I Was at The Fresh Fest concert tour '84 = Hip-Hop's first big money making tour = Were You? ...

I was 13 going on 14 at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, PA and one of the only first generation Italian boys there.

My birthday is tomorrow so I have some memories percolating this a.m.

I remember what I was wearing .. a light blue Puma teeshirt, gray Lee jeans and dark blue Puma sneakers with fat light blue laces.

I had a gold chain on with an icon of some sort as in back-in-the-day .. Cadillac symbol, Playboy Bunnyhead however I knew better than to "front" and it was a special rare occasion taking place and a white friend I was with got his chain snatched from his neck for not taking my advice. The third boy I was with was OK too and a pretty good "breaker" (break dancer) and had that vibe.

The show was off-the-hook.

I only saw two scuffles. Someone was "jumped" in the bathroom and then on the floor below where we were sitting someone stepped on someone's shoes and got knifed for it. But that was it. No guns, no bullets and "party people" just partying.

No Big Deal. I had a lot of friends from all over the city and did not discriminate. I went to their houses, they stayed over night at mine, ate with my family = loved my mom & dad (great parents). My father's client had a night club that had an under 21 dance party night and the client gave my father a VIP gold-card so I got in for free +5 and I let a lot of people in and made many friends that way which looked out for me there and in their part of the city.

One time, one night I was at a really rough part of the city and, yeah, just like 15 yrs old, I think, and one of my friends from that area took me to a hang-out that had a real reputation where shit could go down. .. He pulled me aside when we got there and said, "look, man, be careful and don't go off with anyone - especially where there's no light - because there are ( blanks ) and then there are dirty (blanks)."

Some of the older guys there teased me and cajoled me into providing enough money for a case of 40 ounce beers ... but it was OK. I wanted to party and I had the money and as long as you were gonna be cool with me I'd be cool with you and help make a party for the people. I showed respect and I got respect.

1984:

The Fresh Fest concert tour, featuring Run-D.M.C., Kurtis Blow, Whodini, Fat Boys, and Newcleus, is hip-hop's first big money making tour ($3.5 million for 27 dates). Best of the Roses, john alan conte jr. & the new everyday media BIGnewEdayMedia coming soon to mystrawhat.com (featuring original poetry & top hottest of new everyday media 2014)  I'll give you #Newsworthy