Powerful - Murder 1 - 1996

12"  - 1996 - Mascot Records  

Here is the wax of the day... "Murder 1" released in 1996 by Darrel Davis aka Powerful hailing from the Bronx. The 12" was released on Mascot Records, a record label managed by Marvin Schlachter and his son Scott which was also known in the early 90s for releasing artists or groups like KGB, Kool Kay Dee or Two Without Hats just to name a few. 

"Murder 1" is Powerful's debut single which is available in 2 versions on this vinyl : The Main Pass version produced by Storm on the A-side (Main Pass Dirty, Main Pass Clean Radio featuring the Ragga artist named Rayvon and T.V Track instrumental) and the Remix version produced by Cee-Pop on the B-side (Accapella Mix, X-Rated Mix and Clean Mix). 



This wax isn't really rare... maybe more than a thousand copies were pressed in 1996 and you can find easily a copy online nowadays for a really good price. 

unikone : Where did you come from exactly ? 

Powerful : "I lived in East River Housing (projects). Then I moved to the BX, I lived at 3410 De Reimer Ave apartment 5k, the founder of the Zulu nation lived on the 4th floor in that building."

unikone : How and when did you fall into hip-hop ? 

Powerfull : "I fell in love with Hip-Hop in 1978. My parents moved us from Mark Terraces to Co-op city section 5 around 1978. Before that I used to go to Boston c-cor in the Bronx to listen to DJ Breakout play in the park. That when I saw a group called The Funky Four Plus One it really didn't hit me then. I realized my love for hip hop when Grandmaster Flash put out the record "The Message". That's when I sat at the end of my mother bed and said Mom I wanted be a rapper. Of course she laughed and said "You better take your ass to school then get a real job...Boy that stuff ain't nothing but noise... ". Eventually I joined a rap group name the Hypnotizing Five and we performed in clubs like Harlem world, Tee-Connection Ecstasy Garage, The fever, Roof -Top and performed with the likes of The Force MC, The Cold Crush 4, The Trech 3, The Fanstactic Five, The Fearless Four, The Funky Four Plus One and many more ... But we never put out a record and that was the results of falling into hip-hop."

unikone : How were you signed by Mascot Records ?

Powerful : "I had a friend called Flex, he was in a popular Spanish group who lived on 183rd in the Bronx. I would hang out there and one day he heard me rap and was like "I introduce you to a producer I know". Days went by, he was on tour at the time. In the day he returned I was on that same block he came over to me and said come on. He took me to his producer friend called C- Pop, we recorded a demo and C-Pop and Flex took it to Mickey Garica at Mic Mac Records and Mascot Records decided to sign me. And that's how that happened..."


unikone : How did the connection happen with Rayvon and Storm ? 

Powerful : "I was a mail clerk at Petry Television in Midtown Manhattan on 54st at the time. Rayvon worked for UPS and one of his stop was my office. We didn't kick it right away but eventually we did. One day he came in to drop a package off and I had my headphones just bopping my head to the music. He hit me on the shoulder to give me the package and said "Dam what are you listen too ?". I said "me", he said "let me check it out" and the rest is history.

Storm was a producer who worked for Mascot Records and he was in the office the day they signed me. He just finished work with another group off the labels who was affiliated with the Wu-Tang Clan. He also produce a hit song from a group called The Double XX Posse... He heard my song and said I have some beats we can remix Murder One. And that's what we did and we started working from that day on. He also did my second track Street life."

unikone : Why is there no album released after your 12-Inches ? what happened ? 

Powerful : "Basically a conflict of interest and lack of business since not knowing the business part of the game. With no management and me trying to hold down two or three different rolls didn't work well for me. I feel I didn't received the correct push on my songs plus no videos producer going behind your back to get more money from the label claiming they didn't get paid when they did. Wanting to work with another producer like Frankie Cutlass that put on hold just screwed up my hold situation. So I ask / demand a release and that's what the label did. So that's why I didn't get a chance to record an album. Plus I didn't want to put out any projects after that because the label would received profit from anything with my name on it. So I put out other material on youtube under unknown...

To sum things up know your business before you sign any deal. Get your copy writes and your publishing together before you take these record labels publishing. Once you take their publishing your giving all your money and the rights to the label. Know your business so don't get Messed over by these labels... Peace and one Love."

Mad Props to Powerful , thanks for your time bro