A Gangsta'z Tale Hip-Hop in Da '70S: Invisible Legends of Hip-Hop

By Larry Boatright

THANK YOU FOR READING MY LIFE STORY. THERE ARENT MANY OF US LEFT TO TELL THE TALE OF THE INVISIBLE LEGENDS OF HIP-HOP A BRONX B-BOY/M. C. LEGEND GANGSTALLY YOURS, M. C. EL BEE PERCEPTION OF LOVE Poem written by M. C. EL BEE They say that love isnt supposed to hurt, but passive love never corrected anybody from the ghetto. The sign of true loves face comes to a world who has gone astray from its moral self. She rides high on the planes of open-mindedness; it makes excuses for its way wood ways, resisting anyone who offers true love, for true love in the eyes of way woodiness often appears harsh, cruel, painful, sorrowful. Only the immoral sees love as passive to its corrupt self.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 15, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450074810

Book preview

A Gangsta’z Tale Hip-Hop In Da ’70s

Invisible Legends of Hip-Hop

Larry Boatright (a.k.a. M. C. EL BEE)

Copyright © 2010 by Larry Boatright (a.k.a. M. C. EL BEE).

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

78308

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

SPECIAL THANKS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9 AND 10

This work is dedicated to Grand Master Flash, Kool

Herk, Grand Wizard Theodore, Kevy Kev, Busy Bee, Love Bug

Starsky, DJ Break Out, Jerry-D, Black Tye (the stick-up kid), Brain and

Charles and Theresa, Spuddy and Nisey, Pop and Don, Darrel

Works, Dwyer on Fire, Lisa and Will, Wendell, Lil Spike, Midis and

Deon, Jeff, Beverly and Pooch, Born and Floyd and Terk, Bishme, June, Gary,

Lucthes, Professor Griff, Chuck-D, Keith Boxesly, and all the true hip-hop gangstaz who hung out at all the parties in the Bronx,

Harlem, Queens, Brooklyn, and Long Island. I also dedicate this work to my two brothers (Joe Joe and Lenny Clements) and my brothers’ closest friends, Butch Oliver, Dewon, Cee, Richie

Rich, Winky, Carlie Rock, Wolfed, Warren, Rico a.k.a. Flavor Flav,

Cross, Teddy, Rasheim, Fabien, Lawrence, Lil George and

Tweedy, Danny and Wilson, and the whole Long Island and Bronx Crew.

You must first understand the true essence of hip-hop

and what it truly is.

Only then can you protest others who think they know its history or have the right to interpret its historical art.

If I die today, I will have died knowing that I helped kick off, shape, and create the world’s greatest musical cultural movement in the history of America—hip-hop!

Written by M. C. EL BEE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

TO ALL MY HOMIES, I WANT TO GIVE THANKS FOR THE SHARING OF OUR LIVES TOGETHER, THE GOOD TIMES AS WELL BAD. I WANT TO SEND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WHOLE STRONG ISLAND CREW, THE BRONX CREW, SANATA, WOODY AND FAMILY, RICH STEVENS AND FAMILY, BUTCH OLIVER AND FAMILY, KENNETH FRITH AND FAMILY, EDDIE MURPHY AND FAMILY, CHUCK-D AND FAMILY, GRAND MASTER FLASH, BUSY BEE, LOVE BUG STARSKY, SUGAR HILL HANK, SLICK WATTS, CLARK KENT, KEVY KOOL, KOOL HERK, THEORDORE CUTZ GALORE, DJ BREAKOUT, CHARLES STANDLY, BEVERLY, JACKIE, CATRICE, JUNNIE AND GLORIA DANIELS, DWYER ON FIRE AND FAMILY, AND THOSE WHO HAVE GONE ON RIP, GARY AND JUNE, HENRY AND FAMILY, ALLEN RAY AND FAMILY.

SPECIAL THANKS

Goes out to my beloved family who has stuck by me in the worse of days, during drug abuse, prison, singing career, my ups as well as my downs. I truly wanna thank Yahweh for his mercy, giving me such a family to hold a gangsta down in his darkest hours. I love y’all greatly, and even after I’m gone, you can open this book and remember how much I love y’all.

My beloved family—Laverne, Sheena, Lawrence, Keenan, Marcus, Antiquiti, Nanah Lilly, Chan, William, Mother Dear and Pop, Lenny and Penny, Joseph and Morning and family, Valarie, Pat, Monika and TeddyJackson and family,Lamonte, Jessica and Spoony, Bronnie, Pop a.k.a. Hoody-Hood and Poopah, Debra and Morgan, Cool Cat, Shaye, Lec-LecWoods.

