Fri | Nov 22, 2024

MECA to celebrate 50th anniversary of hip hop in style

Published:Monday | September 4, 2023 | 12:07 AM
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A mural at the birthplace of hip hop at Bronx’s Sedgwick Houses, features an image of the genre’s creator DJ Kool Herc. From breaking to graffiti “writing” to MC-ing or rapping, the block parties and various elements of hip hop served as an outlet
AP
A mural at the birthplace of hip hop at Bronx’s Sedgwick Houses, features an image of the genre’s creator DJ Kool Herc. From breaking to graffiti “writing” to MC-ing or rapping, the block parties and various elements of hip hop served as an outlet for creativity and an escape from the hardships of daily life. The movement expanded beyond the Bronx, across New York City and to different parts of the country.
DJ Kool Herc appears on stage at Hip-Hop 50 Live, celebrating 50 years of hip-hop on Friday, August 11, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York.
AP
DJ Kool Herc appears on stage at Hip-Hop 50 Live, celebrating 50 years of hip-hop on Friday, August 11, at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York.
MECA’s CEO, Michael Dawson, says it is only fitting that hip hop be celebrated locally in a fashion befitting the impact it has made on the world.
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MECA’s CEO, Michael Dawson, says it is only fitting that hip hop be celebrated locally in a fashion befitting the impact it has made on the world.
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The Marketplace Entertainment Centre for the Arts, popularly known as Club MECA, is joining the celebration of hip hop’s 50th anniversary, and, on the weekend of October 12, will host a party series paying tribute to the genre’s roots.

Jamaican Clive Campbell, better known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc, is credited for the creation of hip hop music in the Bronx, New York City, in the 1970s. Known as the founder of hip-hop and father of hip-hop, Kool Herc began playing hard funk records of the sort typified by James Brown.

MECA’s CEO, Michael Dawson, said it was only fitting that the genre be celebrated locally in a fashion befitting the impact it has made on the world.

“Hip hop culture has Jamaica in its DNA, literally, with the legendary Jamaican Kool Herc as its founder so we must honour them and the genre. The genre has numerous foundation artistes including Heavy D, Busta Rhymes, Slick Rick, Pepa – our Caribbean cousins Doug E Fresh and FUBU’s Daymon John and rap legend Notorious B.I.G. who became and still is a dominant force,”Dawson said.

He added, “And we have Nicki Minaj and Rihanna and many others emerging from our region and following in the footsteps of the legends before them so we absolutely have to celebrate the music in a special way on local soil. I think with our history of celebrating Jamaica’s rich cultural legacy, MECA is the perfect spot to do also pay tribute to the genre birth here.”

Pointing out how significant the weekend of October 12 is, Dawson said the event will be a timely tribute to Kool Herc, who will be receiving a national award from the Government of Jamaica at that time.

“We don’t do anything by accident at MECA and so this party series is perfectly timed with the honour to be bestowed upon hip-hop’s founding father,” said Dawson.

The weekend will appropriately kick off with Triple Thursdays’ ‘Hip-Hop meets Dancehall’ night; followed by ‘Friday Friknick’, a play on the iconic Atlanta Spring Break

Hip-Hop Party; Saturday night the ‘Ballers and Shot Callers’ will floss at the reservation-only Champagne Saturdays; the “baddies” will come out for Dolly Sundays then the fashion of the hip-eop era will be on display Heroes Day at a ‘Special Edition Drip Mondays’.

Dawson revealled that there are a few specially invited guests who are being finalised. However, with its track record of hosting international celebrities including Chris Brown (who passed through MECA last Thursday), Cardi B, Offset, Winne Harlow, NBA players, Premeire League players, gold medal-winning Olympians and Hollywood actors, the nightclub owner promised the series will be a star-studded event.

entertainment@gleanerjm.com