Adrian "Stretch" Bartos
Adrian Bartos, or "Stretch Armstrong," is an internationally recognized DJ, cultural pioneer, and the co-host of NPR's podcast What's Good with Stretch and Bobbito. In the show, Stretch and Bobbito interview cultural influencers, bringing their warmth, humor, and a fresh perspective. In the 1990s, radio duo Stretch and Bobbito were pivotal figures in the evolution of hip-hop as a worldwide cultural phenomenon.
As a club DJ, Stretch was the progenitor of "open-format" (mastering a multitude of musical genres) and has spun all over the world for over two decades. He is considered to be part of an elite group of master DJs, capable of playing to intimate crowds as well as large rooms, with an expertise in a wide variety of genres spanning several decades, from classic to contemporary.
Over the past decade, Stretch has taken his expertise into music supervision as a consultant for brands seeking to further their musical identity. Most recently, he was the music consultant for HBO's Vinyl.
Stretch's own story, along with radio partner Bobbito Garcia, has been made into a film, produced by the duo (music-supervised by Stretch and directed by Garcia) titled STRETCH AND BOBBTO: RADIO THAT CHANGED LIVES, which has screened in over forty cities internationally. The film made its network U.S. television premiere on SHOWTIME.
As an author, Stretch has written extensively for cuepoint.com. His first book, a visual and oral history of New York City nightclub flyer art, titled "No Sleep: NYC Club Flyer Art, 1988-1999," was released through Powerhouse Books.
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Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia don't DJ holiday parties anymore, but they do have some suggestions on what you could put on your party playlist.
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In a summer full of anniversaries, the 1972 Wattstax concert in Los Angeles probably doesn't stick out. But Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Garcia, of NPR's What's Good With Stretch and Bobbito podcast, have good reason to talk about it.