Ay, a big Happy Birthday salute to the queen, Bahamadia! Credited as being one of the original MC's to put Philly on the hip-hop map (in a big way), it's noted in her early bios & the 'Next' feature in Vibe (April '96) above, Bahamadia was initially a DJ. Back in '96, only a month after the release of her debut album, 'Kollage,' Bahamadia says: "I can't believe I'm gonna be an entertainer ... I like writing, producing, and the privacy of the studio, I couldn't care less about the performance part." She adds, "People say I'm gettin' ready to blow up ... Whatever. I'm just trying to make good music and get to the essence of what I live -- hip-hop." I respect that and with the gift of hindsight, we can look back on 20 years of a pioneering career and know that she's remained true to her words and embodies that essence. To add to this post, let's dig in the crates for a special 'Back To Philly B-Boy' mix of Bahamadia's 'Uknowhowwedu' by DJ Rob One (R.I.P.). The track is a nice history lesson, so listen closely. If you're interested in owning a copy, look for 'No Tricks In '96 It's Time To Build' on vinyl. Happy Birthday, Bahamadia! "Cerrone was a da break if you was diggin' in the crates..." Facts.