How did you get your start in this business?
Ralph McDaniels: I started off DJing actually. I was DJ Ralph McDaniels. Basically outside in the parks like the Grand Master Flashes of the world and the Cool Hurks. And taking my sound system. I was into like buying equipment and things like that. Speakers and turntables and amplifiers and all kinds of things. And we would take it outside and do a little house party and DJ in the center and the school basement, church basement. Wherever we could play for a crowd. And then I started to learn more about media. When I graduated high school I went to LaGuardia College for communications. Then I got my first job at a TV station, it was channel 5. And I was like a production assistant, a PA basically running around. So I started to learn about TV and what is was to put a TV show together. Then I started working at Manhattan Cable. Cable was just starting and I think Manhattan Cable was like the first company. So I started working there as basically just kind of like observing the shows that were on making sure they were running on schedule. What they call like Master Controller. And I did that for awhile. And at the same time I was still DJing in clubs. Hip Hop was starting to come up and get a little more recognition around that time. Then I started working at channel 31 which was WNYC and they said that after you graduate from college, I was in college then at the time. I was NY Institute of technology. I was going for my bachelors then. I got my bachelors then. And I got my bachelors, they said you know will give you a job. So I became a master control operator which just basically meant like watching the programs, setting the shows to go up on the air, you know, putting in the tapes. While I was there, I received some videos one day, well actually I didn’t receive them, they just came into the office. And I was like what the heck is this? And it was a tape of a bunch of artists performing, R&B artists. And some of the songs were popular and some of them weren’t. But it wasn’t really a video; it was like someone set up a camera in some room and these groups performed. And I was like you know this is pretty cool. And I went to the station manager at the time. And I said, you know, I’d like to put together, actually I did put it together before I went to him. And showed him it. And said you know maybe we could put something on the air you know with these videos. After 6 months after that, his assistant came with the same tapes that I had showed him and said that he was creating this show. And I was like; I don’t understand what do you mean you creating this show? And he was like I want to create this show and it’s gonna be videos. And I was like that’s my idea. That’s were you got those tapes from. I said well look you know I’m down with it, whatever it is. So they called it “Studio 31 Dance Party.” And I was like the voice of it. It was on for like 6 months. They didn’t really want to do it. And they just kinda let it go. And I was like being that this door was like open already. They got a new program director. I came to him and said look this show was my idea, and I want to call it Video Music Box and I want to do it everyday. And they were you know like, fine. And that’s how Video Music Box started out in 1983.

Why such a love for Hip Hop music?
Ralph McDaniels: It’s the music. It’s the combination of a lot of things for me. It’s not just the music cause I love a lot of music, different types of music. But the thing about Hip Hop, it was the energy and the hunger of the audience. And at that time the artist were like real hungry and everybody was performing because they loved what they did. And that was probably the initial thing that drew me to Hip Hop because I had the same hunger but for TV. So it was kinda parallel. So, Russell Simmons was a guy I knew from Hollis. I had grew up in Queens Village at the time. And I had knew, he was running around, he was coming bringing me records, he was bringing me records, he was a record promoter at the time, you know I was telling him that I was getting into this TV thing, he didn’t understand what, you know TV, he was like I understand radio but not TV. He didn’t get or understand music videos or nothing like that. But he understood how to promote an artist. You know just being around guys like him and Baby DMX who’s from Hollis also. Who was Run DMCs original DJ actually before Jam Master Jay, because there was no Run DMC at that time. So, just the energy and the passion I had in me and that was my initial kinda, just being drawn to that whole scene.

