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Enjoy Records Founder Bobby Robinson Dies at 93

Posted Jan 10th 2011 7:15PM by Carter Maness
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Val Wilmer, Redferns

Bobby Robinson, a boutique label entrepreneur, record store owner, hip-hop pioneer and legitimate Harlem legend, has passed away at the age of 93. He had been ill for several years but lived a long, fruitful life that will clearly be remembered fondly by those who were graced by his presence throughout the decades.

Robinson got his start in business with his mainstay shop called Bobby's Happy House that was located on the historic 125th Street stretch of Harlem. Now regarded as perhaps the most well known African-American thoroughfare in the United States, Robinson was actually the first proprietor of a black-owned business on the street when his store opened in 1946.

Over the decades, Robinson started many boutique record labels and sold his products from his store. He routinely recorded artists that have since become true icons in music history such as Gladys Knight and The Pips and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. His label Enjoy Records was particularly important during the onset of hip-hop as Robinson recorded, pressed and distributed early singles by Flash, Spoonie Gee, Treacherous Three, Doug E. Fresh and many more.

Check out a couple of our favorite Enjoy Records tunes in Robinson's honor:

Filed under: Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop News, R.I.P.
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16 Comments

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K Live Callier

Morgan C. Robinson aka Bobby Robinson, Jr. is the founder of Enjoy Records along with many other Record labels. Enjoy Records founder, Bobby Robinson, Jr. is not dead. His father Bobby Robinson, Sr. was the founder of Bobby Records a landmark in Harlem. Please update your site. Thank You.

K. Callier
Executive Administrator
http://bobbyrobinsonjr.com
http://morgancrobinson.com
Brief History:
http://www.capzles.com/#/D22FE851-125E-473B-94A4-112B26BEBA68/?j=7AE43CF8-77CA-4672-B926-10CA09263DEC

October 18 2011 at 3:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Shahrani

A legend has passed away that made great progress in music for ALL races and all you bored bloggers have to do is turn the story into another opportunity to worry about race issues. I was born black will die black, live black and doing ok! I don't have time to worry about what ANY non african american says or feels about me or my people and as long as we let them get in our heads and respond to their baiting they will continue. All they want is attention and when we learn to ignore them and make them "sit untill given a command" they'll keep playing for attention.

January 12 2011 at 12:07 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Peter Gizinya

Exactly why I refer to myself as European-American.

January 12 2011 at 7:12 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Ms. C \"Rappin\' Pittman

And don't forget "kansas City" by Wilbur Harrison, which was one of bobby's.Bobby was originally from West Palm Beach, Florida.Also, can we get away from hyphenated races. It's insulting.

Jerry

January 12 2011 at 7:09 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Turd Ferguson

This is a pretty pathetic artcle. It doesn't even mention Robinson's greatest work, the legenary Elmore James sessions which Bobby released on his Fire and Fury labels. Those tracks are timeless and still sell more copies now than anything else Robinson did. Some of the greatest electric blues cuts ever waxed and the only time the producer became as well known for them as the artists (aside from George Martin & The Beatles). The Boombox needs to hire some new writers and ya'll need to go back to school.

January 11 2011 at 11:48 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

mike

whos bobby in the pic? the guy sittin' on the corner?

January 11 2011 at 6:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to mike's comment

mike

no, the guy taking the pic. he told everyone that came in it was shaft.

January 11 2011 at 7:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

actvst1961

Please Stop refering to Black Americans as Afican they for the most part are not from Afica. They are Black Americans.

January 11 2011 at 6:12 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to actvst1961's comment

Sekinu2

Ummm not to smart are ya? Unless your a native american indian then your not really American your something american depending on your heritage ie. African american, Irish american, German american.....get it? Little history wouldn't hurt ya.

January 11 2011 at 7:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

dworkenlaw1

@Sekinu2

Before saying actvst1961 is not smart, read "you're" own comment. It's pretty clear that "Your" not sure which word to use. LOL.

Patrick

January 11 2011 at 8:30 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

knss89

Rip MrBobby Robinson.

January 11 2011 at 5:39 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Hi Todd

Did Bobby ever give back to his brothas?

January 11 2011 at 5:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Hi Todd's comment

Joe Wllie

Todd do you give back to the Aryan's ?

January 11 2011 at 5:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

TowaOhPowa

I think Sylvia Robinson is his wife because Sylvia Robinson has been lauded as the 'Mother" of hip hop because she was the first to record hip hop artists. She also produced the Moments aka Ray, Goodman & Brown.

January 11 2011 at 4:38 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to TowaOhPowa's comment

when111711

Sylvia Robinson is not related to Bobby Robinson. Sylvia was married to Joey Robinson. She and their son, Joey Robinson, Jr., founded Sugar Hill Records in the mid-70s and launched commercially viable hip-hop with "Rapper's Delight" in 1979.

January 12 2011 at 7:39 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply