Crazy Legs, Big Daddy Kane and Dee-1 lead a hip-hop celebration at CSUN
CSUN’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation & Research drew a crowd to its symposium on Wednesday, May 8, that honored more than 50 years of hip-hop and featured live performances, DJ’s, dancers and graffiti installations.
The second annual CIPHER symposium celebrated hip-hop’s global impact with guests including iconic Big Daddy Kane and break dance legend Crazy Legs, hosted by CSUN professor Skyy Hook, who teaches in CSUN’s Department of Anthropology and is a personality and co-host on “The World Famous Wake Up Show” on Shade 45/SiriusXM.
Attendees enjoyed dancing and performing by Jason Cho, Cynthia “Divine” Hernandez, Jorge Rascal Coria, Greg “Bad News” Aldana, author and hip-hop artist David “Dee-1” Augustine and many others.
Jason Cho dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jason Cho dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jason Cho dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jason Cho dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Cynthia “Divine” Hernandez dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jorge Rascal Coria dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Greg “Bad News” Aldana dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Hip-Hop Artist David “Dee-1” Augustine, center, dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Break dance legend Crazy Legs speaks at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Graffiti artist Stan “Saints” Nuñez, paints at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Jorge Rascal Coria dances at CSUN during California State University, Northridge’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Pursuit of Hip-Hop Elevation and Research (CIPHER) Symposium on the school’s Northridge campus on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. The event featured live hip-hop performances, DJ’s, dancers, graffiti installations, food trucks, and speakers. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Yan Searcy, dean of CSUN’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, said in a prepared statement that the event reflected the college’s “ongoing efforts to engage students and the community.”
“It also signals that the university is a place for cultivating meaningful critiques and exchange regarding social movements,” Searcy said, and helping people understand how hip-hop promotes community building across local, national and international levels.