By Ismael AbduSalaam
A Bronx apartment recognized as the birthplace of Hip-Hop culture is expected to be sold next week.
Located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the building’s landlord group plans to withdraw the property from the city’s moderate housing program, allowing the owners to pay off the building’s $5 million dollar balance.
The property will then be sold to high-profile real estate developer Mark Karasick, putting the future of the 100 families living there in doubt.
The tenants and partnered housing advocates attempted to block the sale by filing a lawsuit in the State Supreme Court.
Yesterday (September 26), the courts ruled against the groups and dismissed the suit. In the early 1970s, Kingston, Jamaica native and Hip-Hop founder Clive Campbell moved into the building.
There he quickly constructed a graffiti crew dubbed the Ex-Vandals, and took on his famous DJ moniker Kool Herc.
Exasperated by the gang violence that plagued the neighborhood, Herc and his sister Cindy began hosting parties in the building’s recreation room.
Utilizing two turntables and a guitar amp, Herc revolutionized music by isolating “the breaks” of popular records like James Brown’s “Give It Up or Turn It Loose,” Booker T and the MG’s “Melting Pot,” Babe Ruth’s “The Mexican,” and The Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache.”
This style of musical arrangement grew exponentially, attracting dancers (B-Boys and B-Girls) and fellow DJs and future Hip-Hop luminaries Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash.
Last year, New York officially christened the building “the birthplace of Hip-Hop” and declared it eligible for national and state registrars.
At the press time, the bank financing the sale on the property is unknown. According to reports, 1520 Sedgwick Avenue is estimated to be sold for $7.5 million.
