Hip-hop culture was always represented as an authentic identity and lifestyle, but also as a social innovation and alternative pursued by impoverished people in urban environments.

Is there a need for hip-hop inspired concepts and projects in contemporary cities and how authentic, progressive and successful are already existing trials?

BA (Hons) Architecture Cultural Context 3 (CARC 6003/4) Gracjan Labowicz Student ID no. 1103165 Word Count: 6526 Contents Page

1. Introduction/ Thesis Statement

2-4 Social Context surrounding upbringing of hip-hop culture in America in 1970’s.

The daily life of community, , 1979.

5-11 What is it really Hip Hop culture/movement?

12-13 Hip Hop Space, and Place

15-18 Hip Hop Industrial Art Concept- Hip Hop inspired concepts and project

19- Hip Hop culture doesn’t require much...

20-22 Conclusion

23-24- Bibliography Introduction/ Thesis Statement

Hip Hop Culture and movement were born surrounded by daily life struggles and lack of alternative for youth of Afro American population in housing projects in America in 1970’s.

Authenticity included in all elements of Hip Hop culture (DJ’ing, Breakdancing, MC’ing, Dressing and Graffiti) offered an original form of expression. It offered an alternative lifestyle to poor societies dominating housing projects and neighbourhoods across America at the time.

Through music, dancing, art, fashion and way of expression it quickly went global. Hip Hop culture marks itself on the maps of American and European urban environments today. Since it’s beginnings it alters the cities as urban spaces as well as has social impact on communities in contemporary American and European cities. In this thesis I am looking at examples of hip hop inspired design concepts and projects and looking at historic grounds to hip hop movement and social attachement to them. What are hip hop inspired concepts and do we need them in contemporary cities? How hip hop works as social and cultural innovation of 21st century?

1 Social Context surrounding upbringing of hip-hop culture in America in 1970’s. The daily life of community, South Bronx, 1979.

Looking at “80 Blocks from Tiffany’s” I have drawn myself into South Bronx, .

To be exact between Tiffany’s jewelry store in Manhattan and the South Bronx. Presence of graffiti on the trains, abandoned cars with parts stolen off, sound of gunshots and a horizon of high tower blocks cluttered one next to another was a pretty normal sight if you have happened to live in South Bronx in 1979 when the documentary is filmed. The documentary is focused on social problems that occupants of the neighborhood have faced everyday as a consequence of developments of . This development was blamed for decay of low-income neighborhoods in South Bronx; mainly due to property values drop.

In the film we come across “Fly”, “Crazy Joe” and “D.S.R” members of “Savage Nomands” gang.

These young individuals are desperate in trying to get a better life through violence, stealing and crime. In my opinion word “gang” in the situation of these people was used inappropriately to describe their relationship by media. “Brothers and sisters”, together they dealt with the situation they were facing in an extraordinary violent way, in order to survive. The struggle and the will to help each other out brought them closely together- their image- “Nomands Gang” came along afterwards. Growing up in South Bronx between 1960’s and 1980s’ made them individually strong characters. As growing up teens there were no places to go for them- no basketball courts, no facilities, rare youth centers. They grew up on streets, and what they have witnessed, changed their perception of way at looking at life. It is important to look closely at the word “streets”.

We are not really looking at public through fare surrounded by built domestic environment, but at an identity of people of such kind who associate themselves with the street life. It was guns, which mattered, drugs, and alcohol, in many cases money chase. Adding prejudiced, unfair police and courts, which could put them to prison for 3 years for graffiti, the youth of South Bronx were aggravated and rebellious.

2 Community disintegrated from the rest of the city, couldn’t cope with unemployment, drugs and prostitution and people robbing each other on a massive scale. Partly it was the community who didn’t stop the precedent, because nobody did anything to stop the robberies, to stop the shooting, to raise their voice and say no. It was “Catch me if you can” situation. Gangs offered protection to local businesses, for a little favor that they did to them. Community generally turned to gangs when in need or favor, because police and government didn’t understand the situation in Bronx and therefore didn’t care.

Community worker interviewed in the documentary says: “it is a land of nowhere- unemployment, landlords paying gangs to burn the properties so they can claim insurance money, rubbish and dirt on the streets.” “D.S.R”- one of the gang members says he wants to move on, do something with his life, other than robbing and shooting. Other gang members mention that too. Community including the gang members has got a great deal of respect for each other.

Father Gigante, local priest says that when he was young, there were also gangs, from two different blocks, warring each other for one day and next day they would meet in peace and play together. However this friendship-gang culture has escalated to the point where it’s gone wrong. Amongst this chaos I found an element of utopia, real sense of utopia. When block party is organised by local community worker the rules and values are respected. There is no fighting, people enjoying themselves on the streets, talking and dancing and eating food. Dj is playing funk.

Even when things started to go out of control a little bit, no fighting rule was respected. 1

1. Gary Weis. (1979). 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s. [Online Video]. 02 July 2012. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDb8Nr_gVcw. [Accessed: 16 October 2013]. 3 This insight into the life of the community at the time helps to understand that not necessary people are to be blamed for the situation. They could live together, however in the presence all of these serious social problems they have developed their own environment in which they could survive. The fact that the low-income neighborhood was separated by expressway, the fact that there weren’t any facilities or places to go and spend time for the youngsters and huge unemployment rate in the area contributed majorly to the creation of this society driven by gang and crime culture to survive. In the chaos and struggle I was able to see the sense of utopia, when everyone was united during the Block party. It felt like they have something in common- the rules they have followed and positive attitudes towards role models, in which case was a community worker who organized the block party.

