Birthplace of Hip Hop
Happy 4th of July to everybody! Hope that you enjoy yourselves and stay safe. Real quick, I still have some reviews on the way for the Dead Prez and Mos Def albums. I was planning on getting to them this week, but it has obviously been a crazy one with Michael Jackson and VIBE, but they are coming very soon. Also, thank you to my girl Lauryn who gave me a shout out on her blog (http://www.therealsidneyshaw.com). She just got her blog up and running so check it out. Anyway, I wanted to post the blog below because I was finally able to accomplish one of the things I told myself I was going to do before I left NY.
Yesterday, I was able to go see where it all began. 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx is where this thing we call hip hop all originated by DJ Kool Herc. I wanted to go see the environment and be able to really visualize how they probably got down back in the day. I didn't go crazy with the picture snapping just out respect of those living there now (wouldn't you want to know why somebody was taking a whole bunch of photos of your residence?), but I did try to at least visualize what it must have been like.
From what I could tell, there seemed to have been a small playing area right next to a parking garage, just up high enough to obstruct my view from the street. I pictured that might have been one of the places that many of parties and events may have taken place. I could imagine turntables being set up in the area with possibly a mini-stage and people crowded around enjoying their new discovery. There was also a small park just up the street from the building that could have also been a place where people may have gathered to enjoy scratching, breaking, and MCing of the earlier times.
A little to my surprise, the building is almost isolated from most of the city. I always imagined it being almost in the heart of the Bronx, giving easy access to people from all around. In reality, it sits parallel to the freeway and it kind of tucked away from everything else. A little further up the street are your regular liquor stores, a barber shop, and things of that nature, but even then, it is all almost like an island compared to the rest of the borough. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, it's not something that would draw a lot of attention.
Although it wasn't much, I am still glad that I at least got a chance to see it. Now I can at least have some sort of visualization when people talk about hip hop's roots and where it all started. If you are ever in the New York area, I would suggest that you go and check it out. Not because it is anything mind blowing, but just because it is our history (as hip hop heads).
Peace.
Yesterday, I was able to go see where it all began. 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx is where this thing we call hip hop all originated by DJ Kool Herc. I wanted to go see the environment and be able to really visualize how they probably got down back in the day. I didn't go crazy with the picture snapping just out respect of those living there now (wouldn't you want to know why somebody was taking a whole bunch of photos of your residence?), but I did try to at least visualize what it must have been like.
From what I could tell, there seemed to have been a small playing area right next to a parking garage, just up high enough to obstruct my view from the street. I pictured that might have been one of the places that many of parties and events may have taken place. I could imagine turntables being set up in the area with possibly a mini-stage and people crowded around enjoying their new discovery. There was also a small park just up the street from the building that could have also been a place where people may have gathered to enjoy scratching, breaking, and MCing of the earlier times.
A little to my surprise, the building is almost isolated from most of the city. I always imagined it being almost in the heart of the Bronx, giving easy access to people from all around. In reality, it sits parallel to the freeway and it kind of tucked away from everything else. A little further up the street are your regular liquor stores, a barber shop, and things of that nature, but even then, it is all almost like an island compared to the rest of the borough. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, it's not something that would draw a lot of attention.
Although it wasn't much, I am still glad that I at least got a chance to see it. Now I can at least have some sort of visualization when people talk about hip hop's roots and where it all started. If you are ever in the New York area, I would suggest that you go and check it out. Not because it is anything mind blowing, but just because it is our history (as hip hop heads).
Peace.
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