Lady B
Lady B is widely considered a hip-hop pioneer in Philadelphia.
She graduated from Overbrook High School.
Wendy Clark began spinning hip-hop records on WHAT 1340 AM in 1979 and solidified the hip-hop community in Philly.
Starting out, fresh out of high school, hanging out at Kim Graves (Philly’s top night club at the time) she befriended the late great DJ, Lawrence Levan. She would pick up the mic and mock Darryl Dawkins and Lloyd (World B.) Free (both played for the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers at the time) and the other “toasters”, as rap was known at that time. Eventually she got better and better and was approached to do a record by legendary WDAS-FM jock, Dr. Perri Johnson.
In 1979 she became one of the first female artists to release a rap record- “To The Beat Y’all” on TEC Records. Due to the frugalness of the record company, she recorded the song in one take. She got some rhymes together and Lady B, her sister and legendary WDAS-FM radio personality, Mimi Brown put them on 3X5 cards and taped them up in the studio. She went into the booth, recited the rhyme once and the owner of the record company was like ”Okay that’s a take”. The cut was later picked up by Sugarhill Records and is included on many compilation albums.
Later she met Richard Cooper, a record promoter for Motown. He informed her that WHAT was looking for an intern. So she started to work there doing odd jobs and learning. She eventually convinced Mary Mason to let her spin some of the new records that she had accumulated (about a milk crate full) on the air.After bugging her, Ms Mason finally let her play some of the songs. The ratings shot through the roof and lady B was hired full time. After that Power 99fm outbidded WDAS for her services and she started working full time as a DJ. Street Beat was born and the rest is history.Her show broke hip-hop artists such as: The Furious 5, The Treacherous 3, Public Enemy, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, Queen Latifa, EPMD, UTFO, Mc Lyte, Schoolly D, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, KRS-1, MC Breeze, 3XD, Heavy D, and many many more!
On her Radio show on 103.9 WPHI, she spotlighted local artists by interviewing them on her show and playing their music. She would also find diamonds in the rough. Independent local records that pleased her ear would actually find themselves in rotation. She is now broadcasting for the premiere satellite radio entity – Sirius Satellite Radio and on Philadelphia’s premiere R& B station WRNB 107.9fm. in Philly.
Lady B received the prestigious Philly Urban Legend Award in 2002 as a pioneer in Rap Music, the World Renowned Entertainment,” Role Model of Excellence Award, two Lifetime Achievement Awards (including the Douglass”Jocko” Henderson award) and is also listed in VIBE magazine’s History of Hip-Hop as “maybe the most influential female in hip- hop radio history”
Vibe’s History of Hip Hop refers to Lady B as arguably the most influential female radio personality in Hip Hop history.
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Info submitted by Funk Wizard Snow and Docta Shock
