Kareem Burke on How Roc-A-Fella Records Began

Transcript

take me back when you were growing up in Harlem in the 80s cuz it seemed like what you guys really did was built you know was built around that yeah I mean the ' 80s was about you know dudes being thorough um you know the music the hip-hop the scene um a lifestyle right it's funny cuz I'm wearing Pumas right now so you know uh you know something th... Read More

Key Insights

• Harlem in the 1980s was a place of music, hip-hop culture, neighborhood love, danger, and visible street wealth for Burke. He also witnessed addiction damage families, including his own, which influenced the path he followed when conventional schooling did not appear to offer the best route.
• Burke entered street life at about 13 and spent time with people five or six years older than him. His older companions believed he acted too grown and too big for his age, leading to the nickname Biggs, which remained with him afterward.
• Burke met Damon Dash at 14 through the Best Out, a crew that included Burke's brother. They initially threw parties around Harlem, and Burke later became closer to Dash as Dash pursued music management and developed relationships within the recording business.
• Jay-Z's battle with DMX convinced Burke that Jay-Z was an exceptional lyricist. Burke considered the contest extremely close but favored Jay-Z, recalling that he and his brother exchanged looks whenever Jay-Z delivered a particularly strong line during the battle.
• Roc-A-Fella was formed as an equal three-way partnership after other opportunities failed to secure the desired record deal. Dash presented music as a platform for launching additional businesses, and Burke joined after traveling with the team, assisting around shows, and observing how the business operated.
• Roc-A-Fella's major decisions were made collectively by Burke, Dash, and Jay-Z. Their shared responsibilities covered music videos, song releases, album sequencing, and artist signings, although Jay-Z was the performing artist and Dash served as the most visible business spokesperson.
• Burke's particular contributions centered on marketing and creative work in the studio. He spent substantial time present while music was being made, while Dash often arrived after material had been created, giving Burke and his brother Hip Hop a larger creative mark on the label.
• The "Brooklyn's Finest" session revealed that neither Jay-Z nor The Notorious B.I.G. wrote lyrics on paper. After an engineer placed a writing pad between them, each pushed it toward the other before separating and silently developing verses through listening, mumbling, and mental composition.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Kareem Burke help found Roc-A-Fella Records?

Kareem Burke joined Damon Dash and Jay-Z after spending time around their early music activities and learning how the business worked. When attempts to secure a satisfactory record deal failed, they asked whether he wanted to become a partner. Burke contributed to what he described as a mutually beneficial arrangement, and the three men became equal one-third partners in Roc-A-Fella.

Q: What was Kareem Burke's role at Roc-A-Fella Records?

Kareem Burke focused particularly on marketing and studio-based creative work, but his authority was not confined to one department. He said the three partners collectively decided matters involving videos, song releases, album sequencing, and artist signings. Because Burke spent considerable time in the studio while material was created, he believed that he and his brother Hip Hop left a substantial creative mark on the label.

Q: How did Kareem Burke meet Damon Dash?

Kareem Burke met Damon Dash when Burke was 14. Dash belonged to a Harlem crew called the Best Out, which also included Burke's brother, and Burke later joined the group. They threw parties throughout Harlem. After Dash temporarily left Harlem to enter the music business, Burke grew closer to him, traveled to performances, and gained an early view of music management and touring.

Q: When did Kareem Burke recognize Jay-Z's lyrical ability?

Several songs began changing Kareem Burke's initially unfavorable opinion of Jay-Z, including "95 South" and "Got to Reach the Top." The decisive moment came when Jay-Z battled DMX on pool tables in the Bronx. Burke described the contest as very close and acknowledged that people had debated it for years, but he gave the advantage to Jay-Z and recognized him as a true lyricist.

Q: How were decisions made among Roc-A-Fella's founders?

Roc-A-Fella's three founders made major decisions together, even though each person had a recognizable public or practical role. Jay-Z was the artist, Damon Dash was the business mouthpiece, and Kareem Burke concentrated heavily on marketing and studio creativity. According to Burke, all three discussed and decided matters such as videos, selected songs, album sequencing, and the signing of artists.

Q: How did growing up in Harlem influence Kareem Burke?

Kareem Burke remembered 1980s Harlem as energetic and loving but also dangerous. He grew up around music, hip-hop culture, players, hustlers, and young people displaying significant street wealth. He also witnessed parents stealing, families breaking apart, and addiction within his own family. Those experiences affected what seemed possible to him and contributed to his entry into street life at about 13.

Q: How was "Brooklyn's Finest" created with Jay-Z and Biggie?

Clark Kent helped connect Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. for the recording after raising the idea of adding Biggie to an existing song. Burke recalled that the collaboration was driven by strong mutual respect between two highly talented artists. The hook became a late challenge near the album deadline, and Clark Kent ultimately developed it, which Burke said saved the team.

Q: Why did Jay-Z and Biggie push a writing pad away?

An engineer placed a writing pad between Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. during their studio session because neither performer had started writing on paper. Jay-Z pushed the pad toward Biggie, and Biggie pushed it back. That exchange revealed that neither artist wrote down his lyrics. They then moved their chairs apart and composed mentally while responding physically and quietly to the beat.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kareem "Biggs" Burke describes growing up in Harlem during the 1980s, surrounded by hip-hop, neighborhood camaraderie, danger, hustlers, and the destructive effects of crack addiction. After entering street life at about 13, he received the nickname Biggs because older companions thought he behaved as though he were too grown for his age.

• Burke met Damon Dash at 14 through a Harlem crew called the Best Out. After helping with parties, traveling to performances, and gaining exposure to music operations, Burke accepted an opportunity to join Dash and Jay-Z as an equal partner when record companies would not give the emerging team the deal it wanted.

• Roc-A-Fella's founders made decisions collectively, including choices about videos, singles, album sequencing, and artist signings. Burke focused heavily on marketing and studio creativity. He also recalls how Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. recorded "Brooklyn's Finest," discovered that neither wrote lyrics on paper, and demonstrated strong mutual respect for each other's abilities.