Mr. Magic was a DJ from a time before hip hop was making it big on the airwaves. Magic was one of the pioneering early radio DJs to make the transition from disco and soul, taking hip hop from it’s early roots of block parties and clubs and putting it out there for a wider audience to discover and enjoy. Check this excerpt from a 1995 interview where Magic explains how things were in the early days:

“Even when I first went into radio, it wasn’t really called hip hop, it was called disco. So then, let’s see, around ‘79 I went to HBI [first hip hop station in New York, USA], ’cause they had some air time. I always wanted to do it, so I was like working in this electronics store. I used to make speakers and stuff. They said that they would help me sponsor it, so I bought an hour, it was maybe like $100 or something like that. The store, all I had to do was advertise the store, because I had built up a following playing in the clubs so a lot of the other DJ’s that I knew used to come around there and I used to give them discounts on speakers and used to make speakers and the whole thing. So then, let’s see, HBI, I started playing at HBI, they expanded to 2 hours. I used to come on real, real late at night. At that time it was called ‘Magic’s Disco Showcase’; wasn’t even no hip hop. I used to have someone come down and just hang out like we do now. And you know if they started rapping, like Kurtis [Blow] would come down and start rapping, Melle Mel [of The Sugarhill Gang] would come down and start rapping. (Laughter) And so then it kind of developed.”

In a comeback of sorts, Magic appeared on the popular videogame Grand Theft Auto: Vice City as a DJ for hip hop and electro radio station ‘Wildstyle’, playing classic hits from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Run-DMC and Whodini (incidentally, Magic had a hand in breaking Whodini by heavily playing their records out on his show). To play tribute to one of the early promoters of hip hop, bosbos.net presents Mr. Magic’s ‘Girls’ mastermix. Appearing on London pirate station Kiss FM in 1985, it was played out by Richie Rich on his 94FM ‘Non-Stop Hip Hop’ show. Low and dirty pirate quality audio, but that’s how we like it round here! It’s short and sweet, but that’s how every fly girl should be, right? Link and list below!

Mr Magic - Girls (6mins, 2.5MB) [rapidshare]

Tracklist

1. The Fat Back Band - I Found Lovin’
2. Moments & Whatnauts - Girls
3. Stetasonic - Sally
4. Whodini - Mr Magic’s Girls