Figure 1 Selection of stills from documentary “80 Blocks From Tiffany’s” From the left: Image 1: Robbery scene, Image 2: Block Party Scene, Image 3: Housing Projects, Image 4: Nomands Gang talking to police, Image 5: South Bronx Urban Decay, Image 6: Travelling Graffiti on the train, Image 7: Gangs of south Bronx- Savage Nomands 4 What is it really Hip Hop culture/movement?

As many people think still up to date, Hip Hop culture its not only rap music. Rap music and MC’ing are parts of it, however whole culture consists of 5 elements. It is Dj’ing (Turntablism,

Beatmaking), MC’ing (, lyricists), Graffiti (legal and illegal), Breakdancing (b-boying and many modern forms of breakdance: locking, popping, breaking) and dressing which is associated with street fashion. In this chapter I will be looking at history of hip hop beginnings as well as explain 5 elements in more detail.

Block Parties: Birth of Hip Hop

“DJ Kool Herc said, “1520 Sedgwick is the Bethlehem of Hip-Hop culture.” 1520 Sedgwick

Avenue in Bronx is the birthplace of hip-hop culture.1 Dj Cool Herc used to take out sound system and two turntables and play hard funk records whilst mixing them with Latin percussion- which forms the initial structure of hip hop.2 Attending block parties was an alternative activity to violent gang culture present in the areas of South Bronx, but also to upcoming popularity of disco mu- sic and clubbing which wasn’t affordable for most occupants of South Bronx . Dj Cool Herc used

Jamaican traditional sound system model for his mammoth speaker setup and labeled b-boys and

B-girls- the partygoers. Housing projects occupants had a night out to enjoy themselves whilst dancing to blasting music out in a recreation room in their building. With progression “break” came along.3 It is simply isolation of instrumental in order to emphasize the drumbeat on one turntable and then switch from one break to another. The original vibe, rhythm and sound made people move to it in a certain way- and that’s how break-boys and break girls came along. Dj-ing was spreading through locations of New York.

1 Greg Watkins. (2007). 1520 to be Recognized as Official Birthplace of Hip-Hop. Available on : http://allhiphop.com/2007/07/18/1520-sedgwick-avenue-to-be-recognized-as-official- birthplace-of-hip-hop/. Last accessed 20.10.2012. 2 Michael A. Gonzales . (2008). The Holy House of Hip-hop. Available: http://nymag.com/anniversary/40th/50665/. Last accessed 12.11.2013. 3 Toop, David. Rap Attack, 3rd. ed., London: Serpent’s Tail, 2000 ISBN 978-1-85242-627-9 p. 69 5 Block parties were getting its notoriety in the spectrum of mixed society living in low-income neighborhoods. who introduced scratch- a backbone of hip hop DJing and also beat box turned Dj’s from beat mixers to beat makers, interviewed in MTV’s “Rap-umentary” he says: “We had territories. It was like, Kool Herc hd the west side. Bam had Bronx River. Dj

Breakout had way uptown past Gun Hill. Myself, my area was like 138th Street, Cypress Avenue, up to Gun Hill, so that we all had our own territories and we all had to respect each other”.1 Very quickly shooting and drivebys were replaced with breakdance, mc and dj battles to resolve conflicts for a while. Division was clear, competition was on, but values were respected and ideally hip-hop was meant to bring people together and respect each other. Afrikaa Bambataa- inspired by Kool Herc to Dj on the streets, a founder of Zulu nation with thousands of members around the globe today, stands as one of the pillars that lead hip-hop to where it is today. These are the core beginnings of hip-hop, among the blocks, the struggle with daily lives, gang culture, pills, heroin and crack. It worked as an alternative and a break through from all those negative elements of life in New York.

“Cool DJ Herc. . Grandmaster flash Old School, you say? Hell, there three are the founding fathers of - the progenitors of the world’s dominant youth culture. For them, hip-hop is not a record, a concert, a style of dress or a slang phrase. It is the constancy of their lives. It defines their past and affects their view of the future.” These three guys were the nucleus of hip hop- it was them who were finding the records, setting the trends, and rocking massive crowds at outdoor and indoor jams in parts of Bronx and Harlem. All growing up in the same area, all developing the culture at the same time, at the same time all battling each other using music. Bronx is known to be a hectic world during the Carter administration. This is its protoplast function in a model of society at the time. However hip-hop through time has revolutionised and where we are now with it as a global society it’s incredible how far it has reached.2 1 Murray Forman. (2011). Locating Hip Hop. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony neal That’s the joint- The Hip hop Studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 249-250. 2 Nelson George. (2011). Hip Hop’s Founding Fathers Speak the Truth. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip Hop studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 50-51. 6 Grafffiti- reolution in Graphics and Art or ugly acts of vandalism?

