Le Corbusier - The Grandfather of Hip Hop???

Le Corbusier…The Grandfather of Hip Hop Culture?!
…and the first Hip Hop Architect


“Negro music has touched America because it is the melody of the soul joined with the rhythm of the machine. It is in two part time; tears in the heart; movement of the legs, torso arms and head. The music of the era of construction; innovating. It floods the body and heart; it floods the USA and its floods the world. The jazz is more advanced than the architecture. If architecture were at the point reached by jazz, it would be an incredible spectacle.”
- Le Corbusier

This quote was made by arguably one of the most famous figures in the history of architecture.
1.French architect Le Corbusier is mostly known for his many contributions to modern architecture including his ideals on improving the quality of life for residents of over populated cities. Through architectural design and spatial planning, Corbusier committed to ideals of modern high rise design and plans that can currently be seen in cities throughout the U.S. Though he is not living today, his visions have paved a way in creating architecture of an “incredible spectacle”. Whether lauded or criticized, Corbusier’s vision of a “Radiant City” along with “eminent domain” and “urban renewal”, were the basic principles which shaped the post WWII American urban environments. The resulting public housing projects would eventually become the birth place of the Hip Hop culture. But it all started with the vision.


The Father
When asking the question, “When did the Hip Hop culture originated?”, you will get a variety of dates and various events of its proposed beginnings. Most arguments about the origin of Hip Hop are within a ten year window, which spans from the late 1960’s through the 1970’s and the most common events mentioned include: the early era and works of DJ Kool Herc and Afrika Bambatta; the release of Rappers Delight; and some even argue that Hip Hop originated the day the culture was defined as “Hip Hop”, by the widely accepted Grandfather of Hip Hop Culture, Afrika Bambatta. Well, everyone has a pair of grandfathers, and so does Hip Hop. The Hip Hop culture was created not by these events, yet it was subconsciously visualized before these individuals. The foundation of the culture was laid inadvertently in 1929 by the New York Regional Plan Association and further developed in 1935, with the publication of La Ville Radieuse (The Radiant City), by Le Corbusier which included his vision of Towers in a Park, a spin off of New York’s plan for the supposed ghettos of Manhattan.

2.Le Corbusier’s vision was put to action, during the urban renewal of not only the Bronx, but many major cities and culturally rich neighborhoods across America during the 1920’s – 1940’s. Behind the notion of eminent domain, expressways were thrust into established, well managed and organized black neighborhoods across America. Each city has it’s own story of who and why these events took place, but the same results were seen in each city, the dismantling of prominent self sufficient neighborhoods, black culture and sense of self worth. Detroiter’s link the city’s race riots to the dismantling of Paradise Valley also known as Black Bottom. As this prominent African American neighborhood was supposedly used as a rally point to start the city’s first documented race riot, but eminent domain was used to describe the clearing of the neighborhood for a new expressway.

New Yorkers blame the greed of suburbanites and the ego of Robert Moses, one of the most notable modern urban builders of all time, who’s motto was “if you cannot do something that is really substantial, it is not worth doing”. (pg 11 Can’t stop wont stop). The heart of the South Bronx received its first blow in 1940 with the proposal of a six lane highway presented by Robert Moses. The construction of the expressway resulted in over 60,000 Bronx residents displaced and disbursed. Moses recalled the plan originated for Manhattan in 1929 and was aware of Le Corbusier’s Radiant City, which further developed schemes set fourth in the 1929 plan. Le Corbusier’s vision and philosophy on improving the life of individuals in crowded urban cities were enough to have the single family homes of the Bronx replaced with towers in a park.

These towers and the social, cultural, economical and political deprivation which they institued gave birth to The Hip Hop Culture.

No disrespect to Le Corbusier, but this revelation can only be analogized by a horrible Maury Povich Episode of “Who’s Your Baby Daddy”. When it comes to the early Hip Hop culture…Corbusier…you are…the father. Yup he is the baby daddy who will receive a couple of funny looks at the next family picnic.



What does all of this have to do with Le Corbusier and the opening quote? Although the quote refers to jazz, Hip Hop is a derivative and the advancement of the jazz culture. We might not be called Negroes now, but we are those same artists, with far more artistic capabilities and instruments at our disposal. With the emergence of African Americans in the building professions, especially architecture (a huge over statement, yet another story), this vision is receiving recognition and Hip Hoppers are unintentionally and some intentionally striving to achieve his vision, an architecture which is equal to the music we naturally produce.

3.This is not an attempt to give “someone” else credit for the creation of Hip Hop, yet it is a deliberate jab at the field of architecture, professionally and academically, and its lack of attention given to minorities. It’s a strange circle but never the less a circle which is now reaching its full circumference. To think that one of the most notable architects of all time, aided in the birth of the Hip Hop Culture, a culture which most of these professionals want no association with.


Most students and professionals will not be able to explore such a concept because of the negative connotations and pre conceived notions of the Hip Hop culture by their educational institutions and employers, or their desire to “fit in” with the masses of the profession. Fortunately I was able complete my thesis at the University of Detroit Mercy, titled A Cultural Innovation; Hip Hop Inspired Architecture. A University with educators who seek to develop new ideas, new talent, and are not afraid to lend support to its students who seek to make a difference in the built environments, both aesthetically and socially.

In conclusion Frank Goethe said, “Architecture is frozen music” and Le Corbusier said
“If architecture were at the point reached by jazz, it would be an incredible spectacle.” It is time for change, architecture has been freezing the wrong music, let’s try Hip Hop, and see a new exciting architecture.

What is this Hip Hop Architecture? Keep your mind and eyes open, and you will soon see the envisioned spectacle come to the built environment. Thanks Le Corbusier, or no thanks?

The projects and comments to follow are in no way the aesthetic answer or programmatic answer to what is Hip Hip Inspired Architecture. These projects are investigations which will serve as a catalyst for discussion for this very complex topic.

All comments, criticisms and links are appreciated.