PUBLISHED BY JAKE PAINE •AUGUST 2, 2017 

9th Wonder’s introduction to the Hip-Hop industry (by way of Little Brother’s The Listening) is not even 15 years old. However, in that time, the producer/DJ/professor has become a powerful voice in the music and culture. Like his discography, 9th has been an advocate for the songs, albums, and musicians he grew up admiring. At the very same time, from inside his Jamla Records label to beyond, this artist has amplified new voices, perspectives, and styles. Few Hip-Hop artists can be one degree of separation from Lil Wayne and Jean Grae. 9th is the same no matter who he is working with: soulful, honest, and acting with what he considers the culture’s best interest.

Appearing on PBS’ The Open Mind, 9th engages in an enthused discussion with host (and apparent Hip-Hop Head) Alexander Heffner. In the conversation, 9th explains why The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was in his inaugural four albums to be included in his These Are The Breaks archive at Harvard’s library. Other choices include Nas’ Illmatic, A Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, and Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. He later adds that he hopes the platform grows to include Eric B. & Rakim, together, placing vinyl copies of Paid In Full in the archives (he guarantees that 1987 LP will be an inclusion). Using Prodigy’s June 20 death to illustrate his point, the Jamla founder insists that Hip-Hop create opportunities to honor its creators while they are still here.

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