Ahmed Elbaz, Norberto Rodriguez, Jimmy Nguyen, Charly Tirado

Introduction:  We propose making a memorial dedicated to rappers and hip-hop artists who are no longer with us and have left a significant mark on our city. We want to memorialize artists like Tupac, Biggie, DMX, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB). We mainly want to target the tourists, but also anyone from NYC. It is important to learn the history and richness of New York City’s hip-hop and rap. People need to learn the history of these artists and how they ultimately made our city the way it is. Rappers like Biggie Smalls (The Notorious B.I.G.), DMX, 2Pac, and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (ODB) have significantly impacted the city of New York and hip-hop culture. Each artist brought their unique style and voice, contributing to the evolution of rap music. Biggie Smalls was born and raised in Brooklyn. His lyrics often depicted the struggles and experiences of inner-city living, providing a voice for the streets. Biggie Smalls is referred to as the “King of New York”, and is considered one of the greatest rappers of all time. Biggie’s success and legacy have inspired countless artists from Brooklyn, contributing to the borough’s reputation as a breeding ground for hip-hop talent.  Moving to Tupac Shakur, who is also arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time is originally from the East Coast but became a prominent figure in the West Coast. Conflicts between artists from both coasts, including Tupac and Biggie fueled the East Coast-West Coast rivalry during the 1990s. This rivalry played a role in shaping the narrative of hip-hop during that era. Ol’ Dirty Bastard, a founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, brought a unique and unconventional style to hip-hop. His unorthodox delivery and eccentric personality helped redefine the boundaries of rap music, making him a memorable figure in the genre. DMX, with his raw and intense delivery, captured the attention of listeners. His energy and authenticity resonated with fans, and he became a symbol of resilience and strength. DMX’s impact extended beyond music, influencing the perception of New York’s rap scene. The legacies of these artists continue to influence new generations of hip-hop artists. Their contributions have helped shape the sound and image of New York hip-hop, maintaining the city’s prominence in the genre.

Definition of the Problem: We feel that the memorials already existing in Madison Square Park are not representative of NYC’s culture. They are relics of an ancient time that barely anyone can or wants to remember. However, adding this new memorial will allow people to commemorate rappers which both have an influence on the culture of NYC as well as living everyday people. We specifically chose popular rappers that left an enormous impact on the people not just of NYC but the world. This will also allow for people who aren’t from NYC to be familiar with the people in the memorial and to potentially feel the same connection as New Yorkers do. It’s also worth noting that these rappers have also influenced people on an individual level. People can stop and commemorate how these rappers made them feel on a sad day or how they helped them focus on a goal of theirs. I feel that it wasn’t commemorated previously because rappers can be seen as “controversial” and not “conventional”. Many of the rappers lead questionable lifestyles which at times resulted in their deaths. However, this doesn’t deny that these rappers have had an exponential impact on our lives. Significantly more impactful than any of the other memorials in Madison Square Park. 

Explanation of the Proposed Solution: This memorial will be unique and very modern. Our memorial will target both the younger and older generations. The memorial will consist of a dome that will display the discography of each rapper. The dome will be placed on the oval lawn. We will use augmented reality to bring holographic performances. The audience would be able to experience a virtual concert and would be able to hear the artist’s most iconic songs. Each rapper will have a designated space where we invite people to learn more about their personal lives. We will educate visitors about the impact that each artist had on hip-hop culture and society. We intend to have an ample amount of high-end headphones so that people can get a glimpse of the beautiful music that these rappers created. In addition, we will provide a space for fans to share their tributes. Each visitor can record a short video message that will become part of an ongoing display that will displayed in a certain section of the dome. We will also have various educated employees who will be able to answer all of the questions that visitors might have. We will also create merchandise and have a designated section in which fans can purchase merchandise of the artists displayed in our memorial. This dome will have major success because we are combining technology and community involvement. This memorial will serve as a place for fans to celebrate the legacy of these New York native rappers. 

Conclusion: With our memorial, we hope to uphold the legacies of rappers and/or artists of New York who may be gone but not forgotten. Our memorial will reflect the importance and elegance of New York culture replacing the boring and outdated memorials. Tourists and visitors to our memorial will be enriched with the history of New York hip-hop and rap. The memorial will be updated as time goes on to sustain the significance of New York artists. We wish for our memorial to encourage other memorials to be created for artists who have passed away in other cities.