The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Don't Judge a Book - Judge His Rhymes

The Q at Parkside is proud to present to the un-hip-hop of y'all Mr. Kirk Knight, who grew up using the Q at Parkside as his home train. With Joey Bada$$ he's a founder and part of the gigantic crew called Pro Era. Despite their, um, unfortunate Nazi looking logo, they're pretty fantastic rappers. Below is a remarkable video - BBC1. Who the hell is that DJ? He's playing these weird grooves and they're "free-styling" over it. (To the uninitiated, free-styling has a little improv but it's mostly rehearsed lines in new contexts. I know, I know if you're too old you probably don't think much of this, but it's incredibly skillful and literate and the Obama daughters like it! Just think for a minute about how much incredible wordplay and vocabulary is involved, even if it ain't your thing. Check it out:



Right? So maybe you think you know what these kids are like in person (after all they wrote a hilarious, if not age appropriate, stoner anthem - School High), but here's the more likely character of Kirk Knight, from an interview with him.

In Flatbush, I can only talk about my side of Flatbush. I lived all in Parkside and that, and there’s two types of Flatbush: There’s the whole Flatbush money-violence-drug shit, and then the Flatbush where we have those aesthetics, but we bring something totally different. People look at me and think, “Oh, he’s about to rob me,” and I really do get that because people do say I look like that, but in all actuality, I’m one of the nicest guys, and I’m one of the most knowledgeable guys, at least in terms of just thinking, because I think a lot. People judge a book by its cover. I might look like a hood dude, but my mental is totally different.
 His mental is totally different. If only the bad guys wore scarlet letters! Hey, there's a lot fewer of them that you might think.

1 comment:

Noel Hefele said...

Who knew Pro Era had roots on Parkside? Thanks Tim!