Paying Homage

"...hanging pictures on my wall, every Saturday rap attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl..."

This is not only a well known line from The Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 classic "Juicy"; it was the radio show that would push hip-hop into the forefront of mainstream urban radio.

Debuting in 1983 on WBLS-FM in New York City, Rap Attack was the first exclusive hip-hop radio show to be aired on a major radio station. The show featured Marley Marl, who later formed the Juice Crew, as the DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as the show's co-producer. During the early 1980's, Disco and funk were fading, and rap was emerging as a rebellious new art form in the streets, housing projects, and parks of New York City. In the years prior to Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, born John Rivas, was working as a mobile DJ in Brooklyn who purchased late-night air time on a New York public-access radio station, WHBI (now WNWK), to broadcast new hip-hop releases.

Mr. Magic's breakthrough came when WBLS-FM decided to take a chance on playing hip-hop in 1983. Mr. Magic was pretty much the "go to guy" when it came to finding out what new hip-hop music has been released. He was the DJ and radio host every artists wanted approval from. According to Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams, in 1984, WBLS wanted to abandon the rap show and offered Mr. Magic the chance to host a show playing softer music. Fearing the demise of hip-hop music in pop culture, Magic left WBLS and returned to WHBI in order to retain not only his audience, but to retain the outlet he provided for hip-hop. He came back to WBLS the next year and stayed until 1989.

Aside from being noticed as the pioneer of the hip-hop mix show, Mr. Magic was also known for being instrumental in the Queensbridge vs. Bronx rivalry between the Juice Crew and Boogie Down Productions. While shopping their latest single to Mr. Magic, BDP heard Juice Crew's MC Shan's single "The Bridge." A song in which MC Shan credits Hip-hop's beginning in the parks of Queens. After hearing this single, and hearing the news that Mr. Magic gave BDP's single a less than positive review, BDP responded with the classic hip-hop singles, "South Bronx" and "The Bridge Is Over. These two singles were in heavy rotation at KISS-FM by Kool DJ Red Alert, Magic's Rival.

Mr. Magic's Rap Attack only lasted six years but it was very instrumental in widening the scope and validity of hip-hop music. Mr. Magic recorded one 12' single as an artist "Magic's Message (There's A Better Way)", produced by Spyder D for Posse Records in 1984.

After leaving WBLS in 1989, Magic spent his career at various stations between Baltimore and New York. He returned to New York in 2000 to spin for Hot-97, but lasted there just three years. Magic's long-time motto was "No more music by the suckers", a position that hardly jibed with payola-fueled contemporary formulas. Indeed, his primary allegiance was always to the listeners. He returned to the spotlight as himself in 2002 in video game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," which incorporates the fictitious radio station, "Wildstyle Pirate Radio", in which he is the host playing old school hip-hop songs.

On the morning of October 2, 2009, John Rivas, known around the world as Mr. Magic, died from a heart attack at the age of 53. Around the time of Mr. Magic's death, WBLS officials were working to have Mr. Magic back on the air. Mr. Magic was separated from his wife, Lisa Rivas. He leaves sons John Jr. and Jabar, and his daughter, Domonique Rivas.

Mr. Magic has been referenced in songs by many rappers such as:

"Magic's Wand" by Whodini.

"Thug Style" by 2pac

"Halftime" by Nas

"Love" by Mos Def

Although Mr. Magic's untimely passing has sadden the real true hip-hop fans who grew up listening to him, it has also given the younger generation a chance to do some research and find out who he was and how important his legacy will always be to not only hip-hop music, but to urban media outlets period.

-Quinton "DJ Q-Mix" Jones.