Andre Harrell: It was Beautiful

I could not let this moment in history pass without paying respect to one of the greatest record executives to walk this earth.

It wasn’t yesterday, nor does it seem like yesterday that the presence of Mary J. Blige, P-Diddy, Father MC and Jodeci graced our ears by the radio airwaves. The records that these artists created are nostalgic for the now adults that indulged in the culture by dancing, singing and representing the style that these artists exemplified. All of these artists had one person in common, Andre Harell.

Harell was a force. He was a black man that did not succumb to the circumstances that society placed in his path to stop him. He defied all odds. Andre Harell had a significant career; rapper, college student, intern, record executive and mentor.

The 80’s and the 90’s were interesting times in America for black people. Drugs and crime were on the rise in black communities and racism continued to surface socially and politically. But despite all of this chaos that black people were enduring Andre Harell had hope, and that hope was embodied in the artist that he choose to be apart of his empire.

This empire would change the realities of so many black youth that weren’t able to experience the good life that other cultures were accustomed to. Andre Harell’s artist tapped into an unrepresented culture…