Back in the ’90s, a free, photocopied hip-hop zine from San Francisco gave rise to a record label that helped further one of the culture’s central elements worldwide.

The Bomb Hip-Hop Magazine (1991-1996) and Bomb Hip-Hop Records (1995-2009) gave dozens of DJs — including Z-Trip, Rob Swift and Stones Throw Records’ Peanut Butter Wolf — crucial early support, and launched the careers of numerous writers. If you browse The Bomb’s index of issues, you’ll see interviews with future global stars like Ice Cube and A Tribe Called Quest — plus instructional articles on starting your own label and shooting your own music video.

The Bomb’s creator, DJ Dave Paul, found his calling as a connector at KCSF, the radio station at City College of San Francisco. Through his show and the zine, he met artists and like-minded people, who plied him with demos and promotional records. In 1992, he added show promoter to his resume. He booked local hip-hop acts like Blackalicious, DJ Shadow and global championship-winning DJ crew Invisibl Skratch Piklz, as well as out-of-towners such as House of Pain, Ultramagnetic MCs, The Pharcyde, Masta Ace and the Beat Junkies.

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