A Rappers Throwdown in Your Town at the Father English Center, Patterson, NJ, Saturday, October 24, 1981
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.
Many of the original Hip-Hop parties took place at local roller rinks, community centers, parks, and clubs. Roller rinks were an important cultural site for fun in the late 70s and 80s where adults and teens would attend roller discos and Hip-Hop parties. The space would be used as a place for DJs to spin, rappers to show their talents, and for breakers to showcase their dancing skills on the large skate floor. Community centers were another important space in the early years of Hip-Hop for youth to gather and escape their everyday life. Additionally, community centers and recreation centers were the original spaces where DJ Kool Herc would spin in his early era of DJing. The community centers such as the Bronx River Center and the PAL were usually located in the middle of the projects. But local promoters would give parties and give money back to the center for books and trips for the local kids in the community.
Spoonie Gee (Gabriel Jackson, b. 1963), is one of the earliest Rap artists, and one of the few to have released rap records in the 1970s. some of the themes in his music were precursors of Gangsta Rap. Spoonie Gee received his 'Spoonie' nickname as a child because the spoon was the only utensil that he used to eat with. Spoonie's name was suggested, and he recorded "Spoonin' Rap", which was released on Brown's Sound of New York, USA imprint, featuring a lyric that included jailhouse references that would later become common in Gangsta Rap, and with echo applied to his vocals. Spoonie G was a founding member of the Treacherous Three, along with L.A. Sunshine and Kool Moe Dee. Spoonie Gee has been described as "the original gangsta rapper”. His career took off once again in 1987 with his debut album The Godfather of Rap, produced by Marley Marl and Teddy Riley, and issued on the Tuff City label.
Wayne Garland was a popular ventriloquist since his early high school years. Born and raised in New York, Wayne had four ventriloquist dolls; GG (Goody-Goody), Libra is a Gay Doll, Blood Cloud a West Indies doll, and Tom, a look-a-like to Clark Gable that has all of his strong political views. His most popular and oldest doll was Charlie the Rapping dummy who loved pretty ladies and was a part of Wayne’s act for five years. Signed to Sugar Hill in 1981, Wayne and Charlie performed at many of the early Hip-hop parties.
