Andre Harrell And Uptowns Legacy

It's often said that we as a society dont give people their flowers while their here. Sadly, that is often true and the recent passing of Andre Harrell proves that. Andre Harrell started in the music industry as 1/2 of the rap duo Dr. Jekyll (Andre) and Mr. Hyde. The duo had moderate success as a group and had a small role in the 1985 hip hop classic "Krush Groove". Being an artist was Andre's introduction into the music business, but it was his role as a mogul that cemented his legacy.

After working with Def Jam Records for a few years, Andre took what he learned from Russell Simmons and started Uptown Records. Uptown Records helped usher the fresh new jack swing sound of the late 80's-early 90's. Right along with other new jack swing pioneers such as Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and Babyface Uptown Records bought a new groove to airwaves.

Uptown Records introduced so many legends to the masses and produced songs that undeniable classics. The Uptown Records roster included Heavy D, Al B. Sure, Mary J. Blige, Jodeci, Christopher Williams, Guy, Groove B. Chill, Father MC, The Lost Boyz, Soul for Real, and Biggie Smalls for a brief moment. Behind the scenes among these great artists was a young A&R executive named Sean Combs. Who learned from Andre and went on to start his own record label Bad Boy Records and is now a legendary entertainment mogul.

Besides the music that Uptown graced us with. Andre and company also employed the Motown system of ensuring their artists were styled correctly, had stage presence and poise. Uptown was known for their great music and the fashion forward style of their artists.

Uptown was the label with style and grace. Like Berry Gordy and Motown, Andre and Uptown inspired the next generation of music moguls. Just like with Bad Boy Records, Uptown paved the way No Limit Records, So So Def Records, Cash Money, and several other Black owned music labels.

In late 2019 BET started pre-production on a Uptown Records mini-series, hopefully production will continue and a new generation will get to learn and understand the greatness of Andre Harrell and Uptown. Like MJ, Whitney, and Prince along with other legends, Andre Harrell was an icon in the music game and his loss is a blow for the culture. Out of this loss, his contributions will be revisited, loved all over again, and appreticated more than ever before. The legacy of Andre Harrell will live on forever