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Jerry Calliste Jr. was 17 when he recorded the electro classic, “Al Naafiysh (The Soul)” as Hashim for Cutting Records of which, he was a co-founder. All factions of urban dancers were entertained by “Al Naafiysh” whether it was played straight or used a break for b-boys and girls. Calliste’s song was the first release on the label and he was vice president until co-founder Aldo Marin bought him out.”Al Naafiysh (The Soul)” was a funk disco hybrid that defined the electro genre of the early ’80’s along with Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock,” The Jonzun Crew, Kraftwerk, Mantronix, George Clinton, Whodini and Herbie Hancock. The New York City native didn’t record again and has since spent most of his time working as a partner and co-founder of cloud technology startup Simplestream.
