Fast Forward - Retro

After high school, I was fortunate to spend the years 1978 to 1993 in New York City and surrounding provinces -- moving all the time between new apartments art galleries among friends on subway trains transported through the beats of gospel, jazz, reggae, rap -- and the cultural presence now known as hip hop. Arriving from Motown, I have to admit that Harlem, Brooklyn, the boogie down Bronx, Queens, and (ok) Staten Island's dress, slang, and expressive forms were to new to me -- even queer. Afterall, what was all this braggadocio posturing, graffiti vandalism, and spinning around on the head out in the public space? And most of all, who were these no-name, non-Marvin Gaye crooners rockin' the mike? Ohmygod, wassup? It was funky though. Run DMC, LL, Slick, Lyte, mixed in with some New Jack Swing. Downtown had punk. Uptown had the makings of a form that still lays sway on kids of the kids of the kids of the rap revolution.  This month UC Riverside's Sweeney Art Gallery features a po-mo reflection on the legacy of Hip Hop iconography in Uncovered: A Pageant of Hip Hop Masters. This living exhibit at the interstices of performance and painting allows participants to integrate themselves into a new conception of visual memory. The project is the brainchild of Rickerby Hinds, professor of theater at UCR -- local Hip Hop-theater innovator and advocate.  Some of the albums being considered for the living tableaux include Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa, Run-DMC and LL Cool J. Check out a clip > here <  July 23 - August 1 at UCR SAG  www.artsblock.ucr.edu