A hip-hop fixtrure since the dawn of the '90s, Stretch Armstrong (born Adrian Bartos) has been instrumental in presenting up-and-coming MCs through his media barrage of radio programs, mixtapes, and even video games.  The New York navtive's first notoriety came as one-half of the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show, which quickly became one of the premier forums for the city's emerging hip-hop talent to be heard.  Several of the 90's biggest names in rap received early notice on the Columbia University radio program, including the debut of the Notorious B.I.G.

By 1998, the show had run its course, but not before the Village Voice declared the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito Show "the best hip-hop show in New York" and Source Magazine voted it "the best hip-hop show of all time."  The demise of the show was not the end of Armstrong's radio career, however, and it was on Hot97 - the only commercial radio station in New York dedicated to hip-hop at the time - theat he continued with XL Radio.  The mid '90's also saw the first of Armstrong's forays into record production with Dolo, which released singles from MF Grimm, the Korp, Dutchmin, and Powerule.