The roots of Hip Hop Culture will no longer be ignored.

May 29, 2003 12:02 PM

"The roots of Hip Hop Culture will no longer be ignored. Hip Hop's pioneer MC's, DJ's, B-boys and Graffiti Artists finally get to tell their stories.  Travel with the real Hip Hop historians (Ralph McDaniels, DJ Red Alert, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Herc) through their old stomping grounds and listen to them reminisce as we drive down memory lane.  Hush Tours takes you to all the hot spots Uptown (Harlem and the Bronx) giving Hip Hop Culture more than a venue... also a voice."
posted by monkeymike (10 comments total)

man, i have no idea what i think of that.
my first response is that this is a pretty iffy idea. thoughts of graceland tours come to mind. i mean what if it takes off and years down the line you have some minimum wage beehive-haired woman squeeking into a microphone, "and here is where the urbans would do their break dancing on cardboard"
posted by Peter H at 12:32 PM on May 29, 2003

wearing the Kangol hat and the fake gold chain all riders are given to wear as examples of hip-hop style. "It doesn't make it feel like a tour."

now that's sweet....
posted by Cool Alex at 12:33 PM on May 29, 2003

Jeze, please don't let me get on the tour with GrandMaster Caz.

Caz: "You all know I wrote the lyrics for 'Rapper's Delight', correct?"
Bus: "Yesssss Caz. You told us 10 times in the last 5 minutes."
Caz: "The C-A-S-A-The N-O-V-A...That's me, Casanova...Grandmaster Caz..anova"
Patron on bus: "I think I'm going to get on the Busy Bee bus."


grandmaster caz=bitter.
posted by LouieLoco at 12:41 PM on May 29, 2003

I can think of few things more depressing than being the subject of a tour for busload of people from Minnesota wearing tropical shirts and fake gold chains.

I guess hip-hop really is dead....
posted by oissubke at 12:44 PM on May 29, 2003

I would be bitter too! He got all his most famous rhymes ganked by a local hack, and the record went on to sell 15m copies and make the dude rich! Of course, he had the chance to get his at the time and had no clue that there would be any money in those rhymes but still... if anyone has a case for bitterness!
posted by cell divide at 12:46 PM on May 29, 2003

Didn't the Sugarhill gang get nothing from that record anyway? I remember reading that Sylvia Robinson got all the publishing, PLUS they got sued by Chic. Grandmaster Flash (apparently) didn't see a dime from "Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel" for the same reason.
posted by monkeymike at 1:07 PM on May 29, 2003

The roots of Hip Hop Culture will no longer be ignored.

I guess some folks wanted to cash in on the Style Wars re-release?
posted by Pollomacho at 1:25 PM on May 29, 2003

Money-- not sure of all the details, but let's just say that big bank hank (the biter) is living comfortably to this day, performing as Sugar Hill, and making $$$ still from the record, even though of course as you note Syliva Robinson got almost all the money. And Gmaster Caz is doing hip hop tours...
posted by cell divide at 2:23 PM on May 29, 2003

I am *shocked* to see that there are questionable acts in the entertainment industry that sees the original artist get the shaft.

Thank god the scratch wasn't patented.
posted by infowar at 2:49 PM on May 29, 2003

I was across the aisle from the Sugar Hill Gang last summer on a Delta flight from Atlanta to Newark. (coach class.) This geeky whiteboy sure thought it was cool to talk hip-hop with Hank.
posted by Vidiot at 9:20 PM on June 1, 2003