Village Voice, Best of NYC, October 3, 2000 "Best one man mission to save the soul of independent hip-hop through retail" Nearly four years of tape-slanging, vintage shoe-selling, and service from some of New York's finest independent hip-hop DJ's, BOBBITO'S FOOTWORK - ground zero for New York's independent hip-hop world - closed in July after being evicted without landlord explanation. A first stop for international hip-hoppers looking to plug into New York's scene, Bobbito's offered an eclectic, personal mix of items that reflected the inclinations of it's owner, quirky radio jock Bobbito Garcia. Footwork was the independent hip-hop superstore, nicely complimenting Fat Beats (former occupant of it's East 9th Street space), Manhattan's primary hip-hop vinyl retailer. But for now, it's just another victim of urban renewal. Says Garcia, "Closing the store affects my life, and the lives of the people whose products I carried, but it's really part of a larger problem of the East Village slowly losing it's personality, store-by-store." For now, Bobbito is relocating his wares online, selling his radio-show tapes, T-shirts, and vinyl through bobbitosfootwork.net.