Arthur Baker, Electro Pioneer and One of the Creators of Hip-Hop, Gets a Biography

With a long-standing career in the dance music scene and great respect and admiration from DJs, producers, and musical artists, American Arthur Baker announces his biography titled Looking for the Perfect Beat: Remixing and Reshaping Hip-Hop, Rock and Rhythms, in which he recounts nearly his entire journey as a DJ, producer, and manager — a career that now spans 50 years.

Originally from Boston, where he began working as a disc jockey during the 1970s, Arthur Baker made a significant impact on dance music when he moved to the cosmopolitan city of New York. There, he spearheaded a revolution on the dance floors with the track “Planet Rock” — considered the first electrofunk and Hip-Hop track in music history — composed in collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa in 1982. That year, they essentially changed the format and approach to how music was produced and played in clubs, not just in the United States, but around the world.

A gifted producer, Baker remixed numerous artists including New Order, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, the Rolling Stones, Al Green, Pet Shop Boys, Quincy Jones, New Edition, Hall & Oates, Neneh Cherry, Fleetwood Mac, and many others. He also headed a record label during a time when he positively energized the music market by showcasing new artists and genres of dance music. He helped bring the popular sounds of the suburbs to the masses through the dance floor, proving that groove is indeed a universal language.

The book Looking for the Perfect Beat: Remixing and Reshaping Hip-Hop, Rock and Rhythms is scheduled for release in October 2025 and is already available for pre-order.

Enjoy-it!