Hip-hop did not become the worldwide phenomenon it is today by being unorganized. In order to bring together all the elements of hip-hop culture, Disc jockey Afrika Bambaataa founded the first hip-hop organization, The Universal Zulu Nation, on Nov. 12, 1973.
This week, the Universal Zulu Nation, an organization dedicated to preserving hip-hop culture, is having a celebration stretching from Wednesday, Nov. 6, to Sunday, Nov. 10, in New York City in honor of their 40-year-anniversary.
The Universal Zulu Nation has chapters all over the world dedicated to the protection and celebration of hip-hop culture by teaching knowledge, truth and understanding. Dr. Shaka Zulu, the Zulu Nation's minister of defense and health, said this is more than an anniversary celebration.
"Hip-hop is the mecca of the Universal Zulu Nation," Dr. Zulu said. "For our anniversary, we are celebrating all elements of hip-hop. Hip-hop is our revolution, and revolution is our evolution. We are inviting everyone to celebrate with us."
Hip-hop culture was originally based on four elements: DJ-ing, emcee-ing, breaking and graffiti. In later years, Boogie Down Productions emcee KRS-One added five new elements to the list: Beat-boxing, fashion, street language, entrepreneurship and knowledge.
Each of the nine hip-hop elements can be traced to ancient African culture, according to the Universal Zulu Nation. Members feel the element of knowledge is most important, because it allows people to become more open-minded.
When hip-hop first emerged in the South Bronx in the summer of 1973, it was seen as a fad by its skeptics. Not only did hip-hop prove the skeptics wrong by standing the test of time, it took the world by storm. From the clothes you wear to the movies you watch, you couldn't avoid hip-hop even if you tried. Movies, television, fashion and comedy all draw influences from the genre. Regardless of how you feel about it, hip-hop is part of our everyday lives.
Even as hip-hop gained worldwide popularity, and the masses began to self-identify with the culture, it took 28 years for hip-hop to be officially recognized. On May 16, 2001, more than 300 people gathered at the U.N. in New York City for the signing of the "Hip-Hop Declaration of Peace," a document acknowledging hip-hop as a certified international culture of peace and prosperity based on 18 principles.
Many hip-hop pioneers were in attendance, including Chuck D, KRS-One, MC Lyte and Grandmaster Flash. Minister Server, 48, a spiritual adviser for the Zulu Nation and the Temple of Hip-Hop, was also in attendance during the signing and said the document had a significant place in world history.
"Never in world history has a culture had a global impact in less than 40 years, without force," Server said. "Hip-Hop is a Higher Infinite Power Healing Our People designed to better ourselves, it is not the negative images portrayed in the media."
Server and the members of the Universal Zulu Nation want to debunk the popular misconception that hip-hop is the same as the negative rap music portrayed in the media.
"Rap is something you do, hip-hop is something you live," Server said. "Hip-hop is more than rap. It has existed before the rap industry. We don't need the industry to define who we are. If we do, we know what light they'll try to portray us in. We can't box hip-hop into just rap. We're always growing and evolving."
Hip-hop did grow and evolve faster than most cultures. MC Globe, an original member of Afrika Bambaataa, the Soulsonic Force and the Zulu Nation, said hip-hop would not have achieved as much success in the little time it did without the Zulu Nation.
"We sacrificed a lot to make this happen, and we have a lot to do with the success," MC Globe said. "From the beginning of time, there has always been competition. Hip-hop is no exception. What we did is we used the element of knowledge to express ourselves. To be honest, hip-hop would have eventually gotten to where it is today, but it would have taken a lot longer without us."
Many Zulu Nation members see their 40-year anniversary as a blessing. Even though hip-hop has achieved much success over little time, the Universal Zulu Nation feels there is more work to be done.
As KRS-One said about the culture in his 2007 collaboration album with Marley Marl, "Hip-Hop Lives," "We will be here forever. We will still be here forever. Get what I'm saying? Forever."
Reach the reporter cmgaray@asu.edu of follow him on Twitter @ghost1effect
