Just before Thanksgiving '09 on a chilly Wednesday afternoon Ralph McDaniels graciously made room in his hectic schedule to meet up with radio producer and on-air presenter Angela McKenzie for an in depth conversation about the crucial role he has played in the genesis of the Hip-Hop music industry in the 1980s and his continued relevancy as one of the elder statesmen of the Hip-Hop nation.
The name Ralph is German in origin and means wise and strong. This being the case Ralph McDaniels was rightly named by his parents and was also given the fitting moniker Uncle Ralph by music industry peer and icon DJ Red Alert. DJ Red bestowed the moniker upon McDaniels as a testament to his unrelenting efforts to help emerging talents make a breakthrough in a music industry that did not invest substantially in Hip-Hop musicians in the genre's early days.
Long before television stations like MTV played music videos from Hip-Hop and Urban artists, McDaniels a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology, possessed enough wisdom and foresight to know that Hip-Hop would eventually surpass Rock 'n Roll to become the music that now represents America universally.
Over a quarter of a century ago, McDaniels approached WNYC TV - New York City's public broadcasting station, with the idea of airing music videos in a one hour package called "Video Music Box" (VMB) to showcase musicians who told tales of inner-city life through their beats and rhymes. Needless to say the idea was met with initial resistance but VMB's Nielsen ratings surpassed those of the station's traditional content and cleared the way for McDaniels to bolster famous and almost famous Hip-Hop artists of the past present and future. In fact it is fair to say that any Hip-Hop artist one can bring to mind, megastar or otherwise, made his/her debut on Uncle Ralph's VMB.
Angela McKenzie is pleased to present her engaging and edifying interview with McDaniels, which is underscored by vintage and current Hip-Hop music selections. The hour encapsulates his extensive career as a television producer; his work in video production for artists such as Whitney Houston, Public Enemy and Notorious B.I.G; and his influential role in the swift launch of Wu Tang Clan and the rise of Hip-Hop icon Nas. McDaniels also discusses his latest media ventures including Onfumes and his philanthropic work with anti-violence initiatives.
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