A Slamdunk Disco "Throwdown", Sha-Rock vs. Lil Bit, others, Ecstasy Garage Disco, December 19,1980

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.

MC Sha-Rock (Sharon Green, b. 1962) was one of the original members of the Funky 4 and then became the +1 More when she returned to the group. With Funky Four +1 More One being the first rap crew with a female MC, Sha-Rock is known as Hip-Hop ’s “First Lady”, “Mother of the Mic” and the first most prominent and influential female battle MC and founding member of Hip-Hop culture in the late 1970s. When the Funky 4+1 More disbanded, Sha-Rock joined a new group with two of her peers, Debbie D (b.XXXX) and Lisa Lee (b.XXXX) , called Us Girls. While apart of US Girls, they had their first major film debut in the 1984 Hip-Hop movie Beat Street. Sha-Rock’s early contributions to Hip-Hop paved the way for not only urban youth growing up in the South Bronx, but she also laid the foundation for emerging female MCs in Hip-Hop.