Brian Coleman on Punching Someone For a Jungle Brother’s Record at the Roosevelt Hotel
Brian Coleman is the author of the rap oral history bibles Rakim Told Me: Wax Facts Straight from the Original Artists — The ‘80s, Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies, and Check the Technique: Volume 2: More Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies. In every interaction I have with him, he is both kind and generous. Brian has offered his expertise and wisdom for various writing projects of mine without seeking anything in return. He is a nice, humble dude. That is why I love his story about fighting someone for a record so much.
“This dude walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and just tried to grab it.”
“After about 30 seconds of our tug-of-war, I just punched the dude in the chest.”
Brian: Back at the Roosevelt Hotel in NYC in the ’90s I had a copy of the Jungle Brothers Beyond this World on top of my pile of wax. This dude walked up to me, looked me in the eye, and just tried to grab it. The weird thing was that he kept looking me in the eye the whole time, with a look like, “What? Everything’s cool, just chill, I deserve this record.”
“The Roosevelt was pretty intense back in the day. Dudes weren’t fucking around and it was a real cut-throat type of scene.”
After about 30 seconds of our tug-of-war, I just punched the dude in the chest and he let go instantly and walked away very calmly. The weirdest thing to me was that it wasn’t that rare of a record. Maybe that’s why he gave up so easily.
The Roosevelt was pretty intense back in the day. Dudes weren’t fucking around and it was a real cut-throat type of scene. I stopped going after a while, because it wasn’t that fun. I was always more of a fan of finding shit in out-of-the-way spots for low-cash. I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than $30 for a record and I’m proud of that. For me, just owning a dope piece of wax isn’t the most important thing. It’s how it got to you.
“For me, just owning a dope piece of wax isn’t the most important thing. It’s how it got to you.”
I am a director of academic support/special education teacher who loves to write about books, music, records, and samplers. I also love interviewing people about these things. If you enjoyed this piece, please consider sharing it on Facebook, Twitter, and recommending it on Medium.
You can also check out my Bookshelf Beats publication.
