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United States Peanut Butter Wolf, born Christopher George Manak, is an American disc jockey, record producer, and the founder of Stones Throw Records, renowned for his contributions to hip-hop culture and independent music.
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Chris Manak, owner of Stones Throw Records and the musician better known as Peanut Butter Wolf, opened the Gold Line Bar, joining the numerous new bars and...
Peanut Butter Wolf is an Los Angeles-based DJ and founder of independent record label, Stones Throw Records. As a high school student, he began spinning and...
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‘Peanut Butter Breaks,’ a self-released 1994 instrumental LP, was funded by San Jose Latin freestyle label Upstairs Records...
...and distributed by San Francisco rare groove reissue label Ubiquity Records.
Christopher George Manak, known as Peanut Butter Wolf, was born on October 8, 1969, in San Jose, California. His early musical experiences were shaped by his parents’ diverse record collection, spanning classical, showtunes, swing, and country. By age nine, Manak was actively collecting 45s at local record stores, developing an early passion for music that included “Rappers Delight” and “The Breaks.” His formative years in San Jose were characterized by a dedicated search for new hip-hop music in a pre-internet era, relying on local radio stations like KSOL, record shops such as Star Records, and word-of-mouth from friends. This scarcity fostered a deep commitment to discovering and sharing underground sounds.
In 1989, Peanut Butter Wolf met rapper Charizma, forming a partnership that quickly gained local recognition through live performances and demo tapes in San Jose and the Bay Area. The tragic death of Charizma in 1993 profoundly impacted Manak, leading him to found Stones Throw Records in 1996 as a means to release their collaborative work, including the posthumous album “Big Shots” in 2003. His debut solo album, “My Vinyl Weighs a Ton,” released in 1999, became a significant release in the underground hip-hop scene, recognized for its crate-digging aesthetic. Over the years, Peanut Butter Wolf has expanded Stones Throw Records beyond hip-hop to include a diverse range of genres, fostering a reputation for eclectic and influential music.
His career progression includes not only his work as a DJ and producer but also his role as an archivist and label owner. After relocating to Los Angeles around 2000, he continued to cultivate Stones Throw Records, signing artists like MF Doom, J. Dilla, and Madlib. In 2024, he released an album with Brian Ellis under the group name Campus Christy, demonstrating his ongoing involvement in music production. Beyond his recorded output, Peanut Butter Wolf is recognized for his commitment to independent music and his efforts in chronicling early San Jose rap history, highlighting lesser-known artists and the unique challenges of music discovery in the era.
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