MFSRadio Archives: Info: The 45 King

The 45 King

(A.K.A. DJ Mark The 45 King)

Biography by Nathan Bush (AMG)
Producer DJ Mark “The 45 King” burst onto the rap scene during the late ’80s with his bona fide breakbeat classic “The 900 Number.” However, following successful productions for Queen Latifah and his own crew, the Flavor Unit, the 45 King’s resistance to changing trends and hip-hop’s own fleeting loyalty combined to ensure his eventual obscurity. Continually respected by the hip-hop underground, he remained a prolific producer throughout his career, lending his remixing and engineering skills to nearly 40 releases from 1987 to 2000.
Born Mark James, the 45 King (as he prefers, simply, to be known) got his first taste of rap music in the late ’70s as the “record boy” for Bronx-based rap pioneers the Funky 4 (pre-+ 1). Learning the ropes of the hip-hop trade, James received an invaluable insider’s look at the coveted breakbeat records that were the very battle tools of DJ competitions. Departing from the Funky 4 circle, the 45 King spent the mid-’80s as a DJ on the New Jersey scene. In 1983, at the age of 22, his first production for MC Marky Fresh caught the attention of KISS-FM’s Kool DJ Red Alert. It wasn’t until 1987 that James’ career really got underway, however, with his work for Wild Pitch artist Latee on “This Cut’s Got Flavor.” That same year, the 45 King slowed down the sax solo from a record he’d received from Tuff City’s Aaron Fuchs and dropped the results over an irresistibly funky break. The resulting track, “The 900 Number,” exploded, its horn line (sampled from Marva Whitney’s James Brown-produced “Unwind Yourself”) forever ingrained in the collective hip-hop psyche. The 45 King was awarded a production deal and a long-term contract. He proceeded to showcase the members of the Flavor Unit on a series of Tuff City releases.

Debuts from Lakim Shabazz (Pure Righteousness) and Chill Rob G (”Court Is in Session”) were released in 1988. The following year, new Tommy Boy recording artist Queen Latifah selected the 45 King to contribute tracks to her debut, All Hail the Queen. The collaboration produced Latifah hits “Wrath of My Madness” and “Ladies First.”
However, Tuff City failed to get behind Shabazz’s sophomore, 45 King-produced Lost Tribe of Shabazz (1989), and the album drifted into obscurity. Eventually dropped from Tommy Boy, Latifah relocated to Motown, and the new label’s efforts to polish the rapper’s sound meant the 45 King’s services were not requested. Suddenly, the confines of a long-term contract failed to appeal. James spent the early ’90s remixing, producing, and constructing his own phenomenal solo recordings under titles like Lost Breakbeats, Breakapalooza, and The 45 Kingdom. In 1996, DJ Kool’s recycling of the 45 King’s classic “The 900 Number” took off, climbing to number five on the rap charts. Acknowledging the song’s source, the MC released a new 45 King remix of the track. James’ resurgence coincided with the growing interest in hip-hop’s old-school stylings. In 1997, England’s Ultimate Dilemma paid tribute, reissuing the producer’s Lost Breakbeat series as Universal Beat Generation. One year later, the 45 King’s production of Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)” (complete with Annie sample) scaled the charts, proving the producer’s lasting viability.

Production & Remixes:

