Troy- So who were some of the d.j.s you rapped for?

Peso- 45 King.

Troy- Where at?

Peso- (Peso laughs.) At his house and in the store he worked at.

Troy- On 125th?

Peso- Yeah, I use to walk to his store and hang there all day.

Troy- The record shop between st. Nicholas and eighth avenue? Across from Randy’s Place?

Peso- Yeah he was there but then he moved further down 125th to another record shop.

Troy- So you use to get on the mic right there in the record shop while people were buying records?

Peso- Yeah he use to cut while I said my rhymes. He use to say, “Yo listen to this” and he use to play beats and he was good and he was fast. I know for a fact for me and Tito we had a love for d.j.s.. When I wasn’t a rapper I use to hang out with Tito, I use to walk with Tito everywhere and he use to get on everybody’s set. (Peso laughs.)

Troy- You weren’t m.c.ing yet, you were just hanging out with him on some graffiti thing and he use to get on the mic at different places like when he would go see Master Don uptown?.

Peso- Yeah go everywhere, up to Drew Hamilton projects everywhere. Tito get on the mic and burn s— up. They use to be like who the f—…. because they use to think he was a white boy. Who the f— is this white boy, then they would find out he was Spanish. He would get on that mic and tear their ass up and we never use to have to worry about anything he would be like if a mother f—– want to do something will whip his ass I don’t give a f—. so Tito would be on the mic rocking and girls is loving it and guys were upset but we didn’t care because we we’re ready to whip they ass. And there would be lines of rappers that want to get on and we would skip Tito up on the mic. We would walk all over the place to whoever was jamming in the park and this was before I was a rapper. I was just a graffiti artist but me and him use to hang out.

Troy- So what year did you first start getting on the mic and what made you want to get on the mic?

Peso- Well we use to go to Oscars house after we use to hit the trains to listen to the music because he was a d.j. and Tito would rap. It use to be just him and Tito. I use to tell them I like that stuff but I really can’t do that because my brother was doing that and I felt that wouldn’t be right. Back then there was a respect law, you don’t really go behind your brother. If your brother is the man on something, he’s the man! so I wouldn’t f— with it. but then he started doing his thing on the streets making money and he left the mic alone he gave me the okay saying go ahead. This had to be either 1978 or 79! I was in the 12th grade at the time. once I got into it and started learning the skills of rapping. I use to record people rapping at the jams and listen to their flow. Not just in Harlem but the people in the Bronx too because I wrote graffiti. I hung out with Act 1 who was from the Bronx and he use to take me to see T.J. Swan up in Mitchell projects and that was when Mele Mel and them use to hit the mic up there. So I been around rap. Rap and Graffiti were like together.

Troy- (At this time Troy played for Peso a tape of D.J. Hollywood.) My question to you after playing this tape of Hollywood was that the first person you ever heard do hip hop?

Peso- Nah not from Hollywood. I first heard hip hop from Mel, when it was just Mel and his brother! I saw Mel and Creole up in Mitchell. We use to be under ground on 149th street, you know the writers corner. So in the summer time we would come up and we would walk to the park and they would be jamming in the hand ball part of the park. We also use to be up there by Tremont and Tony Tone of the Cold Crush use to live in Lambert projects and they use to jam there and we use to go there to hangout.

Troy- So your brother Mallory was the one that was telling you about Hollywood?

Peso- Yeah he use to tell me about Hollywood, Eddie Cheba and Reggie Wells.

Troy- So when you said you heard Creole and Mel that might have been 1977 because by 1978 I have a tape where Mel and Creole are rocking with Cowboy and Ness.

Peso- Right, I see what you’re getting at. I can’t nail down the year but they had super big afros! (we both laugh.) So we would come out the train station and go to the super market and get our soda’s, sandwich meat, mayonnaise and bread. We would sit in Mitchell park and make our sandwiches and watch them do their thing. Then after that get some beer and then we would attack the handball court walls. We even use to watch them break dance up there.

Troy- So when you heard Mel and Creole do what they were doing and Flash was d.j.ing it didn’t really hit you hard! it was just some music being played or did you say yo I’m digging this?

