R.I.P Kabron "Parle" Spooner
By P-Love
Love Comes and Goes - Ed O.G. & The Bulldogs
In Memory of - Gang Starr
Those are the songs that have been passing through my head pretty much all day since I heard the news of an old friend passing away. That old friend was Kabron "Parle" Spooner", Sincere texted me the news and I might have read it a few times before it really hit me. We weren't best friends and I haven't seen him or spoke to him in probably over 5 years. But he was Parle, and he was way too young to pass beyond this world. I would like to write a few words about my recollections of an earlier time.
I was a new student at Baruch College in the Gramercy section of Manhattan, never had a calling and didn't know what I was doing there besides wasting time, my love in life were sports and music, all music. But especially underground hip hop, like a fiend I listened to Stretch & Bob, Underground Railroad, NY Live, 105.9, Pirate Radio, there was nothing like underground and college radio in the 90's. It was probably the second day of my first semester and i figured "maybe this school has a radio station too, wow, it would be incredible to see if I can intern and pay my dues and just be around the same energy and vibes that exploded out of my radio every night. I just wanted to be a fly on the wall. I got out of my class, did my little research and took the elevator to the 14th floor of 360 Park Ave South, go out made a left and walked down the hall. I'll never forget the moment I knocked on the office door, there was a young kid probably my age who I could've sworn had to be Posdnous's brother, that was Kabron, aka Parle. He was there with two other people, one being the general manager, I introduced myself and asked if there was any way I could intern and help out in any way, I was willing to work hard and sacrifice for my love for the music, I figured maybe after a year or so, I could have an audition for a show and maybe with a little luck I could have a chance to contribute to the music and culture that had changed my life....
Parle put me on the radio on his show that week.
Just like that, he barely knew me but he made me a part of the family. He knew everyone on that floor, from the radio station to the Puerto Rican Society around the hallway, he was a funny dude and had a personality that made him the center of attention. He liked it too, I think. He had two shows, a hip hop show and an R&B show, he made me a co-host on the hip hop show, I'll never forget the two of us interviewing Royal Flush, my first interview. Pretty much right around the same time he had a guest on his r&b show and it was Erykah Badu, we all looked at her like who the fuck is this? She had no music out, no name and a funny southern accent, I remember how he made her laugh through the show on and off the air and a month or two later I saw On & On on BET and it was a wrap. This was such an amazing time in my life, I met so many amazing people during this time and they all knew Parle, from Dave Dar, to Eddie Rodriguez to Chris (Godschild) and of course DJ Sincere. Me and Sincere eventually started to do a show together there, I think maybe because we were both low key dudes and Kabron's personality would have overpowered us.
We build about music every day and chilled, from putting money together to buy beedis to chilling in Clinton Hill at this house that housed the record label called Makin' Records. (Peace OT) he introduced me to everyone there as well, from Mos Def & his brother DCQ, to What What? aka Jean Grae, to Pumpkinhead (RIP) to Ocean of Natural Resource, and on and on...they treated him like family, why? because he was Parle.
From eventually the both of us being on Underground Railroad promoting our shows on WBMB, to being in there again and meeting Tribe Called Quest and Jay Dee/Dilla, to being interviewed by Jimmy Henchmen for a show at his label to all the industry parties and the school parties and everything in between, if you didn't know him i guess you won't understand why I'm writing this, but to all that did, just me saying he was Parle is all i have to say.
His mother didn't like that we called him by his DJ name back them so out of respect, I want to thank you Kabron, for all the old times man. I ran into Kobie years later during my new life as a firefighter, I asked about you and he said you were good, I always wanted to get up with you and catch up. We spoke about it once or twice but never made it happen. I never knew how sick you were. I still can pop in a tape or two and hear Parle spinning and popping shit on one of his mixes, but I can never thank you Kabron. I never got a chance to thank you, you did more for me than you ever knew.
R.I.P Kabron Spooner.
Great story P! BigUP
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