A School-Out Re-Union Party with Marley Marl, Roxanne Schante, Mr. Magic, HeartBeat Bro's, Dr. Shock and MC Gary Jam, Waterbury, CT, Tuesday, July 2

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. 

Queens native Roxanne Shante (Lolita Shanté Gooden, b. 1969) was a prominent female battle rapper. With her hit song, “Roxanne’s Revenge,” she was known as one of the youngest to ever rock the mic. A skilled freestyle and battle rapper, there was nobody in the Queensbridge Houses she lived in that could beat her in a Rap battle. At the young age of 14, Roxanne Shante was approached by neighbor and producer Marlon “Marley Marl” Williams to rhyme on an “answer track” he was working. That song was the UTFO track called “Roxanne, Roxanne” which then turned into Roxanne’s rap “Roxanne’s Revenge” and went on to sell 250,000 copies. The song also ignited “The Roxanne Wars,” a series of raps that were responses to the hit song. Roxanne Shante was also a member of the Hip-Hop supergroup called The Juice Crew, which included Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, MC Shan, and Kool G Rap. She began to tour with the group and in 1985 released, “Round One, Roxanne Shante vs Sparky Dee,” which showcased her battle skills with local Bronx rapper with Sparky Dee. With a love for Rap starting at the age of eight Roxanne Shante is crowned as the godmother of Hip-Hop with her quick rhymes that influenced the future of women rappers. 

Heartbeat Brothers is a Hip-Hop trio from The Bronx, New York. They were signed to Elite Records while producing singles such as “Growing Up” and “Time ‘2’ Get Paid.”