Besides Video Music Box, what other areas of the industry interests you?
Ralph McDaniels:  Well I've done a lot of things. A lot people feel I was apart of that whole initial fashion movement. When I started that fashion show, which was a big show that was done annually, actually biannually in the beginning. And which showcased people like, the surgeons of urban fashion. When in the beginning, like Fubu, PB and 555 Soul and people like that. Karl Kani was a guy who like I knew. And it really started from people bringing me clothes from like video music box. Like Fubu. I tell the story. And Fubu came and used to bring us clothes and shirts all kinds of stuff like that all the time, you know, this is before they were out. You know, F.U.B.U.
And I used to wear it on my show and I used to, you know, wonder where you get these things at? And there was like two or three stores on Jamaica Avenue that had FUBU. I thought that like, everybody had them. You know. And they used to go with us to a lot of different places. And wherever I went or whatever artist I was with, like puff. They would ask us to were our shirt. And that’s how I got involved into fashion from that and opened up a store called “Ralph’s Urban Gear” in Brooklyn. Because there was nowhere for people to get these different kinds of line at that particular time. We started the store we had the phat fashions. I always had a love for fashion because it was urban and as well as the cotour stuff too. I’m a little bit older than most at the time so we used to get dressed up too you know so. You had to have your little suits and your gators. That was apart of the look too especially for the audience. So fashion definitely an interest. Video Music Box of course is initially what started everything off. But I’ve directed over 150 videos. From Boys to Men to Wu Tang Clan. A lot of people always, I watch BET sometimes, and in their top 20 they always pick Cream and I directed that video for them. Boys to Men the whole first album, my partner and I, Lionel Martin did. We had a company called Classic Concepts it was the only black owned production company there. Maybe, there maybe like one black company doing videos. There’s like a lot of black directors doing videos but under white production companies. We were like the only black owned company and controlled the whole entire budget. We weren’t getting paid just as directors. And Hype Williams came from out of our camp. He was a PA. We gave him his first videos. And then eventually he started to do his own thing. So, the production outside of video music box, I worked on Juice which I was a main consultant on with Tupac and Omar Epps. And did a little acting in "Who’s the Man" "(laughing) for a second. And always been involved with the community. And it’s funny, because this guy James Davis that just was killed at City Hall, he’s from our neighborhood in Brooklyn, where our store is at. That’s his section. Actually that’s not his section, that’s where he lives at. So, he knows me very well and he would come by and we’d be doing block parties and he always wants to come on stage and talk. And we’d be like no talking, come Hip Hop Hip Hop. So, I knew him really well. These are the kinds of things I always felt I had to be involved with because I remember at one point when I was doing Video Music Box; I had the opportunity to get with Minister Louis Farrakhan. And you know I wasn’t thinking too much about it. I went to meet with him and one of the brothers was like this is Ralph McDaniels from Video Music Box and he reaches millions of people. And he (Farrakhan) was like, wow you have a big responsibility. And I was like, well what do you mean? You can shape what millions of kids think. And I never really looked at it like that. I just looked at it like I’m just playing your favorite joint that’s it. After he said that, I have been taking responsibility. But I think I took it more seriously after listening to his words. I was like you know what, I do have to be responsible to these kids cause they’ll watch TV before they pick up a book. I have to balance it. So, yeah we’ll play a booty video but I have to balance it out. So I always try to keep control of that and make sure we balance it out.

How did you come up with the name for the show?
Ralph McDaniels: Video Music Box, hmmm I don’t know, I just kind of like one day, the TV of course being the box, that’s where the box came from. I wanted it to be, like when I first started Video Music Box I never wanted to be on TV, like the unseen DJ. I just wanted it to be videos of music in box. Then the words, the term music videos came out. Then people would say “oh, you mean music video box”. And I was like no, Video Music Box. Because when I created the name it was videos of music.

What about your format from then compared to now?
Ralph McDaniels: It’s probably more urban now. And that’s probably because I fell victim to the system in a sense. In the beginning there wasn’t as many hip hop videos. I remember we used to play Jimmy Hendrix videos, Hall and Oates. I had no choice but to look outside of hip hop. And also when I was starting I wanted to mix it up because I didn’t want the station to think oh is this black thing. Even though I enjoyed other things. I wanted them to feel like it’s for everybody. And I mean it still is. And it probably would have been back then but it just wasn’t enough videos. Back then there was like 20 videos (laughing). And we tried to mix it up. I like it back then, the mixture alitte bit better. I mean especially now, because there’s so much garbage. I get so much of it. Then you see the stuff that I don’t play. Then you see it cause it gets played on BET or on the radio or whatever on MTV so they slip in there. I always try to be more about show or whatever I play in that hour to look different then what you would see on any other channel. There are big hits. You know, there’s Beyonce, you know, she’s gonna get played. Guys want to see Beyonce bouncing around. But there are other artists that are gonna be out there that are not gonna get played on MTV that are good. That are not gonna get played on BET that you know, are good. And I try to give them their shot on video music box. Even in the beginning that first time you see it. I always try to be like another guy who’s doing it first. You know like you saw it first then they say I saw video music box playing it, but now it plays everyday on MTV, BET. That’s what we’ve always tried to do with the channel. And as well as all the intricate little parties. You know, they not going to that party in Brooklyn that everybody’s going to on Friday night, or that party uptown that everybody is going to. BET and MTV is not gonna be there. And I know they’re not gonna be there. Those are the different things that are apart of NY from a video stand point that national channels cant do.

