Peanut Butter Wolf

Peanut Butter Wolf
Peanut Butter Wolf - Live DJ set at FYF Fest in Los Angeles
Background information
Birth name	Chris Manak
Also known as	Peanut Butter Wolf, Chris Cut
Origin	San Jose, California
Genres	Hip hop, Funk
Occupations	DJ, Hip Hop Producer, Head of Stones Throw
Years active	1989–present
Labels	Upstairs Records, Hollywood Basic, Stones Throw
Associated acts	Charizma Planet Asia Madlib J. Rocc Dam-Funk James Pants Jonti Jonwayne

Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, is an American DJ, hip-hop producer and the founder of Stones Throw Records.

A native of San Jose, California, Manak took the name Peanut Butter Wolf in the late-80s when he realized that a girlfriend’s youngest brother feared the “peanut butter wolf monster” more than death itself. He has been active since 1989 when he produced a song by Lyrical Prophecy called "You Can't Swing This" on a label called PMR Records run by Kim Collett, who DJed with him at the local radio station (KSJS). Peanut Butter Wolf persuaded his father to contribute $500 to get the record released, making him a part owner in the label. Later that year, he met Charles Hicks, a.k.a. Charizma. They became close friends and formed a group. After shopping their demo tape to a few labels, they decided to sign with Hollywood BASIC, a division of Disney's Hollywood Records.

Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf eventually left the label right before they ended their hip hop division. Charizma died in December 1993. Eventually Peanut Butter Wolf began making beats and DJing again. "It was a way for me to deal with the pain of losing both my music partner and my best friend"^{[citation needed]} said Wolf. He then decided the album he and Charizma made together had to be heard. While Peanut Butter Wolf was passing out tapes, Dave Paul from the Bomb Hip Hop Magazine put out an album featuring the best hip hop artists of the Bay Area. It featured (among others) Blackalicious, Mystic Journeymen, Qbert, and Charizma.

The next two years brought several compilations: Return of the DJ, instrumental beats Peanut Butter Breaks, and production work for Kool Keith. Peanut Butter Wolf also released an EP called "Step On Our Egos" for Southpaw Records. Still, he wanted to release the Charizma songs, making their dream a reality.

After recording for many labels, Peanut Butter Wolf realized he was having as much fun promoting the records as recording the songs. He became confident that he could succeed in running a label, and convinced distributor Nu Gruv Alliance that he could do it. In 1996 Peanut Butter Wolf founded Stones Throw Records, making his first release "My World Premier" by "Charizma and Peanut Butter Wolf". Lately, Peanut Butter Wolf has moved away from producing to help promote up and coming artists on his Stones Throw label and to travel the world as a DJ/VJ.

He has overseen the releases of Lootpack’s Soundpieces, Quasimoto’s The Unseen, Breakestra’s Live Mix, Yesterdays New Quintet’s Angles Without Edges, Madlib's Shades of Blue, and Jaylib's Champion Sound.

Discography

Albums

• Peanut Butter Breaks, LP, 1994, Upstairs Records
• Styles, Crews, Flows, Beats 1998
• My Vinyl Weighs a Ton 1999
• Big Shots 2003

Presented by

• Peanut Butter Wolf's Jukebox 45's, CD/LP, 2002 Stones Throw Records
• Chrome Children, CD-DVD/LP, 2006 Stones Throw
• Chrome Children Vol. 2, CD, 2007 Stones Throw
• B-Ball Zombie War, CD/LP, 2007 Stones Throw Records

Mixtapes

• Fusion Beats CD/LP,, (2002)
• Badmeaningood Vol.3 (2003)
• 666 Mix CD, (2006)
• Chrome Mix CD, (2006)
• Zombie Playoffs CD, (2007)
• Ladies First CD, (2007)
• Be Our Valentine CD, (2008) w/ Prince Paul

External links

• Peanut Butter Wolf official webpage
• Stones Throw Records
• Tiny Mix Tapes article about Peanut Butter Wolf
• April 2008 Interview with L.A. Record