Biography

+ Childhood

Tracy S. Kendrick grew up listening to R&B music in the day time and rock in the evening because the local R&B station signed off at sundown. At that time the only way Tracy thought he could get in the music business was to sing or play the guitar. He wasn't good at either. That changed in the summer of 1981. Attending his uncle's funeral in Newark, NJ his cousin took him to hear legendary dj Tony Humphries at "Club Zanzibar". After that experience he figured he could enter the music business as a DJ.

+ Los Angeles

As his attempts to be a DJ in Ohio failed Tracy left for California. He enrolled at Los Angeles Trade Technical College where he became the dance director and started promoting events. Of course, he hired himself as DJ. From that point, he joined the Los Angeles Progressive DJ's (L.A.P.D.) where he met future producers/promoters/artists Chris "The Glove" Taylor, Arabian Prince, The Egyptian Lover, L.A. Dream Team's Rudy Pardee and Dr. Dre. These were the people that would be responsible for the development of most of the West Coast hip-hop music scene. Tracy's first working production experience was in the recording studio with The Egyptian Lover for the song "Egypt Egypt". From there Kendrick teamed up with Rudy Pardee from the L.A. Dream Team and produced the hit single "Rockberry Jam". Also while spending time on pre-production of the Dream Team's next single Tracy overheard Rudy rehearsing for his show and said that the group's introduction would make a great song. That phrase was "Ladies and Gentlemen (The Dream Team is in the House)". This song became one of The Dream Team's biggest sellers. From there Tracy went on to produce, mix, remix, executive producer and manage gold and platinum artists AMG, DJ Quik, L.A. Dream Team, The Egyptian Lover, 2nd II None, King Tee, Shalamar, Lakeside, Lalah Hathaway, B.B. King, Shanice Wilson, Lil 1/2 Dead, BOSS, Hostyle, Midnight Star and St. Louis' first star rapper Sylk Smoov.

+ Impact Record Pool

In January 1985 Kendrick and partner Dannie "Fut" James purchased DJ services company "Streetbeat Record Pool" and renamed it "Impact Record Pool, Inc." which would go on to become one of the largest organizations of DJ's on the West Coast. Along with countless Gold and Platinum record plaques, Impact has received numerous awards but being voted Gavin Record Pool of the Year in 1996 and 1997 and nominated for the same in 1998 are standouts. IRP has introduced music industry rising stars Madonna, Laid Back, Naughty by Nature, Kris Kross, Club Nouveau, Tyrese, SWV, NWA, Domino, Loose Ends and Margie Coleman to name a few.

+ Total Trak Productions

Tracy Kendrick met musician and producer Courtney Branch (Doctah B.) in 1984 and founded music production company Total Trak Productions. They have most notably worked the disco,r&b,house and hip-hop music genres. Total Trak has specialized in developing and marketing new and previously unknown talent from the inner cities. Kendrick and Branch have worked with labels MCA, Epic, Warner Brothers, Motown, Profile Records, Select Records, Def Jam Records, Death Row Records, Sleeping Bag Records, Jumpstreet Records, Priority Records along with their own labels AMP Records, Tone Records and Sold Out Records. Together they have sold over an astounding 20 million records!

+ UCLA

From the winter of 1997 to 1999, Tracy Kendrick and Courtney Branch (Doctah B.) lectured in entertainment studies at the UCLA Extension in Westwood, CA teaching "The Art and Business of Producing Hit Records" in entertainment studies. They introduced music industry guests (some from as far away as Tokyo, Japan) to the class and illustrated with recordings and case studies from their extensive backgrounds. Kendrick and Branch explored the myths of music production and defined the essential elements of a marketing plan that works in the highly competitive global music marketplace.

+ Now

Tracy Kendrick is still very active in the local and international music scenes after spending four years in Paris mixing and producing new hip-hop, dance and &$B talents. Tracy is back with a vengance mixing and remixing in the US. Since returning to the States, he has worked with India Arie, AMG, DJ Battlecat and other new exciting artists which he is sure will be well known household names in the near future. For your next "PLATINUM" mix contact Tracy at hits@tracykendrick.com.