Episode 207: Ron "Amen Ra" Lawrence

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Ron is a producer who is best known for his time as part of Bad Boy Records’ Hitmen production collective. Ron teamed up with Deric “D Dot” Angelettie, Diddy, Stevie J, and Nashiem Myrick to create iconic hits for Biggie, Mase, Diddy, Faith Evans, Mary J Blige, The Lox, and many more. After that run ended, Ron made beats for the likes of Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, and Luther Vandross.

Ron is also a hip-hop historian and documentarian, and has made several films dealing with unjustly ignored aspects of hip-hop’s history. Most notable among these is the documentary Founding Fathers, which deals with the mobile DJ scene of the 1970s in Brooklyn and Queens. Any fan of the genre needs to see the movie in order to understand that there was a lot more to DJing in that era than just what was happening in the Bronx.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. Mau Maus, “Blak Iz Blak”
2. Bamboozled clip with Mos Def & Charli - Blak iz Blak
3. Two Kings In A Cipher - Definition Of A King (Acapella)
4. MFSB & The Three Degrees, “T.S.O.P. (The Sound of Philadelphia)”
5. The Stylistics, “Hurry Up This Way Again”
6. The Spinners, “I’ll Be Around”
7. Two Kings in a Cipher, “Movin’ On ‘Em”
8. Two Kings in a Cipher, “You Know How to Make Me”
9. Two Kings in a Cipher, “Kings are People Too!”
10. The Paradise Garage 1985 - Larry Levan With A Live PA From Jocelyn Brown
11. DJ Grandmaster Flowers - Brooklyn Park Jam 1979 (Restored)
12. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five f/Melle Mel & Duke Bootee, “The Message”
13. QuickSilver & the SuperLovers, “The Lovers Law”
14. Fresh Force Crew, “Rock Me”
15. Salt-N-Pepa, “My Mic Sounds Nice”
16. Salt-N-Pepa, “I’ll Take Your Man”
17. Carol Douglas, “Doctor’s Orders”
18. Salt-N-Pepa, “Push It (Remix)”
19. Super Lovers, “Let the Drummer Get Ill”
20. Two Kings in a Cipher, “Daffy Was a Black Man”
21. Two Kings in a Cipher, “Daffy Was a Black Man”
22. Two Kings in a Cipher, “For the Brothers Who Ain’t Here”
23. Shai, “If I Ever Fall In Love”
24. Shai, “Let’s Go Back”
25. Shai, “‘95’”
26. Positive K, “It’s All Gravy”
27. Ed O.G. & da Bulldogs, “Going Out of My Mind (No More Love Mix)”
28. Ed O.G. & da Bulldogs f/Scientifik, “As Long As You Know (Poisonous Mix)”
29. Makaveli, “Against All Odds”
30. Suga, “What’s Up Star”
31. Diddy f/The Notorious B.I.G. & Mase, “Been Around The World”
32. Diddy f/Black Rob, “I Love You Baby”
33. Mase f/Diddy, “Do You Wanna Get $”
34. Mase f/Lil’ Kim & Diddy, “Will They Die For You?”
35. Mase f/Total, “Stay Out of My Way”
36. Mase, “Wanna Hurt Mase?
37. Mase, “Wanna Hurt Mase?
38. Faith Evans, “Love Like This”
39. The Notorious B.I.G., “Hypnotize”
40. Faith Evans f/Diddy, “All Night Long”
41. LL Cool J, “Phenomenon”
42. LL Cool J, “Hot, Hot, Hot”
43. LL Cool J, “Throw Ya L’s Up”
44. Brian McKnight f/Mase, “You Should Be Mine (Don’t Waste Your Time)”
45. Boyz II Men, “Can’t Let Her Go”
46. R. Kelly, “Spendin’ Money”
47. Yvonne Fair, “Let Your Hair Down”
48. Jay Z, “Where I’m From”
49. Jim Jones f/Max B, “Bright Lights, Big City”
50. Jaheim feat Duganz, “Anything for You (Divine Mill Remix)”
51. Will Smith, Men In Black”
52. Jay -Z, Where I’m From. The making of the track, by Ron Amen RA Lawrence
53. Alicia Keys, “Rock wit U”
54. Sean “Puffy” Combs, “Big Ole Butt”
55. Erick Sermon, Keith Murray & Redman, “Rapper’s Delight”
56. Luther Vandross, “How Do I Tell Her”
57. Aretha Franklin, “Wonderful”
58. Beyoncé, “A Woman Like Me”
59. LSG f/The Lox, “You Got Me”
60. Luther Vandross, “How Do I Tell Her”
61. Aretha Franklin, “Wonderful”
62. The Lox f/Lil’ Kim & DMX, “Money, Power & Respect”
63. Dexter Wansel, “New Beginning”
64. Samantha Fox, “Naughty Girls (Need Love Too) (Full Force Naughty House Mix)”
65. THE RAP DIMENSION -A Documentary by Ron AMEN RA Lawrence
66. Memphis Jug Band, “Whitewash Station Blues”
67. The Sugarhill Gang, “Rapper’s Delight - Long Version”
68. The Golden Gate Quartet, “The Preacher And The Bear”
69. Commutation for Guy Fisher
70. Herb Alpert, “Rise”
71. Oreo Commercial 2017 Thins Hypnotize
72. ‘Baywatch’ Exclusive Official Trailer (2017) - Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron | TODAY

Show notes:

1. Complex, “Music Exec Jimmy Henchmen Opens Up About the Realities of Serving Six Life Sentences”
2. Entertainment Weekly, “Will Smith gets back to rap”
3. AllHipHop, “The Game On ‘UnJust’ Criminal Justice System and The Conviction Of Former Manager, Jimmy Henchman”
4. Landr, “Moments In Music: 8 Sound Systems That Changed The World”
5. Red Bull Music Academy Daily, “Is New York City’s Best Club Soundsystem in a Bumper Car Arena?”
6. Defected, “Interview: Frankie Knuckles”
7. Billboard, “Randy ‘Badazz’ Alpert Remembers ‘Rise,’ Sampled in The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Hypnotize’”