Paul C
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Paul C. McKasty (September 20, 1964–July 17, 1989), better known an Paul C, was an Irish-American East coast hip hop music producer and engineer in the 1980s.
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[edit] Work
Paul C's best known work is for Ultramagnetic MC's 1988 classic debut album Critical Beatdown and the non-album singles the group released between 1988 and 1989. He only has one production credit on the album for the track "Give the Drummer Some," but according to group member Ced Gee, Paul C was responsible for the overall sound and tone of the album. Those that knew him also cite his talents as a bass player and drummer.
Paul was a member of the group Mikey D & the L.A. Posse, and he also worked for many other artists including Grandmaster Caz, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, Stezo, and a young Rahzel. He also served as a mentor to Large Professor in the use of E-mu SP-1200. He overheard Black Rock and Ron a recording session of a new local group named Simply Too Positive and offered to produce its entire demo. Simply Too Positive eventually became Organized Konfusion and its demo created a major buzz around the group.
Paul C's status began to grow and he was hired to work for higher-profile artists. He produced the title track from Eric B. & Rakim's Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (though his name is not listed in the credits). He was planning on producing more songs for the group and also for Queen Latifah, Biz Markie, and Large Professor's group Main Source. However, in 1989, Paul C. was found shot to death in his Rosedale, Queens, home at the age of 24. Despite his murder being featured on America's Most Wanted, his killers were never found.
[edit] Legacy
Despite his short career, Paul C has left a lasting legacy on hip-hop music.
His protégé Large Professor took over production duties on much of the music Paul was working on before his death. He went on to become a well-known producer and emcee. Large Pro's publishing company is named Paul Sea Productions in honor of his late mentor. Other top hip hop producers such as DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Cut Chemist cite Paul C as an influence. Kool Keith, Pharoahe Monch, and Rahzel credit Paul C with helping them to grow as artists.
A picture of Paul in appears in the liner notes of Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em and the album is dedicated to his memory. On Organized Konfusion's debut single "Fudge Pudge," the duo gives a shout-out that says, "Paul C to the organisms!" Critical Beatdown was rereleased in 2004 with the non-album singles that Paul produced as bonus tracks. In 2006, an unreleased album by Mikey D & the L.A. Posse was released under the title Better Late Than Never: In Memory Of Paul C.
[edit] References
- Tompkins, Dave (2001). Return to the World as a Thought. 360HIPHOP.com.
