March 4, 2026, marked ten years of the Element of Hip-Hop Awards, where DJ Tony Touch, Roxanne Shanté and Romeo Bartley Jr. were honored for their contributions to the arts and their communities.
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 — and those who wish they’d been there.
The awards were presented by Windows of Hip Hop, a Bronx-based nonprofit. Past winners have included Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and many more.
Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson issued Citations of Merit to the three honorees, as well as to the nonprofit itself.
“It 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!” Gibson said in a statement posted to Instagram.
DJ Tony Touch said onstage that he was “humbled” by the award. “I’m a Brooklyn baby, and to get the love here in the Bronx means everything.”
This year is shaping up to be major for the music genre born out of the Bronx. The Hip Hop Museum in the South Bronx is expected to open this summer, and a first-of-its-kind, hip-hop-centered high school was recently approved to open in September.
Among the colorful awards show guests was Thomas Vicente, who called himself “The Hip-Hop Warrior.” He told the Bronx Times he’s been involved in music, street art and fashion design since his youth in the 1970s Bronx.
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.
“I support the culture and also bring authenticity to the table,” he said.
Vicente added that he’s “not too crazy” about today’s 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.
“I’m old school,” he said. “I’m like that old dog, you can’t teach him new tricks.”
Rapper and producer Dr. Special Ed, real name Ed Archer, sat a a VIP table that included Roxanne Shanté and Grandmaster Caz, along with DOE District 9 Superintendent Harry Sherman.
Archer said that although he is from Brooklyn, Gibson and others have dubbed him an “honorary Bronxite.” He was presented with an Element Award in 2024 and said the 2026 honorees were “genuine icons.”
“They’re all exemplary in their fields and have a legacy that you cannot buy,” he said.
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
