Wu-Tang Clan, Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, Fat Joe, Eve, Lil Kim, or Queen Latifah are some of the pioneers of the hiphop that will take to the stages and streets of New York in the coming days to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this musical genre that was born in El Bronx.
At the epicenter of the festivities is 1520 Sedwick Avenue, a public housing building where, on August 11, 1973, a young Jamaican immigrant, Clive Campbell, known as DJ Kool Herc and today considered the “father of hiphop”, he decided to make breakthrough innovations while DJing at a party.
in front of that cradle hiphop of the Bronxwhich with its humble red brick façade enjoys the same heritage status as the Empire State Building, will have a street party or “block party” on August 12, the finale of a free series that will make the five boroughs of the big Apple.
Featuring graffiti, DJs and, of course, emcees or MCs, the block parties kick off on August 5 in Brooklyn, a block from the home where one of its most illustrious rappers, The Notorious BIG, grew up; and on August 6 it will be in Queens, near where two others, Nas and Mobb Depp, grew up.
The two remaining parties for Staten Island and Manhattan have not yet been announced in this initiative that was announced with joy by the mayor, Eric Adams, a confessed fan of this music, along with rapper KRS One, one of the most respected voices in the old school of hiphop and who is dedicated to preserving his legacy.
A summer of concerts
There are more free events scheduled by the 50th birthdaysuch as a festival led by the Wu-Tang Clan at the Knockdown Center (Queens) on August 10, which already had a waiting list shortly after it became available, and another concert starring a member of that group, Raekwon, in Stapleton Park (Staten Island) on August 11.
In addition, the selective Lincoln Center (Manhattan) is hosting a hiphop week, which on August 9 will feature a “mixtape” session by DJ J.PERIOD with rappers Rakim and Big Daddy Kane.
Although, without a doubt, the biggest expectation is aroused by the “Hip Hop 50 Live” mega-concert at Yankee Stadium (El Bronx) on August 11, with tickets starting at $95, which will bring together Run DMC, Snoop Dogg and Fat Joe, “queens of hip hop” like Eve and Lil Kim or DJ Kool Herc himself and his sister Cindy Campbell.
Also notable is the Rock The Bells festival at Forest Hills Stadium (Queens) on August 5, with tickets starting at $92, which also features Run DMC alongside LL Cool J, Queen Latifah, Ludacris, Method Mand and Redman or De La Soul.
And at the Barclays Center (Brooklyn) several icons will stop this month to celebrate their own anniversaries, such as rapper 50 Cent, with Busta Rhymes and Jeremih (August 9), Chance the rapper (August 26) and Soulja Boy (August 31). .
art above all
Not everything is music: the city has promoted an initiative to create 50 murals distributed throughout its districts as a “tribute to the pioneers of hiphop” through graffiti”, and whose authors will be selected by a non-profit organization.
In different institutions, such as the Bronx Museum of The Arts, or the Museum of the Moving Image, there are exhibitions planned, and also at the Brooklyn Public Library, which has dedicated an ambitious exhibition to a famous neighbor, the rapper Jay-Z, with recordings, clothing, awards and photos of the also businessman and composer.
Apart from that, the media company Mass Appeal, which includes the record company of the same name owned by rapper Nas, has organized an immersive experience called “Hip Hop til infinity” (to infinity) in the Hall des Lumières (Brooklyn) that makes a journey through the genre, from “the park, to the stage, to the internet”.
That company was responsible for a popular photography exhibition that recently closed at the Fotografiska center, following the evolution of the genre through its characters, places and symbols, from the street and violence to a multi-million dollar business.
Although, as KRS One claimed almost 30 years ago in their famous “Step into a world”, the essence of hiphop is simple: “Stop wasting your money on marketing / and pretty wrappers that push dreams to the devil / an MC Well he’s a good MC / Record deal or no record deal, everyone can see it / And that’s KRS, son.”
2023-08-02 14:11:00
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