In Theatres: STRETCH AND BOBBITO: RADIO THAT CHANGED LIVES

Now in theatres: STRETCH AND BOBBITO: RADIO THAT CHANGED LIVES

Bobbito Garcia’s look back at an influential hip hop radio show had its world premiere last month at Urbanworld. It will also screen later this month at BFI London.

Broadcasting from Columbia University’s WKCR, DJ Stretch Armstrong and host Bobbito Garcia created a late-night radio program in the 1990s that has since been heralded as the best of all time. In an age before .mp3s and the widespread adoption of the Internet, in-the-know fans stayed up all night to listen in or recorded the show on cassette tapes to discover the cutting edge of hip hop. Stretch and Bobbito debuted the likes of Nas, the Notorious B.I.G, and Jay Z – before they had record deals, as demonstrated in an impressive body of archival recordings on display here. While Garcia’s film tends to dwell in anecdotes, only briefly detailing the interpersonal issues, and changing tastes, that led to the program’s demise, it’s a testament to the duo’s winning personalities that this remains pleasantly engaging throughout, even to a non-hip hop fan.