Kanye West, GLC, Timmy G, and Arrowstar Formed The Go Getters
Article Summary
The group got started after Kanye West began working with John Monopoly around 1990. Later, in 1995, Monopoly teamed up with his cousin, Don C, and they started a management company called Hustle. West wanted to join Hustle, but he couldn't because he already had a contract as a solo producer. To get around this, they formed the Go Getters group around 1996, first calling themselves the Chicago Outfit. The main goal was always to help West's career, and they were often introduced as "Go Getters featuring Kanye West." Other members joined, including GLC, who West had told to go solo before they teamed up; Timmy G, brought in by GLC; and Arrowstar, who knew West from school and reportedly taught him how to rap. Really Doe was also a close part of the crew. Monopoly and Don C managed them. The group first made music at Donda West's (Kanye West's mom) house in the suburbs, which GLC and Really Doe said was a good place to create, away from their South Side neighborhood of Auburn Gresham. After that, they recorded a lot at Craig Bauer's Hinge Studios. Bauer said it was clear West was the main creative force, making beats on his MPC. John Monopoly came up with the name "Go Getters" after hearing his uncle, Vernardo "Roc" Parker, use the term for people who were hustlers.
The Go Getters got some attention locally in Chicago, mostly thanks to DJ Pharris at radio station WGCI. Pharris knew West since 1996 and used to borrow records from him. He played their songs on the radio, starting with "Street Love" (when they were still Chicago Outfit) and later "Uh Oh." John Monopoly even led a protest outside WGCI to get them to play "Uh Oh" more. Even with this local buzz, the group didn't get a major record deal. They came close around 1999, talking with people like Merlin Bobb at Elektra Records and producer Richard “Younglord” Frierson. Monopoly flew to New York often to try and get deals, using flight passes from a girlfriend who worked for American Airlines, but nothing worked out. Around the same time, West was becoming known as a producer. He started working with people like Deric “D-Dot” Angelettie and eventually moved away from Chicago to New Jersey and New York to focus on making beats. This led to him working with Jay-Z and signing to Roc-A-Fella Records. As West's solo production work grew, the Go Getters group slowly faded away. Really Doe said there wasn't a big falling out because they were like family. GLC remembered West promising to help them once he made it big, and GLC kept sending West music ideas even after he moved. People who knew West back then, like Really Doe, said he worked non-stop on music and knew he was meant for success.
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Event Date: 1996
