Hip Hop is a topic that we haven’t touched on yet in this publication but 2023 has been a big year for the genre - its 50th Anniversary. A party in the Bronx on August 11, 1973, is widely considered to be the birthplace of hip-hop.
This might be hard to believe for some, but the early days of hip hop were inspired by disco. At block parties, DJs would take disco records and play the breaks back to back to create their own beats across two turntables. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks.
The genre has since touched every corner of the world, inspiring people to become DJs, MCs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists. Today it inspires a plethora of categories from fashion to movies, and so much more. But it all started in New York.
This Thursday a Hip Hop legend is playing in Brooklyn so we highly recommend checking out KRS-One at SOBs if you’re interested in tasting a piece of New York musical history and culture.
11.30 - KRS-One and Friends at SOBs
KRS-One has spent the past 30 years sharing the culture of Hip Hop with the world. He’s a legendary figure from the South Bronx who has been producing music since the late `80s. He is one of the more interesting characters in the genre, with a name that is an acronym for Knowledge Reigning Supreme Over Nearly Everyone. He has been called the “conscience of Hip Hop” by Rolling Stone for his work promoting peace, education, and spirituality through the genre. In the 1990s as “hip-hop” grew more and more commercialized and corporate, it was KRS-One that openly rejected such cultural exploitation and materialism grounding Hip Hop in its original principles of peace, love, unity and safely having fun. It’s rare that he does a live show these days so we recommend checking him out at SOBs this Thursday.
12.1 - Todd Edwards at Paragon
Todd Edwards is a man who has earned a lot of accolades over the years. He is a house legend and a godfather of UK Garage - yes, somehow those two things work in the same sentence. He sang, co-wrote, and co-produced Daft Punk’s Face to Face from their 2001 album Discovery and Fragments of Time from Daft's 2013 album Random Access Memories, for which he received a Grammy. A freakin’ Grammy. He is playing at Paragon’s ESCAPE party, a party which aims to help dancers find temporary liberation through dance. Edward’s hypnotic disco beats could not be more perfect for this vibe.
12.2 - The Last Call 1 Year Anniversary at The Last Call
When The Last Call opened their doors a year ago, their goal was to strip the pretentiousness out of hi-fi by offering top-tier sound, reasonably priced drinks, and a dimly lit dancefloor. Over the past year The Last Call has hosted top local and international talent, always with free entry.
As the East Williamsburg venue celebrates its first anniversary this Saturday, we can safely say they’ve achieved it! If you haven’t been there yet, we highly recommend heading there for the bday bash featuring the venue’s residents For Future’s Sake, Lauren Murada, Party Dad, Nick Stropko, Skimbionic, and Alex McCracken.
To learn more about the history of hip hop, tune in to NPR's 50 year recap.
Follow the links for mixes and playlists from the DJs and Musical Hosts who will be playing at these venues.
