1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: Only community people. All my security were straight out of jail. 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: I would only give ex CON's jobs because they couldn't 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,400 Speaker 1: get jobs. That was you know, people that were homeless 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,320 Speaker 1: people lived in my club. They had nowhere to go. 5 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: And many times I had to save a life or two. 6 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: That's how critical it used to be. And when you 7 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: open seven nights a week, you might have a situation 8 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:20,919 Speaker 1: on a Monday where somebody might be getting killed. And 9 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: it's only Monday. We didn't even get to the weekend yet, 10 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,960 Speaker 1: you know, there's thirty three hundred nights of hip hop. 11 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: I went through. Red lights would blink through the whole 12 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: club and all the rooms knowing that the police were 13 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: coming in. So you know, I always I was just 14 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: so community based, and you know I was in I 15 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: knew I. I thought that was the chosen one. I 16 00:00:37,479 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: was the one got picked for to help this community 17 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: and help these people through music, through music, through music. 18 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 2: What if I told you there was more to the 19 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: story behind game changing events? Get ready for my new podcast, 20 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: That Moment with Damon John will jump into the personal 21 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 2: stories of some of the most influential people on the planet, 22 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 2: from business mobiles and celebrities to athletes, and artisans. So 23 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 2: I'm here with sal Avatello, and you know, I'm gonna 24 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: believe it, and I'm going to keep bringing you interesting 25 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 2: people that you may or may not know, however, but 26 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: you can learn a lot from. And I really don't 27 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 2: have enough time to go through all of his accomplishments, 28 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 2: but I just want to break it down like this. 29 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 2: You know, he's a legend in New York City, a 30 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: legend around the world if you really look at where 31 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 2: what he has helped Propel has touched around the world, 32 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: meaning hip hop. But he's also you know, worked in 33 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 2: the music industry some capacity for forty five years and 34 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: he's gone through four or five genres of music, disco, 35 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 2: then this emerging music called rap, then freestyle, then back 36 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:48,960 Speaker 2: to rap, and so I think that first of all, 37 00:01:49,000 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 2: as we get into this, we're going to be able 38 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 2: to learn or learn about how you can go forty 39 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 2: five fifty years of doing something you absolutely love, how 40 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 2: can you find out about the new things that are 41 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: going on and make it your own and push it 42 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 2: out there, and the lessons you can learn more importantly 43 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 2: from the. 44 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 3: Failures of what's going on. SOK. So thanks for being here, 45 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 3: My pleasure. You know, briefly, you know, your story is 46 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 3: that your dad had a club called Disco Fever and 47 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 3: hugely popular in the Bronx, right, And and you started 48 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,240 Speaker 3: working there as a bartender, and in nineteen seventy six, 49 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 3: I think that you started to do other things there. 50 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 3: Now I know your history just because I'm a New Yorker, 51 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 3: And if you don't know your history, you're crazy. I 52 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 3: know that you know, disco was popular, but now all 53 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 3: of a sudden, there was this music that was coming 54 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 3: around from the streets, right, It's called rap music, and 55 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 3: most people didn't want to touch the stuff, right, and 56 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:48,800 Speaker 3: you decided to embrace it. And actually, you know, you 57 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 3: were one. You were probably the number one spot where 58 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 3: rappers would die to go and be seen, Grandmass, Clash, 59 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 3: Furious five, Busy Bee, Sweet g those all those people. 60 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 3: And I know that at the time you being an 61 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 3: Italian American, most of your community said, hey, you know, 62 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 3: I can't use the word here, but you're in love. 63 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 3: Why are you dealing with those people? Why are you 64 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 3: letting them in your business, in your club? What are 65 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 3: you talking about? This is not wrapped today. This is 66 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 3: when it was very, very small, and the kids. We 67 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 3: looked at as just poor kids from the street who 68 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,800 Speaker 3: were banging on a couple of cans. So tell me 69 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 3: a little bit about you know at that time, what 70 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 3: you were seeing happening, and you know, let's just get 71 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 3: right into it. 72 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,320 Speaker 1: Well, luckily for me, I'm blessed. My father and my 73 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: ancestors came in. They they settled in in the Bronx 74 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: on was forty ninth in Washington Avenue. My mother, my father, 75 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,560 Speaker 1: they helped them grocery store. So we were in the 76 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: community from the fifties. So my father decided to open 77 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: up a neighborhood bar so on one ninth and third Avenue, 78 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: right in the Bronx. It was called Ali's Ees. So 79 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: in there is where I got my taste of music 80 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: Motown as you know, all of that from there. I 81 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: grew up in that So being in that community, we 82 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: were one of the last white families left. So being 83 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: