The Story behind Strata Records w/ DJ Amir

Moderation: Julian Brimmers, DJ Support C:Mone

Amir Abdullah is a rare breed of music lover whose passion for music and understanding of cultural and sociological context complement his deep crates of classical records. A self-proclaimed history buff and student of sociology, Amir applies his knowledge to the kind of music and culture that rarely receives the recognition it deserves and will surely demand in generations to come.

Just like many jazz musicians Amir has interviewed and documented over the years, all of whom told him that their music was dismissed as irrelevant at the time, Amir is part of hip-hop history as a sample archaeologist, music historian, compilation curator and DJ, and is already recognized alongside his childhood heroes. As one of the few hip-hop veterans who is both an artist and a manager, Amir Abdullah continues to dig into the seemingly inexhaustible collection of music for the benefit of sample trackers, disco dancers, music nerds and adventurous music lovers worldwide.

A music lover for as long as he can remember, Amir Abdullah first fell in love with jazz by listening to his father’s extensive collection, which now makes up a good portion of his enviable vinyl library.

While trading records, Amir came across Lyman Woodard’s album “Strata” – “Saturday Night Special” and became fascinated by this most mysterious of labels. So he traveled to Detroit to find out more. While working on the Scion iQ Museum project to document the history of the label and its art, Amir met Barbara Cox, the widow of Strata founder Kenny Cox, who granted him exclusive rights to the label’s entire catalog. What Amir unearthed is a veritable treasure trove of music and art – a significant chapter in Detroit’s history that has never been fully told until…