The Rub / Cosmo Baker

PLAY Magazine
September 4, 2007

Aye, There's the Rub

Joshua M. Valocchi
Contributing Writer

DJ Cosmo Baker returns home to Philly
to rub the dance floor at Fluid this weekend

Robert Frost once opined, "Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in."

Although it's doubtful that Cosmo Baker - and the rest of his NYC-based crew, the Rub - will encounter any issues of acceptance when he makes his triumphant return to Philly this weekend, it's still a nice sentiment.

Baker, once a member of Philly's ruling DJ class, traded in his local dance card in 2003 to move to New York and begin his ascent among the elite spinners in the Gotham realm. Much like his rise to power in the Illadelph, Baker's trip to the top of the New York heap was swift and skilled. Today, along with DJs Ayers and Eleven, Baker rocks full houses throughout the five boroughs under the Rub moniker. Friday, the trio take over Fluid for one special night - a homecoming of sorts for the local legend.

"Philly's where I'm from and will always be my home," says Baker. "Although it's a tough town - because the crowds are so educated and thus scrutinizing - it really forces DJs to get good and get creative. Otherwise they just need to get out."

Although Baker did eventually get out of the 215, it wasn't due to lack of talent or creativity. From his teenage years when he would linger by the doors of clubs, just to catch snippets of beats being spun in the forbidden land of 21-plus, to his days of simply slaying capacity crowds at Silk City's Back 2 Basics nights with King Britt and Dozia, Baker has always known where his fortunes lie.

"From the time that I used to hang out at the old Lay-Up record store on Passyunk and South, listening to the Square Roots (now just the Roots) do their thing out front to starting the Monday night Remedy at Fluid, I always had this idea that this DJ thing was for real and what I should be doing," explains Baker.

Following his instincts, Baker dove head-first into the spinning scene in Philly and never really looked back. When he was still in his teens, Baker was already dropping party bombs at Revival, then Philly's most decadent after hours hang. From there, he hooked up with DJ Storm and the duo began spinning Baltimore club at the Sugarcube. At the time, the B-More craze was in its infancy and Storm and Baker were easily the first to introduce the new sound to local heads. Based upon his following at the 'Cube, Baker snagged a residency at Silk City. There he joined forces with Britt and Dozia and the rest, as they say, is history.

Throughout his storied career in Philadelphia, Baker has always seemed to have perfect timing. From joining the Back 2 Basics crew just as the whole movement was simply blowing up the scene to moving into the Palmer Social Club as the house DJ as it became THE late-night hang, Baker's always had his finger firmly on the city's pulse.

Although it may appear to be a mix of luck and coincidence, Baker's success owes more to his ethic and implicit knowledge of the scene than anything else.

As Baker explains, "the spirit of the DJ scene in Philadelphia is very close to the underlying spirit of the city itself: hardworking with a hint of blue-collar about it. As a DJ in this town, you can't be afraid to get your hands dirty and stay on top of every part of the game. Whether you're spinning house, hip hop or hardcore, you need to know your medium but also be able to navigate outside of it. It's that kind of ingrained sensibility that sets Philly DJs above everyone else in the world."

Friday night's banger surely brings with it a sweet scent of success to Baker. Will it, however, carry with it a little bit of bitter?

"I know I say it's a tough town and even on me it's been terribly tough," admits Baker. "But without that kind of pressure and experience, I wouldn't be where I am today. To be able to come back to my hometown and perform for my home crowd, well, there's nothing like it," beams Baker. "I've been all over the world but I can come back to South Street and get down just like it was yesterday."

The Rub -
DJs Cosmo Baker, Ayers and Eleven
When: Friday, Sept. 7; 9 p.m.
Where: Fluid, 613 S. 4th St.

Info: 215-629-3686
or fluidnightclub.com