From Doo-Wop to Hip-Hop: Paul Winley and the Invention of the Breakbeat Compilation

"Paul Winley’s life neatly joins the dots between 1950s doo-wop and old-school hip-hop. In fact, he views both artforms as part of an unbroken oral tradition that binds every facet of black American music. Winley was impeccably placed to make such an observation. As a young man, he worked in Manhattan’s fabled Brill Building, penning songs for the likes of Big Joe Turner and Ruth Brown. In 1956, he set up his own label, which became home to groups such as the Paragons and the Jesters. By the late 1970s, however, Paul Winley Records had shifted its focus to New York’s burgeoning hip-hop scene. The imprint was at the vanguard of the movement. ..."
Red Bull Music Academy (Video)
W - Paul Winley