By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Despite the long history of the West Coast hip hop scene, particularly the Los Angeles hip hop scene, most focus in on their run in the 1990s, headed by Death Row Records. There is no record label in history with a reputation as notorious as Death Row. Four years after the label changed ownership, the name is still associated with Suge Knight.
Because of the eventual downfall under the guidance of Suge Knight, the label has received a bad reputation. However, Death Row Records was among one of the most-successful record labels of all-time. When Death Row was on top, there were several people working with the label and signing with them.
Since the Death Row demise, there have been several former associates of the label revealing secrets about what went on at the label. The latest person to discuss the dealings of the label is legendary West Coast DJ, Chris “The Glove” Taylor. The Glove was a close associate of co-founder, Dr. Dre, and provided work on several early Death Row albums.
Dr. Dre shouts out Chris “The Glove” on his post-Death Row single, “Been There Done That.” Before his days alongside Dr. Dre, “The Glove” was DJ-ing at a club named Radio in Los Angeles. Through this club, “The Glove” landed a movie role and he played an important part in helping the hip hop scene on the West Coast gain exposure. At the time, he wanted to prove the DJs in Los Angeles were just as good, if not better, than the DJs on the East Coast.
When mentioning the DJs he worked with and who he considered the best, AllHipHop.com asked Taylor why he did not mention Dr. Dre, who got his start as a DJ. Despite Dr. Dre’s backgrond, as a DJ, “The Glove” said he does not consider him a DJ. One reason for this is because he never saw him DJ, even though he did at Eve After Dark in Compton. However, as a producer, “The Glove” only ranks Quincy Jones ahead of Dre because of his work with Michael Jackson.
Chris “The Glove” Taylor did not meet Dr. Dre until years after the release of his successful, “Reckless” single. Because he felt R&B paid more than rap, “The Glove” would take some time off before he returned to rap music. The return to rap came when “The Glove” joined a rap group called Po, Broke, and Lonely. Due to the group’s success, they built a strong buzz in the area. A friend of the group was friends with Dr. Dre, so he eventually connected them.
Already having a name on the Los Angeles club scene, Dr. Dre was familiar with Taylor’s work. The two met in Palm Springs, which led to them being signed by Dr. Dre. The first project Dr. Dre and “The Glove” worked on was the Po, Black, and Lonely album on a song called “Funky Vibe,” for which Dre provided the remix. In turn, “The Glove” was co-produced “Stranded on Death Row” with Dr. Dre, also he ended rumors of him doing all the work and Dr. Dre taking all the credit.
However, while Chris “The Glove” Taylor said Dr. Dre did his part and mixed more of the album than him, there is a lot of work he put in and was not credited for. Among the projects “The Glove” never received credit for is “Stranded on Death Row,” which he says is where the “fuck ups” started. At the time, “The Glove” thought it was a simple mistake and then started working with Dr. Dre on Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle debut album.
While working on Doggystyle, “The Glove” said he and Dr. Dre worked hand-in-hand for seventy percent of the album. “The Glove” said he produced “Doggy Dogg World,” as Dr. Dre was having trouble completing the song to his satisfaction. As he was completing the song, “The Glove” said Suge Knight and Jimmy Iovine were standing on each side of him. The two were waiting on him to finish the song, so it could be added to the album, which was almost ready to be shipped.
