Call & Response: Dope Folks Records
(6 min)
In 2019 we hosted the stateside premieres of The Library Music Film in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. While making preparations, we reached out to Chris Schulist to curate a playlist of library music for these events. He did not disappoint, crafting a set of music that grabbed the attention of die-hard fans attending the showings, curious newcomers, and bartenders alike. But being a fan of library music isn’t the half of it.
He spins sets over the airwaves as DJ CHRISTREATER on WMSE. He keeps the energy up during Jack White’s “no phone shows” as his touring DJ / Hype Man. Add in his incredible Milwaukee restaurant The Vanguard, hosting the likes of the aforementioned Jack White and many, many professional wrestlers. And to round it all out, Schulist also co-owns Dope Folks Records with John Kuester.
After 13 years, Dope Folks Records has put together a ‘Best of’ vinyl from their incredible vault of rare and unreleased Hip Hop. We took the opportunity to catch up with Schulist and talk about the label, this special release, and how they find hidden gems. Fans of 90s Hip Hop will want to pay attention to this one. In Schulist’s own words, “…it’s fucking good.”
Lab Notes (LN): For the uninitiated, how do you describe Dope Folks Records?
Dope Folks Records: Founded in 2010, Dope Folks Records is a record label unearthing the best in rare and unreleased Hip Hop vinyl from the golden era of rap.
LN: Give us a little background behind Dope Folks Records, when did it start and how does the rerelease process work?
DFR: Starting in 2010, we started out by releasing rare tracks from MIXMASTA D of the legendary underground group THE BIZZIE BOYZ. The goal of our label was to rerelease rare, unknown and private press Hip Hop 12"s and add unreleased tracks that were previously unavailable. We wanted to do small limited runs, making our new vinyl release a collectable 12" single.
We find the artists and contact them directly and make them an offer to rerelease their music. Sometimes, they don't want the music to surface. A few artists have have declined to let us reissue their music because it reminded them of a time they wanted to forget. Others can't believe we found them and are so surprised that we even know their music, that they are almost rejuvenated to get this material out.
We choose what we want to release based on our taste. We've never put out a record we didn't like. There are tons we passed on, but we stand by every record we have ever released! Having artists send us tracks that we (and the world ) have never heard is always the most fun part of doing this label.
LN: How do you find these unreleased Hip Hop gems?
DFR: Both John and I are serious record collectors and we have a huge knowledge of underground Hip Hop. A lot of these releases are from extremely rare records from our collections that we thought would make great rereleases. Some of these original 12" singles fetch big money and are extremely scarce. Our releases might be the only way you will ever get your hands on some of these tracks!
Our releases might be the only way you will ever get your hands on some of these tracks!
LN: We love to talk about hidden gems not only from our catalog, but within the expansive legacy of library music. What separates a true hidden gem from an average track for you?
DFR: The thing with Hip Hop is, you can almost tell the year by the sound of the track. In the early days of the evolution of Hip Hop, sample techniques and sounds started to grow. So 1987 sounds VASTLY different from 1991. I find it very interesting that tracks are so identifiable by the year.
With that being said, we've approached artists and asked them "do you have any unreleased tracks from when you released your first single?" They might say we have tons of tracks from the early 90s we never put out, but when we hear the tracks, it's easy to tell when they were made. An early 90s beat is going to sound very different from a track made in 2001. To us, the true hidden gem is the track that sounds like it should be a Hip Hop classic that every one knows!
LN: You have a ‘Best of’ vinyl release out this summer that highlights rare and unreleased tracks from US Hip Hop Underground between 1991-1999. How did this came about?
DFR: We have released 105 records since we started. We are a very niche label. Our records look like classic Hip Hop 12"s from back in the day. Even though we have been around for 13 years, we are not on everyone's radar. Which is fine, we started this as nod to all the Hip Hop heads out there that were like us.
But there are tons of people out there that are interested in what we do, but don't know where to start (105 releases can be daunting if you've just heard of us). We thought that a "Best of" comp featuring tracks we put out over the last 13 years would be a great starting point for anyone interested in our label. I think the comp will reach a larger audience because, well... it's fucking good, and it's a great way to dive into the world of Underground Golden Era Hip Hop. If you are a fan of classic Hip Hop, you will like this comp.
LN: What was your approach to curating this collection?
DFR: Our approach was to just to make a comp we wanted to listen to from front to back. I have an iTunes playlist featuring all of our releases and it is over 1000 songs and 2 days long. I love just hitting shuffle and listening to everything we've ever put out. We thought we could do a ten song comp of nothing but bangers from some of our more sought after 12"s and some of our personal favorites. All of the tracks on the comp are some of our personal favorites we have put out over the years. Let me just say this, if you are from Milwaukee and you have never heard the 90s smoothness of Milwaukee MC, ROCK LA FLOW, you need to change that asap.
I think the comp will reach a larger audience because, well... it's fucking good, and it's a great way to dive into the world of Underground Golden Era Hip Hop.
LN: Is there anything else you'd like to include?
DFR: Both John and I would like to say thanks to everyone that has supported us over the years and we can't wait for you to hear this comp. It's an excellent representation of what we've been up to since 2010. The album will be released on June 23rd and it will be available online and in Milwaukee at ACME, & RUSHMOR.
Check out Dope Folks Records and order the Best of Dope Folks Records vinyl here.