Freestyle music traces its origins to New York City and it took flight in Miami, but one key link in its commercial breakout can be traced to a chance encounter in San Jose. Drummer Donnie Macala lived here for about 17 years, from 1984 to 2001, and he remembers the day well. His family had moved to the mainland from Hawaii following his high school graduation. “I was living near Capital Expressway and McLaughlin. I played bass, drums and keyboards,” Macala says. “Stevie did a show over at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds. This was back in December of ’87.”
“The show bombed,” laughs Steven Bernard Hill, who’s better known as Stevie B. The Miami native had moved to White Road in San Jose’s Berryessa neighborhood and was collaborating with Upstairs Records’ John Lopez. He played local clubs such as Harry Evans’ Tropicana.
Macala remembers Hill walking around the Fairgrounds after his set and being introduced to San Jose freestyle producer Dadgel Atabay. Macala handed Hill a cassette tape of a song called “Love Me for Life.”…