When the Time is Right


When the
Time is Right
What’s cool about these guys right here… what
helps set them apart… is that they know what
they’re doing... exactly what they’re doing. They’re
making plans and sticking to them. They are the
Footwork4self Records family, and in short, their
history goes like this: Two dudes grow up on hiphop
in Minnesota in the early 90’s, and then life
puts them on different paths… until one day,
Ryan Kolquist runs into Ryan Britt (now known
as Jabrjaw) at the Purdy Lounge in Miami. They
reconnect and reminisce, and at the end of the
conversation Jabrjaw says, “when the time is right,
let’s get together and build.” Three years later,
the two reconnect and do just that. They build…
Footwork4self Records.
The idea for the label was hatched by Jabrjaw
(artist/co-owner) and his partner on the cut, DJ
Dee Dubbs (artist/co-owner) some years before,
but the recent introduction of Kolquist into the mix
as CEO/co-owner has formalized their structure a
bit, allowing them to expand the family by signing
on other artists to the label’s roster, artists like
Protoman, Lox Tha Rippa, and producer, Shawn
Wayne. There’s a well thought out business plan
for each of the individual artists on the label, an
intense touring schedule, and a release schedule
that includes the re-release of Lox Tha Rippa’s
underground classic CD, The Best Rhyme I Never
Wrote, as well as an upcoming 12” vinyl single
titled Funk Keeps Banging / Barley, Malt, & Hops
by Jabrjaw & Dee Dubbs. The release of the single
will start the campaign for promoting the release
of their full length album, Eastern Specifics. New
releases are also on the way for Shawn Wayne and
for Protoman, who is the more “digital minded” one
of the family, the one with the downloadable flow.
His modern approach to the business provides an
updated creative contrast to the overall “hip-hop
retro” vibe of the family, giving the label’s roster
some variety and stylistic range.
Nobody in the family exudes the retro vibe more
than DJ Dee Dubbs, who Kolquist speaks highly
of, “You don’t find too many people like Dubbs.
He’s an act in itself… a real turntablist.” And with
the quiet wisdom of a DJ, Dubbs chimes in, “vinyls
got weight. There’s weight behind it.” Kolquist also
speaks highly of Rhymesayers Entertainment, who
many readers might recognize as the label founded
by Atmosphere frontman Slug, based out of
Minneapolis, Minnesota... “We’ve done several shows
with Toki Wright and other Rhymesayers artists in
the recent past and will be doing more in the future.
They are who I have grown up listening to, and seen
evolve into the powerhouse they are today. Our
overall touring plan is pretty serious. We’ll be doing
shows in the Fall and Winter in Detroit, Las Vegas,
Boise, Minnesota, and California to mention a few.
In
between we will
be doing local
shows as well.” In
speaking of local
shows, our readers should know that
they can meet the entire FW4S family and a couple
new additions on stage at Propaganda in Lake
Worth on September 17th. For more info on that,
and everything else that’s going on with the label,
fans are encouraged to sign-up for the newsletter
at www.FW4S.com. Kolquist himself will keep
you informed as to what’s going on. You’ll become
extended family.
Timing is everything, and now the time is right for
a record label whose name combines a respect for
the “footwork” of hip-hop’s b-boy subculture with
the “do-for-self” mentality of eager entrepreneurs...
to follow through with all of their plans. Everything
is happening according to plan. The time is right.t

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