Hip Hop Culture has been marking its territory since it’s creation. Whether it’s been rap songs putting places on a pedestal or visual form of mapping as tagging at first- it moved onto aerosol art- graffiti. First important tag: “TAKI183” was visible throughout . It was mimicked by many other teens, and it became a way to become popular, as TAKI 183 happened to be spotted by New York Times and article about his signage was put in the magazine. Many kids from other neighborhoods went and tagged to get their names recognised and to become popular in their communities. Once tags were not enough, walls of the city started to be filled with graffiti paintings- aerosol art- street art. Trains and vans became a mobile medium for graffiti crews. Once the piece has travelled through the city, most people have seen it. Therefore graffiti crews got notoriety that way and popularity.1 Graffiti over many years has been seen as act of vandalism.

However today it has evolved to a form of art- urban art, guerrilla art, post graffiti or neo-graffiti or simply street art. It is perceived that artists choose the city as their gallery to exhibit their work to a larger audience, touch on things that are directly relevant to the surrounding environment. Banksy- the most known street artist in United Kingdom have been recognised for his satirical art, is also described as political activist. Graffiti has also become an important revolution in the graphics industry. “According to Marc Ecko, an urban clothing designer, who has been an advocate of graffiti as an art form; “Graffiti is without question the most powerful art movement in recent history and has been a driving inspiration throughout my career. 2

1 Craig Castleman. (2011). The Politics of Graffiti. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip hop Studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 14-23. 2 ArtAct. 2011. http://guity-novin.blogspot.co.uk. [ONLINE] Available at: http://guity-novin.blogspot. co.uk/2011/05/chapter-35-grafitti-and-street-art.html. [Accessed 08 November 13]. 7 5Pointz building known as graffiti Mecca or 5 Pointz: The Institute of Higher Burnin’ or 5Pointz

Aerosol Art Center, located in New York, Long Island City, Queens has been voted to be demolished on 21st August 2013.1 Planning for new residential complex is put in place on the site with ground level facades to be used for curated graffiti. However in my opinion graffiti should never be curated or dictated. 5pointz building became legendary for personal input of artists and their expression. What is established will never even be a reminiscent of 5pointz. Recently on

19th November 2013 all of the works of artists were painted white, which heralds demolition will begun soon. There was a strong response and reaction from people around the world towards mysterious action of covering the art. It was done over night, only walls containing artwork were covered. John Roleke of About.com writes: “5 Pointz is a living collage of graffiti art covering a converted warehouse full of artist studios”. Lawsuit filed by 5 Pointz proprietors as well as a rally on November 16, 2013 to gain petition signatures to protect the building from demolition, the sudden whitewashing seems to indicate the demolition of the public art space inevitable.2 One of the 5 Pointz volunteers, Rebekah Kennedy said: “What’s super disrespectful is that the whole thing about 5 Pointz is: it’s legal painting...For someone to come in and wash it away … that’s the biggest vandal.” Owner of the building compared his actions to forcing a child to take medication:

“I can imagine going one piece, one piece, and going through hell, torture to everybody...So I said,

‘Let me do it one time and end this torture one time”.3 5Pointz building is definitely an argument for hip-hop culture being very authentic. It was a great place for gatherings. This is what hip-hop is about- interaction, gatherings and unity. The fight on public’s initiative supported by many people to save old falling apart factory/warehouse for the art which was on it indicates the value of graffiti to public today. Graffiti it’s not a symbol in this case, it’s a visual representation of the culture and it’s Mecca is once for all damaged.

1 Bayliss, Sarah (August 3, 2004). “Museum With (Only) Walls”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008 2 IV.CREATIVE INC. (2013). Graffiti mecca 5 Pointz painted white as demolition day nears. Available: http://5ptz.com. Last accessed 20.12.2013. 3 Amanda Holpuch. (2013). Graffiti mecca 5 Pointz painted white as demolition day nears. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/nov/19/5-pointz-graffiti-mecca-new-york-paint- ed-white. Last accessed 20.12.2013. 8 Hip Hop is far reaching...

“Crossing the Bridge” shows the life of Turkish musicians who are struggling with their identity. The struggle lays within the cultural clash, which occurs in Turkey- The Western and

Eastern influences on music. This clash goes beyond music. Turks imagine Istanbul to be a bridge between two different cultures- Western and Eastern. It is referred to as a city of contrasts-

“beautiful/ ugly”, “warm/cold”, “old/new”, “poor/ rich” and western/eastern. Istanbul is believed to be a cultural bridge and beginning of Asian culture, on the other side Greece it’s a beginning of

Western World, which carries all the way to Los Angeles. Musicians there value their traditional approach to compositions; mixing it with western influences they are crossing the bridge. Erkin

Koray remains a pioneer of Rock music in Turkey. His way of life remains disruptive to society, even now in his early 70s. He said: “Understanding music of your culture, helps you understand yourself and your society”. Regardless of his positive message he was seen as a threat to eastern culture in Turkey in - once he was stabbed for having long hair.

In the late 1990s Turkish youth became interested in rap music as well as hip-hop culture.

Elements of hip-hop were quickly employed in Turkish towns- graffiti, breakdancing, mc-ing and dj- ing became a passion to many youngsters however with different interpretation of hip hop culture.

