In the early seventies, in the community room of 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, a young man named Clive Campbell started throwing parties centered around a new type of music: hip-hop. Known at the time as D.J. Kool Herc, Campbell and his parties played a key role in the early development of the genre. Lately, as squabbles over the mortgage on the building have led to disrepair and neglect on the part of owners, residents have worried for the structure’s future. But with a recent sale of the mortgage (with much help from city agencies) it looks like the so-called “birthplace of hip-hop” may be saved. [NYT]
