Liberty Grooves was a hip hop

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

and shop based in

Tooting Tooting is a district in South London, forming part of the London Borough of Wandsworth and partly in the London Borough of Merton. It is located south south-west of Charing Cross. History Tooting has been settled since pre- Saxon times ...

, South London and owned by Johnny F. It was most active during the 1990s, and the shop served as a performance venue as well. Records were released on this label by groups including Solid n Mind and Gutter Snypes, and the artist

DJ Noize Kim Sæther (born 1975 at Lille Skensved, near Køge), better known as DJ Noize is a Copenhagen-based Danish hip-hop- DJ. His company, Noizeworks places all his activities under one moniker. Career DJ Noize started scratching in his local youth cl ...

History

The Liberty Grooves label was established in 1990 with the release of Solid n Mind's debut single "An Original Break". This was followed up with the Brit Core styled ''Code of Conduct EP'' by True Style. In 1992, The Hip Hop Shop in Tooting opened its doors. As well as selling old and new hip hop records, it provided a platform for rappers and DJs to perform, including artists such as Shyloc, Principal Mark, Mell O and Whirlwind D. On New Year's Eve 1992–93, the shop hosted a hip hop jam featuring Lil Rodney Cee from the film '' Wildstyle'' as well as a host of UK rap crews including Def Tex, Lords of Rap and

Braintax Joe Christie, better known as Braintax, is a British hip hop artist and producer. Christie had also recorded or appeared under the pseudonyms Brando Flux and Joey Brains. All of his releases were on his own record label, Low Life Records. Origi ...

. A regular behind the desk serving customers was Big Ted (

Kiss 100 London Kiss is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Kiss Network. It is primarily aimed at the 15-34 age group and broadcasts nationally to the UK on DAB Digital Radio, as well as on FM in London, Bristol and ...

, London). In 1994, the label released ''The Trials of Life EP'' by the Gutter Snypes which was pressed in many different colours and mastered in the USA. Furthermore, the single was even sampled by

Nellee Hooper Nellee Hooper (born Paul Andrew Hooper on 15 March 1963) is a British record producer, remixer and songwriter known for his work with many major recording artists beginning in the late 1980s. He also debuted as a motion picture music composer w ...

for the '' Bedtime Stories'' album by

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 ...

in the same year. In the late 1990s, the label concentrated on US releases, teaming up with Stretch Armstrong's Dolo imprint to release the ''Freestyle Frenzy Series'' which showcased freestyles by artists such as

Mad Skillz Donnie Shaquan Lewis, (born June 2, 1974) also known as Skillz, or Mad Skillz is an American rapper known for his acclaimed 1996 album ''From Where???'', a reference to his origins in Virginia, not a New York City or Los Angeles rapper. He ...

and

Craig G Craig Curry (born March 24, 1973),Hess, Mickey (2009) ''Hip Hop in America: a Regional Guide: Volume 1 - East Coast and West Coast'', Greenwood Publishing Group, , p. 55Bry, David (2001) "Something in the Water", ''Vibe'', March 2001, p. 80 bette ...

. In 1995, Liberty Grooves was set to release a twelve-inch single by

Akinyele (rapper) Akinyele Adams (), better known by the mononym Akinyele, is an American rapper known for his sexually explicit lyrics, including his 1996 underground radio hit " Put It in Your Mouth". He appeared on " Live at the Barbeque" off of Main Source's ...

; however the project never moved past the test pressing stage. All that existed were 17 test pressings. The significance of this is that this single, featuring production by

Large Professor William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and record producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...

, is one of the most expensive rap records to ever exist, having sold for around £3000.''Record Collector'' magazine, June 2010, Diamond Publishing The label also put out the first records by DJ Noize, who went on to win the DMC World DJ Championships in 1996. In 1999, the label ceased to trade until it was resurrected in 2009, with a limited edition pressing by Solid n Mind.

Discography

* Solid n Mind featuring Whirlwind D & Johnny F - "An Original Break" (Lib001) * Truestyle - "Codes Of Conduct" (Lib002) * Solid n Mind featuring Whirlwind D & Johnny F - "Centre Stage" / "Woke With Nothin'" (Lib002 1/2) * ''Takin' Liberty's Vol. 1'' LP (Lib003) * Solid n Mind - ''Battle Tipped Rhyme'' (Lib003 1/2) * Gutter Snypes - ''The Trials Of Life'' (Radio Edits) (Lib004) * Gutter Snypes - ''The Trials Of Life'' EP (Lib005) * Gutter Snypes - ''The Trials Of Life'' (Instrumentals) (Lib006) * ''Freestyle Frenzy Vol. 1'' LP (Lib007) * ''Freestyle Frenzy Vol. 2'' LP (Lib008) * Akinyele - "Break A Bitch Neck" / "You Gotta Go Down" (Lib009) * DJ Noize - ''The Whole Mess'' EP (Lib010) * DJ Noize - ''The Whole Mess II'' (Lib011) * "Freestyle Frenzy Vol. 2" / "Akinyele Extract" 7" (Libext1)

References

External links

Liberty Grooves
Discogs.

britishhiphop.co.uk, Peter Low. {{Authority control British record labels