Well it wouldn’t be Summer in NYC without good music, good people, and good times in Central Park. Bobbito Garcia aka Kool Bob Love aka Cucumber Slice aka Bobbito the Barber brought his Rock Rubber 45s movie premiere to the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park this past Monday night. Starting off with an intimate panel about the history and importance of the seven inch record to music culture, he and cohorts Stretch Armstrong, and Rich Medina waxed poetic about the forty five, where it’s been, and where it is going. This panel featured an audience of about 15 to 20 people, and really started off the event on the right foot. From the panel, they moved on to three hours of round robin forty five spinning by Garcia, Medina, and Stretch on the Summerstage.

The heat didn’t stop the people or the music from moving (at one point they had to cover all of the records from the 90+ heat), and when Bobbito brought out everyone from ex-NBA players, Harlem Globetrotters, Lee Quiñones from Wild Style, and his friend Rosario Dawson on stage, the crowd ate it up. Pharoah Monch jumped on stage to do the theme song he wrote for the film live, as well as a bit of freestyling to end the performances. It all led up to the main event, which is Bobbito’s third film, Rock Rubber 45s. A tale of Garcia’s storied life that includes his childhood, college basketball career, pro hoops career in Puerto Rico, as well as his various projects which include being a Nike Ambassador, author, music pioneer with nights at APT. and Stevie Wonder tribute parties all over the world among other things.

It’s an inside look at the man’s life, the people he’s collaborated with, basketball, and of course, the importance music played in all of it. There are some very personal revelations in the film, some that his closest allies were not aware of, and after you watch the film, you will realize how much fortitude and drive he has, and how that’s propelled him to be one of our biggest creative minds in the music/ sneaker/ DJ culture of NYC and beyond. Touching people all over the world, his story is definitely fuel for anyone’s fire to be who you want to be and do it on your own terms. This event brought out a who’s who of NYC scenes, that included everyone from Joe Conzo to Craig G to Jay Zone (who’s band has a song on the soundtrack), who showed support not just to Garcia, but for his accomplishments in his lifetime. This film is a testament to Garcia and what you can do if you put your mind to it.

Check out the trailer below:

More info on the movie here.

The movie starts with a week long run at Metrograph in NYC tonight. Go see it.

Dig Deeper!