Firstly got to say thanks and respect to Afrika Bambaataa for taking time to stop, say hello, shake my hand and sign my copy of ‘Renegades Of Funk’, thanks Bam!
Bam was in Liverpool for a Q&A event along with the American photographer and Author of ‘Who Shot Ya’ Ernie Paniccioli. Paniccioli has documented the Hip Hop scene, photographing legendary moments and artists from Grand Master Flash, Bambaataa, The Rock Steady Crew, Run DMC, KRS-One to Biggie Smalls and many more, the Q&A was followed by the UK premiere of ‘The Other Side of Hip Hop: The Sixth Element’, talking about Hip Hop culture and there experiences.
Unfortunately for me Sound City, FACT and We Are Boss Agency were anything but ‘Boss’ and well and truly messed up with 20 plus people being denied entry and I was one of the unlucky ones….gutted! The reason they gave being that the event was over booked? Now I’m not stupid, I know how these things work, people rock up late and its “you scratch my back, I’ll smooze you back”, the problem is with that set up is that this generally knocks back people who genuinely have a clue who these people are and have a genuine love for Hip Hop.
The only thing that prevented this from being a total wash out was that I saw Bam going to sign the wall of the venue for FACT so I ceased my oppurtunity to say hello and ask him if he could sign my copy of what has to be one of my all time favorite record covers – ‘Renegades of Funk’. Now I don’t usually go for the stalker/train spotter approach, in fact I’ve never accosted anyone in such a way but come on it was Afrika Bambaataa! Bam is such an influential figure in the history of Hip Hop that it needed to be done. Understandably on telling Bam the problem and that I couldn’t get in he said he wish he could help but it was out of his hands, but as I say he stopped and took time to sign my vinyl, he asked me if I was an artist which was strangely perceptive of him, so I gave him a card and promised I would send him a print, so if you read this Bam the offer still stands…Peace
Framedink 