Photo: Adam Wallcavage Computer consultant by day, hip-hop kingpin by night - sounds
like the premise for a new show that comes on after Homeboys in Space. But that's Tab Edwards' story in a nutshell. The 38-year-old has
been involved with the Philadelphia music scene since he was a
teenager playing bass in an R&B band. He quickly took to rap when
it came along in the early '80s, learning how to make loops and
turn rhymes. Unlike most musicians of his generation who grew
up and got real jobs, Edwards never lost touch with the local
scene. Ask him about Philly's glory years in the late '80s and
early '90s and he'll tell you about Steady B and Cool C when they were at their peak. It's that kind
of momentum he'd like to bring back to the streets of Philadelphia.
"There are plenty of great artists in town," says Edwards. "It's
just that they aren't getting signed." Enter Edwards' independent rap label, Kixx Records. Over the past
four years he's released platters by everyone from Ital tha Ruffian
to Redd Bull and RuggedN'ess 'N' Madd Drama. Edwards might work with Hewlett-Packard for a living, but his
love for music and TV is displayed by his West Philly apartment's
extensive entertainment center. Unlike many smalltime label operators,
he takes his young business very seriously. "There's a huge untapped
market in Philadelphia," he notes, sounding as much like a savvy
salesman as a diehard music fan. When Edwards realized there was
no local publication regularly supporting the Philadelphia hip-hop
scene, he created his own, Da Buzz!. What started as a few photocopies stapled together has blossomed
into a 40-page magazine with a circulation of 10,000. And Edwards
promises more improvements to come. The latest issue of Da Buzz! features articles on RAM Squad, local promoter Steve Brodie and
Edwards' attack on wannabe scenesters. As for Kixx, look for a
new single from Ital tha Ruffian sometime in October. If you want
Edwards to hear your flow, here's a quick bit of advice: send
him a tape, he's sick of people stopping him on streetcorners
for impromptu rap sessions. Kixx Records can be contacted at 602-2004. The address for Da Buzz! is 2533 W. Willard St., Suite 203, Phila., PA 19129.
Tab Edwards