Dante Ross, who is one of the top hip-hop A&Rs ever, recently celebrated his 50th birthday at Mobile Mondays. If you haven't been to one, it’s a weekly event at The Bowery Electric in the East Village where DJs come and spin only 45s during their sets. This evening was special because Ross just turned 50, so he had tons of guests (fans, friends, music industry colleagues) come through to show their appreciation for his past achievements in his career.
Throughout the night, you could catch J-Zone, Dan the Automator and even Ross himself get behind the turntables to turn the party up. Later on, Pete Rock and Just Blaze took over, bringing some ill vibes to the room. Then it came time for Brand Nubian to perform and they didn't disappoint with their classic songs. Busta Rhymes was also a surprise guest, who didn’t hesitate to get on the mic to praise Ross for everything he’s done for his early acts. “He gave us a shot that allowed Busta Rhymes to become something that became unfuckwitable, uncompeteable, unchallengeable.”
Complex News caught up with Rob “Reef” Tewlow, Stretch Armstrong, Large Professor, Lord Jamar, Pete Rock and many more to ask them about Ross’ legacy and how it impacted hip-hop. They had some great things to say. Check it out above.
