Andre Harrell, the influential music mogul, passed away at this year due to heart failure. He had a repertoire of curating Black excellence through ownership and creativity that spanned over three decades – of rap, soul, television, fashion, and film. Harrell began his career as Dr. Jeckyll in the hip-hop-duo group Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde whilst still in high school. The duo put out minor hits until Harrell pivoted his interests into the business side of the music industry. He became the first rapper to transition into a corporate boardroom. There, he would go on to work at Def Jam Records under the tutelage of Russell Simmons. Harrell received the notoriety of building the careers of LL Cool J, Run DMC, and Whodini; it was a foreshadowing of the legacy he was bound to imprint on culture. After three years of spearheading careers at Def Jam, Harrell left and went on to birth the new cool: Uptown Records. Blending the soulful trances of bedroom R&B with the flamboyant ruggedness of rap music, Harrell went on to revolutionize the sound of Black soul music in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with Uptown Records. Not only did he open the doors for an array of talent that became the soundtrack to Black American life, but he became the wizard behind the boards of putting the imagery of joy, fun, and success at the forefront for Black culture.