Marking what is designated as the day hip hop was born, the New York City Department of Transportation announced Monday the sale of a limited number of authentic street signs honoring the spot where rap music was revolutionized.

A limited number of Hip Hop Blvd. signs went up for grabs for $100 each at CityStore, with proceeds benefiting the city’s general fund.

Hip Hop Boulevard — located at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx — is where 18-year-old DJ Kool Herc and his sister Cindy Campbell threw a back-to-school party in their apartment building’s recreation room. That party on Aug. 11, 1973, is where the disc jockey revolutionized music by using two turntables and looping the percussion portions of the same record to extend the beat.

The section of Sedgwick Ave. was officially renamed Hip Hop Boulevard in 2016. (AP; Getty)

“We are proud to honor the genre’s genesis in the Boogie Down Bronx and celebrate its influence on New York City and the globe over the past 52 years,” city Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said.

The Hip Hop Blvd. sign drop is the latest from the agency, which sells limited batches of authentic street signs created by the NYC DOT Sign Shop. It said more than 70,000 of the street signs are reportedly produced each year.

NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez (left) and NYC DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina (right). (Theodore Parisienne, Luiz C. Ribeiro / New York Daily News)

Only 100 of the limited-edition Hip Hop Blvd. signs were made to sell; 50 green signs and 50 custom gray graffiti poster style nameplates. Exclusively available online, customers are limited to one sign each.

Previous drops included replicas of honorary street signs designated for the Beastie Boys, Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan.

NYC DOT announced the “limited drop” of Hip Hop Boulevard signs on Monday, August 11, 2025. (NYC DOT)

“For more than half a century, hip hop has captured the essence of New York City’s dynamic identity and been the soundtrack to some of its most memorable moments,” said Citywide Administrative Services Commissioner Louis Molina. “With this latest sign drop, we’re paying homage to the humble beginnings of a musical genre born in our city, but felt worldwide.”

He added: “Hip Hop Blvd. is more than a destination, but a journey into the nexus of music and culture.”

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/08/11/nyc-dot-limited-edition-hip-hop-blvd-signs/