Here’s a pair of videos spotlighting WPRB’s vibrant hip-hop culture circa 1992. Just in time for the holidays with the Raw Deal / Club Krush / Vibes & Vapors completist in mind! Great shots of WPRB’s old studios in Holder Hall, the vinyl library, and audio consoles of yore. Thanks to Jon Solomon for the tip on these vids!
Here’s a station ID from the Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA (aka Prince Rakeem) recorded for WPRB’s “The Raw Deal” sometime in the early 1990s.
The years 1985-1995 are generally thought of as hip-hop’s ‘golden age’, and it’s impossible to overstate the role that college radio stations played in transitioning the genre from its underground roots to the mainstream. At WPRB, hip-hop first emerged on a late 80s program helmed by Drew Keller GS ’91 along with current New York Times columnist John Leland. In the 90s, shows like “The Raw Deal”, “Club Krush”, and “Vibes & Vapors” attracted huge listenerships and made WPRB a local resource for an emerging genre and cultural movement. (At the apex of its popularity, the student hosts of “Vibes & Vapors” went so far as to rent office space on Princeton’s Nassau Street in order to manage and promote the show!)
Here’s a pair of videos spotlighting WPRB’s vibrant hip-hop culture circa 1992. Just in time for the holidays with the Raw Deal / Club Krush / Vibes & Vapors completist in mind! Great shots of WPRB’s old studios in Holder Hall, the vinyl library, and audio consoles of yore. Thanks to Jon Solomon for the tip on these vids!