The Rap Up: Celebrating 50 Years of Hip-Hop

The Rap Up: Panelists & Special Guests

Charlie Ahearn is an American filmmaker, video artist, author, freelance writer, radio host, and creator of the seminal hip-hop film Wild Style.

Fab 5 Freddy is a pioneering artist and an architect of the street art movement; the bridge between the uptown rap scene and the downtown No Wave art scene; the original host of Yo! MTV Raps; and one of the creators of Wild Style.

Grand Wizzard Theodore is regarded as the creator of the scratch and needle drop techniques still in use by DJs today. He is featured in the first hip-hop movie, Wild Style, as well as the movie Scratch, and his life story was detailed in the Netflix series The Get Down. He travels around the world teaching hip-hop classes and playing venues. He is a recipient of the Vanguard Lifetime Achievement Award, Rane Best Performer Award, DMC DJ Hall Of Fame Award, and others.

April Walker is the creator of Walker Wear, one of the world’s most influential fashion houses, who shaped the multibillion dollar streetwear industry working with Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Aaliyah, Shaquille O’Neal, Wu-Tang Clan, Hype Williams, and more. 

Vikki Tobak is the author of Contact High: A Visual History Of Hip-Hop, Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History, and The Streets Win. Her work has appeared in Complex, Rolling Stone, The FADER, ESPN’s The Undefeated, The Library of Congress, and more.

5001 Flavors, established by husband and wife duo Guy and Sharene Wood, has been behind the fashion and style of athletes, celebrities, and local and global notables within hip-hop and beyond for over 31 years. They have styled The Notorious B.I.G., DJ Khaled, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, NAS, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Jalen Rose, Lebron James, CC Sabathia, Colin Kapernick, Kim Kardashian, and many more. They are joined by their son Guy Wood, Jr., partner and head designer of Billionaire New York; Kells Barnett, marketing director and partner; and Ashlee Muhammad, founder of Beeyeconic, style curator of Harlem Haberdashery, and stylist for 5001 Flavors.

DJ Spinna is a world-renowned DJ, producer, remixer, label head, curator, and influencer. He has a steadfast work ethic; an obsessively extensive vinyl library; and the willingness to pursue the full extent of his musical roots, foundation, and future without any restraints.

Jiggz (Ramon Silverio) is a b-boy from Queens and co-founder of the Supreme Beingz Crew. He has performed with hip-hop legends Kurtis Blow, Big Daddy Kane, and Talib Kweli, while mentoring dancers in Queens to continually cultivate the New York City breaking scene.

Patti “Dooks” Morris is a hip-hop dancer, writer, and producer originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, who trained with b-boy pioneers while working at PAPER Magazine’s art department. She has written about the collision of breaking, underground arts, and skateboarding, and bore witness to the birth of street brands like Supreme. 

TweetBoogie, always reppin’ the South Bronx, has worked with ‪Janet Jackon, Jay-Z‬, ‪LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Nicki Minaj, and 50 Cent. She has hosted MTV's "Dances From Tha Hood" and even taught Oprah and Gail some moves as a guest choreographer on The OPRAH Show. 

Break Easy (Richard Santiago), originally from the “Los Sures” area of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, began representing the "Breaking in Style" (B.I.S.) crew in 1979. He currently teaches breaking, rocking, and uprock—the root of b-boying—to a new generation of b-boys & b-girls.

Datwon Thomas, a Brooklyn native, is the editor-in-chief of VIBE Magazine, the Vice President of Cultural Media for Penske Media Corporation, and is a proud Seward Park Library alum. He has been featured as an entertainment lifestyle expert on VH1 and various BET and MTV specials, and has been a consulting producer for the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Academy of Country Music Awards, and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.

Mickey Factz is a world-class master MC from Staten Island and the founder of Pendulum Ink. His 15-year career has constantly elevated the culture with ideas and innovation, helping artists develop a direct path to enhancing their skills and understanding the business. He provides access to industry experts and leads classes in rap theory, lyrical and literary technique, content creation, branding, mental health, and more.

Syreeta Gates is the founder of The Gates Preserve, a multimedia experience company committed to archiving and preserving hip-hop culture. She is also the producer of “Yo Stay Hungry,” a live culinary competition bridging hip-hop with food and beverage. She is the co-owner of Most Incredible Studio, which elevates and defines hip-hop culture through LEGO, and was featured as the first black woman on LEGO Masters US.

James Peterson, PhD, is a writer and educator who has authored books including The Hip-Hop Underground and African American Culture, Prison Industrial Complex for Beginners, and Hip-Hop Headphones: A Scholar’s Critical Playlist. He is a columnist for The Philadelphia Citizen and has written for Fortune, Newsweek, The Guardian, The LA Times, Reuters, The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, and The Grio.

Cory Gunz is a rapper from the Bronx who was signed by Tommy Mottola to Casablanca Records and Def Jam Recordings at age 14. He has been featured on tracks with Rihanna, Lil Wayne, Busta Rhymes, Charlie Rock, Mack Maine, Wiz Khalifa, and Juicy J, among others.

Olga Correa is a graffiti artist and designer from the South Bronx. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she has designed for clients including J. Crew, Lord & Taylor, Bugle Boy, and New York City-based department stores. She has exhibited work at AAA3A, Wallworks, James Top NYC Graffiti Center, Bronx Art Space, ARI’s Art Space (Chicago), Allen Street Art Space, Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education, Leake Street Gallery (London), and more.