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| Rubadub |
|  | | Country: | United States |
| Releases: | [Mind of a Gangster] [How Many Times (Can A Black Man Die)? (single)] [Reflections Of An Ex-Criminal] [Time we stop] | | Info: | Knolly Williams is born in Brooklyn, New York, but his
family moved to Los Angeles, California, when he was 10
years old. His parents had separated when he was 5 years
old, so he grew up with his mother and older sister Felicia.
Shortly after their move to Los Angeles, Knolly's mother
began taking him to church regularly, and later that year,
he accepted Christ as Savior.
Rubadub
When he was 13 years old Knolly wanted to become a rapper.
He wrote rhymes daily and performed wherever he could,
becoming a local favorite in his neighbourhood. His mother
supported him and purchassed two turntables, and a mixer. So
Knolly studied the art of mixing, cutting and scratching,
and later donned the name "Rubadub." The name
'Rubadub'", he explains, "means just that, to rub a dub.
12 inch vinyl singles are called 'dubs' and when I'm
cutting and scratching, I am rubbing a Dub."
Trouble
A few years later, however, Knolly began getting into
trouble. By the age of 16, he was expelled from the L.A.
Unified School District and arrested for drug dealing on
campus, and charged with 4 felony counts. As a first time
offender, he was sentenced to 6 weeks in Juvenile Hall, and
two years probation.
Father
After his release, Knolly was sent to live with his father
in Xenia, Ohio. His mother hoped that his father could help
straighten him out and get him on the right track. The plan
failed. Within 6 months, Knolly was expelled from the Greene
County School District as an "Unruly Student." Frustrated,
Knolly's father shipped him back to California.
Bad habits
By now, Knolly was drinking, smoking weed, and had dropped
out of school. By his 17th birthday, Knolly had moved out of
the house and in with a friend.
During those dark days, he spent most of his time selling
dope, smoking weed and drinking 40 oz's of ever gave up his
love for hip hop music. By this time, Eazy E and N.W.A. were
poppin' in the hood and Knolly began performing his own
brand of hard core gangsta rap.
Pitch change
"After so many brushes with death, I guess I was just ready
to give up," Knolly admits. I knew that I couldn't
continue to live this fast paced life and stay alive much
longer.
In 1988, Knolly renewed his commitment to the Lord, and
became a Christian, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord of his
life.
"After I accepted Christ, I wanted to give up doing rap
music altogether," Knolly recalls. "I didn't think you
could do rap music for the Lord. I guess I thought rap music
was sinful and worldly. But the Lord kept putting songs in
my head. Finally I began to write them down, and gradually,
I began to realize that the Lord could work through rap
music, using it as a tool to reach millions."
Texas
A few weeks after his conversion, he moved to Austin, Texas
to work at his Uncle's Christian broadcasting company. By
the age of 19, Knolly had gotten his G.E.D. and begun
attending college, maintaining a 3.9 grade average on a 4.0
scale. "Financially, it was tight." Knolly remembers. "I
would live on a food budget of $25 every two weeks. For
meals I had very few choices: peanut butter & jelly
sandwiches, beans & rice, hot dogs or spaghetti. I was thin
as a rail, but always in high spirits. The Lord took good
care of me."
Record label
It was in 1989, at the age of 19 that Knolly decided that he
wanted to have his own record company. "The Lord gave me
the name 'Grapetree.'" Knolly says. "At first I didn't
know what it meant, but later God revealed to me its
meaning. The grapes represent peoples who are about to be
destroyed (Isaiah 5:1-7, Revelation 14:17), while the trees
represent the fully restored state of man˜in Christ (Psalm
1:1-3, Matthew 7:17). Our job as a label would be to take
those grapes headed for destruction and plant them on the
tree of life!"
Marriage
In 1991 Knolly fell in love with a South Texas girl named
Josie Saldana. Knolly and Josie met while attending the same
church in Austin, Texas. In 1992, the two were married and
later that year, Knolly began working for a Texas based law
firm as a Graphic Designer. In late 1992, he got his
business license and opened a bank account under the name
Grapetree Records.
Grapetree Records
In late 1993, with $250 in start up capital, he quit his job
at the firm, and went to work for himself full time. The
label was officially active.
Combing his desktop publishing skills with his love for
hip-hop, Knolly created Christian rap's first magazine,
"Heaven's Hip-Hop Magazine." In 1994 the magazine was
picked up for distribution by Diamante Music Group, and grew
from 1,000 copies to 20,000 copies per issue.
Releases
Meanwhile, in 1993, Knolly released his first EP "Time We
Stop," and the label's first album by "Rubadub" entitled
"Reflections Of An Ex-Criminal."
