Public Enemy’s Sista Souljah also played a major role in articulating her thoughts concerning politics and race. On the west coast, you had rappers such as NWA and Tupac who were exercising their form of activism against police brutality and the justice system. It also gave room for a deeper form of self-expression in regard to relatability with the youth. It began to shift and become rawer and more political to accurately reflect the plight that was felt at the time. Moving throughout the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, Hip Hop began to grow its wings and expand to different locations around the country and into something more than what it was originally intended for. Fun fact, Rappers Delight was also Hip Hop’s first music video. With the help of Sugar Hill Records founder Sylvia Robinson, DJ Hollywood’s iconic rap style gave inspiration to the Sugar Hill Gang’s first rap hit single to reach the Billboard top 40, “Rappers Delight” in 1979. His contributions to Hip Hop are another reason as to how we have these interactive call and response lyrics within rap songs today.ĭJ Hollywood’s innovative use of rapping is also what opened the doors to rappers such as Roxane Shante, The Mercedes Ladies, Kurtis Blow, The Fresh Prince, Salt N Pepa, LL Cool J, and Slick Rick. An experience that made you feel like you were a part of the performance yourself.Īnthony Holloway aka “DJ Hollywood” is regarded as the first rhythmic rapper and the first King of Rap in New York. But it was soon discovered that adding a smooth array of words that rhyme and flowed along the beats created a whole new experience for those in the crowd. The DJ spinning the records and supplying the beats that make you want to move is one thing.
An innocent mistake, but you can’t really blame them though. While DJ’ing is what brought Hip Hop to the light, many people often think about the art of rapping when you mention it. Soon after, DJs such as Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa followed DJ Kool Herc’s lead and carried on playing breakdown music for the people to dance and cut a rug to. Together, they planted and watered the seeds of the DJ and MC Hip Hop era throughout the late 70s and mid-80s. While Dj Kool Herc literally rocked the house with his records, he had help doing so with a man by the name of Coke La Rock, who is regarded as the first MC. Herc’s ambition as a DJ was fueled by the rejection of the disco sound that was heavily played throughout the local radio stations and into the Bronx homes.ĭue to his unwillingness to play disco, DJ Kool Herc developed a style of playing records that involved him only playing the breakdown section that consisted of the drums and bass. While the disco era dominated the late 60s and early 70s, there was a new underground sound that was being birthed within the walls of a house party in the Bronx in August of 1973. Hip Hop was introduced to the world by a gentleman by the name of Clive Campbell, or as many others know him, “DJ Kool Herc.”ĭJ Kool Herc is known as the pioneer and the father of the Hip Hop we see today. However, instead of it being another Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong to do it.
With the Harlem Renaissance preceding the inception of Hip Hop, it was only a matter of time before African Americans sparked another cultural movement that bore the same seeds as its predecessor musically. The creation of Hip Hop marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of Black Culture within America. A chapter within Black History has given so much and continues to bombard the world with a level of entertainment and activism tied with ingeniousness unlike any other. A plethora of unsung heroes fit these descriptions reside within the pages in the history books that are dedicated to the phenomenon known as Hip Hop. While there are so many brilliant minds dispersed throughout their respective industries and thrive within their unique platforms. Let's hand over the mic to Sahmon Goodman and start off strong with the genre Hip Hop.Įvery year during Black History Month, it is customary that we take the time to commemorate monumental Black Leaders, revolutionaries, inventors, artists, athletes, business moguls, and innovators. We're doing this by inviting guest writers to deep dive into three music genres that influenced the world: Hip Hop, R&B, and Afrobeat. Throughout Black History Month, we want to celebrate Black excellence and highlight some of Black culture's immense influence on our music scene. 18 February 2021 6 min read / Teach Me Hip Hop: The Heart & Soul of Modern Black History
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