New York: The Cradle of Hip Hop
New York is among the five largest urban agglomerations in the world. It is considered a global city, given its worldwide influences in the media, politics, education, entertainment and fashion.
The city is also the cradle of many American cultural movements, such as Hip Hop, which was born at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, and which went from being a prohibited street genre to being a music with global reach and a million-dollar company.
The word hip hop is an anachronism, that is, each of its letters is the initial of a word. Thus, hip hop means Her Infinite Power Helping Opressed People (the infinite power to help oppressed people). It is also believed to be an anachronism for Tener paz interior para ayudar a otros a prosper (Having inner peace to help others prosper).
On the other hand, there are those who also affirm that the word hip hop is built by the word hip (to have knowledge in slang) and hop (movement).
Hip hop was born as a musical style when street parties, called “block parties” by North Americans, were frequented in New York City, especially in the Bronx since clubs and discos were not very accessible to the public. neighborhood.
These street crowds became a small escape from the harsh reality that lived in the neighborhoods. Artists, neighbors and musicians got together to dance and sing: disco, funk, soul… They connected the sound equipment and enjoyed an evening in which everyone could participate.
Initially, it functioned as a form of self-expression that reflected and rebelled against the inequalities and hardships that were experienced in the low-income urban areas of New York. It was the time of the fight for civil rights, poverty and violence. A very convulsive stage where great social advances were achieved.
The golden age of hip hop or also called “hip hop golden era” was between the 80’s and the entire 90’s.
Notable artists from this period include Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Beastie Boys, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Jungle Brothers.
The hip hop golden era was a period that allowed for constant evolution, change, and creation of hip hop culture and music. Here the first commercial successes of rap records were produced and the revelation of Gangsta Rap was a boom in the 90s in the United States.
It is important to mention that the term hip hop or rap is not only limited to the musical field but also consists of four main elements: Rap (oral: recite or sing), turntablism or “DJing” (auditory or musical), breaking (physical: dance) and graffiti (visual: painting).
In 2023, the Big Apple is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop. This great celebration that will last the 12 months of the year will cover all the counties, and will contain educational elements.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams enthused: “Happy birthday to hip hop. Hip hop turns 50, we’re going to have a celebratory party like we’ve never seen before and in places where they’ve historically been denied their right to be there. The birth of hip hop is here in New York.” He also excitedly mentioned: “When these brothers and sisters were starting this amazing genre of music, no one wanted it. It was rejected. It couldn’t be seen anywhere. And he was even criminalized. But they went ahead and were bold enough to be true to their arts and crafts.”
Adams further noted, “All educational facilities will be involved in this because I think it’s important. Hip hop uses more words than any other genre of music and I think it’s important for our young people to know how to use those words and make them work for them, to that they can go further”
As part of this celebration, numerous activities will be carried out, among which there will be sales of products related to this popular genre that has currently acquired great relevance and has become a protagonist in the world of music.
In turn, the New York mayor will allocate 5.5 million dollars to the construction of a future hiphop museum, under the name of Universal Hip Hop Music Museum and will be located in the county of the Bronx. Joining Adams will be several of the genre’s pioneers: Def Jam founder Russel Simmons, DJ Grand Wizzard Theodoere and rapper Eric B.
The mission of this museum will be to preserve the genre, its culture, the message of hiphop and keep this genre up as a symbol of a cry for freedom against prohibition. This cry spread throughout the world and echoes of the 80s still ring today.
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