circa 1997

The clip starts with The Boom Skwad's Skully Fontsworth dissing Jay-Z for not making his show earlier in the night at The White Building at Penn State.  

The performance was sponsored the The National Pan Hellenic Council and was to feature Jay-Z and The Artifacts.  The Facts finished their set and after a long wait the building was closed to cause the average person to feel like Jay-Z blew off Penn State and was a no show.  Afterwards Tame -One, El Da Sensai, DJ Kaos, and Skuly all came to my radio show to check in.  The Facts, Louis Logic, R-Son, Cimer Amor and others traded verses back and forth on-air for over 20 minutes before Skully made his comments.  After, the crew moved on to party for a Friday night at PSU.  

After four to five songs Opal went to the lobby to open the door and returns with Jay-Z, Dame Dash, Sauce Money, Teflon and 1-2 more people and they immediately want to get on the radio. 

sidenote:  I was still pretty niave and thought if Jay-Z showed up to my radio show it must have been because he wanted to freestyle and show me as a DJ what a talented emcee he was.  I was given false hope from being such a big fan of Pete and Marley's Future Flavas and Stretch and Bobbito. I thought that's what any up and coming emcee in the game should be trying to do right?  Up until they announce why they're there, I'm oblivious.  In my defense, there were a lot of people coming and going and hanging out since The Artifacts were there and lots of smoking and drinking so I missed Skully's comments.  

Also you will notice my bizzaro voice...I used to try and sound like my man @selecta720recs on-air.  Like most in the entertainment business, you emulate your influences until you take a little bit from each of them to make your own style.  Everyone starts somewhere.  

You will also notice Dame drops the classic "Pause" in reference to ripping The Artifacts.  The word has made a resurgence in street slang in 2013 but was clearly enjoyed in 97 and was around in the early 90's as well.  

At the time, the rift between jiggy rap and backpack rap was really becoming noticeable.  Diddy was really bubbling, Biggie died in 1997, and Rawkus Records was just starting to rep for the real hip hop heads.  Before Rawkus there was this big pride thing with backpack rap.  I was a huge fan and we literally thought that if we didn't go do our radio show each week to rep, real rap would fall off.  Eventually it did, but that was going to happen regardless.  

People always say why does radio play what they play and why don't they play more of a variety.  Radio is a business.  Just like any business they have their goals to meet.  You as a music fan and listener have a choice of where to get your music and entertainment.  Choose wisely.  Thanks to those who listen weekdays @wamo100 in Pittsburgh.  I wouldn't have a career if you didn't tune-in.  

While I have had many, this is still one of the  biggest radio highlights of my career.   

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Artifacts and Jay-Z on WKPS 90 7 The Mayor Mike Jax DJ Opal

Themayormikejax