"If you’ve listened to any hip-hop, you’ve probably heard mention of the “Four Elements” at some point. These elements — DJing, emceeing, b-boying (breakdancing), and grafitti — are considered the foundations of hip-hop culture. What you may not know is that these elements were first codified by Afrika Bambaataa, a gang member turned social activist from the Bronx. Bambaataa, who was also an innovator in the use of turntables as instruments, transformed his neighborhood gang into the Universal Zulu Nation, the world’s first hip-hop organization. The Zulus, now 37 years old, work to combine a fun atmosphere with a positive world view.
Here in Connecticut, Hartford resident Jose Camacho is at the center of the Zulu Nation’s 860 Chapter. Camacho, 32, is shy and soft-spoken; his slow, thoughtful cadence comes off more hippie than hip-hop. “I joined Zulu when I was 14. I was in middle school and I used to dance [to] house music when I was a kid. All the cool dancers joined Zulu Nation. Because of my age I had to lie a little bit — you had to be at least 15. At first I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought it was just a dance crew. But after a few years, going to New York, and meeting forefathers like KRS-1, Afrika Bambaataa … ” Camacho doesn’t finish the sentence, but the reverence in his tone makes the rest of the thought clear. He had stumbled upon a rabbit hole that led straight to hip-hop’s founding fathers."
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7th Annual Hartford Hip-Hop Festival
Free, Nov. 27, 2 p.m.-8 p.m., City Hall Atrium, 550 Main St., Hartford, www.facebook.com/HartfordZulu860
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