Why The Bronx Deserves Its Credit in Hip-Hop

In an interview with Billboard Magazine, filmmaker Sacha Jenkins talks about why he believes The Bronx deserves its credit in Hip-Hop.

Well for starters, we know it started here in The Bronx, there’s no denying that arose from that movement over 40 years ago on that fateful August Summer day in 1973.

They don’t understand the culture that was cultivated in the Bronx.

Billboard asks and Jenkins replies:

Do you believe the South Bronx receives its just due in regards to its global impact through hip-hop?

Okay, so you’re trying to start something. [Laughs.] Just as a side note, I’ve had this conversation. The Bronx deserves all the credit in the world for helping people to understand that hip-hop was a culture. It was vibrant. Hip-hop involved a lot of different people, many from the West Indies, or Latinos, and many African Americans. The Bronx represents that. Also, it helped people understand that hip-hop is a culture unto itself. That deserves respect.

Now if you are talking about rap, just pure success, and influence of rap… I gotta tell you; Queens is number one! People want to shit on Queens, but I do not even need to run down the list of influential rappers. They all come from Queens. A lot of them from Brooklyn, and some from the Bronx.

Does the Bronx get its just due for its contributions? Unfortunately, young people do not look at that. They look at rap culture now. They’re not looking at hip-hop culture. Kids now don’t think about the hip-hop that I grew up on. [The hip-hop] that existed before there was recorded music. That was something that I experienced as a kid in the park.

They do not see it that way. They see jewelry and cars. They see Instagram models, and rappers going at each other through social media. They don’t understand the culture that was cultivated in the Bronx. I am acknowledging that the Bronx did not get the credit it deserves in the modern era. Those who are educated and understand where hip-hop comes from know that the Bronx deserves most of the credit.

Read the full interview over at Billboard.