RIP

Sad news out of the BX today with word that Party Arty (a/k/a P. 80, a/k/a Mr. Mudd) of D.I.T.C. and Ghetto Dwellaz fame has passed away. Though he recorded pretty extensively with those crews I'll probably best remember him as captured on celluloid. Specifically, his appearance (as part of an ensemble cast that includes fellow GD-ers AG and D-Flow, Lord Finesse, Percee P, Edan and Dave Tompkins) in the homie Zunbug (of BBP)'s brilliant short film, SBX! Holding Down the Tradition. If you've never seen it I highly recommend it - a cinematic love letter to the Bronx in the form of a deliberately deadpan hip-hop musical (and I don't mean music video, I mean musical - sorta like this but with rap... okay, maybe not). But imagine a Jim Jarmusch-style production run amok in Patterson Projects and you get the idea. 

While this scene gets most of the attention from those in the know, the day-in-the-life stuff featuring Arty and co. possesses its own uniquely dry charm and humor. The big fella even makes a nice contribution to the soundtrack with the slacker anthem "Everyday" - a track that's a lot mellower than his trademark rah-rah steez. Condolences to the entire D.I.T.C./GD family.