in a black community was not odd to me. It 84 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: was very comfortable. You know, I had uncles that were black, 85 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: you know, as growing up as a child, so being 86 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: you know, being around that music in that environment, I 87 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: was very comfortable in it. As we go on into 88 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: the sixties, now disco's starting to explode. Duop just finished 89 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: and we opened up a bar in on Pellham Parkway 90 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: and White Plains Road and it was more of a 91 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 1: like Mafia wise guy place and Chas Palmellari played did 92 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: Jo Peshi played there, Frankie Vincent played there. So I 93 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 1: was in that environment. Now now I'm like eighteen nineteen, 94 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: I'm tending bar and everything was bands back then, so 95 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: it was great, another great time during music. All of 96 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: a sudden, the DJ starts emerging in the mid seventies 97 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: and all these banded places start going out because it's 98 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,240 Speaker 1: a lot cheaper to have a djil right, you know, 99 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 1: and you know, got to pay all his band and 100 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: tech and all that stuff. So now I opened up 101 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,839 Speaker 1: the first disco in the Bronx on Williamsbridge Road in 102 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: Pelham Park were called Sally Abbot's Playhouse, and it takes off. 103 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: It's going great, And then disco started blowing up. And 104 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,039 Speaker 1: my father had opened up a place called Cafe Peppin' Salt, 105 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 1: which was on one sixty ninth and Jerome in the Bronx. 106 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: Also it was a jazz place. George Benson went there. 107 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: The Knicks used to go there Frasier and well the 108 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:25,600 Speaker 1: giants used to go there, the football place, so he 109 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,840 Speaker 1: had a very popular place. And from that the block 110 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: he decided to open up a disco, and this is 111 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: like seventy six seventy seven. Wanted to open up a club. 112 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: Unfortunately for him, the disco music started dying at that 113 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: particular time. Got it back in. Going back now to 114 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 1: where I was, I'm in the Bronx up at that 115 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,719 Speaker 1: you know, that wise guy place, and I get into 116 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: a confrontation at the disco with somebody and I wind 117 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: up getting shot twice. So my dad was like, Yo, 118 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,039 Speaker 1: let's go. We got to get out of this. Let's 119 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to open up a club in the Bronx 120 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: downtown once should come work there. So I go down there. 121 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: I'm twenty five years old and at the end of 122 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,280 Speaker 1: the night, I see this guy, sweet Gee, and he's 123 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: rhyming on the mic. You know, it was like five 124 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: six in the morning, so at four o'clock the regular 125 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: DJ would go home, ge will come on the turn 126 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: tables and he started rhyming, and I'm watching the crowd, 127 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: the reaction He's making the whole place be like one person. 128 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,000 Speaker 1: So I'm sitting there and I'm watching this from the side, 129 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: like say, oh, so now everybody who don't know each other, doctor, lawyer, pimp, 130 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: hook or a drug dealer or whatever, they're all being 131 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: this one person. He's bringing the club together as one, 132 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: which was a great interaction of people meeting people. So 133 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: I walked over. I was intrigued with the music. I said, we, yo, 134 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: what is this? He says, it's going on in the 135 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: streets and you know, this is what they call hip hop. 136 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: And I'm like, well, bring me somewhere. I want to 137 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: see it. So I go to the park. Me and 138 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: him go to the park. I say, grand Master Flash 139 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: in the park and he's killing it. But you know, 140 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:48,599 Speaker 1: it was all teenage movement at the time. The drinking 141 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: age was eighteen, so it wasn't that bad. They changed 142 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: the law in the eighties. So I go down. I 143 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: see the reaction. I go, wow, we got to bring 144 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,159 Speaker 1: this indoors. So I go back to my father, say, yo, 145 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 1: I found this music in the streets going hip hop, 146 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: so they knew a little bit about it. And all 147 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: his friends as all the friends my uncle's all you know, 148 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: they're all black like hell on that music. Is you crazy? 149 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: They ain't real music. They're spitting in the mic, they're 150 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 1: scratching the records. They're disrespecting the artists. They're using their music, 151 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: you know, you know James Brown's music, Jimmy Caster, like 152 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: they're ruining ever rece music. I go, Dad, there's going 153 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 1: to be the new movement in the Bronx. It's the 154 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: next generation. These are the children of Motown, of R 155 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: and B of jazz. That's there's gonna be the new movement. 156 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: So anyway, bugget for a while he was saying no. 157 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: Finally gives me a yes. I said, give me one night, 158 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: give me a Tuesday night. Let me bring it indoors. 159 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: So we bring it indoors on a Tuesday night, said 160 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: dollar to get in a dollar drink. Nineteen seventy seven, 161 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:45,000 Speaker 1: And I convinced Grandmaster Players to DJ for one hundred 162 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 1: dollars with the Furious Five, with all the them are there. 163 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 3: With the gar record. So they all made seventeen fifty. 