NY1 and Baruch College conducted a poll of Bronx residents to determine, among other things, what nickname for their borough they prefer. By a large margin, survey respondents answered “the Boogie Down Bronx,” a reference to the borough’s status as the birthplace of hip-hop. The nickname dates back to the 1970s dance parties where DJs first started isolating and letting MCs spit lyrics over beats.
Forty-percent of Bronxites polled prefer the nickname, trouncing competitors like “El Bronx” or “the borough that Ruth built.” The runner up, “not sure,” took 26% of the vote. Quite frankly, there’s no comparison between Boogie Down Bronx and anything else.
This survey shows that the Bronx is comfortable with its history as other parts of New York are distancing themselves from hip-hop culture. Some residents of Bed-Stuy, for example, don’t like when people bring up Biggie and Jay-Z’s old neighborhood’s “Do Or Die” slogan. But the Bronx takes pride in being Boogie Down.
(Photo: wiredforlego)
