Mr. Magic | |
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| Born | John Rivas (1956-03-15)March 15, 1956 The Bronx,New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 2009(2009-10-02) (aged 53) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | DJ |
| Instrument | Turntables |
| Years active | 1979–2002 |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | Juice Crew |
John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, (March 15, 1956 – October 2, 2009) was a Puerto Ricanhip-hopradio DJ.
Mr. Magic debuted in 1979 onWHBI inNew York City with “Disco Showcase” on the pay-for-time FM station. It was a far cry from the prime time in New York; what he didn’t realize was he was starting the very first rap radio show. A few short years would go by andFrankie Crocker, program manager forInner City Broadcasting, took his rising star to commercial powerhouseWBLS with the first exclusive rap radio show to be aired on a major station.[1]Rap Attack, Magic's show featuredMarley Marl as the DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as the show's co-producer. Magic moved full-time to WBLS in July 1982. His reign on the New York City airwaves lasted six years and was instrumental in broadening the scope and validity of hip-hop music.[2] Mr. Magic recorded one 12" single as an artist "Magic's Message (There's A Better Way)",[3] produced bySpyder D for Posse Records in 1984. He is also interviewed in the 1986 cult documentaryBig Fun In The Big Town.[4]
During the mid-80s there was a rivalry between Mr. Magic andKool DJ Red Alert, who hosted a weekly show onWRKS-FM. The feud also played out betweenproxy rap groups, theJuice Crew andBoogie Down Productions (seeThe Bridge Wars). The Juice Crew – headed by Mr. Magic's on-air assistant, DJMarley Marl – was named after one of Magic's aliases, "Sir Juice."[5]
In 2002 Magic lent his voice toGrand Theft Auto: Vice City, as himself, a DJ on one of the in-game radio stations.
Magic died of a heart attack on October 2, 2009, at the age of 53.[6][7]
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