A building in Bronx, New York, which has been recognized as the birthplace of the hip-hop music genre, has been saved from a plan that would have made it too costly for current residents to remain there, reports the Associated Press.
Since last year, the legendary DJ Kool Herc has actively helped tenants oppose the building owner’s plans to remove the building from an affordable housing program.
During the 1970s, Kool Herc began what was later to be called “hip-hop,” by spinning records at parties in the building’s basement recreation room. Since then, hip-hop has become a worldwide phenomenon.
The 100-unit apartment building — located at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue — has been deemed eligible to be listed on national and state registers of historic sites.
