A Great Day In Harlem

Did a hip hop walking tour of Harlem. While it may sound rather touristy (ignore the opening picture on the website--it just got a revamp and looks horrendously commercial and cringeworthy, not at all what I experienced), the guide books don't show you where Grandmaster Flash performed or the significance of the some of the places that have sinced evolved into other things. I've been to Harlem but this was something else altogether. The best part is that the legends themselves conduct the tour-- JDL from the Cold Crush Bros, even Kool Herc and Kurtis Blow!

For more, read Jeff Chang's stupendous Can't Stop, Won't Stop. For those still going "Huh?", a quick crash course:

Kool Herc is the godfather of Hip Hop. Here's a great vid of him inventing loops:

Any self-respecting hip hopper has to know the words to Kurtis Blow's The Breaks 

like it came from the good book itself.

Rap ensembles? Before Wu Tang, there was Cold Crush Bros:

JDL

This schoolyard is hallowed graffitti ground, so famous,
 it's been officially acknowledged as a historical landmark.

The tour wasn't just about hip hop. It was so nice to see junkyards now converted into pocket playgrounds for kids. There is a real sense of community in Harlem.


You'll recognise these gates in New Jack City and American Gangster.
In real life, it's prime real estate with the likes of Ruby Dee and Spike all owning property here.


Ray Charles penned a famous song in one of these apartments. 
Guess which song, guess which apartment.