Bobbito García

Robert "Bobbito" García (born September 25, 1966 in New York City), also known as Kool Bob Love and formerly known as DJ Cucumberslice, Bobbito The Barber, Make It Happen, Boogie Bob, Soul Food Bob, and Bag of Tricks, is a Puerto Rican DJ, writer, entrepreneur, streetball player/coach/announcer, sneaker connoisseur, and member of the Rock Steady Crew. He graduated from Lower Merion High School, and in 1988 from Wesleyan University.

From 1990 to 1998 he co-hosted The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show on WKCR. It featured exclusive demo tapes and in-studio freestyles from many then-unsigned artists such as Nas, Big Pun, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Cam'ron, DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Big L, Fugees, Talib Kweli and Notorious B.I.G. who later found great success on major record labels.[1] García set up the important underground, vinyl-only label Fondle 'Em Records in 1995 as an outlet for other guests such as MF DOOM, Kool Keith and Cage. In 1998 The Source named The Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show "Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All Time".

In 2003, García created BOUNCE: From the Playground, a quarterly magazine devoted to streetball, especially the playground scene in NYC. He has been an editor, writer, and photographer for the magazine, and has also done work for and been featured in magazines like Vibe and The Source. García is the author of Where’d You Get Those?: New York City’s Sneaker Culture 1960-1987. He has hosted a show on ESPN called It's the Shoes, where he interviewed celebrities about their sneaker collection. He was also featured centrally in the sneaker documentary Just for Kicks. He performs the announcer's voice in the video games NBA Street Vol. 2 and NBA Street V3 and is the M.C. of the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in the video game NBA 2K8, 2K9 and 2K10.

In 2006, Madison Square Garden Network (MSG-TV) hired García to do the "Hot Minute At The Half" reports with celebrities in the crowd during New York Knicks home games. He became the first Latino broadcast member in the 60-year history of the franchise.

In 2007, García worked with Nike on limited edition Nike Air Force 1 and Air Force 25 models, selecting the colors, fabrics and logo used, and designed the "Project Playground" limited edition of the Adidas Superstar.

In 2009, Bobbito García worked on Blokhedz animated web series on Missiong.com. He was the voice of Eatho; the smart Puerto Rican b-baller.

Currently, Bobbito García is the annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 HS All-American Game play-by-play announcer for ESPNU, owner of the new vinyl-only label/imprint ÁLALA Records, and co-directing, along with Kevin Couliau, the documentary Doin’ It In The Park: Pick-Up Basketball, NYC (360 Creative Films, due out in 2012).

References

  1. ^ Bobbito García in ego trip's Book of Rap Lists. Sacha Jenkins, Elliott Wilson, Chairman Mao, Gabriel Alvarez & Brent Rollins. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1999 (pp. 110–111). ISBN 9780312242985

External links