica.-Early Life:Baker was born in 1960...
in 1985. The label's name came from its original location, a converted warehouse on Gee Street in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Between 1980 and 1984, label head Baker lived in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After returning to London in 1984, Baker became a hip hop promoter. In 1985, Baker opened Gee Street records and began releasing white-label dance and hip hop records. Many of these broke new ground. The label developed a roster of prominent domestic UK acts, including DJ Richie Rich, Outlaw Posse
Outlaw Posse
Outlaw Posse was a British hip hop group formed by Bello B and K-Gee . They also recorded together as Outlaw and Brothers Like Outlaw, before the group finally split in 1992.-Biography:...
, and Stereo MC's, and US acts, including P.M. Dawn, Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh
Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...
, Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz
Gravediggaz is an American hip hop group from New York City, well known for its dark sense of humor and abrasive, menacing soundscapes. The group was formed in 1994 and was effectively a supergroup, bringing together Prince Paul , Frukwan , Too Poetic and RZA...
, and New Kingdom.
in 1990, Gee Street was acquired by Chris Blackwell's
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. After Blackwell left Island and the PolyGram group in 1998, Baker bought back Gee Street and sold it to Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
's fledgling V2 Records
V2 Records
V2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
. The label was shuttered in 2001.
Selected discography
- Jungle Brothers, Straight out of the JungleStraight Out the JungleStraight out the Jungle is the debut album from hip hop group Jungle Brothers. The album marked the beginning of the Native Tongues collective, later featuring popular artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep....
(1988, licensed from Warlock RecordsWarlock RecordsWarlock Records is an independent record label based in New York City that was founded by Adam Levy in the late 1980s. Artists that once recorded for Warlock Records included C-Bo, the Jungle Brothers, and Todd Terry. In 1992, the label acquired the catalog of Sleeping Bag Records and its sub-label...
) - Stereo MCs 33-45-7833-45-7833-45-78 is the 1989 debut album by the Stereo MCs. It was recorded on a shoestring budget with DJ Cesare as drummer and Cath Coffey as backing vocalist. Billboard declared that 33-45-78 proved the band "capable of wildly imaginative sampling"...
(1989) - Eternity, Project OneEternity Project OneEternity Project One was a 1989 British compilation released by Gee Street Records. It featured the first recorded material by The Orb as well as tracks by several acid house artists of the late 1980s. Many of the tracks include production from Bass , Rockman , and Eternity...
(1989) - Richie Rich, I Can Make You Dance (1988)
- Outlaw PosseOutlaw PosseOutlaw Posse was a British hip hop group formed by Bello B and K-Gee . They also recorded together as Outlaw and Brothers Like Outlaw, before the group finally split in 1992.-Biography:...
, My Afro's on Fire (1989) - Stereo MCs, SupernaturalSupernatural (Stereo MCs album)Supernatural is a 1990 album by Stereo MCs. The album is their second release. The US release is subtitled "American Mix" and has a different track list.-Track listing:...
(1990) - PM Dawn, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian ExperienceOf the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian ExperienceOf the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience is a 1991 album by P.M. Dawn.Warlock, an independent record label, issued a debut single, "Ode to a Forgetful Mind," in 1989, but it went unnoticed. The label that released the single in England, Gee Street Records, found greater...
(1991) - Carlene DavisCarlene DavisCarlene Davis is a Jamaican gospel and reggae singer active since the 1970s. Successful since the early 1980s as a reggae artist, she survived cancer in the mid-1990s, after which she dedicated her career to gospel music.-Biography:...
, Carlene Davis (1992) - New KingdomNew Kingdom (band)New Kingdom was an American hip hop duo from New York City consisting of Nosaj and Sebastian. Formed in 1987, New Kingdom was known for their psychedelic, funk and blues-influenced style and abstract lyricism. The duo released two albums on Gee Street Records in 1992 and 1996.- Biography :Band...
, Heavy Load (1993) - PM Dawn, The Bliss Album…? (Vibrations of Love and Anger and the Ponderance of Life and Existence) (1993)
- Stereo MCs, Connected (1993)
- Gravediggaz, 6 Feet Deep6 Feet Deep6 Feet Deep is the debut album of the horrorcore supergroup Gravediggaz. It was released August 9, 1994, by Gee Street Records. The album was re-issued in 1997.- Album information :...
(1993) - Doug E. Fresh, PlayPlay (Doug E. Fresh album)Play is the fourth album released by Doug E. Fresh. It was released on September 26, 1995, on Gee Street Independent and featured production from Doug E. Fresh, Frankie Cutlass and Todd Terry...
(1994) - PM Dawn, Jesus WeptJesus WeptJesus Wept is an album by American hip hop group P.M. Dawn. It was released in October 1995 via Gee Street Records, and was unable to attain the success of the group's first two albums, Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross: The Utopian Experience and The Bliss Album...? ...
(1995) - Malcolm McLaren, ParisParis (Malcolm McLaren album)Paris is a double-CD by Malcolm McLaren released in 1994.-Disc one:# "Mon Dié Sénié" – 4:30# "Walking With Satie" – 4:03# "Père Lachaise" – 3:41# "Miles And Miles Of Miles Davis" – 2:04# "Jazz Is Paris" – 5:15# "Rue Dauphine" – 3:26...
(1995, via Island Records) - Ambersunshower, Walter T. SmithAmbersunshowerAmbersunshower is an R&B singer and former member of the hip hop duo Groove Garden. Gee Street Records released Ambersunshower's debut solo album, Walter T. Smith, in 1996...
(1996) - New KingdomNew Kingdom (band)New Kingdom was an American hip hop duo from New York City consisting of Nosaj and Sebastian. Formed in 1987, New Kingdom was known for their psychedelic, funk and blues-influenced style and abstract lyricism. The duo released two albums on Gee Street Records in 1992 and 1996.- Biography :Band...
, Paradise Don't Come Cheap (1996) - Jungle Brothers, Raw DeluxeRaw Deluxe (album)Raw Deluxe is the fourth album by the Jungle Brothers, released on June 3, 1997 , on Gee Street Records. The group signed a new contract with the label when it was dropped by its previous label because of the extremely poor performance of its last two albums...
(1997) - Gravediggaz, The Pick, the Sickle and the ShovelThe Pick, the Sickle and the ShovelThe Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel, released October 14, 1997, is the second album by the Gravediggaz, an influential horrorcore hip hop supergroup...
(1998) - Various Artists, soundtrack to the motion picture Senseless (1998)
- RZA, Bobby Digital in StereoBobby Digital in StereoBobby Digital in Stereo is the solo debut album by the American hip hop artist RZA, a member of Wu-Tang Clan. It was released on November 24, 1998, and was certified Gold on February 5, 1999, by the RIAA...
(1998) - PM Dawn, Dearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, DadDearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, DadDearest Christian, I'm So Very Sorry for Bringing You Here. Love, Dad is a 1998 album by P.M. Dawn.The album title refers to bandmember Attrell Cordes's newborn son, named Christian.-Track listing:...
(1998) - Ky-Mani Marley, The Journey (2000)
- Tragedy Khadafi, Against All OddsAgainst All Odds (Tragedy Khadafi album)Against All Odds is the third solo studio album by hip-hop artist Tragedy Khadafi. The album was releasd in 2001 after much delay, and included his 2000 single "Bing Monsters". The album reached #9 in the Billboard Top Heatseekers Album Chart....
(2001)