This short testimonial collage is a ‘quick little excerpt’ featuring 30 minutes of segments from the embryonic elements of the award winning DJ Stretch Armstong Show Feat Bobbito. EVERY part used was broadcast in either 1990 or 1991. The focus is on the classic freestyles, from Percee P and as he was known at the time, DMX The Great.
After their 8 year run, The Source Magazine presented the DJ Stretch Armstrong Show Feat Bobbito with ‘The Best Hip Hop Radio Show Of All-Time’ award. The show was enjoyed by 1000s of people, whether they were tuning in live, or fortunate enough to be checkin out a dub of the show on a tape. But it wasnt just the music that won over their audiences. The show was presented with a warmth, a spirit of community and true friendship, and the unapologetic humour of NYC stoops.
The show ran from 1990 – 1998, and just as the documentary movie ‘Stretch and Bobbito:Radio That Changed Lives’ documented the history, the middle-aged man-fans that grew up with the show, are still fiending for that goodness [FYI. If you consider yourself a fan of Hip-Hop or Rap, you are cheatin yourself if you havent seen this doc]. As well as recounting the mic breaks, and the understandably unsophisticated approach, there’s a bit of music in here too, some Bolaji on Zakia Records, 45 King productions from Lord Alibaski and Chill Rob G, and a slice of BDP, live from Japan. They also mention ‘gettin good listener response’, which is adorable in the scheme of things. Chino BYI gets a shout as does someone called E-Bro #hardyharr
For RRR, hearin Kurious mistakenly refer to Stretch as Skinny Bones, highlights just how early some of this footage actually is. And with language like ‘Good lookin Moneydooks’ and ‘You know we Buggin you lovely’, these shows are about Hip-Hop, by Hip-Hop heads, and for Hip-Hop heads. As well as recounting the mic breaks, and the understandably unsophisticated approach, there’s a bit of music in here too, some Bolaji on Zakia Records, 45 King productions from Lord Alibaski and Chill Rob G, and a slice of BDP, live from Japan [Stretch would often tease listeners by playing cassettes of performances like this]. They also mention ‘gettin good listener response’, which is just adorable in the scheme of things.
Big shouts to Billy Jam, D-HAM [‘Disco’ Dave the Culture Man], Nes @ Dirty Waters, DJ Step One, Michael Buchanan, Stretch & Bobbito & Ambassador Bonz Malone from Navarone!
Percee P & DMX Freestyles
Mic Break & Shouts w/ Kurious & Bobbito
Bolaji – Massive Material
WKCR Skinny Bones Show IDs
Chill Rob G – Motivation
The Source Magazine Mind Squad w/ Daddy Reef/ Disco Dave
Beasley B-79 Freestyle
Mic Break w/ Bobbito
UltraMagnetic MCs – Feelin It
BDP – Live in Japan
Mic Break w/ Stretch, Daddy Reef & Kurious
Lord Alibaski – Lyrics In Motion
Mic Break & Shouts w/ Stretch & Bobbito
RANDOM RAP RADIO 