The third installment of the critically acclaimed Back to Tape series has music writer Niko Backspin exploring the foundations of the largest youth culture in the world in the US, where it all started. Xzibit, DJ Muggs (Cypress Hill), Tony Touch, Fame (M.O.P. ), Speech (Arrested Development), and many other musicians share their insights into the history of the largest youth culture in the world. With the movie, Porsche and Backspin magazine celebrate 50 years of hip-hop.
A historic party was thrown in the Bronx on August 11, 1973, by DJ Kool Herc. He made tracks using two turntables linked together, which his pals then rapped over and danced acrobatically to. It has been 50 years since that New York evening that is regarded as a pivotal turning point in the development of hip-hop youth culture.
A journey documented in two hours of film
In support of Back to Tape 3, a music journalist named Niko Backspin has set out on a tour across the United States, stopping along the way to speak with musicians in Atlanta, New York, and Los Angeles about their work and influences on culture. Backspin has been covering music for fifty years. The outcome is a nearly two-hour documentary that is now available to watch for free in the Porsche Newsroom as well as on YouTube (via the Backspin TV channel).
With the Taycan GTS in New York City
The documentary focuses on a value system characterized by respect, tolerance, and creative self-realization in addition to the four components of hip-hop—breakdancing, graffiti, rap, and DJing. Hip-hop inspired artists like Xzibit and DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill to overcome the constraints imposed by their social backgrounds and realize their aspirations in a self-determined manner. The same philosophy guides JC Hall's Hip-Hop Therapy initiative, which is depicted in the movie. In order to help underprivileged adolescents from the Bronx neighborhood of New York reintegrate into regular school life and teach them how to positively shape their lives, he uses hip-hop culture's therapeutic methods.
"For 50 years, the hip-hop movement has served as an example of respect, tolerance, and integration. As a result, it has influenced many generations and decades in terms of language, music, and fashion. But hip-hop is much more than that; it is a global coding system that unifies cultures, according to Niko Backspin. The fact that there are so many ways to commemorate it all is what makes it so lovely. We're setting the stage for that with Back to Tape.
According to Porsche AG Vice President of Communications, Sustainability, and Politics Sebastian Rudolph, "the hip-hop movement unites people from different linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds. For many years, it has been doing this sustainably. A crucial role is played by ideals like diversity, tolerance, and respect, all of which Porsche firmly embraces. For this reason, we are continuing our third round of sponsorship for Back to Tape.
To the origins of hip-hop culture in the USA
Backspin and Porsche have been committed to supporting hip-hop principles as a youth culture since 2018. The first Back to Tape article covered German hip-hop's development. Numerous industry honors, including the German Prize for Online Communication, were given to the collaboration. Niko Backspin traveled in a Porsche to locations in Europe like Barcelona, Paris, and London in part two, which was released in 2020, to learn more about the culture outside of Germany. A 212-page travel and culture book titled "Hip-Hop Culture" was released in 2021 and was based on these road excursions. It features 17 musicians from Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, France, Spain, and Denmark who have all made a major contribution to the growth of a hip-hop culture founded on moral principles. The third installment transports viewers to the US and the movement's beginnings.
Back to Tape 3: the lineup
While the content is distributed digitally through platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify, the Porsche Newsroom serves as the hub for online storytelling. You can watch Back to Tape 3 right now at newsroom.porsche.de/backtotape. Additionally, until August 18th, a special exhibition featuring Porsche and hip-hop will be on display at the Porsche Brand Store in Stuttgart.