Dear Rapper/Producer/Promoter/Mogul/Entertainer,
You disappoint me.
Throughout history people have given their lives for symbols of their cultures. To this day, feuds on a global scale & cataclysmic proportions continue over territories significant to cultures and religions.
The above pictured is the birthplace of Hip-Hop.
People have given their lives for less. You all fight every day over chains and songs, contracts and beats. You didn’t even have to fight for this. Just sign a check. Make a donation.
And yet you still failed.
This building was bought by a real estate developer who has neither notable connections to Hip-Hop culture nor made contributions to it, except maybe a Sir Mix A Lot LP he bought to help a fat friend through rough times. He quite certainly had no debt to Hip-Hop.
But you who owe your lives to what began here, you should be ashamed of yourselves.
Kool Herc joined the tenants of this building and pleaded for your empathy and support. You turned a cold shoulder proving once again that you have completely forgotten where you came from.
Let it be known that this is not addressed to those helping other causes, supporting other communities in substantial manners. This is for you who stood by, counted your money and walked away.
Fuck you very much, from the bottom of my heart. I hope you choke on your grill, get strangled by your chain or get run over by a Ferrari.
Sincerely,
Contra™
Tenants To Lose Battle To Preserve Morris Heights Housing Complex [NY1]
Tenants Fearful Over Sale Of Hip Hop’s Home On Sedgwick Ave. [NY Daily News]
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tell ‘em why u mad, son!!!
Well said homie
Lmao @ Fuck you very much.. But, word.
I couldn’t believe it either. No one from the industry had anything about this. They just looked the other way.
Damn shame.
Hiphop’s the only “culture” i can think of that’s more industry/series of constructs than a legit culture. in a culture, people acknowledge their elders and their roots—be they geographic, genetic or ideological.
hiphop is an industry–it’s about jobs, brands, sales, product, financial/commercial opportunities… the art and culture aspects are long gone.
people don’t care where it came from or how it came into being or what it was intended to be beyond the occassional “top 10 lists” arguments or blog postings (no offense.)
I know some older heads like D. Fresh, Ernie Pannicoli (legendary hiphop photographer/friend of Kool Herc), etc. and they talk about this all the time. about how pretty much everyone from about ’88 on to today just don’t know the history and culture and really don’t care.
We could rattle of names of several folks that have made it in hiphop that could’ve stepped in a bought this apartment building/rec center but it doesn’t matter. They didn’t see it as being lucrative enough of an investment to do so.
There’s a 1520 Sedgwick in most every region–some structure where pioneering figures in hiphop/black culture first got inspired to do their thing and those places fall victim to urban decay and indifference every day.
At least Graceland and Abbey Road got it right… it all comes down to who cares about what.
Fuck you very much, from the bottom of my heart. I hope you choke on your grill, get strangled by your chain or get run over by a Ferrari.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
You hit the nail on the head. Thoughtful
Thank God
but thx kool herc
also
Thoughtful , Provocative , Enlightening , Controversial, Exemplary but will the right people hear you.
In true “atrophe-tic” manner no one will care enough beyond their 3 feet of personal space and in turn drown themselves in a bath of narcissistic spirits.
“yeh you famous rapper”
I think of all of this occured to me again when someone mentioned during HHH that more “big names” should’ve been up there performing, paying homage or at least been in attendance.
I understand that sometimes there is an overkill w/looking backwards. At the same time, looking back is necc b/c we’ve strayed so much from the roots of this thing.
Hip-Hop is a business to some, but a culture to so many others. A culture that’s perverted to even more.
i definitely cosign…
But there are alot of people who simply don’t care about things like that. Alot of people wouldn’t save their OWN house (they grew up in) if they could.
I see the place as important to kinda let hip-hop stick its collective chest out and say there’s something “WE” own. Letting it get sold to the highest bidder is basically what hip-hop has become.. art among economics.
the art isn’t gone tho.. and the “culture” of the culture is alive and well.. very visible in different ways.. you just have to be that type of person who’s into that.
Just cause u listen to HOT97 non stop don’t mean you love hip-hop.
And just cause it’s your job, doesn’t make it your passion.
it’s a sad day…
Better tell TANYANIKA SAMUELS that Hip-Hop is spelled with TWO CAPITAL H’s and a -
Glad you touched on this Contra because this is the first I’ve even heard of it.
someone mentioned during HHH that more “big names” should’ve been up there performing, paying homage or at least been in attendance.
==============================================
I deed it.
^ Word to Gotty.
