(AllHipHop News) The Universal Hip Hop Museum and Mass Appeal have teamed up for the “Hip Hop Loves NY” benefit event which will stream live on YouTube on April 23 at 6-9 pm ET. The special simulcast will honor healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight in New York.
“New York has become the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rocky Bucano, Executive Director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum. “It has shed light on the health and economic disparities in Black and Brown communities as African Americans and Latinos are dying at a disproportionately higher rate.”
Bucano adds, “This is a result of underlying health issues and major economic gaps in our city. The courage and the tenacity of the frontline healthcare workers serving in the most vulnerable populations is nothing short of heroic. We wanted to do something special to recognize their sacrifice and bring little levity during this historic health crisis. This is how Hip Hop says thank you.”
Ice-T, Kurtis Blow, Mike Epps, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Biz Markie, Dave East, Chuck D, Kid ‘n Play, Sugar Hill Gang, Big Daddy Kane, and more acts are scheduled to appear. Hip Hop legend Ralph Daniels of Video Music Box is set to host.
New York State Assemblyman Michael Blake, NYC Deputy Mayor Phillip Thompson, Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and NYC Public Advocate Jumanne Williams are also part of the lineup. Proceeds raised from “Hip Hop Loves NY” will be donated to SOMOS Community Care and The Bronx Community Relief Effort.
Assemblyman Blake offers, “The Bronx Community Relief Effort was created to help the people of The Bronx rise from this challenging time and what better way to get back on our feet than through Hip Hop to support our Healthcare Heroes who stand up for us every single day.”
He continues, “We know that The Bronx has Hip Hop Heroes, but, we also have Healthcare Heroes who need to be celebrated. From Montefiore to Lincoln Hospital, from St. Barnabas to Bronxcare, that one beat or perfect verse might give the energy to our Nurses, doctors, maintenance workers, clerical aides, hospital staff, patients and their families to press on for one more day.”
“Hip Hop Loves NY” is being amplified by the live streaming & video creation platform Socialive. The company’s founder/CEO, David Moricca, states, “One of the challenges of COVID-19 is how to stay connected without physically being connected. In trying times like these, that connection is more important than ever. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with the Universal Hip Hop Museum and Mass Appeal to provide a complete enterprise that can distribute live streaming video to multiple social media platforms in real-time — and to use the power of video to celebrate and support our frontline workers.”