Marley Marl

Marley Marl
Marley Marl in 1999
Background information
Birth nameMarlon Lu'Ree Williams[1]
Born (1962-09-30) September 30, 1962 (age 62)
Queens, New York City, U.S.[2]
GenresEast Coast hip hop
Occupations
  • DJ
  • producer
  • rapper
  • music executive[3]
DiscographyMarley Marl production discography
Years active1983–present
Labels
Formerly ofJuice Crew

Marlon Lu'Ree Williams (born September 30, 1962), better known by his stage name Marley Marl, is an American DJ, record producer, rapper and record label founder, primarily operating in hip hop music.[4] Marlon grew up in Queensbridge housing projects[5] located in Queens, New York. He performed in local talent shows during the early days of rap music, further fueling his interest.

He was also featured on Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" from their debut album, which was also recorded in his studio.[6] He is credited with influencing a number of hip hop icons such as Biggie Smalls, RZA, DJ Premier, Madlib, and Pete Rock.[7] Producer Madlib stated in an interview that Marley was the first producer who inspired him to make beats.[8] Vibe magazine wrote that he, "forever changed the sound of hip-hop with his unique beat barrages."[9]

  1. ^ "AMERICA EATS THE YOUNG". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Steve Huey. "Marley Marl". AllMusic. Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  3. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "F.D.S #39 – THE ERIC B EPISODE – FULL EPISODE". YouTube. August 8, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  4. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 211. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  5. ^ Mao, Jeff "Chairman" (2014). "Marley Marl Lecture". Red Bull Music Academy. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Mao, Jeff "Chairman" (December 1997). "The Microphone God". Vibe. p. 134. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Biography, AllMusic
  8. ^ Torres, Andre (November 19, 2013). "Madlib revived the crate-digging tradition before flipping the script and embracing live playing". Wax Poetics. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  9. ^ Mao, Jeff "Chairman" (September 1998). "Props: The Juice Crew". Vibe. p. 312 – via Google Books.[dead link]