In 1993, Loren K. Phillips Fouroux began publishing Da R.U.D.E. Raw Uncensored Dope Entertainment.

Where They At New Orleans Hip-Hop and Bounce in Words and Pictures

“Where They At,” or “Wha Dey At,” is the title of a song generally recognized as the first bounce release, recorded in late 1991 as a cassette-only release by rapper T.T. Tucker, with the late DJ Irv. It was also recorded a few months after by DJ Jimi Payton for producer Isaac Bolden’s Soulin’ Records/Avenue Distribution. To all accounts, these recordings marked the point in time at which New Orleans rap first found its own voice in that raw, celebratory, infectious block-party style. Bounce’s signature rhythms and call-and-response chants are deeply rooted in New Orleans’ cultural heritage, including Mardi Gras Indian and second-line traditions. The exhibit “Where They At” documents pioneering New Orleans rappers from the 1980’s, 1990’s, and early 2000’s, the period when bounce music melded and interplayed with lyrical hip-hop and gangsta rap in New Orleans to create a unique, hybrid Crescent City hip-hop sound – the newest branch of Southern roots music.

Loren K. P. Fouroux

I didn't start working in the music industry until 1991 or 1993, and in 1993 I was invited to Jack the Rapper [music conference] in Atlanta. A group of guys, they knew I loved literature and I was in college studying journalism. They asked if I would be interested in putting together a flyer for Jack the Rapper to represent New Orleans artists. It was actually supposed to be just a flyer with a couple of columns with maybe Mia X, TT Tucker, Irv, just some of the popular artists like Bust Down and Tim Smooth. Instead, I would drive, I would go and visit each artist at their residence and do the interview. By the time I got home and started putting it on the computer, I'm like, "This is not a flyer." It turned into a 22-page book.

That was the first issue of Da R.U.D.E.. We were trying to come up with a name for it. They were calling it "New Orleans hip hop," and this and that. I said, "No, it has to be a name that stands out. It has to stand out. I remember thinking of an acronym. I put Da R.U.D.E. first. I said, what will it stand for – R.U.D.E.? "Raw." Because I wanted it to be complete hip-hop, uncensored. I want the artists to feel they can say whatever they want without censorship. At the time the word was, "dope." Everything was dope. "This is dope." It was Dope Entertainment. That’s how I came up with the name Da R.U.D.E.. I went to Jack the Rapper and the reception towards the magazine was phenomenal, because there weren't any other publications to compete with.

It went from 22 pages to 35 or 40. Then each year it increased. I was printing it without really having advertisers. I was printing it out of my own pocket, which sometimes is very, very hard. I was working part-time and going to school. At times, I would put my magazine on, at that time they were floppies, and then pawn the computer in order to publish the magazine. Once I sold the issues and received the money from the consignment, I would go and get the computer back out of pawn.

Profile: Surviving Family/TV/Journalism

Label: No 1/2 Steppin' (with DJ Irv)

Neighborhood: 7th Ward

Years Active: 1991-current

Collaborated with DJ Irv, TT Tucker (producer)

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