164 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: Of the thing was I promised them he'd be a star. 165 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:56,320 Speaker 1: I said, I'm going to make your star. It ain't 166 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: even about the money. Said, you're in the street, nobody's 167 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: seeing you. I'm going to give you a platform where 168 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: people come see you every night, and then you're gonna 169 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: have opportunities. 170 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 3: Sure enough, Why would you do that? I mean it's 171 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 3: a dollar a dollar a person to get in, right. 172 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: You got this crowd where really was gangsters in the streets, yes, right, 173 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 3: breakdancers they're doing something, you know, they breakdance. 174 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: And black black page that we're letting them. 175 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 3: In for a dollar You're not gonna make a lot 176 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 3: of money. And a dollar a drink, You're really not 177 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 3: gonna make a lot of money. Why Why did that? 178 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: Because that was my opportunity to show the magnitude of 179 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,200 Speaker 1: this new music, this new movie, proof of concept, right, 180 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: so I had to make it. Remember the teenagers now too. 181 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:41,760 Speaker 1: So the drinking age was eighteen, but you know teenagers 182 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: are sneaking in fifteen. 183 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 3: Sixteen, sixteen high school down find out now, So you 184 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 3: feel that's strongly about this thing to call it aprop 185 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,000 Speaker 3: of concert now for those who don't know where hip 186 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 3: hop genre of it started when you saw Sweet g 187 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,360 Speaker 3: On at five o'clock in the morning. But the kids 188 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,120 Speaker 3: ripping now who don't know hip hop At that time, 189 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 3: a DJ was to spend the record a MC was 190 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 3: supposed to come on and purely talk about the DJ. 191 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 3: He was only there to say, Hey, my DJ could scratched, 192 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 3: my DJ could do this. At that time, mike controls, 193 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 3: microphone controls, mcs really weren't the jay Z's of the world. 194 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 3: Weren't there. If there was a jay Z, he was 195 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 3: only there to say three or four words about what 196 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 3: the DJ was playing. Correct. 197 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 1: Plus he was interacting with the crowd, interact with them. 198 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,960 Speaker 1: That was the biggest thing. The crowd was involved with 199 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: what they were doing, so they fell part of the night. 200 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: They were like part of the entertainment. 201 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 3: But I'm trying to set the stage to show how 202 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 3: early you were when there wasn't technically an EMC. 203 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 1: Well there was no music. 204 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 3: It was a DJ that was the star. And this 205 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:44,000 Speaker 3: guy was almost like the ringing announcer at a boxing match, right, That's. 206 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: Who It was his crew, and that was the crew. 207 00:09:46,120 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 1: Everybody had their own crew. You know. My first DJ 208 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 1: was cool. Heirk. Actually he didn't even he didn't he 209 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: didn't even wrap, you know, he was just a DJ. 210 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: He was with claw Kent and they spoke on the mic. 211 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: But like you said, you know, they were all the 212 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: ones that I'm saying, were in the street. There was 213 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,760 Speaker 1: no venue, there was no outlet for them to come. 214 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: I open up. It's successful, and before you know it, 215 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,600 Speaker 1: it's seven nights a week. I got Hot DJ Hollywood, 216 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: I bring in Eddie Chie, but Reggie Wells, Lovebug Starsky Junebugs. 217 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: I started bringing in the most popular ones in the 218 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: street doing giving them their own nights, seven nights a week. 219 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 3: Even now, all of a sudden, hip hop starts to 220 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 3: really blow up. The record comes out, whether it's sugar 221 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 3: Hill Gang, then all of a sudden, Furious Five, the 222 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 3: Blondie Record, and all those types of people come out. 223 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 3: And even then it gets even to a more commercialized 224 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 3: level with Run DMCBC boys, Yellow Cool Channel. You are 225 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 3: the Mecca. You are the Apollo Theater, the Madison Square Garden. 226 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:03,079 Speaker 3: The wind stayed in all this genre and why were 227 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 3: people now all flocking to you up in the Bronx 228 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 3: now coming down to downtown clubs in New York City, 229 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 3: coming to the Bronx where at that time, Bronce was 230 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 3: a very very tough era we're going through. You know, 231 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:16,920 Speaker 3: it was a lot of gangs, A lot of the 232 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 3: buildings were demolished and destroyed by the landlords. Very dangerous. 233 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: Yes, it was very right. 234 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 3: And everybody didn't have a car. 235 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:27,719 Speaker 1: Nobody had a car, nobody my parents didn't have a car. 236 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:29,920 Speaker 3: Right, Why are people coming there from all around the world. 237 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: Well, now, remember it's it's boiling around in every borough, 238 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: in Queen's and Brooklyn's it's boiling out. But here's the 239 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: first venue where they could go to to actually see. 240 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 1: So now what's happening is the first record comes out 241 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,960 Speaker 1: in seventy nine, Rapper's Delight, right, starts blowing up. As 242 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: that's blowing up, the club is just expanding. Russell Simmons 243 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:49,959 Speaker 1: starts hanging out there. We become really good friends. He's like, say, 244 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: you got to start your own label. We got to 245 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,559 Speaker 1: take this. So Russell's using the Fever because I ran 246 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,520 Speaker 1: it so well. The sound system was great, you know, 247 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: held a thousand people. He's using it as an outlet 248 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: to get deals, promote deals. He's bringing up record executives, 249 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: he's bringing magazines up. I'm in People magazine, Time Magazine. 