For those who weren’t able to make it out to the 3rd Anniversary of Hot Peas and Butta in the Gallery at LPR in the West Village on Saturday Night, in the words of the Souls of Mischief: “That’s When Ya Lost.” For those who have never been to Le Poisson Rouge on Bleeker St. which is easy to find, the Gallery, is not so easy to find. Sandwiched in between some realty office and a Mexican restaurant, you’d walk right by it if the iron gate to the back basement door wasn’t open. This is a good thing. It adds a little mystery to the party, and when you finally did get in, you were glad you did. Like some Speakeasy where you needed to know the password to get into and there were some wall grind parties going on while Sugar Pie DeSanto blasted from the jukebox. The first hundred got free goodie bags (A Complex mag, some stickers, and a sweet HP & B flyer in 3D. Your glasses were given to you on the way in.) While inside, 4 different tv’s and a big screen next to the DJ’s played a combination of Kung Fu flicks, commercials and previews from Channel 17, 48, and 56 from Philadelphia cable of the 80’s, and Blaxploitation and B Movie previews. I was taken back to my childhood, for real. Star Wars from Kenner figures commercials, Afro Sheen spots, White Mama, Black Mama and Blade Runner movie trailers (among others), and Big Daddy Kane on my fave after school music program as a teenDance Party USA, were just a few of the visuals that blew my mind. These were just the visuals people, that went in and out of 3D! When I walked in with M.Fasis and Bluewater (from the AP 45 Sessions), Skeme was killing it on the 1’s and 2’s, and then Amir jumped on. I have to applaud the brother, because he started out with JB. A lot of 45 nights are just all about the rare, but HP & B is just one big back yard cookout and house party. It’s always about the music, and a good mix of classics and rare, which people can groove to. His choice of the rare, a nice dose of Latin, mixed in with classics like “Tighten Up” right into my personal fave (which I thanked him for playing) “The Meditation” by NYC’s TnT Band on Cotique to close out his set. I can listen to that drum break for days. Monk One was up next, and all I can say is that his set was pure fire. Uptempo Disco Boogieish bangers, worked doubles on the breaks, and had people grooving, moving, up rocking, and the ladies going crazy. Fact: B Side of a certain Dynamic Corvettes 45 is gonna be on repeat for quite a while. I stayed for most of his set, but unfortunately since I had to get out a bit early, I didn’t get to catch ex-Bump Shop honcho Chairman Mao spin. I’m sure he killed it, and I’m looking forward to catching him out here in the City soon. Good meeting you finally Chairman.

Let’s talk a bit about the audience who came through. Like I said earlier, we had half of the AP 45 Sessions representing, but there was nothing less than DJ/ Digging royalty representing the music and night respectively. You had rapper/ DJ Edan nodding in and out and boogieing while Amir was throwing down his set. J Zone was in the house, talking to M.Fasis and I about the long gone diner in New Brunswick that used to have records from floor to ceiling and the Tribe demo on ebay. DJ Paul Nice was in the house. Break Beat Lou of Ultimate Breaks and Beats was in the house. Fucking Break Beat Lou. Serious diggers here folks. DJ Emskee, Jay Smooth of WBAI’s Ill Doctrine, graff artist Ewok, Boogie Blind, and rapper Big Chan were just a few notables in attendance. This is what happens in NYC when there is no Saturday night 45 night on the regular. Heads come through. Shout out to Matt from Phonographic Unlimited too. For me, it was great, because being a New Yorker now, this is a perfect night for me. Good music, good people, good venue, and just a stone cold time. Photos from Kid Kraus aka Michael Beon were posted Part 1 and Part 2. Lots of heads having a good time and getting the fuck down like it was your Aunt’s back yard. You know what I’m saying, where Uncle Roger drank too much but showed everyone how to do the Mashed Potato correctly, and you got to get up close to that shorty from around the way when the Detroit Emeralds came on, and there was a dance off, and then you all took a break to watch the Creature Double Feature or Hot, Cool, and Vicious while your cousins played cards. That was just for starters. Big Up to the homey Skeme Richards for doing a party proper, getting like minded NO EGO individuals together all to preserve the look, feel, and sound of this music. Looking forward to the next shindig very soon. Thanks for the goodies and the HPAB record (which I will review sometime soon featuring Big Pimp Jones and Skeme Richards). Keep Diggin’!

1/2 of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions Crew: DJ Bluewater, DJ Prestige, M.Fasis
Photo Courtesy of Michael Beon from Kraus Phade