New York City Honor's The Birthplace Of Hip-Hop - 1520 Sedgwick In The Bronx

The New York Times City Room blog is reporting that the first steps necessary to Landmark 1520--the birthplace of Hip-Hop--have been accomplished:

State officials have determined that a West Bronx apartment building is eligible to be recognized on the state and national registers of historic places as the birthplace of hip-hop.

Senator Charles E. Schumer and Representative José E. Serrano joined tenants today at the building, at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, to celebrate the determination, which came in the form of a July 5 letter from the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Normally, buildings less than 50 years old are not eligible for designation, but there is an exception for structures of “exceptional importance.”

Gothamist provided some historical background back in May:

In 2005, hip-hop pioneers DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, Grandmaster Caz, Melle Mel and more, lent their names and likenesses to a vintage hip-hop clothing company called Sedgwick & Cedar. The press release for the company told this story: "on August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc's sister Cindy Campbell decided to throw a back to school party in her building's small rec room at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. Kool Herc introduced extended break beats, which mesmerized the jam packed crowd. Soon, he had to take the party outside and down the street to Cedar Park, drawing thousands throughout the night to see the birth of the art form." From the one building, that art form saturated the world.

Popular NYC Hip-Hop blog Nah Right sums it up best: 1520 Sedgwick = Our CBGB’s.