HISTORY OF HIP HOP HERITAGE MONTH

In 2003, a delegation of Chicago Hip Hop Tastemakers and writers lobbied city council member Walter Burnett Jr. to sponsor a resolution to recognize July as Hip Hop Heritage Month.

THE RESOLUTION adopted by the city Council of the city of Chicago Illinois presented by alderman Walter Burnett Jr. on July 9, 2003

Whereas, the Chicagoland area can traces its early, most defining hip-hop origins back to 1970 at the Cosa Azlian Mexican-American Center, on the lower west side of Chicago 1831 South Racine St. at the former site of the Howell Neighborhood House, operated by the Presbyterians that once served the Bohemian and Slavic children in the South Lawndale area and

Whereas, in it’s mission to provided alternative activities for young people who might otherwise join local gangs, Cosa Azlian became famous enough to obtain grants from the Illinois Art Council and National Endowment for the Arts largely through the work of Ray Patlian, who painted murals for the institution from 1970 to 1973 and traveled to the Pacific West Coast to teach his techniques to young people especially in California. Where he helped pave the way for the conceptualization Grafitti Art unique to hip-hop and

Where as, the hip-hop Art of breakdancing developed all over Chicago in the late 1970s first through “breakers” or “Bboy” and “Pop lockers” on Chicago’s Northside, primary from the Cabrini Green and Noble Home housing development and

Whereas, the hip-hop art Stylized Rapping or Mic controlling was first recorded in the Chicago region by Casper and has progressed to the success of major and major independent rappers, R&B artists, and producers including Common, Twista, Carl Thomas, Dave Hollister, No Id, Extreme, Spike Revel, Dug Infinite, Kanye West and Da Brat and

Whereas, the stylized art of Dj’ing that evolved from block parties in the streets, or turn tabling ranges from such club innovators as Twilight Tone, Mustafa Rock, 33 1/3, World, Heather, Fathom DJ, Madrid, Jesse De La Pena to hip-hop radio pioneers P Lee Fresh, First Lady, Raymonski Love and Isadore Pink (who began spinning in the Robert Taylor Homes housing development and

Whereas, Chicagoland hip-hop can be found on every form of multimedia including conventional television, cable television, radio, print and the Internet and

Whereas, Chicagoland hip-hop literary contributions include but are not limited to the non-fiction of William “Upski” Wimsatt and Robert “Scoop”Jackson and the poetry of Malik Yusef and

Whereas Chicago land hip-hop contribution to urban haute couture Includes the creation of original AFROWEAR in ILLANOYZE and

Whereas, organized proactive Chicagoland hip-hop has ranged from the contributions of Chicago chapters of Universal Zulu Nation to Chicago Urban Mines, and that the combined efforts of political hip-hop in the region at successfully turned out votes over the past two decades for everything for mayor and rivers of Congress until at least one president and

Whereas, Chicagoland hip-hop contributions have been honored at the Chicago Props Awards, Chicago Music Awards, Truth Magazine Hip Hop Awards, Source Awards, Soul Train Awards and grants and

Whereas, exhibitions of Chicago in hip-hop have included but I’m not limited to exhibits, demonstration’s, performances, panel discussions at Zulu sponsored expositions, the 1996 BOMB THE GHETTO ARTS FESTIVAL, the 1995 I CANT BELIEVE A GIRL DID THAT EXHIBITION, EXPO FOR TODAY’S BLACK WOMAN, BLACK EXPO, and the 2002 Chicago section of ROCK AND ROLL MUSEUM’S Hip Hop exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry (it was once the Palace of Fine Arts during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition); and

Whereas, unlimited varieties and derivatives of indigenous hip-hop can be found at Parkes, Theaters, lounges, nightclubs, restaurant, stadiums, elementary through high schools, and institutions of higher learning throughout the Chicagoland region; and

Whereas, Chicagoland Hip Hop has economically pumped millions in the region’s economy especially by attracting tourism; and Whereas, the combined contributions of hip-hop in that part of the great Lakes upholds a tradition dating back to the 1893 world Columbian Exposition of amplifying Chicago as a leading international city of beauty and culture that has been enriched along the way with the constitution from the likes of Louis Armstrong, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Nelson Algren; now therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the month of July shall be recognized as the CHICAGO HIP HOP HERITAGE MONTH:

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Chicagoland hip-hop heritage and contributions to the region’s culture shall be observed and I authorized throughout said month with exhibitions, art demonstrations, panel discussions, rallies and other positive means of enabling hip-hop to build on the strengthening the City’s cosmopolitan character.

Signed
Richard M. Daley Mayor
James J. Lisko City Clerk