Curated by Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw is releasing a 4LP boxset to commemorate the late MC, Charizma and the collection of works he and Peanut Butter Wolf created between 1990-1993. The anthology includes rare, classic and unreleased tracks that makes up eight sides of vinyl, along with never before seen photos and ephemera.
A lifetime has passed since the murder of Bay Area emcee Charles “Charizma” Hicks who, in December of 1993 at the age of 20, was shot and killed at random while sitting in his car. Despite his short life, Charizma made an impression on everyone he encountered. Charizma’s death deeply impacted his close friend and hip hop production partner Chris “Peanut Butter Wolf” Manak, who at the time stopped making music (and everything else) for several months after receiving the news. Ultimately, however, it was Charizma’s murder that gave PB Wolf the impetus to carry on and get their music heard by the world – setting up his own record label to do so. In 1996, Wolf founded Stones Throw Records and put out the first release, a Charizma/PB Wolf 12” single called “My World Premiere.”
Fast forward to 2014 and over 400 releases later, including the 2003 Charizma album Big Shots, Peanut Butter Wolf now presents a comprehensive tribute to his friend and musical partner, properly showcasing the full body of work left behind by Charizma over 20 years ago.
With this posthumous release of an artist who was only 20-years-old when his life was cut short, hip hop fans can only speculate as to what heights might have been reached if Charizma was still here today.
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Joseph Abajian (DJ Jab) founded Fat Beats in 1994 with nothing more than a shoestring budget and an earnest obsession with the music, the culture, and the brotherhood of New York’s burgeoning rap scene. What began as a simple vinyl shop in Manhattan’s Lower East Side quickly became an integral hub for artists, both aspiring and established, to convene and collaborate on new projects. Joseph’s timing couldn’t have been more impeccable. When the 90’s cultural zeitgeist – and, in turn, the music industry establishment – chose hip-hop as its new arbiter of cool.
International tourists and touring artists alike flocked to Fat Beats for rare vinyl, kindred spirits, and exclusive in-store performances from Jay Z, Eminem, Gang Starr, Outkast, Slum Village, Mos Def, and more. One thing was clear: the Fat Beats phenomenon could no longer be contained in a single basement shop.
In the late nineties, Abajian proceeded to open new stores in Amsterdam, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. He further expanded the company’s profile to include global distribution and record label branches. Distribution has since proven to be the company’s strongest and most enduring enterprise. Today Fat Beats Distribution stands poised as one of the country’s pre-eminent distributors of vinyl & specialty item records: a proud survivor in an industry now famous for its mortality rate. Despite market fluctuations, technology innovations, and stylistic revolutions, Fat Beats has remained steadfast in its commitment to the timeless vinyl format and to the loyal community who keeps it spinning.
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Fat Beats offers internship opportunities. You must be enrolled in college and reside in the Los Angeles area to be eligible for our programs. If you meet these requirements, please paste your cover letter below and we will contact you if there are open positions available.
We are currently offering an internship program that offers an educational experience in all facets of our distribution operation. The intern would have the ability to assist in each of the following departments:
- Enrollment in an accredited college/university that offers an internship program for academic credit - Knowledge and passion in independent music and culture; with a specific interest in the artists/releases that Fat Beats supports - Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications - Positive attitude - no task should be considered too small - Must be located in the greater Los Angeles area
Resumes/Cover Letters should be emailed to fatbeatsjobs@gmail.com
