See SoHo's Punk, Rap, & Disco landmarks
Experience hosted by Jesse
2 hoursHosted in English
Committed to safety
This host committed to Airbnb’s COVID-19 safety guidelines.
Up to 10 people
What you'll do
In this tour through NoLiTa, SoHo, and TriBeCa, we'll see how cheap rents and repurposed industrial spaces helped jump-start punk, disco, and hip hop - leading artists like Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Arthur Russell, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, David Mancuso, and Madonna to cross paths, and giving birth to sub-genres like No Wave, Mutant Disco, and Electro in the decade that followed.
Destinations include:
- Studios where classic albums including Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, Run-DMC's self-titled debut and Raising Hell, Brian Eno's On Land, the No New York compilation, Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, LL Cool J's Radio, and Kurtis Blow's The Breaks were recorded
- Where Madonna, Blondie, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Suicide, and Rick Rubin lived early in their careers
- Where Grace Jones made her live debut
- The venue where Arthur Russell debuted some of his most groundbreaking work, and where Fab 5 Freddy and the Rocksteady Crew first introduced hip hop culture to a downtown audience
- Filming locations from Desperately Seeking Susan
- Legendary clubs, including the Loft, the Mudd Club, the Kitchen, and
Other things to note
I *strongly* recommend using a bathroom before the tour. There's a clean restroom available at McNally Jackson Books, located at 52 Prince Street.
Destinations include:
- Studios where classic albums including Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, Beastie Boys' Licensed to Ill, Run-DMC's self-titled debut and Raising Hell, Brian Eno's On Land, the No New York compilation, Public Enemy's It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, LL Cool J's Radio, and Kurtis Blow's The Breaks were recorded
- Where Madonna, Blondie, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Suicide, and Rick Rubin lived early in their careers
- Where Grace Jones made her live debut
- The venue where Arthur Russell debuted some of his most groundbreaking work, and where Fab 5 Freddy and the Rocksteady Crew first introduced hip hop culture to a downtown audience
- Filming locations from Desperately Seeking Susan
- Legendary clubs, including the Loft, the Mudd Club, the Kitchen, and
Other things to note
I *strongly* recommend using a bathroom before the tour. There's a clean restroom available at McNally Jackson Books, located at 52 Prince Street.
In this tour through NoLiTa, SoHo, and TriBeCa, we'll see how cheap rents and repurposed industrial spaces helped jump-start punk, disco, and hip hop - leading artists like Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Arthur Russell, Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, David Mancuso, and Madonna to cross paths, and giving birth to sub-genres like No Wave, Mutant Disco, and Electro in the decade that followed.
Destinations include:
- Studios where…
Destinations include:
- Studios where…
- 5 Reviews
- Identity verified
I am a fully licensed New York City tour guide, and I've also been a working musician here for over a decade. I have my own tour company called Walk on the Wild Side Tours NYC, and my music history tours have received positive reviews in the New York Times, AmNewYork, Grub Street, Alternative Press, and more. I love this city, and I'm passionate about its rich and fascinating music history.
Where you'll be
We'll visit the studios where Sonic Youth, Public Enemy, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, and Brian Eno made classic albums; former residences of Madonna, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Blondie, Suicide, and Rick Rubin; and legendary clubs including the Loft, the Mudd Club, the Kitchen, and the Gallery.
New York City is known as a melting pot of people, but did you know in the late 70s-80s it was also a melting pot of the best music genres? On this tour you will learn how hip hop, punk, and disco bumped elbows in lower Manhattan while classic albums were recorded and wild nights danced away until the morning.
Jesse is an expert on the subject matter, and a personable character to talk to about all things New York. For a music nerd like me this was an absolute joy to learn about how some of my favorite records came about and to learn the story about the community that helped produce them. You are guaranteed to walk away with a plethora of fun facts.
This is my second tour I have taken by Jesse and I would book anything he produces considering the depth of knowledge and craft to his offering. This is not to be missed if you are a music fan.
New York City is known as a melting pot of people, but did you know in the late 70s-80s it was also a melting pot of the best music genres? On this tour you will learn how hip hop,…
Things to know
Cancellation policy
Any experience can be cancelled and fully refunded within 24 hours of purchase, or at least 7 days before the experience starts.
Guest requirements
Up to 10 guests ages 13 and up can attend.
What to bring
comfortable shoes
bottled water
bottled water