Born in Brooklyn, raised in Queens, and stopped in many places in between.
Mr. Sweety G. PKA Dr. Glenn Toby is a true musical pioneer, conquering and crossing various musical genres. As one of the original rap pioneers in the 70’s he worked alongside such artists as Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Kool Moe Dee & The Treacherous 3, The Crash Crew, Boogie Boys, Cipher Sounds, Disco Twins, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, and Run DMC.
After a decade of historical accomplishments in Hip-Hop, Glenn took a much-needed break from the music business. Needing time to deal with the pain of his grandmother’s passing, he got a corporate job and invested in getting himself a keyboard. A natural progression into singing followed his self-taught playing. Ultimately, he also learned to program the synthesizers and sequencers. In due course, Glenn’s passion for music pulled him back to his true calling. He went on to build the renowned Queens Village recording studio 05A, with his Brother Randall Toby, which attracted artists like Run (of Run DMC), Melba Moore, Paulette Williams, Luther Vandross’s band and others.
An iconic legend.
The early house music movement in New York City, he became an artist, producer, and remixer credited with establishing the tribal/jungle sound on the local NYC garage house music scene in the late 1980s. In time, he met and collaborated with Trinidadian producer Winston Jones, known as the godfather of tribal music where together, they created Cultural Vibe.
Cultural Vibe became known for their powerful, Afrocentric messages about love, healing, and positivity.
In 1986, their first single, Mind-games, became a crossover success and received national airplay along with some of the top 40 soul records of the time. With additional singles Ma Foom Bey and Power coming out and getting airplay the same year, the group then toured and performed extensively in the United States and Europe, opening for such artists as Grace Jones, Chaka Khan, James D Train Williams, Heavy D and The Boys, Bobby Brown, Bobby Womack, and Gwen Guthrie among others in venues including The Paradise Garage, Zanzibar, and Ministry of Sound.
Glenn Toby was the Voice of many DJ Victor Simonelli’s Produced super Groups, such as Groove Committee, and Glenn Toby’s Artist Nu Civilization, as well as he and Simonelli touring around the World.
Glenn “Sweety G” Toby and Dayrl “DMC” Mack of Run DMC
An iconic legend
“It was pure magic”,
Recalls Glenn, “to go from a song or concept in my head to creating it in the studio and then watch the audience sing the words.” In 1989, Glenn was signed as a solo artist to Capitol Records by Kenny Ortiz (of SWV fame). His song, Someone to Love Me, was included on Black Havana, a compilation album of the best house and dance music artists at the time.
Glenn’s House music career continued well past the 90’s as a writer, producer, and remixer for various artists. He wrote You’re the Love of My Life for Sybil and remixed songs for Mary Wilson and R. Kelly. Richie from Kraze says, He has a unique gift of channeling his ancestors. His music bought a whole new conversation to House music; the African flavor to the vocals.
Glenn “Sweety G” Toby and Dayrl “DMC” Mack of Run DMC
Today, Glenn’s career has a celebrated historical influence on both the international Hip-Hop and House music scenes.
The ever-expanding arch of his career eventually lead him to work behind the scenes, going on to manage LL Cool J and Saigon, as well as achieving a phenomenally successful career in sports management, working with such household names as Asante Samuels, Bernard Hopkins and Don King.
Glenn continues his work as a sports and talent manager, in addition to giving back to his community. In 1998, he founded a non-profit organization, The Book Bank Foundation dedicated to eradicating illiteracy and homelessness. His most recent endeavor is authoring a children’s book, Lil G Faces the Brooklyn Bully