Robert Ford Jr., an Early Force in Hip-Hop, Is Dead at 70

[Celerity]

He chronicled the scene when it was new, then went on to mentor some of its most important early figures, including Kurtis Blow and Russell Simmons.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/arts/music/robert-ford-jr-dead.html



Robert Ford Jr., who as a journalist in the late 1970s was an early chronicler of the newly emerging hip-hop scene, and who then became a producer and mentor to a generation of influential figures, including Kurtis Blow and Russell Simmons, died on May 19 in Brooklyn. He was 70. His wife, Linda Medley, who confirmed the death, said Mr. Ford had dealt with several chronic illnesses in recent years.

Hip-hop in its pre-commercial days was brought to life by a relatively small network of D.J.s, M.C.s and party promoters. It largely developed in parks, rec rooms and hotel ballrooms, far from the eye of the press. At the time, Mr. Ford, who was known as Rocky, was writing about black music for the trade magazine Billboard when he received a tip from a co-worker about a curious trend in vinyl sales. He traveled to the Bronx to meet with Kool Herc, the D.J. now regarded as one of hip-hop’s fathers, to learn more.

Mr. Ford’s article, titled “B-Beats Bombarding Bronx: Mobile DJ Starts Something With Oldie R&B Disks,” ran in the July 1, 1978, issue of Billboard and is considered to be the first coverage of hip-hop’s germinal era in a mainstream publication. “Herc rose to popularity by playing long sets of assorted rhythm breaks strung together,” Mr. Ford wrote. “Since Herc was not completely satisfied with the new disco product coming out at the time, he started looking in cutout bins for tunes with good rhythm breaks.” Mr. Ford’s musical knowledge was vast. “He was out every night reviewing for Billboard, and he had very eclectic tastes,” said the music journalist and screenwriter Nelson George, who was then a Billboard intern.

Mr. Ford kept an eye on the rapidly developing hip-hop scene. In May 1979 he published an article, “Jive Talking N.Y. DJs Rapping Away in Black Discos,” in which he explored how D.J.s like DJ Hollywood, Kurtis Blow, Eddie Cheba and Lovebug Starski were beginning to rap to their crowds as they spun records. That fall, the first spate of recorded rap singles was released commercially, and rappers began to distinguish themselves from D.J.s and take their limelight. One afternoon, Mr. Ford spied a young Joseph Simmons — later known as Run of Run-DMC — on the Q2 bus posting a flyer for an event promoted by his older brother, Russell. Mr. Ford gave the young man his card and told him to give it to his brother.

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