Dope Folks Records celebrates its first anniversary with party, new residency at Mad Planet

For the past 12 months, Milwaukee’s Dope Folks Records has been unearthing and releasing some of the very best obscure hip-hop records from the late-’80s and early-’90s. The brainchild of self-professed “record nerds” Chris Schulist and John “Kid Millions” Kuester, the local label has been putting out affordable limited-edition tracks from old-school icons like Courageous Chief and Mixmasta D. “We release material from artists we like, and put out records that we would want to hear,” explains Schulist. “We like giving credit to these artists whose records should have been bigger back then.”

In addition to unheralded national acts, Schulist and Kuester have been releasing obscure local hip-hop tracks, including songs from Stranj Child and Rock La Flow. “Rock La Flow is one of my favorite records we’ve put out,” says Schulist. “It was recorded in ’94, and never released until we put it out. We like to call it Milwaukee’s Illmatic.”

On Saturday, July 2, Dope Folks will celebrate its first anniversary with a special “Uptown Saturday Night” spin at Mad Planet. More than just a simple birthday party, Saturday’s show will mark the first installment in Dope Folks’ new residency at Planet. “Our Mad Planet night is going to be a throwback to our favorite time in hip-hop,” says Schulist. “It’s the stuff I grew up with, the stuff that made me love hip-hop in the first place. Nothing but the classics.”

“Uptown Saturday Night” will take place every first Saturday of the month and will feature Schulist, Kid Millions, and T$ (T-Money) behind the decks. “We’re extremely happy to be doing this at Mad Planet because it was made for this—it’s a dance club that sounds fantastic,” says Schulist. “We hope to have a bunch of MCs toasting early-’80s style to really give it that old-school feel.”