Hush Hip Hop Tours — Attraction in New York

We participated in this black owned company’s tour on Saturday, August 13, 2022. We embarked on the Birthplace Place of Hip Hop bus tour. We purchased tickets online prior to. This tour starts at the Museum of the City of New York. It began promptly at 11 AM after all of the guests were gathered. You are allowed to take a bathroom break at the start of the tour at the museum. Rayza was our tour guide who is a popular rapper in the New York City area. He was very lively, entertaining, and knowledgeable about New York and Hip Hop culture. When we started our tour, we began across from the projects. Rayza told us an interesting story about a man who had an alligator and a crocodile that the SWAT team had to get out of his apartment. Once we made our way down the street, we went to the Graffiti Wall of Fame. This is where many talented graffiti artists have tagged the wall with their amazing art. This was at a schoolyard playground where we watched a performance by another Hush Hip Hop tour employee. The employee was Mighty Mouse who performed a breakdancing set for us. He also had a class of volunteers, who he taught how to do a simple breakdance routine. This was also where we met our main tour guide, which was Reggie Rich. Reggie Rich is a pioneer in the hip-hop game! He has had famous rappers such as Jay Z and LL Cool J sample his work in the past. After this, we made our way to the charter tour bus. Along the way, we learned about the four elements of hip-hop which include: DJing, Breakdancing, Graffiti art, and the MC. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to hear Rayza and Reggie Reg speaking during our charter bus ride. This was because Rayza didn’t have a microphone headset. Also Reggie Reg’s microphone wasn’t that adequate in sound. Our first stop was Apollo Theater. We learned a bit about the history of the start of Apollo, which has showcased many hip-hop artists. Apollo Theater is a notable landmark and attraction in New York City. Our second stop was Rucker Park. This is where many notable basketball legends have played street-ball. Throughout the years, these players have shown their talent extends past the professional basketball courts. Basketball greats who have played here include: Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James to name a few. There are also many tournaments that have been held here and it is a staple of the Harlem community. We learned that Harlem has the best street ball. Our third stop was Yankee Stadium. We learned the old Giants Stadium was originally in Harlem, but now Yankee Stadium is in its current site in the Bronx. Throughout each of these stops, the Hush Hip Hop tours employees took group photos of all of us together. We did have a bit of time to take our own photos at each stop, which Reggie Ridge encouraged. The Hush Hip Hop tour staff was very engaging with us on the bus. We did chants, the employees rapped, tour participants rapped, and they played Hip Hop music. We also got vital information on Hip Hop history and culture. This includes knowledge about founding figures that have pioneered the genre. The tour guides continued to reiterate that Hip Hop was supposedly founded on August 11, 1973. Our fourth stop that was the birthplace of Hip Hop. We were able to go to the actual building where DJ Herc had the first Hip Hop party. He’s also the first to do the breaking of a record. They have a beautiful mural in the space where he hosted the Hip Hop party, which we were able to take photos of. There’s also a Hip Hop Blvd sign right in front of the building. Rayza stated he would send all of the photos from our tour day if we DM’d him on Instagram, which we attempted to do. This was our last stop before we were dropped off in Manhattan. The overwhelming theme of this tour is Hip Hop is a culture and genre. We greatly enjoyed this tour, but feel the tour guides definitely need to have better microphones and sound systems. I would recommend this tour to anyone in New York who would like to celebrate Hip Hop as a genre and learn even more about this...

We took the Hush Hip Hop Tour with Tuffy as our guide, and it was an experience we won’t forget. Tuffy brought the whole thing to life with his passion, humour, and knowledge — he engaged with everyone on the tour and kept the energy high from start to finish.

We visited some incredible locations that played a key role in the story and evolution of hip hop, many of which we’d never have known about or considered visiting on our own. From block parties to battle sites, every stop had meaning — and hearing it from someone who lived and breathed it made all the difference.

What made this even more special was how relevant the tour was for both of us — I grew up with hip hop just starting to break into the mainstream, while my 12-year-old son has always loved both the old and new. To have a tour that speaks to both generations so naturally was really cool.

If I had one very small bit of feedback, it would be about the sound system in the van. There were a few moments where the music or video playing made it hard to hear Tuffy speaking. It didn’t take away from the overall experience, but fixing that would help future guests catch every bit of his brilliant storytelling.

Overall, this tour is an absolute must for any fan of hip hop — whether you’ve been listening since the beginning or are just discovering its roots. Big love to Tuffy and the Hush team — you made this part of our NYC trip...

I'm sorry it has taken me a few months to leave this review about the Hush Hip Hop Tour in Harlem! I was fortunate enough to take this tour with the excellent Rayza! What an incredible tour guide. Rayza, I hope you had an amazing time in the UK and that many new friendships were formed! America is a big place and it is a privilege to learn more about States and cultures different to where I grew up. First it started with a love of hip hop on the radio and that led to a great tour with Rayza. Rayza, you have a gift for teaching others. You have been blessed to find and use your talents to unite others. Our group felt your love and friendship as we joined you on the streets of Harlem. Tours are a wonderful way to give the gift of education, experience and memories. Thank you for uniting and lifting our tour group in a positive way. I pray for a world with more love and respect between cultures. Hush did...