Segwick & Cedar reminds everyone that Hip Hop is well and alive. Don’t forget the history, don’t forget the culture.
After years and years of existence, forms of culture start to get watered down, forgotten, and diluted to the point that those who celebrate and represent it don’t know its foundation. There are no excuses; we forget the history, or maybe we just don’t care about the history that drove the evolution of the culture we are apart of and represent. Despite that Hip Hop (KRS-ONE always said when you spell Hip Hop make sure it’s in capital letters) is young and still in its adolescent stage compared to other genres, it has lost the basics it originally stemmed from. Many no longer know who DJ Kool Herc is, many don’t know the original four elements, many don’t know the history, nor do they know the Hip Hop culture. I apologize if I sound like a Hip Hop elitist, but I always considered Hip Hop to be more than just a musical genre, it’s a way of life.
Sedgwick & Cedar’s mission is to cement Hip Hop’s roots. It’s to consistently educate the up and coming generations on what Hip Hop really is, provide them with the history and provide them with the tools that’ll help them understand its importance.
Towards the end of the summer of 73`, a crowd of neighborhood kids packed 1520 Sedgwick Ave in Bronx, New York to hear and watch DJ Kool Herc. The mass amount of people that showed up eventually pushed the crowd of kids out Sedgwick to Cedar Park. Hip Hop came into fruition that night. And Sedgwick & Cedar’s mission is to make sure that that fact never gets forgotten. The New York brand pays homage to the genre and culture by incorporating special limited-edition photography and designs from Jamel Shabazz and Joe Conzo. With these limited-edition releases, they’re able to pay respects to Hip Hop legends that sadly most never speak of – DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Caz, Afrika Bambaataa, Grand Wizzard Theodore, Coke La Rock, Sha-Rock, Melle Mel, and Chief Rocker Busy Bee. All items are sold through handpicked boutiques and Sedgwick & Cedar’s Online Store.
We here at Z!NG REVOLUTION/MusicSkins try our best to keep that love of Hip Hop cemented the best way we can – through our vinyl skins! You can view the whole Sedgwick & Cedar collection at the Karmaloop/Kazbah and through our online store.
John Vincent is a blogger, entrepreneur, and social media strategist. A retired sneakerhead and men’s wear aficionado, he’s currently the creative director of the up and coming clothing line, Arevalo & Co. He’s a biased 90s hip-hop head and a die hard NY Knicks fan. For his daily rants and words of wisdom, follow him on twitter at @johnvince_.