I’m full-fledgedly part of the culture. That is where I pledge my allegiances. But I also understand that times change and business is inevitable. Ergo, I’d not shit on Lupe for fuckin up a tribe line, nor would I shit on Jay-z for getting his money. Do you. But when it comes to shit like this. …the line needs to be drawn waaaaaay before shit like this is allowed to happen.
Off topic-
Murs-Can It Be
http://videos.onsmash.com/v/L1LpkDXflszlYEjY
Don’t know if this has been posted but ahhh:
Tracklisting:
01. Intro (feat. Fat Joe) 00:39
02. U Can’t Be Me 02:43
03. D-I-A-M-O-N-D 02:48
04. Don’t Beg 03:07
05. Baby (feat. Jawz Of Life) 04:17
06. Good Tyme (feat. Blake Carrington & K-Terror) 03:34
07. I Getz In 03:04
08. Get Up 02:38
09. I’ll Be Alright (feat. Novel) 03:37
10. When Ur Hot Ur Hot (feat. Sadat X & Stacy Epps) 02:34
11. I Wanna Leave (feat. Crawfish) 03:00
12. Bad/Good 03:36
Label…………………….: Babygrande
Genre…………………….: Hip-Hop
StoreDate…………………: Oct-14-2008
Source……………………: CDDA
Grabber…………………..: Exact Audio Copy (Secure Mode)
Encoding Scheme……………: Lame 3.97 V2 VBR Joint-Stereo
Size……………………..: 40,3 MB
Total Playing Time…………: 35:37
Release Name: Diamond_D-The_Huge_Hefner_Chronicles-2008-C4
Gotty/All,
this sucks but it’s par for the course, ain’t it?
Most folks under 25 think Kool Herc is the guy from Ultramagnetic MCs… Why should they care about where he grew up when they wouldn’t know him if he punched them in the face in broad daylight?
We/consumers/media/industry couldn’t be anymore disposable in our attitudes about hiphop/urban/black culture if we tried.
As much as it sucks to see pioneers in this culture hurting for cash, it sucks even more that we ignore them as “old people”. (Think: Ice T rips Souljah and he gets laughed off as a bitter old man who’s time has passed.)
Folks like Melle Mel, Afrika Bam, DJ Hollywood, etc. should at least have enough respect within culture to be able to speak at high schools and college campuses and industry events about pros and cons, do’s and don’ts, etc.
These folks can’t even get into a nightclub without begging.
To a certain degree, i think people saw this coming which is why Ice Cube famously said years ago when he was starting out in Hollywood “Rap’s a young man’s game.”
I don’t know any real, true culture that dismisses its elders and its poor to the degree that hiphop does. Once you hit 30 or 35 in this, you better own a label, own your catalog or flipped on to something else or you’re SOL with the quickness.
What was that Big Daddy Kane told D-Nice a while back? “I gotta do this now just to pay bills.”
45 years old and you gotta rap because that’s all you got? Anybody wannna hear BDK’s opinion on writing music, art, culture? Nah. That negro need to jump around and sweat it out at state fairs and old school showcases or he ain’t gon’ make rent next month.
I’m wonderin’ if Sermon face-planted out that window because he didn’t know what else to do career/culture-wise.
Queen Latifah betta keep making movies cuz don’t nobody care about her place in hiphop. (She ain’t real/relevant no more, right?)
For all of Jay’s dirt, he knew this game was flimsy enough to not rely on it as anything more than a bridge to something else.
I dunno y’all. I know you can write 10 columns a week on this and never scratch the surface of what’s gone wrong and why.
methinks it’s time to bump Joe Budden’s “Who killed…” trifecta and chill.
^ Yes and no. I think we should have bare minimums. This whole attitude of saying that we’re just gonna sit back and not even do the bare minimum is thoroughly absurd. Game and Bow Wow can put up 200k(total) for a game of Madden, but nobody could pony up a mill to help the residents of this building?
It’s not about Old, New or any of that. It’s about Hip Hop having a place. Taking a stand, and for once, just once, claiming something, officially and saying, FUCK YOU, FUCK THAT, WE’RE HERE.
I dont care who raps, young old, whatever…non of those shitheads will have any respect 3 years down the line if leniency persists on matters like this, and shit keeps getting swept under the rug.
Hip-Hop will turn into another fad that came and went, not a culture by which you can justify your views, your life, and your struggle.
I’ll bump the song when I’m done doing what I can to make sure my kids bump it with at least some sense of comprehension and reverence.
