50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Series This experience is spotlighted in our 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop Series, which celebrates the birth of Hip Hop in the Bronx and its meteoric rise to become a global phenomenon. On August 11, 1973, Hip Hop was born at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. Working two turntables, DJ Kool Herc began playing break-beats on a continuous loop, rapping with the rhythm of the extended instrumental beat and encouraging the audience to break dance. At a time when economic depression and public disinvestment plagued New York’s Black and Brown neighborhoods, Hip Hop represented a flourishing, socially conscious cultural movement—encompassing music, dance, fashion, and the visual arts—imprinting our city's physical fabric. DJs, MCs, break dancers, and graffiti artists spread out from the Bronx, across the five boroughs, around the country and globally. The 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop series offers perspectives on the place-based impacts of this cultural movement and highlights the stories behind these places.