Giant Magazine Oct/Nov 2006 | Previous Page

UNCOMPROMISING AS EVER, CALIFORNIA'S ILLEST INDIE HIP-HOP LABEL CELEBRATES A DECAOE ON EARTH.

TRUE ARTISTIC freedom cannot exist without independence. San Jose-bred DJ Peanut Butter Wolf aka Chris Manak learned that the hard way as he and his MC partner Charizma floundered at a major label in the early '90s. When Charizma died in 1993, olf briefly quit music, but the recordings he made with his friend kept calling him. In 1996, he independently released their 12-inch single "My World Premiere," and Stones Throw Records was born.

Ten years later, the label has evolved into a home for brilliantly left-of-center hip-hop and soul artists such as Madlib, Gary Wilson and the late J Dilla. Yet despite its high regard. Stones Throw may still be hip-hop's best-kept secret. "The major-label bigwigs have found the formula on what sells, but that's not a good representation of what hip-hop really is," says turntablist/producer J Rocc, who is currently working on an album for the label. "It's motivation just knowing there's a label like Stones Throw that will take chances and put out that crazy shit."

As for the next 10 years? "I just want the label to sustain itself," Wolf says. "My main goal is for Stones Throw to outlive Inc. Blue Note Records has been around since 1939, and they just had their best- selling record with Norah Jones a few years ago. so you don't have to go gold right away to make it happen."

BEN GOLDSTEIN

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