New York City,the Bronx....Bronx River section to be exact,home to the almighty Zulu Nation.Mid 80s,I just dropped out of High School,I was at a crossroad...how can this average graffiti writer,so so breakdancer,but good looking puerto rican kid get by.If i follow some of my friends,I could start selling drugs,but I wasnt built for that.Not that I was scared but most of them are dead,in jail or in a lot of beef.I wasnt confrontational like that,I loved the attention,money and the girls that come with the territory,but I couldnt see myself in jail or paralyzed and shit like that.I had to figure out a way to do and get all the things a drug dealer did without all the risk.Back then you sold drugs or had a bullshit job.....guess which one I choose,the bullshit job,delivering clothes for a dry cleaners in Manhattan,making just enough money to have for the weekend to hang with my boys.....Rick,James,Louie,Vic and later on Ramel.I spent more time with them then I would with girls......we all had a mission to get money,hang out and then get the bitches.In that order.We would use our money to buy gear to look fresh for the ladies until Rick got that Run DMC joint,the dokie rope,hollow as shit 10kt rope chain and a four finger ring that this shorty helped him pay for....we then had status,yeah i said it us cause we shared everything,we would switch clothes,sneakers,anything to look fresh at the time.At first it was me and James always together,going out every weekend to clubs and what not,later down the road James brought Rick then Lou into the clik.Vic was a kid from around the way,who had the ride to go everywhere.This kid Dave from Bronx River invited me and James to a party,a "black"party.Now the term black was used at that time to describe the underground house movement,everyone would wear black gear from head to toe,black mock necks,black Lee's and black webo boots,you get the picture,anyway Dave is dressed for it but me and James had on football jerseys (b4 they were fashionable to wear)blue jeans,James had on these red Troop sneakers while i had on yellow Spotbilts that belong to my brother,anyway we are chiling at this party sticking out like a sore thumb,they are playing trance music or some underground house shit,shit wasnt happening for us but we chilled cause there were some shorties in there,and besides my boy,John, was DJaying there.DJ John Jay Arcoss.That mother fucker was the man,everybody gravitated to him like he was the shit,all the girls were checkin him,and he was ugly as shit,but he was my boy and for all intent purposes,the fuckin man.Everyone who was there acknowledged him just like a drug dealer and here me and James are like 2 dicks at this party we have no business being there,but I am in awe at all this attention this mother fucker is getting then all of a sudden a crowd forms and you see these people dancing...Read More About Eddie B Swift here
