When we hear “hip-hop” or “rap” (we hardly hear just one of those term separately, because of their common origins), we talk about a musical…
#HipHopDance
How the B-Boy and B-Girl Became Choreographed Count-By-The-Numbers Dancers Prologue: Ihave a dilemma. Every time I pull up old clips of Def Comedy Jam’s first…
PHASE 2’s Party Flyers
In the South Bronx in the 1970s, hip-hop culture was just beginning to form at large musical gatherings called jams. In abandoned buildings packed with…
From Prodigy to KDot
Legendary photographer Estevan Oriol has taken more than a half-million photos throughout a career that has spanned over 25 years. The legendary photographer sat down…
DO THE RIGHT THING
Spike Lee’s third feature, “Do the Right Thing,” returns to movie theatres this weekend in honor of the thirtieth anniversary of its release. Lee dedicated the…
PROJECT SURREALISM
As a season of 1990s cinema kicks off at BFI Southbank, we look back at the suburban landscapes of Mathieu Kassovitz’s vital portrait of the…
FIGHT THE POWER
In the first episode of Ava DuVernay’s Netflix drama When They See Us, a couple of dozen black teenagers pour into Central Park on the…
How Gil Scott-Heron made way for a generation of rap revolutionaries
Even if you’re not familiar with Gil Scott-Heron, it’s likely you’ve unknowingly encountered his work in some form. The late artist’s poeticisms have taken on a life…
Kurt Cobain’s Undying Influence on modern Hip Hop
In 2019, rappers idolize Kurt Cobain more than they idolize rap legends. The art form has been heavily influenced by SoundCloud rap; a subgenre which…
The Self-Destruction Video
From AmbrosiaforHeads – In the late 1980s, Rap music had a problem. At the time the genre was exploding with national and overseas tours, incidents were…