Rubble Kings reveals the history behind the birth of hip-hop culture. Produced by Shan Nicholson (http://shannicholson.com), Rubble Kings is a comprehensive documentation of the life of street gangs in the ghetto of New York City from 1968 to 1975. It tells the story of how few forgotten people did the impossible, and how their actions impacted the world for generations to come by giving birth to hip-hop culture.

From 68 to 75 Gangs ruled new york, Peace came only through the most unlikely and courageous of events that would change the world for generations to come by giving birth to hip-hop culture.this is a must watch for everyone to see how it really was for us and how this all came about. how it transitioned from gang violence, death into different kinds of expression, all that hate and anger into elements of hip hop, still a cry for help and we still battled it out from djaying, breakin to graffiti for a title but the colors came off.this is the real deal doc coming..the voice of the voiceless. You will hear about other gangs similiar to black spades aka zulu nation (respect) there were many gangs such as dirty ones, la familia, the dirty riders ect terrorizing the tri state area, we lived it and we are still here to talk about it including me. some never made it out because sadly drugs was another way out of reality, rip. hip hop changed many lives, my life! Hip Hop Is Pure, hip hop is you, hip hop is me! Respect!

Joe Bataan never gets much mention or credit in hip hop so here you go..rap o clap o, everybody get ready for disco rap 1979 that came out in the same year as rappers delight.

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​Dessa was once known as one Margret Wander, a philosophy major and technical writer from Minneapolis.

But after joining the campus slam poetry team, Wander evolved into hip-hop diva Dessa and quickly gained the attention of her hometown's music collective known as Doomtree. Of course, it didn't hurt that Dessa's boyfriend was Doomtree's founder and ranking artist Stefon Alexander, aka P.O.S. Although no longer a couple, the pair is currently on tour together, and, along with Astronautalis, they'll stop by Hailey's tonight for a gig in Denton.

Dessa's recently issued, full-length debut, A Badly Broken Code, is the reason for her appearance tonight and it's an impressive collection of inventive hip-hop. Using unusual instrumentation (sampled strings and clarinets) to set the beats, Dessa raps with uncommon tact as she actually sings rather than shouts.

Speaking from a tour stop in Los Vegas, Dessa let us in on her imaginative mind.

Who gets to call you Margret these days?
I have one uncle who calls me Margret. My last name is Wander and the word "dessa" means "wander" in Greek. Of course, I didn't know that until after I choose the stage name.

How many other hip-hop artists have a college degree in philosophy?
I might be one of the few. Every so often, I find out that some artist has a degree in some field that is as equally intellectual and I hadn't heard about it until I read it as part of their bio. I imagine there may be more of us out there than people imagine. I would venture to say that I may be the only female hip-hop artist with a degree in philosophy, though.

Why does the hip-hop genre have so few female artists?
I'm not sure exactly why. I know that the scene is dominated by guys. I know that, by and large, it's been an art form that has been characterized in a lot of male ways for the length of its history. Perhaps, in the coming years, there will be more female emcees.

Does it feel special to come from a city that has as rich musical heritage as Minneapolis does?
Absolutely. We have really permeable genres in the city. Mixed bills are really common where you will have a hip-hop act playing with an indie rock act and an instrumental ensemble. That's not unusual in our city--and in a lot of other markets that would be asking a lot of an audience.

How cool is it to be part of the Doomtree collective?
I don't know if I would be doing what I am doing now if it weren't for Doomtree. Those guys have been a huge part of making this career as attractive as it is to me. Those bands have also been a big part of shaping the aesthetic that I am interested in.

How important is it for you to actually sing on your records?
I think, initially, I was actually apprehensive about singing too much because I was afraid some hip-hoppers might write me off. Now, I love having the opportunity to decide which format would be better for a given line, whether to sing it or to rap it. My favorite rappers don't yell. I don't do it. I don't like performances that lack nuance and dynamics. My favorite rappers exercise a lot more control.

The video for the first single from the album, "Dixon's Girl," has some very disturbing imagery. How much input did you have in that video?
It's a dark video. I've made four videos for the album with two of them yet released. Working on a Doomtree budget, which is actually a shoestring budget, you give your disc to a series of directors and they develop treatments for the songs that they select. I think the director got a dark feel from some of the samples in that song. He drafted his own vision for the video that is a complement, but the video does not narrate the lyrics to that song.

You have published a book of nonfiction (Spiral Bound). Do you have another book in the works?
I do. It's way too early to title it, but I did anyway. It's called A Perfect Burn and it's about a trip I took to India where I visited a cremation fire. I hope to have it finished this year.

Dessa performs at Hailey's tonight with P.O.S. and Astronautalis
source: DallasObserver

The notorious Black Spades (precursors to Hip Hop) was once the largest and most feared gang in New York City. Hailing from the Bronx, the Spades had as their warlord, Hip Hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Black Spades later became the Zulu Nation in the late 1970s, and then the Universal Zulu Nation, in the 1980s. Times were also changing, and block dance parties and clubs were becoming more popular. The beginnings of Hip hop culture began to form in these dance venues, and as gang members and former gang members started getting involved in more Hip Hop activities, involvement in the gangs declined. Davey D caught up with many of the members including original leader Bam Bam who gave Bambaataa his name.