Episode 360: BOBBITO GARCIA "B-Ball, Hip-Hop & Sneakers — Where the Love Still Lives?"

·1 hr 23 min·5 clips

Bobbito Garcia reveals why he wrote a memoir after redefining hip-hop radio, sneaker culture, and DJing for decades.

The episode begins with hosts DJ Crooked and DJ Goldfinger introducing Bobbito Garcia at Sound Collective studios in New York. Bobbito details his new memoir, 'Bobbito's Book of B-Ball, Bong, Bong,' published by Edge of Sports/Akashic Books. He explains the book's focus on basketball as a lens for New York culture, family, and community. Bobbito recounts his multifaceted career in radio with Stretch Armstrong, sneaker culture documentation, filmmaking, and DJing. The hosts ask Bobbito to rate his current love for various cultural pillars on a scale of 1 to 10. He rates hip-hop (specifically rap music) around a 2 or 3, citing cringeworthy lyrics and past toxic environments, but highlights hip-hop's global power for social change. He rates sneakers a 1, owning only five pairs and criticizing the reseller market. Basketball is a 15, and DJing is a 'plus 10,' though he emotionally explains he hasn't performed live in four years due to being a primary caregiver for an immunocompromised family member. Bobbito shares nostalgic stories about growing up at the GOAT (Rocksteady Park), where basketball and breaking culture intersected. He discusses his father using basketball to form an interracial team in the 1950s at the Joan of Arc Center. The conversation covers his legendary nine-year DJ residency at APT in New York, his favorite cities to DJ (Copenhagen and the Bay Area), and his deep friendship with Rich Medina. The episode includes a mid-show segment explaining the Sound Collective studio facility. It concludes with the 'Road 10' rapid-fire questions, where Bobbito names Rich Medina as a mentor, chooses his 50th birthday party as his most memorable DJ night, and selects Camaradas in El Barrio as his ideal venue.

As heard by us

A loose, emotional conversation about how basketball, records, sneakers, and New York spaces shaped Bobito Garcia's cultural life.

Bobito Garcia's conversation with DJ Crooked and DJ Goldfinger frames basketball, hip-hop, sneakers, and DJing as parts of the same cultural life.

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Why you'd press play

Press play when you want Bobito Garcia to connect basketball, DJing, and the records that still light up old rooms.

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