Watch: Throwback - Hip-Hop Raw Cypher with J. Cole @ LMU (11.8.08)

Sunday night after the NBA All Star game, while casually scrolling through IG in between playing drums, I came across a piece of footage I have been trying to chase down for a decade.

Stix (@wattsstix) put up footage of him spitting in a show ending cypher I was a part of at a show called Hip-Hop Raw while I was a junior at Loyola Marymount University. There were was so much rising LA talent in that cypher: Trey Billie, Chris Focus, Language Artz, The Circuit, just to name a few. I had only seen pieces of it and NEVER had seen my verse. He directed me to @MistaFuture who had shot footage. God bless him for documenting and sending me this.

Why is this footage so important? Well, now I have the tape of a story I've been telling for years and only had a single photo shot by KXLU co-worker Mapi as evidence. J. Hyphen and Kate C. were classmates of mine who produced this show. The line up? The Circuit, Aloe Blacc, U-N-I, and a then unknown North Carolina MC who was flying out for his first LA show. His name? J. Cole, who also partook in the cypher.

So let me quickly paint this picture: this was November 8, 2008, 4 days after Obama was first elected, Cole was 2 months away from signing with Roc Nation, and at this point, this was the largest crowd my then 20 year old self had rapped for: decked out in a Black Star t-shirt, Dodger fitted, and an Ecko jacket. Plus, I had a huge crush on Kate at the time, so I was NOT about to sound wack on the mic that night.

Welcome to a moment in history… What a time.

- DJ Chuck “thE oLd SouL”