Brain Rot: Hip Hop Family Tree, Fab 5 Freddy meets Blondie (with Basquiat and The Clash)

Read the rest of the Hip Hop Family Tree comics!

As an aside, I recently got the printers proofs for my graphic novel, Wizzywig. It's starting to feel real!

 

• [benher]

  Congrats! Can’t wait to see the finished product!

• [william shannon]

  RIP FROSTY FREEZE

• [Nadreck]

  What a great history lesson!  It’s like when I learned what the lyrics to  ”Yankee Doodle” meant!

• [noah django]

  and 18 years later, Ms. Harry collected her props due:  http://thefindmag.com/wp-content/uploads/XXL-A-Great-Day-In-Hip-Hop.jpg (to the left of the left column of people, in line with the window sills, wearing shades)

  that’s from the gatefold.  here’s the cover for reference.  no big online pictures of the whole thing for some reason  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3089/2742039216_9d6eaa97c2.jpg

  • [Ed Piskor]

     There’s a great 3 part video on Youtube documenting that amazing photoshoot. My favorite thing about the series is how we see the true fan of hip hop that Mos Def is. He’s completely out of his mind being in the same place as many of his heroes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLc-yNJEjZI

    • [noah django]

       Dude, around 94 my school showed the documentary “A Great Day In Harlem.”  Being a jazz fan, I attended.  Then, in 98, I’m grocery shopping and I see that cover.  Instantly, I understand the magnitude of what I’m seeing.  Then I pick it up and it’s a gigantic gatefold?  Oh, man!  Flash and Herc centered on the cover part, with Rakim centered in the gatefold with a gangster-assed shadow thrown over his grill?  Completely bananas.  The photo has been prominently displayed in each of my residences since.

      As for Mos, I followed his career very closely for many years (I’m old now, so not recently.)  I knew he was the truth since he first spoke “See, this thing called rhymin/no different than coal mining/we both on assignment/to un-earth a diamond” (before he reprised the line on the Blackstar album)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlsDPN-Tjks   And I even had records with him before that.  Yeah, he’s a piece of the whole puzzle, all right:  COMPLICATED!

      I’m fixing to watch that doc you posted now.  Thanks for that, and thanks for the comics.  It’s rare I read anything about hip hop that I haven’t already researched myself (or indeed experienced myself,) and you’re doing it every strip, Ed!

• [Ed Piskor]

  Ugh. I’m so bummed. As of just a few days ago, they started charging for the TV Party documentary on youtube, but, they still have the Halloween episode freely available, with Fred dressed as a nickel bag. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96zjqpyH78Y

• [JammitTimmaj]

  It now makes sense:
  Fab Five Freddie told me everybody’s fly
  DJ’s spinning I said my, my
  Flash is fast, Flash is cool
  Francois sais pas, Flashe no deux

• [Chang Terhune]

  This strip is my favorite thing about Tuesdays.  Keep on keeping’ it real and keep on keeping’ it comin’!

• [Jonathan Zwickel]

  Goosebumps from this one.