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BOBBITO (aka DJ Cucumber Slice) with PAUL E. LOPES, FELIX and GANI Friday (February 15) at Roxy Blu (12 Brant). $12 advance, more at door. www.milkevents.com, www.somosarte.com/Bobbito/
Considering his credentials, you’d think Bobbito would be packing his crates full of obscure underground hiphop for his gig this weekend.
With his partner, Lord Sear, he is DJ, host and producer of the internationally acclaimed C.M.Famalam radio program on WKCR 89.9 FM in New York City. The show was known as The DJ Stretch Armstrong And Bobbito Show from 1990 to 1998, and was named best show in hiphop history by The Source magazine in 1998.
He’s also the founder of now defunct influential independent hiphop label Fondle ‘Em Records, whose first releases included joints by Kool Keith.
But hiphop’s not high on the track list for Friday’s session.
“It actually won’t be hiphop at all,” confesses Bobbito from his New York apartment. “You’ll hear about 15 different genres — soulful percussive house, Latin music, 80s MTV music, popular 70s funk. You’ll hear some rare 60s and 70s funk, ballads at the end of the night, roots reggae, rock, Afrobeat, some breakbeats, some R&B, disco.
“People do identify me as a hiphop head, but it’s only one side of me. If you think about the origins of hiphop culture, that’s what a DJ should do — play unexpected music to the dance floor.”
Bobbito has been writing the column Bobbito’s Soundcheck for Vibe magazine since 1995, as well as freelancing for a number of other music and urban culture publications. He is currently working on a book on sneaker culture in New York from 1960 to 1987, called Where’d You Get Those?
His well-known affection for shoes, along with his involvement with basketball — he’s played professionally in Puerto Rico and New York and coached high school basketball in Brooklyn — drew the attention of Nike, which has used him in a number of ads, including an upcoming spot featuring Vince Carter.
“I don’t agree with all of Nike’s ethics, but every sneaker company manufactures in Asia, without fail. Even companies that say they don’t manufacture at least some of the materials there. What was a huge issue for Nike five years ago existed only because it was number one in the market and the obvious target.
“People have challenged me because I have a lot of views regarding platinum jewellery made under exploitive conditions in South Africa and Sierra Leone. I’m not necessarily pro-Nike, but I am pro-functional footwear, which for me is a necessity, whereas jewellery is frivolous.”
Bobbito has also graced TV sets as a dancer in videos by the Roots, 3rd Bass, Company Flow and Tony Touch. A member of the Rock Steady Crew since 1992, he explains the “uprock” style of dancing:
“Uprock is a challenge dance, a battle dance, but it’s very different from breaking. Two breakers might battle each other, but they’re dancing one at a time, whereas with uprocking there’s no floor work, and it derives from what used to be called rocking.
“It’s basically a collection of moves that are called jerks and burns. You have to know the records well enough so you can manipulate them in your favour to humiliate your opponent.
“You might take out an imaginary axe and chop off his head and throw it on the ground and stomp on it. It’s acting, play-fighting — you don’t touch the other person and you stay in the rhythm of the song.” BENJAMIN BOLES
