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He's Got the Cheese
A local promoter of live hip-hop events maintains that San Diego’s dominant promoter has become such a force in the scene that he can freeze out competitors. Because he is afraid of repercussions, the smaller promoter requested anonymity.
He says that Chris Wright, a locally born impresario also known as CROS1, has the firmest grasp on the local scene because he is the principal owner of Armory Survival Gear, a company that serves the local hip-hop culture. The two stores (in P.B. and downtown) sell clothes, DVDs, skateboard decks, and other accessories. The store got a commercial boost last year when the Jabbawockeez break-dance group won $100,000 on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew while wearing Armory-created shirts.
Wright started promoting break-dance battles in Chula Vista over ten years ago. He says he first got a break in the local scene by servicing local club DJs with the latest vinyl dance discs.
In 1998, Wright copromoted his first break-dance event in Seattle. Since then, he says his company, Freestyle Sessions, has promoted break-dancing events in 18 countries, including Japan, Spain, Germany, Russia, Poland, Venezuela, and Switzerland.
“Now I pretty much let the promoters [in other countries] use my name. They fly me over to judge the winner and pay me to use [the] Freestyle Sessions [name].”
Wright says promoters tried to use his name and logo for a competition in Spain in 2003. “The break-dancing community is very small. I know people in every country. I could shut it down in an instant. They backed off.”
“A monster has been created,” says a hip-hop promoter who alleges that Wright/Armory will not allow other events to be promoted in the Armory stores or at any of Wright’s events. “People are afraid to say something because they are getting cheese [from Wright]. DJs from all the clubs are afraid to say something so they can go to his events in Japan.”
A different promoter says his posters were taken down from the two Armory outlets.
“I think a lot of people expect a lot of things,” says Wright. “If we put up one or two posters, then the whole store has to be available for everyone else’s stuff. I think you would find that nine out of ten people would say we are open to working with other people.”
Note: After going to press, it was learned that the Pacific Beach Armory store is not owned by Chris Wright.
Here's something you might be interested in.
He's Got the Cheese
He's Got the Cheese
A local promoter of live hip-hop events maintains that San Diego’s dominant promoter has become such a force in the scene that he can freeze out competitors. Because he is afraid of repercussions, the smaller promoter requested anonymity.
He says that Chris Wright, a locally born impresario also known as CROS1, has the firmest grasp on the local scene because he is the principal owner of Armory Survival Gear, a company that serves the local hip-hop culture. The two stores (in P.B. and downtown) sell clothes, DVDs, skateboard decks, and other accessories. The store got a commercial boost last year when the Jabbawockeez break-dance group won $100,000 on MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew while wearing Armory-created shirts.
Wright started promoting break-dance battles in Chula Vista over ten years ago. He says he first got a break in the local scene by servicing local club DJs with the latest vinyl dance discs.
In 1998, Wright copromoted his first break-dance event in Seattle. Since then, he says his company, Freestyle Sessions, has promoted break-dancing events in 18 countries, including Japan, Spain, Germany, Russia, Poland, Venezuela, and Switzerland.
“Now I pretty much let the promoters [in other countries] use my name. They fly me over to judge the winner and pay me to use [the] Freestyle Sessions [name].”
Wright says promoters tried to use his name and logo for a competition in Spain in 2003. “The break-dancing community is very small. I know people in every country. I could shut it down in an instant. They backed off.”
“A monster has been created,” says a hip-hop promoter who alleges that Wright/Armory will not allow other events to be promoted in the Armory stores or at any of Wright’s events. “People are afraid to say something because they are getting cheese [from Wright]. DJs from all the clubs are afraid to say something so they can go to his events in Japan.”
A different promoter says his posters were taken down from the two Armory outlets.
“I think a lot of people expect a lot of things,” says Wright. “If we put up one or two posters, then the whole store has to be available for everyone else’s stuff. I think you would find that nine out of ten people would say we are open to working with other people.”
Note: After going to press, it was learned that the Pacific Beach Armory store is not owned by Chris Wright.
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