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Tagged and Bagged
Monday Oct 02, 2006.
By Ben Rubenstein
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 Prime, the organizer of the historically weekly event at Cozmo's, clearly values the four elements of hip-hop culture. On Wednesday night alone, I witnessed breakdancing, a beat battle and live performances from several well-known local MCs. But it was the remaining pillar, graffiti, that proved to be the event's downfall, and the reason I found myself being felt up by a rather large man at 1:30 a.m. It wasn't as though Prime had disregarded this element; earlier in the night, he'd told the crowd that as long as no one tagged the bathroom (pursuant to the owner's request), he was planning on putting together a graffiti night in the near future. This announcement was met with mild applause (which counted as a rousing endorsement given the general stoicism of those gathered), so it seemed as if all was understood. As the evening went on, I quickly forgot about Prime's plea. There was too much else happening. When my friend Dave and I weren't speculating on the workout routines of the gravity-defying Brickheadz dance crew, we were nodding our heads to the impressive stylings of contestants in the first-ever beat battle (Chi-sty was robbed, by the way). By 1 a.m., we had accumulated a couple free CDs and several empty Miller Lite bottles, and were surveying a scene that included plenty of puffy jackets, baggy pants, old-school Chicago sports attire and a sweet Roberto Clemente jersey. I won't say I felt out of place with my lint-covered fleece and Payless shoes, but I made a mental note to at least pick up a new pair of jeans. As far as free concerts go, this was an impressive lineup; Lyric District got the crowd on its feet, and acclaimed trio The Pacifics were poised to bring the show to a pleasing climax. The three MCs emerged from the crowd onto the stage and launched into their clever, rugged rhymes, impressing everyone with their ability to finish each other's lines on the two available microphones. A Cozmo's bouncer eliminated the possibility of any further highlights. Just as the next song began, he strode on stage, grabbed the microphone and announced to the startled crowd that the show was over. Apparently, someone had not only tagged the bathroom, but also decided it would be fun to etch his name into the wooden bar in the adjoining room. Everyone would have to go. Not right away, of course; we'd all have to be searched first so that they could find the culprit. As I irrationally worried that I might somehow have a marker stashed away in my zippered pockets, I noticed a clearly frustrated and distraught Prime sitting with his hands on his head in the corner. As I later learned, this little stunt meant the end of Back2Basics' stay at Cozmo's; he's already on the lookout for other venues (and hoping others understand how the actions of this person both reinforced negative stereotypes about hip-hop culture and ruined, at least temporarily, an event that was bringing together a notoriously divided community). In the meantime, he's putting together a mixtape featuring many of the artists who've performed at the showcase. Fans missing these weekly showcases can look forward to the release party sometime in the near future. When exactly will it be, you ask? Search me. Ben Rubenstein jumps under the covers every other week in an ongoing search for freebie music that rocks. If you know of a no-cover night he should check out, email him.
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