Thug Life Army

As Hip-Hop continues to evolve and becomes more of a corporate thing, many of its landmark, golden moments get lost. In this article, veteran writer and longtime DJ Mark Skillz unearthed one of Hip-Hop's pivitol moments when an emerging Kool Herc squared off with well known popular DJ Pete Jones.

This battle was symbolic on many levels. For Kool Herc to go up against Pete DJ Jones meant that Hip-Hop had arrived and there was no denying it. It was Student vs Teacher, Young vs Old, and Hip-Hop vs Disco. It's a moment in time we should not forget.

Props to Mark Skillz and Wax Poetic Magazine where this article first appeared

Pete DJ Jones vs. Kool DJ Herc: One Night At the Executive Playhouse

By Mark Skillz

Back in the good old days of 1977 when gas lines were long and unemployment was high, there were two schools of deejays competing for Black and Latino audiences in New York City: the Pete D.J. Jones crowd and the devout followers of Kool D.J. Herc. One group played the popular music of the day for party-going adult audiences in clubs in downtown Manhattan. The other played raw funk and break-beats for a rapidly growing, fanatic – almost cult-like following of teenagers in rec centers and parks. Both sides had their devotees. One night the two-masters of the separate tribes clashed in a dark and crowded club on Mount Eden and Jerome Avenue called the Executive Playhouse.

To read the interview by Mark Skillz click HERE

Mark Skillz can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  and visit his blogspot at - http://markskillz.blogspot.com