The music remained similar, the rhyming, the skills, and the dressing. However they are different lyrically to rappers from States. One of the youngers describes: “Gangsta rap and mafia is from

America- it does not exist here, Hip Hop is money, girls and gangsta crap, we are raping about more interesting topics, more related to our people”. Turkish rapper Ceza raps his track called

“Holocaust” which technically it’s at it highest level of rapping skills, however lyrically it tells people to wake up to their surroundings “ you have seen the holocaust, then be a man”.

9 Breakdance ideally is a way out for youth in Turkey away from drugs, pills and heroin. It’s a battle against this lifestyle. A typical MC with baggy jeans on, hat and a chain says: “Community sees us differently: they say: watch them- they want to be Americans”- politically Turkish as a Muslim country is not tolerant to US culture, it is seen as an enemy, however these young rappers are crossing the symbolic bridge, they mix two very opposite music cultures- by rapping about life of Turks. Using the music and the lifestyle they are breaking the chains of political propaganda, going forward and against dictated philosophy along with their core traditional and cultural values inhabited deeply inside them, they represent hip-hop.

The case of young Turkish rappers who stand against their society dressed in American fashion and breakdancing on the streets condemning themselves in the eyes of the old people have got something important to say which directly refers the Turkish society. This analogy ideally fits into a argument that hip hop culture helps the society to improve and break the standards, but at the same time not coincidentally keep a hold of it’s traditional values and aesthetics in the form of language and events surrounding the lifestyle of modern Turks. Form and message remains authentic whilst it’s crossing the symbolic bridge.1

1 Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, 2005. [DVD] Fatih Akin, Germany: Fatih Akin. 10 Street Fashion

Culture of dressing appeared on the streets in 1970’s. Rappers borrowed from jumpsuits used by disco and soul music and changed them into flashy tracksuits which were popular for a while. Basketball has had an influence on hip hop fashion. High-top sneakers and basketball jerseys quickly became iconic. 80’s introduced other sports brands like Kangol, which became more recognised thanks to LL Cool J who was one of the first to wear the brand. Baggy wear has become trendy. Baggy jeans, shirts and Timberland boots were a very classic look in the late 80’s in America. They have become a statement- if you decided to dress like that; you were associated with hip-hop culture at the time. Idea of clothes being baggy meant more comfort, more loosened up way of dressing, at the same time casual. Designers of trousers in the late

90’s borrowed from baggy jeans to make their jeans slightly baggier as this trend penetrated fashion world to extent that mass production had to incorporate it in their design. Iconic baseball caps, starter jackets, and jewellery later on enriched and kept on developing on hip hop fashion, continually making statement by a characteristic way of dressing. “Black nationalist colours appeared with many rappers, as well as African clothing and jewellery”. Hip-hop was already a movement; a big statement- and Black Nationalists movement was part of Hip Hop. Today rappers are part of popular culture- still dictating trends in dressing, however brands like Gucci and Louis

Vuitton are certainly going with rappers image to promote their products. Kanye West wearing and using Louis Vuitton or Soulja Boy wearing Gucci footwear along with classic 80’s clothing and accessories (cap, bling (jewels), t-shirt, tracksuit bottom). “Hip Hop has always recycled fashion and gave them new meanings to them. They have adopted many styles associated with where many of the artists lived and gave them a more urban feeling.” The fashion industry has capitalized on the growth of hip-hop and even adopted styles from it. The revolution hip-hop has caused it to be very influential in clothing. What started out as a subculture in , NewYork has turned into one of the main authorities in Popular Culture.”1

1 Blog on media for UNST 254 Popular Culture, Portland State University. 2010. Popular Culture/The Evolution of Hip Hop Clothing. [ONLINE] 11 Available at: http://psupopculture.wordpress.com. [Accessed 03 November 13]. Hip Hop Space, and Place

Hip Hop presents a variety of options of representation. It is intriguing how expression in hip hop is referenced to space and place- an important factor of the culture as 5Pointz building showcases. “All the early descriptions of hip hop practices identify territory and the public sphere as significant factors.” Hip hop initially appeared on streets, parks, community centers and nightclubs of the Bronx and Harlem, clearly spreading across New York’s boroughs and through the northeast until it has penetrated all regions and urban centers in the U.S. In most cases rap music details struggle of urban ghetto environments- Black and Latino youths confronted authority, government, and repression in many different forms. An image of hip-hop was constructed on that basis- “one that binds locale, resistance, innovation, affirmation, and cultural identity within a complex web of specialised meanings and practices. “

“Represent” it’s an important word used by rappers to set significance to the place where they come from. In most cities a visitor from a different country comes a to see the centre of town, the beautiful and expensive areas and the local areas associated with his visit, “hoods” are avoided.

