Ah, the nineties. Cross Colours*. Plaid flannels. Yellow nugget gold rings. Sega Genesis. It was like, well, a time that was just before the current time, but after a particular decade which really, really marketed itself much better.

Which is just too bad, really.

Because in and amongst all that weed, war, and Tetris of the 90s, there was Yo MTV Raps (well, in the late 80s too, but whatever). And within that haven of after-school love, there was a little group that many got to know as Pete Rock and CL Smooth. Of course, Pete Rock had been killing it for years before that, but his work on Mecca and the Soul Brother was ridiculously good, and that particular set of tracks is considered by many (this writer included) to be high amongst the all-time classics of Hip Hop.

Check out Pete Rock playing with his toys of music, rebuilding Pat Benatar’s Love Is A Battlefield. Shiiiiiiiiiiiit.

And then there was the not-so-subtle 90s production work by Prince Paul, his most current notoriety from Handsome Boy Modeling School or The Ill Out Show, on De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising. This man’s production career is not to be fucked with (has worked with RZA, Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D, Del, and screw it all to hell: John Oats), and don’t even start on Stetsasonic. Dude is legend.

This Friday, Pete Rock will be joined by Prince Paul at The Parish to help wish a happy birthday to local man-about-everything: Richard Henry, one of the Austin personalities behind the veiled curtains of Platypus Promotions and the experimental movie/documentary Night People… So if you see him at the show, be sure to hand out some spankins**!

Pete Rock and Prince Paul with DJs:
Chicken George, Tats, Low Eyes, and Richard Henry
With special birthday wishes to Richard Henry
The Parish 214 E. 6th [ map ]
Friday, April 20th
Doors open at 9pm
$15 [ online tix ] 18+ only

*Holy shit: but no longer worn backwards!
**Here, "spankins" deceptively refers to "beer", "massive reach-arounds", or "pile drivers".