250 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 1: I mean, it's just blowing up. So he started off 251 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: as a booking agent and a manager. And who's he 252 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: bringing up? Curtis blow Curtis blowed me and him he 253 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: blows us. Yep, he blows up, and he's the first 254 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,079 Speaker 1: single or rap artist to have a gold record. He's 255 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,719 Speaker 1: on American Bandstand. Curtis blows on American band so on 256 00:12:27,840 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: Soul Trained. Yes, it was crazy. So now as that's 257 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 1: blowing up, I start opening up other venues. I will 258 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: place up the block called pepperin Salt. We make it 259 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: and put a DJ in. I opened up a skating 260 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: rink called skate Fever so I could cater to the 261 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:42,680 Speaker 1: young generation, but only with the genre we played R 262 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:45,679 Speaker 1: and B, but it was predominantly hip hop club. Now 263 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: it's growing up. So now I make my first record 264 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:51,679 Speaker 1: in seventy nine called Heartbeat Rap with Sweet Geet. First 265 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,680 Speaker 1: time I hearing my record on the radio, it's unbelievable feeling, 266 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,239 Speaker 1: as you know, you know when you have something successful 267 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: with you're trying so hard, but you're right. The problem 268 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 1: was the whole Bronx was burning. There was no jobs, 269 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 1: thirty percent unemployment, and I become the only person that 270 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 1: they could look to the neighborhood for something, whether it 271 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 1: be charity, work United Nego College Fund, or a family 272 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: whose kid died and they're in the morgue and they 273 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: don't have money to get him out. You know, we 274 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: would put up signs and pay for their funerals. So 275 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: I started becoming like this go to person in the 276 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,679 Speaker 1: Bronx because nobody did. I was the only white person 277 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 1: that they probably would trust because back then, you know, 278 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: there was you know, Martin Luther King had just got 279 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: murdered in the late sixties, and so that that carried 280 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,960 Speaker 1: through through the seventies, you know, and you know, there 281 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:37,720 Speaker 1: were still people who didn't trust me, but you know, 282 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: I always was straight with them. I never try to 283 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: do anything with the artists and be their managers or anything. 284 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: I was just helping up the community to keep the 285 00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: club going. We started the Ideal College Fund so we 286 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: could deal with entertainment. So I wanted to deal with music, 287 00:13:54,440 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 1: entertainment and sports. What does that do for kids? Keep 288 00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: them out of trouble? So I wanted to do those 289 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: three main thing. So I started the Rutgers Basketball League 290 00:14:02,720 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy nine. 291 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:07,120 Speaker 3: Very famous even till today, until today or something like that. 292 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 1: I played in the first three games. I won the 293 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 1: first MVP. It was an unbelievable night. Three thousand people 294 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: show that at Mount Morris Park in nineteen seventy nine. 295 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: I did it with mister Magic, you know, rest in Peace, 296 00:14:18,280 --> 00:14:20,360 Speaker 1: who was the first DJ to get on BLS. So 297 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: we're breaking through all these things and we're given the 298 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: community something that they didn't have. The politicians were gone, 299 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: nobody would help. So I started helping and we were 300 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: helping ourselves. 301 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 3: Is you know as we talk about what power is 302 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 3: and a lot of people who will watch this will 303 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 3: be entrepreneurs with entrepreneurs, and a lot of them will 304 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 3: question themselves on why they're doing what they're doing every day. 305 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 3: Would you say that that is some of the things 306 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 3: that are empowering, not just the dollar. It's the fact 307 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 3: that you care for your community and your customer. You 308 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 3: realize that whether you signed up for it or not, 309 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 3: you become a mentor to whether two or two thousand 310 00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 3: or two, you know, twenty million people. Do you find 311 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 3: that that is one of the things that have kept 312 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 3: you going through all these years? 313 00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: I mean the older I get, the more I get 314 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: that you did this. If it wasn't for you, you 315 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: changed my life around. I used to take drugs, I 316 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,760 Speaker 1: straightened out. You show me how to work show me 317 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: be a road manager. 318 00:15:14,760 --> 00:15:16,240 Speaker 3: I don't know if I would have pooble if you 319 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 3: didn't really highlight this new music. There was a voice 320 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 3: of the people at that time. Because hip hop I 321 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 3: would later on become somebodey who's dressing the community and 322 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 3: take it to another level. So I guess I not 323 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 3: guess I owe you a great you know. 324 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: Actually when you first started, I went up because me 325 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: and LLL were pretty good friends and he has just 326 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: started working with you, and I went up to your 327 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: first place. I remember you were there. You were very young. 