Ledgendary Cyphers

From May to November, on Friday nights from 8:00 p.m. to midnight, the south side of Union Square Park transforms into a spectacle for unsuspecting commuters and a “dojo” for hip-hop musicians looking to hone their craft. Legendary Cyphers, a hip-hop organization and collective of musicians, has religiously been hosting ciphers for the past 12 years. With an express aim of providing a safe, inspiring, and challenging environment for musicians and fans to gather, what originally began as a ragtag group of close-knit musicians freestyling in a park, has since boomed into a fixture in New York City’s hip-hop culture, attracting hundreds of people per night, and thousands of people per year. 

            Daniel “Majesty” Sanchez, the credited founder of Legendary Cyphers was both a musician and social activist. Despite having been homeless for several years in Union Square Park, Mr. Sanchez was a passionate musician and vibrant member of several social justice organizations, including the Justice Committee's Cop Watch and even with @existanceisresistance, who sponsored his work holding live ciphers in Palestine. Legendary Cyphers began in 2013, however unfortunately in 2016, after moving to Las Vegas, Nevada, Mr. Sanchez passed away. 

“It was devastating. But at the same time we had to keep the legacy going and make sure that people knew who Majesty is and was, you know. [Be]cause around that time we coming off as artists, so having a movement behind us was a little new to us”–Miky Hustles

Miky Hustles, Bjorn Majestik, Eli Black, D-Nasty ThaMasta, are some of the main, longstanding members and key organizers of the cipher today. Some have been part of Legendary Cyphers since the very first day, whereas others, through demonstrable dedication and affinity towards the group were “knighted” in only a handful of years ago. Such range is evidence of the rich bond they hold and signals their bright future to come. 

Across the board, all recognize a lot has changed throughout the years. Not only has the number of people attending the weekly cipher increased tenfold, but the demographics such as age, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality have changed too.

“We do want this to be a worldwide movement. We want people to understand the meaning of having, you know, a hundred people gathered together in the middle of the street and being able to relate to each other through music, through rhyme, through improv, through [being] in the moment.”–Eli Black

However, such aspirational goals as this doesn't come without their obstacles. Not only do most of the organizers have outside jobs and commitments: 

“We got somebody that's a respiratory therapist, we got somebody that works at wall street, we got somebody that works with youth programs, too…”–Miky Hustles. 

But they also face the very real challenge of adapting to the technical age. A recent equipment upgrade from cellphones to Go’Pros have aided the group to attain and retain a modest social media following, allowing capabilities for livestreaming and an increase in content generation—opening the door for subscription/membership-based options for their viewers. However, they still report that the internet is their current frontier:

 “Right now, it’s getting more people to watch our stuff online. When we do it like in the physical, right here in Union Square, there's always going to be a crowd… The crowd that we gotta get is online.”—Miky Hustles

In their attempt to find more footing on their social media platforms, Legendary Cyphers has begun directly inviting musicians to come perform at the cipher. These performances, typically ten minutes long, are aimed at showcasing new, up-and-coming talent, while providing a mutually beneficial chance for the artist to gain exposure, and Legendary Cyphers reach new audiences. 

It is the hope that besides spreading their message, a large social media following may also lead to outside opportunities for Legendary Cyphers. While they have admitted to having an album in the works, shows, tours, and workshops are more than on the radar for them. Having had a number of impressive performances, including a performance in Times Square for the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and even workshops for students at Staten Island College and for high schools in Erie Pennsylvania, Legendary Cyphers continues to express interest in outreach opportunities in alignment with their commitment to music and social change.