Ralph McDaniels, Full Interview Part 1

Collection: Queens Memory Collection at the Archives at Queens Library: Ralph McDaniels

Date: Time Period: 1957 - 1996; 2016-08; Interview recorded: August 2016 Material: Digital audio recording made using a digital recorder and Abode Soundbooth. Dimension: Total running time: 1:33:01

Creator: Ralph McDaniels interviewed by David Simon Identifier: aql:19864 qmp-rm-full-000008

Description: Part 1 of Full Interview: Ralph McDaniels has been a DJ and music producer for many years. He also had a local video show called “Video Music Box” in the 1980’s. In this interview, Ralph discusses growing up in Queens Village, the importance of culture, and what music has impacted his life from childhood to adulthood. Mr. McDaniels grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, the son of a draftsman and a civil servant, and followed New York City’s burgeoning music scene. In the early ’80s, he was an engineer at WNYC-TV Channel 31. In 1983, “Video Music Box” was born, a six-day-a-week, hourlong show. At the time, there were few outlets that played music videos, and “Video Music Box” was among the first television shows to regularly feature hip-hop.

Title : Ralph McDaniels, Full Interview Part 1

Collection : aql:20455; aql:19952

Creator : Ralph McDaniels interviewed by David Simon

Date : Time Period: 1957 - 1996; 2016-08; Interview recorded: August 2016

Summary/Description : Part 1 of Full Interview: Ralph McDaniels has been a DJ and music producer for many years. He also had a local video show called “Video Music Box” in the 1980’s. In this interview, Ralph discusses growing up in Queens Village, the importance of culture, and what music has impacted his life from childhood to adulthood. Mr. McDaniels grew up in Brooklyn and Queens, the son of a draftsman and a civil servant, and followed New York City’s burgeoning music scene. In the early ’80s, he was an engineer at WNYC-TV Channel 31. In 1983, “Video Music Box” was born, a six-day-a-week, hourlong show. At the time, there were few outlets that played music videos, and “Video Music Box” was among the first television shows to regularly feature hip-hop.

Subject : Hip-hop; Clothing and dress; Music; Disc jockeys; Music videos; LL Cool J, 1968-; Grandmaster Flash; Video Music Box

Relation : Queens Memory Collection at the Archives at Queens Library: Ralph McDaniels

Rights : Contact digitalarchives@queenslibrary.org for research and reproduction requests.

Coverage : Locations discussed: Queens Village, Queens, NY; New York, NY Queens Village (New York, N.Y.) New York (N.Y.) Queens (New York, N.Y.)

Type : Oral history

Format : Digital audio recording made using a digital recorder and Abode Soundbooth.; Total running time: 1:33:01

Identifier : aql:19864 qmp-rm-full-000008