Bobby "Bobcat" Ervin (born December 13, 1967), professionally known as Bobcat or DJ Bobcat, is an American

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

winner and multi-platinum producer, songwriter, DJ, artist and music executive. He has worked with

Clive Davis Clive Jay Davis (born April 4, 1932) is an American record producer, A&R executive, record executive, and lawyer. He has won five Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer, in 2000. From 1967 to 1 ...

Russell Simmons Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. Simmons' ...

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

Lyor Cohen Lyor Cohen born October 3, 1959) is an American record executive and entrepreneur. Cohen has been actively involved in hip hop at various record labels for more than 30 years. He started by managing rappers for Rush Productions, then led Def Ja ...

, Steve Rifkind,

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Guy Oseary Guy Harley Oseary ( he, גיא עוזרי; born October 3, 1972) is an Israeli-American talent manager and writer. His clients include Madonna, U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Biography Guy Oseary was born on October 3, 1972, in Jerusale ...

Jermaine Dupri Jermaine Dupri Mauldin (born September 23, 1972) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, record executive, entrepreneur, and DJ. Early life Jermaine Dupri Mauldin was born on September 23, 1972, the son of Tina (Mosley) and Michael ...

, and has written and produced songs for

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

Mack 10 Dedrick D'Mon Rolison (born August 9, 1971), better known by his stage name Mack 10, is an American rapper. He has sold nearly 11 million records combining his solo and group works. Mack 10 made his first appearance on Ice Cube's 1994 " Bootleg ...

Tupac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

Mc Ren Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by his stage name MC Ren, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Compton, California. He is the founder and owner of the record label Villain Entertainment. MC Ren ...

Sir Mix A Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

, K9 Posse, Breeze,

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

King T Roger McBride (born December 14, 1968), better known by his stage name King T (formerly known as King Tee), is an American West Coast Hip hop rapper from Compton, California. Emerging as one of Compton's earliest hip hop artists, he was signed ...

Kam Kaam (Gurmukhi: ਕਾਮ ''Kāma'') in common usage, the term stands for 'excessive passion for sexual pleasure' and it is in this sense that it is considered to be an evil in Sikhism. In Sikhism it is believed that Kaam can be overcome ...

, Candyman, and

Yo-Yo A yo-yo (also spelled yoyo) is a toy consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a string looped around the axle, similar to a spool. It is an ancient toy with proof of existence since 500 BCE. The yo-yo was also called a bandalore in ...

Musical career

Uncle Jamm's Army

Since the early 1980s Bobcat has been involved in hip hop. He started in Los Angeles with the West Coast icons and pioneers

Uncle Jamm's Army Uncle Jamm's Army was an American funk/ hip hop collective crew based in Los Angeles, California, in the 1980s. Their singles "What's Your Sign", "Dial-a-Freak", and "Yes, Yes, Yes" were influential to the electro, old school funk, and earl ...

, DJing and promoting large dances and concerts for Run–D.M.C.,

Whodini Whodini is an American hip hop group that was formed in 1982. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, a.k.a. Ecstasy (who wore a Zorro-style hat as his trademark; Ju ...

, Ice-T, and

Kurtis Blow Kurtis Walker (born August 9, 1959), professionally known by his stage name Kurtis Blow, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record/film producer, b-boy, DJ, public speaker and minister. He is the first commercially successful rapper a ...

, helping, establish the beginning of the hip hop scene on the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

. At the time, Bobcat was only 15 years old, and wasn't even tall enough to reach the turntables, having to stand on a milk crate to DJ. Back then Bobcat didn't own any professional equipment, so when he began working with Big Daddy Productions and Uncle Jamm's Army, Ice T's DJ Chris "The Glove" Taylor had to show him how to use the huge Cerwin Vega Mixer. Roger Clayton, founder of Uncle Jamm's Army, would fly to the East Coast and pick up the hottest new underground records from various record stores in the city and bring them back to LA. Bobcat and The

Egyptian Lover Gregory James Broussard (born August 31, 1963), better known by his stage name Egyptian Lover, is an American musician, vocalist, producer and DJ, and was a part of the L.A. dance music, electro, and rap scene in the early 1980s. History Th ...

would take those records, play them first and break them at the big Uncle Jamm's Dances, drawing over 15,000 people in the early 1980s.

California Catt Crew

As a member of the highly publicized Uncle Jamm's Army, Bobcat was in popular demand, being booked months in advance and doing two to six parties every weekend. After being overbooked week after week, he decided to form a crew of DJs similar to Uncle Jamm's Army, but with his signature sound and scratching techniques. He formed the California Catt Crew, which included Bobcat, Battlecat, Dr. Scratch Kat, Wild Cat, Cosmic Cat, Alley Cat, Courageous Cat and Kitty Kat. Bobcat helped book the DJs all around Southern California and gave them tips about the business. At this time Bobcat recorded a 12-inch single with Tracy Kendrick and Courtney Branch of Total Track Productions, including the Bobcat Song & the California Catt Crew.

1580 KDAY/Mix Masters

Bobcat, along with Uncle Jamm's Army, Greg Mack and Jack Patterson, helped pioneer the world's first 24-hour hip hop radio station, 1580

KDAY KDAY (93.5 FM, "93.5 KDAY") is a radio station that is licensed to Redondo Beach, California and serves the Greater Los Angeles area. The station is owned by Meruelo Media and airs a classic hip hop format. The station's studios are located in ...

, changing the entire format of radio, introducing and pioneering the ''Saturday Night Mix Show'' and ''Traffic Jam''. At the time, radio was traditional R&B and was playing very little rap. Bobcat thought of the idea, concept and name "Mix Masters" for Greg Mack at 1580 KDAY. The new format caused a national and international domino effect, changing various stations' view of hip hop and subsequently their format. Uncle Jamm's Army and the Wrecking Crew are the forefathers of

West Coast hip hop West Coast hip hop is a regional genre of hip hop music that encompasses any artists or music that originated in the West Coast region of the United States. West Coast hip hop began to dominate from a radio play and sales standpoint during the ea ...

. The Mix Masters were the next generation.

Def Jam/Bigger & Deffer

After dominating the West Coast hip hop scene, Bobcat with his crew L.A. Posse flew to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and began working with rap mogul

and

Def Jam Records Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

, writing and producing tracks for

including "

I Need Love "I Need Love" is the second single from LL Cool J's second album, '' Bigger and Deffer''. The single reached number 1 on the Hot Black Singles and number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while becoming one of the first rap songs to enjoy main ...

", "

I'm Bad "I'm Bad" (sometimes written as I'm BAD) is the first single from LL Cool J's second album, ''Bigger and Deffer''. It was released in 1987 for Def Jam Recordings and was produced by the production group, The L.A. Posse and LL Cool J, with Russel ...

", "Jack the Ripper", "Kanday", "Get Down", "

Go Cut Creator Go ''Bigger and Deffer'' (abbreviated as ''BAD'' on the album cover) is the second studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, released on May 29, 1987 by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It features the hit single “I’m Bad”, and the f ...

" and "The Do Wop". The album ''

Bigger and Deffer ''Bigger and Deffer'' (abbreviated as ''BAD'' on the album cover) is the second studio album by American rapper LL Cool J, released on May 29, 1987 by Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records. It features the hit single “I’m Bad”, and the f ...

'' sold over 3 million copies, and is considered some of LL Cool J's best work.

"I Need Love"

Bobcat wrote the melody to "I Need Love" when he was 16 years old. It was originally a song titled "Friends By Day, Lovers By Night", Bobcat's version of "Secret Lovers" by Atlantic Starr. "I Need Love" has been sampled and remade more than any other rap song in history. It has been sampled or replayed by

, Usher,

Master P Percy Robert Miller Sr. (born April 29, 1967), known by his stage name Master P, is an American rapper, record executive, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of the record label No Limit Records, which was relaunched as ...

