"The Box That Rocks" (30 Years of Video Music Box And The Rise Of Hip Hop Music & Culture)

An upcoming screening next week Tuesday at BAM cinemas right here in Brooklyn, NYC; but also a title the rest of you should be aware of, as it might make it to your neck of the woods eventually...

The Box That Rocks: 30 Years of Video Music Box

Tue, May 8 at 7:30pm

Q&A with creator Ralph McDaniels

Please join us for The Box That Rocks: 30 Years of Video Music Box at 7:30pm on Tuesday, May 8 at BAMcinématek.

Created in 1983, Video Music Box is a groundbreaking television program that ushered in the popularity of music videos and was one of the first to feature hip hop prominently, as well as R&B and dancehall. In the early 80s, networks such as MTV did not play the music videos of black recording artists, but from its inception, Video Music Box broadcasted videos from all genres of music. The program ushered in a new era of cultural identity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

This screening is presented in tandem with the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts’ (MoCADA) “The Box That Rocks: 30 Years of Video Music Box and the Rise of Hip Hop Music & Culture”—curated by Dexter Wimberly and on view through May 28—an exhibition of contemporary art that celebrates the global influence of Video Music Box and the show’s historic contribution to urban music and culture.

Check out a preview below: