Peanut Butter Wolf: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|American DJ and record producer from California}}

Peanut Butter Wolf is a DJ and producer from California who has been active since 1986 when he produced a song by Lyrical Prophecy called 'You Can't Swing This'. Shortly after this he began to work with a rapper called Charizma, an very expressive and creative emcee, and both of them were soon signed to Hollywood Basic records (a division of Disney). Whilst the pair were busy the deal did not bear much fruit and there was much doubt as to whether anything of theirs would get released. To make matters much, much worse Charizma was soon found shot dead

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Peanut Butter Wolf

| image = Peanut-butter-wolf-stones-throw.jpg

| caption = Peanut Butter Wolf at his vinyl bar Gold Line in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], photo by Robb Klassen

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Christopher George Manak<ref name=phoenixnewtimes>{{cite web|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/peanut-butter-wolf-spins-the-history-of-his-stones-throw-records-6459497|title=Peanut Butter Wolf Spins the History of His Stones Throw Records|work=[[Phoenix New Times]]|first=Reyan|last=Ali|date=August 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423105220/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/peanut-butter-wolf-spins-the-history-of-his-stones-throw-records-6459497|archive-date=April 23, 2018|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

| alias = Chris Cut<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/15/news/wk-pop15/2|title=Moving fast, at 33 rpm (Page 2 of 2)|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Jessica|last=Hundley|date=January 15, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318063242/http://articles.latimes.com/2004/jan/15/news/wk-pop15/2|archive-date=March 18, 2015|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|10|8}}<ref name="instagram.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BIanH6TB6XS/ | title=Instagram }}</ref>

| birth_place = [[San Jose, California]], U.S.<ref name=laweekly15>{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/stones-throw-records-turns-15-2173228|title=Stones Throw Records Turns 15|work=[[LA Weekly]]|first=Jeff|last=Weiss|date=December 8, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202104655/http://www.laweekly.com/music/stones-throw-records-turns-15-2173228|archive-date=December 2, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

| origin = <!-- Same as the place of birth; San Jose, California<ref name=cmj/> -->

| death_date = <!-- Do not add unsourced content. -->

| death_place = <!-- Do not add unsourced content. -->

| genre = [[Hip hop music|Hip hop]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.houstonpress.com/music/peanut-butter-wolf-6547220|title=Peanut Butter Wolf|work=[[Houston Press]]|first=Craig D.|last=Lindsey|date=December 15, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180423143400/http://www.houstonpress.com/music/peanut-butter-wolf-6547220|archive-date=April 23, 2018|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

| occupation = {{hlist|[[Disc jockey]]|[[record producer]]}}

| instrument = [[turntablism|Turntables]]

| years_active = 1989–present

| label = {{hlist|Heyday Records|[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]|[[Stones Throw Records|Stones Throw]]|Ultimate Dilemma|Copasetik Recordings}}

| associated_acts = [[Charizma]]

| website = {{URL|https://www.stonesthrow.com}}

}}

'''Christopher George Manak''' (born October 8, 1969 <ref name="instagram.com">{{cite web | url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BIanH6TB6XS/ | title=Instagram }}</ref>), better known by his stage name '''Peanut Butter Wolf''', is an American disc jockey and record producer from [[San Jose, California]].<ref name=cmj>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmj.com/feature/qa-stones-throws-peanut-butter-wolf/|title=Q&A: Stones Throw's Peanut Butter Wolf|work=[[CMJ]]|first=Marisa|last=Aveling|date=May 24, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323011340/http://www.cmj.com/feature/qa-stones-throws-peanut-butter-wolf/|archive-date=March 23, 2015|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ma |first=David |date=2023-12-28 |title=Peanut Butter Wolf on San Jose Hip-Hop in the '80s and '90s {{!}} KQED |url=https://www.kqed.org/arts/13939767/peanut-butter-wolf-san-jose-hip-hop-1980s-1990s |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=www.kqed.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2007 |orig-date=June 21, 2007 |title=Inside the Los Angeles Hip-Hop Undergound |website=[[NPR]] |url=https://www.npr.org/2007/06/21/11264643/inside-the-los-angeles-hip-hop-undergound}}</ref> He is based in [[Los Angeles]], where he moved to in 2000.<ref name=laweekly15/> He is the founder of [[Stones Throw Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2012/03/peanut_butter_wolf_on_making_m.php|title=Peanut Butter Wolf on Making Music: "Don't Do It for the Fame, Do It for Yourself"|work=[[Miami New Times]]|first=Sean|last=Levisman|date=March 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601045241/http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2012/03/peanut_butter_wolf_on_making_m.php|archive-date=June 1, 2012|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

==Career==

Saddened and without an emcee to work with, Peanut Butter Wolf worked on nonetheless, most notably putting out a song ('The Chronicles') on the now legendary 'Return of The DJ' compilation and putting out a collection of beats for DJ's ('Peanut Butter Breaks').