Rappers rap about the people and surroundings and what’s more important reality of their lives in “the hood”. Community is put in a spotlight and it makes the community united and exposed to everyone else, which results in the community being proud of its location. It is mainly because new quality its inputted into the formula- it’s the hip-hop element. Rap lyrics have a great contribution to the definition of one’s home environment and surrounding urban spaces it’s a more standard aspect of rap tracks. For instance MC Rakim rapped: “ Now if you’re from Uptown, Brooklyn

Bound, the Bronx, the Queens, or Long Island Sound, even the other states come right and exact, it ain’t where you from, but where you’re at”. It does seem more important where you from in wider context of a city, rather than “where you’re at”. Although both themes are not easily separated, they are strongly interconnected. They way these lyrics could be interpreted it’s also the state of mind of “where you’re at”- location doesn’t matter in this case, because state of mind and attitude allows an individual to penetrate those places without people noticing you are a stranger. This is because you are an insider of the general hip-hop culture. 12 Murray Forman cannot see disconnection of a rapper or mc from place where he comes from. “The tales of originary sites of significance that describe local places and place based activities emerge as crucial indicators for the shaping of attitudes and identifies among hip hop’s entrepreneurs… as well as artists such as Eminem whose dysfunctional upbringing on Detroit’s 8 mile Road is now legendary. We might ask can Jay-z be realistically disconnected from Brooklyn or Nas from Queens? Can Snoop Dogg be fully comprehended without acknowledging his Long

Beach, California roots and can Outcast, the Goodie Mob or T.I be isolated from Atlanta?” It is an important matter where those individuals are from – in fact it is an “essential element of who they are and what they project, whether in broad regional sense of space or in the more finely nuanced and closely delineated scale of place”.1

Here comes hip hop definition of the streets. The streets in hip hop culture are not referred to public through fare in a built domestic environemt. In relation to urban dictionary there are few definitions of street. One of them is described as follows: “Streets- relating to the urban “street” culture, undergound, based around the core of hip-hop, skateboarding, bmx etc.”. Another definition relates to :”rough, poor, gangster, ghetto areas”. There is also a term “Knowing the street- Being able to pick up on all types of things quickly. Relating to all types of people, not necessarily just the lower class.”. However the last one describes the hip hop definition of “street” in it’s best clear way and it’s my favourite. ”Street-“The opposite of bourgeois. ‘Street’ implies hustle. Every man a potential enemy, every woman a potential hoe. Money is king. The cold reality of day to day life and achieving. Someone who is ‘street’ is ready to defend themselves at all times and jump on any opportunity to level up. The paradox is that anyone who gets comfortable loses all street cred. There is not one hip hop star today who has street cred, because they have all gone soft.” This is definition of the streets- the struggling daily battles of life which hip hop culture touches upon through music, dance, art. Hip hop culture has been changing over years. Bad influence, gangster, cop killer and a drug dealer image has been portrayed in the rap video clips since 1990’s when gangsta rap or g-funk came along.

1 Murray Forman. (2011). “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”Hip-Hop, Space, and Place. In: Mur- ray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip Hop studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Rout- ledge. 225-227. 13 Extremeness, authentic message, possessing hardcore image and for representing the real struggling streets it became very popular among the hoods in America, the wave carried onto council estates in England, French Banlieu’s and to other blocks around Europe and the rest of the world. The reason why I chose this definition of the streets in hip-hop terms is because it’s very authentic, however morally disappointing. Furthermore that image if hip-hop became a symbol of cultural and social change picked up by media. The way it has been representing itself has been adding up to the negative glorifications of money, street life and crime- contrasting values to original hip hop values.

Hip Hop Industrial Art Concept- Hip Hop inspired concepts and project

Talking about a place and space within Hip hop frames in this chapter I would like to introduce

Hip Hop Industrial Art Concept which is being developed by Earl S Bell. Also this chapter will be exploring a house design inspired by hip hop culture movement and graffiti by an Melboune

Architects called ITN Architects. Architect and Inventor from Brooklyn, New York- Earl S Bell comes from a housing project Boerum Hill and considers himself as someone who comes from hip hop generation. As a witness of unemployment in Brooklyn he designs concepts that incorporate some kind of involvement of community in manufacturing or producing to provide employment opportunities. For instance his project Charge Plaza-“renewable energy grid efficiency and eco building converge into a big bang of innovation”. Abandoned petrol station and vacant lot is transformed into electric vehicle recharging station, along with mixed-use structures as a business model and cultural innovation catalyst. Along with recharging vehicle station there is a showroom of new technologies. Energy produced on the fitness bikes can be exchanged and monetized for information- eBooks. According to Earl. Bell ‘s his expression of hip hop culture- especially tagging the trains which then travelled around the city inspired him in his concept development of producing energy by altering habits in transportation.12

1 urbanwallstreet. (2010). Hip Hop Industrial Arts. [Online Video]. 05.08.2010. Available from: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBhKLAsSG5g. [Accessed: 01 November 2013].

2 Earl S Bell. 2010. Charge Plaza Electric Car Charging and Bookless library by Earl S Bell. [ONLINE] 14 Available at: http://chargeplaza.com. [Accessed 08 November 13]. In my opinion Mr. Earl S Bell has incorporated within his design a few impressing hip-hop references. Starting with designing his project in the way that it provides jobs and support for people in less fortunate neighborhoods of New York sounds like will to help. This is one of the values which always have described hip-hop for me, it is seen in “80 Blocks from Tiffany’s”, it is also reminding me of resurrecting records by Dj’s. It has been tried to achieve on a social level.