Word to niggas still lauding Rock n Roll legends.
Game and Bow Wow can put up 200k(total) for a game of Madden, but nobody could pony up a mill to help the residents of this building?
======================================
Real spit.
It ain’t where people did something, it’s what they did there.
thats that bullshit man i grew up in river park towers right across from there. that neighborhood was the shizzle in the summer time .wild block parties ceder ave. park roberto clemente state park . i went to cis 229 . i took my first drink in that hood in 7th grade ! i seen my first body in that hood seen my first set a boobs in that school !
you right hip hop artist have failed . damn baby givin weezy a mil cash hell that coulda paid for the building plus 6months rent for all ! if they aint wanna keep it a apartment they coulda made it a museum or somthing without destroying the structure of the building.
Hmm… @ Amp. there’s tons of ludicrous examples. Didnt Baby just give Lil Wayne 1mill in cash for his birthday? Lil Jon just sold his chain for like 400k and gave it away to charity.
total up the stupid shit that’s happened in Hip-Hop in the past month alone and u can easily come up with 8-10 mill that you coulda put against Mark Karasick’s bid and bought the towers…
if not for the culture, for the poor folks who are about to get evicted from their homes coz they cant pay their new rents.
Didnt Baby just give Lil Wayne 1mill in cash for his birthday? Lil Jon just sold his chain for like 400k and gave it away to charity.
—————-
say word.
^you aint read my piece on the chain auction?
Aye blood.
I wrote earlier this week about how NWA was arguably the last Popular selling hip hop in its purest form.
They did it to say some shit. Pure in simple. Only Easy and Jerry was getting money. Cube,Dre, Ren, Yella…all for the love of giving up that social commentary.
Most of these rappers would sell they momma/baby momma if it meant more $$$.
Isn’t it wonderfully ironic that Vh1 is celebrating Hip Hop Honors this week, while Hip Hops home was being sold.
I wasn’t even aware of BG/Lil Wayne and that cash.
What, if anything could have been done to serve the interests of that building, serve the interests of Vh1, and serve the interests of Hip Hop?
VH1 Honors Live from 1520 Sedwick?Naah, because that would be too much like right.
Why are we surprised by this, Mos Def couldn’t get MC’s to go down to the Jena 6 rally. And all he was asking for was some of their time. The ones who could afford to buy the building weren’t going to do so because that building isn’t going to earn them a profit. When you think about it; it is a shame cause if every NY artist who had an album drop this summer donated $1 from their record sold. They could have came up with the money to outbid the gentleman that won.
http://www.mediatakeout.com/2008/27244-a_milli_lil_wayne_is_presented_with_one_million_in_cash_as_a_birthday_present_.html
Blame it on the economy. Real estate is trash right now… but, yet and still, someone could’ve started a fund raiser or something. As selfish as we know we are, someone could’ve coordinated something we’re an organization could purchase it or something. Not just expect one great, rich, big name Hip-Hop person to buy it.
I think Russell Simmons should’ve bought it, though.
Since Hov is “overchargin’ aggin’s for what they did to the Cold Crush”, I thought he could’ve dropped some of that loose change & tried to perserve hip hop’s 1st address. The cats with the most bread are the ones who should be giving the most back.
That’s the REALEST shit I’ve read all week. Hip hop much like the black community from which it was birthed just doesn’t give a shit about anything overall & it’s a damn shame. I’m ashamed….
- Tor
Hip Hip has changed homie..look around all ull see the fake valour. Its a shame
so what, it tattling
GOTTY!….. TSS crew!…….
i dont know if im late but address this
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-06-19/music/who-39-s-biting-j-dilla-39-s-beats/2
PS. After reading most of these comments, I gotta admit: TSS so classy.
Breaking election news…
http://www.tsgnet.com/pres.php?id=357563&altf=Xju-F&altl=Cfbut
Bigga,
cat’s lucky to see $1 and change per album sold… lol. But i see your point.
You’d think Somebody would’ve gotten down with a fund-raising concert for the cause. You know Mos, Talib, Com, The Roots and those types of folks would come out and support. And you gotta think dudes would come in from all the boros to do a 1-day 1520-apalooza sort of an event… (TSS could sposor it. lol!)
Have a speech or two/honor the elders, mix in a lot of sets from local and regional acts with a couple headline-caliber types till the break of Dawn… (okay more like 10am till 10pm.)
