Bust a move - by peter relic

The greatest untold story in the history of hip-hop, the daring record label that launched West Coast hip-hop into the American mainstream and produced the hits that dominated the ’80s and ’90s—with previously unseen material, photos, and exclusive interviews.

Bust A Move: Matt Dike, Delicious Vinyl And The Hip-Hop Hits That First Conquered America - by Peter Relic
2026 Kensington Publishing Corp.

The greatest untold story in the history of hip-hop, this is the first-ever complete account of the scene, street-savvy stars, and daring record label that launched West Coast hip-hop into the American mainstream and produced the hits that dominated the ’80s and ’90s—with previously unseen material, photos, and exclusive interviews.

WITH A FOREWORD BY B-REAL OF CYPRESS HILL

In 1987, hip-hop was at a tipping point: coastally, commercially, and creatively. New York City ruled the culture, while its hottest record label Def Jam was king. Yet out in LA, a new crew was ready to challenge for the crown, and their fresh spin would upend the industry as the decade reached its peak.

Two Los Angeles dance club DJs, Matt Dike and Mike Ross, started their own independent label in Matt’s cramped apartment on Santa Monica Boulevard and called it Delicious Vinyl. Hoping to press a few thousand records locally, they signed unknown rappers Tone Loc and Young MC, and after recording “Wild Thing,” “Funky Cold Medina,” and “Bust a Move,” they soon sold nearly ten million copies worldwide. For a fleeting, shining time, aligned with a stunning series of collaborators, Matt Dike was the hottest music producer in the world. Iconic artist Jean-Michael Basquiat, director John Hughes, and the Beastie Boys all entered Matt’s inner circle. Then, at the height of his success, Dike disappeared from the scene. Mysteriously, he cut himself loose from his closest friends, colleagues, and family. The life, career, and secrets of “the Howard Hughes of hip-hop” became the stuff of legend.

Now, journalist Peter Relic unpacks the truth behind an exhilarating, never-before-told story of the city, the era, and the blazing creativity that changed the landscape of both rap and pop. Filled with unforgettable characters and drawing on dozens of exclusive interviews—including the only in-person sit-down with the enigmatic Matt Dike—Bust a Move is the answer to a mystery, and a celebration of a monumental musical legacy.

“A work of deep journalism and profound passion, Peter Relic’s Bust a Move is a vivid chronicle of Delicious Vinyl and its founders Matt Dike and Mike Ross. It charts the unlikely tale of the label—from seismic hits by Tone Loc and Young MC to collaborations with the Beastie Boys and Brian Wilson, through Dike’s retreat from the music business and his tragic passing—that thrust rap into the musical mainstream. In doing so, Relic has fashioned a perfect blend of biography, musicology, and cultural history.” — Bob Mehr, New York Times bestselling author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements


“Hip-hop is a music that contains multitudes, as Peter Relic’s immensely readable Bust a Move proves. Relic lets his attention roam freely from funk to punk, electro to pop, hair metal to Lil Nas X. Along the way, the author’s wry prose style makes this that rarest of rarities, an important book that is blessedly free of self-importance. It seems crazy that nobody has written a book about Delicious Vinyl before. Maybe nobody has been crazy enough to try. As Relic observes, the label’s legacy has been overlooked ‘like a meteor so bright it had created a blind spot.’ Not anymore.” — Rob Kenner, author of The Marathon Don’t Stop: The Life and Times of Nipsey Hussle