Dr. Craig Wilkins - Photo by: Art X Detroit

(W)rapped Space - The Architecture of Hip Hop

November 12, 2014

If you want to know what hip hop architecture is all about, I suggest you start with one of the first individuals to do extensive publications on the concept, Dr. Craig Wilkins. His article, "Warped Space: The Architecture of Hip Hop" published in the Journal of Architectural Education was heavily quoted during my graduate design thesis titled "Cultural Innovation: Hip Hop Inspired Architecture" completed almost ten years ago. Click the "download" link below to read the article.

Buppies, B-Boys, Baps and Bohos: Notes on Post-Soul Black Culture Photo by: BMB Graphics

Hip Hop Book of the Week - Nelson George's, "Buppies, B-Boys, Baps and Bohos"

October 19, 2014

I'm sure you've heard people say you must always "cite" your sources, well, I'm taking it one step further as I "sight" my sources during this continuous series titled, "Hip Hop Book of the Week". This impromptu shot was taken with a group of daring, unknown skateboarders. The guy jumping overhead actually wanted to read the book as he made the jump, my conscious would not let him do it. Side note...I miss my high top fade!

Kouyate Toure with Dr. Craig WIlkins' "The Aesthetics of Equity - Notes on Race, Space, Architecture and Music"

Hip Hop Book of The Week - The Aesthetics of Equity - Dr. Craig Wilkins

October 6, 2014

Dr. Craig WIlkins' "The Aesthetics of Equity - Notes on Race, Space, Architecture and Music"

"Architecture is often thought to be a diary of a society, filled with symbolic representations of specific cultural moments. However, as Craig L. Wilkins observes, that diary includes far too few narratives of the diverse cultures in U.S. society. Wilkins states that the discipline of architecture has a resistance to African Americans at every level, from the startlingly small number of architecture students to the paltry number of registered architects in the United States today.

"The Hip Hop Wars" by Tricia Rose - Photo by BMR Photography and Michael Ford

Hip Hop Book of The Week - The Hip Hop Wars by Tricia Rose

September 15, 2014

Hip Hop Book of The Week - Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been

March 24, 2014

With the current buzz surrounding AIA's (American Institute of Architects) announcement of Pharrell Williams as one of the keynote speakers at the 2014 AIA National Convention in Chicago, I had to give everyone a quick review of his book, "Pharrell: Places and Spaces I've Been".

Photo by: Bradlee Bertram and Michael Ford - Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop

Hip Hop Book of The Week

December 9, 2013

If you haven't read Jeff Chang's "Can't Stop Won't Stop" you are missing out on an amazing piece on the history of the hip hop generation. Chang delivers one of the most comprehensive pieces available depicting hip hop's growth from its infancy in the South Bronx to its global recognition. In his book, among other things, Chang describes the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway by Robert Moses as a pivotal moment leading to the creation of the environments which would eventually birth hip hop.

Grab you a copy here.