The Ecstasy Garage Disco presents rose Award Winners Grandmaster Caz and the Force 5ive and the Fantastic 5ive, March 7, 1980
Party flyers were a staple in the early years of Hip-Hop and hard-copy invitations were the main medium for communicating information and promoting an event. The flyers symbolized many key appearances, acts, conventions, DJ performances, and contests in the Hip-Hop scene. Many flyers were created by local graffiti artists such as Buddy Esquire and Phase 2. The flyers were often presented by Hip-Hop promoters, DJs, and MCs who hosted the parties. Money was given to the artist to draw creative art and graphics for about $40-$60 for approximately 1,000 party flyers. The parks’ open public spaces have provided the perfect venues for park jams, impromptu dance-offs, DJ battles, and rap battles that established the sound, fashion, art, and message of Hip-Hop. Most of the Hip-Hop parties were a space for positivity where many of the Hip-Hop community could escape the realities of racism that included police brutality, drug abuse, and gang violence in their surrounding communities.
The Ecstasy Garage had been originally used as an after-hour club founded and owned by Arthur Armstrong (Army, Art Armstrong). Mean Gene was the house DJ and eventually became the manager of the club. The first Ecstasy was on Jerome Ave, but the second Ecstasy Garage was located on Macomb’s Road. Arthur was the house DJ and at one point and time the Grand Wizzard Theodore. Ecstasy Garage Disco was open every Friday and Saturday and occasionally on Sundays.
The Force M.D.'s are an American R&B vocal group that was formed in 1981 in Staten Island, New York. Although the group has old school Hip Hop roots, it is perhaps best known for two tunes that are widely considered 1980s quiet storm classics, "Tender Love" and "Love is a House". They are considered major forerunners of the new jack swing movement. The group was composed of brothers Stevie D., Antoine "T.C.D." Lundy, and Rodney "Khalil" Lundy, along with their uncle Jessie Lee Daniels. Later, friends "Trisco" Pearson and Charles "Mercury" Nelson from the Mariners Harbor housing projects joined the group.
Grandmaster Caz (formerly DJ Casanova Fly, Curtis Brown, b. 1961) who is known to be one of the top 50 MCs of all time and an inductee into the Technics DJ Hall of Fame and the Bronx Walk of Fame.
Often referred to as the Fantastic Freaks or Fantastic Romantic 5. The Fantastic Five consisted of Grand Wizard Theodore (Theodore Livingston), Dot-A-Rock (Darryl Mason), Ruby Dee (Rubin Garcia), Master Rob (Robin Strong) and the Original Kevie Kev (Kevin Strong). Known for their single, "Can I Get A Soul Clap" (1980) The group also appeared in the film Wild Style (1982) and recorded a song in 1994 with the Cold Crush Brothers and Terminator X which appeared on Terminator X's album, Super Bad.
