Audimat 17

Audimat 17 – The following is an excerpt from an exciting book by Dan Charnas, a longtime reporter for the leading magazine The Source and one of the first hosts of a rap radio show in Los Angeles. The Big Payback interweaves exceptional destinies, in the manner of other American musical best-sellers such as The Wrecking Crew by Kent Hartman (about Los Angeles studio rats who became famous in their own right). But it also makes room for characters who are, if not more discreet, at least less known. This is the case of Wendy Day, who has played a decisive role in the careers of some of rap’s biggest stars: Master P and the No Limit label, Eminem and the Cash Money team. Her career is full of twists and turns and warrants a translation of an excerpt from the book on its own, but there are other surprises in this account: at a time when conversations abound about the meaning of independence and the relationship to the majors in rap, Wendy Day’s role, method, and ambitions in advocating for rappers through the Rap Coalition provide a fascinating precedent (and model?).