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The Special Occasion Band performs at the tenth annual Element of Hip-Hop Awards on March 4, 2026. <\/p>\n
Photo by Emily Swanson <\/p>\n
March 4, 2026, marked ten years of the Element of Hip-Hop Awards, where DJ Tony Touch, Roxanne Shant\u00e9 and Romeo Bartley Jr. were honored for their contributions to the arts and their communities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The celebration at Salsa Con Fuego featured a DJ, live band, comedian and lots of love and fellowship among those who pioneered the hip-hop genre \u2014 and those who wish they\u2019d been there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Roxanne Shant\u00e9 (third from left) was among this year\u2019s awardees, and Dr. Special Ed (third from right) was a past winner.Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n
The awards were presented by Windows of Hip Hop, a Bronx-based nonprofit. Past winners<\/a> have included Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and many more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson issued Citations of Merit to the three honorees, as well as to the nonprofit itself.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cIt was an honor to present Windows of Hip Hop with a proclamation to recognize their role in preserving and celebrating the culture born right here in the Bronx that continues to influence the world!\u201d Gibson said in a statement posted to Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n DJ Tony Touch said onstage that he was \u201chumbled\u201d by the award. \u201cI\u2019m a Brooklyn baby, and to get the love here in the Bronx means everything.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n This year is shaping up to be major for the music genre born out of the Bronx. The Hip Hop Museum<\/a> in the South Bronx is expected to open this summer, and a first-of-its-kind, hip-hop-centered high school<\/a> was recently approved to open in September.\u00a0<\/p>\n Among the colorful awards show guests was Thomas Vicente<\/a>, who called himself \u201cThe Hip-Hop Warrior.\u201d He told the Bronx Times he\u2019s been involved in music, street art and fashion design since his youth in the 1970s Bronx.<\/p>\n Vicente said he is an ambassador for the National Hip-Hop Museum in Washington, D.C. and attends all local hip-hop-related events, each time sporting a different self-designed outfit and accessories, along with his signature face paint. <\/p>\n \u201cI support the culture and also bring authenticity to the table,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Vicente added that he\u2019s \u201cnot too crazy\u201d about today\u2019s hip-hop scene, which he said emphasizes negative imagery, especially relating to guns and women. He said he prefers classic hip-hop, which focuses more on current events and the struggles of everyday people.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m old school,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m like that old dog, you can\u2019t teach him new tricks.\u201d\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Rapper and producer Dr. Special Ed, real name Ed Archer, sat a a VIP table that included Roxanne Shant\u00e9 and Grandmaster Caz, along with DOE District 9 Superintendent Harry Sherman.<\/p>\n Archer said that although he is from Brooklyn, Gibson and others have dubbed him an \u201chonorary Bronxite.\u201d He was presented with an Element Award in 2024 and said the 2026 honorees were \u201cgenuine icons.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re all exemplary in their fields and have a legacy that you cannot buy,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260304_193417.jpg\")
Thomas Vicente, also known as the Hip-Hop Warrior, grew up in the early days of the genre in the Bronx. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n