Celebrating 50 Years of hip-hop

By Jacob Garza 

Dominican is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop throughout the month of November.  

In 1973, Clive “Kool Herc” Campbell was one of the first people to create hip-hop in the Bronx, New York.   

​From that moment on, hip-hop became widely known in the music industry. Dominican and the Center for Cultural Liberation celebrated the importance of this genre of music.  

Jamal Patterson, assistant director and Black/African American support coordinator at the Center for Cultural Liberation, detailed the complex preparation it took to set up the month-long celebration.  

​ “We put together a committee that is made up of many different departments,” Patterson said. “We had two meetings to discuss the planning and organizing. An important aspect was to make sure we did not over plan nor under plan.”  

​ Throughout the university, artistic pieces designed by different club organizations are now showcased in Lewis Hall, Parmer Hall, and the Rebecca Crown Library. These props represent the rich history hip hop has provided throughout the years.  

​ “The innovation lab helped create 3D models of Biggie, Tupac and other rappers who had passed on”, Patterson added.  “It adds more life to the celebration.”  

Ami Omi, assistant director of justice, equity, and inclusion, also assisted Patterson with this project.  She explained the importance of collaborative work with other events.  

“There was so much going on with the Day of the Dead”, Omi said.  “We wanted to work together with everybody regarding the celebrations. The Day of the Dead and hip-hop prop in Lewis Hall is an example of our collaborative work with those artists who have passed on.”    

 Patterson and Omi did not work alone as this project was a collaborative driven effort.  

Patterson stated the CCL, Justice Equity and Inclusion, Student Involvement, the University Ministry, TRIO, Student Success and Engagement, the Rebecca Crown Library, Professor Bauer-Gatsos and her Writing As Social Action class helped with the project.   

​ Students also participated in the preparation for this celebration.  Senior Isabelle Buday, who works in the recording studio, assisted Patterson. 

​ “I work in the recording studio, so I helped Jamal put a book display together,” Buday said. “I hope students really engage with all the displays on campus. Each was put together in a meaningful way.”   

jgarza@my.dom.edu