Tony Pearson

A pioneering early hip hop artist, producer, and radio station disc jockey from New Haven, Connecticut who founded the [l=Magic Records (7)] and [l=Tri State Records] labels at the start of the 1980s. [b]For the recording engineer, please see [a=Tony Pearson (8)].[/b] Born on April 26. 1953, Pearson began his career during the 1970s in radio, but has also hosted "Holla Back Video", a public access television show, and owned the "Magic Records" store in Ansonia, Connecticut. His early 1980 release [r=1405325]—which Pearson recorded in 1979 under his "[url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/1610094-Mr-Magic-9]Mr. Magic[/url]" pseudonym and drew inspiration from [a=Kurtis Blow]'s "[m=85470]"—is believed to be the first hip hop record to originate from New England.