From left, Al Pizarro with Sal Abbatiello, president of Fever Records, and Big Jeff.
On Aug. 10, Hip Hop Blvd celebrated
Bronx Hip Hop Day and honored
the borough’s pioneers. The
event was held at Con Sofrito and
sponsored by Hip Hop Blvd, The Fever,
Humanity Coalition, Mikey
Likes It Ice Cream, Kredit Koncepts
and INC Incarcerated Nation.
Honorees included Coke La Rock,
Gail Hall (DJ Flame), Debbie Dee,
Reggie Reg, Sal Abbatiello, Johnny
Wa, DJ Cut King, Speedy D, B Boy
London and Kid Freeze. Each honoree
received a Citation of Merit from
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz
Jr.
Coke La Rock is often one of the
handful of names brought up when
thinking of the fi rst MC’s of hip hop.
Gail Hall (DJ Flame) was inducted
into the Hip Hop Hall of Fame with
The Mercedes Ladies, the fi rst all female
DJ/MC crew from the Bronx.
Debbie Dee is considered one of the
matriarchs of hip hop since the late
’70s. Reggie Reg is an original founding
member of The Crash Crew. Sal
Abbatiello is the president of Fever
Records, which includes concert promotions,
night clubs and artist management.
B Boy London, of The NYC
Breakers, was the fi rst hip-hop group
to performed for President Ronald
Reagan at his Inaugural Gala in the
1980s. Johnny Wa was a part of the
Harlem-based group called the Magnifi
cent Seven.
These names are just a few but the
list goes on concerning the impact
that these honorees have had on hip
hop. The point in this is to confi rm
that they all have a story. In the words
of Sha Rock, “Your story is just as important
as mine.”
And hip hop is a creation and blend
of amazing people whose names need
to be remembered.
-Jewel Webber
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,26 AUG. 20-26, 2021 BTR
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
UNVEIL NEW PLAYGROUND MURAL
A new mural painted by middle school students was unveiled on Aug. 11, 2021.
Photos courtesy John DeSio
Students from PS 66 and Fannie Lou Hamer
Middle School take part in a ribbon-cutting
ceremony to showcase the schools’ new
playground mural.
On Wednesday, Aug. 11, sixth-, seventh- and
eighth-grade students from both Fannie
Lou Hamer Middle School and P.S. 66 –where
Phipps Neighborhoods hosts Summer Rising
and after school programs — unveiled a
new mural in the schools’ shared play yard.
The mural was co-painted and co-designed
by the two schools’ students. The students
worked diligently through July and August
to complete the mural, working alongside
Savannah Zambrano, a teaching artist from
Thrive Collective, to create an image inspired
by the power of Bronx youth activists
and Fannie Lou Hamer’s guiding words, “nobody’s
free until everybody’s free.”
On Saturday, Aug. 7, the Baychester Residents Association, L+M Development Partners and
C+C Apartment Management co-hosted the second annual Baychester Houses Family Day
celebration at the development’s courtyard at 1881 Schieffelin Place. Over 150 residents and
local community members participated in the event, which had been canceled last year due
to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event featured food, fun and games including a water
slide that was enjoyed by many children on the hot day. Attendees included New York State
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman,
state Sen. Jamaal Bailey and City Councilman Kevin Riley.
New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie joins the Baychester Houses for Family Day
on Aug. 7, 2021. Photo courtesy John DeSio
From left, Al Pizarro, co-founder Hip-Hop BLVD NYC; Coke La Rock; Petewana; Johnny-Wa; Cut
King; Scratch Masta Jazzy G; and Eddie “Boo Black” Rivera.
Photos Jewel Webber
BAYCHESTER HOUSES SECOND FAMILY DAY
Borough honors pioneers
at Bronx Hip Hop Day