Two public library systems in New York City are celebrating hip-hop's 50th anniversary with limited-edition library cards, available Friday. While supplies last, patrons can walk into any New York Public Library branch to get their hands on a library card featuring the multicolored graffiti mural from the hip-hop film ‘Wild Style.” And in Queens Library branches, visitors can grab a royal purple card designed by streetwear pioneers the Shirt Kings.
Both institutions celebrated the impending release of their cards with separate gatherings in Manhattan and Queens on Thursday. In an appearance at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library President Anthony Marx said he hopes people will use the cards at the Schomburg to learn about hip-hop through the collection of graffiti artist and cultural figure Fab 5 Freddy, which is held there.
“The Library is hip,” Marx said. “We want the kids who are looking for hip-hop to come in and use us. And those who are like me and remember 50 years ago, who are celebrating the anniversary, we want you in as well.”
“Wild Style” director Charlie Ahearn, mural artist Sharp, Fab 5 Freddy and fashion icon Dapper Dan were among the first people to receive their cards. Sharp says the cards show how far an artform that once was shunned has come.
“Us being young people who essentially started out painting trains illegally, not a lot of people thought that what we did had a lot of value,” Sharp said. “Over the course of years, we eked out an existence in the art world and sort of became revered and respected. The fact that this is on a card, which will circulate throughout New York City, is a symbolic testament to our contributions.”
The hip-hop commemorative card issued by the Queens Public Library system features a design by streetwear outfit The Shirt Kings.
In a departure from traditional library etiquette that demands quiet in the space, the Queens Public Library held a special event at its central location in Jamaica, offering guests the opportunity to get their cards a day early. Ralph McDaniels, who is an iconic New York City video director and the library’s hip-hop coordinator, stressed the importance of making sure the event and cards were community-centered.
“Without the community there’s no hip-hop,” McDaniels said. “The community is the designers, the dancers, the folks that come to the party. I think The Shirt Kings represent that in the biggest way.”
The Shirt Kings were known for integrating hip-hop elements into their clothing, with tops designed in the graffiti style. A number of people wore old customized T-shirts to the event.
“They do hip-hop stuff, but they also do the rest in peace shirts for the community,” McDaniels said. “That’s why they’re still loved in this community, and will always be.”
Longtime Queens resident Ryneld Curtis picked her card up at the gathering. She explained that although she already had a library card, she made it her business to grab a new one as a champion of hip-hop music.
“Hip-hop, when it was created, I don't think they expected it to be here as long as it's been here,” Curtis said. “I was actually here before the genre. So I feel like a little bit of ownership and a whole lot of loyalty to hip-hop. I'm up for anything hip-hop.”
Both the New York and Queens libraries will host grander events in August to continue the celebration.
The Queens Library will kick things off on Aug. 3 and 4 with a two-day summit at LaGuardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City, including a mixture of panels, exhibitions and workshops discussing the history and different elements of hip-hop.
Then on Aug. 5, the New York Public Library invites guests to the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building for “The Rap Up,” where conversation and culture will collide to explore the early days of hip-hop. Organizers said the day will end with a hip-hop themed edition of the Library’s annual Dance Party NYC. Brandy McNeil, deputy director of programs at the New York Public Library, says the goal is to expose people to history they never knew.
“That's what's really important to me, that people get to see that it's grown from being just where it started in the Bronx to being global,” she said.
The Brooklyn Public Library is also marking the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with a new exhibition, "The Book of HOV," that traces local celebrity Jay-Z's path from the Marcy Houses to global stardom. The multimedia exhibition, which was heralded by lyrics projected on the library's facade and an exclusive party on Thursday night, is now open to the public.
