Robert Ford Jr.

Robert "Rocky" Ford Jr. (June 30, 1949 – May 19, 2020) was an American journalist and record producer. While working for Billboard in 1978, Ford wrote the first article about hip-hop to appear in any major publication.[1] He left Billboard a year later to become a record producer and songwriter, co-writing and co-producing many Kurtis Blow tracks including "The Breaks". Ford has also been credited as a mentor by entrepreneur Russell Simmons.

Ford in 1999

Early life

Robert Ford Jr. was born in Harlem, Manhattan on June 30, 1949. His parents would often play blues, jazz, and R&B records while he was at home.[2] His family later moved to St. Albans, Queens. Ford graduated from Andrew Jackson High School, where he became friends with Larry Smith, and briefly attended Queensborough Community College.[2][1]

Journalism

Ford began his career in journalism working as production manager for Forbes and Billboard.[1] He eventually became a journalist for the latter magazine, primarily writing about disco. In 1978, Ford traveled to the Bronx to figure out why certain obscure R&B records were suddenly in high demand at a popular record store in the area.[3] He met with DJ Kool Herc and learned that DJs were buying up these records in order to repeat short drum breaks in the songs.[1][4] On July 1 of that year, Billboard ran his article about the trip, titled "B-Beats Bombarding Bronx: Mobile DJ Starts Something With Oldie R&B Disks", which is now widely considered to be the first article about hip-hop in a major publication.[5] In May 1979, Ford published "Jive Talking N.Y. DJs Rapping Away in Black Discos", which focused on DJs like Eddie Cheeba, DJ Hollywood, Kurtis Blow, and Lovebug Starski that rapped while spinning records.[1]

It was also in the late 1970's that Ford helped then-aspiring writer Nelson George get an internship at Billboard.[2]

Songwriting and record production

Ford left Billboard in 1979 to concentrate on writing and producing the song "Christmas Rappin'" with former co-worker J.B. Moore.[6] The duo decided to give the song to rapper Kurtis Blow, who Ford met while working on his "Jive Talking N.Y. DJs..." article.[2][1] The song was released by Mercury Records in December 1979 to wide success, causing Blow to sign a deal with the label. Also in 1979, Ford met rapper Joseph Simmons, who then introduced him to his older brother Russell.[7] Ford began taking Russell to industry events, encouraged him to become a record producer, and encouraged Blow to hire Russell as a manager.[2] Ford, Moore, Smith, and Russell Simmons co-produced Blow's followup song, "The Breaks", which became the first hip-hop single to be certified gold by the RIAA.[6]

In the late 1980s, Ford became vice president of Rush Communications.[2] He later founded his own management company that helped launch R&B group Hi-Five.[1]

Personal life

Ford married Linda Medley in 1998 and had two children.[1]

Death and legacy

Ford died in Brooklyn on May 19, 2020. He received obituaries in The New York Times, Pitchfork, and Billboard, with the latter publishing multiple retrospectives on his reporting.[2][1][3][5][7] Blow said about Ford: "He taught me how to be a man. I was very shy; he brought me out of that and turned me into this incredible performer"; Russell Simmons said that Ford "taught [him] the value of selling the truth".[1]

Selected production discography

References
  1. Caramanica, Jon (June 5, 2020). "Robert Ford Jr., an Early Force in Hip-Hop, Is Dead at 70". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  2. Eggertsen, Chris (June 10, 2020). "Robert Ford Jr., Hip-Hop Pioneer & Former Billboard Journalist, Dies at 70". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  3. Lynch, Joe (June 10, 2020). "Inside Robert Ford Jr.'s Crucial Reporting on Rap & Disco In the '70s". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  4. Ford Jr., Robert (July 1, 1978). "B-Beats Bombarding Bronx: Mobile DJ Starts Something With Oldie R&B Discs". Billboard. p. 65. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  5. Yoo, Noah (June 5, 2020). "Hip-Hop Journalist and Producer Robert Ford Jr. Dead at 70". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  6. Eustice, Kyle (May 20, 2020). "Russell Simmons Reveals Veteran Hip Hop Producer Robert Ford Jr. Has Died". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 13, 2023.
  7. Lynch, Joe (November 13, 2020). "Breakin' News From the Bronx: The Landmark Hip-Hop Reporting of Robert Ford Jr". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
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