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Every person who claims they "live hip hop" needs to read this feature. Many heads these days probably think of Bambaataa as an electro pioneer but 15 years after "Planet Rock" changed everything, The Godfather is still challenging preconceptions about music and trying to get the apathetic to open their eyes to the misinformation that surrounds us on this planet. Sometimes when things happen you just know that they were meant to be. The bizarre chain of events that led to this, the first full length interview with Bambaataa for as long as I can remember all started with a call from one of his crew members Buddha Boy who wanted me to bring down some promos of The Ruf Label's shit for Bam the following night at the Hacienda. With Mark one playing before him it couldn't have worked out better, so the next night off I went, dope wax and camera in hands hoping to meet the great man. Afrika dropped an explosive mix of musical influences that night with electro-fried techno, rare original breaks and chunky hip hop sounds, the highlight for myself and Loz being the build up to and the subsequent unleashing of Public Enemy's "Welcome to the terrordome". After the set and talking to his main men Depo and Buddha Boy they asked if I could sort out a lift for them the next day, down to Sandbach services where their tour van had broken down. The mad rush that followed the next day from my south Manchester HQ came courtesy of Mark One's total lack of the concept of time. With Loz already at the hotel pointing out that we had 5 minutes to get to the hotel. A 20 minute journey was done in ten, Mrs Ruf & I thrown out of the car only to literally bump into Bam who was on a mission to find some Bombay Mix! We'd made it. The conversational piece that follows is complete and I hope it influences everybody within our hip hop nation to open their minds to re-evaluate what their understanding of hip hop is and their role within it.
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