HIP-HOP AT 50: LIVE FROM THE BRONX! (UPDATE)
ANOTHER ONE: Now that the proverbial dust has settled, the magnitude of what transpired in the Bronx (and the rest of New York City) over the last three days is beginning to sink in; not only did we witness Public Enemy take over Mill Pond Park alongside the Furious Five's Melle Mel, Scorpio and Rahiem (who just days earlier had made peace after a decades-long rift), we saw B-boys, legendary graffiti writer Lady Pink (who appeared in Style Wars) painting a mural, trailblazing photographer Martha Cooper snapping photos of a train passing by, DJ Grandmaster Caz chopping it up with his hip-hop peers, Coke La Rock signing hip-hop comic books and Paradise Gray of the X-Clan greeting his fans.
Then there was Yankee Stadium, of course, which united all walks of life for the "Hip-Hop 50 Live" concert. Remember those Snoop Dogg and Run-DMC performances we mentioned? We were too busy Crip-walking to fill you in at the time, but Snoop represented the West Coast well, bringing out his High School Reunion Tour mate Wiz Khalifa, who was so high that the smile never left his face.
As for Run-DMC, it was after 1am by the time Darryl "DMC" McDaniels and Joseph "Run" Simmons hit the stage with classics "It's Like That," "My Adidas," "It's Tricky" and "Mary, Mary"—but the hardcore fans stuck around, many with one Adidas shell toe in the air. Billed as "The Ninth Inning... The Walk-Off," it was a bittersweet end to the duo's legendary career.
And, again, that was just Friday. Saturday's (8/12) mission to 1520 Sedgwick was more like a pilgrimage—and a tough one at that. After we hopped into a Yellow Cab at 31st and Broadway, our cabbie decided to take the long route. Roughly one hour and $80 later, we were forced to walk the rest of the way because he was clearly lost. Once on the right block, we saw hoards of people climbing down a narrow set of stairs, which eventually opened up to a hip-hop heaven. Roland had a booth set up with drum machines, there were graffiti artists painting a giant Adidas shoe and the bass was loud—and that wasn't even onstage.
Strolling down the street, we bumped into Jurassic 5 MC Akil, Bay Area pianist/MC Kev Choice and oh yeah, that Bronx superfan with the painted face, who we learned went by "Clash." Alas, the organization of the event wasn't properly thought out; there were so many people packed into the street that it was impossible to get anywhere near the stage. That coupled with the sweltering heat and crippling humidity meant only the bravest of the brave stuck around (which wasn't us).
By 6pm, the sun was still beating on our necks, and there was still no live music, so we made the executive decision to give up. Yeah, yeah, we know, but it proved to be the right choice. Rakim, typically referred to as the "God MC," happened to be performing at Lincoln Center and his manager hooked us up with some VIP passes. This time in an Uber (now our preferred method of transportation), we jetted down there just in time to catch the tail end of FU-Schnickens and see Rapsody honored with a proclamation from some guy in a fancy suit. We were then treated to a 30-minute, goosebumps-inducing performance by the UMG/Roc Nation artist, who belted out several songs from her 2019 album, EVE.
Rapsody made every woman in the audience proud that night. But boyyyyyy, that wasn't even it in terms of women on the mic. Unbeknownst to, well, everyone watching, Philly MC Bahamadia was a surprise guest. She proceeded to blow the roof off (yes, we know it was outside; just go with it). With excitement at peak levels, Rakim capped off the evening with a set list that included hip-hop classics like "I Ain't No Joke" and "Microphone Fiend."
We learned a few valuable lessons this weekend:
- August in New York City "ain't no joke."
- Uber is definitely better than Yellow Cab.
- Taking the subway is cheaper, but you could get mugged.
- Hip-hop is forever.
UPDATE: And we're back! After an exhaustive trek back and forth at least four times to straighten out credentials (because who doesn't love a challenge?), we settled in at Yankee Stadium for what HITS' Marc Pollack dubbed "rapapalooza." It's the perfect word to describe what transpired; not only were there dozens of artists on the bill, but the lineup fully repped all eras of hip-hop. From OGs Kurtis Blow, Slick Rick and the Sugarhill Gang to female trailblazers Lil Kim, Remy Ma and Trina to new-school rappers A Boogie Wit da Hoodie, Lola Brooke and Diddy's son King Combs, "Hip-Hop 50 Live" effortlessly united generations of rap fans.
Shortly after Sen. Chuck Schumer took the stage to officially declare 8/11 "Hip-Hop Celebration Day," RIAA Chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier ushered DJ Kool Herc onstage and presented the pioneering DJ with the organization's Cultural Impact Award. Herc had a simple message: "We are one."
Other highlights included a spirited performance by EPMD, who delivered flawless renditions of "Da Crossover" and "You Gots to Chill," KRS-One's joining Fat Joe, Roxanne Shanté's rocking "Have a Nice Day" with Biz Markie's longtime DJ, Cutmaster Cool V, Ice Cube's opening his set with "Straight Outta Compton" and Nas' bringing out Lauryn Hill for "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)."
The show was expected to wrap up at 10 p.m. ET but was still going full force at midnight. Notes on the performances of headliners Run-DMC and Snoop Dogg will have to wait (sorry). Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to fall over from heat exhaustion. But don't worry, we'll be back with more "Live From the Bronx!" on Saturday (8/12) from 1520 Sedgwick Ave., where KRS-One, Public Enemy and Slick Rick are among the many artists scheduled to perform. In the meantime, watch the "Hip-Hop 50 Live" livestream on YouTube below.
The Bronx, hip-hop's birthplace, was bubbling with activity on Friday (8/11)—and rightfully so; posted up at Mill Pond Park, the site of the Universal Hip Hop Museum, Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's Scorpio, Melle Melle and MC Sha-Rock, among other luminaries, gathered to celebrate hip-hop's 50th birthday.
Following a brief champagne toast—attended by Walker Wear founder April Walker, photographers Glen E. Friedman and Vikki Tobak, Def Jam's inaugural president, Bill Stephney, the label's first publicist, Bill Adler, and DJ Chuck Chillout, to name a few honored guests—Public Enemy joined Melle Melle and Scorpio for a performance of genre classics like "The Message" and "Fight the Power."
With mere moments to spare, the assembly headed to Yankee Stadium, where Live Nation, Mass Appeal and the New York Yankees' "Hip Hop 50 Live" concert was scheduled to begin. By 3:30pm ET, the line had wrapped around the stadium.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue our "Live from the Bronx!" coverage (for which we may or may not be wearing an Adidas bucket hat).
