BUST A MOVE

The story of a DJ and producer responsible for three inescapable hip-hop hits.

Unless you’re a serious devotee of late-1980s hip-hop, you probably don’t know the name Matt Dike (1961–2018). The DJ and record producer was one of the people behind three of the genre’s most enduring—and fun—hits. But he essentially disappeared in the early ’90s, leaving his friend Mike Ross to run the label, Delicious Vinyl, that the two had cofounded. In his book, journalist Relic traces the birth and evolution of Delicious, which Dike and Ross started after meeting at a Los Angeles nightclub; Ross was taken by the talent and taste of Dike, who was behind the turntables. Ross wasn’t the only one who took notice of Dike: “From the jump, Matt Dike’s DJing appealed to a diverse crowd: hardcore B-Boys, beer-guzzling surfers, kohl-eyed go-go girls, out-loud queers.” Dike and Ross decided to make the leap from DJing to producing, recruiting a young L.A. rapper by the name of Tone Loc, who would lend his vocals to Delicious’ first smash hit, “Wild Thing”; another, “Funky Cold Medina,” followed soon after. Dike and Ross also helped the Beastie Boys produce their classic album Paul’s Boutique and scored a third hit single with Young MC’s “Bust a Move.” Dike became overwhelmed and started using heroin, stepping away from the label. Relic writes, “Instead of making commercial concessions to dilate revenue streams, or reveling in being worshiped as some sort of creative guru, Dike walked away when it stopped being fun.” Relic’s enthusiasm for the subject is infectious, and his writing brings readers (of a certain age) to one of the most fun periods of American music, when hip-hop and pop collided, changing the face of popular music forever. His book—based on extensive interviews, including one shocking one in the final chapter—is both informative and wildly entertaining.

You want an engaging look at late-’80s rap? Baby, you got it.