Do any memories stand out in particular?
Wow it’s too many. One I can think of, we had a show. It was actually our first show outside of New York together. We did Jack The Rapper in Atlanta and on that card it was the Dogg Pound, it was Tupac, Run DMC I believe and Whodini. And there was a little break in between for me and Raida to come up and rock. And Fatman Scoop was with us. Nobody knew who we were, we just got up there and I rhymed and let them see what Raida would do. And I’ll never forget how crazy it got once they saw Raida get loose on them turntables. It was just like a different world. I’ll never forget that introduction of Roc Radia in Atlanta.
How did you feel when you heard the news of Raida’s passing?
It’s the same response as right now. He’s Grandmaster Roc Raida. His energy cannot be destroyed. He’s still here. That’s the only way I can explain it. The actual conversation when that occurred is personal so I can’t elaborate. But my reaction is that he’s still here. Even when I saw him [at the funeral] he looked like he was resting. That’s a physical body, it’s a vehicle. Some of us really feel and do understand that it goes beyond that. And for those that never had the oppertunity to see him live, I suggest they get on youtube and look up Grandmaster Roc Raida and learn what it’s like to be near the purest form of hip hop.