328 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: It had to be what early. 329 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 3: Nineties, was that late about ninety five? Oh? 330 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:46,560 Speaker 1: Was that late? 331 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:49,640 Speaker 3: Wow, it's all one thing you've been around doing this. 332 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: Wou something years man ten years ago like that? 333 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 3: So so you know, so yeah again, like you're saying, 334 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,920 Speaker 3: you know, power is to understand that you know you're 335 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 3: you're also knowing that you have a built in responsibility 336 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 3: that comes with this. Now, it didn't just stop there. 337 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 3: Now we can we can keep going on with all 338 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 3: the things that you've done for the hip hop community. 339 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 3: But then a new music starts to come around. It's 340 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 3: called freestop, cover Girls and so many other bands come 341 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 3: around Lisa Lisa and all that stuff. One of the first, 342 00:16:23,680 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 3: you're one of the first, probably the first to really 343 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 3: start highlighting and pushing that. How did you make this transition? 344 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 3: And how did it had to be something you enjoyed 345 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 3: because you couldn't be successful. And then if you didn't 346 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:38,680 Speaker 3: enjoy it, how did you make this transition? 347 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: And why? Well, you know, in business you have to 348 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,640 Speaker 1: reinvent yourself constantly. No matter what you have. As hot 349 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: as it could be, it could be gone tomorrow, you 350 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:50,880 Speaker 1: know how it flips. So in the eighties, it's blowing up. 351 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: The hip hop eighty three, you know, like I said, 352 00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:56,920 Speaker 1: we're in all these magazines, TV shows or run DMC 353 00:16:57,120 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: comes out, blows up. I start my own record company 354 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 1: and I write this record called Games People Play goes 355 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:05,720 Speaker 1: to number one. Everything's just showing up, and all of 356 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,439 Speaker 1: a sudden, the fever starts getting a little old. And 357 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: it's been there eight years, nine years. And now hip 358 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 1: hop's going around the world and ain't in the little place. 359 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: Let's go fever beac boys that run doing concerts. Oh, 360 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: they're going to Roxies, they're going to Webster Hall, They're 361 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: going downtown. Now it's all over the country. You know, 362 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:26,120 Speaker 1: the Furious Now all the original rappers, they're all falling off. Now, 363 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: the First Party Rappers, Furious five, Curtis Treacher's three, all 364 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,159 Speaker 1: those guys, they're falling off now. Luckily for me. In 365 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty five, Warner Brothers comes in and want to 366 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:40,320 Speaker 1: do a movie about hip hop, about so they come 367 00:17:40,359 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: to Fever. So in eighty five they do the movie 368 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 1: Crush Groove, which I'm ready for it to give me 369 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: a second life. Unfortunately for me, it brought so much 370 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: attention to the neighborhood they wind up closing the club 371 00:17:51,320 --> 00:17:54,160 Speaker 1: up after ten years for no cabaret license. So I'm 372 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:56,040 Speaker 1: waiting for this second goal around. Oh god, now the 373 00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:57,800 Speaker 1: whole world's going to know about the Fever, you know, 374 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: I mean, even though they did know, but now it's 375 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: going to reincarnate it again. Okay, and we get closed 376 00:18:04,440 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 1: the last night filming of Crush Groove, we get shut down. 377 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,680 Speaker 3: Pad so so no Cara, meaning that everybody they're doing 378 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 3: a production up there. It's a movie being shot. Yes, 379 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 3: So now the city, the police, the film department, the 380 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 3: Arts department are all looking at you and they're going, 381 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 3: you know what we gotta be careful because there's some 382 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 3: potential legal issues. You don't have a caparet license, meaning 383 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 3: people can't realize that you can dance. Correct. 384 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: Yes, entertainment live and the same. 385 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 3: You had your bar and everything. 386 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 1: Else, but everything was labor. 387 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 3: They're ready for this because it's kind of like those 388 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 3: people are going shark Tank and they're going, all right, 389 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 3: I'm gonna air next month. Let me get a gazillion 390 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:44,480 Speaker 3: dollars with the inventory. All of a sudden, unfortunately, a 391 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 3: natural disaster happens and that Friday night that they were 392 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 3: going to air, they don't air. They get pre emptied 393 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,880 Speaker 3: because something else. You have to shut down at what 394 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:55,200 Speaker 3: you felt was the next bite of the apple. 395 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,720 Speaker 1: The next I'm like, wow, I'm going to get another 396 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,440 Speaker 1: ten year run. And that was very community minded to it. 397 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: It meant a lot to me. I had one hundred 398 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: and eighty to two hundred people working for me at 399 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: one point in nineteen eighty three, and only community people. 400 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 1: All my security were straight out of jail. I would 401 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: only give x CON's jobs because they couldn't get jobs. 402 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:16,640 Speaker 1: That was you know, people that were homeless. People lived 403 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:18,560 Speaker 1: in my club. They had nowhere to go. They would 404 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,800 Speaker 1: drive the train. So anyway, I'm like, wow, this is 405 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: great for me. Now I could like go to the 406 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,400 Speaker 1: next level. And you know, it was people were coming 407 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,159 Speaker 1: out of that a little bit now in the mid eighties. 