Cuts — Popa Chubby - The First

Released as a compilation in 1996 via , The First Cuts serves as a raw blueprint for his future career. It gathers early recordings from his own Laughing Bear label , featuring tracks that established his "New York City Blues" sound—a mix of Jimi Hendrix -style pyrotechnics, Buddy Guy showmanship, and The Stooges' grit. Key Moments from the "First Cuts" Era: Popa Chubby: The First Cuts - Proper Music

The story of is a gritty, blues-soaked narrative of a New York City artist carving out his identity before hitting the mainstream. Born Ted Horowitz in the Bronx, Popa Chubby didn't start with the blues—he cut his teeth in the early 1980s NYC punk scene , playing at legendary haunts like CBGB’s and backing punk poet Richard Hell . Popa Chubby - The First Cuts

By the early '90s, he had transitioned into the blues, but he brought that dangerous, raw punk energy with him. The moniker "Popa Chubby" itself was born during an impromptu jam with Bernie Worrell of Parliament-Funkadelic, who pointed at him while singing a song called "Popa Chubby"—a name that stuck because it captured the "excitement" he wanted his music to embody. The Genesis of "The First Cuts" Released as a compilation in 1996 via ,