Few forces on New York radio proved as historically dense with past, present, and future talent than The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show — which aired from 1990 to 1998 on WKCR. Stretch and Bobbito tapped directly into the veins of rising talent, ultimately serving as an unparalleled launch pad for the careers of Talib Kweli, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Nas, Fugees, and many more. In fact, the total record sales for "all the artists that premiered on their show" currently exceeds 300 million. Sadly, these historic appearances and rare freestyles from some of hip-hop's elite class took place well before the ease of accessibility we now take for granted (thank you, internet god).
With a new documentary entitled Stretch and Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives on the horizon, Stretch and Bobbito have started unloading their archives on SoundCloud. As you might expect, the first batch of freestyles are an overwhelming trip down history lane — featuring rare verses and appearances from the Wu-Tang Clan, Kool Keith, Slick Rick, Smif-n-Wessun, and more.
Radio That Changed Liveswill be screened for free as part of a 25th anniversary concert on August 16 in New York City.
