HIP-HOP AT 50: NHHM CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF WILD STYLE

The National Hip-Hop Museum is invading New York City 6/10-11 for a 40th anniversary celebration of the 1983 hip-hop film Wild Style. The star-studded event is taking place at Brooklyn's Zero Space in conjunction with the Five Points Festival.

Kevin "Scene" Lewis will kick off the festivities with live graffiti painting throughout the day as DJ Tony Crush, Grand Wizzard Theodore and Kevie Kev Rockwell spin classic hip-hop breaks and early hip-hop from the Wild Style era. Later, NHHM will present a livestreamed podcast via Rock The Bells. Esteemed guests include former MTV VJ Fab Five Freddy, Grandmaster Caz and The Cold Crush Brothers, among others.

"Wild Style isn't just hip-hop's first movie, it's also hip-hop's magnum opus because it represents all aspects of the music and the culture—from DJing, graffiti art, breaking and emceeing," NHHM founder Jeremy Beaver tells us. "No other composition in hip-hop is as thorough."

The celebration will culminate in a NHHM Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Wild Style director Charlie Ahearn and cast members Grandmaster Caz, The Cold Crush Brothers, Grand Wizzard Theodore, The Fantastic 5, Patti Astor and legendary b-boy Crazy Legs. Fab Five Freddy, who was just announced as a surprise inductee on Friday (6/9) and also starred in the movie, will join the fold. They'll each receive an award, custom NHHM jacket, fat lace hat, inductee medallions, commemorative cassette necklaces and custom art by NHHM Creative Director Andy Katz and Photoshop Jedi.

NHHM will display a hand-drawn animation slide from the movie's introduction by Zephyr and Revolt donated by Ahearn, alongside the 1980 amphitheater flyer, a rare Italian 1984 Wild Style movie poster and vintage articles from the movie's original premiere. Additionally, a special toy exhibit will feature retrospective of rare and vintage hip-hop toys from 1984 to the present. Fans can peruse a pop-up retail store offering many of the rare, exclusive, vintage and one-of-a-kind toys and apparel from the NHHM's retail arm, The Hip-Hop Shop.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be hosting the National Hip-Hop Museum's induction ceremony at Five Points this year,” Josh Kimberg, one of the founders of Five Points Festival, said. “The path of hip-hop and designer toys has been linked since the very beginning of the art toy scene. On this anniversary, it’s time to honor that legacy.”

Wild Style was groundbreaking at the time of its release and introduced the buzzing hip-hop scene bubbling in the Bronx to a wider audience. Its soundtrack was produced by Blondie's Chris Stein and included music by Ramellzee, Grandmaster Caz, Grand Wizzard Theodore and the Fantastic Five, Rodney Cee and more.

Tickets to the Five Points Festival, Wild Style induction ceremony, podcast taping and toy exhibit begin at $130. Find more information here. We'll be over here working on our windmills and freezes hopefully without breaking a hip.