Lord Jamar Talks Andre Harrell Quitting Rap Career After Seeing LL Cool J Perform

BY Erika Marie 4.1K Views
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Andre Harrell
Andre Harrell's unexpected passing has caused many to discuss his career, including Lord Jamar & DJ Vlad.

The music industry is still grieving the loss of Andre Harrell. The beloved music executive has created a legacy that is unmatched, and it's clear that his protegé Diddy continues to have a hard time coming to terms with Harrell's death. "I MISS YOU. HE WAS SO KIND. SO BEAUTIFUL. SO PATIENT. SO BLACK. SO CARING. SO SHARING. SO WISE. THE LIFE OF THE PARTY. A MUSICAL GENIUS! MY HERO," Diddy wrote in the caption to a photo of himself and Andre Harrell.

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Lord Jamar and DJ Vlad chatted about the late music legend in a recent episode of VladTV, and during the discussion, they brought up Harrell's early days in hip hop. Before he became instrumental in inking deals that turned some of our favorite artists into icons, Harrell was one half of the 1908s hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. Vlad mentioned that he read that Harrell was gung-ho about his music career until he saw LL Cool J perform. It was then that he decided to go another route.

"'Cause their whole style wasn't aggressive like that," Lord Jamar recalled. "It was more like that early emcee type of style and it was good for that, but he was smart enough to know. You see? And that's part of it, being smart enough to assess your strengths and your weaknesses and know what you can do and what you can't do. You might want to do some sh*t but I can't really do that even if I want to do it... But I can help other people do that."  The two also talked about the evolution of Harrell's hip hop duo partner Alonzo Brown who apparently didn't do too bad for himself after becoming an executive producer of the Judge Mathis show. Watch the clip below. 


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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