Skip to main content

Who is the creator of the 1st Hip Hop TV Show debuting in 1984 "Graffiti Rock." ?

3/10 Next Mobile Mondays! we welcome Michael Holman - pioneer in the downtown NYC Art Scene & Hip Hop Scene & creator of the 1st Hip Hop TV Show debuting in 1984 "Graffiti Rock."
Watch an episode of history with The NYC Breakers, Run DMC,
Shannon, Special K & Kool Moe Dee! Even Debi Mazar is a dancer!



Graffiti Rock was a hip-hop based television program, originally screened June 29, 1984. Intended as an on-going series, the show only received one pilot episode and aired on WPIX channel 11 in New York City and 88 markets around the country, to good Nielsen ratings.

Graffiti Rock resembled a hip hop version of the popular television dance shows at the time such as Soul Train and American Bandstand. The show was created and hosted by Michael Holman, who was the manager of the popular break-dancing crew, the New York City Breakers.
The episode features Run-D.M.C., Shannon, The New York City Breakers, DJ Jimmie Jazz and Kool Moe Dee and Special K of the Treacherous Three. The New York City Breakers, who were fresh off of their success from the movie Beat Street, made a showcase appearance. The episode also features television and film actress, Debi Mazar and actor/director Vincent Gallo as dancers on the show.



A segment of the show was sampled on The Beastie Boys' LP Ill Communication. "[...] alright, you're scratchin it right now, cut the record back and forth against the needle, back and forth, back and forth, make it scratch, but let me tell you something don't try this at home on your dad's stereo only under hip-hop supervision, alright?" The show has since become an important 'must-see' for hip-hop enthusiasts, alongside such titles as Wild Style and Beat Street.

In the video for the Non Phixion and Arsonists song "14 Years Of Rap", a set very similar to the one on Graffiti Rock was used. In the beginning of the video the words "Graffiti Rock" can be seen and also heard in the sample.

Graffiti Rock was recently parodied by Gnarls Barkley in the music video for their 2008 music video single "Run (I'm a Natural Disaster)" from the album The Odd Couple, featuring Justin Timberlake.

Holman was inspired to use the title Graffiti Rock, by a live, hip hop event in the Lower East Side of New York City, created by Henry Chalfant years earlier, also called Graffiti Rock.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Happy Hannukkah ⭐ BEAT x Blavity šŸ’Ž Happy Birthday James! šŸŽ‚

  BEAT logo on white background with black, blue, yellow, and red lines and arrows forming the letters B-E-A-T. Bridging Education & Art Together is in black text below the logo. Happy Hanukkah! A candlelight menorah between two blue stars of David with the words Happy Hanukkah in front. Today's the fifth night of  Hanukkah  and BEAT would like to wish everyone who's observing a happy and safe celebration.  Spin those dreidels and collect all those chocolate coins! But as the days go by and you light your menorah, don't forget to "light up" the days of your loved ones with joy and laughter as this turbulent year comes to an end.    Happy Hanukkah! Free Breakers Program for NYC Youth It's the season of giving and BEAT has some exciting news! We're offering a  FREE  4-Day BEAT Breakers Workshop for NYC students ages 7-18 years old. With schools closing for break, BEAT wants to make sure students still have access to fun and engaging ou...

Welcoming Women's History Month ā­ļø

Welcome March Happy National Women's History Month Women's History Month is a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture and society. The United States has observed it annually throughout the month of March since 1987. BEAT Global is proud to have served and worked with many women all over the world. We will continue to spread the joy of music to everyone regardless of race, gender, ability or disability.  Happy Cerebral Palsy Awarness Month Cerebral palsy is a neurological disability, a condition marked by impaired muscle coordination (spastic paralysis) and/or other disabilities, typically caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. This affects thousands of children and adults worldwide. March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, which allows us to celebrate and educate others about the disorder. BEAT Global is proud to have created a safe space where people of all abilities can feel...

7 Reasons why becoming a member of Beat365 rocks.

As you already might know I go by the alias Undakova (Undercover) and I am beat maker, DJ and MC here in NYC. I have been producing hip hop beats since the 90s and have produced my own hip hop instrumentals for my album created here in New York City. I often get asked by R & B artist and MCs "Can you produce some beats for my album?" One day the question popped up in my head "Where does an artist find great sounding Hip hop, r&b and rap beats that sound so good you play them in your car for fun as well as record song after song with them?" If an artist doesn't have a friend or business partner who is a producer or know how to/ want to produce beats on there own spare time (which can take a lot of time and money) where does he/she find a complete collection of hip hop beats? Well the answer is simple. . . . To find Hip hop, r&b and rap beats that sound so good you play them in your car for fun as well as record song after song with them go to Beats365...