Its taken me a little while to gather all the visuals from the video to the pics , but here it is , a recap of a most memorable weekend as a FAN and a performer @ the All Points West Festival in Jersey City on July 31st...

As the story goes , Jay-z got called in last minute to take the place of the Beastie Boys for the Festival. Thankfully I was in town, and LITERALLY down the block from the venue, so timing was perfect....

As a fan of music I had a blast at the festival - getting to see the ting tings , MGMT, Lykki Li and coldplay perform - ( whom we will be performing with in September!) ...

Ting Tings....

Lykki Li

AS WELL AS 2 groups that I would have never thought I would get to See in completion again - The Pharcyde, and Organized Konfusion ....

As A HIP HOP FAN, these groups were two very influential groups during my formative years in NYC as a fan of the culture.

In fact - peep this history - I saw Pharcyde perform - ALL 4 members for the 1st time back in July of 1993, and The LAST time I saw Organized Konfusion Perform was 1995. You don't believe me??? I have the flyers below to prove it...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djneilarmstrong/3810968827/in/set-72157622010102516/

I was a freshmen in college when I 1st saw the pharcyde - the full full pharcyde. And I remember the show so vividly. Supernatural came on and rocked with them - after winning the New Music Seminar Battle against Mad Skills.

And you would never believe who the opening act of the night was... A person who had just changed his name due to legal reasons - From Biggie Smalls - To the Notorious BIG .

They performed 1 song together , called Party and Bullshit - and there was a fella by the name of Tupac on stage wit them.

Biggie opened for Pharcyde - yes. WITH TUPAC. Let that marinate in your minds right now. And I was fortunate enough to be a person who got to see that 1st hand....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/djneilarmstrong/sets/72157621835461217/

Here they are again , 16 YEARS LATER - all 4 members - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuT76r3rWR0

Then of course, there was The Group ORGANIZED KONFUSION WITH OC ....

Me and my crew of folk which included the arsonists and other hip hop heads, we worshiped Organzied - for a lack of a better word. I would run into Prince Poetry on the subway every so often on the train, And back in the day I actually got OC to Sign A copy of WORD LIFE at Fatbeats when I used to go there and chillout after and in between classes at cooper union...

This particular performance was their 1st time on STAGE together in 10 YEARS, and I got to witness it front and center....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6f4NRbon_U

It's always a trip for me, when I get into these situations where things seem to come full circle.

You see, back then I was a super SUPER FAN. AND STILL TO THIS DAY - I am a Fan. No one can even trryyy to accuse me of changing... I'll still walk thru mud , dirt and rain to see my favorite Hip Hop Acts. I was that dude who got to the show early, bought all the records, new all the lyrics, and not once did I realize that one day... one day I'm gonna be like them..., getting on stage, rockin a crowd. Living and breathing Hip Hop to the fullest. I never thought I'd be in a situation, where I could call them My peers...

After the show I spoke to OC and Prince Po .... I told them who I was, that I had seen them perform years ago, and that I was still and always will be a fan.

And they in return... told me they knew who I was. That they were fans, and that they were proud That a true hip hop head was backin up Jay. and To keep doing my thing.

SO RARE a moment, when all the choices in your life get validated at that level. When the people that you look up too, tell you that you did good.... that you're doing good.

When I 1st saw these cats perform all those years Ago, I went home and probably listened to their records over and over again, just to Relive the moment.... This Time AROUND.... I didn't have time to rest - I had to create my own moment.

A HUGGGE shout out to ROBERT DelaCRUZ and Grace Florento for following me around and taking these dope pics. As you can imagine, the experience of backing up arguebly the GREATEST HiP Hop Act ever, in MY OWN BACKYARD of NYC/NJ ... its nothing short of amazing. Below is some video footage from the show, definitely one of the most memorable.

In One Report from Artisans News Service, they named the most "heartwarming moment of the night" - something I put together for jay. He actually gave me a homework assignment a couple of days before , and fortunately he liked how I put it together - and "IT" became the opening set for ALL Points West - a tribute to the beastie boys and Brooklyn...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZCU-XkmRqE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CR5vW9M4HI

Now since we were in my backyard of NJ/NYC, I decided to get some behind the scenes footage of what its like for The Roc Boys from rehearsal to hittin the stage - Peep it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqlVJAn5Ww

All Points west proved to be much more then a show for me. It was a moment to reflect on all that has been done and the choices and paths that have led me to where I am. From being a fan, to DJing for the love to DJing for 50 bucks, to making mixtapes , to backing up Jay-z, and NOT changing who I am inside. Proof that I was who I was before I got here... 360 degrees back home...

Now if y'all will let me just for a second - I'm gonna kick back and enjoy the memory....