Growth
Distributed by New Jersey based CMN Distributors in 1994,
Grapetree Records began to make a little noise, with product
popping up in a few select stores nationwide. As duties
became overwhelming, Josie left her teaching career and
began working at the label full time.
Diamante
In 1995, Knolly signed his first major distribution deal
with California based Diamante Music Group, and began
releasing albums to a much broader market. "Man those days
were rough," Williams readily admits, "I was trying
something new an all Christian rap label. It was truly a
pioneering move although I didn't understand it as such. I
just wanted to do God's will."
Success
Striking of the Grapetree products are the flashy looking
art work and the bit cheap looking one page innersleeve
design. But by 1997, the label began to really catch on, and
in 1998, Knolly adopted the slogan "World's #1 Christian
Rap Label," having sold well over 500,000 units, with a
roster of over 20 artists it seemed as if the sky was the
limit.
Decline
Grapetree Records had to restructure into GT Platinum in
2003, but it was of no avail.
Some think, if the efforts were focussed on the more
talented artists the continuity of the label could have been
maintained. Also the amount of activities and the available
resources may have led to the label's demise. The Grapetree
Music Group in the end had four sublabels, which were
Grapetree Records (hip hop), GT latin (Spanish hip hop),
Diamond Cut (gospel) and Phat Boy Recordings (R&B).
Legacy
Some artists felt wrongly done by the label's management.
But of the old roster many artists are still active. In 2005
the compilation "Where r they now" got released. Artists
featured are Antonious, Bruthaz Grimm, J-Roc, LG Wise, Lil'
Raskull, Mr. Real, Pooh and Prime minister.
For more information look at the label's profile.
Award
Knolly Williams received the Ambassador Award for his
contributions over the past 10 years to the Genre Of Holy
Hip Hop Music And Ministry at the Holy Hip Hop awards in
2000. He is now a property broker. |
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| Release: | Mind of a Gangster |
|  | | MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] | | Released: | 1996 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Recordlabel: | Grapetree Records |
| Info: | 1. M.O.G. Intro
2. 975 Dayz
3. You Got Tha Wrong Man
4. Play Ta Win
5. Prayin 4 U Gangstuz
6. Everybody's Down
7. Gangstas Don't Retire
8. How Many Times?
9. Flavor Uv tha Week
10. Come Together
11. Record Makin Gangsta
12. M.O.G. Outro |
| Rating: | Our users rated this release: 10 out of 10
(Number of votes: 1) Sign up or login to submit your vote | | Reviews: | Found 1 review for this album. [Add a review] |
|
| Release: | How Many Times (Can A Black Man Die)? (single) |
|  | | MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] | | Released: | 1996 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Recordlabel: | Grapetree Records |
| Info: | 1. How Many Times (Can A Black Man Die)? - Radio Edit
2. How Many Times (Can A Black Man Die)? - Long Edit
3. Gangsta's Don't Retire
4. Play Time's Ova by Lil' Raskull - bonus Track
|
| Rating: | This release is not rated yet Sign up or login to submit your vote | | Reviews: | Found 0 reviews for this album. [Add a review] |
|
| Release: | Reflections Of An Ex-Criminal |
|  | | MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] [Audio Tape] | | Released: | 1993 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Recordlabel: | Grapetree Records |
| Info: | The first record from the label Grapetree Records. The music
cassette version seems to have a slightly different
tracklisting, than the compact disc.
CD
1. I Used Ta Be a LOC
2. Down in tha Hood
3. Compton Drummer
4. Praise God
5. Jesus Freak
6. Down Wit Da son
7. La-La (I Love You) (bonus track)
8. Tha #1 Gangsta Rule
9. Soundz Uv Tha Ghetto
10. Big Time
11. California Bass
12. My Debut (bonus track)
13. 2 1/2 Years Ago
14. I'm Not a Gangsta
15. Time We Stop! (bonus track)
MC
Side A
1. I Used to be a LOC
2. Down in Tha Hood
3. Compton Drummer
4. Praise God
5. Jesus Freak
6. Don Wit Da Son
Side B
1. Tha #1 Gangsta Rule
2. Soundz Uv Tha Ghetto
3. Big Time
4. California Bass
5. Jesus Freak- instrumental
6. 2 1/2 Years Ago
7. I'm Not a Gangsta |
| Rating: | Our users rated this release: 7 out of 10
(Number of votes: 1) Sign up or login to submit your vote | | Reviews: | Found 2 reviews for this album. [Add a review] |
|
| Release: | Time we stop |
| MyHHHdb | |
| Media: | [Audio CD] | | Released: | 1993 [ Listen to HHH from this era on Spotify ] |
| Info: | First EP from Rubadub! |
| Rating: | This release is not rated yet Sign up or login to submit your vote | | Reviews: | Found 1 review for this album. [Add a review] |
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