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The Powerful Impact of The 45 King
The 45 King is one of Hip-Hop's most prolific producers. His early woth with the Flavor Unit and his later production for Eminem and Jay-Z place him on the upper echelon of producers.
THE 45 KING
"My name is 45 King. DJ Mark is something that the record companies ran with," 45 King explained to Virginia filmmaker El Bravador. "The gun on the promo materials has nothing to do with my name. I'm 45 King because of my collection of 45 records," he further explained.
Perhaps a line on Queen Latifah's 1988 breakout hit, "Wrath Of My Madness," prompted the association of Mark James' name into his Hip-Hop moniker.
"Word of mouth is always everlasting/and everlasting are the words that I bring/the ruler of the ring is Lord Ramsey and music is made by Mark The 45 King," she confidently declared on the classic single.
Although he is widely celebrated as one of Hip-Hop's most gifted sample-based producers, 45 King actually has a history that goes back to the first generation MC crews before rap records were even a reality. MC Sha Rock of the Funky 4 and Funky 4 Plus One shares with Rock The Bells 45 King's role as the "record boy" for DJs Breakout and Baron [The Brothers Disco], the DJs for the Funky 4.
"He passed the records to DJ Breakout," she remembers. "He knew all of our routines and rhymes, so he primarily chose the records for us to rhyme to."
DJ Chuck Chillout revealed to Rock The Bells that Mark was his neighbor, and that his mother was a DJ. "45 King lived three blocks from me, and his mother was a DJ, so her record collection was crazy," he says.
As a music lover, the son of a DJ, and the record boy for one of Hip-Hop's most iconic crews, Mark possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of breaks which he would use masterfully in Hip-Hop's sample-heavy golden era. His ability to find the best and most obscure samples, and place just the right drums and horns underneath, would solidify him as a master of his craft.
WILD PITCH RECORDS
45 King produced several hits for Stu and Amy Fine's Wild Pitch Records. Reflecting on this, DJ Premier shared on his IG: "I had never heard of Gang Starr until DJ Red Alert played their second single, produced by Mark, on 98.7 Kiss in NYC while I was shopping my demos, hoping to get a record deal," he wrote.
"Red Alert was playing 'Bust A Move Boy,' and I recognized Guru's voice, leading me to question, 'Who exactly is Gang Starr?' I immediately bought the 12-inch single and discovered it was released under Wild Pitch Records. My friend, Carlos Garza, in Houston, TX, introduced me to Stu Fine, the owner of Wild Pitch. We connected in 1988 when Guru was in search of a new DJ and permanent producer."
45 King's work with Gang Starr extended to tracks like "Gusto" and "Movin On." However, it was Latee's 1987 underground gem, "This Cut's Got Flavor," known for its unique drum pattern and catchy horns, that truly spotlighted Mark's prowess as a producer. Latee's other tracks, "No Tricks" and "Wake Up," also showcased 45 King's signature production touch.
While Flavor Unit member Chill Rob G is recognized for "The Power" β a track with a controversial resemblance to Snap's hit of the same name β it's the 45 King-produced '89 album, Ride The Rhythm, that stands out. The album, featuring tracks like "Court is Now In Session," "Ride The Rhythm," "Let Me Show You," and "Let The Words Flow," might be Wild Pitch's crowning achievement.
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