Hip Hop Homeless

Hip Hop Homeless

Hip-Hop Legend Honored - Music Still Homeless

 

 

By David Greene

 

Pioneers of Hip-Hop music returned to the borough of its birth to pay tribute to Kurtis Blow, who was honored for his hit single "Basketball" released 30-years ago.

 

Joining Blow outside of the Kingsbridge Armory on April 12 was Rocky Bucano of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum as well as fellow pioneers Cutman LG, Chuck Chillout, Uncle Ralph and Grand Wizard Theodore.

 

Bucano told those in attendance, "We would like to have the first Hip-Hop Museum located at this building behind me, here at the Kingsbridge Armory."

 

"This building," Bucano added, "is for you guys to protect your legacy and the future of Hip-Hop."

 

Councilman Fernando Cabrera then presented Blow with a City Council Proclamation. The councilman, like Blow, is an ordained minister and in 2009 Blow founded the Hip Hop Ministry.

 

Cabrera stated, "It's long overdo for this museum to be a part of our community. The fact is we have a Rock and Roll museum, we have a Jazz museum, we have a Country music museum and how is it that we still don't have a Hip-Hop museum?"

 

"We're going to make it a reality," Cabrera continued, "We want this to be apart of the architectural plans from the beginning." Cabrera added that money to build it would come from private donations.

 

A humble Blow told the crowd, "Praise God. That God came into my life and changed things around. I have so many testimonials, so many miracles that I've seen in my lifetime."

 

He added, "Just to let you know, with God, anything is possible."

 

Tommy Silverman of Tommy Boy Entertainment, said of the museum, "It's going to be a place you want to go back to over and over again," and predicted it would become the borough's number 1 tourist attraction.

 

Bronx nightclub owner Sal Albatiello, who was first to give the new music a permanent home with his club, "Disco Fever" said of Blow, "He's one of the most unrecognized pioneers in the business."

 

Albatiello ended with, "To all the pioneers who use to get in for free and bug me for free drinks and everything. You owe me... and I still have your tab."