Going deeper and analysing green factors of the project- charging electric cars by fitness bikes or exchanging the credits earned for e-books. These are the things which every healthy, educated citizen are capable of doing. It is a very futuristic, supporting and visionary idea. Hip- Hop is a form of knowledge. Quoting a lyrics from a song by KRS-One and Marley Marl- Hip Hop Lives:

“Hip means to know, it’s a form of intelligence, To be hip is to be update and relevant, Hop is a form of movement,You can’t just observe a hop, you gotta hop up and do it”. 1

I like the fact that Mr Earl S Bell is proposing to exchange earned energy credits for e-books. He values e-books and knowledge in opposition to financial gain. Altering habits in transportation nicely concludes my reference of his project to hip hop movement: he was inspired by graffiti which was travelling around New York- promotion of the artist for free as the public transport is going around everyday. Using those ideas in his project he is in fact using the elements of hip hop philosophy, there I think it makes him authentic in his design approach.

1 Krs One and Marley Marl. (2007). Hip Hop Lives. [Online Video]. 22 May 2007. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FadzGGJiLTg. [Accessed: 10 December 2013]. 15 An article on Phaidon titled:” World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop” it’s about a Melbourne architect who builds his own apartment inspired by hip hop culture movement and graffiti. The Hive apartment by ITN Architects essentially deals with elements of graffiti quite literally. Original façade ornamented with old-school graffiti precast concrete wall designed by Prowla an old-school graffiti writer of the Rock Da City crew together with arrows, swooshes and drips creates a reminiscent of a flat wall straight from Bronx, New York. Using sliding door with variety of sizes and strategically placing them large rooms are well ventilated and lit. Baring in mind this project is built in Australia, it works so well that there is no need for artificial temperature control.1

Figure 2. Exterior of The Hive Apartment Figure 3. Interior of The Hive Apartment

Figure 4. Interior of the Hive Apartment Figure 5. Interior of the Hive Apartment

To relate to this project as authentic identity of hip-hop inspired design is quite hard. Considering exterior I do think it’s innovative and well designed, especially the arrow window and the facade, as well as leveling which is quite chaotic and dynamic. However to me this is an example of symbol for hip-hop and celebration of the movement rather than authentic place. The fact it’s a private apartment already excludes itself from being related to hip hop culture. As previously mentioned hip-hop related places needs to relate to public gatherings. 1 Phaidon, 2012. World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop. World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/architecture/articles/2012/july/25/worlds- first-building-inspired-by-hip-hop/ [Accessed 10 November 2013]. 16 Secondly interior does not reflect the exterior. It closely matches up to glorification of money, as it does look very expensive and modern. There is no thought process put into the core history relations of hip hop movement- it is not authentic in the sense that it’s targeted at rich end of society spectrum and it doesn’t involve community input. Therefore it becomes just a symbol or a celebration. It doesn’t have a cultural related function apart from it’s external visually in a form of graffiti. However I like the fact that there is innovative ventilation technology implied to the design, which makes this design “green” and sustainable to some extent. This matter reflects a little bit of

Dj’s digging old records and recycling the music by sampling the records and reusing the sounds.

Overall I think this quite famous now apartment concepts inspired by hip hop elements it’s a failure due to failing fundamental philosophy in hip hop- unity. It is just a symbol and celebration of graffiti somewhere in Melbourne.

On the other hand C.C Sullivan posts an article on smartplanet.com titled: “Hip Hop architecture goes global”, where he questions the truth of the title of the article at Phaidon:

” World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop”.1 C.C Sullivan points out that it’s been at least a decade or more since architects are into experimental research on architectural design inspired by hip hop. Apart from Earl S. Bell who borrows social implications of hip-hop to his concepts, there is also Dr Craig Wilkins at the university of Michigan’s Taubman College. Author of “The

Aesthetics of Equity: Notes on race, space, architecture and music. Dr Craig Wilkins is described as “movement’s most articulate thinker”. Article outlines involvement of rappers themselves in this study. It is quite obvious that topic of hip-hop oscillates around serious design styles. What’s very questionable its whether it is just trying to use hip hop’s legacy and popularity to promote a design business idea or is it real, authentic push for improvement of social and community life through Hip hop study.

1 Sullivan, C.C Sullivan, 2012. Innovation/The Astute Architect/Hip-Hop architecture goes global. Hip-Hop architecture goes global, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://www.smartplanet.com/ blog/astute-architect/hip-hop-architecture-goes-global/664 17 Mr. Sullivan goes “inside the Hive” once more. He critics that 3D rendered concrete graffiti façade on the side of “fancy suburban” house it’s on the edge of being cliché. In his opinion other reasons need to be found to name Zvi Beilling and the Aussie architects are hip-hop. Nevertheless Mr

