The label became known for its gritty sound and do-it-yourself aesthetic (peep the multiple typos on the credits for Boogie Down Productions' Criminal Minded). B-Boy Records was started by Jack Allen and William Kamarra in 1986 at 132nd Street & Cypress Avenue in The Bronx, New York. B-Boy released music from cutting-edge newer artists such as Boogie Down Productions, Castle D, JVC Force, and Akiem & Narkim as well as classic Hip-Hop artists like The Cold Crush Brothers, Spyder D, and Sparky D. B-Boy Records closed their doors in 1988, but the label left a lasting legacy and released some of the most organic and influential Hip-Hop in their short tenure.

Boogie Down Productions

Boogie Down Productions, also known as BDP, was the most successful of the B-Boy acts. The earliest iterations of BDP are the groups Scott La Rock & The Celebrity 3 and 12:41. The Celebrity 3 consisted of KRS-One, Levi 167, and MC Quality. The group recorded "Advance" on Street Beat Records in 1985 (it was released in '86). 12:41 released "Success Is The Word" on Fresh Records in 1985. Levi 167 and MC Quality left the group which later became Boogie Down Productions, and their first release under that name was the 1986 anti-crack song "Say No Brother," released on B-Boy's parent label, Rock Candy Records.

1986 would also bring the hit single "South Bronx"/"The P Is Free", with "South Bronx" igniting the infamous "Bridge Wars." It was Boogie Down Productions' debut album, Criminal Minded, released the next year, which placed KRS-One into the emerging new class of wordsmiths which included Kool G. Rap, Rakim, and Big Daddy Kane. "Poetry," "My 9mm Goes Bang," "Elementary," and "Criminal Minded" helped to shape the scope of 1987 Hip-Hop and solidify Criminal Minded as one of Hip-Hop's greatest and most influential albums.

JVC FORCE

B-Boy releases were rarely, if ever, promoted, and the only way that the record-buying public was aware of new releases on the label was a trip to the record store or access to a Hip-Hop radio show that showcased underground Hip-Hop. 1987's "Strong Island" by JVC Force was a sonic bomb and an ode to the group's home of Long Island. Over a loop of Freda Payne's "The Easiest Way To Fall," B-Luv and AJ Woodson flow effortlessly with the monotone flow that has become synonymous with L.I. MC's such as Rakim and EPMD. JVC Force's 1988 album Doin' Damage contained the hits "Puppy Love," "The Move," and "Stylin' Lyrics." Doin' Damage is classic late '80s Hip-Hop that still holds up strong three decades after its release.

Sparky D

In 1987, B-Boy Records released their first compilation, B Girls Live & Kicking. The compilation contained songs by L.A. Star, Sparky D, and 5 Star Moet, with production by BDP, Keyboard Money Mike, Spyder D, and Ced Gee of the Ultramagnetic MC's. The compilation was also an opportunity to promote Sparky D's "comeback" single "Throwdown." The Spyder D-produced track interpolates the Boz Skaggs classic "Lowdown" over a drum machine-heavy track. "Throwdown" created the demand for Sparky's 1988 full-length album Sparky D's World. With production by Davy DMX, Ivan "DJ Doc" Rodriguez, and DJ K Wiz, Sparky D's World was a strong comeback from one of the genre's earliest female battle MCs.

The Cold Crush Brothers

The legendary Cold Crush Brothers are one of the most dynamic crews from the first-generation MC groups. The Almighty KG and DJ Tony Crush branched off from the group and released "Feel The Horns"/"We Can Do This" in 1988. "Feel The Horns," with its catchy horn-looped hook, was a great comeback for the legendary group. In the same year, the group released the full-length album Troopers.

B-Boy Records released a Christmas compilation album and a posthumous Scott La Rock compilation as well as albums and singles from Tall, Dark & Handsome, former Celebrity 3 member Levi 167, Castle D, The Brothers Arkiem & Narkim, Wax Master Torey, Frozen Explosion and Positive Image. B-Boy Records is one of Hip-Hop's important independent labels with a discography that influenced artists beyond their active time period.