Diddy Pays Tribute to Andre Harrell: ‘He Showed Us How to Use Hip-Hop to Build a Black Economy’
variety.comJem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Originally a teen rapper as half of the duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde, New York City Andre Harrell started his career at Def Jam, but soon launched Uptown Records.
Perhaps it was his sales background, but more than his contemporaries, Harrell injected lifestyle into his operations, propelling “ghetto-fabulous” from a mantra into a corporate blueprint.
Uptown was a powerhouse during the ’80s and ’90s, launching the careers of Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Al B. Sure!, Guy, Heavy D & the Boyz and not least, Combs, an intern-turned-A&R-whiz whom Harrell famously fired essentially for insubordination, leading to the formation of Bad Boy Records.
Harrell left Uptown to become president of Motown Records, expanded into film and television with “Strictly Business” (a launching pad for Halle Berry) and “New York Undercover,” and later reunited with Combs as president of Bad Boy and vice chairman of Revolt TV, where he worked until his death in 2020.
Read more on variety.com