By PAMELA SEGURA

The concrete on Freeman Street was covered with swirly chalk letters and break-dancers. Snippets of hip hop history—conscious hip hop, old school funk and hard-core beats—merged with the sounds of the 2 and 5 subway trains gliding by. 

The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC), a group dedicated to honoring the contemporary and historical musical culture of the borough, turned Longwood into a vibrant expression of hip hop on June 21. The Center awarded DJ Kool Herc, hip hop’s pioneering DJ, with the Bronx Living Legend Award.

Turning the Tables
Herc hit the turntables for two hours, spinning a mix of Jamaican tunes with the sounds of late-‘70s funk, disco and electronica. Before BMHC presented Herc with his award, Bronx-bred artists like Grandmaster Flash, AG and Circa 95 performed. BMHC’s block party was not only a return to hip hop’s intimate origins, but an assertion that effective hip hop—which explores social ills, musical creativity and community—always finds its way to the Bronx, regardless of mainstream appropriation of the music and culture.

“It feels to good to be honored in [my] hometown,” Herc told the Norwood News before his set. “[I’ve been] a Bronx person all my life.”

A Legend Begins
Herc, who was born Clive Campbell in Jamaica, came to the Bronx in 1967. He settled in 1520 Sedgwick Ave., an apartment building in the Morris Heights section of the Bronx. On Aug. 11, 1973, the DJ hosted a party wherein he initiated the first moment of hip hop music and culture. He played only sections or breaks of songs; he mixed different sections of different songs, creating a continuous loop.

Nowadays, hip hop music and culture is a global constant that reaches beyond the Bronx. But BMHC aims to empower the foundation of that reach, an effort that includes the block party at Freeman Street.

Movement Breathes at BMCH
The Hip Hop Dance Conservatory, a hip hop dance institution located in Manhattan, was there to provide extra moves during the block party. Dancers from BMCH, who hold free hip hop dance classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, created hype for the event as well. By the time Herc found his way to the stage, the audience had become a true rapper’s delight: kids and adults bobbed their heads, flowing in and out of dance circles as classic beats swarmed through the air.

BMHC prides itself in doing just this: bringing the community together so that its culture continues to progress from its roots. Its working space, called the Bronx Music Heritage Center Lab (BMHC Lab), is a 1400-square-foot storefront across the Freeman Street stop on the 2 and 5 subway lines. The lab offers tools for free classes, artist residences, discussions, and free screenings, and is supported by the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco), a corporation that aims to empower the Bronx through affordable housing and sustainability. Through its cultural lens, BMHC extends WHEDco’s interests. As the summer progresses, BMHC will sponsor more events, including upcoming features on graffiti and female drummers.