From a small party in the Bronx’s, to a global phenomenon
On August 11, 1973, a young Cindy Campbell from the Bronx threw a back-to-school party at her apartment complex’s recreation center. She had her 18-year-old brother, Clive Campbell now known as DJ Kool Herc. With friends and family, Clive proceeded to play music by the likes of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and The Meters. a specific technique of use the turntables is known as birthed what we know as hip hop, Clive used the method of known as the merry-go-round of playing two copies of the same record, where one moves back and forth, from one record to the next, looping the percussion portions of each track to keep the beat alive. This led to counties dancing and partying which brought DJ’s as the main stars of the New York clubs.
Hip hop inspirations comes from the genres of funk, blues, jazz, rhythm and blues and even spoken word. This use of genres that started in the 70’s still continues to be used today. Hip hop is not only a music genre but a culture that is beyond music. The culture of hip hop created a space for young black and Latino people be free under the oppression of the America of the 70’s and 80’s. The now self-expression can be shown in different ways such as Emceeing, or rapping, is the art of speaking, singing, or reciting poetry while a beat is being played, Deejaying, also known as turntablism, is the art of controlling two turntables or a DJ-friendly sound program to control the music and keep it continuing or to produce new sounds, B-boying, also known as break dancing, is the practice of expressing oneself via dance or movement. Graffiti is an artistic expression through spray-painting, writing on walls or other surfaces. These forms of expressions now are what are made up of hip hop culture today.
Back in the 80’s the future of hip hop was seen as short and bleak, “just a phase”, but now 50 years later it has become the voice of generations each unique and of its own.by celebrating the 50 year anniversary we acknowledge the past and the history of a start of a movement and by acknowledging the past we can learn and love for the future.
