Hip Hop is one of the most influential cultures the world has ever seen. In its genesis, it challenged generational thinking and disrupted everything from fashion and art, to language and politics. For fifty years, this global phenomenon has fostered new creative expression from often overlooked and underserved communities. It’s given voice to the silenced. Purpose to the oppressed.

Built on five main pillars: DJing, Rapping, Breaking, Knowledge, and Graffiti, Hip Hop is more than music, it’s a movement that continues to impact lives across generations.

In 1973, DJ Kool Herc hosted his first parties in the Rec Room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Boogie Down Bronx. There he experimented on the turntables, crafting an eclectic playlist that featured records with percussive break sections  that made him popular with young dancers who would soon establish themselves as some of the earliest B-Boys. At Herc’s parties you’d hear James Brown and records like “Apache”, “Bongo Rock” and “It’s Just Begun” by Jimmy Castor. His DJ partner, Coke La Rock, enhanced the parties by placing his own slick raps and shout-outs over the beats. 

While these iconic parties have solidified 1520 Sedgwick as the “birthplace of Hip Hop,” this new sound was brought to life by a long list of young artists, yearning for an outlet to express themselves and build community. Even in its earliest days, Hip Hop blared out of basements, parks, and clubs, demanding to be heard.

Over the next decade, Hip Hop exploded globally, infiltrating mainstream culture with a new wave of artistry and a fresh sound that was influenced by the Funk and Soul sounds of the era, as well as the traditions of African griots, the Blues and Black Power poetry. The lyrics, the swag, the performers, the people, the lexicon — were irresistible, and effortlessly transcended cultures, ushering in the “Golden Era” of Hip Hop. 

We welcome you to join us on a journey back to where it all began.