Ralph McDaniels Honored

Influence and Impact on Hip Hop Celebrated

On the evening of October 26^th, the faculty dining room was abuzz with faculty, students, community members, and friends. The day, which York College dedicated to celebrating the 50^th Anniversary of Hip-Hop, culminated with a historical event honoring Queens native and rap industry icon Ralph McDaniel. While many know him as the creator of the ground-breaking television show Video Music Box, his influence on music, culture, and the careers of many of hip-hop’s most notable names cannot be denied. His work moved beyond his show, ranging from the film Juice to directing  Nas’ first music video and The Wu-Tang Clan’s  C.R.E.A.M. Through every touchpoint, McDaniels left an indelible mark.

“McDaniels, “ aka “Uncle Ralph,” arrived with his wife and daughter wearing a signature Video Music Box bomber jacket. He was overwhelmed by the greetings he received from many friends he had known since his youth, music industry colleagues, community partners, and politicians.

When McDaniels stepped up to the microphone, he reflected on his journey and early years as a DJ, spending hours playing around with two turntables in his parents’ basement. “This hip-hop thing has taken me everywhere. I realized how powerful it was when I started going to other countries and seeing that folks didn’t even know the language, but they understood the vibe and energy of the youth.”

New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, who has known the honoree since high school, shared how McDaniels worked tirelessly to keep hip-hop alive during its infancy, creating opportunities, mentoring others, and ensuring it was respected and understood. “Now it is embraced by the entire world.”City Council Member Nantasha Williams said she was excited to see McDaniels receive his flowers now because too many legends were lost before they could see theirs.

One of the inspiring aspects of the evening was witnessing how McDaniels uses elements of his past to inform the present and the future. He is digitizing more than 40 years of his archives. But he has also authored a children’s book called Roscoe Learns About Video Music Box (copies of the book were gifted to York’s Children’s Center).

But that isn’t the only way McDaniels uses hip-hop as a tool of engagement. Dennis Walcott, President and CEO of the Queens Public Library, and his team were there to salute him because McDaniels has pioneered Hip Hop Programming across the branches in our borough since 2015 and serves as the QPL’s Hip Hop Coordinator. “When Ralph talks, we listen. He is a presence for all of us and a great human being,” Walcott said.

But while hip-hop has entered corporate spaces with companies like Coca-Cola inviting him in to speak, his work at the QPL fuels McDaniels. He was grateful they gave him the space to push some ideas forward.  “The first big program I did was I bringing in  Daymond John from Shark Tank, who’s from Hollis, and we did that here in partnership with York College,” he said. Now, libraries across the country want to get involved, too. “Over the summer, we did a program called Collections of Culture: 50 Years of Hip-Hop Inside Libraries, Museum and Archives. The Queen Public Library was the lead, and 40 partners from around the country joined us.” Cities including Miami, Compton, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Philadelphia also have started similar programs. Once again, McDaniels is at the forefront of a movement.

 “Sometimes, you walk into an event and feel slightly uncomfortable. But even though I don’t know everybody here, this feels like family,” McDaniels said.