Kool DJ Red Alert honored with interactive sculpture in Harlem

NEW YORK - On Friday, hip-hop legend Kool DJ Red Alert was honored with his own statue in his home neighborhood as part of the ongoing Harlem Sculpture Gardens exhibit.

Kool DJ Red Alert himself was in Montefiore Park as shouts of "Yeahhhhh!" echoed from the crowd when his likeness, named for his signature chant, was unveiled.

"This is something that's very rare, but in blessings, I'm here to witness it," Kool DJ Red Alert said.

Red Alert remains a staple in hip-hop history, credited with inventing the mixtape as Afrika Bambaataa's DJ, still mixing on WBLS six days a week, 40 years after he first hit the airwaves.

"I had something that you do as a hobby, and then you get a couple dollars, and it becomes a hustle, not knowing it would establish me a career," he reminisced.

Harlem Sculpture Gardens ranks among NYC's best outdoor exhibits

This is the final unveiling in the inaugural summer of Harlem Sculpture Gardens, which was just ranked among the best outdoor exhibits in the city.

"The best thing is what it's done to activate the park," said co-curator Michael Gormley, "so they've cleaned it up and they've trimmed the hedges, and the kids are out here playing."

Artist Sherwin Banfield has dedicated his craft to capturing the culture of hip-hop in sculpture, in a style he calls Sustainable Sonic Statues. It is the first time he has worked with the person he is sculpting to activate the art.

"They have these solar panels that collect the power of the sun, and it converts it into the power for the audio system that's built into the actual sculpture," Banfield explained. "This statue has a mix by the man himself, Kool DJ Red Alert, that will be activated at certain times."

Even though the exhibit will not last forever, the curators aim to have an impact once the sculptures are all gone, with resiliency projects in the parks to continue improving the community.

"We are talking to different sports figures who approached us about how we can engage the community more, dealing with complex issues like climate change and public art, so we're very happy," co-curator Savona Bailey-McClain said of their upcoming forum in the fall.

Check out the installation "Yeahhhhh!" at the corner of Broadway and West 137th Street, now through October.

Plans are already underway for a second successful summer of Harlem Sculpture Gardens next year.

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