Aaliyah-Try Again (remix),Your Girl 2000 (remix)
Apache-I Feel Like Flowing, Smooth But Hard, Do Fa Self, Flavor Unit Assassination Squad & remix,Passin The Mike
Big Pooh-Roll With Me, Simplicity, Still The One, Harlem Bros, Drop Da Bomb
Big Scoob-Can Du
Bigga Sista-1,2,3
Biz Markie-Turn Back The Hands of Time
Bush Babees-The Love Song (remix)
C & C Music Factory_Do You Wanna Get Funky (remix)
Carry Von Murry-Lady
Celph Titled-Right Now
Chill Rob G-Chillin, Ride The Rhythm LP, Let Me Know (remix), Simplicity, Go Off Rob, Taking Them Back
Class A Felony
Cold Crush Brothers-Heartbreakers (remix),We Reserve The Right To Rock (remix)
Common-Car Horn
Craig Mack-Wooden Horse
David Bowie-Fame 90
Def Jef -Don’t Sleep,
Diamond D-Best Kept Secret (Remix),Check 1-2, Double Dare, U Don’t Owe Me
Digital Underground-Packetman (45 King’s extended mix)
DJ Kool-Let Me Clear My Throat (remix)
Double J-Cannibal Town, Def Style, The Hitman LP,Flavor Unit Assassination Squad & remix, Big Ballers
Ed Lover and Dre-Who’s The Man
Eminem-Stan
Eric B & Rakim-Microphone Fiend (Remix),Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em (Remix),The R (Remix), I Know You Got Soul (45 King unreleased remix), Run for Cover, Mahagony Rakim: Feeling You, How I Get Down
Fanclub Erdberg-Anton Polster Du Bist Leiwand
Gangstarr-Knowledge, Gusto, Movin On’ ,To Be A Champion, Bust A Move
Grandmaster Caz-A Girl Named Kim (remix)
Jay-Z-Hard Knock Life, Check It
Jibri Wise One-I’ll Be There For You (remix)
John Davis & The Monster Orchestra-I Can’t Stop (45 King Hip Hop Break Re- Mix)
Kid Capri-Put The Funk Out
King Sun-Fat Tapes, It’s A Heat Up
Lady Champain-Super People,Welcome to the Terrordome, Drop Da Bomb
Lakim Shabazz-Pure Righteousness LP,Lost Tribe of Shabazz LP,The Red, The Black & The Green,When A Wise Man Speaks, Your Arms Too Short To Box with God,Hands of Fate,La-Kim Theme,Raw Dope Rhyme,900 Number (version off Master of The Game LP), Style is Free,Flavor Unit Assassination Squad & remix, Really Don’t Want It, Flow Motion
Latee-No Tricks,Wake Up, This Cuts Got Flavor, Brainstorm,Passin The Mike
Puttin on The Hits,
Lati Rocks The Bells
Lisa Stansfield-Been Around the World (Remix)
Lord Alibaski-Top Gun,What It Takes To Be A Rapper, Lyrics in Motion,Flavor Unit Assassination Squad & remix
Lucy Hawkins-Gotta Get Outta Here (45 King original break mix)
Madonna-Keep it Together -(Remix)
Mad Skills-Triny
Maestro Fresh Wes-Drop The Needle on the Record (remix)
Major Force- Orchids-I Will Call You (remix)
Maniac Mob-Get Up, Popcorn, Rock The Rhythm
Markey Fresh-The King is Here, No Thang, The Mack of Rap
MC Lyte-Big Bad Sister, Kamikaze, Like a Virgin, Absolutely,Practical Jokes
MC Sugar Ray & Stranger D-Knock Em Out (remix)
Miss Bell-7 Days
Mobb Deep-Scam (remix)
Paula Perry-Y’all Chickens Make Me Laugh
PMD-Thought I Lost My Spot
Princess Superstar-Bad Babysitter (remix)
Public Enemy-Bring The Noise (remix)
Queen Latifah-All Hail The Queen LP, Princess of the Posse (remix),Jersey State of Mind, Name Callin
Rasco-Run The Line (remix)
Ruff Jusdis-Keep Up With The Rhyme (Piano Mix)
Salt N Pepa-My Mic Sounds Nice (Remix)
Shelly Thunder-Working Girl (Extended Mix)
Spoonie Gee-Spoonin Rap (remix)
Stereo MCs -On 33 (remix)
Take 6 -Spread Love?
The Jaz-Sign of The Crimes,Rhymes For Da Funny Farm
Together Brothers-Get Off His & Get Off Mine
Too Nice-Cold Facts (remix)
Trey Lorenz-On and On
Wanda Dee-To The Bone
Wee Papa Girl Rappers-Wee Rule (Hip Hop Remix)
Wildchild-Two Five
X-Clan-Heed The Word of a Brother