DJ CLUE
DJ Clue on Jay-Z, mixtapes and Desert Storm, on Drink Champs’ ROC Solid.
THE MIXTAPE KING
DJ Clue, born Ernesto Shaw Jr. in Queens in 1975, made his name on New York mixtapes in the mid-1990s. If you wanted the hottest records before radio had them, you bought a Clue tape. He took the same ear to Hot 97, then to Power 105.1 from 2006.
THE PROFESSIONAL
In December 1998 Clue took the mixtape to a major label. The Professional came out on Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam, opened at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum, with Jay-Z, DMX, Big Pun, Cam’ron, Eve, Jadakiss and a young Fabolous on it. The Professional 2 followed in 2001 and The Professional 3 in 2006.
DESERT STORM
Clue started Desert Storm Records in 1998 with engineer Ken Duro Ifill and manager Skane Dolla. The label signed Fabolous and DJ Envy, and ran as a joint venture with Roc-A-Fella and Def Jam.
THE PHYSICAL ERA
This page tracks Clue’s run the way it was sold: tapes first, then CDs, with the covers that came with them. If you have a Clue tape that isn’t listed here, the archive wants to hear about it.
THE TAPES WE KNOW OF
Heatwave (1994) · Back To School (1994) · Birthday ’95 (1995) · Show Me The Money (1997) · Cluemanatti (1997) · Platinum Plus (1997) · DJ Clue for President (1998) · Desert Storm ’98 (1998) · The Ruler’s Back (1999) · The Great Ones (2000) · Hate Me Now (2002) · Where Da Hood At? (2003) · Thee American Idol (2003) · Desert Storm Radio, Vol. 1 (2006)
PUBLIC CLIPS
These clips were posted on YouTube by other people. They are embedded here from those posts, for the record.
DJ Clue and Grafh on Drink Champs (full episode)
“DJ Clue Forced Everybody to Change Their Mixtapes!” (BagFuel)
DJ Whoo Kid on DJ Clue getting him into the mixtape game (BagFuel)
DJ Clue says he was first to put a mixtape on CD (Rap-Up)
DJ Clue on making J. Cole’s Birthday Blizzard ’26 mixtape (BagFuel)
DJ Clue on Roc Marci and the “underground” label (The Real Gully TV)
WATCH THE DVD ERA FREE
After the tapes came the street DVDs. Cocaine City, Smack, The Come Up, Sub-0 and Hood Affairs are free to watch on Hood Box Office. Have a Clue tape? Email info@hoodboxoffice.com.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
This is an independent historical archive documenting the mixtape era. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to DJ Clue, Desert Storm Records, Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam or any artist or brand named here. Videos are embedded from their uploaders’ public YouTube posts. Names are used for historical identification only. Removal requests: info@hoodboxoffice.com.