Local hip-hop personality Karlie Hustle has provided us with some juicy gossip and news tidbits over the past couple years, either during her mid-day shift on Power 98.3 FM or through her various blogs (check 'em out here and here).
Here are the latest morsels of gossip she's dispensed: Scottsdale swanketeria Lyte Lounge & Bistro has closed and is in the process of being sold to new owners.
As a result, Groove Candy, the weekly hip-hop soiree she hosted every Wednesday at the nightspot, is now without a home.
What's the situation? We'll lay it down for you following the jump.
A member of the Groove Candy camp began broadcasting Twitter messages last Thursday afternoon that they'd just been informed that previous night's edition of the hip-hop night (which is well-attended by a number of local rappers and MCs) was it's last one at Lyte. It was followed on Friday with a tweet claiming that Lyte was getting new owners and alleging it's management hadn't informed the Groove Candy peeps of the situation.
"A lot of people want to know what happened and why [Groove Candy isn't] at Lyte anymore. Basically, they sold the club and didn't let us know," the tweet stated.
Hustle also posted a two-and-a-half minute video of herself on YouTube that same day describing "the GC venue debacle" in detail.
Take a look for yourself:
We contacted Jason Slocum, a member of Lyte's management, for comment on both the nightspot's situation and Hustle's claims, but he didn't reply to our inquiries. We also paid a visit to Lyte Lounge, which is located near Civic Center and Indian plazas, this afternoon but there was no indications of any sale or closure. The venue originally opened last spring and hosted numerous DJ/dance nights over the past year.
Regardless of whether or not Lyte has been closed or sold, Hustle's still left searching for a new home for Groove Candy for the second time in three years (the night originally launched back in 2006 at The Door in Tempe). The dope diva's been keeping the GC faithful apprised of the situation through her personal Twitter account. According to her most recent tweets from this evening, she has received some "promising news" about a new location.