What about the way you announce the videos, I noticed that you never put the names on the video.
Ralph McDaniels: We never put the names because we would look like MTV and BET. I noticed when they did it. So, let’s not do that. And that’s good cause that keeps they’re imagination as to who is this artist and why is he playing them all the time.

What happened to Big Kidd?
Ralph McDaniels: Lionel Martin, my partner moved to LA maybe about 8 years ago. He wanted to do feature films. His first film was How to Be a Player, with Bill Bellamy. He was expecting, you know, got a movie and quick it was gonna take off. But Hollywood is strange, it’s a strange animal. And it didn’t kick off. So he started doing commercials and music videos. So he’s still directing. He’s still out there. Actually somebody called me the other day, he’s in Atlanta and they saw him out there. And probably one of the most important directors of our times because of the concepts. And images from the late 80s to the late 90s. It’s all based upon something that Lionel did. From the Mary J. Blige videos that he did, to Jodeci videos that he did, to Whitney Houston videos that he did, to the Boys to Men videos that he did. You know the texture and the look and that’s where Hype really got a lot of his ideas from.

What is your “Key” to success?
Ralph McDaniels: If you’re honest with people, people kind of give you sincerity about what you do. Yeah you gonna get some guys who are trying to take advantage of you cause you are a nice person or basically your laying your cards out on the table. You know, 75 percent of the time when your honest and you lay the cards out on the table its
usually pretty cool.

How do you feel about being an innovator for Hip Hop and setting the path for young people?
Ralph McDaniels: Well, it’s funny because, I never, you know, people tell me that you know you’re a pioneer. When your in the middle of doing it you don’t look at yourself, like, in that way. You know your like; I’m not done yet, like no way, I’m not finished, this is not it! When they say pioneer, I feel like I’ve did it already and I'm like no. I’m glad I’ve done whatever I’ve done and I’ve shaped a large group of people in the NY area as well as outside of the NY area. And so I’m proud I’ve had the opportunity to do that, so you know, it’s cool.

What projects are you currently working on?
Ralph McDaniels: Right now where working on a DVD of the Best of Video Music Box and hopefully myself and Russell Simmons wants to market it and hopefully we can work everything out. It’s gonna come out regardless whether it’s with Russell or not, but I’m hope that it is with Russell because I’ve always wanted to do something with Russell. And I think that he’s really good at marketing stuff and branding. And that would be the key for us. We have so many vibes. I’ve been to Jamaica 20 times. People will definitely be searching for their shout out moments.

Moving back and forth between VJ and DJ, how has that impacted your career?
Ralph McDaniels: The radio thing is something that…I ran into Funk Master Flex. I was doing some radio one time on 105.9, this underground radio station. And we did some things on there, just to kind of like say we showed up. It wasn’t organized radio like Hot 97. But it was cool, we played music, it was like you know Hip Hop. Then when I went to Hot 97 and Funk Master Flex saw me one day and asked me how come you never did radio? I was like I just never thought about it. He was like why don’t you come up and meet the program director Steve Smith at the time. And I did and he was like yeah, we’d love to have you on here. But they said you can’t talk and you can’t do this and you can’t do that. And I was like but this is what I do. And I remember my director Tracey Corey say and you can’t talk about Video Music Box. I was like, alright, I don’t mind not talking about Video Music Box, but what can I talk about. It was like the beginning of trying to fit into this little funnel which radio is. And they were a little bit difficult and I was like this ain't fun. And sometimes even now it’s not fun. But it’s important that I continue to do that because it keeps my name out there. Especially with young people. Like the 15 and 16 year olds who don’t know me from Video Music Box but from the radio. Radio is definitely different it’s very repetitive. Its not as, you know hip hop to me is very flowing its very spontaneous, radio is spontaneous to an extent but you have boundaries. I mean radio is spontaneous but you can only go so far and then you gotta get back into that lane again. So, I’ve learned how to do it better than I did when I first came to Hot 97. I’m not worried about it. It is what it is. I go in there and do it and keep it moving.

