An Effort to Honor the Birthplace of Hip-Hop

By Jennifer 8. Lee
building1520 Sedgwick Avenue, where hip-hop began. (Photo: Ozier Muhammad/The New York Times)

State officials have determined that a West Bronx apartment building is eligible to be recognized on the state and national registers of historic places as the birthplace of hip-hop.

Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative José E. Serrano joined tenants today at the building, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, to celebrate the determination, which came in the form of a July 5 letter from the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Normally, buildings less than 50 years old are not eligible for designation, but there is an exception for structures of “exceptional importance.”

The letter does not guarantee that the building will ultimately be judged to be a historic site, but it is a first step in that direction. To become a historic site, the building will have to go through an extensive nominating process that has only begun. The State Board for Historic Preservation will have to determine whether the building meets the criteria for becoming a historic site, and then the commissioner of the state office, Carol Ash, will have to sign off on the decision.

As David Gonzalez wrote in The Times in May, many hip-hop authorities trace the advent of the cultural movement to the first-floor community room at 1520 Segwick Avenue. It was there, in 1973, that Clive Campbell, known as D. J. Kool Herc, began turning the tables at community parties, producing a sound, a rhythm and a style that spilled out into the nearby parks and streets and, later, out into the world. Mr. Campbell was living in the building at the time with his sister, Cindy Campbell.

“Who would have thought that a place like 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, our own little Bethlehem, would become the birthplace of hip hop and would make history?” D. J. Kool Herc asked today.

In February, tenants at the building, which has 100 units, were told that the owners planned to leave the Mitchell-Lama program, in private landlords receive tax breaks and subsidized mortgages and agree, in turn, to limit their return on equity and rent to people who meet modest income limits. Tenant groups — including the Urban Homesteading Assistance Board and Tenants and Neighbors — hope the designation will help to preserve the building’s Mitchell-Lama status.

“History is made not just by the rich and powerful, but by poor and working-class and marginalized people,” said Andrew Berman, a historic preservationist who helped prepare the landmark application for the building.

flierA flier promoting a performance by D.J. Kool Herc in the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue on Aug. 11, 1973.

Comments are no longer being accepted.

adm July 23, 2007 · 7:56 pm

this is great news. it’s nice to see people recognizing the different sides of history and culture.

ps. sewell chan, you are a machine for writing. i don’t know how you do it.

Kelvin Slaton July 23, 2007 · 8:03 pm

This is bull. Hip hop birth place was 266 West Tremont and Cedar Park. Guys like Franky and Jose were originators of the DJ. I know because I was there.
Kool Herc, Red Alert, and the others can later. In fact, 1520 had just been built, 1600 was up before 1520.

Manny July 23, 2007 · 9:07 pm

Oh this is just great. Can we now expect gun battles between those who think 1520 Sedgwick Avenue should be honored and those who think it should be 266 W. Tremont?

David Andres July 24, 2007 · 10:43 am

Manny,

Please keep your stereotypical, vulgar and rascist comments to yourself, thank you. Gun culture is represented in Hip Hop because it is a part of American culture. Believe it or not, Hip Hop, beyond the mainstream image propagated by major American media outlets, is not necessarily a violent or mysoganistic artform. There are and have been a multitude of artists who use Hip Hop music as a vehicle to express their opinions on social and political issues which affect their immediate community. However it is usually not these artists who get regular radio exposure for reasons beyond their control.

Hip Hop is the most prominent cultural movement to come out of New York in the last 40 years. I think that it is important to recognize its historical importance and propagate the exposure and growth of positive, creative and socially relevant Hip Hop.

Tom Waters July 24, 2007 · 12:24 pm

For the record, 1600 Sedgwick, a project-based Section 8 subsidized apartment building, was first occupied in 1973, four years after 1520.

cris July 24, 2007 · 2:56 pm

believe it or not, david, some parts of the american cultural scene dont particularly appreciate the prominence of guns and the subsequent murders and needless violence. taking the attitude that “thats just the way america is” is defeatist and certainly ignorant of how the nra and other gun lobbyists ignore or condone how guns have ravaged our innner cities and been allowed to become cultural icons for the black community, icons of cyclical violence and suppression. guns are plentiful and abundant and mannys reaction may be seen as racist, but until black leaders do something to counter-act the way the white leaders (the ones really in charge) ignore the inner city problems, the stereotype will unfortunately continue to render itself a reality.

long live sedgewick ave.

