Henry Stone was a music industry legend who set up more than 100 record labels. He was instrumental in the careers of James Brown and KC & The Sunshine Band – to name a few legends – and altogether instrumental in the mainstream expansion of the R&B, disco and hip-hop genres.
His namesake company, Henry Stone Music, lives on through his son Joe, while Stone’s legacy itself lives on through the award-winning documentary film “The Record Man.”
But Joe Stone is no music business slouch himself. L’Trimm, Gucci Crew II and 2 Unlimited are among the artists who Joe Stone helped build careers for. However, my favorite project which Joe Stone has been part of was easily the 2 Live Jews. At quick glance, the 2 Live Jews – as co-founded with Eric Lambert – was a Judaism-centric, novelty-oriented, humorous take on the 2 Live Crew. Beyond the similar artist names, the 2 Live Jews had a 1990 album called “As Kosher As They Wanna Be” (2 Live Crew had “As Nasty As They Wanna Be”) and a video for “Oy So Humid” (2 Live Crew, of course, had a hit with “Me So Horny”). Yet 2 Live Jews would release another four studio albums – in addition to a one-off single in 2010 called “What’s With The Pants” – and the group continues to live on infamy.
I was able to track down Joe Stone and schedule an in-depth phone interview with him about the past, present and future of the 2 Live Jews. Within our chat, he also touched upon working with his father Henry, his legit hip-hop roots, what 2 Live Crew thought of the 2 Live Jews, what he is working on these days, and whether 2 Live Jews may record again in the future. Highlights – featuring minimal interruptions from yours truly – are below.
More information on Joe Stone, Henry Stone and the Henry Stone Music USA, Inc. can be found online at www.henrystonemusic.com.
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