One of the founding father’s of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash will be returning to the Bronx for the free “Birth of a Culture: The Four Elements Block Party” to celebrate 50 years of hip-hop. The event will be in Crotona Park on Aug. 4 and has been made possible by Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage.
Through his Quik Mix Theory, Grandmaster Flash was the first DJ to use the turntables as a musical instrument by placing his fingertips on the vinyl, extending the break of a song. This innovation would lead the way to further developments, such as cutting, scratching, and transforming. Grandmaster Flash has become the voice of his generation of ’70s hip-hop pioneers, and continues to be a cultural force.
Present at this celebration of the history and legacy of hip-hop will be Jazzy Jay, DJ Charlie Chase,
Pete Rock, GrandWizzard Theodore, Tony Touch, and Stretch Armstrong. Additional performers include Funk Flex, DJ Mell Starr, Scram Jones, DJ NABs, and Chuck Chillout.
Crotona Park is one of the parks where it all started for me when hip-hop was an infant. Now, it’s all grown up and I’m going back home. This is my way of saying “thank you” to my fans and community for supporting me 50 years later. We’re doing things we did back in the ’70s, authentically showing how hip-hop started.
Grandmaster Flash
Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage is one of New York’s most accessible outdoor performing arts festivals, with nearly 80 free and benefit performances in Central Park and neighborhood parks throughout the boroughs. It has served New York’s communities for nearly 40 years, and over six million people from around the world have gotten to enjoy their shows.
The “Birth of a Culture” event will be livestreamed on Grandmaster Flash’s YouTube and Twitch. It will begin at 5:00 p.m., and updates can be found on Grandmaster Flash’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Twitch.
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