How did you get the name Uncle Ralph?
Ralph McDaniels: Red Alert started the Uncle Ralph thing and it basically came from a guy who kinda looks out for people. You know like, hey Uncle Ralph do you know how to get in touch with Rah Digga or my friend needs a job do you think you can help with that? It was like Uncle Luke and Uncle L (LlCoolJ) at the time. Now it’s like a bunch of uncles everywhere.

What advice do you have for people who want to do what you do?
Ralph McDaniels: Just look for new emerging scenes and culture that are out there and just believe in them and walk with them. I mean I believed in Hip Hop. I was in the music scene before hip hop kinda evolved into what it is today. And you know what I saw I knew that everybody in hip hop was passionate about what they were doing. And I was like you know I’m with that. And I came from the early stages of it right before it came to like the making records. And I believe in it, I knew the people and I knew the passion behind it so I ran with it. Just how I enjoy House Music too and there’s certain house music producers I know. Like I know them all and I’ll go to Jersey. Like Zanzibar, back in the days I used to go out hang out with Tony Humphries and my man Timmy played with the shelter in Manhattan, which is the same building as the speed. And you go there on a Saturday night, there’s a thousand people dancing to house music. Black people white people. They got great soul singers. Like I’ll go there to see Patti Labelle. She’ll do a show there because nobody knows about it. That’s because she knows that that audience is that passionate about good singers. As long as people are real and passionate about what they’re doing, I’m into it. Like I’m doing a documentary about House Music and that’s something that’s also going to come out. And whatever it is you know. It just doesn’t have to be about music it can be a certain lifestyle or whatever people are into.

What are your plans to celebrate Video Music Box anniversary?
Ralph McDaniels: I want to do a roast. And I want to get people that I know do a roast. But I’m trying to get people to do that. So we’ll do the roast and a party.

What cats in the industry right now that is making music you dig listening too?
Ralph McDaniels: I’ve always been of fan of Jadakiss, the locks. Pharell, I like everything he does.

Who would love to see make a comeback?
Ralph McDaniels: KRS – 1. Just him as a performer. He’s Hip Hop.

Whets your most memorable moment in radio and TV?
Ralph McDaniels: When we taped Freshfest. It was at the Nassau Coliseum It was Run DMC, Grand Master Flash, Whodini. LL Cool J and the Fat Boys. And that was the first time I saw that big an audience into hip hop. Maybe it was 15,000. and it was all mixed up. And I taped that whole show and we aired it based on the Freshfest. And I was like this is big. You this is way bigger than I could ever imagine right now. I thought it was, but you never saw it come together. You know, you went to the clubs people packed in the clubs, you know, like normal. But when you saw it in the arena, and that’s one thing about hip hop that it brings different people together, but when you saw it like that in one place. Its like aww man, this is big.

What is your saddest moment in the business?
Ralph McDaniels: I would say BIG getting killed because I was like what was he doing in la. Like why did he go there? Like after everything that happened with Pac I was like why did he go there? I was mad at puff like why did he have him there. After this day, no one ever found out why and how, I mean its speculation on this and that. I think that it was really sad cause the brother was a happy dude. He was a funny dude. You’d sit back and many times we’d just hang out and his whole demeanor was just happy.

What is your take on Russell Simmons Action Summit?
Ralph McDaniels: I don’t know too much about the summit. I haven’t really been involved with it. But I do know that Russell is making some political moves now and I don’t know where he’s going with it but more power to him.

Do you think these summits do more harm than good?
Ralph McDaniels: I think it’s definitely in favor. And I think that with him, he’s always been one world, so he looks at it that who ever is into hip hop, and he believes that as many people is buying these records, if these people can come together like they come together for the music, politically then can be the strongest group in the world.

What are your plans for the future? Taking it to the next level?
Ralph McDaniels: Well like I said the DVDs are coming. The Best of Video Music Box as well as whatever on the DVD side. Because DVDs are much more popular than they were two years ago. Like this year like 23 billion in sales. And rentals alone are big for DVDs. And documentaries, I watch the history channel and discovery and all that stuff. So I think there is a place for hip hop there also.