THE MASK

MASK IS JUST A COVER OF WHAT YOUR NOT,

THE REAL YOU HAVE TO COME OUT, HAVE YOU FORGOT?

WE GO AROUND PRETENDING WHO WE THINK WE BE.

BUT YAHWEH MADE MAN IN HIS IMAGE CAN’T YOU SEE,

SO STOP PRETENDING AND BE YOURSELF, TAKE THE MASK OFF,

AND PUT IT ON THE SHELF, AND BE THE

PERSON YAHWEH HAS CREATED YOU TO BE THEN YOUR MASK WILL DISAPAIR,

YOULL BE FULLY ACCEPTED NO MORE HIDING FROM ME.

—ELEANOR LILLY

INTRODUCTION

I wrote this book about my life and hip-hop in the ‘70s and ‘80s to share with the world the true stories about the birth of hip-hop in the Bronx and Harlem, New York, and how I and a handful of others help created and introduced it to Long Island.

I wanted to show in my work how it really was for us, inner-city youth, in those days and how we made money to look fresh for all those hip-hop parties, the risk we took daily just to get those new Pumas, those Adidas, Pro-Keds, 69ers, British Walkers, and those playboyz shoes. I wanted to take the readers on a trip back in time to let them see what it truly was in those days.

I want you to imagine the dangers we faced each time we went to one of those events to make you understand the price we paid each time we put ourselves at risk in order to keep this new hip-hop phenomenon alive. In this way, we have paved the way as well for so many today!

If we didn’t attend those parties back then as faithfully as we did, hip-hop wouldn’t be what it is today. If we didn’t support it, nurture it as we would a newborn baby, hip-hop would have gone out of style just like disco.

Hip-hop was our baby, and we loved her wholeheartedly.

This is why I was compelled to tell my story and share my personal experiences on how I helped shape this thing we call hip-hop today!

Therefore, I offer you an exclusive, firsthand look into the real stories about how it was to be a part of the birth of hip-hop! I hope you will enjoy my life story through the eyes of a Bronx hip-hop OG.

CHAPTER 1

THE ROARING ’50S

This story begins in Harlem, New York, in the 1950s, a time of social love, unity, and black awareness; and the black revolutionary movement filled the air! The economy was fairly good, people worked, others hustled in the streets—either they sold drugs or worked the number joints—all to an end, to provide for their families and loved ones. In those days, people really had a genuine concern for one another despite their current situation or circumstances. There was a realm of community protection; everybody knew everybody and their children. Even the police officers who walked the beat daily knew every one in the neighborhood by name.

These officers would, at times, come up to the neighbors’ apartments, sit and have coffee just to socialize and to keep in touch with the community.

Their main concern was to keep the children off drugs! Even the local drug dealers and users felt this way about the kids. If they would hear about a child inquiring about drugs, they would make sure that the parents would know about their child asking about it. Everybody looked out for everybody in those days.

Harlem’s night life was like no other. Everywhere, the energy was electric; the after-hours spots were off the hook!

People—after a hard day’s work, whether they worked on a nine-to-five or hustled in the streets—came to the spot to unwind, hang loose and kick back, dance, socialize, have a few laughs, and just have some good old-fashioned nightlife fun.

Now cocaine was the recreational drug to use in these after-hours spots like Small Paradise, Lenox Lounge, Milton Playhouse, Jimmy Daniels Bar, Rallies

Singers, and Musicians; and people who hung out in these after-hours spots used cocaine, and for those who allowed their addictions to get the best of them, used heroin.

It was everywhere in the 1950s; people nodding on the street corners, and shooting galleries were stationed in most of the abandoned buildings. Heroin became a real epidemic. In fact, President Kennedy’s son used to come down to Harlem just to cop his heroin in those days. Some of the high rollers back then were people like Fat Jack, Roosevelt, Nicky Barnes, Chris and Country, just to name a few.

These were the superstars as well as the gangstaz of the 1950s and 1960s; when they rolled up in the after-hours spots, they came in style. Everybody loved them, and the women went crazy!

Endless amounts of cash were spread around; drinks were on the house for everyone!

They filled the air with black hope and success. People praised them for who they where as well as what they’ve accomplished in the ghettos of Harlem.

Yes, my mother saw all this and more because she was a singer in these after-hours spots. She wore a black satin dress as she sang the blues. Now my mother