Celluloid was founded in NYC,  by frenchman Jean Karakos (formerly Giorgio Karakos). Karakos ran a chain of record stores in France with partner Jean Luc Young, with whom he also ran the avant garde jazz label BYG Actuel. This left of center label released music from artists like Sun Ra, Sonny Sharrok, Don Cherry (father of Nenah Cherry) and Anthony Braxton.

Celluloid, in the same tradition as Actuel (though less avant garde), released recordings geared towards the ‘specialist’ listener. The label did not look for quick commercial success, preferring to release from the likes of Fela Kuti, Manu Dibango, The Last Poets, Toure Kunda and Material.

Bass player and producer Bill Laswell joined the Celluloid in the early part of the 80′s. Laswell brought many Hip Hop pioneers to Celluloid recordings. The early hip hop scene was emerging, with the eyes of the mainstream fixated.Here was a label that had graf writers making rap songs, pioneer DJ’s rapping with punk stars, jazz legends and 70′s poets. Fab 5 Freddy was saying ‘Change the Beat’.

Laswell and Celluloid knew the change was coming, with this early stage of electronic hip hop music undefined, Laswell knew he could became part of that change. Laswell found a sound very quickly with Celluloid, a sound which he honed with his Material projects. This signature sound can be heard throughout the Celluloid hip hop period. Looking at the early doors Celluloid hip hop music, not only is it groundbreaking but it helped spark the hip hop movement overseas in the UK and France, as Celluloid artists toured both countries alongside Afrika Bambaataa with new Zulu Nation members the Rock Steady Crew in tow. British youth embraced the Rock Steady Crew to such an extent that the crew were signed to a UK based label Charisma Virgin and had British pop chart success with ‘Hey You, The Rock Steady Crew’.

BILL LASWELL

Bill Laswell pictured here with DST

Bassist Bill Laswell of the band Material formed a studio in New York and hooked up with Celluloid label boss Jean Karakos. Laswell became in-house producer of Celluloid, and helped add  a diverse array of artists to the label roster from jazz, pop, rock and african music. Bill Laswell introduced a whole range of legendary hip hop pioneers to the Celluloid label. These recordings are cornerstones in the legacy of early electronic hip hop music, leagues ahead of much of the hip hop of that era. Laswell collaborated with the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and he stayed with Celluloid until the label was sold in the late 80′s.

GRAND MIXER DST

DJ pioneer Grand Mixer DST is one of the first known turntablists. His cuts can be heard on jazz legend Herbie Hancocks ‘Rock It’. DST recorded ‘Crazy Cuts, ‘so why is it fresh‘ and a third release ‘Mean Machine‘ which featured the infamous Jalaluddin from the group The Last Poets.

FAB 5 FREDDY

Fab 5 Freddy’s Celluloid release ‘Change the Beat’, showed that his hip hop vision was not restricted to USA alone. Freddy performed his rhymes in French, instantly appealing young French audiences overseas. Label boss Karakos,  being a native of France, would have welcomed this. Later, Karakos sought  european distribution through a callaboration with Street Sound’s boss Morgan Khan. Karakos understood french listeners diverse taste’s, from his experience as a record shop owner and a partner in the jazz label Actuel.

Fab 5 Freddy’s incredible talent as a recording artist was cut short because of success in other ventures, namely Yo! MTV Raps.

‘Change the Beat‘ remains an all-time hip hop true school classic, the phrase “…ahhh this stuff is really fresh” has been cut, scratched and sampled by literally hundreds of DJ’s and producers.

FUTURA 2000

Legendary NYC graffiti artist Futura, released a record on Celluloid entitled ‘The Escapades of Futura 2000′. On it he name checks fellow street art legends Keith Haring and Jean Michel Basquiat.

“Keith Haring rock the house, Jean Michel you’re doing swell”

The rhymes are done by Futura himself. The music was provided by England punk heroes The Clash and produced by Bill Laswell. A truly legendary recording.

Futura also provided the artwork for the back covers of five Celluloid hip hop releases and when all 5 records are placed together form a graffiti mural.

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA

Afrika Bambaataa recorded a number of records on Celluloid including ‘Shango - Shango Funk Theology’, on which featured Bill Laswell on bass, and Olu Dara, superstar rapper Nas‘s father on cornet. The album also included the Sly Stone classic ’Thank you‘ (Bambaataa often played songs from Sly Stone and James Brown in DJ sets at his Bronx parties)

Bambaataa also recorded as Time Zone and made the song ‘World Destruction’ with Sex Pistol John Lyden (Johnny Rotten). The song was a no compromise attack on the human state with Lydon’s
Britsh accented pseudo-rap pre-dating London Posse’s Bionic.
Download World Destruction here

PHASE II

NYC graffiti artist Phase II, claims that seminal hip hop song ‘The Roxy’ was never finished, but Laswell pushed for a release anyway.

Phase II toured the UK and France with the likes of Ramellzee Bambaataa, Ken Swift, Crazy Legs, Lil Normski, Frosty Freeze, Grand mixer DST, Futura, Fab 5 Freddy, The Double Dutch Girls, Dondi, and The Infinti Rappers.

This was pure undiluted Zulu Nation 5 elements witnessed for the first time on those shores
Download The Roxy here

THE SMURFS

Bernard Fowler and Steve ‘Boogie Down‘ Brown collaborated on their one and only song as The Smurfs, ‘Smurf for What it’s Worth’.

Brown and Fowler were best known as The Peech Boys or The NYC Peech Boys. Their New York club anthem ‘Don’t Make Me Wait‘ was also huge on the London club scene.

Download Smurf for What it’s Worth here

More downloads for your ears:

One of two records released on Celluloid by multi-talented Fab 5 Freddy, shortly before his Yo! MTV Raps period…Download the Celluloid Years

Classic Radio for your ears:
Download Change the Beat here
Fab 5 Freddy tells Afrika Islam about Change the Beat and a New Film premier… WILDSTYLE!
afrika_islam_zulu_beat_fab_5_freddy_whbi_1983

shottsmann

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