I sparked a b-boy cypher

Damn folks, i can't even explain how happy this made me.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:

I currently reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Just a few years ago, there was almost absolutely no hip hop scene here. In the past, I'd say, year and a half, we have had way more hip hop shows, been getting good indie vinyl, and there is just more of a hip hop atmosphere. There is still almost nothing here but "I peeled a cap-in-yo-ass" gangsta rap, but there is this one group called the Rusty Pelicans that use live instrumentation and are dope lyracists (UWM REPRESENT!!!!). So the fact that we've had like 4 dope shows this summer, got Kool Kieth and Jb's in a week, and Hiero and Living legends at the end of the month has got me pretty encouraged.

One thing that has been crazy lacking is b-boys/girls. Every show i go to in Chicago has crazy b-kids breaking through the whole show. But up here, its like the b-boys are scared to get their Addidas suits dirty or something. Or there just aren't any. So needless to say i was flipping out when cats started breaking at my Tuesday night hole in the wall venue.

I was supposed to spin at 11pm, but the guy that runs the joint forgot he scheduled me and put some other cat in my spot. I was not real happy about this, but i'm a real reasonable guy and i didn't freak out or anything. Turns out that the 11pm dj (dj Who?) has a little affinity for all the crappy tunes you can find on the radio. THIS MUTHERFUCKER PLAYED DRU HILL!!!! When i come to a "hip hop night" event (the only time and place in the city) I want to hear hip hop! I can turn on V100 at any time during the day and listen to all the puffy, dru hill, cam-ron, and other misc. bullshit my eardrums can stand. It was especially weird because nobody ever spins this kinda shit at this particular drinking establishment. Anyyyyyyywayyyyyysssssss......

Turns out that dude that is supposed to spin at 12 was tardy last week, and there is a good chance he'll be tardy again this week. As soon as 11:58 hits, i'm all up in Diamond J's business like "So you gonna put me on?". He says yes, and the realness ensues.

Last time i spun here (only my second time in a club/bar) i was a little nervous and i was not real happy with my performance. For some reason, when i get nervous i have to take a shit. I happened to be shitting about 3 minutes before i went on in fact. Things just didn't go right. But last night i was feeling the vibe. I wanted to get up there so bad, and i was a little saucy off the apple cider (yeah right) that i'd been drinking since 9, so shit just felt right.

Here's my playlist for 9/8/98:

Internationally known (ins)--DITC Subway theme--Wild style soundtrak I ain't havin that--Heltah Skeltah I'm not sure of the title but i think it's "Niggas talk shit" (i don't pay a whole lot of attention to song titles on albums)--Black Moon Jazzy belle rmx--Outkast Galaxies--Mountain Bros. New + Improved--Herbaliser w/ what what End to End burners--Co flow Poetry--BDP

So here is where shit starts to get thick. The other times i've spun, it was earlier (10-11pm). Now it's like 12:30 and everybody is pretty souped up. People were steadily filing in the whole time i was spinning, and i was still in awe that End to end burners got people out of their chairs. I mean, i realize what a dope song it is, but people usually don't respond to indy joints in here. This is when i decide to take the 40-50 odd people back.

The breaks--Kurtis Blow

#BOOM#

This one dj i know named Tone capone (he's sooper ill despite the name) gets out of his chair and STARTS DOING WINDMILLS! I just stand there and stare--fighting off feelings of bewilderment and amazement.

Know the ledge--Eric B and Rakim

*KABOOM*

ANOTHER CAT JUMPS IN! Its even more amazing because this place has a dirty ass floor and these cats are flexing super duty tuff work. I'm no B-boy expert, but they were getting busy.

Shake your rump--Beastie Boys

MORE PEOPLE JUMP IN! Nobody was even sitting at the bar. They were all standing in a circle around the floor watching these cats get down. A couple cats are in the corner freestyling. The only thing i could think of was when Del said "I love hip hop more/than i did as a kid....". Its right here that i'm smiling ear to ear and fully realizing how i love all this shit SOOOOOO much. Mic cords, and booty ass needles that skip, and crates of vinyl, and breakers in fatigues, and tags on the wall, and transformer scratches, and BREAKDANCING!, and two cats in the corner freestyling, and Rakim in his hayday, and hip hop and hip hop and hip hop.

<vision gets blurry as tear forms in left eye>

The choice is yours--Black Sheep

MORE HYSTERIA!

The show--Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh

This was the catharsis. The tunes were just fitting together so well, and everybody was so open. Love folks.

Rappaz r n danja--Krs one

The world is filled--Biggie

I guess i could have closed with a better song than one that features the lyrical exploits of Poof daddy and Too Short, but this is one of those songs i like that i theoretically shouldn't. Its got a nice 8 bars at the beginning that are perfect for blending, and it always gets people to dance. Plus, i like it when Too Short says "Fuckin nerd". So i come down and kick it with my crew for a while, suck down another Milwaukee's Best and a Pall Mall and immoutdado. I got home and i was just too happy/hyped up to sleep. Sat and played a game of Fifa 97 and went to sleep with visions of tech 1200's and chrome microphones dancing in my head.

Just thought i'd share that with you.

respectfully,

applesauce