Where Brooklyn At?

Of course, it’s part of NYC.

Yet it’s technically on Long Island.

But where is Brooklyn, really?

In 1993, at Madison Square Garden, in a legendary live freestyle between Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, Biggie opened with,

“One two, one two, gonna do it like this

WHERE BROOKLYN AT, WHERE BROOKLYN AT

WHERE BROOKLYN AT, WHERE BROOKLYN AT.”

Today we remember those words and Biggie’s face and lyrics are on murals all over Brooklyn.

The DJ, who thankfully recorded the performance, recounted, “The freestyle just came about backstage. 'Pac, Big, the Rugged Child Shyheim. We just brought all of them onstage, and the magic happened.”

Of course, with those lyrics, Biggie was trying to rally his fans from Brooklyn, but also those in the audience who knew of and loved what Brooklyn represented, even though they never lived there.

What Biggie and his words represent is that in Brooklyn magic can happen, even though it also is a place of struggle, symbolizing the American dream.

In perhaps his most famous song, “Juicy”, Biggie rapped, “Stereotypes of a black male misunderstood, but it’s still all good.”

His attitude of accepting Brooklyn’s faults, but not holding resentment is one of the reasons people still admire him today.

So where Brooklyn at?

It’s as Biggie sang, wherever we, “Spread love…it’s the Brooklyn way.”