Kris Kross Kris Kross was an American hip hop duo that consisted of Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith. Kris Kross was the youngest hip-hop duo to gain success, with gold and platinum albums at 12 and 13 years old. The duo was discover ...

and countless others. ''Blender Magazine'' voted it the greatest rap song ever made.

Def Jam tour

LL Cool J asked Bobcat to go on the now world-famous

Def Jam Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...

Tour. Bobcat signed on as DJ/music supervisor, and also designed and choreographed LL's stage shows. He toured all over the world, DJing and overseeing the sound and lighting. The Def Jam Tour was one of the highest-grossing hip hop tours in history, grossing over $20 million in ticket sales worldwide. The tour toured all over the US and Europe, doing huge sold-out shows around the country including at the LA Sports Arena, the Omni in Atlanta and

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

in New York. The Def Jam Tour featured

Eric B & Rakim Eric B. & Rakim are an American hip hop duo formed on Long Island, New York, in 1986, composed of DJ Eric B. (born Eric Barrier) and MC Rakim (born William Michael Griffin Jr.). AllMusic wrote that "during rap's so-called golden age in the late ...

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe p ...

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince were an American hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of rapper Will Smith (the Fresh Prince) and disc jockey Jeff Townes (DJ Jazzy Jeff). Active full time from 1986 to 1994 and occasion ...

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from New York City. He rose to prominence as part of ...

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

Salt N Pepa Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

Kool Moe Dee Mohandas Dewese (born August 8, 1962), better known by his stage name Kool Moe Dee, is an American rapper, writer and actor. Considered one of the forerunners of the new jack swing sound in hip hop, he gained fame in the 1980s as a member of one ...

, Run–D.M.C., Stetsasonic, and LL Cool J, the headline act.

''Cat Got Ya Tongue''

Bobcat became an Arista recording artist and toured around the country performing his album, ''Cat Got Ya Tongue'', on the same stage with

New Edition New Edition is an American R&B/Pop group from the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a 'new edition' of the Jackson 5. The group reached its height of popularity in the 198 ...

and

Jody Watley Jody Vanessa Watley (born January 30, 1959) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and artist,USA Today (February 16, 1996), Best Bets: Albums Jody Watley Greatest Hits, "Few singers fired up the disco like Jody Watley who set trends ...

. That same year Bobcat was presented with a proclamation by the

Atlanta City Council The Atlanta City Council is the main municipal legislative body for the city of Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It consists of 16 members primarily elected from 12 districts within the city. The Atlanta City Government is divided into three bo ...

for making a positive album and being a positive influence and role model for the community.

Business ventures

The Foundation

Bobcat and his wife Chanel Ervin started a global entertainment agency and strategic marketing firm titled The Foundation. This global network primarily focuses on DJs and producers, and also markets and promotes new and established recording artists.

The Digital Record Pool

The Digital Record Pool is an online music marketing service and online community for recording artists that has thousands of DJs, MDs, PDs,

tastemakers The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

, music lovers, music producers,

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...

s and

bloggers A blog (a truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in reverse chronological order ...

from around the world. Bobcat is the

founder Founder or Founders may refer to: Places *Founders Park, a stadium in South Carolina, formerly known as Carolina Stadium * Founders Park, a waterside park in Islamorada, Florida Arts, entertainment, and media * Founders (''Star Trek''), the ali ...

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

, and says this site and service were created to help new artists and indie labels around the world get maximum exposure.

Digital DJ team

Bobcat and the Foundation Entertainment Agency launched an international DJ team for the purpose of promoting new music, media, brands, goods and technologies Globally. Bobcat is founder and general manager, His wife, Chanel Ervin, is the President of Marketing.

Discography

* ''

'' (1987) * '' K-9 Posse'' (1988) * ''

I'm Gonna Git You Sucka ''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka'' is a 1988 American blaxploitation parody film written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans in his directorial debut. Featured in the film are several noteworthy African-American actors who were part of the g ...

