Hip-hop was born in the Bronx amid poverty, despair. 50 years later, there’s pride, still hard times

By NOREEN NASIR
Associated Press

BRONX, NEW YORK (AP) — Hip-hop was born in the Bronx, rising from the ashes of a borough ablaze with poverty, urban decay and gang violence. From breaking to graffiti “writing” to MC-ing or rapping, the block parties and various elements of hip-hop served as an outlet for creativity and an escape from the hardships of daily life. The movement expanded beyond the Bronx, across New York City and to different parts of the country. Today, it is a multi-billion-dollar global industry built off of the authenticity of struggling through poverty and urban blight, but the borough where it all began has yet to benefit in any meaningful way from the industry. Fifty years later, The Bronx is still the poorest part of New York City.