A plaque remaining from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem.

Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.

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Entry from June 18, 2021
“New York, New York, the Big Apple” (The Last Poets, 1969-1970)

The Original Last Poets (later called The Last Poets) formed on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X’s birthday), at Mount Morris Park (now known as Marcus Garvey Park) in East Harlem. The Last Poets (1970) is the title of the group’s debut album, which includes the poems “Wake Up, Niggers” by Alafía Pudím (Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin) and “New York, New York” by Abiodun Oyewole.
     
“Wake Up, Niggers” (originally written in 1969) contains this:
     
“Rapping about how the Big Apple is outta sight
When you ain’t never had a bite.”

     
“New York, New York” (originally written in 1969) contains this, said repeatedly by a chorus:
   
“New York, New York, the Big Apple.”
   
       
Wikipedia: Abiodun Oyewole
Abiodun Oyewole (born Charles Davis, February 1948), is a poet, teacher and founding member of the American music and spoken-word group The Last Poets, which developed into what is considered to be the first hip hop group. Critic Jason Ankeny wrote, “With their politically charged raps, taut rhythms, and dedication to raising African-American consciousness, the Last Poets almost single-handedly laid the groundwork for the emergence of hip-hop.”
   
Wikipedia: Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin
Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin (July 24, 1944 – June 4, 2018) was an American poet and musician. He was one of the founding members of The Last Poets, a group of poets and musicians that evolved in the 1960s out of the Harlem Writers Workshop in New York City.
 
He was born Lawrence Padilla in Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Earlier in his career he used the names Lightnin’ Rod and Alafia Pudim. He is sometimes called “The Grandfather of Rap”.
 
Wikipedia: The Last Poets
The Last Poets are several groups of poets and musicians who arose from the late 1960s African-American civil rights movement’s black nationalism. The name is taken from a poem by the South African revolutionary poet Keorapetse Kgositsile, who believed he was in the last era of poetry before guns would take over. The original users of that name were the trio of Abiodun Oyewole, Gylan Kain, and David Nelson.
(...)
History
The Original Last Poets were formed on May 19, 1968 (Malcolm X’s birthday), at Mount Morris Park (now known as Marcus Garvey Park) in East Harlem. On October 24th 1968, the group performed on pioneering New York television program Soul!
(...)
Discography
Albums
The Last Poets
(1970) - Re-issue Celluloid Records (1984) (Cat No: CELL-6101)
(Poets: Abiodun Oyewole, Alafia Pudim (a.k.a. Jalaluddin Mansur Nuriddin), & Umar Bin Hassan/Percussionist: Raymond “Nilaja/Obabi” Hurrey)
 
Genius.com (lyrics)
New York, New York
The Last Poets
New York, New York, the big apple
New York, New York, the big apple
New York, New York
(The big apple)
Sixteen million feet
Nationals, Tom McAns, Florsheims
Stepping on each other .
(...)
New York is a state of mind
That doesn’t mind fucking up a brother..
 
Genius.com (lyrics)
Wake Up, Niggers
The Last Poets
[Alafía Pudím:]
(...)
You cool, fool - sipping on a menthol cigarette ‘round midnight
Rapping about how the Big Apple is outta sight
When you ain’t never had a bite
             
31 May 1970, New York (NY) Times, “Recordings: The Last Poets: A Sharp Insight Into Blackness” by Peter Bailey, associate editor of Ebony. associate editor of Ebony, sec. 2, pg. 20, col. 2:
The best of the 13 poems is one called “New York, New York” in which The Big Apple, as New York is sometimes called in Harlem, is a mocked as “A Prerequisite to America, a Disguised Sin…that takes them home with Dope in the Arm and Clairol on the Brain.”
 
Strong, powerful, meaningful poetry. That’s what The Last Poets have given us on this album.
     
Twitter
LeVar Burton
@levarburton
New York, New York… The Big Apple! -The Last Poets
11:00 PM · Jul 12, 2010·Twitterrific for iOS
 
YouTube 
The Last Poets - New York, New York (1970)
Sep 21, 2010
HeavyHittas
The Last Poets - New York, New York (Music Video) song off the 1970s album “The Last Poets.” Videos is scenic shots of Harlem, New York from 1970-2010.
IG: http://instagram.com/heavyhittas | Blog: http://heavyhittas.tumblr.com
   
Twitter
TSCHAKA ATUMRA ZULU
@METUNETER1
SIPPEN ON A MENTHOL CIGARETTE ROUND MIDNIGHT,RAPPEN BOUT HOW THE BIG APPLE IS OUT OF SIGHT,WHEN U AINT NEVER HAD A BITE!!~~LAST POETS
11:30 PM · May 30, 2011·Twitter Web Client
     
Twitter
Robert Worlds
@rdworlds
Rappin about how the Big Apple is outta sight when u aint never had a bite Who you fooling? Wake up niggers or ya ALL through! #thelastpoets
6:32 PM · Nov 1, 2013·Twitter Web Client
 
