RAVage

It’s coming up on a year from the time when some reckless driver plowed into my parked car on rain-soaked Brooklyn streets in the middle of the night. And I miss my car.

The day I drove it off the lot in Minneapolis I had a homemade mixtape in my pocket ready to try out the speakers. Side One, Track One? Sob (Saab?) Story by the Leaders of the New School. From that day forward there was always music playing in my Toyota Rav4. I made mixtapes for the car first and then for my friends. Better yet, if I had my friends in the car, then it was a win/win! The dashboard stayed packed with cassettes and then later CDs.

Nothing got more run in the car than J.Rocc’s promo mix for the Jaylib album. Stones Throw Records really should have included it on the re-release. The Champion Sound promo CD is a seamless blend of the combined history of two of the best musicians that hip-hop has produced as well as a sample of their collaborative work. The best bit is that it included the unreleased Stereolab-sampling track that started the conversation between these two artists. Apparently, Madlib would record rhymes over Jay Dee’s beat tapes. He took a shine to one particular song, but the beat was already sold. I believe that above mentioned song is what became Busta Rhymes’ “Show Me What You Got For Me”.

The above picture is the last time I saw my car, hobbled at the impound lot, totaled and heading for scrap and spare parts. The link will show you some of the people who spent a lot of time in my car listening to music or just enjoying the ride. Whattup, AnR, SHZA, Gee, Me, Toriano, and Marlon (in order of appearance). Whattup, Kemba for trips to Boston and Jones Beach. Thanks Sean for the Autobot sticker that I stuck on the back window imagining the heat sensitive holograms of the first generation Transformer toys. Whattup, Kemp for trying to buy the “blue lady” for a dollar to keep her all in the family! And whattup Roxane, who told me that my car (the Rava she called it, misunderstanding the logo) was like riding around in a movie, with our own personal soundtrack. I’m missing you all.