Marley Marl
Marlon Williams (born September 30, 1962 in Queens, New York City), better known as
Marley Marl, produced rappers like
Big Daddy Kane,
Biz Markie,
Roxanne Shanté, Kool G Rap, MC Shan and Master Ace; as well as King Tee and
LL Cool J. He was also important in the career of Eric B and
Rakim, producing their first hits "My Melody" and "Eric B Is President", mixing
James Brown samples and synthetic beats in a fashion unknown before. Marley Marl was one of the pioneers of sampling in hip hop. He debuted as an electro producer, but his records became sample-heavier soon, as can be seen if one compares the first two MC Shan LPs. The rhythms became less electronic, with drum machines becoming less prominent. Marl's influence on rap music probably can't be overestimated.
Marl started his career working for Tuff City records. He debuted with his own track called "DJ Cuttin" in 1985, released under the pseudonym NYC Cutter.
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