Sullivan thinks that the design looks into the future, and potentially it could be an ideal house for hip hop impresario. “Just as jazz was, in many ways, the music of modernism, we can still expect hip-hop to blossom into a broader movement in the built realm, bringing with it the power of today’s music and culture. We don’t need any “world’s firsts” to get there, but we could use a few powerful patrons.”12 Article poses a question: “What’s hip hop building design? Architecture related to hip-hop is about built ideas inspired of music and dance, drawing in part from artistic ideas like sampling and rapping. Even more to the point, it’s mainly an urban form, once meant to be highly inventive while also addressing issues like poverty and blight”. Article outlines references to African culture, vibrant palettes, material innovation and clever juxtapositions. If I’m honest this is probably the most authentic person to organise such a collaboration of architects, graphic designers, directors and musicians as well as producers- the rapper himself. The fact that description of the ideology which is going to be developed already picks up on addressing issues like poverty and blight, it has to be inventive, it has to include ideas of sampling and rapping it’s very authentic. Furthermor hip-hop architecture should be “green by definition”. It has to be sustainable- similarly to old-school hip-hop Dj’s who reclaimed and reused old vinyl records and gave them new quality. “Hip hop architecture is engaged in taking existing materials and deploying them in transformative ways. Hip hop has taken dated technology and devalued material from the trash heap and made a global community out of the discarded parts of a post-industrial urban environment. It has made the dispensable, indispensable.”

1 Sullivan, C.C Sullivan, 2012. Innovation/The Astute Architect/Hip-Hop architecture goes global. Hip-Hop architecture goes global, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/as- tute-architect/hip-hop-architecture-goes-global/664 2 Steve Rose, S.R, 2012. Straight outta Hamptons: hip-hop’s architectural roots. Hip-hop has great de- sign pedigree. So why is Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s summer home so naff?, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http:// www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/aug/01/straight-hamptons-hip-hop-architecture [Accessed 11 18 November 2013]. Hip Hop culture doesn’t require much...

Hip-hop adds value to of life of youngsters in each European country today. Polish rapper

Numer Raz and DJ Zero describes in the rap song his block in Warsaw, Mokotow. There is a bench outside of the block where Numer Raz meets his friends, where they freestyle and spend their time together. Maybe the fact that you need so little to interact makes hip hop so successful?

Dj Cool Herc needed sound system and community room, Numer Raz a bench as a meeting point in 2004. However public demands those places where hip hop could potentially teach and engage young people with it’s elements and original ways of expression.In Opole- a city in South of Poland

Academy of Hip hop Culture was opened recently. It is held at local church’s communal part of the building. First of Poland’s Academy of Hip Hop called Hip Hop Buda is targeted at young people to develop their interests in all elements of Hip hop- whether it is Dj-ing, Mc-ing, Breakdancing or

Graffiti. It is an alternative and major opportunity for youngsters to clear out from the streets, doing something authentic and close to their hearts.1

Figure 6. Breakdancer performing at Hip Hop Buda event

1 Artur Rawicz, CGM, 2013. Academy of Hip Hop opened in Opole. Hip Hop Shed (Translated from Polish), [Online]. press info , 0. Available at: http://www.cgm.pl/aktualnosci,32793,w_opolu_ruszyla_aka- 19 demia_hip_hopu,news.html [Accessed 07 November 2013]. Conclusion

To conclude I would like to answer the first part of the question posed: Is there a need for hip-hop inspired concepts and projects in contemporary cities? I truly think there is a massive demand for hip-hop inspired concepts and projects worldwide. Through research and analysis I found out that since Hip Hop culture creation it’s vast spreading across New York and America and then worldwide. Hip Hop movement defines space and place and life of present generations in urban environments. It has been 40 years since it’s creation. In “80 Blocks from Tiffany’s” amongst the gang culture, hip-hop music appears in the most positive moment of documentary- the block party.

It carries positive and authentic, truthful expressions and message. There is need for such projects as there is need for alternative in most social housing projects around the world today.

Graffiti has informed the art and graphics world. 5Pointz building and its whitewashing and future demolition present a dramatic story of trying to save some paint on the wall. Authenticity of this place is proven by to carrying out a petition, striking and fighting for such a ruined construction and previously maintaining the site for so many years. It is important for that local community to hold onto what’s already known and considered as a Mecca of graffiti worldwide. It is because it has a spiritual value, because it carried a cultural history on those walls.

Another great example of how important hip-hop became to young people is shown in “Crossing the Bridge” documentary. The way hip-hop has been redeveloped by Turkish rappers whilst the ideology and image strongly interferes with their own culture shows that there is need for hip hop movement inspired concepts. Its function would be simple- to support young future generations to look for alternatives, to create versions of their own- unique and original developments.

20 Hip Hop movement participants don’t require much. For graffiti artists there is need for walls, but why couldn’t there be designed complex outdoors spaces for those purposes, just like art galleries for graffiti. Break-dancers need a mat or a cardboard sheet to perform on the streets; rappers need a bench and a supportive community. What I like about mentioned Hip Hop Buda it is that it’s using what exists. Church’s communal section of the building provides necessary space. Such concepts and projects would truly reflect hip-hop without new buildings being developed.To use existing structures and redesign them to transform them into something new this would reflect hip-hop. Just like the Dj’s recycling the records by sampling. Just like 5Pointz was transformed into

Mecca of Graffiti with spray cans over the years.

