julianne escobedo shepherd

In case there was any doubt in your mind that the Park Slope PMRC was being, how you say, selective in its outrage… I went by the not-yet-opened hip-hop club on my way back from my run in the park today and let me tell you these people are TRIPPING. Its future resting place is the old Royal Video location, which is basically already the noisiest fucking part of Flatbush barring where it crosses Atlantic. Standing on that corner, you can see/feel/hear a loud train rumbling underneath yr feet, cars constantly honking, drunk homeless sailors threatening to grab you at any moment, and like 12 stoplights in that one intersection. Just across the way (‘mere steps’ in craigslist apt broker parlance), interestingly enough, is the Flatbush Farm, where yuppies often gather to eat overpriced, extremely mediocre food and get wasted on micropints from Oregermany. They, too, boast an open-air backyard, where people have exercised their capitalist right to be loud, rowdy and obnoxious ever since it opened five years ago. No one protested when that happened, and I’d bet some of the freaked-out anti-rap neighbors are frequent patrons. You can yell with impunity! Before it existed, INCIDENTALLY, there was a tiny ass record shop next door where you could see rappers  perform impromptu shit, announced only via a cardboard notice on the window*. JUST SAYING. I live 4 avenues away (in Boerum Hill, not that it makes much of a difference, but I feel as though I must say it) and am going to visit Prime 6 constantly. I’m also starting a petition to get rid of that fucking cheese shop on the same block, simply because its sign and font are cloying and invasive to my eyes. I can do that, right? Read this piece on gentrification on Flatbush Ave — which frankly has not benefited the pre-existing community, unlike the claims of Head Petitioner/Keeper of Indie Rock Jennifer McMillen— and also, fuck off yuppie scum.

*I can’t remember the name of it, someone refresh my memory?