So Doc Brown shows up and says you can borrow the modified DeLoran to go back in time. Where do you go? Here are a few rap related suggestions once you’ve tired of trips to ancient Egypt, seen the dinosaurs and punched Hitler in the throat:
1. Checking out Kool Herc DJing his sister’s rent party at 1520 Sedgewick Avenue, Bronx, New York in 1973.
2. Attending the Run-DMC show at Madison Square Garden when Run told the crowd to put their Adidas in the air.
3. Watching KRS-One battle Grandmaster Melle Mel at the Latin Quarter in 1987.
4. Witnessing Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five performing at the Audubon Ballroom on Broadway and 165th Street, Harlem, on September 2nd, 1976.
5. Seeing Kool Moe Dee destroy Busy Bee at Harlem World in 1981.
6. Catching Ultramagentic MC‘s in their prime at the Latin Quarter, possibly while under the influence of dust.
7. Being in the studio when Big Daddy Kane and Kool G Rap recorded that alternative version of ‘Raw.’
8. Being at T-Money‘s party when the BDP crew invaded PM Dawn‘s show.
Any other ideas?
Being up in WKCR studio in 93′ when Big L dropped his freestyle with Herb McGruff
@GregA: Good call.
studio session with Paul C & a young Large Pro, watch Afrika Bam & Jazzy Jay spin breaks, see a drunk ODB & Black Thought fight over a mic @ The Roots release party
Witnessing nas first spit his live at the BBQ verse
Use it for good. Go back to July 1989 and tell Paul C to watch his back.
See bdp perform South Bronx live after mc shan.
Grab five brand new sp1200 & being them back with me.
It’s hard to keep a list short for this. Breakbeat Lou’s recent interview mentioned the era before Rappers delight came out when Hip Hop certainly existed but wasn’t yet on wax, so I’ll choose Kool Herc’s party in 1973. The L Brothers at the T Connection in 1979 comes second.
I would not watch the birth of Groove B Chill…but see Jazzy Jeff transformer scratch at Union Square in 86.
I would love to witness the original Feesh fest.
The ‘Bass for your face London’ PE show (Fresh Fest 88?)
The Tribe/LONS performance at BK Hiphop fest – I was there but I’d do it again in a second.
Chester P handing Common his arse at his London concert.
In the studio for the Hobo Junction V Hiero battle
Sitting in on the session when Pete and CL cooked up T.R.O.Y., Hov’s retirement show at the Garden, Seeing Wild Style the day it came out, take a page from oneam’s book and giving Jam Master Jay the heads up and talkin’ Nas out of doin’ Nastradamus…
1. August 27, 1987: have Doctors save Scott Le Rock
2. 1983: grab up all the(Basquiat)Rammelzee & K-Rob’s “Beat Bop” 12″s.
3. 1990: stop MC Shan from releasing “Play It Again, Shan”
@Dapper: You win this round.
Great topic, to witness Kool Herc do ‘the Merry go round’ for the 1st time would be to see the birth of a whole culture, the hip hop big bang, who the fuck wouldn’t wanna see that!? I’d love to go back and see Bambaataa spin at the Roxy, watch the Bomb Squad go to work in the studio for ‘Bumrush’ or ‘Millions’, watch Marley Marl make the beat for ‘The Bridge’ hang out with Ricky Powell on the Beasties tours around the time of the 1st LP, go to the Disco Fever, watch a young Rocksteady break, be at the photo shoot for Ice T’s ‘Power’ LP (my 14 year old self would definitely appreciate that one), watch a young Seen and Mode 2 paint……..
Witness the photo shoot for the cover of “power” by Ice-T
1995, when ODB came through to Stretch & Bobbito shortly before Return to the 36 chambers was released.
1985, session for Gucci Time when Schooly D was controlling the 909 while rapping and recording.
2015 and beyond, go to the future, be present when Ghostface serves Action Bronson a knuckle sandwich.
Extra in wildstyle including Park jam at the end.
Hire marriage counseling for epmd and atcq. So we can get a few more classics (but not love movement)
hang out at the albee square mall food court.
Attend a Roosevelt record convention.
Fly on the wall for the recording of 36 chambers.
id do whatever needed to be done to keep guru away from solar
apart from that most of the other ones have been mentioned, kool herc at 1520, KRS-One throwing PM Dawn off stage and battling melle mel would be pretty dope too
i love battles in general so i’d love to go back and see some of the DJ/MC battles that occurred between 1990-2000 that i never saw (plus theres probably a whole batch i never heard of)
but the first thing i would do would be head to NYC in the late 70s/early 80s and make those subways suffer
–to see Grandmaster Flowers open for James Brown at Yankee Stadium in 1969
–to see/hear LL Cool J booed at the Apollo
–to witness the freestyle cipher at the last Yo! MTV Raps show.
–to see the cipher at Madison Square Garden with
Kane, Biggie, 2Pac, Scoob Lover, and Shyheim at Madison Square Garden
–to see BDP perform at Madison Square Garden on 8.28.87 (the night after Scott LaRock passed)
–to be at the ‘Self Destruction’ video shoot
–to find out what happened between Pete Rock and Q-tip regarding the ‘We Got the Jazz’ beat
–to see how Silver Fox helped to develop LL Cool J and Kool G. Rap
–to see Roxanne Shante serve Busy Bee, yet lose, at the ’85 New Music Seminar
@ab: According to MC Chill, Busy won because: ‘Kurtis Blow was a judge, and I can remember him saying, “I’mma vote for Busy Bee because he’s from the old school!”
1. Self-destruction video shoot
2. Any one of those classic Stretch & Bobbito freestyle sessions
3. Kool Herc Park Jam
No particular Order
Go back and gobble up every mixtape from the early 90s from Beat Street on Fordham road in the Bronx, especially Double R
Watch the infamous freestyle battle between Jay Z and Dmx
In studio with Nas and Premo as they made NY State Of Mind, same for Biggie and Premo for Unbelievable
Watch how the Bomb Squad produce It Takes A Nation…
Grab doubles and triples of every Hip Hop CD LONGBOXES.
Go to RZA …. And say ” Today you should do 1 of two things; call the BEST plumber you know OR take every piece of equipment, record and DAT over to Power’s rest for a while God! ” ….Trust Me Sun!
yo this is a great question! probably go back in 92 and meet rza at the protect your neck recording session or witness any of those ODB moments that became legendary. but there’s too many moments i’d wanna witness
@bboycult:
Word is bond!! All the joints dude lost, sheesh…
UK FRESH 86. Because i missed Just-Ice performing.
Def Jam tour Nov 87. Rakim, all im saying. Chills.
Infamous MC Battle between Mickey D and Melle Mel please.