Tanya Winley Vicious Rap
i believe in the wheel of fortune

Paulette & Tanya Winley
I believe in the wheel of fortune

This unlikely pioneer brought hiphop culture to the people at a time when a breakbeat compilation on wax was unheard of.
Nowadays in hiphop the Bootleg CD and mp3 compilation is rife and commonplace .

The hiphop bootleg Godfather is probably Paul Winley. Winley is best known as the owner of Winley Records.
Founded originally in 1956 as a doowop label, then resurfacing in 1979 as the notorious groundbreaking bootleg selling record company.

It was home of the original breakbeat album series Super Disco Brakes. This was the precursor to the more famous’Ultimate Breaks And Beats‘ 25 album series,the bible of DJ breaks.

Winleys daughters Paulette and Tanya Winley also released recordings on the lable. Tanya (Sweet T) Winley released ‘Vicious Rap‘in 1980
Considered by some to be the 1st female rap song.{The 1979 releases of The Sequences ‘Funk you up’.
Lady B‘s “To the beat ya’ll‘ and Xanadu/Sweet Lady’s “Rockers Choice” all lay claim to this title,)

(Some writers have carelessly credited Blondie’s’ 81 pop hit ‘Rapture‘ as the 1st female rap, of course this is VERY incorrect! Shottsman)

Infact Tanya and Paulette actually released an earlier rap song called ‘Rhymin’and Rappin‘ in 1979 Both songs are classics up there with the Younger Generations(Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five early incarnation} ‘We rap more mellow’.

The backing track for Vicious Rap was provided by Harlem Underground Band, which featured the world famous jazz guitarist George Benson.The breakbeat classic ‘Smokin Cheeba Cheeba‘, penned by Winley and wife Anne was released on the Harlem Underground Bands 1976 album.

The same track 1st was released in 1974 as ‘Love Potion Cheeba Cheeba’ by The MightyTomcats. The track resurfaces again on George Bensons 1978 ‘Erotic Moods‘ released on Winley records ,as well as on the Harlem Underground Band album. It’s quite possible that the Mighty Tomcats and the Harlem Underground Band are infact the same band.

Winley’s lable was the 1st to release Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. of course Bambaata went on to worldwidesuccess with the groundbreaking Electro smash Planet Rock. Early examples of Bambaataa’s DJ’ing skills can be heard on Death mix volume 1 and 2 released on Winley records. Zulu throwdown also on Winley records is the 1st known recording of the Soul Sonic Force to be released on vynil.

Another landmark bootleg Winley released was the Arawak all stars ‘Apache’(Actually the Incredibe Bongo Band but the fake artist name was used to avoid lawsuits ) This break is possibly the most famous and most used of all breakbeats.

This article does not in any way condone bootleggers or bootlegging.It does however shed some light on a man ahead of the game in the undefined years of hiphop’s birth

written by shottsman

Discography:
Ann Winley & Harlem Underground Band Southern Nights (12″) 1980
Afrika Bambaataa Zulu Nation Cosmic Force / Harlem Underground Band Zulu Nation Throwdown (12″) 1980
Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force Zulu Nation Throwdown (Volume 2) (12″) 1980
Harlem Underground Band / Cymande Smokin’ Cheeba-Cheeba / Bra (12″)
Creative Source / Harlem Underground Band Who Is He And What Is He To You / Finger In It (12″) 1979
Creative Source / Cymande Who Is He And What Is He To You / Bra (12″, Comp)
Paulett Winley* & Tanya Winley / Ann Winley Rhymin’ And Rappin’ / Watch Dog (12″) 1979
Paulett and Tanya Winley With Harlem Underground Band / Cymande Rhymin’ And Rappin’ / Bra (12″) 1979
Tanya – Sweet Tee – Winley* / Harlem Underground Band Vicious Rap (12″) 1980
Rap Dynasty Street Rock (12″) 1985

Afrika Bambaataa Death Mix (12″) 1983
Cymande Bra / The Message (12″)
Harlem Underground Band Smokin Cheeba-Cheeba / Ain’t No Sunshine (12″) 1976
D.J. Afrika Bambaata* Death Mix “2″ 2006
Various Death Mix “3″ (CD) 2006Cymande / Arawak All Stars Bra / Apache (12″)
Harlem Underground Band / Cymande.Vicious Rap (Instrumental) / Bra (12″, MP) 1980
Jimmy Castor Soul Sister (7″)
Mighty Tom Cats Soul Makossa / Tom Cat Reggay (7″)
Mighty Tom Cats Love Potion-Cheeba-Cheeba (7″, Single) 1973
Ann Winley Talk To Me (7″)
Jimmy Castor The Jimmy Castor Story “From The Roots” (LP)
Jimmy Castor Bunch, The The Jimmy Castor Story “From The Roots” (LP)
Mighty Tom Cats, The* Soul Makossa (LP)
Various Disco Freak Party (12 Smokin’ Joints) (LP)
Harlem Underground Band Harlem Underground (LP) 1976
George Benson With Harlem Underground Band, The* Erotic Moods ? (2 versions) 1978
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume One (LP, Ltd) 1979
Malcolm X Grass Roots Speech Detroit, Michigan November 1963 (12″)
Malcolm X The Ballot Or The Bullet (Vinyl, EP)
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume Two (LP) 1979
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume Three (LP) 1980
Cymande Arrival (LP) 1981
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume Four (LP) 1981
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume Five (LP, Comp)
Various Super Disco Brake’s Volume Six (LP) 1984
Malcolm X Black Man’s History Volume One (12″) 2003
Rap Dynasty Street Rock (12″, RE) 2001
Various Super Disco Brakes – Volume One (LP, Ltd) 1979
Afrika Bambaataa Death Mix (CD) 2007