2023 House Resolution 169

On August 11, 1973, Clive “DJ Kool Herc” and his sister Cindy Campbell threw a “Back to School Jam” to raise money for new school clothes in the recreation room of their apartment on 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York; and

Whereas “DJ Kool Herc” introduced an innovative style of disk jockeying called the Merry Go Round that engaged the b-boys and b-girls (Breakers) with the master of ceremonies; and

Whereas, This style would inspire the quick mix theory created by GrandMaster Flash which engaged the “Emcees” in those elements along with Graffiti and knowledge of self, the desire for peace in the notorious gang riddled streets of the Bronx NY cobbled together and presented by Afrika Bambaataa and the Zulu Nation formed what was later to be known as “Hip-Hop” and the titles of “disk jockey” and “master of ceremonies” would be abbreviated to “DJ” and “MC” respectively; and

Whereas, Over the past 50 years, hip hop has become a culture, a life-style, woven into American culture not only through music, but also fashion, art, film, and dance; and

Whereas, Hip-hop as an art form was created through Black ingenuity and is a part of not only African-American culture, but American culture; and

Whereas, Blues from the Mississippi Delta to Memphis, Tennessee, jazz from New Orleans, Louisiana, gospel from Chicago, Illinois, and soul from Detroit, Michigan, created the foundation from which hip-hop emerged; and

Whereas, Since its origins, hip-Hop has evolved and grown over half a century because of its ability to adapt to the people and region in which it is reimagined; and

Whereas, In New York City, hip-hop’s birthplace, east coast hip-hop has produced artists and personalities such as the Run-D.M.C, Dougie Fresh, Fab 5 Freddie, LL Cool J, Grandmaster Caz, Sha Rock, Krs One, Rakim, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, A Tribe Called Quest and the Wu-Tang Clan; and

Whereas, Artists like Ice T, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Tupac, and more recently Nipsey Hussle emerged in California’s west coast with G-Funk, which originally spurred out of the Watts riots in the late 1960s; and

Whereas, Bass and trap music originated in southern cities like Atlanta, Georgia, and Memphis, Tennessee with artists such as Project Pat, Three 6 Mafia, Outkast, T.I., Ludacris and Future; and

Whereas, Midwestern cities like Chicago, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, have produced artists such as Nelly and Common, Michigan has produced Jeffrey Daniel, Slum Village, MC Breed, Eminem, New Concept, Dj Spinny Spin, The Other Brothers, Leroy J.Barrett lll, Head Debiase, Steven Malcolm, Proof and D12, Black Cal, Pofani, Scoot B, “O.W.”, Funk Mont, Wizdom Selah, Melinda Still MsNana Lara, Macaroni Davis, AGO, Kash Doll, Piper Carter, Jaime “Addverse” Wilkins, Ozay Moore, Mr.1204, Dj Butter, Dave “Unk Funk” Cain, Tony “Tempo T” Tate, Hardcore Detroit, 616 Teknique, Circle Junkeez, Esham, Detroits Most Wanted, Prince Vince, Insane Clown Posse, Merciless Amir, Athletic Mic League, Man Wolf, Dj Eminent, Rick Chyme, Clear Soul Forces, Chilla Pertilla, Brady Gozza, Supa Emcee, Miz Korona, Detroit Dj Rush, Hatari Brooks, Mike Fresh, Pastor Moe, TC Real, Marcus “Jack Frost” Dunham, Jessica Care Moore, The Black Opera, The Honorable CNote, Helluva, Rick Wiliams,Ty Mopkins, Elzhi, Joe Walker, Sid Swift, Iceman JA, Awesome Dre, The KMC Cru, Jumbo, Tekh Togo, Shadow, The Dayton Family, Ro Spit, One Be Lo, Shorty Ty, Ben “Showtime” Mcliechey, Lee Cadena, Dj Gooset Brown Hornet, Dj Tony Funkmaster Jackson, Moe Mccoy, Wayne 616, Dj Len Swann, Dj Butcher, Dj Los, D.A. the Grandvillain, Pastor Troy Evans, Izy Dope, Dirt Sound, Dj Rush The Guillotine, Troy Ceaser, Queen Koffee, Rhun Girl Run, Smiley, Bronze Nazereth, Sixman, Euro K, Royce Da 5’9, Apollo Brown, Guilty Simpson, Phat Kat, 5Ela, Mr. Cliffnotes, Brian Piccolo, Alex “The Promoter” Thomas, Jerry Flynn, Julius Justice, Jeffrey Valantine, Dr.Khalid El-Hakim, Mike Gagliardo, Black Milk, Gunrule TV, Willie The Kid, La the Darkman, Governor Slugwell HipHop and HellRazor Robert S who have brought their respective regional influences to the mainstream; and

Whereas, Hip-hop’s spread has mixed cultures and traditions from the slowed down style of Texas artists like UGK and Scarface, to the rhythmic beats of Miami, Florida, bass made popular by Uncle Luke and The 2 Live Crew, to the Latin influence and energy of artists like Pitbull; and

Whereas, Bounce originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the 1980s, and has elevated thanks to artists such as Juve- nile, Magnolia Shorty, and Big Freedia who is recognized as the “Queen of Bounce” and has helped to elevate the subgenre to the national stage thanks to collaborations with Beyonc ´e and other mainstream artists like Rihanna incorporating the fast tempo sound into their work; and

Whereas, New school hip-hop continues to dominate the music industry selling out concert venues and stadiums with artists like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Megan Thee Stal- lion, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Lil Wayne, Migos, Big Sean, 2 Chainz, Drake, Lotto, GloRilla, and Ice Spice; and

Whereas, Artists like Sha Rock, Roxanne Shante, Sparky D, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Salt-N-Pepa, Lauryn Hill, and Missy Elliot pioneered female rap, moving hip-hop away from being a male-dominated genre; and

Whereas, Music producers such as, J. Dilla, Timbaland, and Kanye West (YE) have transcended Hip-Hop with their own styles of creativity, instrumentation, and deep musical knowledge; Whereas film directors and producers like John Singleton, Spike Lee, Rick Famuyiwa, and Yvette Lee Bowser have brought Hip-Hop and Black culture to the big screen with hit movies and TV shows like Poetic Justice, Boyz n the Hood, School Daze, Brown Sugar, and A Different World; and

Whereas, Fashion designers like Dapper Dan, Maurice Malone, April Walker (Walker Wear), Sean Combs (Sean John), Kanye West (Yeezy), and Virgil Abloh (Off-White) have brought hip-hop and Black culture to the runways of New York, Paris, and Milan; and

Whereas, Hip-hop has always been about telling a story, whether it be a story of pain and struggle, love and romance, religion, or politics; and

Whereas, Hip-hop has always been a creative mouthpiece for all people to share their own individual realities; and

Whereas, Hip-hop has provided outlets for people all over the world to include extracurricular activities, youth counseling, analytical thinking, entertainment, employment; and

Whereas, Hip-hop has had an immense economic impact, and, as an industry, generates more than a billion dollars annually, further creating opportunities for economic mobility and wealth creation for Black people in the United States; and

Whereas, Hip-hop has evolved as a platform to advocate for social, political, and economic needs of all people, including environmental justice, education, healthcare, and voting rights; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.