Google Books
Branches of the Tree of Life:
The Collected Poems of Abiodun Oyewole, 1969-2013

By Abiodun Oyewole
Edited by Gabrielle David
New York, NY: 2Leaf Press
2014
Pg. ?:
New York New York The Big Apple
   
Twitter
Teresa Al’ice Sparkles
@Pequena_Dama
NEW YORK NEW YORK THE BIG APPLE NEW YORK NEW YORK THE BIG APPLE….....THE STATUE OV LIBERTY IS A PROSTITUTE?!!!!!! 
-the last poets
1:55 AM · Feb 15, 2014·Twitter for iPhone
         
YouTube
The Last Poets - Wake Up, Niggers
Jun 16, 2014
Buick Mackane
 
Google Books
The SAGE Encyclopedia of African Cultural Heritage in North America
By Mwalimu J Shujaa and Kenya J Shujaa
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications
2015
Pg. ?:
In 1970, they recorded their album The Last Poets, which included one of their most famous poems, “New York New York the Big Apple.” Beginning with all the poets reciting “New York, New York, the big apple” in unison over drum beats, one poet continues ...
     
YouTube
Wake Up, Niggers
Jun 5, 2015
The Last Poets - Topic
Provided to YouTube by The-Source
Wake Up, Niggers · The Last Poets
   
Twitter
Larry Graves
@GangstaBlues
That shit reminds me of the Last Poets’, “New York - New York the big apple - Niggus aint never had a bite”
Quote Tweet
Maybe: Danielle A. Scruggs
@dascruggs
· Jun 15, 2016
I also get annoyed when people say “why would you burn down your own community?” #OJMadeInAmerica
12:51 AM · Jun 15, 2016·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
Streetweeters
@Streetweeters
@PaulaPiccard Thanks, for following. New York, NewYork, The Big Apple. (1969). Douglass 3. AKA-The Last Poets.
5:01 PM · Sep 15, 2016·Twitter for Android
         
twitter
Wisdom_Seed
@conga_2
Replying to @EdLGordon
The Last Poets: New York, New York The Big Apple; Frank Sinatra…New York; Jay-Z & Alicia Keyes: Empire State; Rakim…New York.
5:59 PM · May 21, 2018·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
James
@James05695431
Replying to @MissyElliott
You are absolutely on point missy the younger generation need to learn the history of us instead of listening to crickets, if it were not for them they would not b where they are today,especially rap and hip hop lime the last poets,like the song By N.Y. N.Y. the big apple
11:45 AM · Aug 14, 2018·Twitter for Android
     
Twitter
thierry gandillot
@thgandillot
Replying to @JocelynInter @RebeccaManzoni and @franceinter
L’un des premiers à rapper avec les Last Poets ... une pensée pour José Arthur dont c’était le générique… New York / New York/ The Big Apple ... 
@franceinter
Translated from French by
One of the first to rap with the Last Poets ... a thought for José Arthur of which it was the credits ... New York / New York / The Big Apple ...
@franceinter
1:46 PM · Oct 8, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
 
Twitter
Joan Belgrave
@belgravejazz
NY NY… the big apple . What you know bout dem Last poets? Ready to make some music Y’all https://instagram.com/p/BuoZ_RQl_jbJ_KSjozCL7qaFNTUQ-TuHE17WlQ0/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=8y5vjd3yad9h
10:17 AM · Mar 5, 2019·Instagram
 
Twitter
DizzyBigIsland
@philipbelanger3
#DizzysFlower
Made it….
        “New York,
          New York,
      The BIG Apple!”
~Last Poets
11:14 PM · Sep 24, 2019·Twitter for iPhone
   
Twitter
aboveTHEclouds
@Perserverance_
“You cool, fool - sipping on a menthol cigarette ‘round midnight
rapping about how the big apple is outta sight
when you ain’t never had a bite”
HEY! WAKE UP, NIGGERS OR YA’LL THROUGH!
http://youtu.be/ipbIux02Src   The Last Poets
#ItsLaterThanYouThink
Wake Up, Niggers
Provided to YouTube by The-SourceWake Up, Niggers · The Last PoetsThe Last Poets℗ 2011 CharlyReleased on: 2011-07-07Composer: PudimMusic Publisher: Fairwood ...
youtube.com
8:41 PM · Jan 10, 2020·Twitter Web Client
 
Twitter
LainScape
@landis_lain
Replying to @BkSherm1
Actually the first rappers were Gil Scott Heron and the Last Poets in the late sixties and early seventies. My daddy used to listen to them and I still have a couple of old rap albums. New York New York the Big Apple
8:49 PM · Mar 19, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
 
Facebook
Metaphors is in New York, New York.
April 18, 2021 at 12:29 PM ·
New York, New York, the big apple
New York, New York, the big apple
New York, New York
(The big apple)
Sixteen million feet
Nationals, Tom McAns, Florsheims
Stepping on each other ...

Posted by Barry Popik
New York CityThe Big Apple1960s: Fun City • Friday, June 18, 2021 • Permalink


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