New Book: Goin’ Off: The Story of the Juice Crew & Cold Chillin’ Records

Long time music publicist, Ben Merlis published a new book, Goin’ Off: The Story of the Juice Crew & Cold Chillin’ Records. With a forward by Peanut Butter Wolf, the 300 plus page turner chronicles the rise and fall of Cold Chillin’. It follows the careers of the label’s recording artists through first-hand accounts of industry players, producers, emcees, and deejays: Roxanne Shanté – a 14-year-old battle rapper who spawned the diss record; MC Shan who engaged in a legendary cross-borough feud with KRS-One; Kool G Rap – a foundational participant in what the media dubbed “gangsta rap”; Big Daddy Kane‘s quick-witted lyricism changed the way people rhyme; the collegiate Masta Ace sought to uplift his community during the height of the crack epidemic; The Genius (aka GZA) co-founded the rap dynasty Wu- Tang Clan; and the enigmatic Biz Markie had the world singing along to his hit anthem Just a Friend. Plagued by corporate censorship and a landmark sample-related lawsuit in the 1990s, Cold Chillin’ folded, leaving behind a legacy shrouded in controversy and a catalog that influenced multiple generations of rap artists.