Peso- Yes I was definitely digging it because all the girls were coming to the park.

Troy- So it wasn’t anything magical or special at that time for you when you heard the hip hop up there at that moment?

Peso- Nah but Mel and his brother were good. Tito was a writer that use to rap but there was another writer name Act 1 he was a black kid from the Bronx and he use to rap. He was like a tag king. He use to take me, my man Derby, A.J. 161 and Kendo. Act 1 also use to get on the mic. Act 1 use to rap for T.J. Swann. There was another kid name RD La Rock and he too use to rap and write. He was more into the break dancing though. there were a bunch of graffiti artist that was also break dancers as well as rappers but we use to rap right in the subway station, we were really out there. We weren’t really taken it serious on the streets. The only one that was really taking it serious on the streets was Act 1 in the Bronx and Tito in Manhattan.

Troy- So whatever became of At 1 lyrically as an m.c.?

Peso- I don’t know because after a while we faded from each other. I have to ask Chain.

Sparky D and Roxanne Shante

Fearless 4

DJ Outlaw, Tony Tone, JDL and Smooth B

Cold Crush Brothers

LA Sunshine and Roxanne Shante

EZ Ad and Reggie Reg

Greg Nice

Chubb Rock

Cutman LG

Joe Ski Love

Scratch Master Jazzy G

Special Ed

link

Respect the Fearless Four, peace to Crazy Al Cayne TV

Interview starts at around 1 hour and 50 minutes. Peace to DJ Hollywood.

Great interview with Tito from the Fearless Four from last summer, sharing all kinds of crazy memories. Too many to mention, I added a few tags to indicate how important he is to all of this. Peace to Jayquan Link

Fearless Four – Live @ Harlem World, 1982

Another crew I really appreciate was the Fearless Four. One of the members, Tito, was a little guy who was young and it seemed as though Head Hunters record was his theme song. It was his rhymes, the cadence, and the way Peso and the rest of group would flow in. All the group members were good but they were all very different.

So is Tito the very first person that made you say this is what I want to do?

Well he is the first guy that made me see there was more that could be done with Rap. Tito was lyrical so he made me feel you could take rap to another level.

Let me say this, you are older than all of the members of the Fearless Four and maybe 1 or 2 years older then Peso who was the oldest member. You came more from the Hollywood, Eddie Cheba cats or Disco guys. At least that was the impression I got hearing about you. So if Tito influenced you like that, what about Fantastic, Cold Crush Etc.?

I was gone before that started, I was in Alaska. So when I came back from Alaska it was like 1977 or 78. Tito and them did not do their records Its Magic or Problems of the World just yet, but they were known on the streets for just doing their thing before they blew up.

I listened to a lot of emcees but Tito and the rest of his crew were the first to make me start writing rhymes because they had that edge and great lyrical skills. I have to say this about Tito, Mike and the rest of the crew, emcees all over Harlem thought they were good or the best but the Fearless Four were real good. Plus they were also humble.

I used to listen to Tito and his flow was like, “Man!” Head Hunters was like his favorite along with Cat Stevens Dog a Donut. His flow and the way he articulated him self really impressed me. I liked his flow because I too would try and flow like a drum over rhythm and that is what I heard him doing. I thought they were all good so I ran in the house and started to write my own rhymes. One day the Fearless Four had their equipment out and I was like, “Yeah I got something, they are going to put me down.” I walked out of my building up to their building in the projects, which is up La Salle and 124th street hill. They were having a block party and they let me get on the mic and I started saying my rhymes. Well quite naturally I was very new and green at this so my brother snatched me off the mic and said, “What are you doing?”.

So you were just going by what Tito and Mike Cee were doing and tried your hand at it!

Exactly, because I like what they were saying and doing but I tried to do it with no kind of guidance, nurturing,just nothing! I wrote some old corny ass rhymes and tried to say them and my brother snatched me off the mic and said, “yo what are you doing” and he took me back to our building into the staircases. My brother and your man Big Kev aka Kev Ski from out of 55 La Salle of the Grant Projects broke it down to me. They started beating on the wall and let me listen to their flow and cadence and my brother then said, “All that nursery rhyme s— is played out, talk about who you are and what you do and how can’t nobody deal with you and this and that.”

