It was truly a blessing to have been raised in The South Bronx, and to have witnessed what I have during the years between 1973 - 1981.From hearing all the DJ's and MC's when they all were just starting to how they moved through the ranks and how some blew up.
Also to have been apart of it myself by performing at alot of the mainstays like
The Audobon, The Cadet Corps,T-Connection,Harlem World,Ecstasy Garage,etc..
It was a great time,a unique time in Hip Hop history.
So, I'd like to share with you a few things from back then that you might not have been aware of...
Please allow me to take you back....
New York City was in the midst of a big fiscal crisis back then.We was broke.
Our hired government trust was incompetent.A generation before Robert Moses dream
(The Cross Bronx Expressway) turned into a nightmare.
It sent the Jewish and European sons and daughters of the original immigrants
that came in the 1920's out to greener pastures like upstate N.Y. Staten and Long Island.
The inner boroughs never recovered form the loss of the small businesses.The property owners lost tons of money
of which some would resort to burning their own building for the insurance money.The were the ashes that hiphop
was created from.It became a our source of inspiration in a land of nothing but destitude,despair,unequal opportunity,
poverty,racism,you name it.
Most of the Black families migrated from the south, the Hispanic families from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.New York was essentially segregated during these years,
not by choice..just by design.
Father's that remained with their families worked long hours to make a dollar
in hard physical jobs because they did not have the education or the opportunity
to advance in business orientated jobs.
So their way of venting was alcohol.
That is if you were lucky enough to have a father, most brothers back then succumbed to the horrors of Vietnam
or became junkies with the herion epidemic and was lost in the wave of society ills.They became statistics.
Hiphop was extremely regional at the time.Not many people traveled beyond their home turf.For reasons of
poverty and security.So you were more or less subjected to the local crews from your project buildings BEFORE
you saw any of the people that would become legendary.The young Soundmasters of Castle Hill was the first crew that I heard rockin' with two turntables and a microphone, big speakers and breakbeats.
Our projects was about 16 buildings deep including three 20 story buildings,so that was a massive amount of heads that would come out to see them play.This was the group Just-Ice came from...he was known as Justice back then,as he was one of the first cats around the block to preach the mathematics.The first person I knew that was a 5 percenter.I had the privilage of performing with my man back when we were together in the Mark 5 Emcees.
Afrika Bambataa came every saturday night to play in the park (Castle Hill) so he was one of the first bigger acts that I heard.The Zulu Kings were the first people I saw that was breakdancing.As the interest grew,we would venture out
to see Disco King Mario and the Chuck City crew at J.H.S. 123.Then GrandImperial DJ Kenny Ken and The K-Connection at 100 Park.I didn't know Flash, BreakOut,Theodore and them existed at the time because I was on the other side of The Bronx.
You couldn't just get down with a crew.You had to write rhymes or practice cuttin' if you were a DJ.
Then you would arrange a battle with your peers in the neighborhood.If you was good enough you fell under the tent and got down.Therefore expanding the crew.The bigger the crew, the more respect you got.
If you was very good you took a spot and became a member of that crew's starting 5.These were rare occasions,
crews were very tight back then.The term play cousin came from the fact that many of the families were very close with one another.Everybody knew everybodies mom and grandmother,etc.
Before you got down, you had to be affiliated with the crew at first.We called that being down by law.
This meant that you had the protection from the crew, but inturn you did alot of the behind the scenes work
like carrying equipment,which was no joke.dem' elevators sucked and didn't work alot in the summertime.
organizing records,ghost writing rhymes,making runs to the store,fighting other crews (physically),etc..
It wasn't all fun and games in the time before you was officially down and actually performing.
There was only so many spots available.
The hustlers and scramblers were the ones rockin' the sheepskin coats and the courtafil coats and the
silver and gold chains back then.We didn't have any money for dat' s**t.The size of the chain was not of importance until later in Hiphop.At first it was the significance of the medallion.
If you sported a house medallion back then you was bigtime.
The general consensus wore world (circular) medallions attached to the chains.
This was way before the ropes became popular.
As you started getting paid for your performances,which could be anything form 50$ to 500$ a night
based upon how many crew members you had.For the more established crew, according to Kool DJ A.J.
they took down upwards of $1,000 plus a night.That was huge money back then.
Then you were able to buy the fly gear and fly kicks...but at the beginning of hiphop we were mostly bummy rockin' basic t-shirts and jeans.Super pro keds,69ers or Converse All-stars that killed your feet.
You only wore them because Dr.J had the commercial.
How he ever played ball in these is a some incredible s**t.
Weed was sold in Traybag (3$) Nickelbag (5$) or Dimebag (10$) form.The older high school guys,
The vets that came home and the guys between 20-30 was the ones who hustled and smoked.
Hiphop started for everyone at the Middle School age.
Albeit we were more streetwise and mature than these kids now of the same age.
So you became down by law at about 12-13, and was in the crew about 15,16.
The 40 didn't exist until later....The stores only sold 32 ounces of beer.
The drink of choice back then for the heads was cheap wine
(Richard's Wild Irish Rose,Ripple,Boonesfarm)
and of course Colt 45....Old E and the Bull came way later.
The weapons of choice in early Hiphop was a homemade knife (shank) the switchblade,the chain link
and of course the baseball bat of which was easily obtained from Yankee Stadium on Bat Day,
where they gave out upwards of 30,000 bats for the price of admision.Some cats could rock nun-chucks.
There were alot of Bruce Lee heads back then to.Martial Arts films were just as big as Hiphop at one point in time.
Ut ohhh
....I'm sorry RC and Uptown I'm startin'to go off the deep end again,
I'll end up here for hours,so I best cut it short....until next time peace everyone.
Funny stuff, sis.
