New York: Day Three - Grandmaster Flash Day

He doesn't say it quite so explicitly but you can tell that Grandmaster Flash takes some issue with the creation myth of Hip hop 50. He doesn't like to see any one man, in this particular instance we have to assume he means Kool Herc, credited with the birth of hip hop. For him it starts a little later than 73, when Herc certainly did run the West of the Bronx, but Flash had the East, Bambaata had Bronx River, and a name you rarely hear in the conversation, DJ Breakout, ran the North. He tells us this at his Birth Of A Culture event here in Crotona Park, in the East Bronx, an area he hasn't DJed in for 20 years, until now. 

Grandmaster Flash has of course admitted taking inspiration from what Kool Herc was doing before him. though it was Flash who undoubtedly developed it further into what we know as Hip hop today.

This event, which is in partnership with New York's ‘Summer Jam’ music promotions programme, is actually part of the city's Hip hop 50 celebrations, which puts Herc and his sister Cindy's August 11th 'Back To School' jam at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue as the official birthday, however this matters little to Flash right now. This is quite literally his day as the City and its Mayor declare that from now on, August 4th is officially Grandmaster Flash day.

What an incredible line up we have to celebrate this occasion too, as a whole host of DJs whose mixtapes and stories I grew up on take to the stage, with even more from across the country here to pay respects to their forefather and make their own mark amongst the legends in the place.

As the night goes on I manage to catch Stretch Armstrong, Charlie Chase, DJ Chuck Chillout with MC Sticky, DJ Nabs who is a skilled Southern DJ that used to perform with Kris Kross,Tony Touch, Jazzy Jay, Scram Jones, Mell Starr and Pete Rock, before the man himself takes to the decks. Every set is a short burst of quick fire classics, with the lesser known DJs generally having a bit more turntable trickery up their sleeve. It makes for an amazing atmosphere in the park. Myself and my small group of friends from the UK and Syracuse are amongst the youngest here, with the rest of the crowd almost exclusively over 50 years old. I've never seen more portable chairs at a Hip hop jam, but these people have definitely come to get down still. It's almost a shame when Flash does eventually step to the stage and everyone's phones suddenly come out, killing the vibe a little as he juggles the break from 7 Seconds of Funk and invites KRS One and Sha Rock onstage to come and freestyle, though not before two of his oldest living Hip-hop collaborators kick the set off. 

I'll be honest, considering the decades of bad blood that came after the group split, I was a little surprised to see any of the Furious Five. So it was a real honour and a privilege to be there when Melle Mel and Scorpio joined Flash on stage. It really was a historical moment for any older Hip hop heads, which of course was everybody there. You can almost forgive them the sea of phones considering. 

Eventually Flash’s seasoned DJ skills won out and the dancing started again, though sadly it didn't last for long and before we knew it the night was over again. A shame to be cut so short but there's no question that it was a magical event, made even greater by being in The Bronx, where this culture that bonds so many people around the world, and means so much to so many, has a special connection for the people here. It connects them to their neighbourhood, their history and to the community around them. I really felt that connection and the love here today, and it was a joy to witness. 

We headed back to where we're staying in Brooklyn, stopping just briefly at Union Square to catch Legendary Cyphers, a weekly rap circle that happens in the street. I'm very keen to not only see Hip hop history whilst I'm here, but to catch a glimpse of where the various elements and the culture as a whole are at today in the city. 

There was a decent turn out of emcees, probably around 20 in the cypher at any one time. It's great that this is happening, though I have to admit that whilst all of them had skills, I didn't really see any with flavour that stood out. Sorry kids, today the older generation won out, but there's still plenty of time to grow and make your mark.