So I took notes and being as my mother was a member of the tenant association we were able to use the community room in my building and Crazy Eddie and Tito used to come over there with the equipment a lot and work on stuff. And now I am writing and listening to people and memorizing and trying new stuff with them, as well as creating my own style. See I really couldn’t listen to other emcees because I would start to emulate them, and I didn’t want to sound like them. So I would listen to them once and then throw it out of my head.

Right but I am not really trying to get them amped that way I am trying to get then into the mood of hearing stuff. I myself am already amped. I’m like feel this beat make your own head nod now listen to these rhymes. That was what I liked about Tito he would get me to want to listen. Mike and DLB were awesome also. But DLB used to twist his words around and it was like a musical collogue. DLB would twist things around and then pause at certain times when you didn’t think he was going to pause. Then come in with three words and then a breather here and he would bounce like a percussionist. By me watching these guys I said to my self that is what the next level is going to be like.

Fan video of the show. Looks like this person got there the same time I did because there is no footage of Furious 5, Cold Crush or Crash Crew.

With special live performances by Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Doug E Fresh, Treacherous Three, Crash Crew, Fearless 4, Furious Five, Spoonie Gee and Cold Crush Brothers. Can you say classic? link

Mighty Mike C and The Great Peso from the group Fearless 4 performing live in Harlem NYC in February. More cats need to show up for these free shows put on by Reggie Reg, Double Trouble, Kool Kyle and the rest of the Groundbreakers Crew. link

Don’t sleep on this. CV and I went to their last event and it was crazy! A lot of old school heads are likely to show up and perform impromptu. Peace to Reggie Reg!

MC ReGGie ReG,
An Original member of the Crash Crew EST.1977
One of the first Self Produced, Self Promoted and Self Released Songs in Hip Hop Ever Recorded “High Powered Rap 1979″

We would like to invite You
Tonight Sat. 28, 2009
@ The Bishop Perry Hall
65 west 138th (btwn. 5th & Lenox aves)

We are inviting you and Friends to spend a Night of Entertainment, Food (Free Complimentary Dinner) and Fun Along with Some of the Original Hip Hop Pioneers.

PKA Groundbreakers Ent.
The Original Double Trouble featuring Lil Rodney Cee and KK Rockwell
Kool Kyle The Original StarChild Feat.RB dA brolik
Reggie Reg of the Legendary Crash Crew
And a Special performance by T-Ski-Valley, The Brothers Fantastic
Also Just confirmed The Mighty Mike C of The Fearless 4 will Be your Host for The Night

This is a Fundraiser Event for The Hip Hop Pioneers Medical and Dental Care Program
TO PURCHASE TICKETS AND FOR INFORMATION, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME Reggie Reg (Crash Crew) @ regpayne135@yahoo.com

Just because I’ve been bumpin’ the track non-stop for a while now. Music video for Problems Of The World after the jump.

Live performance by T-Ski Valley and more! Hosted by Mighty Mike C of the Fearless Four. Thinking about hitting this up. Not too sure about the dress code though. Hopefully, it’s not heavily enforced for my casual dressing a**. Peace to Reggie Reg and Rodney C.

IT IS OUR SINCERE HOPE THAT YOU AND YOUR GUEST/S WILL SUPPORT OUR 1ST ANNUAL “TAKING IT BACK TO THE ESSENCE” DINNER DANCE TAKING PLACE ON SATURDAY MARCH 28, 2009@ ST. MARK’S BISHOPS PERRY/MOORE HALL LOCATED AT 65 WEST 138TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10037 (BETWEEN 5TH AVE/LENOX AVE). THIS EVENT IS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE “30TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO HIP HOP ON WAX” AND THE TICKETS ARE $20.00 EACH.