David Andres July 24, 2007 · 4:38 pm

Cris, I certainly agree with your opinion regarding the prominence and glorification of gun culture and violence in the inner city and its reflection in the work of many hip hop artists. Guns and the general acceptance of violence are without a doubt a cancer in all of American society. I would love to see government officials make a greater effort to get guns off the streets, in fact I applaud Mayor Bloomberg’s efforts to strengthen gun control laws in recent years. Also in response to your critique of black leaders and their lack of concern to this issue, I would have to disagree since I there has been an effort on the part of both black politicians and musicians to curb the prevalence of gun culture in their community. One example would be that of Queens born rapper Pharoahe Monch and his avid endorsement of the Guns for Cameras initiative.

//www.guns4cameras.org/index.php
//rap.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=rap&cdn=entertainment&tm=5&gps=141_400_869_420&f=20&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=9&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//gundraws.com/

However, regarding your reaction to my argument I believe that you misunderstood my point of view, or perhaps I did not make it clear enough. I do not condone the glorification of gun related violence in hip hop music, my argument is that there are plenty of hip hop artists who do not resort to using violence in their music. I was simply lamenting the fact that, for the most part, these (in my opinion) positive and progressive artists do not get the same share of media attention which other more violent artists tend to get. It is a shame and as a result, the general perception is that hip hop is inherently violent, misogynistic and anti-intellectual which then results in distasteful comments like the one made by Manny. I disagree because I feel that hip hop is a valid artform and can be used for positive means, furthermore I am not opposed at all to critiquing artists who perpetuate these negative stereotypes. Finally I believe that there has been a growing trend in recent years towards less violent and more creative/positive hip hop which I hope will continue.

R. Feldman July 29, 2007 · 7:37 am

Wow this is a stimulating discussion. I’d like to make a comment about Robert Mose and his building of the Cross Bronx Expressway. I would root the development of Hip Hop in the Bronx to the Bronx becoming a basement when the Cross Bronx was built. In this sense Hip Hop is the create outlet of a community that has been marginalized by the March of History. In effect taking commerce out of the Bronx turned it into a marsh. A marsh of rich cultural exchanges began to mix and mingle and voila a new art form emerge. It is not so important, to me at least, to figure out exactly where this all began. To say that it began in the shadow of the Cross Bronx Expressway is clearly the main point. More importantly we need to celebrate the strength of people who responded to their lives being cut off from the mainstream by creating an art form that reflected their rejection in a deep and personal way. The guns and woman hating are really superficial, negative sterotyping that some have found useful to gain a short term “celebrity”. The truer story is that this music is a song from the heart that says, “You can marginalize us, but we are not dead” …”You can kill the body, but not the soul”.
I salute all those that have had the courage and strength to create this art form. I think all of us from all cultures and backgrounds can connect to this music and use it to build a stronger community. So let everybody on that negative commercial highway know that this music is just a simple way for the Bronx Folk to say. “Hiya world. We’re still here!!!

bronxkid January 2, 2008 · 2:12 am

hip hop started with Baambaataa in bronx river projects

Blaqthought67 February 21, 2008 · 4:24 pm

It is interesting how easily people seem to believe and perpetuate the stereotypes given them by the media and try to pretend that gun toting started with Hip Hop culture, ignoring their own culturals’ promotion of violence and sexism history and todays medias such as movies and television. Remember, when Arnold “Terminator” kills everyone in the movie, its just entertainment; but when a rap artists portrays an “image” given to him by A&R reps to sell records; then suddenly everyone wants to call the national guard or SWAT team. Its their own fears that lend them to believe the lyrics verbatim. One word in this capitalists’ society…MARKETING. Whatever sells, has always been the case in America; in the 1891 it was cocaine in drinks (Coca-cola); in the 1920’s it was Alcohol and Prohibition. Since Hip Hop music has such a large musical fan base world-wide, it is also become victim to the many record executives who want to manipulate the artists to create the “simplest music possible” due their lack of understanding and respect for the art form and culture. That is why is it so important for us, as consumers, to demand from our artists only quality, relevant music that does not degrade, but provides a message and uplifts the spirit. We should not argue over where hip Hop began; because it started in each and every one of us, what is much much more important – is where is Hip Hop headed!!

youngmillz January 27, 2009 · 8:14 pm

Im from1600 sedgwick and I know what’s become of it , it’s gone down the drain . If any one actually want’s to pay any respect donate for recreational purpose’s, if not shut up!