Sunday, January 23, 2005
Get in the flow with Bathgate
As some of you may already know, I recently launched a brand new but tiny independent record label at the end of last year called Supreme Clientele.
Our lofty mission is to bring back classic underground hip hop music that hopefully defies the ridiculous divide and shallow labels separating the so-called underground and commercial hip hop worlds. And yes, the label name is an homage to Tony Starks who, besides being one of my favorite hip hop artists, to me represents one of the few artists out today who can still appeal to the many subsets of hip hop fans without compromising his own art. I only hope our label can do even half as well creatively as he has over his career.
It's been tough work getting everything together including securing decent distribution but, finally, our first release, a 12" single -- "Everything's A Go (The Flow)" b/w "Badside" -- by Harlem MC, Bathgate (which I've been slyly plugging on the site, is ready to go and about to hit retail.
Learn more about who this kid Bathgate is below.....
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BIOGRAPHY
Bathgate (bath∙gate) n. - your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper…
Harlem’s back! Uptown mc Bathgate (formerly known as Billy Bathgate) returns with his new single “Everything’s A Go (The Flow)” b/w “Badside” for the brand new indie hip hop label Supreme Clientele Recordings.
Starting from the ground up in the late 90’s – at park battles in the Manhattanville housing project – to spittin’ freestyle classics on countless mixtapes like Kay Slay’s Streetsweeper series and other street joints by Purple City and DJ’s like Clue, Whoo Kid, Envy, Enuff, Dirty Harry, Kool Kid and Clinton Sparks, Bathgate built an enormous underground street buzz and following for an artist without an album out or a record deal.
With his name ringin’ off in streets everywhere, a bidding war ensued that landed Bath at Virgin records. His jumpoff single “Fuck That” (aka dubbed “Bump That” for radio) became an instant hood anthem, which Rolling Stone magazine also dubbed one of their cool hip hop, singles of the year in April 2001.
After Vibe magazine tipped him as being a part of “Rap’s New Generation” alongside Remy Martin and T.I. and with “Bump That” receiving major airplay and running mixshows nationwide, demand for Bathgate’s full-length debut Dear Rich America, My Story To You was high. But major corporate restructuring at Virgin on the eve of the album’s release, resulting in much of the label’s roster being dropped and key staff being laid off, left no one to properly work the album.
With his label situation in disarray, but several tracks bangin’ on the streets, Bath stayed focused on music. He was a headline performer on Funkmaster Flex’s College Tunnel Tour with Jadakiss, appeared on Volume 3 of Flex’s well-respected vinyl-only Big Truck Series Freestyle EP’s, was featured in the soundtrack to the Project Gotham video game and wrote songs for others including Puffy, Trina, Amil (and a few others who shall remain nameless).
Now, after schooling himself on the business side to the industry, Bath is in control of his own destiny running his own label, Capital Gang Records, and inking a 12” single deal with Supreme Clientele to reintroduce himself to the hip hop game. The club heater “Everything’s A Go (The Flow)” and the more pensive “Badside” are the first two songs from his official debut album The Education and the Supreme Clientele compilation The Clientele Chronicles Vol. 1 both due in 2005.
Check out the official Bathgate website.
Listen to “Everything’s A Go (The Flow)” | “Badside”
Buy the 12" single of “Everything’s A Go (The Flow)” at Juno records here.
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I know some of you will like the Bath joint more than others but the label's planning on putting out a range of records. Hopefully they'll be something out of all of it that will appeal to the heads who are Neptune'd and Lil Jon-ed out and to those who think Madvillainy was the height of hip hop last year but, as always, feedback and comments are welcomed.
Also, for those of you who I sent the music too, I'd appreciate if you Radio Blog it, offer it for download, review it, chart it etc. because we need all the exposure we can get. Trust me, we are at the polar opposite end of the scale as far as resources and manpower go to say, The Game and the corporate hip hop behemoth behind him that is G-Unit/Aftermath/Interscope records. Any and all help we get not only is really appreciated but, even if it only sells us one copy here or get an order for a few pieces there, makes a huge difference.
Stay tuned for forthcoming Bathgate radio and live apperances (including TONIGHT on 90.9FM WKRB Kingboro College radio) and for the news on future Supreme Clientele releases.
