His style of lyrical chanting and rhythmic wordplay was an early form of rapping inspired by the Jamaican tradition of toasting. He would speak in rhythm and rhyme over instrumental parts of songs to hype the crowd. Kool Herc also helped develop the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay performed by MCs. Overtime, breaking evolved and became a global subculture that transcended into the mainstream. Kool Herc named the people dancing to his music B-Boys and B-Girls, which was short for Break-Boys and Break-Girls. Break-dancers would form dancer circles and save their best dance moves for the break. The break section was also the most anticipated part of a song where people danced the most. Kool Herc named this breakbeat juggling style of DJing “The Merry-Go-Round.” This breakbeat turntablism quickly became influential in the rise of hip hop music, rapping, and breakdancing. Using a pair of turntables, Kool Herc would play two copies of the same record and then switch between them to extend the percussive section known as the break. However, Kool Herc would play funk, soul, and other genres with percussive sections. This historical party is recognized for launching the hip hop movement.ĭJ Kool Herc also introduced the “breakbeat” DJ technique – a mixing practice he adapted from Jamaican dub music. Kool Herc made history in 1973 when he and his sister hosted the “Back to School Jam” in the recreation room of their Bronx apartment building at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. One of the most influential hip hop pioneers was DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican immigrant regarded as the founding father of hip hop. These three innovators are known as the “Holy Trinity” of hip hop. However, the most notable pioneers are DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. Several people were influential in creating hip hop. It also became an outlet to deal with violence. However, the emerging hip hop movement transformed despair and racial barriers into numerous creative outlets. Sheets of cardboard became dance floors for break-dancers, and brick walls transformed into canvases for graffiti.Ī new era was on the rise fueled by sentiments of anger, hardship, and abandonment. DJs and MCs brought the music by setting up mobile “ Sound Systems” introduced by Jamaican culture. These block parties laid the groundwork for everything associated with early hip hop culture. The abandoned buildings and parking lots set the stage for block parties. As a result, urban youth turned to the streets for recreation and self-expression. Urban despair also brought rising crime, gang violence, and poverty.Ĭonsequently, businesses closed their doors, causing many economic opportunities and sources of entertainment to evaporate. Conditions worsened in neighborhoods prominently populated by African-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Caribbean immigrants. The migration shifted demographics and segregated communities. Much of the white middle class moved to the suburbs to escape the social and economic challenges. The city’s economy was falling apart due to the decline of the manufacturing industry and construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway. Looking back to New York City during this era, we see an economic collapse. Its development reflected the negative effects of post-industrial decline, political discourse, and a rapidly changing economy. Hip hop is a subculture and an art movement that emerged from the Bronx in New York City during the early 1970s. To this day, hip hop continues to be a global phenomenon, developing new art forms that impact the lives of new and old generations. The global influence of hip hop culture has shaped music styles, fashion, technology, art, entertainment, language, dance, education, politics, media, and more. The intersection of these four elements also generated a cultural revolution that rapidly spread across the globe. “Rap is something you do hip hop is something you live.” KRS One These forms of expression have also developed into further subcultures with lasting legacies. The original four main pillars of hip hop include DJing/turntablism, MCing/rapping, B-boying/breaking, and visual/graffiti art. Four foundational elements characterize hip hop culture. Hip hop is more than music it’s a cultural movement that incorporates different elements of art. Explore significant events in hip hop history and its explosive evolution. From the street corner to the world stage, hip hop has grown into one of the world’s most prominent musical genres and cultural influences.