The Ultimate 1970s Grimy New York City Movie Megamix (Video)

The old New York influenced a lot of Hip-Hop. While Grandmaster Melle Mel may have been talking about The Bronx in “The Message,” the vibes of “people pissin’ on the street ’cause they just don’t care” was not exclusive to any of the five boroughs throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

The era influenced Hip-Hop in a manner of ways. Films like The WarriorsDeath Wish, and Taxi Driver have been recreated in samples, cover art, and countless Rap references. For the Heads who love grittiness and ’70s cinema, filmmaker Jonathan Herzberg spliced together hours of old-York footage, chaptered by theme and place. If you like it, visit Jon’s Vimeo page for plenty more parts.

Dirty Old New York aka Fun City, Part I from Jonathan Hertzberg on Vimeo.

Shout out to Jeremiah’s Vanishing New York Blog for putting us onto game.

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