Views From The Bronx ft. Will Porter

Welcome to the Bronx, the undisputed birthplace of the most popular music genre, Hip-Hop. This episode features Will Porter—battle rapper and actor from Bronx, NY. “Before it was a global movement, it was simply an expression of life and struggle: a culture that was synonymous with hardship and suffering, but also grit, resilience and creativity. Hip-hop rose from the ashes of a borough ablaze with poverty, urban decay and gang violence. It was music that “had the sound of a city in collapse, but also had an air of defiance,” said Mark Naison, history professor at Fordham University in the Bronx. Block parties and the various elements of hip-hop served as an outlet for creativity and an escape from the hardships of daily life.” -Noreen Nasir, 2023, The Associated Press (AP)