A RAPPER’S DELIGHT
by Kangol Kid
The Summer of 2009’s BEST Classic Hip-Hop Birthday Party featuring some of Hip-Hop’s and R&B’s Greatest Classic Artists as they honor one of their own.
Has it really been twenty-five years since I placed a cardboard box onto a hot summer corner block and began breakdancing? Has it really been twenty-five years since I took my God-given Afro and had it processed by man-made chemicals and called it Jheri-Curls. Is it really twenty-five years since I popped the lenses out of my Cazel glasses and put fat laces in my Adidas? I can’t believe that twenty-five years ago I had the biggest rap song in the country, Kangol hat sales hit the roof, and every girl had a nameplate belt buckle that simply said, “Roxanne”.
I didn’t notice how fast time flew until my best friend/manager/partner Shaunda Lumpkin of Your Knight Management had me experience the most exciting birthday party of my life where everyone that I influenced and/or influenced me gathered on August 7, 2009 at New York’s Classic Shadow Nightclub. The astonishing list of classic influential people included: Sugarhill Gang, Chubb Rock, Blue Magic, Big Daddy Kane, Grand Master Flash, Kool DJ Red Alert, Kool Herc, Whistle, Grand Master Melle-Mel, Fonda Rae, Full Force, Heather Hunter, Crash Crew, Fearless Four, Dana Dane, Queen Pen, Lin Que, Freedom Williams (C&C Music Factory)… and more.
It’s important that you understand; when I stepped onto the scene I could count how many rap groups existed on both of my hands. In other words, I never had an opportunity to be star-struck by a rap star because I quickly became a rap star myself, but on this birthday party night I became the BIGGEST Hip-Hop Fan you could imagine as I shared the stage with my idols, The Sugarhill Gang and sung “Rapper’s Delight” with them. Group member Master Gee told my manager, “I’m not a party-goer, but for Kang, me and the guys will absolutely attend and perform”…and that’s exactly what they did.
Another “over-the-top” highlight for me was the attendance of Classic R&B Group Blue Magic. These guys were my B2K back in the day and their songs were pure uncut R&B. When they sang “What’s Come Over Me” at my party, a feeling of adolescence came over me and instantly I was 12 years old again. Does anyone understand what it means to have a group of this magnitude at your birthday party…and later have that same group perform in your honor? You can’t get anymore classic than that!
It makes you wonder… when did we all become our parents? When did we stop paying to roller-skate and started paying bills? It all happened so fast and if we don’t enjoy our classic artists while they’re still here with us… they’ll all be gone just as fast. I am happy to say we make “classic” look good!! Most importantly, I need you all to remember: We are NOT Relics… WE ARE RELEVANT!
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