Harlem World Cultural Entertainment Center (Harlem World) was the launching pad of Hip Hop and Rap says Chuck Foster, the original coordinator of Harlem World. It was 1978 when Harlem legend Fat Jack Taylor, owner of the independent record label Ro-Jack and Taystees Records and alleged drug dealer, open Harlem World Entertainment Complex in a vacant Woolworth building on 116th and Lenox in Harlem.
Fat Jack was founder/owner of five (5) Restaurants. He pioneered the concept of fast food before Burger Chef and MacDonald’s. Fat Jack also secretly owned the Harlem Club in Atlantic City, a premier showcase place in the playground of the world. Chuck said ‘Fat Jack' was a great Black entrepreneur, genius communicator and a pioneer in showcasing young rappers at a time when rappers didn't have a stage. Young rappers came from the entire New York, New Jersey, Connecticut Tri-State area to perform. The Mean Machine, D.J. Randy, and Koo Dee were house performers.
Around the same time, ' Andre Harrell, founder and president of Uptown Records, 1987-92 hooked up with Alonzo Brown and formed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (rap duo).The group first performed under the name "Harlem World Crew" and recorded on Tayster in 1980. Big name entertainers like Bobby Brown, New Edition, Blue Magic, Eartha Kit, Arthur Prysock, Billy Paul, Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe, Yellow Man and the Mighty Sparrow are a few stars who performed at Harlem World. Chuck always said 'this is not subject to debate, this is what happen’.
Hip-Hop is a cultural movement that developed in New York City in the early 1970s primarily among inner city youth. Hip Hop's four main elements are rapping, deejaying, writing (graffiti), and break dancing. Other elements include beat boxing, hip hop fashion, and slang. In the words of KRS-One ’Hip Hop is something you live, rap is something you do'. For the record, Hip hop started in the Bronx with Kool Herc but the Sugar Hill Gang, Wonder Mike, Big Bank Hank, and Master Gee launched Hip Hop and Rap at Harlem World.
“Don't let anybody intimidate you. You intimidate everybody,” Fat Jack use to say. Fat Jack, Sylvia Robinson (R.I.P.), the Mother of Hip-Hop, and her husband Joe Robinson from Englewood, New Jersey were friends. The Robinson's had achieved success with the R & B hit ' pillow talk' by Sylvia. Afterward, they founded Sugar Hill Records. Chuck said Fat Jack organized a birthday party for Sylvia in 1979 and Sylvia introduced the Sugar Hill Gang at that affair. They premiered 'Rapper's Delight' at Harlem World. Soon after, Sugar Hill recorded 'Rapper's Delight’. It went multi-platinum in 1980. The rest is rap history. Contrary to popular belief Sugar Hill Gang is the 1st rap group to perform on American Bandstand not Run D.M.C.
Chuck has photos to prove what was going on at Harlem World. “My goal is to put all Black music into perspective” he says, “starting with the New Amsterdam Music Associations, the original Black musicians Union, founded in 1904.Chuck is currently involved in several film projects and a book. Chuck ended by saying 'A lot of Black ideas end up helping everybody but Black People'.
DENNIS LEVY IS THE FORMER BIG RED NEWSPAPER WRITER OF INNER CITY YOUTH SPEAKS. HE IS PRESIDENT OF BLAC_NEW YORK AND A FREE LANCE WRITER. FOR MORE INFORMATION, E MAIL LEVICOBX@YAHOO.COM
