Marley Marl

Marley Marl is a DJ and superproducer whose enduring influence can be heard in virtually any rap track classified as boom bap. An early innovator in the art of sampling, he broke through in 1984 with Roxanne Shanté's "Roxanne's Revenge," and subsequently became the in-house producer for Cold Chillin', where he collaborated with MC Shan ("The Bridge"), Kool G Rap & DJ Polo ("Rikers Island"), Biz Markie ("Nobody Beats the Biz"), and Big Daddy Kane ("Raw"). Marl first moved into the spotlight with the classic In Control, Vol. 1 (1988), issued two years before he co-produced LL Cool J's multi-platinum Mama Said Knock You Out. In the 2000s, he delivered projects such as Re-Entry and duo albums with KRS-One and Craig G. Marl was honored with the I Am Hip Hop Award at the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards, and returned in 2024 with the gospel house track "Joy."