Biography
Born in the USA, Paul Winley had already established himself as a seasoned R&B songwriter and producer by the time he operated the Paul Winley Jazzland Ballroom on Harlem’s 125th Street, the same address where he later launched Winley Records. His entry into music traces back to his native Washington, where his brother’s membership in the Clovers gave Winley his first songwriting opportunities; from there he supplied material to Ruth Brown and Joe Turner. A subsequent collaboration with Dave ‘Baby’ Cortez led the pair to record doo-wop acts including the Duponts, Paragons, Collegians and Jesters. Rap first entered his orbit through daughters Tanya and Paulette, the former of whom cut the track ‘Vicious Rap’.
Winley gained early recognition with the Disco Brakes series, overseen by DJ Jolly Roger, that assembled the era’s most sought-after breaks for park rappers to rhyme over; stand-out inclusions were Dennis Coffey’s ‘Scorpio’ and New Birth’s ‘Gotta Get Knutt’. The follow-up Super Disco Brakes set incorporated James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’—later saluted on Subsonic 2’s ‘Unsung Heroes Of Hip Hop’ for percussionist Clyde Stubblefield—plus Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Apache’, which appeared on Sugarhill Records in versions by both the Sugarhill Gang and West Street Mob (the latter featuring Joey Jnr., son of the Robinsons), alongside selections from the Meters and Creative Source. Until Sugarhill’s arrival Winley had never committed any of the rappers purchasing these compilations to his own label.
Once ‘Rapper’s Delight’ demonstrated commercial promise, he began issuing rap records, among them his daughters’ joint effort ‘Rhymin’ And Rappin’’, as well as Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation Throwdown Parts 1 And 2. Bambaataa soon voiced strong objections to Winley’s methods, particularly the unauthorized and poor-quality release of a live performance under the title ‘Death Mix’. Winley was subsequently arrested on charges of bootlegging and copyright infringement.
Winley gained early recognition with the Disco Brakes series, overseen by DJ Jolly Roger, that assembled the era’s most sought-after breaks for park rappers to rhyme over; stand-out inclusions were Dennis Coffey’s ‘Scorpio’ and New Birth’s ‘Gotta Get Knutt’. The follow-up Super Disco Brakes set incorporated James Brown’s ‘Funky Drummer’—later saluted on Subsonic 2’s ‘Unsung Heroes Of Hip Hop’ for percussionist Clyde Stubblefield—plus Incredible Bongo Band’s ‘Apache’, which appeared on Sugarhill Records in versions by both the Sugarhill Gang and West Street Mob (the latter featuring Joey Jnr., son of the Robinsons), alongside selections from the Meters and Creative Source. Until Sugarhill’s arrival Winley had never committed any of the rappers purchasing these compilations to his own label.
Once ‘Rapper’s Delight’ demonstrated commercial promise, he began issuing rap records, among them his daughters’ joint effort ‘Rhymin’ And Rappin’’, as well as Afrika Bambaataa’s Zulu Nation Throwdown Parts 1 And 2. Bambaataa soon voiced strong objections to Winley’s methods, particularly the unauthorized and poor-quality release of a live performance under the title ‘Death Mix’. Winley was subsequently arrested on charges of bootlegging and copyright infringement.