Second part of my question deals with evaluation of existing trials and projects inspired by hip- hop movement. How authentic, progressive and successful are those existing trials? Referring to

Charging Plaza I think this project by Earl S Bell its a very successful, progressive and authentic attempt. Main reason for such positive evaluation of this project it’s that it doesn’t deal with hip hop inspiration quite literally. We don’t see graffiti like pre-casted concrete facade’s or any visual obviousnessnes. The links to hip hop lies with community support by trying to provide jobs with building his project to local communities. Earning credits in exchange for e-books that is yet another reference of hip-hop for me- it provides knowledge. Thirdly but not lastly, it is dealing with sustainability, innovation and green design quite literally. It is represented in the showrooms of technological innovation within his design as well as electric car charging station using fitness bikes. IT is a very innovative a visionary project and I think it’s authentic. Lastly re-using abandoned petrol station as a site adds onto the hip-hop concept and relates to Dj’s reusing the sounds and sampling.

21 In contrast The Hive apartment as much as it wants to represent hip hop architecture, it doesn’t.

This project for many reasons as a hip hop movement inspired design is unsuccesfull. It is more of a symbol, rather thatn authentic way of analyzing hip hop values to generate a design. As private apartment it excludes itself from being socially friendly, there is no chance for gatherings and interaction, no chance for expression. Modern interior which doesn’t much refer to hip hop references, area in which the project is built and lack of community involvement makes this project unsuccesfull as a aunthetic and progressive approach to desiging architecture with hip hop inspiration.

I identified two striking projects, very different two each other, at two different ends of the world.

One very succesfull in my opinion, another succesfull as a symbol of hip hop inspired designs.

Both approaches lead me to answer my thesis question that there is definitely a need for hip hop inspired design concepts in contemporary urban environemts as hip hop culture enhances society and future generations in the most available free way of expression.

22 Bibliography

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Fatih Akin, Germany: Fatih Akin. 2005. [DVD] Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul urbanwallstreet. (2010). Hip Hop Industrial Arts. [Online Video]. 05.08.2010. Available from: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=gBhKLAsSG5g. [Accessed: 01 November 2013].

Krs One and Marley Marl. (2007). Hip Hop Lives. [Online Video]. 22 May 2007. Available from: http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=FadzGGJiLTg. [Accessed: 10 December 2013].

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Murray Forman. (2011). Locating Hip Hop. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip hop Studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 249-250.

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Craig Castleman. (2011). The Politics of Graffiti. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip hop Studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 14-23.

Murray Forman. (2011). “Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City”Hip-Hop, Space, and Place. In: Murray Forman and Mark Anthony Neal That’s the joint- The Hip Hop studies reader. 2nd ed. America: Routledge. 225-227.

23 Bibliography

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Greg Watkins. (2007). 1520 Sedgwick Avenue to be Recognized as Official Birthplace of Hip-Hop. Available on : http://allhiphop.com/2007/07/18/1520-sedgwick-avenue-to-be-recognized-as-official- birthplace-of-hip-hop/. Last accessed 20.10.2012.

Michael A. Gonzales . (2008). The Holy House of Hip-hop. Available: http://nymag.com/anniversary/40th/50665/. Last accessed 12.11.2013.

ArtAct. 2011. http://guity-novin.blogspot.co.uk. [ONLINE] Available at: http://guity-novin.blogspot. co.uk/2011/05/chapter-35-grafitti-and-street-art.html. [Accessed 08 November 13].

Bayliss, Sarah (August 3, 2004). “Museum With (Only) Walls”. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008

IV.CREATIVE INC. (2013). Graffiti mecca 5 Pointz painted white as demolition day nears. Available: http://5ptz.com. Last accessed 20.12.2013.

Amanda Holpuch. (2013). Graffiti mecca 5 Pointz painted white as demolition day nears. Available: http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/nov/19/5-pointz-graffiti-mecca-new-york-paint- ed-white. Last accessed 20.12.2013.

Blog on media for UNST 254 Popular Culture, Portland State University. 2010. Popular Culture/The Evolu- tion of Hip Hop Clothing. [ONLINE] Available at: http://psupopculture.wordpress.com. [Accessed 03 November 13].

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Phaidon, 2012. World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop. World’s first building inspired by Hip Hop, [On- line]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/architecture/articles/2012/july/25/worlds-first- building-inspired-by-hip-hop/ [Accessed 10 November 2013].

Sullivan, C.C Sullivan, 2012. Innovation/The Astute Architect/Hip-Hop architecture goes global. Hip-Hop ar- chitecture goes global, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/astute-architect/ hip-hop-architecture-goes-global/664

Steve Rose, S.R, 2012. Straight outta Hamptons: hip-hop’s architectural roots. Hip-hop has great design ped- igree. So why is Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s summer home so naff?, [Online]. N/A, N/A. Available at: http://www. theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/aug/01/straight-hamptons-hip-hop-architecture [Accessed 11 Novem- ber 2013].

Artur Rawicz, CGM, 2013. Academy of Hip Hop opened in Opole. Hip Hop Shed (Translated from Polish), [Online]. press info , 0. Available at: http://www.cgm.pl/aktualnosci,32793,w_opolu_ruszyla_akademia_hip_ hopu,news.html [Accessed 07 November 2013].

Audio

Krs One and Marley Marl. (2007). Hip Hop Lives. Numer Raz. (2004). Lawka MC Rakim. (1990).In the Ghetto 24