Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. joined dozens of hip-hop celebrities and hundreds of music lovers to celebrate "Global Hip Hop Day" on Thursday, June 8, 2017, as part of a celebration honoring past and present artists who help put the musical genre on the map.
Borough President Diaz joined hip-hop trailblazers such as Funkmaster Flex, DJ Kid Capri, Remy Ma, Fat Joe, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, hip-hop producer Larry Smith, Fever Records founder Sal Abbatiello, Commissioner Julie Menin of The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Council Member Vanessa Gibson, The Universal Hip Hop Museum, Generation Hip Hop, The BulLion Foundation, Windows of Hip Hop and HOT 97 to commemorate the genre’s immense impact on music and pop culture across the world.
As part of the celebration, a portion of Sedgwick Avenue was rechristened “Hip Hop Boulevard,” to honor the Bronx neighborhood that give birth to hip-hop.
"The Bronx is an iconic, internationally renowned hip-hop destination, the home of a rebellious and innovative musical art-form that has, over several generations, become a worldwide powerhouse,” said Borough President Diaz during his remarks at the event. “To see so many generations of artists, who not only have paved the way but made powerful contributions in the arts and society, coming together to celebrate and honor this music and culture, it’s like I died and I went hip hop heaven.”
