Merlin Bobb

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Merlin Bobb
Born	(1961-10-24) October 24, 1961 Brooklyn, New York
Occupations	DJ, music executive, producer, A&R specialist, entrepreneur
Years active	1980s–present
Associated acts	Timmy Regisford, Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Louie Vega, Roger Sanchez, David Morales

Merlin Bobb (born October 24, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American DJ, music executive, producer, A&R specialist, and entrepreneur. He is recognized as a pioneer of New York house music and a driving force behind numerous successful urban and dance music careers.

Early life and education

Merlin Bobb was born on October 24, 1961, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up immersed in a diverse musical environment—jazz, disco, salsa, R&B, punk, and early hip hop—which shaped his eclectic musical style and deep appreciation for dance culture.

Career

Radio

In the early 1980s, Bobb began his career in radio as Music Director at WBLS (107.5 FM) in New York. He hosted influential mix shows, and under his leadership from 1983 to 1986, WBLS rose to #1 in New York's urban radio market.

Major-label executive

Between 1986 and 2005, Bobb held executive A&R roles at three major record labels:

• **Atlantic Records (1986–1991):** As Vice President of A&R, he led Atlantic's R&B division from #11 to #1 market share.
• **EastWest Records (1991–1995):** Serving as Senior Vice President under Sylvia Rhone, he co-founded the label and broke acts like Missy Elliott, En Vogue, Das EFX, and Gerald Levert, helping secure EastWest's position in the top urban/pop market.
• **Elektra Entertainment Group (1995–2005):** Promoted to Executive Vice President and Head of A&R, he oversaw development of artists such as Brandy, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, and others, earning record revenue and chart success.

Entrepreneurship & consulting

In 2005, Bobb founded **Roun' Table Entertainment**, an independent artist management and production company. It later merged with Cash Money Records and was distributed by Universal Music Group. From 2007 onward, he served as Executive Consultant at Zomba/Universal Music Publishing, advising on artist branding, corporate sponsorships, and creative development.

Club Shelter and DJ career

In 1991, Bobb co-founded **Club Shelter**, along with Timmy Regisford and Freddy Sanon. Located in New York City, Shelter became a cultural touchstone for underground house music, hosting legendary DJs such as Frankie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler, Louie Vega, and Roger Sanchez.

After a hiatus, Bobb returned to performance in 2022, playing at a Boiler Room event and various Shelter anniversary celebrations and festivals worldwide.

Recent work

In the 2020s, Bobb resumed releasing original music on **Access Records**, including house tracks like *Dr.(Wud U)*, *Dark Rose*, and *What Do I*—in collaboration with Mark Francis and Timmy Regisford.

He has been featured on major audio platforms, including episode 115 of *True House Stories* and episode 8 of *There Is No Planet Earth Stories*, discussing his career and musical legacy.

Recognition

• Described by Resident Advisor as "a House Music Pioneer."
• Invited by Boiler Room to perform his debut live DJ set in 2022, honoring his foundational role in house music.

External links

• Merlin Bobb on Resident Advisor
• True House Stories – Episode 115
• There Is No Planet Earth Stories – Episode 8

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