It has been 30 years since Wild Style chronicled the South Bronx's burgeoning hip-hop community, and hip-hop culture is not what it once was. That's not editorializing; it's a fact of the passage of time. And that truth is never more clear than when one watches the vividly realized low-budget film, which essentially acts as looking glass to a hip-hop world we can hardly recognize.
Wild Style not only validated the existence of that then-nameless community, but per legendary graffiti writer Fab 5 Freddie's vision, the movie illustrated how its players—b-boys, MCs, rhymers, and writers—were not separate entities, but were instead convening to create a culture that could not be ignored. Like a mosaic of tiny images, hip-hop's seemingly disparate elements made the most sense when considered together. It was Ahearn's vision that allowed us that irreplaceable vantage point.
The characters Ahearn strung together, everyone from Busy Bee, Grandmaster Caz, and Lady Pink to the Cold Crush Brothers were ripe with a certain kinetic energy. The rap scene was still simmering, a pot not ready to be pulled from the stove—and Ahearn sensed its great potential. By 1984, "The world had become hip-hop’s world, and vice-versa," Ahearn said.
Today, hip-hop's touchstone film is being re-released on blu-ray, digitally remastered, and more vibrant than ever. The glossy re-release not only draws attention to how much the scene's aesthetics have changed in the last three decades, but how Ahearn's secondary subject, New York, has.
We revisited the locales throughout the Bronx and the Lower East Side where the film's most memorable scenes were filmed, including the graffiti-covered handball court where Ahearn met the film's star, artist Lee Quiñones, and this is what we found.
Words by Shanté Cosme
Before photos by Charlie Ahearn and Cathy Campbell; after photos by Liz Barclay
RELATED: Charlie Ahearn's Wild Style Era New York
RELATED: The Players Behind Wild Style Speak to Complex
Howard The Duck by Lee Quinones, 1978
What: Howard the Duck by Lee Quinones, 1978
Where: Corlears Junior High Shcool 56, (Madison Btwn. Clinton St. and Montgomery St.), Lower East Side
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
Graffiti 1990 by Lee Quinones (1979), 1980
What: Graffiti 1990 by Lee Quinones (1979), 1980
Where: Coleman Square Playground; Cherry St. and Market Slip under the Manhattan Bridge, Lower East Side
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
"Nuclear War Dragon" by Lee Quinones, 1980
What: "Nuclear War Dragon" by Lee Quinones, 1980
Where: Cherry St. and Clinton St., Lower East Side
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
Slattery Playground Basketball Courts, 1981
What: The scene of the classic basketball court throwdown between the Cold Crush Brothers and the Fantastic Freaks, 1981
Where: Slattery Playground (corner of Valentine Ave. and E. 183rd), Bronx
Before photo by Cathy Campbell; after photo by Liz Barclay
Grandmaster Caz at Slattery Playground Basketball Courts, 1981
What: Grandmaster Caz at South Bronx basketball courts, 1981
Where: Slattery Playground (corner of Valentine Ave. and E. 183rd), Bronx
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
Heroin Kills Train, 1981
What: Heroin Kills Train, by Dondi and Charlie Ahearn; 1981
Where: Corner of Westchester Ave. and Trinity Ave., Bronx
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
Site of the stoop scene, where Double Trouble is seen rapping, 1981
What: Site of the stoop scene, where Double Trouble is seen rapping; 1981
Where: 803 Freeman St., Bronx
Before photo by Cathy Campbell; after photo by Liz Barclay
Site of the stoop scene, where Double Trouble is seen rapping, 1981
What: Site of the stoop scene, where Double Trouble is seen rapping; 1981
Where: 803 Freeman St., Bronx
Before photo by Cathy Campbell; after photo by Liz Barclay
The Fantastic Five over the Cross Bronx Expressway, 1981
What: The Fantastic Five over the Cross Bronx Expressway, 1981
Where: 174 St. and Grand Concourse; D train subway station, Bronx
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
The Funky Four on Boston Road, 1981
What: The Funky Four on Boston Road, 1981
Where: Prospect Ave. and Home St., Bronx
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
East River Amphitheater, 1981
What: East River Amphitheater, 1981; the scene of the iconic final jam
Where: East River Park (at Cherry St. and FDR Dr.), Lower East Side
Before photo by Charlie Ahearn; after photo by Liz Barclay
East River Amphitheater, 1981
What: East River Amphitheater, 1981; the scene of the iconic final jam
Where: East River Park (at Cherry St. and FDR Dr.), Lower East Side
Before photo by Cathy Campbell; after photo by Liz Barclay
