When Netflix aired
The Get Down this summer, the story of the Boogie Down Bronx and the birth of hip-hop hit a whole new audience and generation. However, those older than a typical Millennial would have noticed that they saw that story before and told in a neo-realism fashion in 1983 with
Wild Style. The DIY film chronicled that birth of hip-hop in the South Bronx and featured members of the scene like
Fab Five Freddy, Lee Quiñones, Lady Pink, The Rock Steady Crew, The Cold Crush Brothers, Queen Lisa Lee of Zulu Nation, Grandmaster Flash and
Zephyr. Wild Style became the document to what tagging, graffiti, lyricism, dancing and break beats -- all the elements one needs for a crew. The film tells the story of Zorro, a Bronx artist who encounters Virginia, a Manhattan journalist, and shows her what hip-hop is like in an era when no one had heard of it before. The film and it's soundtrack ignited a whole new generation in the 80s and inspired many like
Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Cypress Hill to start their careers.