'' (1988) * '' Act a Fool'' (1988) * '' Cat Got Ya Tongue'' (1989) * ''

Mama Said Knock You Out ''Mama Said Knock You Out'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper LL Cool J. It was produced mostly by Marley Marl and recorded at his "House of Hits" home studio in Chestnut Ridge and at Chung King House of Metal in New York City. After ...

'' (1990) * '' The Hard Way'' (1991) * ''

Death Certificate A death certificate is either a legal document issued by a medical practitioner which states when a person died, or a document issued by a government civil registration office, that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death, as ...

'' (1991) * ''

Black Pearl The ''Black Pearl'' (formerly known as the ''Wicked Wench'') is a fictional ship in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the screenplay, the ''Black Pearl'' is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by ...

'' (1992) * ''

Kizz My Black Azz ''Kizz My Black Azz'' is the debut EP by rapper MC Ren, released on June 30, 1992, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Priority Records. Selling over one million copies in the first month, to date, the album has sold 2.2 million copies in the ...

'' (1992) * '' 5150: Home 4 tha Sick'' (1992) * '' The Predator'' (1992) * '' Sickinnahead'' (1993) * ''

Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. ''Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z...'' is the second studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released on February 16, 1993, by Interscope and Jive Records. N.I.G.G.A. in the title is punctuated to refer to 2Pac's backronym "Never Ignorant in Getting Go ...

'' (1993) * ''

14 Shots to the Dome ''14 Shots to the Dome'' is the fifth studio album by American hip hop recording artist LL Cool J. It was released on March 30, 1993 via Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions took place at Marley's House Of Hits, at Cove City Sound Studios and a ...

'' (1993) * ''

Mitsou Mitsou Annie Marie Gélinas (born September 1, 1970, in Loretteville, Quebec) is a Canadian pop singer, businesswoman, television and radio host, and actress. She is credited as Mitsou Gélinas when acting, but records simply as Mitsou (the Fre ...

'' (1993) * '' State Of Emergency: Society In Crisis Vol. 1'' (1994) * '' Tha Life of a Hoodlum'' (1995) * ''

Mista Grimm Rojai Trawick, better known as Mista Grimm, is a rapper formerly signed to Epic Records' sub-label, 550 Music. Grimm's first release was the 1993 single " Indo Smoke" featuring Warren G and Nate Dogg from the '' Poetic Justice soundtrack''. ...

'' (1995) * ''

Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton ''Str8 off tha Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton'' is the second and final studio album by American hip hop recording artist Eazy-E. It was released posthumously by Ruthless Records and Relativity Records on January 30, 1996, ten months after Eazy- ...

'' (1996) * ''

All Eyez On Me ''All Eyez on Me'' is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac and the last to be released during his lifetime. Released on February 13, 1996, by Death Row and Interscope Records, the album features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, Snoo ...

'' (1996) * ''

Based on a True Story Based on a True Story may refer to: Albums * ''Based on a T.R.U. Story'', by 2 Chainz, 2012 * '' Based on a True Story...'', by Blake Shelton, 2013 * ''Based on a True Story'' (The Del-Lords album), 1988 * ''Based on a True Story'' (Fat Freddy's ...

'' (1997) * ''

Ruthless for Life ''Ruthless for Life'' is the third album by rapper MC Ren, released June 30, 1998, on Ruthless Records and distributed by Epic Records. Background Ruthless for Life was MC Ren Lorenzo Jerald Patterson (born June 16, 1969), better known by ...

'' (1998) * '' Mean Green'' (1998) * '' J.E. Heartbreak'' (2000) * '' Beware of Dog'' (2000) * ''

The Exodus The Exodus (Hebrew language, Hebrew: יציאת מצרים, ''Yeẓi’at Miẓrayim'': ) is the founding myth of the Israelites whose narrative is spread over four books of the Torah (or Pentateuch, corresponding to the first five books of the ...

'' (2002) * ''

Hip Hop Is Dead ''Hip Hop Is Dead'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def ...

'' (2006)