For Those Who Can't Sleep On Hip Hop

‘Rooftop Legends’ Graffiti Exhibit Adds Color To New York’s Landscape

January 11, 2012

Words by Khalid Strickland a.k.a. Black Pacino

Photos by Sundiata Acree a.k.a. Tha Snyper

Corporate developments have made New York City a blander place but there are still remnants of the city’s once-vibrant, organic culture.  The rooftop of New Design High School in Lower Manhattan, decorated with impressive works of graffiti art, is one such hallowed ground.  For the past four years, renowned graffiti artists from all over the world gather atop New Design to leave their colorful mark.  The annual event is called Rooftop Legends and this past Fall, artists once again sprayed the walls with fresh krylon.  The most recent exhibit is extra significant: One-armed graffiti pioneer Kase 2 passed away in August 2011, so tributes to him are among the new murals.

Jesse Pais, the Dean of New Design High and founder of Rooftop Legends, explained the origins of the multipurpose event.

“I was presented with the opportunity when I was asked to do a credit recovery program on the history of Hip-Hop,” said Pais.  “So with that, I set up a trip for each element of Hip-Hop.  For the graf part, I was going to take the kids to the Graffiti Hall of Fame on 106th and Park Avenue. Before I took the kids, I went there to check it out and all of the murals were already defaced.  That was the opposite of what I wanted to show my kids; the negative ‘tagging’ aspect of it. I needed to set up a different trip and that’s when (my colleague) said, ‘Well, we have this space on the roof.’  Once I heard him, a light went off in my head.”

Not only is Rooftop Legends appreciated for its aesthetics, Pais said it has been a valuable learning tool for his students as well.

 “The kids love it,” Pais revealed with pride.  “Even if they don’t identify with graffiti art or street art, it doesn’t matter.  You open that door and once you see the colors, the artwork brings the roof to life.  Just the vibe that it brings, it’s inspiring.  It makes the kids proud of where they come from.  Instead of the norm where it’s like, ‘Ugh, school is boring,’ you don’t really hear that so much here.  Kids brag about their school and want to bring their friends up to take Facebook pictures and stuff.  We’re a design-based school, so the design teachers go up there all the time; their kids have clipboards and they’re sketching, getting ideas from the artwork that’s on the walls. We have a mural program, so we incorporated the kids and gave them a section of the roof to paint.”

Although recognized worldwide as a legitimate and expressive form of art, graffiti tends to get a bad rap from law enforcement.  Through Rooftop Legends, Pais would like to change that notion.

“As a whole, I think it’s healthy for New York to have a spot that’s protected the way this one is,” he said.  “I would just like to see (graffiti) get more of a positive spin than the negative spin it has.  I think it’s a powerful art form, one of the purest out there.  I get tired of the stigma that comes behind it; people keep thinking it’s about the vandalism part.  The people who I have painting on the roof, these guys are weekend warriors.  They have families and they’re coming out and choosing to keep this alive.”

Check out some of the artwork currently on display…

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Music Industry Milestone: Revenue from digital surpasses physical recorded music in 2011

January 8, 2012

Contrary to popular belief, up until 2010, CDs sales have outperformed digital downloads in the United States. This changed, albeit by a slim margin, in 2011. According to Nielsen SoundScan, digital music revenue in the U.S. reached 50.3% in 2011. Some may be ready to bury the physical format, but it still represents nearly half of recorded music revenue. A continuing interesting development during the last four or so years is that vinyl records continue to break each previous years’ sales, outselling the format’s sales since the early ’90s. According to the recent report from Nielsen SoundScan, vinyl realized a “36%” growth in 2011 from the previous year. It regards to the news about digital outselling physical, it’s interesting to note that some of those vinyl sales go uncounted, whether in small indie stores that may not report such product or in a live music environment such as sales at small clubs during shows, it’s realistic to believe that, unofficially, physical music formats are still above the 50% threshold when considering pieces that go under the radar in regards to being counted.

An interesting fact presented in the Nielsen report is that albums sold on CD account for more than double the amount of albums sold digitally. Digital album sales were reported as “103.1 million” units versus “223.5 million” CDs sold during the same time (http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120105005547/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard’s-2011-Music-Industry-Report).

The takeaway here is that unless we’re talking about a “track” focused artist (one specifically focusing on single tracks versus albums), artists looking to realize success in part from the sale of recorded music, including album sales, are likely to continue offering both digital and physical options for music releases to their real fans.

-I. Vasquetelle

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Are you Hip Hop?

December 31, 2011

You can’t be Hip Hop by wearing diamonds in your mouth. Hip Hop won’t be found in a Bently or an Aston Martin. Wearing brand names like Coogi, Roca Wear, LRG, or Sean Jean won’t make you anymore a part of Hip Hop than rocking gear from Russell Simmons’ American Classics brand at Wal-Mart. Lingo, slang, swagger, jewelry, playing car jacking themed video games or even DJ Hero, won’t make you anymore Hip Hop than spitting fire (rapping) will make you legit. It’s ironic that today’s so called “Hip Hop heads” rely on corporate entities and brands to tell them what Hip Hop is. Most don’t understand this, but they’re taking cues from the most removed from Hip Hop, suits who sit in midtown Manhattan boardrooms strategizing on how to have you dress, drive, eat, and what to listen to and watch in order to believe your Hip Hop and monetize that belief. In reality, Hip Hop isn’t something you can buy into with a credit card. Regardless of what rap videos, marketers, liquor spots or even your hip friends tell you, those things are not and will never be Hip Hop.

So, what is Hip Hop?

I’ll let the late Dondi White tell you. You’ll notice he never even says the words (Hip Hop), but he was a living, breathing, example of what that is. He wasn’t a rapper, a DJ, a trendsetter, or a mogul, but he was indeed Hip Hop.

In reality Hip Hop was a culture created by inner city youths nearly 30 years ago in times of desperation and poverty. It was a creative outlet and antidote for kids otherwise consumed by urban blight. Hip Hop is a beautiful thing because it empowered the powerless and provided a voice for the voiceless. That’s the Hip Hop I was a witness to during its birth in The Bronx. It was positive, enlightening, enriching, inspiring, and powerful. Are you Hip Hop?

Israel Vasquetelle

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Sci-Fi- Breaking and Pop Lockin’ in NYC Subways

December 31, 2011

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Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome” revised and still killin’ it

December 30, 2011

Here’s an updated track of a classic that was originally released 22 years ago this month. The single from “Fear of a Black Planet,” one of Hip Hop’s most important albums of all time is an essential track for any true fans of rap music. Let’s celebrate Public Enemy’s greatness by enjoying the remake and by letting other know about the impact that artists like Public Enemy have had and continue to have on music of all genres.

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