"Born In The Bronx-A Visual Record of Hip Hop's Early Days" is a new book edited by Johan Kugelberg, a reknown music editor with photos by Joe Conzo,who is credited as hip hop's first photographer.
This book takes you into the world of hip hop in its infancy. During a time in the 70s when you had nothing but urban decay,poverty, and gang warfare, individuals(who were mostly kids)were creating a new artform and culture that became hip hop. They basically made something out of nothing. Took dead things and made them come to life. These kids didn't have any classes to take in building sound systems(which are now manufactured by electronic corporations), learning how to perform b-boying moves(which are now being taught in dance studios),spin two copies of the same record(which is now being taught in DJ academy schools) or to pick up a microphone and recite rhymes to a crowd. These kids didn't have nightclubs to go to due to their age,so many of the early hip hop parties were held in gymnasiums, recreation centers,parks,basketball courts,bombed-out buildings(see Beat Street) and even fast food restaurants like The Burger King Disco(an actual Burger King that was turned into a disco when it closed for the night and the tables and chairs
were moved from the floor).
You'll see over 200 pages filled with rare photos taken by Joe Conzo(many including a few Polaroid shots believed to be lost until a recent search in few basements),some rare flyers by one of the original hip hop flyer masters,Buddy Esquire(look closely and you'll see how he put his flyers together as this was done very brilliantly years before Photoshop),an original lyric sheet written by one of hip hop's storytellers,Grandmaster Caz for the Cold Crush Brothers' 1982 single,"The Weekend", a hip hop timeline put together by writer,Jeff Chang who wrote the book,"Hip Hop Don't Stop"(this timeline takes it back to the early 1960s),a 1979 hip hop map designed by Charlie Ahearn(director of hip hop's first film,"Wild Style"),a foreward by the godfather of hip hop, Afrika Bambaataa and testimonials by Grandmaster Caz, LA Sunshine of The Treacherous Three, Popmaster Fabel of The Rock Steady Crew, graffiti legend,Mare 139,Grandwizzard Theodore(creator of scratching) and DJ Disco Wiz(hip hop's first hispanic DJ).
As an added plus,behind the dust jacket reveals a copy of a 1973 NYC Transit subway map(hip hop map)provided by Mr. Conzo and DJ Tony Tone of The Cold Crush Brothers showing the notable spots of where and who was rocking that area. A perfect map for anyone who wants to visit these spots(many of them no longer around).
Now,the actual review! This book is wonderfully written and well produced. The photos will actually take you,as the reader,into a world that only small number of individuals were involved in. Johan Kugelberg edited the book so well that if one has a keen sense and a sound mind,the pictures are presented in somewhat chronological order. The photos start from the true school period and end with the photo of Run-DMC performing signaling the end of a period. Mr. Conzo captured great memories of a time that was raw to the point where you actually feel that you are there.Especially a few of the photos of a Bronx wasteland(kinda looks like the streets of Germany during World War II).
"Born In The Bronx" is the kind of book that should be in educational institutions all over the world teaching music appreciation,photography and art. It is also the kind of book that not only a hip hop fan would enjoy,anyone who loves music would enjoy. What young people should get from this book is that anything can be created out of nothing by only their imagination and young hip hoppers should get from this book is information about their history. As Joe Conzo once said, "You can't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from" and that is so true.
"Born In The Bronx-A Visual Record of The Early Days of Hip Hop" is published by Rizzoli International of New York It was released to the public on November 9, 2007 and is available at book stores nationwide. If your bookstore doesn't carry, tell them you want it!
THE FINAL RATING IS...FIVE ON THE BLACK HAND SIDE!
