We managed to brave the heat Friday night just long enough to drag our asses to Central Park for Uncle Ralph’s All-Star VMB 25th Anniversary Extravaganza. The place, although roof-less, was packed to the gills - and needless to say, the over 30 crowd was in full effect. This was a plus, as it’s far more enjoyable watching Special Ed kill it with a sea of people screaming back entire versus at the kid like it was 1990. For real, there were ladies swooning for Ed like you would expect your 15 year old-cousin to behave at a Chris Brown concert.

Other highlights included Schooly D’s dusted rendition of PSK (he let the whole beat rock in it’s entirety before rapping the lyrics accapella, and then finally syncing the two a third time around) and Milk Dee of Audio Two’s spirited performance of (what else) Top Billin’. Crowd participation reached a fevered pitch at that point, and Milk responded in kind, nailing every line right on beat - a task many of his “old-school” peers seemed to find difficult in the 90+ degree heat.

Thankfully, it appears the homie Dante Ross was in the place to be - camera in hand. Above is a clip he caught of Treach and Vin Rock midway through Hip-Hop Hooray. See what we’re saying about trailing the beat? Just sayin’. Check Dante’s blog for more videos, including Mr. Cheeks of the LB Fam, Chubb Rock’s G-Rated anthems, and Nice & Smooth getting funky for all.

30 questions with BODEGA™ homie, esteemed hip hop trivia host, fitted hat loyalist, and all-around NYC legend… Mr. Dante Ross. If you still can’t figure why we rep for this dude so readily, this is a fine introduction.

On a side note, InquiringMind™ Magazine is hot hot hot like Buster Poindexter.

LET’S MEET TONIGHT’S CONTESTANTS:
Dashaun Simmons: Born in Brooklyn Hospital, Dashaun Simmons trully is hip hop and has the shirt to prove it. He enjoys Hip Hop Karaoke, Anime, dancing, watching movies and most of all MUSIC. Dashaun currently works in the pharmaceutical advertising field so he basically sells drugs…legally.

Mr Beatz: “I grew up in Westchester, but now living in Bushwick, Brooklyn. I’m an underground Hip Hop artist who is an MC, beat maker and DJ.”

Dee Punk: Dee Phunk is a New York native (repping both Brooklyn and LI, 60/40) who spends his day time hours as a senior graphic designer for a major marketing firm in Midtown Manhattan. When not in the office, he side hustles as one of the four members of the event planning / promotion group Rare Form, who have created some of the most memorable events in New York nightlife. In what little spare time he has, you can usually catch Dee listening to music, watching TV / DVDs, going to the movies, drinking Hennessy, partying, messing around on MySpace, lusting after Rosario Dawson, buying sneakers, eating, sleeping and strategically planning for the day when he can be his own boss and make paper in the comfort of his own boxer shorts.

Tara: “Born and raised in NYC, I’ve been a fan of hip hop since I was 5. My heroes include MC Lyte, J Dilla, and Mother Theresa. My greatest accomplishments include having the shortest dj set in history, having one of the top memorable performances at Hip Hop karaoke, and discovering where Leonard parts 1-5 went.”

Danielle: As a little girl, Danielle Stolich would tell her dream job of being “Big Daddy Kane’s manager” to anyone who would listen. The petite, pretty twenty-something admits, “I know everything from rappers’ zodiac signs to who they sampled for a song. I guess I’m like a walking talking Hip-Hop Wikipedia.” The former public relations assistant enjoys everything from East Coast golden classics (Nas, Wu, Mobb Deep) to lesser-known regional acts such as Spice-1, as her non-discriminatory ear has made her a favorite album reviewer among the staff of AllHipHop, whom she has freelanced for.
Repping for team Supreme Clientele!

OP!: A Brooklyn native inspired by innovators kool DJ red alert and marley marl, OP! has set his sights on conquering the globe. Working behind the scenes for years helping to catapult artists careers has prepared him for the spotlight, and he now returns to the art of spinning records. From spinning hip hop on the radio airwaves both locally and as far away as south Africa to sharing the stage with the likes of Rich Medina, The Roots, and De La Soul, OP! Has emerged as a bright spot in the nyc music scene.

pick your pony, we’ll see you down at reBar (147 Front Street) tonight!!

only two more nights to brush up - better organize a study group homie!

A FEW WARM UP QUESTIONS (remeber: google is for crumbs)
• what was the name of mc lyte’s (fictitious) former crack-head boyfriend she blows up on cram to understand u?
• what was tupac’s original mc name?
• what sitcom star played the devil in jeru tha damaja’s me or the papes video circa 1996?
• what pop diva was rakim’s third verse on the classic eric b is president rumored to be directed at?
• what was the name of comega’s shelved 1998 debut album?
*bonus: what year did the above mentioned cormega album eventually see the light of day?

ONE WEEK FROM TONIGHT! AT reBAR IN DUMBO, BKNY!
WIN MAGNIFICENT PRIZES! LEARN TRIVIAL FACTS! NERD OUT WITH OTHER HIP HOP DORKS, er… AFICIONADOS!! hosted by Mr. Dante Ross of the famed Stimulated Dummies!! (Brand Nubian, De La Soul, etc etc)

come through, have a drink or two or three, and test your know(the)ledge. doesn’t get much more hip hop than this… details through out the week… stay tuned!

We’re back at it again - mark those calendars for Wednesday, September 26th!
The BB fam is proud to announce the launch of our new monthly party…

Brooklyn Bodega Hip Hop Trivia Night Hosted By Dante Ross!
Wednesday, September 26th
8-10pm: trivia
10-?: tracks by Bodega selecta DJ Tahila

reBar - 147 Front Street - Dumbo, BKNY
F To York Street, A/C to High Street

FREE WITH RSVP!!
email info@brooklynbodega.com w/ RSVP in the subject

See ya’ll then.