Four artists you’ll discover during Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo

Name: John “Crash” Matos

Occupation: Artist
Favorite animals at the Bronx Zoo: The snakes

Crash first caught the public’s eye for his murals, painted on subway cars and dilapidated buildings. Crash’s work is bright, playful and often draws inspiration from cartoons and comic books. Born and raised in the Bronx, Crash says there’s something in “the air, the people, the buildings, the music and the food located throughout the borough that doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
Crash spent his childhood visiting the Bronx Zoo with his dad, for special occasions. “There’s no other place like that around to see awesome animals like hearing lions roar in the distance. Something like that is quite amazing,” he tells Time Out. For Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo, Crash created a series of one-of-a-kind “animal artworks”. Enrichment is one of the ways the zoo keeps its animals active and healthy, exercising their minds and bodies. For the animals, the process of applying paint to canvas can be enriching and stimulating.

Crash has taken the markings made by the animals, and layered his artwork over them, creating unique pieces that are part human, part animal. These works are on display throughout the event and will be auctioned off afterwards.

When to see him: In addition to viewing his art, you can also watch Crash work live at the zoo. He’ll be doing street art demonstrations on May 19-20, May 26, 27, 29 and June 2-3, from 11:30am to 3:30pm on Astor Court.

Name: Melle Mel

Occupation: Musician
Favorite animals at the Bronx Zoo: The lions, “although all of the animals are beautiful” he says.

Born in the Bronx in 1961, Melle Mel rose to prominence as a songwriter and performer with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The musician has a lot of ‘firsts’ under his belt. He was the first hip hop artist ever to call himself an M.C. and along with the rest of the Furious Five, he’s the first hip hop artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Melle Mel now lives in the Bronx again, and he’s in the process of building a hip hop campus in the borough, with Windows of Hip Hop. He’s excited to work with Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo because “it adds to the culture of the Bronx and to the zoo,” he says. “Something like this is like breaking ground.” Melle Mel used to visit the Bronx Zoo in the late seventies. “it would take a couple of trips to see everything,” he recalls.

When to see him: Melle Mel will be performing at the Bronx Zoo, alongside his Furious Five bandmate Scorpio at 1pm on May 12 and May 13.

Name: Andre Trenier

Occupation: Artist
Favorite animals at the Bronx Zoo: The Tigers

Andre Trenier grew up in the Bronx. His richly detailed, colorful mural and portraiture work draws on scenes from the streets, and from his childhood. Andre’s work isn’t just found on walls and buildings–you can also wear it. The artist has collaborated with the New York Yankees, through his apparel collective Tangible Thoughts. Andre is a huge animal lover, and he has been visiting the Zoo since he was just four years old. He says it was an “awesome opportunity to see foreign animals like snakes and birds from around the world.” These days, he thinks the Bronx Zoo is “a prestigious thing. Like a monument that has been shared by the community.”

For the inaugural Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo, Andre has created works of art inspired by animals, that incorporate markings created by the animals themselves, as part of the zoo’s enrichment programs. His work, along with paintings by several other street artists, will be auctioned off after the Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo.

When to see him: Andre will be creating wildlife-inspired art live at the zoo on May 12-13 and June 2-3, from 3:30pm at Astor Court, so you can take in his incredible technique up close.

Name: Grandmaster Caz

Occupation: Musician
Favorite animals at the Bronx Zoo: The gorillas

Grandmaster Caz is one of the original legends of hip hop, forming one of the first DJ crews, Mighty Force, and later joining the Cold Crush Brothers in the late seventies. He was the first hip hop artist to both DJ and MC. Born in the Bronx in 1961, Caz now acts as a celebrity tour guide for Hush Hip Hop tours, and has earned himself a spot on the Bronx Walk of fame. The Bronx Zoo has always been a favorite of the Grandmaster, who has been visiting since he was very young. He says it “is like the heart of the Bronx… It represents so many different things to so many different people from the time someone is a child to the time they are an adult.”

When to see him: Grandmaster Caz will be at the zoo every weekend during Boogie Down at the Bronx Zoo, performing at 11.30am and 1pm. His residency in Caz’s Corner will see him teach visitors the art of freestyle, and collaborate with the legend on animal themed rhymes.

Discover more…

See the full line-up, plan your visit and find out more about the Bronx Zoo by visiting their website.