Song of the day 🌠👑: https://open.spotify.com/track/5OB9O4aHm8IlB1FOoQFRXm?si=azz_wRVNQk-nJOceiOeomA

Ein bisschen Hintergrund zu BRICS. Spannend wird sein, wer sich warum zu dem Bündnis bekennen könnte. https://www.srf.ch/news/international/gipfel-in-johannesburg-brics-staaten-wollen-vorherrschaft-der-usa-brechen

Next in #50yearsofhiphop is the year 1984. I saw that in the thumbnails, there is often a wrong release year. That's due to mistakes made by Spotify. Btw. Let me know if you prefer a different platform than Spotify for the songs in the comments.
Anyway, before we come to the songs that represent 1984, I wanted to shed a light on the other elements representing Hip Hop again. This time we focus on Graffiti.

As I already mentioned, it's disputed wether the different elements actually came together naturally, or if it was merely a PR stunt. Especially for Graffiti the later is true, since the foundations of modern Style-Writing (Tagging, Throw-ups) can be found in late 60s New York City. A few years before a Hip Hop culture even existed. Lots of early Writers were more into Punk than Rap music.

This artistic style quickly started to spread around the world. Mainly due to artists who weren't active part of the culture. Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of them. Although he didn't see him as Writer and mostly did Tags, his achievement for Graffiti was to bring street art to the galleries as the first afro-american artist.

And then there was this book from 1984. Co-published by Henry Chalfant, who already was co-producer of the 1983 documentary Style Wars (mentioned earlier, search for the tag #50yearsofhiphop). The other photographer inolved in this project was Martha Cooper. Through Dondi and other Writers she came in touch with Hip Hop in 1979. Subway Art is seen as the bible of Graffiti and a landmark in photographic history. For more context watch this interview: https://youtu.be/xz1JqCiDpVo
Also Cooper, born in 1943, is taking pictures to this day. Watch this recent footage of her following the legendary 1up-crew from Berlin. https://youtu.be/i9V18HUoZcc

Now to the music: LL Cool James (Ladies Love Cool James) aka GOAT (first time ever I heard this acronym) released his debut single "I need a Beat" in 1984 and had one of the first commercially successful careers in Rap alongside fellow artists like Run-D.M.C or later Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. Said artists were all signed to Def Jam, whose co-founder Rick Rubin produced all them. Metalheads know him as producer of Slayer.
#50yearsofhiphop
https://youtu.be/BVkaN--0ld0

Artistically more groundbreaking in 1984 were the Fat Boys (originally Disco 3). Only one of the trio, Kool Rock-Ski, is still alive. They are widely known for using Beatbox in their songs. The group opened doors for other Beatboxers like Biz Markie, Doug E. Fresh and Rahzel. Also they brought a comedic element to Rap. Beatboxing used to mimick drum machines. Beatboxers assisted MCs out of necessity, when no drum machine or other soundsystems were available. https://open.spotify.com/track/3RjUvypvWDOo3vCIx4F2pS?si=VYELaNO-TJmC0yfhrBo7kA
#50yearsofhiphop

Still think this is a must-read to understand Musk and all the other tech-billionaires: https://netzpolitik.org/2023/longtermism-an-odd-and-peculiar-ideology/

Well played sir

What are you?