On a typical summer day in New York, DJ Premier and Pete Rock, two legends of 90s hip-hop culture, gathered a varied crowd of White, Mexican, Asian, Black, new and old school, to celebrate one of the most prominent instruments of integration ever–hip-hop music. Wednesday evening was set to be a legendary night, as one of the originators, of the Lyricist Lounge recanted the tale of hip-hop’s first movie, Wildstyle, which was filmed in that same exact East River park. It was an ode to hip-hop’s longevity, a culture that has far outlasted fad’s like disco.

Hot 97’s DJ Enuff warmed up the park with some nostalgic jams and got people into the groove of things. Eventually, the legends came out. Pete and Premo tossed jams back and forth, bringing back to life a long list of departed emcees and musicians one more time. The first gem Pete played was in dedication to his cousin, Heavy D, and Preme shouted over the speakers, “Rest In Peace Heavy D!” getting the crowd hyped over the fallen emcee. It was the start of an hour mix dedicated to legendary figures like Rick James, Michael Jackson and James Brown.

The night was a reminder of classic hip-hop, the songs that were the blueprint for this billion dollar industry. Jams like “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa and even earlier songs like James Brown’s, “ The Big Payback,” had the crowd singing along, uncontrollably snapping their necks and effortlessly dropping their shoulders. KRS One’s “The Bridge Is Over” and Biz Markies classic cut, “Nobody Beats The Biz,” brought the crowd into a particular frenzy. Preme and Pete weren’t only trying to take us back, but it was a journey through the evolution of  hip-hop; the soul and disco breaks that the artform borrowed, proving that hip-hop is more than just a genre of music, it’s a historical feature.

As the sun began to drop against the East River and the breeze lightened up the crowd, Pete played the last R&B joint Keni Burke’s “Rising To The Top,” and Premier said, “C’mon Pete let’s, take em’ to the 90’s.” But after about one song, the power in the park suddenly cut off and the DJ set came to an immediate halt. The optimistic crowd started a chant of,“Hip-hop! hip-hop!” but it just wasn’t enough to revive the dead electrical circuits. Preme and Pete took the hint and stepped from behind their turntables to take pictures.

Though the event was cut short, before DJ Premier and Guru were able to enter the Golden Era–a period in music they shaped and molded with their own hands–it was free education for the youngn’s who now don snapbacks and Jeremy Scotts, and a flashback for the old heads who once wore shell top Adidas and Lee jeans. The park just couldn’t handle the nostalgia.

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