DJ Afrika Bambaataa with DJ Sinbad, DJ Afrika Zambu along with the Mighty Zulu Nation at Webster P.A.L., Friday, March 10

Party flyers were a staple in the early years of Hip-Hop and hard-copy invitations were the main medium for communicating information and promoting an event. The flyers symbolized many key appearances, acts, conventions, DJ performances, and contests in the Hip-Hop scene. Many flyers were created by local graffiti artists such as Buddy Esquire and Phase 2. The flyers were often presented by Hip-Hop promoters, DJs, and MCs who hosted the parties. Money was given to the artist to draw creative art and graphics for about $40-$60 for approximately 1,000 party flyers. The parks’ open public spaces have provided the perfect venues for park jams, impromptu dance-offs, DJ battles, and rap battles that established the sound, fashion, art, and message of Hip-Hop. Most of the Hip-Hop parties were a space for positivity where many of the Hip-Hop community could escape the realities of racism that included police brutality, drug abuse, and gang violence in their surrounding communities.

Many of the original Hip-Hop parties took place at local roller rinks, community centers, parks, and clubs. Roller rinks were an important cultural site for fun in the late 70s and 80s where adults and teens would attend roller discos and Hip-Hop parties.  The space would be used as a place for DJs to spin, rappers to show their talents, and for breakers to showcase their dancing skills on the large skate floor. Community centers were another important space in the early years of Hip-Hop for youth to gather and escape their everyday life. Additionally, community centers and recreation centers were the original spaces where DJ Kool Herc would spin in his early era of DJing. The community centers such as the Bronx River Center and the PAL were usually located in the middle of the projects. But local promoters would give parties and give money back to the center for books and trips for the local kids in the community.

Emerging in the early 1970s, the Zulu Nation was a community conscious Hip-Hop organization composed of DJs, MCs, graffiti artists and break-dancers who pushed and established the early culture of Hip-Hop . Composed of local Bronx gang members from the Black Spades, the Zulu Nation used the elements of Hip-Hop to advocate for education, Black unity, peace, love, and upward mobility. Inspired by the movie Zulu (1964), the teachings of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam, Afrika Bambaataa created the Zulu Nation to fight against gun violence, drug abuse and gang rivalry in the Bronx community to transform New York’s gang culture to a higher level of self-consciousness, creativity and freedom. Growing into an international organization, the Universal Zulu Nation celebrated and believed in Black solidarity, accepting people for who they area and that reflected in their clothing, message and style.

Leader of the Zulu Nation and known as one of the “Godfathers of Hip-Hop " Afrika Bambaataa (Lance Taylor, b. 1957) is a DJ, producer, rapper and songwriter from the Southeast Bronx. As a former gang member, Afrika Bambaataa began DJing at local parties in the early 1970s playing, funk and disco records but stood out as a unique and eclectic DJ because he would play records across different genres like Rock, Pop, Salsa, African and Latin. Afrika Bambaataa also established two rap crews: the Jazzy 5 and the Soul Sonic Force. Afrika Bambaataa has crafted the foundation of Hip-Hop by establishing the five elements or five pillars of Hip-Hop : DJing, MCing, b-boying, graffiti and knowledge. Afrika Bambaataa’s impact on Hip-Hop culture has defined the genre as a staple of creativity and expression emerging out of the Bronx.