[Ice-T & Afrika Islam]

From the personal collection of Ice T and Afrika Islam

E-mu Systems SP-1200, used by Afrika Islam to record Ice-T's "Rhyme Pays", "Power", "O.G. Original Gangster", "Colors", and more, c. 1987-77.

Originally released in 1987, the E-mu Systems SP-1200 quickly became the must-have piece of studio gear for independent Hip Hop artists and producers through the end of the 20th century. Combining the drum machine & sampler into a single piece of technology, the SP-1200 streamlined Hip Hop engineering processes made it possible to construct almost the entirety of a track on a single piece of portable gear with an ease and a speed that lent itself perfectly to the lo-fi, mash-up heavy early days of Hip Hop. Reducing the need to rely entirely on rented studio space and hired engineers, the SP-1200 returned power to young artists at the beginning of their careers, allowing them levels of creative control they otherwise would not have had.

Afrika Islam is one of the pioneers of Hip Hop, beginning his career in 1977 when he was just ten years old. He started by learning to remix tracks under the tutelage of Afrika Bambaataa before going on to become a legendary DJ, hosting one of the first-ever Hip Hop radio shows, being a key member of the Rock Steady Crew, and forging a long-standing collaborative relationship with superstar Ice T.