Announcing Your 2023 Mermaid Parade Royalty!
Hear Ye, Hear Ye!
Get ready for the grand announcement of The King and Queen of the 41st Mermaid Parade!
50 years ago a new artform was created up north in the Bronx. That artform was Hip Hop. Coney Island USA is thrilled to honor the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop with our King, legendary Hip Hop recording artist Kool Keith!
We celebrate New York Arts with our Queen, Laurie Cumbo, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs. As both a Brooklyn City Council Member and the Commissioner, Ms. Cumbo has successfully brought art and arts programs to our beloved Brooklyn and the surrounding boroughs.
We look forward to seeing you on June 17th!
About King Neptune: Kool Keith
Kool Keith is an American rapper and producer from The Bronx, New York. He first gained fame as a member of the pioneering hip-hop group Ultramagnetic MCs in the late 1980s, known for their innovative use of samples and dense, complex rhymes.
After leaving Ultramagnetic MCs in the early 1990s, Kool Keith embarked on a solo career that has spanned several decades and produced numerous critically acclaimed albums. He is known for his eccentric and often surreal lyrics, which often touch on themes of science fiction, sex, and violence, as well as his inventive use of language and wordplay.
Kool Keith is also known for his various aliases, including Dr. Octagon, Black Elvis, and Dr. Dooom. He has collaborated with a wide range of other artists, including Dan the Automator, Prince Paul, and MF DOOM, and has been cited as an influence by many other rappers and producers. Kool Keith continues to perform and record music to this day, and remains a beloved and influential figure in the world of hip-hop.
Kool Keith’s newest album Black Elvis 2 is out June 16th on Mello Music Group.
About Queen Mermaid: Laurie Cumbo
Laurie Cumbo was appointed as the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York by Mayor Eric Adams in March 2022.
Laurie Angela Cumbo previously served as majority leader in the New York City Council and represented the City Council’s 35th district for eight years. She wrote over forty laws and resolutions in that role, including creating the first-ever Mayor’s Office to End Gun Violence and the Mayor’s Office of Victim Services. Cumbo focused her career on institution building and worked diligently throughout her tenure in the City Council to secure permanent cultural homes for the Noel Pointer Foundation, Ifetayo Cultural Arts Center, the West Indian American Day Carnival Association, African Voices Magazine, Creative Outlet Dance Company, Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), 651 Arts, the Brooklyn Music School, The Brooklyn Pride Center and Digital Girl.
Cumbo is a lifelong Brooklynite. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from Spelman College and a Master of Arts degree in Visual Arts Administration from New York University.