The proceeds probably wouldn’t cover the total cost of the building, but it would’ve gotten a nice chunk taken care of and attracted some investors… i know there’s some young rich white hedge fund/stock brokers that came up on hiphop sitting on Wall Street that would hop in a cab to kick in a few figures for this one. (Doin’ good in the hood for a day would be like their peace corp mission for the year.)
Charlie Rangel owns like 4 properties in the boroughs (rent controlled at that); so maybe Mr. Ways and Means Chair could flex some of his means and make a way to hold down the crown for his constituents.
And where’s Lebron? If Mr. Billionaire Global Icon in Training wants to make a play for the hearts and minds of NYC/NJ, this would be a good investment for him. Just imagine the headlines:
“King James Saves Hiphop’s Birthplace. Will the Nets be next?”
As for the rest of these so-called Kings of New York (Joe, Russell, Nas, Jay, etc.) I guess it just goes to show that’s was really just a movie.
Well put, Contra™
….and party
….and bullshit
….and party
….and bullshit
contra you culdn’t be more than right………. im shocked as well ‘ n can’t help but feela little frustrated at how this turned out it truly is sad
…..and party….and bullshit….and party…..and bullshit …..
Isn’t that worth a roll call ? You thing? maybe?
haha
And one mo’
http://sharebee.com/7922a8fb
Ooooohhhh Weeeee!
http://www.kixandthecity.com/2008/10/09/laser-air-jordan-retro-1-high-ls-new-pics/
I hope that reaches the eyes of those who it addresses, and they commence to feeling like stupid idiots.
It should be published as an open letter. Or hit the editorial page in the newspaper.
It’s a damn shame. Nice work Contra.
1st off… NYC fell off
- why can the same forefathers pioneers who have been getting rich from performing “old sckool nostalgia” for at least the past 15 years have enough dough to buy their “birthplace” str8 out cash?
- even if rappers were to pool their money (oxymoron)
that would require a type of REIT, with the fuxxxed up Wall Street that is impossible to approve right now. [Google "REIT"]
- if the place was to generate a profit, how do you divide the proceeds? n99as cant share as it is, you expect them to be partners in an ongoing, civilized manner?
- there are no NEW NYC artists with enough cash to even consider living in that place, Jiggamouth would rather front alleged hotel deals with the downtown Jews + cheat his waiters for tips, than buy a rent control for charity.
Rappers aint as rich as we thought.
- what do you do with that building if a rapper even buys it?
its hard enough to get the place designated as the true “birthsite” as a landmark + zoning laws etc. you cant just turn it into a museum overnight!
WELL SAID.
“…It’s not about Old, New or any of that. It’s about Hip Hop having a place. Taking a stand, and for once, just once, claiming something, officially and saying, FUCK YOU, FUCK THAT, WE’RE HERE…”
absofuckinglutely.
If RAP had turned around and done for HIP HOP what you’re describing here, well we would be looking at potentially ‘world-changing’ times and actions. what you’re talking about is exposing some serious hypocrisy in ‘this thing of ours’. just plain liars and bullshitters at the top of the rap game when it comes down to it.
you can throw lil waynes name around as much as you want, but i wouldnt be surprised if it was someone like him who turned around and bought that building for hip hop. i could see him or game doing it long before jay-z or nas.
blake carrington is my cousin. this dude put me on to diamond d. he adored dude.pause. and to see him on a song with diamond like 15 years later is a dream battery. bigup blake.
Peace
jigga mouth.
Guilty Simpson.
You all are hilarious.
I wish my comments section was this funny. But then I stay writing about sad shit.
Go figure.
Thanks for the real shit TSS..
RIP for real HIP HOP…Maybe Solja Boy’s mom’s house will be saved 20 years from now?
Oh, I did find this site…dunno how legit that it is, but I’ve contributed just in case…
http://save1520.org/
Absolutely Incredible.
As usual Contra.
100% Real talk.
shit…this is the first time I’m hearing about this.
I woulda tossed a few bux on it.
rip the birthplace
I was thinking that all these websites could’ve taken up donations or some “foundation” could have been started to help organize a donation process.
Hindsight I guess.
lol yall some crybabies. its a building. what is that building possibly doing for hip hop? get over it.
damn…when’d this become TS(B)S
The Soap Box Section
i hear what youre saying Con…but while we’re out there crusading are we going to try to dig up the first piece of cardboard a B-Boy ever busted on?…lets go see if TAKI183 still has that first Magik Marker he used in 1969…but more so, lets throw stones and point the finger at the “unappreciative” if they didnt “save” these relics of past…