A statue has been unveiled in Harlem, New York, honouring hip hop pioneer Kool DJ Red Alert.
The DJ and broadcaster – real name Frederick Crute – is best known for playing the airwaves of WRKS 98.7 Kiss FM in New York City with his weekly radio show, which has run for the past 40 years.
His radio shows gave a platform to the early careers of hip hop artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, Queen Latifah, Black Sheep, Jungle Brothers, and more.
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The hip hop DJ is also famed for creating the first-ever mixtape compilation in the 1970s while working with US DJ, rapper, and producer Afrika Bambaataa.
This new statue has been named ‘YEAA-a-a-a-a-ah!’ after his iconic radio show introduction, and depicts Crute DJing above a sign reading ‘On Air’, a nod to his decades-long radio career.
Based in his home neighbourhood in Montefiore Park, Harlem, the statue was unveiled earlier this month by New York artist and sculptor Sherwin Banfield.
“This statue, currently located in Montefiore Square in West Harlem, is a celebration of Red’s contribution to Hip Hop, the element of DeeJaying and his impact of 40 years on the radio,” Banfield said on Instagram alongside a video of the statue.
Banfield is currently working on a series of sculptures named ‘Sustainable Sonic Statues’, which highlight the importance of sustainability and pay tribute to hip hip pioneers. His latest work in Queens honours US rapper LL Cool J.
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Banfield’s sculpture of Kool DJ Red Alert includes solar panels in place of decks which power a soundsystem playing one of his early mixes.
Speaking to CBS, Kool DJ Red Alert explained: “I had something that you do as a hobby, and then you get a couple of dollars and it becomes a hustle, not knowing it would establish me a career. This is something very rare, but in blessings, I’m here to witness it.”
Watch the moment the sculpture is unveiled to Kool DJ Red Alert below.
Becky Buckle is Mixmag’s Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter
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