In 1989, Peanut Butter Wolf met rapper [[Charizma]]. They became friends and started making music together.<ref name=imposemagazine>{{cite web|url=http://www.imposemagazine.com/features/charizma-peanut-butter-wolf|title=The story of Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf|work=[[Impose (magazine)|Impose]]|first=Blake|last=Gillespie|date=June 19, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131184408/http://www.imposemagazine.com/features/charizma-peanut-butter-wolf|archive-date=January 31, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> They made a name for themselves in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] and the [[Bay Area]] through their live shows and demo tapes. Charizma was shot dead in 1993.<ref name=imposemagazine/> In 1996, Peanut Butter Wolf founded [[Stones Throw Records]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2016/11/14/stones-throw-peanut-butter-wolf-interview|title=For Stones Throw Records, A Love Of Hip-Hop Sparked 20 Years Of Musical Conversations|work=[[The Fader]]|first=Laurent|last=Fintoni|date=November 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170610061641/http://www.thefader.com/2016/11/14/stones-throw-peanut-butter-wolf-interview|archive-date=June 10, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> which would release the duo's ''[[Big Shots (album)|Big Shots]]'' in 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/12/r-i-p-charizma-july-6-1973-dec-16-1993/|title=Today in Hip-Hop: RIP Charizma (July 6, 1973 - Dec. 16, 1993)|work=[[XXL (magazine)|XXL]]|first=Sidney|last=Madden|date=December 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310111857/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2016/12/r-i-p-charizma-july-6-1973-dec-16-1993/|archive-date=March 10, 2017|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

In 1996, Peanut Butter Wolf formed the Stones Throw label and as its first single put out 'My World Premiere', a song he had recorded with his late creative partner Charizma.

In 1999, Peanut Butter Wolf released ''[[My Vinyl Weighs a Ton]]''. It peaked at number 44 on the [[UK Independent Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-albums-chart/19990124/131/|title=Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50: 24 January 1999 - 30 January 1999|work=[[Official Charts Company]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301170337/http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/independent-albums-chart/19990124/131/|archive-date=March 1, 2018|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> In 2010, Jeff Weiss of ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called it "a crate-digging classic that remains one of the seminal statements of the underground golden era."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/10/peanut-butter-wolf-premieres-an-exclusive-mix-in-advance-of-this-sundays-10-10-10-celebration.html|title=Peanut Butter Wolf premieres an exclusive mix in advance of this Sunday's 10/10/10 celebration|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Jeff|last=Weiss|date=October 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207002004/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/10/peanut-butter-wolf-premieres-an-exclusive-mix-in-advance-of-this-sundays-10-10-10-celebration.html|archive-date=February 7, 2011|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref>

Since the formation of Stones Throw records Peanut Butter Wolf has worked mainly behind the scenes and has not released much of his own material. Whilst Stones Throw began as an underground hip hop label, its releases have become, over the years, increasingly experimental and leftfield from space jazz (Yesterdays New Quintet) to funk (a loving dedication to re releasing old funk 7"s) to the just plain weird (Quasimoto) but with a strong fan base, this label has been going from strength to critical strength.

In 2024, he released an album with Escondido-based multi-instrumentalist Brian Ellis under the group name Campus Christy.

==Discography==

[[File:Dj peanut butter wolf-mika.jpg|thumbnail|Peanut Butter Wolf in [[Cologne]], Germany in 2003]]

===Studio albums===

* ''[[My Vinyl Weighs a Ton]]'' (1999)

* ''[[Big Shots (album)|Big Shots]]'' (2003) {{small|(with [[Charizma]])}}

===Compilation albums===

* ''Peanut Butter Breaks'' (1994)

* ''[[Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45's]]'' (2002)

* ''[[Chrome Children]]'' (2006)

* ''[[Chrome Children Vol. 2]]'' (2007)

* ''B-Ball Zombie War'' (2007)

* ''Straight to Tape 1990-1992'' (2009)

* ''Circa 1990-1993'' (2014) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

===Mixtapes===

* ''Fusion Beats'' (2002)

* ''[[Badmeaningood Vol.3]]'' (2003)

* ''666 Mix'' (2006)

* ''Chrome Mix'' (2006)

* ''Zombie Playoffs'' (2007)

* ''Ladies First'' (2007)

* ''Be Our Valentine'' (2008) {{small|(with [[Prince Paul (producer)|Prince Paul]])}}

===EPs===

* ''Step on Our Ego's?'' (1996)

* ''Lunar Props'' (1996)

* ''[[Styles, Crews, Flows, Beats]]'' (1998)

* ''[[Big Shots Bonus EP]]'' (2004) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

===Singles===

* "My World Premiere" (1996) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

* "Run the Line" / "The Undercover (Clear & Present Danger)" (1997)

* "Definition of Ill" (1999)

* "Tale of Five Cities" (1999)

* "Devotion" (2000) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

* "Here's a Smirk" (2003) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

* "Jack the Mack" (2003) {{small|(with Charizma)}}

===Guest appearances===

* [[BT (musician)|BT]] - "Love on Haight Street" from ''[[Movement in Still Life]]'' (1999)

* [[Deltron 3030]] - "St. Catherine St." from ''[[Deltron 3030 (album)|Deltron 3030]]'' (2000)

* Scuba Chicken- "Butane Fuel on da BBC" and "Voicemail" from ''Quantity Over Quality'' (2004)

* Scuba Chicken - "Stop Calling Me" from ''Let's Play Doctor'' (2006)

===Productions===

* [[Kool Keith]] - "Wanna Be a Star" (1996)

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category|Peanut Butter Wolf}}

* [https://www.stonesthrow.com/artist/pbwolf/ Peanut Butter Wolf] at [[Stones Throw Records]]

* {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000029388|label=Peanut Butter Wolf}}

* {{Discogs artist|Peanut Butter Wolf}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peanut Butter Wolf}}

[[Category:1969 births]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Musicians from San Jose, California]]

[[Category:American hip-hop DJs]]

[[Category:American hip-hop record producers]]

[[Category:Stones Throw Records artists]]

[[Category:Record producers from California]]