HOWEVER, IF YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKET/S THIS WEEK, WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT. FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE PURCHASE, WE WILL RECIPROCATE YOUR KINDNESS BY GIVING YOU A TWO-YEAR MEMBERSHIP TO OUR ORGANIZATION FOR EACH TICKET YOU PURCHASE TO OUR- PARTY WITH A PURPOSE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE EMAIL US @ HIPHOPPIONEERSHEALTH@YAHOO.COM OR CALL 646 748-2766. ONCE AGAIN, IN BEHALF OF THE GROUND BREAKERS AND ALL THE ORIGINAL PIONEERS, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND HOPEFULLY YOUR SUPPORT.

YOURS SINCERELY

RODNEY STONE
CEO

Didn’t have a chance to post this but it’s going down tonight in NYC. It’s a free show too so don’t sleep on this! more info

Hip-Hop Homage Tour 2009
Friday February 6, 2009 from 6:00pm – 11:00pm

Mission Society Beacon Auditorium
215 West 114th St.
New York, New York 10026

On Track Productions in association with Praise, Peace and Pride, Inc. is having a free Black History Month Pre-Launch celebration of the 2009 Hip Hop Homage Tour 30th Anniversary of Hip Hop on wax, “Tribute to 1979.”

Featuring artists the original Double Trouble, KK Rockwell, and Rodney C, Kool Kyle the original Starchild, featuring RB, Da Broiler, Reggie Reg of the Legendary Crash Crew. Debut performance by Rahiem of the original Funky Four and Grand Maste Flash of the Furious Five.

FYI– Also conducting auditions for signed and unsigned artists who would like an opportunity to perform during the pre-launch celebration. Call 646-748-2766 for more info.

This is an 30 and over crowd. You must be 30 and over to attend this event.

Please RSVP to hiphoppioneershealth@yahoo.com no later than January 28, 2009.

Please list your full name and age and also if you are inviting any guest you must have their full name and age also.

Peace to Digital Dose and Tools Of War. I hope I can make this for the opening night.

Saturday, August 30, 2008:
Joshua Ivory presents “Legends of Style” Exhibit
Alphabeta 70 Greenpoint Ave Brooklyn NY 11222
feat. legendary NYC subway graffiti artists of the 70′s & 80′s.
Opening: 7pm – 12am. Exhibit runs through Sept. 26, 2008.

Feat. STAY HIGH 149, SNAKE 1, RIFF 170, BUTCH 2,
PART TDS, PESO 131, NIC 707, CHAIN 3, NOC 167, T KID 170, MIN ONE, DUSTER UA & TACK FBA. Also featuring DJ Kay Slay and The Fearless Four!

“Among the multitude of writers (aerosol artists) from the 1970′s & 80′s, only a certain percentage understood the science of “breathing life into letters”. These artists gave letters rhythm and a purpose. Not only were these legendary writers capable of producing highly stylized letters, they were also masters at adorning them with hypnotizing colors and unimaginable schemes and themes. True kings of their craft, they helped revolutionize the scene with a graphic lean! Their work assaulted the senses to the point where you can taste the colors, smell the composition and feel their artistic fury. Having them all in one exhibit is practically overwhelming and invokes high anxiety in any hardcore writer or supporter of the culture.”
– POPMASTER FABEL RSC, TOW, UZN, TC5, TDS

Caught Episode 3 of Ralph McDaniel’s new music video show, The Bridge, last night. Wish I would have found out about this sooner. The segment was titled “Classic Storytellers” and it featured a lot of rare videos, all in great quality and with informative pop ups like that vh1 show. My personal favorite was Fearless Four’s Problems Of The World Today, I never knew there was a video for that song. The show premiered on December 24th and plays every Saturday at 11pm. I’m looking forward to the next nine episodes. And although I make it sound like it’s Ralph McDaniel’s show, I don’t really know the depth of his involvement. But it’s good to see him on tv introducing videos again, especially with the formal support of New York City. Link to NYCTV site [Show your support and maybe they'll film another season! email: thebridge@doitt.nyc.gov]

update 1/10/06: Paul Barman (MC Paul Barman?) interviews Ralph McDaniels for the Village Voice and points us to the nyctv stream for non-new yorkers