Happy Bornday Hip Hop

 

In 2014, my friend and partner, Leroy McCarthy gave me a call with an idea he had in mind to further honor Hip-Hop's position in history. His idea was to have August 11th, the said birth date of Hip Hop, a Day of National Recognition. This was around the same time we were successful in getting a street named after Sugarhill Records Founder, Sylvia Robinson in Englewood, NJ where the Sugarhill Records office once use to be. 

After hearing his idea, he told me some of the cities that he have reach out to several cities in an effort to get the proclamations in these different cities. 

In 2015, August 11th Hip Hop Recognition Day became official in New York City. The combined efforts of McCarthy and then Public Advocate Leticia James made this an official day  in NYC when James signed the Proclamation. Happy BORNDAY Hip Hop.  

“I have reached out to mayors in different cities coast to coast,” says LeRoy McCarthy, a Cheyney University graduate now living in New York. He is the force behind this effort to recognize hip hop and says he’s requested and received proclamations from Philadelphia, Oakland, California, Englewood and Newark, New Jersey, and two boroughs in New York. But he wants to take it nationwide. Honoring hip-hop would show to the communities where hip-hop historically comes from, and that the city, government, law enforcement has respect for their art and culture.” 

You can read about McCarthy's efforts (here)