408 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 1: So now Crushcroove comes out, the club gets closed, and 409 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 1: unfortunately I'm depressed. I'm sitting in a park one day 410 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: and I'm contemplating on my next move, and I see 411 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: a bunch of these Puerto Rican kids breakdance. And I'm 412 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: sitting there and I see this DJs plugged up to 413 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: the light pole, just like Flash was, and I went, oh, wow, 414 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:52,320 Speaker 1: Latin hip hop, Latin hip hop, second generation Puerto Ricans. Oh, 415 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: it's going to happen again. But now were Puerto Ricans. 416 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: So go over to the kid who is Louis Vega. 417 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 1: I don't know if you have ever heard of him, but 418 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: it's very popular. Just want to grab me. A few 419 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: years ago, I go over to him. I said, Yo, 420 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: what's your name, Little Louis Vague? I go, I said, 421 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,320 Speaker 1: we got to do this. What is this? He says, no, no, 422 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:11,640 Speaker 1: We'll just break dance. And there was no music yet, 423 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,760 Speaker 1: you know. So now, luckily for me, I was involved 424 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,280 Speaker 1: with the music with the hip hop. So I said, well, 425 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: I'm going to be the first one to make this music. 426 00:20:17,359 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: So my father happened to have another club that we 427 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: were partners on. It was a salsa club called Voices 428 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: in the Bronx. Ralph mccarto legendary salsa, did the Garden, 429 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: did all the big ones, had La India, Marc Anthony T. Danievis, 430 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,360 Speaker 1: he's the promoter there. Thousand people a week, were doing 431 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: every week and he gets a gig at the Palladium 432 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 1: in the city. We go from a thousand people to zero. Now, 433 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: I thought, I got dad telling you I just found 434 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: Latin hip purpose. Like I don't want nothing to do 435 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: with hip hop. I'm telling you this is the next movement, 436 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 1: Latin hip hop. The community of the Puerto Ricans are 437 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: coming into you know, in the Bronx heavily, I said, 438 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: this is going to be the next movement English speaking 439 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: of the SASA generation. Anyway, he has no choices, no customers, 440 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 1: Bring Louis and Boop two. A thousand people immediately act. 441 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: So it's the next movement, street movement. Luckily for me, 442 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,119 Speaker 1: I seen those movements before they were happening. 443 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, you could say looky if you show those movements 444 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 3: before those happening, or lucky for you, you have your 445 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 3: eyes open and your antennas are up. Because how many 446 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 3: of us see our kids or on Snapchat or doing 447 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 3: something new and we go what is that crap? Instead 448 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 3: of going no, what is that right? You know that 449 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 3: that shows that there's a lot of aspects of of 450 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 3: business that the gut right has your gut always given you? 451 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 3: You know, some vision or or made you. What made 452 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 3: you follow your gut during all these times. 453 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 1: I have a lot of common sense, and I'm a 454 00:21:43,400 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: people's person. I go by vibe. People vibes, you know, 455 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,800 Speaker 1: how they how they react to stuff. I always think 456 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: of the other person in their position in their life, 457 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 1: what they're going through. And music is the soothing place 458 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: that everybody retreats to when they're in trouble, when they're 459 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,639 Speaker 1: when they're unhappy, when they're lonely, when they need some 460 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,040 Speaker 1: kind of guidance, or they want to just forget and 461 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: plug in. So, like I said, so when I saw 462 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 1: that and brought it indoors, so now I said, I'm 463 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:12,280 Speaker 1: going to make the first record. Disco was dead already, 464 00:22:12,320 --> 00:22:16,400 Speaker 1: so I was doing a block party in the Bronx 465 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: and free party for about five thousand people. And I 466 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: find this young lady singing in my skating ring called Naobi. 467 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:26,280 Speaker 1: Now she had a thirty second skit and crushed groove, 468 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:30,160 Speaker 1: unbelievable singer Latina. So I put her with this young 469 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,919 Speaker 1: kid and they never were again. With my gut, she 470 00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: never sang she's fifteen. He never produced the record, he's nineteen. 471 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,680 Speaker 1: I put him together. I told my partner, I said, 472 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:40,439 Speaker 1: I think this is going to be the next music. 473 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: Was it called I'm calling that Latin hip hop? That's 474 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:45,880 Speaker 1: what I called it back then we put it out. 475 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:49,639 Speaker 1: The record was called Please Don't Go immediate smash. The 476 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: kid becomes a hit. On the other side of town, 477 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: Full Force is producing a young lady called Lisa. Lisa. 478 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: She was a little more R and B. They were 479 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,600 Speaker 1: R and B. But I put out that Latin sounding 480 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: dance record, dance record, dance record. When I put out 481 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,800 Speaker 1: that Latin sounding dance record, and then before you know it, 482 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,159 Speaker 1: the club took off, the music took off, and I became. 483 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 1: Luckily for me, I was one of the pioneers of 484 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: hip hop. This Luckily, I was the pioneer of freestyle 485 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:33,920 Speaker 1: which came to be doing. 