On first meeting Andre, I figured he was in the Nation of Islam; in an era of unlaced sneakers and backwards baseball caps, he wore suits and white shirts. But early-’80s Andre was living several lives: He sold air time on local radio stations, worked at Simmons’ growing Rush Management, and rhymed in the rap group Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde. From the beginning, the hustle was relentless: opening for Run-DMC at a mid-’80s Madison Square Garden show, after which a waiting car would take the duo to performances at after-parties in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx — after-parties that Andre was promoting.
