Bash Compactor: Just a Dash
The world of hip-hop is undergoing drastic changes. Perhaps the best example of this is the case of icon and one-time mogul Damon Dash, who no longer rolls with Jay-Z but is popular with the kids thanks to DD172, his DIY art space in Tribeca.
Bridging the Gap is a new weekly party in conjunction with DD172, a less uptight, artsy-celebration of the not-really-uptight, artsy stuff happening at the gallery. At the kick-off edition of the party Monday at Santos Party House, DJ Skibeatz manned the ones and twos. Best known for producing Jay Zs rap anthem Dead Presidents II, Skibeatz kept the crowd on a steady diet of early 90s hip-hop while a bearded drummer played along with recorded beats. It felt a bit nostalgic for a time when folks would pack a Downtown club to the rafters with people waiting in a long line outside to get in while Krystal bottles were popping.
Times have changed. On Monday, the audience was a far cry from the clubgoers of the 90s. The heads of now have adopted the thrift store-chic style championed by Kid Cudi and Kanye West, and the once important emphasis on excess is no longer part of the package. Also, everyone has a beard. Freeway was once best known for his beard, a long bushy joint, shaved completely from the jawbone up, but hanging a good inch or more off the chin. This was considered radical. But looking at the crowd of night owls, it seemed one in every three was rocking the Freeway beard.
I heard Camp Lo and Stalley were playing and I had to come out and see them. Stalley is dope, said New York rapper F Stokes, who also happened to be rocking a more kempt facial forest.
Brooklyn-by-way-of-Ohio rapper Stalley hit the stage, bringing with him a tight flow akin to Mos Def, with a fierce, aggressive voice reminiscent of Big L. Backed by the band The Sensais, there was a bit of confusion in blending the live music with the rap beats, but Stalleys energy and showmanship kept the crowd engaged.
Next up was Camp Lo, whose 1997 album Uptown Saturday Night is an underrated hip-hop classic. The set had throwback written all over it, keeping with the theme of the night.
This is pretty cool, said partygoer Adam Mason, but something about it feels weirdly out of place.
The party continues next week with 90s legends Smiff N Wessun. The mixing of yesteryear nostalgia with modern day hiphop made the name Bridging the Gap seem appropriate, although there seemed to still be a need to figure out exactly what gap is being bridged. Sure, we know where hiphop has been, but where it is now and what it means to New York today remained a bit of a mystery.