486 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,439 Speaker 3: I gotta thank you again. You know, listen, my wife 487 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:40,119 Speaker 3: our first date, she said, I can only take her 488 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,439 Speaker 3: on a date if I took her to a freestyle concert. Really, 489 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 3: uh you know, and and you know, uh so so 490 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 3: thanks for hosting me up. Well so all right, So 491 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 3: so now all of a sudden, you know you're going 492 00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:57,520 Speaker 3: through all that. You started two music genres when you 493 00:23:57,520 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 3: were part of when you actually started, and then you 494 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,040 Speaker 3: return back to hip hop. Well you never really left it. 495 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:06,719 Speaker 3: Everybody always has had a love and respect for your 496 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 3: your you know, your love and respect to hip hop. 497 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,400 Speaker 3: But I see you started doing stuff with Fat Joe. 498 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 3: You had a big single Fat Joe and various other things. 499 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:19,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, well I opened up another fever in ninety two. So, 500 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: like you said, I went back to hip hop. So 501 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: on Tree Mount Webster, the Old Devil's Nest, which was 502 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: the freestyle place, I go back and I start again. 503 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: So now I'm third generation hip hop. So now I 504 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,680 Speaker 1: discover Woon Tang Clan. They did their first show there. 505 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,120 Speaker 1: Run DMC does their comeback album. I got John ay 506 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 1: Fouji's did this show that Biggies did his very first 507 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:43,879 Speaker 1: New York appearance there, Fat Joe is the promoter. I 508 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: became Fat Joe's manager, NAS did his first album there. 509 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 1: I mean, I have all the fliers, everything's documented, and 510 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: now I'm back in the game again with third generation 511 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 1: hip hop. So they knew me from the original pioneers, 512 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 1: and now they know me from now. I'm like become 513 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: a legendary in the genre. And that took off and 514 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: Joe and I mean, all of these guys became stars 515 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:09,280 Speaker 1: now naught by nature, everybody. 516 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 3: I listen, you're behind a lot of those people. But 517 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:12,520 Speaker 3: I want to I wanted let's let's take a moment 518 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 3: to be really candid about this. You know, it sounds 519 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:19,760 Speaker 3: great and dealing with all these artists that that have 520 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 3: motivated a lot of us around the world, but the 521 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 3: music industry very nasty industry. A lot of these ares 522 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 3: are very very hard to deal with. And the twenty 523 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 3: eight year old sal probably had a lot of love 524 00:25:33,280 --> 00:25:35,880 Speaker 3: for it. Now a little bit of an older one, 525 00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 3: older soalm more mature, who maybe didn't want to deal 526 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 3: with all this crap, still deals with it and still 527 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 3: finds the love and a value for what kept you here, 528 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,439 Speaker 3: Because you know, in my career, and it hasn't been 529 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:53,439 Speaker 3: along with yours. I got tired of dealing with the 530 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 3: elements around the music industry. I'd rather just listen to 531 00:25:56,520 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 3: it right, right, Why do I gotta work with that 532 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 3: right all the time? I found very few people, like 533 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 3: the lls of the world, who I can really depend on. 534 00:26:04,760 --> 00:26:04,920 Speaker 1: Right. 535 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 3: What kept you going through it, even though you know 536 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,000 Speaker 3: you went to all that crap. You know, I know 537 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:10,920 Speaker 3: you went through some crap. 538 00:26:11,280 --> 00:26:13,680 Speaker 1: Well we didn't. We could talk about that for another 539 00:26:13,720 --> 00:26:15,919 Speaker 1: two hours. What went on in the street. What I 540 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: had to deal with the street, even with the artists, 541 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,119 Speaker 1: because no matter how big the artists were, the street 542 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 1: was still in control of them. They were still the bosses. 543 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: And many times I had to save a life or two. 544 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: That's how critical it used to be. And when you 545 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 1: open seven nights a week, you might have a situation 546 00:26:31,359 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: on a Monday where somebody might be getting killed. And 547 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: it's only Monday. We didn't even get to the weekend yet. 548 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: You know, there's thirty three hundred nights of hip hop 549 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: I went through, so picture three thousand. 550 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 3: Nights in. 551 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:48,239 Speaker 1: The Bronx unmonitored. You know, we were They wouldn't even 552 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,399 Speaker 1: go in and anyway, I had the placeholl set up 553 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:51,639 Speaker 1: where nobody ever got arrested. 554 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 3: There. 555 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,480 Speaker 1: We had a light. You'd hit the button, it would red. 556 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 1: Lights would blink through the whole club and all the 557 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:59,080 Speaker 1: rooms knowing that the police were coming in. So, you know, 558 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: I always I was just so community based, and you 559 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: know I was in I knew I. I thought that 560 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:05,920 Speaker 1: was the chosen one. I was the one got picked 561 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:10,040 Speaker 1: for to help this community and help these people through music, 562 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:13,159 Speaker 1: you know, sports and education. So now how did I 563 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 1: stay at it? I just loved what I do. I mean, 564 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:17,919 Speaker 1: I still do is forty seven years later, I just 565 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 1: did a big hYP hop concert at Barkley. 566 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 3: You just you just hosted you know, the your on 567 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 3: TV RAPS thirtieth anniversary. Google named you one of the 568 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 3: most influential and or, let me get it straight, the 569 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:34,439 Speaker 3: pioneers of hip hop want when they celebrated, you know, 570 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,679 Speaker 3: the forty fourth anniversary of the birth of hip hop music. 571 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 3: You're still you know, very respecting in value. Where do 572 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 3: you find power and the motivation in your personal life 573 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:48,360 Speaker 3: and your business life to keep going because you could 574 00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 3: have always just given it up. And honestly, there's so 575 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 3: many people that would love to have you consult with 576 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:56,480 Speaker 3: them for the new genre of anything coming around. So 577 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 3: you understand the way that that youth think and you 578 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 3: want to you see something before everybody else is on it. Well, 579 00:28:03,080 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 3: where do you find the power every day to get 580 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 3: up and do this in your personal life and your 581 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:06,920 Speaker 3: business life. 582 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 1: I don't know. I just love what I do. And 583 00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: when hip hop died, I mean when freestyle died in 584 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: the mid nineties, again trying to reinvent, and I see 585 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,120 Speaker 1: all the drama all those young people went through. They're 586 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: only in their early thirties and their careers are over. Ready, 587 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:27,920 Speaker 1: it's over. The original rappers are over. And all these 588 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:29,680 Speaker 1: people used to look up to me, and I would 589 00:28:29,680 --> 00:28:33,080 Speaker 1: still try to go to venues in the mid nineties, 590 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:36,439 Speaker 1: in the late nineties, till finally in the year two thousands, 591 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: I realized they weren't worth anything alone anymore. But if 592 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 1: I put them together as a group ten twelve, fifteen 593 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: num together, it meant something. They became one big rock star. 594 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,920 Speaker 1: So again in the two thousands, I reinvent the musics 595 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: that died. And when I say the music's the original 596 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 1: hip hoppas and the freestyle groups I start combining them 597 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: together in venues like Masisquere Garden, Radio City. You know, 598 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: it was very exciting bringing these artists. Now it blew up. 599 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: I love the eighties, I love the nineties. They're performing more. 600 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,000 Speaker 1: Dougie Fresh is doing like two hundred shows a year, 601 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:13,479 Speaker 1: the Free Stock, Stevie b Or at least Elsa there 602 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 1: were headliners. Now they're packing venues all around the country. 603 00:29:16,680 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: And I fought through the two thousands to keep it alive, 604 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: and then I reinvented again combining everybody together in major venues. 605 00:29:24,480 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 3: So it's not like you found power and bringing people 606 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,680 Speaker 3: together and helping them out and letting them understand their 607 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 3: value of togetherness, whether it was a community, whether it's 608 00:29:32,120 --> 00:29:35,360 Speaker 3: a genre. And today, as we see the researchers of 609 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,160 Speaker 3: nineties culture coming around, what do you think about the 610 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 3: scene today? And tell me a little bit more about 611 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 3: what do you think about the scene today? If you 612 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 3: talk about hip hop or music in general, I mean 613 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,880 Speaker 3: you can talk about DM as well. Put your stances 614 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 3: on that. 615 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: Well, the scene today, I mean old School looks like 616 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 1: New School actually at the moment, because they're the ones 617 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,320 Speaker 1: packing in all these concerts. But I mean I love 618 00:29:56,400 --> 00:29:58,760 Speaker 1: hip hop through all the years. I mean, eminem jay Z, 619 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: I love the way to I like that they got 620 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:03,520 Speaker 1: to the point now where, especially you and I watch 621 00:30:03,600 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: your show all the time, it's not even music no more. 622 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 1: It's selling products. I'm so happy for everybody. They sell vodka, 623 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: they sell clothing, they sell other things. Now that the 624 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: music fuels the money for the real money for the 625 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,280 Speaker 1: other stuff. And that's great because it's supplying jobs. And 626 00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: it was just a triple trickle effect that it got 627 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: to this point. And you know, some people are reaching 628 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 1: out to me about my life story and how it 629 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: started and getting to this point. But I love the 630 00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: way it's going. You know. I love that they mixed 631 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: it with R and B music, all these artists a 632 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: collect Look at this Carly Bee girl from the Bronx. 633 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: I love them so proud of you know, look where 634 00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 1: she came from. That's the great, that's the love of them. 635 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 1: That's what was so great about music. 636 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 2: That's it. 637 00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: That's why we do, that's why we do. 638 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 3: We do. 639 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:50,360 Speaker 2: That Moment with Damon John is a production of the 640 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 2: Black Effect Podcast Network. For more podcasts from the Black 641 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:59,959 Speaker 2: Effect Podcast Network, visit the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts, or 642 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,160 Speaker 2: have you listened to your favorite show and don't forget 643 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 2: to subscribe to and rate the show, And of course 644 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 2: you can all connect with me on any of my 645 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:14,120 Speaker 2: social media platforms. At The Shark, Damon spelt like Raymond, 646 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:14,680 Speaker 2: but what a d